George Books

What a wonderful novel filled with lovable, passionate characters who bring to life their journey of difficult choces and the many lessons associated with them. This is an inspirational novel and George Clidienst has managed to weave the past with our present and remind us that we must learn from our past or be condemmed to repeat it. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the triump of the human spirit! I hope to see more novels put out by this wonderful novelist.

Reviewed by William E. Cooper for Reader Views (1/07)

Although I am not a frequent reader of fiction novels, I found myself reading Mr. Clidienst's book and not being able to put it down. This is a book about courage, about doing what is right, about standing tall in the face of indecision and fear. It is an extremely well written book, both easy to read, yet profound in its content. It is about a young man forced to make an extremely difficult choice, getting varying input and advice from people who are close. It is about good people in the midst of chaos and disagreement, as is the country. Yet we read about a man who consistently does what's right, even when confronted with real fear.

"The Cabin on Foudy Creek" should be included in must-reads for high school and college students. It should be in every library and bookstore in America. It should be read by everyone. I strongly recommend it and endorse it to the level that if Mr. Clidienst writes another book, I'll be in line to buy it.

This book is a captivating read from start to finish. George Clidienst weaves a tale with many twists of fate and emotional highs & lows. I was drawn in by the development of his characters and masterful description of the story's setting. What a great book! I couldn't put it down!

This was an excellent novel! Growing up in the time frame of the book, I related to many references. It's a book you want to read in one sitting. Great job, look forward to the next one!

I want to sincerely say that this book is WONDERFUL! I am an avid reader and I found that Cabin on Foudy Creek is like no other book I've read. Using the word "book" does it no justice. I kept finding myself INSIDE the location and WITH the characters. When finished reading for the evening, I was suprised to find myself on the couch. I was somewhere else for awhile. I don't recall ever feeling that way about any other books. George Clidienst has a magical way of capturing your imagination and holding tight. Not to mention his genuis for endings. I know this from his first book "The Protege'" I consider myself a master of deciphering endings of most books. NOT THIS ONE!!! I enjoyed "The Cabin" more than "The Protege'", and that is a tough call, because I loved his first book. I mean this from the bottom my heart when I say that George Clidienst is a jewel amoung the literary world. A pure blessing for those of us that really enjoy reading.

Great little book. Both the writing and illustrations work really well. Humerous and informative. My kids(10 and 8) really enjoyed this book. As did I. An intelligent way to make history fun for younger readers.

Blushing and turning in my toes (just like George, Himself), I, like millions of others stand corrected about that arch-villain of our history, George III! As it turns out, he's a real person, just like the rest of us.

Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? brings his story to life for young readers. There's a lot for parents and teachers to enjoy here, too. Huzzah for Jean Fritz, who knows how to tell "his-story" with a great sense of humor making it as enjoyable as it should be.

This book is a pleasure to read.

I learned all kinds of things about King George, Queen Charlotte and others. It really helped me with my research on the Revolutionary war. In this book you get to learn the funny things about King George and things that happened during his time.

I bought this book to read with my children (ages 8 and 10). I found the book interesting, and learned a bit about King George's youth. My children thought it wasokay, even though their father was forcing it on them. I even caught my wife sneaking a read.

The writing style is nice and folksy, and the illustrations are charmingly naive. The personal spin it places on the American Revolution, coupled with the emphasis on the British perspective, is a refreshing contrast to some of the more serious books I've read on revolutionary history.

All in all, a nice read.

King George is considered to be one of the greatest opponents of the American Revolution. But does anyone ever really hear of his good traits until now. And in a childrens book! Well I know I didn't. And after reading this short story I found that ole George wasn't such a bad guy after all. All he wanted was for Brittain to become, well...richer. Couldn't those colonists help pay for some of his debts. Well maybe, if those colonists actually had any SAY in British matters then they should have to pay taxes. Well I still think he wasn't a BAD guy, he just tried to take the easiest way out.

Tomie DePaola and Jean Fritz-I think-make the perfect team. His comical illustrations with her undefinable text make this book a classic.

Fritz or Freedman '04. You decide.

My nephew loved it. He grew up in Milwaukee, went to school and lives in California. He comes to Chicago about every other year.

This book has beautifull photographs. The book is much deeper than other Chicago architecture books because it has a well thought out historical review of the progression of Chicago architecture. Interesting even for the lay person like me.

I thought this book was very interesting it has great pictures of the buildings in Chicago. It has alot of information about the beginning of when Architects wanted to build something modern but unqiue at the same time. Get inspired by the great exterior and interior of these amazing buildings.

This book provides an excellent introduction to Chicago's numerous schools of architecture over the years. It also provides a photographic tour of the city's important buildings, from the late 1800s to the present day. The photography is great! Highly recommended for fans of Chicago or architecture buffs in general.

This book described many of the significant architects in Chicago history. I found it to be informative and very readable. It is the best book I have found which summarizes Chicago Architecture. The color photograghs are excellent

This book is a favorite bedtime book for both our 21 month old and the adults in our house. It's a really engaging and clever story, plus the text is so much fun to read aloud. We also love it because it has all the animals that our child loves to name. The illustrations are simply lovely, and we have a great time picking out the little details like the clocks on some of the pages, and who has a pet bunny. We have had this book since our child was 6 months old and I had been eagerly awaiting the day that it would be appropriate--so it's been a real treasure discovering this book!

Lively language and expressive illustrations offer something for our whole family to enjoy. Our son, who is not quite two, and also not quite ready for bed most nights, loves to laugh at the silly setups (OK, his parents totally dig the irony of fish asking for one more glass of water). Beware, the hamsters in this story totally steal the show! Perl has a fresh, fun voice and a way of making sense of the nonsensical toddler bedtime routine. Bates acrylics really jump off the page. I know this book, unlike some of our bedtime stories, will grow with our son.

This is a very funny and well-written book, as other reviewers have already noted. I also appreciate that dads are featured in the putting-to-bed rituals. Wish it came in a board format so that my little one could turn the pages more easily.

This endearing new book for pre-schoolers ranks right up there with the best of Sandra Boynton's work. A clever, silly and downright fun book about bedtime. And Bedtime with my 2 1/2 year old can be a real chore sometimes! The book is filled with all sorts of silly animals including chickens, bunnies, fish, hamsters, sheep and more. The animals all do their best to stay up past their bedtimes, told in snappy verses that kids will love.

The book is illustrated by George Bates whose style perfectly compliments Perl's text. Great new kids book by a new author that could be a classic someday!

This book has everything I want in a bedtime book. Both my kids (3 and 5) were enthralled (great rhymes; colorful fun pics with plenty of detail, but not so much that we get stuck on each page for 3 minutes.) It's the perfect length (long enough that the kids are sleepier than when we started, not so long that I'm nearly falling asleep) and it finally put to bed (pun intended) my 3 year old daughter's constant question of why she goes to bed earlier than her 5 year old brother. "The farm is just like our house!" she exclaimed when we read it. Now if only I could get their room not to look so much like the pigsty...

The fates of those who sacrificed during the 60s to make America a more perfect union were varied; Some were cut down by assassins. Others re-defined the struggle by securing historic victories at the ballot box. Most simply returned to anonymity, choosing to bear the scars of battle in silence.
While many of these heroes remain unsung, the legacies of the more prominent among them have been well-documented in mainstream media outlets dutifully marking civil rights anniversaries as a way of gauging how far we've come since then. In some cases, these stories have now been re-told so often they seem dated and stale.
But John Blake's compelling new book, "Children of the Movement" traces those human blood lines forward and breathes life into these intimate -- but largely unknown-- family portraits. His interviews with the sons and daughters of those who fought for America's soul are at once inspiring, depressing, universal and utterly unpredictable.
Blake's sparing but effective writing frames each vignette, putting them in context without overwhelming you with tons of historical detail that might have detracted from the narrative. His book is not only a pleasure to read, but also informative, captivating and timely.
Most of all, "Children of the Movement" reminds us that while the struggle for civil rights has changed much in a generation, it is still far from over.

This is really one of the most fascinating books to deal with the civil rights movement in recent years. The author does not rehash old ground, but instead strikes out to see what happened to the next generation born of the activists, heroes, martyrs--and even the repulsive racists--of the 1960s. The older generation that we all know in another context turn out to have been parents ranging in quality from wonderful to awful--and those who knew them 40 years ago may sometimes nod their heads knowingly and say "Told you so!" It adds a human element to our knowledge of that great movement that shaped modern America and inspired the world.
I should add that I took this book with me on two hurricane evacuations this year (you can see that I am from Florida, The Hurricane State), and I could not have wanted for a better literary companion. I recommend it highly.
It does not pretend to tell the whole story of the civil rights movement--but it does tell an aspect of it that no one before John Blake has put between hard covers. No library dealing with that era is complete without this book.

As a child born in the late 70's, I've often felt, in some sense, that the Movement was something in the "past tense"...something that was really (according to History Books) only associated with MLK and other "icons".

After reading Children of the Movement, I realize I was reading the gaps of my childhood history books. I was also hearing the story told from the children...the youth of the 50s/60s...the ones that essentially "gave up" their fathers and mothers for the cause.

Wow...what sacrifice...John Blake makes you look at MORE than the leaders we often hear about, but forces the reader to face how the movement affected children of the time and how the pain and loss weighs on all of us today.

The only way to ensure this perspective is HEARD is to recommend this book to an educator you know...a History professor, a Social Studies teacher...someone who can truly ensure that children today absorb this rich perspective...

This book should be required reading for anyone from the age of 10 to 100, but particularly for those members of the last several generations who may take certain freedoms and rights for granted. For anyone who may be only slightly familiar with the struggles, sacrifices, pains and scars of those who fought for civil rights in America, Blake's book is a vital history lesson, presented in fascinating narratives that captures the reader's attention from beginning to end.
By focusing on the children of the movement, Blake gives a fresh and often unpredictable view of the civil rights movement. The extensive use of photographs was an important compliment to each and every chapter.

John Blake's book, "Children of the Movement," provides a powerful, if painful, glimpse into the heart and soul of the Freedom Movement of the Sixties, as, an insightful portrait of its legacy, through the lens of some of its children--one of whom is my own daughter, Ericka Abram. Blake's tenderly-written report reveals many common themes in the perspectives and lives of these offspring, the most compelling for me being that Movement parents seemed to have been so committed to our cause and protecting our children from the social ills we fought, we forgot to tell them what and why we were fighting. The resulting common disconnection between parents and children is more broadly reflected in the confusion and despair of today, in dealing with unrelenting racism and poverty and oppression, that stand in the stead of the clarity of purpose and commitment of the past. Blake's book opens the door to a healthy discussion toward healing familial wounds and easing generational divisions so as to bring us together in a new effort to finally find freedom in America.

I read it about 18 years ago - and still have it. The tone of the book is dry, delicious evil...that's what stands out even after all this time. In daily life, I would watch people act out what I saw as "the corporate walk" and bits of the mannerisms described at "the company" - and chuckle to myself.

I just ran across this corporate romp at a used book store, and it must be among the most underrated and obscure great books ever written. Is the dog sitting in the desk a hallucination? How about the flying pigeons in the reception area? More ominously, why would I fly to LA with the CEO purely supur of the moment, and worse, how about the new corporate indoctrination program that resembles a 1990's medieval torture chamber? All Written in a perfect black humior tone!aIn 4 words DONT MISS THIS BOOK!!!!

This book is definitely for anyone who wants to know what corporate life is REALLY all about.It beautifully satirizes what we in the United States are supposed to do in relation to our jobs and career sucess.Although I have not owned a copy of this book for at least ten years, I have suggested it to many people and most have enjoyed it.Read this book and revolt against the coporate mind numbing.

I read this book three times and couldn't get enough of the strange, forbidding atmosphere of Walker's demented corporate America, where life lies in the delicate balance of power in one very strange company indeed. Read this one if you can get your hands on it, then give it to your friends. This is what "The Firm" should have been; it'll make a great movie someday.

A brilliant, funny, horrifying book. Day by day, inch by inch, our unnamed narrator is sucked deeper and deeper into the corporate culture of his company. Bit by bit his individuality and morality are sucked away until in the end he becomes everything he loathes. I literally could not put it down after the half-way point.

Given the growth of amoral corporate giants like Enron and Worldcom, it's more relevant than ever. Get it. Read it. Then go to work and wonder about the senior execs at the place you work for.

We bought this book for our slightly-more-than-2-year-old twin grandsons, and they loved it. At this age, they're more interested in identifying the pictures than associating the drawings with the letters, but that's ok. There's something about the monkey image that is endlessly fascinating to them. Go for it!

I love all the curious George books. Who Doesn't?

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

This was a gift to my son when he was five months old, and it was a fast favorite -- if only because there are so many more pages to turn than in your classic board book! Mom and Dad enjoy the clever, letter-incorporating illustrations in this romp through the alphabet and trust that in time, our boy will, too.

Great book for a two year old boy who loves Curious George. He imitates and watches him daily on television.

In "Curious George's ABCs," one of the most famous characters from children's literature guides the reader through the alphabet. Each entry is illustrated by a noun that begins with that letter. To reinforce the alphabet, each letter is actually incorporated into the illustration. For example, the alligator's mouth opens in an angle that physically encloses the letter "A".

Curious George, the loveable monkey of the title, shows up as an observer or participant in most of the entries. As illustrated by H.A. Rey, George is as appealing as ever. I especially liked the illustration of George, bundled up in a snowsuit, looking at an "icy icicle." This is a good book for children learning the alphabet.

We bought this book for our slightly-more-than-2-year-old twin grandsons, and they loved it. At this age, they're more interested in identifying the pictures than following the concept, but that's ok. They seemed more interested in the water picture than getting the difference between wet and dry, or jump up and jump down. But there's something about the monkey image that is endlessly fascinating to them. Go for it!

My 11-month old boy laughs every time I show him this book. I also enjoy reading this as you can actually create mini stories with each set of opposites so it's much more entertaining than usual oposite books.

I have read this book over one hundred times, no kidding! This is one of the finest literary and illustrative works ever made. The anticipation and excitement of the page where George lets the pigs out will make your kids squeal with delight!

My 16-month-old daughter has loved this book since she was around 8 months old. I'm not sure what appeals to her, but I think it must be the clarity and charm of the illustrations, the easy to understand concepts of "up", "down", etc. and the sweetly naughty behavior of George. Who knows -- it works!

Tag along with George as he explores opposite ideas in this charming little board book. "Curious George's Opposites", demonstrates contrary concepts "George climbs UP, and then jumps DOWN," in an amusing and pleasing fashion. The colorful images and simple text will capture babies attention while entertaining small children too. Birth and up.

"My dreams were filled with violent, vivid images...and the blurred face of a mysterious man who could at once countenance the slaughter of innocent people, and who was a torturer himself who burned out men's eyes, but who would risk his own torture and death to right a wrong. John Sinclair himself was emerging as a contradiction, a paradox, a very dark and dissonant Chant in a crimson key of blood, pain, and death."
- Mongo, contemplating Chant Sinclair

Crossover with the VEIL series and the "David Cross" CHANT series, but definitely a Mongo novel; as usual, his viewpoint is retained throughout. Some points of similarity with TWO SONGS THIS ARCHANGEL SINGS - not surprising, since Veil and Chant began as "Chant Kendry" until Chesbro's then-publisher decided that the result was "too literary" and sent Chesbro back to the drawing board with half the character name to try again. Like Veil, Chant had an impressive combat record in Vietnam that ended in disgrace - Chant deserted, reasons unknown, managing to escape representatives of *every* side of the war, all of whom wanted him dead. He then became a notorious international criminal, with a reputation for violence but also for conning con artists and stealing from thieves.

Status of other series characters: Lippitt and Mary Tree do not appear; Garth, Harper, and Veil are in on the action. All significant present-time action takes place in Switzerland, because Mongo took on an embarrassingly simple job at a regular client's request.

Chant Sinclair ripped off the Cornucopia Foundation to the tune of $10,000,000 by a very clever arrangement involving a false identity as a worthy cause and an electronic funds transfer. Now Interpol and the Swiss police, to name two organizations, are after him, the Swiss border having been sealed off, and Emmet P. Neuberger, head of Cornucopia, has begged Mongo to go to Switzerland just to give him an honest independent report.

Nobody in Zurich, however, believes this is anything but a poor excuse for a cover story, starting with CIA operative Duane Insolers (who becomes downright indiscreet in an effort to convince Mongo to level with him). The Swiss police don't believe it either, once bodies start piling up, some of them carrying a message arranging for a meeting with Mongo that never happened. Neuberger seems to have arranged for Mongo's presence in Zurich as bait for a now-sprung trap, and not for Chant.

Mongo *really* should have thought about the fact that one of the victims managed to have a distinguished Interpol career just cleaning up the crooks that Chant has ripped off, but he's initially bamboozled by Chant's evil reputation.

There's a lot of exposition as Mongo uncovers Chant's past, layer by layer, but it isn't handled as gracefully as Veil's was in TWO SONGS THIS ARCHANGEL SINGS; far more talking than deduction is going on. (However, the backstory involves a secret society, assassins, and a lot of other cool stuff.)

I like all the MONGO books, but this was certainly a good "dark" one. For my money, Chesbro is a modern ERB, writting thinly "veiled" sci-fi, and I thoroughly enjoy his reality streching plot lines and characters.

This is the first of the Mongo books I read. And it was a wonderful introduction to the world in George Chesbro's head.
It has all the elements of a great mystery,thriller and pulp style book.

This was my introduction to Mongo, a dwarf, ex circus performer, nad now a detective and sometime profeeser of criminology. His brother Garth, his friend Veil, and the unknown Chant. A wonderful plot involving the theft of huge sums of money, overseas travel and lots of action. I don't want to give too much away, but let me just say that because of this book I went on a two year quest to find all of Chesbro's books. And now, lucky you, they are all in print again.

This book means so much to me, I made my wife read it before we could get married.

Jon Jordan

Of all the Mongo novels, this one is my second favorite. (#1 is The Beasts of Valhalla.) All the action, suspense and mystery with an exciting fight scene in a castle (which is what really put it over the edge for me.) You will never believe that the hero of the novels is a dwarf with a black belt. And yet after reading just one book, you'll believe it and want more.

Stop reading these reviews and buy all the Mongo books now!

Over the years Robert `Mongo' Frederickson and his brother Garth have built a successful detective agency and a global reputation. Naturally, they are expensive, and Mongo is perplexed when Emmet Neuberger, head of the Cornucopia Foundation decides he wants to send Mongo to Switzerland to follow up on an embezzlement case.

An international terrorist and super-criminal known as Chant Sinclair has found a way to trick the Foundation out of ten million dollars. Both the Swiss police and Interpol are already on the case. Because Chant has baffled authorities since defecting from the CIA in Viet Nam, several intelligence agencies are stirring also the pot. To Mongo, there seems to be no benefit in sending him into the mix, just to report on how the other enforcement agencies are doing. He smells a rat, but is lured by the idea of spending some cuddle time with girlfriend Harper in the Swiss Alps.

No sooner does Mongo arrive but what seems to be a simple embezzlement turns into a catastrophe of murder and violence. People associated with Chant keep dying horribly. An attempt on Mongo's life turns into the slaughter of countless innocents. The gunman's body is found to have a peculiar tattoo. Mongo, under suspicion himself, decides to hunt down Chant and untangle the layers of mystery that surround him. All of this is just the starting stanza of an incredibly tangle of events.

From its beginning, "Dark Chant in a Crimson Key" is pure intrigue, with a high violence quotient. Nothing is quite what it seems. Layers of agencies, foundations and secret organizations leave the reader's head spinning as Mongo tries to discover who is the real villain and who is the unsung hero. This is a tightly told tale that moves quickly. Chesbro's terse style keeps the reader's attention, and Mongo's tongue-in-cheek narration makes it all work.

Kotarides hooks you and sucks you in with the first chapter then weaves the important story lines together. They end with a twist you may not expect from what you've been reading. No "Spoilers" here... A Day in God's Country is just good, old fashioned story telling. The themes range from adolescent angst, a history lesson of the Virginia Beach area, political intrigue, broken families, the belief in the power of a guiding presence; to modern day immigration and open border policies...It is all there. If you are not religious, don't be put off by the title; if you are religious, don't rely on the title. Many locals call their beautiful hometown, "God's Country". In this book, Kotarides uses all the interpretations of God's Country, whether it is used for the Tidewater Area setting, the place in a person's heart, or in fact God's own domain. This story of three boys' lives that are changed forever by the events of the summer will leave you riding a rollercoaster of emotions to the last word.

Kotarides weaves a tale recounting an innocent, adolescent, nostalgic fantasy with a dose of stark adult reality. The writing style and plot have everything that makes for a great read creating a mental movie of adventure. A Day in God's Country: A Shore Story is a sure hit!

This book was fantastic! The author's descriptive style of writing paints such a vivid picture that you have no problem imagining yourself right in the middle of things. Brought back memories of being a kid again, while at the same time addresses very current and timely events. Really makes you think about what is going on in our world today. What an ending !

This book has a lot of Greater Virginia Beach connections/references which makes it a fun read for locals but beach lovers in general will like it. The story line is interesting with a surprise ending. Believe it or not, terrorists are in our backyard! It's also a rather quick read (perfect for the Summer)...can easily be knocked out in a couple of days (and you can't go wrong with the price). Give it a try!

I recently bought this book and started reading it. I can't put it down. The Author has done such a great job getting you hooked from the very first page. I hope that there will be future books from Mr. Kotarides.