Lee Books

For me this was an amazing discovery. I read a review of it in a literary magazine in the waiting room of my optician and when I got home I immediately ordered it from Amazon.
What caught my eye in the review were the names of the inhabitants of the February House - Auden, Britten,McCullers... in that amazing year. I knew of their work individually but to read of them living under the same roof was a revelation.What a cauldron of creativity! All against the background of the war in Europe and the period leading up to Pearl Harbour.As I read the book I felt as though I were there. I hope that someone will make a documentary about it or better still a dramatised reconstruction. The two Truman Capote films have blazed the trail.

A friend just recommended this book to me and it's fabulous!!! I live in an artist bldg and it's nothing compared to the energy of Middagh Street. The book is a great read and the research is most impressive. I cannot wait to read the one she's writing about the Chelsea Hotel!

Thomas Wolf once famously said "only the dead know Brooklyn." There might be some truth in that, but some of us know Brooklyn, N.Y.,U.S.A., pretty well,and are still very much alive. Quite a few people are aware of Brooklyn's brownstone belt, that swath of historic houses stretching from the East River to Prospect Park and beyond. Many of these people would declare Brooklyn Heights the ultimate Brooklyn brownstone neighborhood. It's beautiful, and gets scenic views of Manhattan. It's got history galore--an important Revolutionary War battle was fought here;and it's been, and still is,home to a lot of well-known important people.

One little-known fact is that a number of celebrated people shared a house on Middagh Street, in 1940-41, right in the middle of the Second World War. That house, which came to be known as February House-- a number of its residents had February birthdays-- has long since been torn down to make room for the Promenade that provides storied views of Manhattan. But among occupants of February House were poet W.H.Auden, writer Carson McCullers, writers Jane and Paul Bowles,composer Benjamin Britten, and stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.

Writer Sherill Tippens has produced an interesting, pleasantly gossipy book about the house's residents and their accomplishments. Jane Bowles began "Two Serious Ladies," her only completed novel here. The young lesbian Carson McCullers had just tasted, at the age of 23, great success with her novel "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." She began two other great successes, "The Member of the Wedding," and "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," between drinking bouts, right here on Middagh Street.

Auden and Britten, both homosexual, but not involved with each other, were being raked over the coals at the time by the British press for choosing to sit out World War II in the U.S. But they were working: they collaborated on the opera "Paul Bunyan,"not critically well-received. Auden who continued to live in the Heights, on his own, to pursue his lifelong, unrequited love for the young American Chester Kallman, was working hard in the interstices of his personal soap opera: He produced "The Double Man" in February House. Britten produced "Peter Grimes;"considered one of the great masterpieces of 20th century opera. Meanwhile, he pursued his own personal soap opera: many critics believe this opera echoes developments with his partner, tenor Peter Pears, at the time.

The most unexpected resident of February House would have to be Gypsy Rose Lee, burlesque artiste. She was talked into joining the fun by George Davis, homosexual himself, fiction editor of "Harpers Bazaar" magazine, whose idea February House was, and who worked hard to keep it alive. Davis had published some of his own writing, but he was best known for the talented writers he kept on discovering.

In Gypsy Lee's case, she brought some money, a lot of common sense,and a cook to Middagh Street. The house's residents needed all the above. Her reward for her support: George Davis, great editor, midwifed her book, "The G-String Murders," a publishing sensation for many years.

George Davis continued to live at 7 Middaagh Street after its time as an artistic commune had passed. After Kurt Weill's death, Davis married his widow, Lotte Lenya, and devoted his life to introducing America to Weill's great works,such as "Three Penny Opera,"from which we get "Mack the Knife."

There are some informative photographs, extensive notes and acknowledgements in February House. Tippins evidently did a lot of primary research, but she managed to organize the voluminous results in a very readable style. February House well rewards the reader.

Sherill Tippins has done an amazing job of finding the significant narrative threads in the chaotic convergence of creative lives that occurred in the months before Pearl Harbor when Harper's Bazaar editor George Davis and British expatriate poet W.H. Auden rented a brownstone on 7 Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights and actively recruited other creative artists to live with them. Among the co-renters were Carson McCullers who had recently published her highly acclaimed first novel, "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter," soon-to-be famous British composer Benjamin Britten and his parnter, singer Peter Pears, unpublished novelists Paul and Jane Bowles, Broadway set designer Oliver Smith, writer Richard Wright and his wife, and burlesque sensation Gypsy Rose Lee, who it turns out was the most reliable in the rent-paying department and joined the little "creative commune" on the condition that she could bring her own cook and maid. Her fiscal reliability and drive along with Auden's willingness to take on the unpleasant role of house disciplinarian (collecting rent and other "dues" and establishing and enforcing many house rules) are probably sufficient explanation for why this menage managed to last the two or three years it did.

Tippins wisely focuses her attention on the leading figures (without neglecting to name the many others who partied but did not reside at 7 Middagh--Salvador and Gala Dali, Lincoln Kirstein, George Balanchine, Erika Mann and her brothers Klaus and Golo, to name a few). One passer-through, Anais Nin, christened the dwelling "February House" because so many of the residents had February birthdays. Tippins has a good knowledge of the works of these creative people and is able to see how one of the artists intentionally or inadvertantly influenced a subsequent work of one of his or her co-residents. For example, McCullers was struggling with the novel that would later become "The Member of the Wedding" when she was able to appropriate an experience from Chester Kallman's childhood to explain her heroine's profound sense of alienation and abandonment (Kallman was Auden's lover).

Tippins other great achievement here was her ability to slice through history and palpably recreate the political atmosphere in pre-war New York and to do so in a way that reflects on both British and US perspectives. She takes a good hard look at the criticism expatriates like Auden, Christopher Isherwood, Britten, and Pears faced from the British press and fellow artists who chose to remain in Great Britian during the war. She is similarly insightful in her analysis of the role the Mann family had in trying to get an apathetic America to respond to the European crisis. A lesser writer might not have bothered with these issues and chosen to report only the salacious and saleable anecdotes about the goings-on of the February House residents.

I highly recommend this book to anyone even passingly interested in one of the artists who lived at 7 Middagh Street (you're sure to learn something new), to anyone who ever wondered how great works of art come about, or to anyone interested in knowing how history and art intersect. I'm sure I'm going to use Tippins's Selecte Bibliography as a basis for future Amazon.com purchases.

Sherill Tippins' volume fills a tantalizing gap that fans of Auden, McCullers, Britten, and Gypsy Rose Lee have long wished could be filled. Most overdue is Tippins' portrait of George Davis: failed literary wunderkind; editor extraordinaire (who "discovered" McCullers and got much-needed writing jobs for her and W. H. Auden in the lean months before Pearl Harbor); husband to Lotte Lenya and the catalyst that re-invented her for American audiences in Marc Blitzstein's staging of Weill's "Threepenny Opera"--the list goes on and on. Davis and Auden are central to Tippins' account and to the amazing colony of artists who called 7 Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights their home in 1940-41. But Tippins gives everyone in that circle his/her due. Her depictions of Auden's rocky romance with Chester Kallman, of Benjamin Britten's coming to terms with his artistic destiny in England, not America, and Gypsy Rose Lee's ability to charm and disarm everyone she met are more than engaging--they are extremely moving.

Tippins' research is exhaustive and impeccable, and she lets her characters speak naturally and eloquently. I could not put this book down and practically read it at one sitting. I was hungry for the kind of information Tippins delivered, and I finished the book with the deepest satisfaction. Gracefully written, carefully organized and researched, and extremely relevant: this book wins on all counts.

We have a few pop-up type books and a lot of them just have something stand up, or have pieces that are too delicate for younger toddlers. Although this one is also easy to rip, there aren't tiny pieces so it takes a little more tug than some others. But the pop-ups are bright, not too busy, and really engage my toddler. Heads bobble, arms wave. We'll definitely keep an eye out for others in this series. On sale, only, of course, since the lifespan of this will surely be limited as much as my daughter loves it and will eventually manage to rip the pop-ups!

The book Snappy Little Colors is great because not only is it a book to teach kids about colors, it's a pop up too. They kids can have fun learning their colors as well as learning to read better. You get to see different animals with different colors on them. I would say this book would be good for kids the ages of 1 and up.

My son is 18 months old and he loves this book-- especially the shark and the bear! I am buying 2 Snappy books for a friend's 2-year-old's birthday. Excellent!

My daughter (26 months) LOVES this book! I read it to her often but she really spends lots of time looking at it on her own, too. She will flip through it saying each animal's name, then again making the sound of each animal, then one more time stating the main color on each page. Great big pop-ups really catch her attention. This book is especially helpful for learning colors or animal names. She loves it so much I have ordered her a couple of other Snappy Books for Christmas. Enjoy!

A friend gave this to me as a baby shower gift and I started reading it to my son at about 4 months.

At first it was the only book (out of many) to hold his attention all the way through. It still holds his attention now at 9 months no matter what he's doing when I open it.

The print and mechanical quality are first rate. The text is very well written and if I quote phrases from the book (at non-reading times) my son will recognize them and start giggling. The illustrations are quite clever and make learning entertaining.

If you buy no other children's book, buy this one! I plan to give it as a shower gift to all new moms from now on.

If it weren't for the illustrations, this book would be rated two stars. I saw this book advertised on Amazon's website among other children's books. The cover was so beautiful, that I had to read the reviews about the content and artistry of this book. I was seconds away from making a purchase when I decided to borrow it from the library instead. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and I liked the way the author took a spin on the mean old woman in a shoe rhyme and made it into a loving mother bunny rhyme. Children get to learn all kinds of uncommon words (at their age) like shed, trellis, etc. but the rhymes are just names of rabbits who sleep on those objects - boring and uncreative. Example, "Zed slept on the shed" The whole book from A to Z is like that. I was wondering why such a beautifully illustrated book was not such a hot seller on Amazon's rankings and found out why. It's pretty but not educational. I don't need my little one to learn uncommon names of people that are supposed to rhyme with the objects. If you want a good ABC book, I highly recommend Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. That is by far the best. It is very educational and very fun. As for numbers, I recommend Ten Little Ladybugs and/ or Over in the Meadow. Both are just excellent.

Illustrations are wonderful. Text is silly fun, but instructive in counting and alphabet. Just don't be so taken by the beautiful bunny drawings that you decide to get a bunny for your young one- they're more adult pets, despite their cuteness. They require a lot of care, research, adult attention and space to roam. Let your kids enjoy the pretty pictures instead.

Mama bunny lives in a shoe, has 26 babes, but knows just what to do. She tucks them into various "beds" as she counts them off. The detailed illustrations are what I like best about this book. My son loves studying them. He gets a kick out of the quirky places the bunnies sleep, esp Frankie in the hankie for some reason. I wish that this was written so that the bunnies' names and the places they slept started with the same letter. That would have reinforced the alphabetic aspect of this book, but maybe it's asking too much. I still really do like this one.

Unlike so many poorly executed rhyming books, this one is a joy to read. The rhymes are well constructed and creative. And the pictures are delightful. Just tonight, my 6 year old asked me to read it again as a bedtime story, because he loves to study the engrossing pictures. And we've enjoyed this book for years. I was happy to just now see that this author/illustrator pair have done other books together.

I'm such a sucker for rhymes. Fortunately, so are my kids. There's nothing like a story with pleasant and soothing rhymes to get them off to sleep quickly (giving me more time to write reviews :D) See, there's an Old Mother Rabbit who lives in a shoe. She has 26 children (those rabbits sure know how to multiply!) but she definitely knows what to do. The tale travels through the alphabet -naming each bunny and where they fall asleep (1 is named Abel, he slept on the table.....and so on) My kids delighted in guessing where each little bunny would sleep (some places were pretty strange - like who could fall asleep in candy???) It also taught them words they don't normally use (e.g. lane, holly, kettle). Counting, the alphabet, and rhyming.... all in one sweet little bedtime story. What more could a parent ask for - besides children who beg to go to bed?

It help me alot a about the adoption for a single wonwan and I hope this will help a single parents.

I'm only partially through the book...not sure I'll finish. The exercises are helpful, and the general information is quite good. That said, much of the information is too dated and perhaps a bit too "PollyAnna". The copyright is 2000, and international adoption processes change too rapidly for this book to be entirely accurate/relevent today.

The book is quite optimistic about everyone being able to adopt -- people 50+ yrs old, single males, homosexuals, people on public assistence, etc. In everything else I've read, each of those groups seem to face significant biases and challenges from U.S. adoption agencies as well as foreign agencies/orphanages/governments. I'm not sure the book adequately portrays the challenges each demographic group may face.

I walked away from reading this feeling fully empowered to move forward with an adoption as a single; it also opened my eyes to many aspects of single parenting (especially an adopted child) that I had never considered. I have passed this book on to friends who are also in the process or thinking about it. Highly recommend reading this even if you are already adopting-

There are also exercises at the end of each section/chapter that force you to think about what you are doing by journaling, very effective.

I have not read the entire book, but it is a book that has made me think at most is adoption really for me and at least I would have to really think about things.

This book has been absolutely priceless in my journey toward adoption. The exercises are beneficial and the information is straightforward and unbiased. Best of all, it's written by someone who, like me, is single and career-oriented but made it work. This has not only helped me, but I shared it with my family and it helped them to understand just what I'm going through.

Anybody who ascribes to the idiotic notion that Southern secession was all about states' rights and really had nothing to do with slavery needs to be reminded of two antebellum events: the Fugitive Slave Act, which was legislation that solely benefitted slaveowners while being a complete affront to the notion of states' rights; and the gag rule in Congress from 1836-1844, which essentially stripped citizens & Congressmen of their 1st amendment rights.

The gag rule was focused on the 1st Amendment right of petition, which was frequently utilized by US citizens in the early 19th century. The cause of the furor was a dramatic increase of abolitionist petitions that proposed the abolition of the slave trade within the District of Columbia, which was under the direct jurisdiction of the US Congress (DC was chosen because most people believed that the Constitution did not give the Congress jurisdiction in the individual states --- DC was another matter).

The Congress of that period was dominated by pro-slavery Southerners and sympathetic Northerners who would rather not stir up too much trouble. However, a small group of Congressmen, led by John Quincy Adams, waged an 8-year against the gag rule. Along the way, Adams & his cohorts, along with an increasingly organized & vocal abolitionist movement, undermined the neutral attitude most Americans had towards the issue of slavery.

Former president John Quincy Adams is clearly the central figure of the story, and it is pretty obvious that Miller likes the crochety old statesman. One cannot read this book and not come away with an increased respect for Adams, who has unfairly been relegated to historical obscurity. It is remarkable to think that through most of the gag rule battle, Adams was in his mid to late 70's, and almost never missed a day in Congress. The story also displays abundantly Adams' formidable intellect and parliamentary skills.

On the other side of the aisle were the Southern fire-eaters, who were capable of great oratorical flourishes but who possessed precious little strategic skill. Miller recounts how, time again, the pro-slavery forces miscalculated with their tactics. Instead of squelching debate about slavery, hotheads like Henry Wise & Waddy Thompson Jr succeeded only in inflaming the controversy. After 8 years, the leaders of the pro-gag forces were realizing that they might have unleashed forces beyond their control, and abandoned the fight to maintain the gag.

The story is presented in an entertainingly narrative style which I found to be quite enjoyable. Some reviewers have found the author's asides to be a distraction, but I found that they contributed well to the story for the most part. Indeed, some sections of the book (such as when Adams is facing down his opponents who are attempting to censure him) are real page-turners.

While the book was very entertaining, it is also quite sobering. One becomes aware of the appalling nature of the slave-owning bloc. So dedicated were they to preserving their own interests that they repeatedly violated the 1st Amendment & trampled on civil rights of WHITE citizens in general, through the censoring of private mail, violating the writ of habeas corpus (South Carolina had a law on the books for almost 40 years, allowing free black sailors to arrested & imprisoned for duration of their ship's stay in port, simply because they were free blacks and MIGHT incite the local slave population to rebel) and (ironically) violating the doctrine of states' rights --- as the right to due process was systematically denied to the citizens of other states (a free enfranchised citizen of Massachusetts, for example, was not due any rights at all under the constitution of Missouri if he happened not to be white). Eventually, the encroachment by the South on the civil rights of the rest of the nation's citizens became ominous enough for the average citizen in the North to become aware of the genuine threat that the expansion of slavery posed. Almost all of this starts with the fight over the gag rule in Congress.

Miller also examines how Southern politicians tried, with increasing difficulty, to reconcile their claims to being good republicans with their obvious anti-republican actions. Miller argues that the politicians of the South fought to prevent the mere discussion of slavery because they knew better than anyone that the institution & way of life they were defending could not be defended in the playing field was level. If violating the principles of the Constitution & the Declaration of Independence is what it took to defend the peculiar institution, then they would do it, but not without a great deal of moral & intellectual discomfort. It is amazing to read some of the tortured rationalizations of Southern statesmen during this period.

This should be required reading for the student of this period. It is not a dry subject, and fortunately the author writes with plenty of flair. If some devotee of the Lost Cause mythos starts blathering on about how the Confederacy was only about the defense of states' rights & tries to use the Constitution as a rationalization for secession, this book should provide you with plenty of ammunition for your debate.

An absolutely brilliant book. Incredibly moving: the only book I've ever read that literally brought me to tears while reading it. But at the same time, wonderfully informative and evocative of the amazing historical events of the day. If you liked the movie "Amistad," you will love this second look at John Quincy Adams' incredibly brave stand during what William Freehling has called the "Pearl Harbor of the Civil War." I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Long before Sen. Charles Sumner spoke about Bleeding Kansas and was soon thereafter caned on the floor of the Senate by Congressman Preston Brooks, the Congressional waters had ben moving to an ever-higher boil on the slavery issue.

One of the leaders in the battle against slavery was Massachusetts Congressman and former President John Quincy Adams. Earning the sobriquet "Old Man Eloquent" on this issue, in this ever-heating contest, Adams finally got a House gag rule overturned that had prohibited antislavery petitions from the general public from even being discussed.

Adams had been a free-soiler, opposed to the expansion of slavery for many years. But his well-known legal defense of the Amistad defendants moved him beyond free-soiler to abolitionist.

Miller makes Adams fire on the floor Congress come alive, and puts into context.

Much of that context carries through to the 1860s and beyond.

For example, Miller points out that two decades before Lincoln thought of it, Adams opined that Presidentail war powers might be used to abolish slavery during a civil war.

At the same time, Miller reaches further back into history, to point out the early history of slavery in the North. (In the middle 1700s, New York's population may have been as high as 14 percent slave.) That's important to show how Southern arguments and fears that they A. could not do without slavery and B. would not know how to let such a large population go free, were groundless.

Here's a few more fascinating and important historical tidbits from the book.

Page 17 - Jefferson, while a member of the Confederation Congress in 1784, authored a provision to exclude slavery not just from the Old Northwest, but ALL Western territory on the far side of the Appalachians. It failed by one state's vote, which he claimed in turn was lost due to the illness of one delegate.

Page 349 - Showing a fine-tuned sense of satire, even sarcasm, during gag rule debate in the 25th Congress, Adams proposed Congress form a "Committee of Color," specifically designed to investigate Congressional bloodlines, with the "impure" to be summarily expelled.

Page 478 - A fine illustration of the morals of the white knights of the patrician South: Henry Hammond, southern ultra already at this time, in the House, and as Senator, deliverer of the "Cotton is King" speech, was a rou? first class. He took an 18-year-old slave with 1-year-old child as a mistress, then when the child turned 12 took her as mistress too. He also had some degree of attachment to the four teenage daughters of Wade Hampton II, father of the Civil War general.

Read this book, and find out just how entrenched Southern recalcitrance was 20, 30, 40 years before the shots at Fort Sumter.

The other reviewers have it right. I first read this superb book when it was first published in 1995. I picked it up thinking the subject seemed a little dry, but found I couldn't put it down. Now, eight years later, I have reread it. Again I couldn't put it down.

John Quincy Adams is not on Mount Rushmore; he is not trumpeted in high school history textbooks as a messianic figure, a beacon of freedom and liberty.

Quite rightly so; he would probably have found that amusing.

Adams is subject to an almost criminal lack of coverage in history courses--he does not fit the traditional model of the good American politician, and teachers often don't like to introduce amniguity into their courses by suggesting that an 'elitist' can be a great public figure, and that greatness is distinct from political success. Washington was great because he "created the country." Lincoln was great because he "ended slavery." Adams was simply an extremely good Secretary of State, brilliant Represenative in the House, and--god forbid--knew what he was doing while he was President.

The problem really is that Adams, with all his abilities, was not a politician in the American sense: he was educated, cultured, and actually knew what he was doing. His successor, Andrew Jackson--a boorish man who disobeyed the law, helped wipe out a race of people, and pandered to the whims of "the masses"--is often hailed as a great figure in American politics, apparently because of said boorishness, refusal to obey the Constitution, and genocidal tendencies.

In Adams is a figure that really ought to be respected and aimed for in American politics: a man with a strongly defined sense of morality, well-developed mind and good education, vast experience, and ability to govern. The traits that made Adams such a great man--his refusal to do anything simply because "the people" wanted it, coupled with his disturbing tendency to pursue policies that were intelligent, necessary, beneficial, and incredibly foresighted--seem to doom him to obscurity.

Miller takes on the unenviable task of arguing in favor of Adams as a great man, although he limits himself to his time in the House; in doing so, he provides an accesible and much-needed glimpse into the life of a man by far one of the greatest public figures America has seen.

Stone's fine first stab at a teen novel, A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl, is an intriguing work - free-verse monologues from a trio of high school girls who've all fallen for, you guessed it, the campus Bad Boy. They all get burned, but learn some valuable lessons along the way about who they are, who they want to become, and what kind of man will make them happy. Then they warn others. Funny, real, sometimes painful. Brought back plenty of teen angst memories.

Frist off i loved this book i read it in like 3 hours i couldent put it down....this book is great for teen girls or boy even who love books about girls and boys and the things that can happen :)

I finally got to read Tanya Lee Stone's "A Bad Boy can be Good for a Girl". I sure wish it would have been around when I was in high school, there where definitely plenty of bad boys. I just wish I could have been as was as Josie. Besides the fact that it was great writing, the book had an excellent message. Even the girls who made mistakes with the boy where not ridiculed or considered bad and they all learned from the experience. It will definitely be highly recommended by me at school. I have a lot of girls who will love it, and a lot of girls who NEED to read it. It is a must for every high school library, and probably even every jr. high library as well.
I give it a 5 star must have rating.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl is only the second verse novel that I've read (after Hugging the Rock by Susan Taylor Brown). And I have to say that if these two books are at all representative, then I'm completely hooked. I love the combination of a fast-paced, streamlined read with wonderful language selection.

I read Bad Boy in one sitting, and didn't want it to end. I read the end material in the book. I read the discussion questions on the handy bookmark that Tanya provided, and I spent time thinking about them. I thought about my own high school experiences. I wondered if Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva would end up becoming friends. I thought of which of them I personally identified with the most. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl is a verse novel told in the distinct voices of three high school girls. Josie is a freshman, smart and confident but (she assures us) not stuck up. Nicolette is a junior, popular with the boys, in a certain sort of way, but the kind of girl who other girls tend to avoid. Aviva is a senior, a "Criss-Crosser" who has friends in lots of cliques, but manages to maintain her own individuality. One after another, each of these three girls, very different on the surface, falls for the same unnamed boy, a popular senior jock. Their experiences with him vary, but have commonalities, too. I think that any adult reader of this book will find occasion to wince here and there, as certain incidents or feelings ring true.

This book is a very frank look at high school politics and relationships. Although it's not a difficult read, I wouldn't recommend it for most middle schoolers, because it is very open concerning teen sex. That said, I do highly recommend it for high schoolers, especially girls. The "bad boy" of the title is good for the girls in the story in part by making them wiser. If readers can gain a little of that wisdom from this book, without having to experience everything that Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva experience, so much the better. I also like the way the characters in this book learn from the one in Judy Blume's Forever, and use the end pages of a copy of Forever to record a manual for other girls:

"some little book where a girl could look up
what to do
what not to do
and who not to do it with"

I read this book quickly, to find out what would happen next, but the verse kept catching me up, and slowing me down. I would stop and shake my head at the aptness of a phrase, or the clever way that the author uses verse to speed up, or slow down, or convey mood. Here's an example:

"How can a person,
any person,
even just a friend,
turn off,
snap---
just
like
that?"

I love the "just, like, that". The very words snap with finality. Another nice thing about the verse form is that it takes us right inside the minds of Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva in a way that a narrative form might not. It seems particularly fitting for this topic, because first love and heartbreak are exactly the kinds of things that teenage girls do write poems about.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl is well-written, and almost painfully true to life. It deals with teenage love, sex, and friendship, as well as disillusionment, heartbreak, and joy. Throughout this emotional roller-coaster, the author maintains a tone of gentle humor and sympathy. I look forward to Tanya Lee Stone's next novel.

A slightly longer version of this book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on July 14th, 2006.

A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL by Tanya Lee Stone, Wendy Lamb Books, January 2006, ISBN: 0-385-74702-0, Publisher recommendation: 14 years and up

"the sound of them strong
stalking talking about their prey
like the way hammer meets nail
pounding, they say
pounding out the rhythms of attraction
like a woman was a drum like a body was a weapon
like there was something more they wanted
than the journey
like it was owed to them
steel toed they walk
and I'm wondering why this fear of men"
--Ani Difranco, "The Slant"

Josie:

"In one more second it will be too late.

" 'WAIT!' "

Nicolette:

"Am I a whore because I like sex? Or because I did it
too soon? Or too much? Nobody ever calls boys
whores.

"Why is that?"

Aviva:

"I wouldn't want to go through this again.
But unfortunately, something tells me this stuff is
tricky.
I doubt this is the only mistake I'm going to make.
And I'm not so sure
it was a mistake, anyway.

"I kind of hope he learns something too.
Even if it's only for the sake of the next girl
who comes along.
Or the one after that. Or maybe the one after that!

"He's cute and all, but not what I'd call
a real quick study!

"I laugh out loud.

"And I'm happy for a second, because I still know how
to find the funny.

"I like that about myself."

A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL is the story told from the point of view of these three teens. Each of them has a relationship with the same guy at school. Josie is the wide-eyed freshman, who suddenly feels like a somebody. Nicolette, the junior, really thinks she is in control. And Aviva is the bright senior with the hip and trusting parents. All three think they know what they're getting into.

Some of the lessons that readers might glean from this quick, engaging, and powerful novel in verse include:

1. Look and think (and think again) before leaping into bed.

2. If your female schoolmates are saying and writing uncomplimentary things regarding the character and behavior of a boy, it might be wise to take them seriously.

3. You may think that you are wiser and less vulnerable than these three characters, or the girls you know in real life, but you're not.

A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL will raise some eyebrows for being a book where the only marginally sympathetic male character is someone's father who shows up for a couple of sentences. We meet the athletic young man, the villain of the book who seriously lacks redeeming social values, through the stories that the three girls tell However, he is not one of the narrators.

I've already had a long, animated discussion with my wife about how there are guys are like TL: Are such guys clueless about their behavior or do they consciously develop these strategies to have sex with girls? (I was the one insisting that guys who behave like this are out there. I remember being an adolescent and overhearing guys boasting about being members of the "4F Club.")

Part of what makes Laurie Halse Anderson's beloved and award-winning SPEAK a must-read is its message to watch out for oneself and to be concerned for peers who are clearly troubled. Part of what makes Melvin Burgess' DOING IT such a terrific read is its amusing and sympathetic look at how young men's minds tick.

A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL is a book about teens and sex that will fascinate and enlighten readers. It is a realistic and provocative story that will benefit from being read among groups of friends or along with older siblings so as to prompt discussion about the vital issues involved.

No one is quite sure when Admiral Rickover decided the Navy needed a small nuclear-powered submarine that could drive along the deepest depths of the ocean and be used for a variety of missions. The civilian world had been using deep-sea submersibles for some time, but it was not until the Thresher accident that everyone realized the need for a vessel that could remain underwater at the deepest depths for very long periods of time. It was developed and built under conditions of extreme secrecy and was never even designated a warship. It had a variety of bizarre features, including tires on the bottom of the hull that would literally permit it to drive along the bottom, and sideways thrusters fore and aft that allowed it to hover in one exact position.

Lee Vyborny was one of the original crew members on the tiny NR-1, a sub that contained a midget nuclear reactor, which developed a mere 130 horsepower, of which only 60 could be used for propulsion. The crew quarters were tiny, and there was no stateroom for the commander, who would usually sleep on the floor next to the control panel. The reactor was designed so it could be operated by one man because the crew never exceeded eight people, usually only four on duty at any given time.

In an uncharacteristic mistake, Rickover tried to keep the cost of development and building down and required that as many of the ship's components as possible be purchased off-the-shelf. He was under the mistaken impression that the commercial deep sea industry was well developed and the parts standardized. At the same time, he insisted on testing these parts under the most extreme conditions. They had never been designed for the role he intended, and the result was costly failures and time spent to develop alternatives. The early computer they used was a midget and capable of only fourteen simultaneous operations, in contrast to the original PC, which could do many thousands at once.

Rickover's presence was ubiquitous. Everyone was suitably cowed, but he knew the bureaucracy well and how to manipulate them. The story of the two dead mice is illustrative. A habitability team was due for an inspection. Their job was to verify that a new ship was liveable. The NR-1 had so many discomforts for the crew, Rickover knew he might be in trouble, so he sent out an aide to find two dead mice and to hide them in the boat. The habitability team was delighted to find a dead mouse, thinking they would be able to reprimand the famous admiral. Instead, they were the ones on the receiving end. He told them they had done a terrible job and didn't belong in the Navy. "I know there were two dead mice on that boat," he shouted, "I bought them! You only found one! Get out of here!"

When lambasted by the General Accounting Office for the NR-1's cost overruns and asked to explain the excess, Rickover replied with a sarcastic letter, reprinted in full in the book, suggesting their analysis was similar to a review of Lady Chatterly's Lover by Field and Stream magazine. The letter concluded, "A cursory review of the subject report leads me to conclude that its authors, likewise, lack comprehension in the manner of accomplishing research and development. Therefore, I believe no useful purpose would be served by detailed comments on my part."

In order to withstand the enormous pressures at depths to which the little sub was expected to go, the hull had to be perfectly round. The twelve-and-a-half-foot diameter hull could be out of round by no more than 1/16th of an inch. That required special manufacturing processes. The crew had to undergo special psychological tests to see whether they could stand being cooped up in tiny spaces for long periods. Submariners who had been successful at resisting the stresses of a regular submarine wound up in fistfights after just a few days when tested under the conditions expected on the NR-1.

The boat was expected to remain under water indefinitely, but practical considerations limited the length of the voyages: food and waste. The ship had no galley, so the crew subsisted on TV dinners purchased in large quantities and kept frozen until they were needed, and when the waste tank was full, they had to surface.

Ironically, the NR-1 has outlasted larger and more famous mega-submarines. According to the author, it continues to conduct classified missions in addition to being a valuable resource for many universities and research institutes for tamer exploratory searches of the ocean's depths.

As a crewmember (EM1SS/DV) 1976-1978 aboard the NR-1 brings back many memories of those exciting times aboard the super-secret mini sub.

I was aboard when the tow line parted twice, the F14 recovery mission, when we lost the reactor for a time, washed overboard when making the emergency tow hookup with IC1 SS/DV Frank Smith, aboard when Dr. Heezen had his fatal heart attack.

The tremendous work load, risks taken and NO notice, care, or thanks from the Americal public, ah but we were young, idealistic and full of energy.
The book is scrubbed for security reasons but it is a great story that needed to be told.

Greg Stanosz
Captain, EN, USAR (retired)

The author, who served on the NR-1, does a good job recounting the genesis and evolution of the project and the vessel from inception to the recent past. More than a first hand account, the author provides information based on interviews and archival research. He provides insight into the military and political dimensions of the project, as well as some satisfying operational stories and character sketches (Rickover, Satchel). The quality of writing makes for smooth easy reading. Though I found myself wanting to know details, like whether the wheels on the NR-1 are steerable, the author maintains a responsible balance between maintaining secrecy and recounting a small but important piece of recent naval history.

Very entertaining history of the capable, unique NR-1, the only nuclear submersible yet built. The coauthors include journalist Don Davis and member of the first crew, Lee Vyborny. Mr. Vyborny tells some excellent stories from the years he spent during the NR-1's design, construction and early operating career. After Vyborny leaves the crew the boat's history is told in third person but the stories are no less interesting. For example, the interactions with Rickover are somehow written to be more amusing than irritating!

This book is similar to Blind Man's Bluff in its handling of covert cold war operations by the US Navy but the first person stories told by Lee Vyborny really pull the reader in and are very engaging.

Category: cold war nuclear submersible

Submarine(s): NR-1

Heroes: NR-1 crew and, for getting it built, Admiral Rickover

Technical content: average

I love books about submarines and how they are used so of course I was excited to read this book. The dust jacket lead me to believe that the book was going to detail out mission after mission that was top secret, good old cold war espionage fun. I should have known better, these types of missions are filed away as top secret and it will be years before they see the light of day. Any book that claims to have the details are usually a little more puffed up in the description then the actual details. So I dug into this book and for the most part really enjoyed it. It starts with a review of how the sub was created and the crew trained. Somewhat interesting, but to be fair I was looking for the under water fun and games.

The book did move into the subs exploits, but due to the top-secret nature the stories that were told were not all that new or exciting. And that would not have been all that bad if the authors would have kept telling me about the non secret items like finding other wrecks at the bottom of the sea and weird fish they came upon. Instead they spent just a little too much time of live outside of the sub. Ok I know these guys have wife's and families, but to be fair I do not care. I want exciting submarine stories, not issues about home life. Overall the book was mostly interesting and well written. I could have done with more detail, but there is nothing I can do about that.

I bought this book along with "Vanishing Africa" and I am pleased with its quality. I am happy I bought it, because I feel it brought me closer to Africa.

This book is amazing. It draws the reader into the lives of the African people! It stirred my heart to prayer and made me love them even more!

There are few words to describe Cowart's work and Jenna's commentary. If this book made it's way into every household in America, Africa would look like a completely different country, because we could not help but be moved to action.

i reccomment this book to anyone passionate about AIDS, who cares about people living in destitution or just enjoys great photography.

The pictures are beautiful; some of them are only templates begging for words, but they convey the stuff that Africa is made off: the wood, the mud... The children's faces are smiling, always innocent and beautiful. The older people show resilience, dignity, and an expression that seems to say: 'It's done, I'm almost there'. The more enigmatic faces are of those in between, the young and middle ages; they are going through it. Most of these people dress clean clothes, specially the women. The book does a good job in that it makes the pictures alive, and their protagonists almost speak to us (although whatever they say depends on the listener).

One gets an idea of what Africa looks like. The landscapes under ominous skies, the muddy lanes, the water streams in front of the doors threatening with floods. I felt, however, that I wanted to know more about specifics in these people's lives. Their problems are mentioned as in headlines. I know it wasn't meant to be for this book but, still, I feel I would have liked to know even just a little more about those people in the pictures, from themselves, in their words.

Basically it is a mix between the original 2 scripts for the movie, making it pretty much twice as awesome!

Those random small things that left you hanging in the movie such as where does the Left Knocker lead?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Ah, another George Lucas movie. Well now its a awesome book. I personally love it as much as Star Wars. Its a strange tale, of a strange girl, who gets trapped in a strange land....wow, does that sound familiar. This is my favourite book! I love it more than Interveiw with the Vampire! and thats alot of love!

If you liked the movie, then you'll love this book. I bought a mint condition copy for about seventy dollars last year, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Like the movie, the book tells of a young girl draw into a fantasy world by her own overactive imagination in order to save her little brother, who has been stolen by the goblin king, who says he is only seeking favor in her eyes, and seems to have fallen in love with her.

The book follows the storyline of the movie exactly, but offers more insight into the characters thoughts and actions. I can remember in particular that the ballroom scene was quite staggeringly more descriptive. A wonderful book, worth the price; espescially if you can find one in good condition.

this book is worth every penny... its a story about a day dreaming girl who wishes her little brother to a land of goblins castles and of course the labyrinth. if you dont want to spent 50 dollars on this book you CAN GET IT FOR FREE.. just google it and youll find the transcript of the book that you can print out and read.. its not like having the book... but its way cheaper..

gosh, i was six when i first saw the movie! now that i'm eighteen makes no difference how i love this enchanting story.

smith brings the story up to another level, as he dwelves deeper into sarah's feelings... and also jareth's. the chemistry between the two is undeniable. i would like to think that in another situation both of them would be together, albeit the fact that she's mortal and he a goblin prince.

smith's writing is of course, very detailed and deep, and he tries to explain all the different meanings and reads between the lines of the movie. he has us vying for the king, and rooting for the good guys, too. he makes us want jareth to have a happy ending, and perhaps one with sarah. he makes us want to see the movie.

well, maybe the movie IS old, and the special effects kind of horrid by today's standards, but truth be, enchantments are timeless.

The premise of this book is cute, and the drawings make the story even better. Good for kids and parents to share with kids.

I was lucky enough to meet the author at a book signing where I purchased this as a gift for my son. He's 7 and this is by far his favorite book. He never gets tired of reading it, or having it read to him. I agree with the gentleman who said it's a great book for kids and cat lovers alike!! The relationship between the cat and the young owner is obviously one of great love, and how can you go wrong with that, no matter what the story is about!!??

When I actually read the book, I was amazed. Being a 20 year old male, I don't typically read this type of book nor do I know much about them, but this one really was fun to read. The story is very easy to read, but never loses its fun. I would recommend this book to any person with kids or to any cat lover (like myself). Great book, great author, you just can't go wrong. 5 stars.

I loved this book! I read this during my night class and I couldn't help but laugh. It is very funny yet simple. I am not an animal lover but I liked this cat. Children will love the idea of a cat making their lunch. The illustrations are great and really go with the story. Great book!

This book is wonderful! Easy reading, light, fun, and humorous. After receiving the book, I took it home and read it to my cat. I laughed and re-read it again. I plan on reading this book to my Grandchildren at Christmas time, ages: 2 years, 5 years, and 5 months. Granted the 5 month old will not understand, but in the future she will. The illustrations are great, too. Easy for children to identify with. I hope this author continues to write.