Kansas Books

I've been asked by discouraged people why an "open door" turned out to be disastrous, or what to do when there's no clear answer on what to do. Cheri Cowell takes those questions and invites the reader to discover what Scripture says about finding direction. It's not a typical book, but one for thinking Christians that understand that faith isn't always easy, but trusting and discerning God's will is an ongoing venture. Highly recommended.

I just want you to know how much I appreciated reading your book. It's worth much more than $15.00. As those commercials say "priceless." It was just what I needed at this time in my life.

I needed this book! As one who is constantly second-guessing myself as to God's good, pleasing, and perfect will, I found direction within its pages. Instead of simply telling me what to do, Cheri Cowell leads me in the steps to drawing closer to God and knowing Him more intimately--which then allow me to hear His voice. The chapter on "Obstacles to Hearing from God" was especially helpful by pointing out the stumbling blocks in my own life that prevent me from discerning His will. I look forward seeing results as I continue to apply the prinicples within this book!

This was a very interesting book on how have discernment in making decisions for your life. It was different than most books on God's will and the process the author reveals is very thought provoking and it made a lot of sense to me. I have some decision coming up and while I'm not ready to make those decisions yet, this book is helping me with the process.

I'm going to keep this one in my library so I can refresh memory as more important life choices come my way! I highly recommend it.

"This is one of, if not, the best inspirational book I have ever read, it puts into perspective, how God intends for us to communine with Him.
How He desires for us to return to the creatures He created us to be, before the fall of Adam and Eve.
I have had the influence of the Nazarene Doctrine, in my life since birth, and never have I heard the areas covered in this book, described so easy to understand.
If you read this and apply any of it to your own life, you will certainly become closer to being one with Him."

Jon Parsons, Lake Anna, VA

An amazing read! Was more that just a 30,000 foot view of the Old Testament. The level of summary of each O/T Book was very adequate and the historical, cultural, acrcheology & theological short insights that were added in each chapter, made this journey well worth the read. An excellent college level text book!

Currently taking a course Discovering the Old Testament and this is following along great with the course. Adds a lot of information to the course.

This was an excellent book. The writers did a great job of explaining things!

This book delivers sound conservative scholarship that integrates application. The authors integrate the biblical information with helpful sidebars in the categories of Interpretive/hermeneutical, Theological, Historical, Cultural, and Archaelogical.

For example, on page 226, there is an excellent and concise explanation of the reason for mixed marriages. It explains the problem of syncretism that eroded Israel's practice of monotheism. It then offers practical advice for marriage today.

This work is a landmark work in Old Testament Survey that would be helpful to all students of the Hebrew Scriptures. It would benefit students and instructors alike.

Discovering the Old Testament: Story and Faith is a colourful college textbook introducing the Old Testament. The layout is similar to Encountering the Old Testament (by Bill T. Arnold et al). Each chapter begins with learning objectives, questions to consider, and key words to understand. Coded side bars cover topics such as "The Apocrypha" and "Modern Translations of the Bible." Each side bar is coded as Interpretive, Theological, Historical, Cultural, or Archaeological. Chapters end with summary statements, questions for reflection, and resources for further study. Numerous photographs are included with a large number drawn from modern Judaism. There is a brief appendix on Jewish history from 331 to 63 B.C.

This 382 page book is very readable and probably appropriate in depth for a college textbook, although in this space cannot go as deep as, say, LaSor, Hubbard and Bush (Old Testament Survey). It is written from a conservative perspective but critical scholarship is presented in abbreviated form. For example, the standard dates for Second and Third Isaiah are presented in a paragraph. There is a general failure to engage such critical issues and the authors present "scholarly opinion" alongside "conservative evangelical" scholarship without always committing to a particular view. So on the authorship of Isaiah they write "There is no unanimous opinion on this issue among conservative evangelical scholars. Some prefer the multiple authorship view. Others view the entire book as the work of Isaiah of the eighth century B.C." (p 293).

Much of the content of the book summarizes the biblical content. New Testament interpretation is mentioned in theological sidebars where relevant and the reader is encouraged to apply theological insights to personal faith.

The majority of the book was written by Alex Varughese who also edited the work as a whole. Varughese and the other three authors are department heads of Christian liberal arts colleges (I do not know who Robert L. Lewis is [named in the ...description]. He is not listed on my copy).

This book will prove a colourful and readable introduction to the Old Testament, especially in terms of biblical content and life application. The numerous illustrations allow the reader to visualise Israel and modern Judaism.

This review is based on a galley proof.

Similar to the first reviewer I also know Steve, my wife went through the CSU MFA program with him and is a fellow member of the Minions writing group. Steve's school and open mike readings were something we all looked forward to because we knew we would soon be laughing hard enough to puke. We all hung out at the same bar trading stories and tales with one another, this particular bar was also the birth place of the "Rules of the Buffet" story.
However, I have digressed, Steve's book is full of the wonder, magic, pain, and growth we experience in childhood and teen years that makes us who we are as adults. Our youth leaves an unmistakeable stamp on us that we carry, either as a source of pride or baggage it's our choice, and it's also something we have to come to terms with. Steve illustrates this extremely well in his book. Having grown up in southern New Hampshire not at all like Kansas, I felt the same kinship with Steve's writing I have found during many long nights with Steve himself. I also found myself mourning the end of the book because it left me with no more chapters to read and hoping for another book to come out as soon as possible. Steve's writing is refreshing, sad, and inspiring, I can't recommend this book enough. Long live the Minions and late nights at Surfside.

I am an avid reader and a woman. I lean toward great contemporary fiction written by women these days, not sure why. . . so when someone handed me this hot off the press book, I flinched. I try to read male authors, and while I can glean good writing nods from the best of them, I don't reach for them again years later, Most male books don't become best friends. By best friends, I'm talking, Barbara Kingsolvers' books, Monk's The Secret Life of Bees, The Lady who wrote the Pilot's Wife . . . those books. You know . . THOSE BOOKS (I say this like a drug addict talks about his next hit). They're hard to find. The Guinness Book of Me will. I can't get it out of my head. It smacked with honest, strong writing and for the first time, I felt like I honestly got inside a man's head. Hurrah for Steven Church, his first novel. I'd be willing to bet this book is going to go BIG. Be one of the first to read it. Be the one at your reading club to suggest it. You can't go wrong. Male or Female. I can't wait to give it to my 15 year old son to read. There was "chick lit", right? What's this? "Bro Books?" I loved every single written word in it. And I can only say that about a handful of books I've read.

This book is sensitive. Church has a way of approching the sadness in his life (brother's death, for one) that is simple, but not overly sensitive. But there are enough male-bonding episodes and inevitable scars to make it a guy book. Refreshing, in a sea of chick lit. *And* he gets the girl.

I read this book in just two sittings, it would have been only one, but I have 2 small children. I pick it back up and re-read sections again and again. Steven Church is a fabulous writer. Steven Church makes me wish I could eat dinner with his in-laws and visit Kansas. I love his writing and I can't wait for more. I am buying a copy for my dad, one for my brother, and I am keeping my copy. Steven Church, write more soon.

I read this book (indeed, I became aware of this book) because Steven Church is my husband's cousin (there, full disclosure). I've met him a few times, but I couldn't say I know him. I didn't necessarily want to love this book. But I did, and I devoured it in one sitting.

So why read a memoir of someone who is not your husband's cousin, someone who has never committed a serious crime or slept with movie stars or been present at a Big Moment in History? Someone whose physical scars all come from silly accidents, someone who grew up in Kansas, for goodness' sake? The facts of Steven Church's life would hardly qualify him for a one-page piece in People Magazine.

Read this memoir because it is a true (although maybe not always factual) story. Because it is funny, inventive, touching, real, tough and beautiful. Read it because it will make you want to know Steven Church, because it will make you feel that you do. Read it because his musings about Guinness Book record-holders are as real and intimate and fine as what he tells you about his own battered heart. Read it because it is superbly crafted--WRITTEN, not just WRITTEN DOWN (I do not have the luxury of italics here).

So READ it for all those reasons, but BUY it because someday you will be proud and glad to own a first edition of the first book by Steven Church.

Since my son is taking a course at Cornell Summer College from Professor Brumberg, I thought I would read one of her books to get an idea of how she thinks and writes (a gross generalization that often works for me). I expected a scholarly but dry account of 15-year-old murderer, Charley Miller. I did not expect a dramatic and compelling historical novel that rivals today's best books. "Kansas Charlie," is extremely well researched and written in a simple, direct and contemporary style. Although she attempts to be fair and objective, it's obvious that Professor Brumberg wrote this novel to advance her own unarguably poignant point-of-view regarding juvenile justice and how little progress has been made since the Victorian Age. But, who can blame her when political maneuvering rather than an interest in solving an important social issue often blunts real progress? I'm certain my 16-year-old son is in extremely good hands.

Well Researched book for a murder case by a juvenile back in the 1890's that can be easilly related to cases that happen today. This story of Kansas Charley is well written and a sad situation where a child that could not find a place in society had slipped through the cracks of the government that should of protected him.

Kansas Charlie's life is a great reality check for someone who's read too many Horatio Alger books. I read this book very quickly. Dr. Brumberg tells the story well - the prose is lean and engaging, the historical details are perfect. (I can imagine a movie or documentary of this book). The book stayed with me long after I read it. What's remarkable is how little has changed in the last 110 years. Troubled, impulsive boys with access to guns still kill. Prosecutors' and politicians' desire for the death penalty for juvenile murderers is still politically motivated.

Kansas Charley is a fascinating book which ably combines American social and cultural history, developmental psychology, and legal studies. The book traces the story of an orphaned yboy who descends into impoverished and desperate circumstances. He ends up killing two other youths and is ultimately put to death. Kansas Charley recounts this history, but does more. The book paints a fascinating picture of 19th century social life and places Charley in context. It also does an excellent job of connecting modern day attitudes towards juvenile crime and punishment with their historical roots. This book is very timely given current debates over the fate of Lee Boyd Malvo and other children who kill. I'm a professor of U.S. cultural history and think this is a wonderful addition to the scholarship on the history of childhood and the history of American social life.

The simple title, "Kansas Charlie", belies what's between the cover of this scholarly, but extremely emotional saga. It is a sad tale that has vast implications for what we see a century later. Dr. Brumberg doggedly followed the trail of Charles Miller, accurately depicting the many stages of his personal tragedy. As a pediatrician and an advocate for children, there were times during my reading when I wanted to jump into the story and offer my help to this unfortunate youth. The author descriptively takes us back to a setting where the reader could easily say, "That was then...". Her arguement is persuasive enough where we could say, "Things haven't changed so much..."
The dockets in our juvenile courts are still full.
Despite this being a truly heinous crime, the conflict between political force and progressive social movements determined Charlie's fate. True to her profession as a historian, Dr. Brumberg succeeds very well in time transport for her readers, permitting them to gauge whether or not we've come very far in how we regard children. This is very readable history and very few readers will walk away from it without a strong opinion about juvenile justice.

What a wonderful book! In addition to being a terrifically exciting story, Jackson, the author, vividly creates a sense of time and place. One is transported to America at the turn of the century - a period of transition and change in which Frank Grigware, the protagonist, is innocently and irreparably caught. This book succeeds on every level. Outstanding!

I picked this book up on a whim and once started I couldn't put it down. It is a great true story of the real old west. Young men seeking adventure, train robbers, unjust imprisonmemnt, daring escapes and more. You should really give this one a try!

In 1906, the twenty year old Frank Grigware announced to his family that he was going to see the world. They had been living in eastern Washington for years, and he wanted to see more of the West than Spokane. His mother understood completely; it is not an uncommon occurrence for a young man to want to roam before settling down to respectable ways. He hooked up with his best friend Frank Golden, and they figured they would do some prospecting in northern Idaho. A tough life loomed, but Grigware had no idea that he would as a result be accused and convicted of a crime he did not commit, incarcerated in the toughest prison in existence, escape from the prison, and remain on the lam from his country for the rest of his life. The astonishing story of Grigware's life is told in _Leavenworth Train: A Fugitive's Search for Justice in the Vanishing West_ (Carroll & Graf) by Joe Jackson, who shows that Grigware was guilty of nothing but naïveté when he associated with train robbers. He was, however, found as guilty as the rest of them, and a quick decision gave all the defendants life imprisonment, at Leavenworth, the first US federal penitentiary.

It was only six months into his sentence that Grigware, who the prisoners could tell was not really one of them, was let in on an escape by four other prisoners. Using the classic ploy of threatening with guns skillfully crafted of wood from one of the shops and blackened with shoe polish, they hijacked a train that regularly supplied the prison. Grigware was the only one not captured quickly, and for the next 24 years was one of America's most wanted men. The trail was long cold, even after President Woodrow Wilson commuted the sentence of the other robbers because the evidence in the case was so lacking. The FBI refused to back down, and it spied on members of Grigware's family, which was sadly fractured by his escape. Grigware in sorrow knew he could communicate with none of them, but set up a respectable life in Canada, becoming a Canadian citizen and a well-liked member of the community of Jasper, Alberta. He was not found until 1934, and what happened afterwards is of great charm. There was a groundswell of Canadian public opinion against any sort of extradition; even the game warden circulated a petition. The mild Grigware had made many friends, and he was the sort of reliable citizen Canadians wanted. Grigware's wife (who had not known of his past), when the press reported her simple statement, "Nothing will ever break up our home," made up the minds of any Canadians that had doubts on the issue. It became an international incident, and a clash of redemptive versus retributive justice.

Grigware was reunited with his family, which had long thought him dead; the meeting with his aging mother could not have been sweeter. But he could not return with her to the US, nor return for her funeral. President Roosevelt waived extradition, but no pardon was ever issued, so if he ever came back to the US, he could land right in Leavenworth again. That result would seem preposterous as the decades went by, but in 1957, J. Edgar Hoover was still sending out directives that insisted that agents monitor Grigware's relatives in case he were to show up. Every FBI memo issued about him screamed that HE WOULD KILL OR BE KILLED RATHER THAN BE RECAPTURED, a rumor that had arisen in 1911 and which still headlined Hoover's directives about Grigware, who was then seventy-one years old. This exciting and frustrating story, crammed with period detail, reminds us that courts are not always right and that as much justice as was available in this case came from the hearts of ordinary women and men.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! I loved every single page, and I hated to see it end. (For me, that's rare.) Action, adventure, excitement, and suspense...all set in, to quote the book's subtitle, "the vanishing west."

Well worth the money and well worth reading. In fact, I think I'll read it a second time.

Veteran Virginia crime journalist Jackson strips bare a capricious justice system as "the servant of time and place and ambition." In that, this book is a philosophical sequel to his Pulitzer-nominated "Dead Run," a contemporary exploration of Death Row.

Jackson is an immensely appealing writer and a graceful reporter. "Leavenworth Train" is meticulously documented, but the engaging narrative flows seamlessly. Grigware was dead long before Jackson took up his story, but the haunted fugitive comes alive in these absorbing pages, a headlong flight into justice and mercy.

Wasn't sure what the title meant when I picked up this book ... but once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It was a busy weekend in New York city, but each time I could get to it, I started reading again. I bought ten copies this Christmas to gift to good friends so they could enjoy it too.

The Logic of a Rose is a wonderful read. Lombardo weaves together stories that are not only entertaining but also beautifully written. He describes his characters and environment so simply yet manages to capture every moment with such detail that the reader feels that he is a part of the story, standing right next to Petey in the Wallace Playlot or watching Petey's father load the bakery's delivery truck. Lombardo is a gifted writer, and the only way to better experience his narrative is to hear him read his marvelous work aloud.

There are many passages of beauty in this brilliant first book. A "Winesburg Ohio" of the Italian working class enclave of Bridgeport on the south side of Chicago, Lombardo's book is written with tenderness, humor, and deep affection for people he knows well and a city he loves. Lombardo recalls the work of Stuart Dybek, but he is not as relentless, objective and hard-edged. This is gentler fiction, but it is very fine on its own terms. Funny and touching passages about his moralistic and loving father (not unlike the bus driver father in "A Bronx Tale") ,about his father's emotional reaction to a Tony Bennett recording, about Italian working people, and about a chance meeting with a first love in a laundromat are haunting. There is a sense of wonder to these terrific stories.--David Evanier is the author of "Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin," "The One-Star Jew," winner of the Aga Khan Fiction Prize, and a former senior editor of The Paris Review.

This is a great book of stories. Lombardo lavishes loving attention on the details of Bridgeport, and this attention will be a joy to readers who know the area and those who don't. Like the author Stuart Dybek, Lombardo finds beauty where others are too jaded to see it. This compassion and heart is also with him as he explores his characters, and Petey Bellapani above all. Whether the characters are living up to their ideals or whether they're muddling their way through, they are touching, understandable, perfectly real. This collection really stays with a reader, like the most important memories of childhood.

This collection of short stories balances perfectly between the perspective of its child protagonist, Petey Bellapani, and the wisdom and understanding that comes of age. Lombardo portrays Petey with tenderness and understanding without ever sentimentalizing or idealizing him. In other hands, Petey's evolution might have led to disillusionment, but Lombardo brilliantly captures Petey's internal voice, a voice that never loses its wonder even as he learns the codes of Bridgeport, his tough neighborhood. Lombardo's collection defies the flat characterization of masculinity too common in contemporary popular culture. Petey, his father, and even the punks of Bridgeport are three dimensional, outwardly posturing but inwardly real, devoted to the toughness expected of them while holding within extraordinary loyalty, affection, courage, and their own brand of honor.

I read another books about the 1809 campaign but this exceeds in the analisis of the all around campaign fronts , including a detailled italian campaign point of view Eugene versus John both " minor " generals in the official history , and the austrian corp army evolution . A brief but essential study . If you likes Napoleonic strategy , you must have it !!!

Epstein believes it was greater combat effectiveness of Napoleon's adversaries and not the decline of the French army that led to the fall of Napoleon. In his book, Epstein writes about how the Austrians copied the French corps system that allowed greater personal intiative on the battlefield. This also permitted the Austrian army to retreat in detail rather than being surrounded in whole. As a result, unlike Austerlitz, Napoleon was unable to destroy the Austrain army at Wargam in 1809. I would reccomend this book to anyone who wants a new perspective of the closing phases of the Napoleonic Wars.

If you are interested in the development of war, this is an excellent read, otherwise turn away. The author shows how Napoleon's decline began as his enemies fought like he did, in a modern fashion. He makes the case that war as we understand it today began in 1809. The maps are wonderful, although the level of operational detail was a bit much.

Epstein's thesis is thought-provoking and admirably supported. He convincingly argues that the start of modern warfare occurred in 1809 during the Franco-Austrian War when, for the first time in history, two armies met in battle, each utilizing the new doctrine of independent army corps at the new operational level of war. His research sheds new light on the military history of the nineteenth century by challenging the popular wisdom that Napoleon won battles through tactical genius and force of personality alone. Rather, the author demonstrates that Napoleon's genius was primarily manifested in his creation of a new system of warfare based on interdependent action of individual army corps at the operational level of war to achieve strategic objectives. This was a major shift from the tactical-strategic paradigm of eighteenth century warfare (i.e. the ancien regime). Although Napoleon's ideas were based on those of prior theorists, he was the first commander to fully implement this new style of warfare. The result was a doctrinal asymmetry between Napoleon's army and those of his enemies that enabled him to achieve his astounding victories at Ulm, Austerlizt, and Jena-Auerstadt in 1805-1806.

After 1806, however, the other European powers began to organize their own armies according to this corps system. Although they generally lacked Napoleon's mastery of command and control at the operational level, this development ended Napoleon's doctrinal monopoly and restored operational balance to the battlefields of Europe. It was this restoration of doctrinal symmetry at the operational levels of war that account for Napoleon's inability to achieve another Austerlizt in 1809 or thereafter. He strongly suggests that Napoleon himself was unaware of the dynamics of this doctrinal paradigm. Epstein's thesis argues against the possibility of a Lee or Jackson, or for that matter Napoleon himself, capitalizing on this imbalance again. He also argues against the idea that Napoleon had lost his personal edge and was in decline starting in 1809. Rather, the decline of Napoleon's battlefield fortunes resulted from his enemies learning the lessons he himself had taught them in 1805-1806.

While the book is essentially about the developement of the corps system and the emergence of the operational level of war, it is also an excellent operational history of the Franco-Austrian War of 1809. His descriptions of the significant battles, especially Wagram, are thorough, detailed, and readable. The uninitiated reader in the field of military history may suffer from information overload when reading his descriptions and maps, but the detail is greatly appreciated by serious students of the subject. Nonetheless, the general reader will still greatly benefit from learning how warfare fundamentally and irreversably changed in the year 1809. Students of the U.S. Civil War will also benefit from his thesis in that it greatly effects how one weighs the roles of doctrine, technology, and personality during that war as it relates to Napoleon's development of the corps system and the operational level of war.

This book offers a refreshing and revolutionary new view of the history of warfare and emergence of modern war, one based on the history of military organization and structure rather than the traditional technology based analysis. The thesis is well made and well argued and will certainly be a guiding force in the future of military studies, especially now that are beginning to give greater value to decentralization of military operations in the 21st century. Not only is this work revolutionary and foundational in the field of military studies, it is also an excellent analysis of the 1809 War of the Fifth Coalition with many valuable insights into the relationship between Napoleon, his Marshals, and Prince Eugene.

The only reason I gave this book a 4, rather than a 5, is because of the maps. There are many large detailed maps included in the books, unfortunately the generally span two pages with the centre being unreadable between the pages, the difficulity with this is compounded because the deployments and action is generally towards the centre of the map and, therefore, unreadable. I am rather surprised that problem was not caught before publication. Because of this I often found myself having to resort to other sources for maps while reading the book. However, in spite of the maps, the book is more than worth the time and cost for the revolutionary new look at Napoleonic warfare.

This is a beautifully written memoir that is saturated with a sense of place. Western Kansas is not just a geographical area but a state of mind, and Ms. Bair writes about the people and place with both affection and honesty. Her memoir captures the desolate life and the enduring bonds of these families, whose members remain spiritually tied to the land even though they may choose to live far, far away. I savored every word and hope Ms. Bair soon shares more of her wisdom with us.

This book is a rare one that must be read to understand its various qualities that take the reader into the realms of childhood friendships,family dynamics,relationships with the land, the solitude of rural life, the poetry of language, the detail of observation, and the spirit of living. It is one of the great books of the new century.

A book about the high plains? It is and it isn't. It's about family, breaking away, facing conflict, and finally, coming home. And so beautifully written. I'm keenly interested in personal essays and in the plains, so I was enchanted as soon as I opened the book. I confess I bought it for a friend, but after letting it go, I ordered another. It is a book to read and keep and cherish. It is a book to give to someone you cherish. And I do envy (and congratulate)this author's skill.

One Degree West is a truly lovely personal history that transcends its genre to become something universal and wondrous. Perhaps the author's intent in writing it was to review and transpose the pain of experience through illuminated sharing. If so, judging from the reader's experience, she succeeds. One Degree West is haunting, tear-drenched, beautiful, and unique. The process of a lifetime of reconciling her culture's unequal gender expectations with her own yearning for a wider scope provides stage and backbone for the painful self- evolving metamorphosis of Julene Blair. Not a comfortable book to read, there is a redemptive undertone always tinged with sadness and beauty present. Though the drifting goal is elusive, the journey is more than worthwhile. One Degree West will appeal to all lovers of the spiritual seeking essay. Its prose poetry lingers in the mind and heart.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

This is a wonderful book, a clear-eyed exploration of growing up and living in the West. There are many other popular books about the West, including "regional" literature, critical works, and more encompassing work like that of Wallace Stegner, but none examine both the natural and human landscapes with such a blend of careful detail, compassion, intelligence, and personal realism. Ms. Bair explores the landscape, family history, local culture, and her own movements within and beyond those circles with a deft touch, sometimes examining the most intimate of interactions with a dispassionate perspective that's almost unearthly. More than once, the hair stood up on the back of my neck in the wake of her conclusions, and several times I had to stop and catch my breath before continuing on. This book is an outstanding complement to works like "A Thousand Acres" and "Angle of Repose," exploring the West with a rich new voice.

Pioneer summer is a good book becouse it's very exciting. And, when you finish the book,the next book starts right on the next day! That way, you don't wonder what is happening between the two books.

I loved it!

As a teacher and as a parent I've often been frustrated as I try to help my kids study for history tests about the pre-Civil War era. They have to learn about the Kansas-Nebraska Act, but it's just another date to memorize. But in Hopkinson's new chapter book, kids get a look at what life might have been like then. The note says she used letters and manuscripts to research the time period, and it shows. Even though the book is geared for third graders, my fifth grade classroom has enjoyed it too. Highly recommended!

Pionner Summer is a "ready-for-chapters" book that really has it all. Pioneer Summer deals with emotional issues that children, regardless of the historical era, have in common. Eight-year-old Charlie is leaving his home and friends and making his way to a new home. At one time or another almost all children have dealt with a difficult transition period. Also, Charlie is dealing with the process of developing his personal belief system. His parents are committed abolitionists. Charlie must decide if he feels as strong about the issue of slavery. The other reason Pioneer Summer is an excellent book for the "ready-for-chapters" student is because the story brings to life an time in history that is rarely given adequate attention in history books. Pre-Civil War history often gets short exhanged in order to dedicate more textbook space to Westward Expansion and the battles of the Civil War. Pioneer Summer is a real story about the real people who settled the Kansas territory in hopes of influencing the vote on the issue of slavery. One last reason to love Pioneer Summer--it leaves many unanswered questions about Charlie and the Keller family that can only be answered by reading Cabin in the Snow and Our Kansas Home. It is a great way to introduce sequels to young readers. It left me wanting more and I teach history!!

My 8-year-old son Sam is more of a non-fiction kind of guy--interested more in facts than in stories. But this one held his interest beautifully. It was a great history lesson for him and a great review for Mom and Dad! And, it was not too hard to read nor too easy, but just right. We got our first copy at the library, but I'll soon be purchasing all three in the series.

My son loves the Prairie Skies series and can't wait for OUR KANSAS HOME. It's a warm family story but full of rich historical details that never overwhelm the plot. My son is in fifth grade but is a reluctant reader, so I'm always on the lookout for books that hold his interest but that aren't too babyish. Highly recommended!

I liked it because I really like the Amelia stories (also by Marissa Moss) and learning about the Great Depression. They finally came together!

Marissa Moss's Dustbowl story is one of the most compelling books I've ever read on the topic. I'm a literate adult, but was shocked at how much I DIDN"T know before I read this book. She packs Depression-era "facts" into a heartbreaking (and ultimately heartwarming) tale of a girl and her family, all rendered especially poignant with charming drawings that accompany the text. The whirling storms of dirt that cover everything with mounds of dirt ("we could tell where it came from by the color: gray dirt from Oklahoma; red dirt from Texas; brown was our own Kansas dirt") are brought to life with the evocative drawings, as well as the well-rounded characters. This book should be read by every child--and adult--in the country, as an essential part of U.S. history. I loved the book, was moved by it, and was sorry when it ended.

This book is about a girl who lives in a house and they live by a farm and all they have are horses and cows and chickens. She is in a big dust storm. They cannot keep anything growing so her mom and dad go out to a dancing contest to see if they can earn money for seeds. They come back without any money. So they join a last man standing club. This club is for people who are having hard times but will not abandon their town. I liked this book because it was based on a true story, and it was from a long time ago. The setting was set in the desert with lots of wind storms and also set during the Great Depression.

This book was alsome. It puts me in her place. I can get in to alot of books but this is the book that it gust took a little bit to read it. It might be little but it is good. We could have done alot of other books but i picked this one. I'm all so reading two other books. It is about a girl in the gret depresion she has to clean ever day. She lifes with her mom,dad,and her brother. She and her panters and her friends have to live in the sand storms. My reflection is i would recmond this book to other people that have to do something on the great deppresson. OR if you just want to read it for fun. The story elements are where the story takes place in the dester. the point of fewe is that the worst can happen.

Rose's Journal is one of Marissa Moss' best books yet. It is both a vivid picture of the Depression era and a moving portrait of an individual child. Rose's relationships with her family, friends, farm animals and land are delicately, poignantly, and even humorously depicted. The narrator's soulful and childlike drawings leaven the serious text; her words are also enhanced visually with real photos of the time and drawings of her brother's comic strips. A humane, creative, refreshing and vivid way to present history to children.