Virginia Books

A very cool appraisal convincingly indicating that Freemasonry provided a social cement for the post-revolutionary era.

Steven Bullock has added a great deal to the study of Masonry with this book. If nothing else were accomplished he makes clear to the Freemason the true difference between ancient and modern Masonry. This book is also a fine study of the social history of the United States in its early years. Often overlooked by historians, the importance of the Freemasons in the early republic is finally looked at in depth.

Freemasonry often claims a large role in the advent of the Revolution which according to Bullock does not seem to be the case. On the other hand its importance to the American cause during the Revolution can hardly be overstated. Southern planters like Washington and Lee had little in common New Englanders such as General Greene, a Quaker from Connecticut. They had even less in common with the likes of Lafayette and von Steuben. Their one common link was Freemasonry. It seems that the officer corps of the American army forged its strong bonds around the fraternity. Not just the generals but many officers of all ranks seem to have bonded through Masonry. Military lodges spread the fraternity through out the army and soon some regiments actually marched with the officers wearing their Masonic badges of office.

Freemasonry as the title of this book suggests seems to have been important in the transformation of the American social order after the war. Masonry acted somewhat as a school for democrats but the fraternity itself began to grow into an elite order of "nobility" that almost became a new aristocracy. This status would help bring on the antimasons as the brotherhood which had helped mold early America's social order failed to change with changing times. The more open democracy brought on by the age of Jackson made a seeming aristocracy like the Masons seem out of place. In an odd twist, the father of this age was himself an active Mason. Jackson in fact served two terms as Grand Master of Tennessee.

There are only two small things about this book that I can fault. The writing style as is often the case with history professors is just a tad dull. The wealth of information to be found tends to make up for the style though. The more serious problem is the manner in which Bullock decides the Masons grew out of the stone masons guilds. There are many ideas about the origins of Masonry that deserve more attention. Bullock may well have taken the true path but he fails to document his conclusion in the way he documents his other insights.

Finally, this book which was written as a history offers important warnings for today's fraternity. As the brotherhood failed to change with the times during the antimasonry frenzy and almost died the changes in society today are also slowly killing Masonry. The fraternity must take the warnings given us in this book and learn from our past mistakes. Change is hard but sometimes necessary.

As the first third party in an American presidential election (1832) the Anti-Masonic Party has usually appeared suddenly in the story of the Jacksonian Era with little explanation except that the Masons were suspected in the murder of one William Morgan, who threatened to reveal their innermost rituals and secrets. The prosecution of the case was hampered by the fact that Masons dominated local and state government, which came to be seen an secret, elitist plot against democratic institutions. Steven C. Bullock traces the history of the Masonic movement from England to America and demonstrates how Masons were critical to the success of the American Revolution and the creation of a new nation under the Constitution of 1789. As such the Masons were not a sudden a aberration in American history but a group central to the early history of the nation. Masonic meetings gave members a place to learn how democratic government worked, how to socialize, how to argue without resorting to force, and how to participate in establishing a concept of national interest, or virtue, in the language of the times. Bullock's volume is one of the most critical interpretations of this period in American History. Do not be put off by its academic style or philosophical tone, especially in the first chapter. It really moves along afterward and demonstrates how an organization that boasted such diverse members as Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Joseph Smith (the founder of Mormonism), and Andrew Jackson came to be seen as a conspiratorial institution that needed to be curbed for the betterment of an egalitarian American democracy. It also illustrates how the Masons sprang back from near destruction to be the charitable organization better recognized by Americans living today. It's well worth while!

This is a "must have" book for the person wanting to add a solid, well researched, and reliable study of the history and role of Freemasonry in these United States.

My daughter used this workbook throughout the summer to prepare for the start of 5th grade. It includes alot of review and an introduction to new concepts. I liked that it is based on the standardized tests that she will need to take this year. I also liked that there was a place for us to agree to the work she needed to complete and agree on an appropriate incentive for completeing the sections. The fact that the book was broken down also made it easy to find the proper amount of pages to do at a time. All in all I believe this was a good buy.

I really like this math workbook because it has help my 5th grader in math which is tough and harder for him. Which this book allowed him to study and do the work at home to get that extra help and understanding. Which I'm glad to say it has help 100% because he went from a low B to a high B in the 3th quarter. Really I wish I have found this book in the 1st quarter in 5th grade because I know he would have gotten Ath on his report.
Plus when you get the Scholastic Success with Math Workbook Grade 5 ( Grades 5 ) in the mail the package was in 100% excellent and great condition. Can't say anything bad or wrong about this product.

I have compared many math workbooks at the fifth grade level. This one is outstanding. It presents serious math content in interesting games/drills for all fifth grade topics, such as multiplication, division, fraction, decimal, geometry, charts, and measurement. It strikes a good balance between math concepts and fun learning. My child enjoyed it. When kids have
the interest, they become smarter. Practicing math doesn't have to be painful. When my child takes the online Beestar weekly tests, he often ranks high among his peers. I give credits to this book. Highly recommend.

I found this book to be a fun way for my students to review recently taught math concepts. It came in great condition and I was pleased with my purchase.

A poignant and touching story woven together from journals and notes. It speaks of true Christian faith, love of family and sacrifice for others. It is rich in desription and brings back many memories of living in a small town and attending a local Methodist church.

This book offers the reader hope, understanding, and how the Robertson's faith saw them through so many hardships. The Robertson's suffered pain, sorrow, and adversity, but their steadfast love and abiding faith in the Lord always prevailed throughout the turmoil in their lives. Even though it was a simpler era of time, the hardships that they endured then is still prevelent today. I would strongly suggest that anyone suffering these adversities to read this book in order to gain a stronger appreciation for what we have and to gain faith and understanding for tomorrow.

Shadow Dawn is a one-year diary/journal kept by a pioneer "steel magnolia" during the mid-thirties. Mary Adelaide Webb and her Methodist minister husband, Doctor Webb, take the reader on a journey of faith of the shadows before miracle drugs or bypass surgery as well as the joys of their "holy vow" kept throughout a forty-year Christian marriage. The reader is swept up in the optimism Mrs. Webb exhibits even under dire circumstances and the grace she imparts through her thoughts and actions. I wish I could have known Mary Webb; what an inspiration she is!

This is a truly inspirational book and extremely well written. It focuses on the life of two people after the Civil War and the struggles they endured and gives the reader hope and encouragement for a better tomorrow in the world we live. Those principles applied at that time as well as today. The book is a comfort to the hurting in today's world.

Carol Van Atta's debut novel, Slaying the Shadows, is a welcome addition to the faith-based supernatural thriller genre. With a story line that will keep you turning pages, twists and turns that will leave you guessing until the final page, and a theme that is as relevant for today as yesterday's news, Slaying the Shadows is a book well worth the time invested to read it. I recommend this book to anyone looking for something new and intriguing in Christian fiction.

What an enjoyable time spent reading this captivating story! It was very hard to put it down for even a minute! I now have a new clearer perspective of the spiritual world around me and the affects I can have on it! Can't wait to read the next one!

Once I opened this book it was a good thing I had a day off because I could not put it down. It was riveting.... I loved it.

Wow! What a thrill ride. This book captivated me from the first page. Cults, murder, angels, demons, and several twists and turns that were totally unexpected kept my attention throughout this adventure of good versus evil. I haven't read a book like this since Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness. Anyone who is a fan of the spiritual warfare genre will absolutely love this book. Incredible!

This is fantastic book. An excellent story accompanied by some of the most delicately beautiful paintings. Flanagan is surely at the lead of contemporary artists. His paintings offers the most magica details and provide, not only a beautiful piece of artwork, but a strong emotional response that touches the heart of even the most jaded reader. There should be one in every home.

It is a tragedy that this book did not have the success it deserved. However, it remains an esoteric pleasure for those who are aware of it. With some of the most beautiful illustrations of any book I've ever seen, and a fully imagined landscape of a past America, Michael Flanagan creates a fictional world that crosses tracks with our own. In addition to the narrative, which is fine, one can enjoy the story just by flipping through the many pictures -- bent and torn "photographs" of decaying and dying old towns along a railroad line. This book works on several levels and is unlike any other book I've encountered.

"Stations" is a work of art that is an intense, exquisite expression of longing. It evokes a sense of place and time that is half remembered, close by yet out of reach, and infused with sweet loss.

For Model Railroaders, especially, this is a meaningful book that conveys a lot of what the hobby is about: the desire to hold fast to that which must dissipate. (Of course, the hobby is about other things, too, such as: Fun!) A character in "Stations", Virgil Ross, is modeled after the Eminent Model Railroader John Allen. What a beautiful irony - a character that is a model of a Master Modeler.

The support of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the development of "Stations" provides another special aspect to this book that adds to its allure. It is engaging to contemplate the interest of our suave, cosmopolitan, precious Jackie in the expression of longing embodied within the likes of a Virgil Ross, and captured so beautifully by this book. Yet another example of how we hardly knew her.

I keep going back to this book, to re-read random paragraphs, to gaze longingly at its illustrations, to re-capture the emotions, the sadness and joy, it summons. When I hold this book, I want to somehow caress it.

Flanagan doesn't just tell a story in this marvelous book. He creates a rich, vivid world--layered with multiple generations, multiple cultures, multiple landscapes--and he does it in fewer pages than lesser novelists would use for throat-clearing. Along with being a writer, Flanagan is a painter who has illustrated his story with dazzling paintings that focus on the train stations of rural Virginia. More than mere illustrations, however, these pictures play the role of recently-discovered heirlooms. As illustrations, they beautifully depict the sad, vanishing life of the people that inhabit this bittersweet world. As palimpsests, they also tell a story of their own. Flanagan has done far more than write a magnificent novel. He's merged written story and visual artwork into a powerful new medium. Truly a tour de force

Summer MacCleary is an indentured servant on a plantation in 1749. Then her masters daughter accuses her of stealing a ring. To find out what happens, read this book. It is very good.

After her parents died, seven-year-old Summer MacCleary left her home in London to become an indentured servant in the Virginia colony. Six years have gone by, and Summer is now thirteen. She counts the days until her twentieth birthday, when she will be free to leave. But although she longs for freedom, she has a fairly good position that she is grateful for - she cares for her master's infant son, and does some household chores. But her position is in jeopardy when her master's daughter, Letty, accuses Summer of stealing a valuable ring. If Summer is to avoid having her contract sold, she must discover what really happened to the ring. This was a highly enjoyable story about a resourceful young girl determined to clear her name, and in addition, it was filled with many details of colonial life.

Thirteen-year-old Summer MacCleary is an indentured servant. Although she misses her parents that died and the aunt and sisters she left behind in London, she works hard for the day seven years into the future when she will have at last earned her freedom. But strange events start to threaten Summer's future. Why did her master's daughter, Letty, appear one night, distraught and weeping? Why is Letty accusing Summer of stealing a valuable ring that has dissapeared? Summer doesn't know why, but she does know that she must find the thief and expose him or her before her master gets angry enough to sell her to a master that could be truly awful. But can Summer find the courage to do this?

Summer has arrived from Ireland as an indentured servant. She has conflicts with one of her new owner's children. Summer is afraid that her contract will be sold to a new owner. After she helps solve a mystery, she feels that her life will be better. This is a very good historical book and I highly recommend it to students 5th through the 8th grades, and for teachers, as well.

Given that the book begins with the admission that its co-authored by the Deputy Director of the IBO means it is going to be slanted toward IB. What I found incredibly interesting was the notion that IB found its roots in US public schools in areas with challenging demographics. One might expect the private school clientel that dominated the early years of IB in the US, but the growth in a diverse socio-economic area of Virginia, the IB curriculum struck a chord. Admitting its bias from the outset, the book presents a moving picture of the motivating power of educational reform for the sake of children and challenge rather than reform itself. Moreover, Supertest supports its claims with evidence and historical narrative that creats a warranted composition in support of the International Baccalaureate curriculum and its merits. The book illustrates the trials and tribulations of beginning an IB program and the benefits of seeing it through. Its an incredible and entertaining, in a postitive way, read that should interest anyone concered with educational reform, particularly involving the IB.

Beginning to research the IB program for my district, I purchased this book plus a few others to help me better understand the program and the benefits to beginning IB in a rural district. With the history of IB and the case studies from a few schools, this book gave me a good understanding of what IB should look like. It also gave me an excellent understanding of where IB came from and how that influences what is done today. I would recommend this book for any person wanting to learn more. It is a very positive book but not influenced by the organization. It is also an easy, quick read to give the big picture in a few hours.

Jay Mathews & Ian Hill's Supertest: How The International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools deftly assesses the statistics about the Baccalaureate, including its impact on student chances for success in college and life. Chapters provide a history of the IB, its increasing introduction in American school systems, and how it makes a difference in the transition to college. Sounds like dry reading: but the concurrent story of one American high school that adopted the IB adds a personal flavor and human interest touch to the statistics and discussions.

"Washington Post" reporter Jay Mathews extends his appreciation of challenge in our high schools by identifying the grandest and most challenging of them all: the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Jay created "Newsweek" magazine's Challenge Index, and his writing is always approachable and easy to follow. This book maintains that special style. He writes here very specifically about a local DC-area high school and its experiences with beginning and maintaining the rigorous IB curriculum. You come to really care about the students and teachers he profiles, and to share their trials and successes and occasional failures with them. The book features an extremely effective method of integrating chapters about the creation and operation of the IB program as a whole - written by a co-author from the IB Organization - with chapters about Fairfax County, VA's Mount Vernon High School and the people involved with getting IB up and running there. And of the battles in Fairfax County and elsewhere about IB and its rival, the Advanced Placement (AP) program. In my mind there is no contest - IB is far and away the better program, especially for exposing kids to what college will be like. And there is no better predictor of success in college (i.e., graduating) than having taken at least one rigorous course in high school, especially one from IB which teaches how to think and plan and lean. But read Jay's book and decide for yourself. He does an excellent job of iterating the AP proponents concerns about IB, some legitimate - most not, and of exposing as fools or frauds a few of the opponents and their methods for keeping this excellent program out of their schools. They won, but did their kids a real disservice with their victory.

If you have any interest in bringing out what is best in our high school kids - in ALL of our high school kids - then you should read this book. The IB program is the best high school curriculum extant today. And don't just take my word for it. Read the book and you'll see that those precise words are used by the MIT Admissions' Director.

This is a fabulous book. I happened to see a documentary on PBS about this family. So after watching it, I checked out Amazon to see if there was a book, also. I ordered the book and read it in 1 day. I could not put it down. Highly recommended!!

I really don't like to read...let alone do a report on something that I have read! I don't know why, but I actually like doing it for this book...... It has some really funny, sad, and just odd things in it. I mean who would have a pet goat as a kid? I am in Highschool and lots of my friends and teachers were all dying to read this book. I would sit in class and read bits and pieces and the kids around me would always want to hear more...it was weird! Stuff like having a boxing ring in the front yard, or ten sisters sleeping in one bed not knowing who wet the bed in the morning...for some reason that sparked their interest???? Then there was the sad stuff in the book that was described in detail. It really made me learn a lot more then I already knew about these ladies, it's like stepping into their shoes (although they didn't wear them too often) I really like the book, after I read it there were just soo many things to tell about it in the report I did for my sophmore English class that it ended up getting an "A"...which is odd for me! :) This book is great...there are just soo many things to like about it, so many stories. The part I really like about the book though was that sometimes the sisters had different view points about the story, it was kinda neat to see what each one said about certain things...if they remembered or included it. And living in Iowa, it was a big highlight of my life...not many things can do that here! thanx-AM

Courage comes at an early age... these women had it in 1942 and even today display that same courage. As I know each one of these women personnally, my review may be a bit biased...but anyone that reads this work will see that I am only telling the facts. Each sister is a remarkable work of art. This book is a true "Love story" about "Family" and the meaning it gives to our lives. "Divided" as a family at such an early age has given great meaning to "togetherness" as each sister worked their way from mid 20th Century to present day.... Their style of writing is free and bold as they tell of perceptions and feelings. Just to get ten sisters to sit down and author a book together is almost fiction. Yet again their spirit of "one for all" won out, and I, a reader won too. This book is "true LIFE" at its worst, and best

I became interested in "Ten Sisters" when I noticed that the story took place in my home state of Illinois, but specifically central Illinois. I just graduated from EIU which is located in Charleston and just next door to Mattoon. Reading about the Waggoners in those towns was such a joy, but meeting nine of the sisters was an even greater honor. They signed my book at the mall in Mattoon and were extremely gracious at my interest in their stories. I wasn't able to finish the novel before I met them, but even so, reading the chapters after I had met the authors gave the book a personal touch. I was in disbelief at some of the personal trials they went through. It is amazing that any of them survived so much heartache and uncertainty! My favorite aspect of the book is how Jenny and the older sisters wrote about the same period of time, but by the time you get to Vera's, Audrey's, and Doris' chapters, you are set in a completely different timeframe with completely different lifestyles. It is amazing how so many different stories come out of one very close, very special family. They told me that they will be coming out with an audio version of the book and they'll be featured in a popular women's magazine in Nov. or Dec. I'll be sure to check it out, and you should too!

The poems scattered across the pages of this volume are rich in their simplicity and openness. They aren't polluted by the pretense of professionalism or the so-called "wisdom" of age.

Truly delightful book for adults and children alike.

Thie poems in this book are sometimes translucent, often remarkable and easy to read, and frequently wisdom-bullets that pierce the heart.

There is more sweet wisdom here in single poems than one often finds in the dense works of the professional poet.

A definite must-have book.

Sandy Lyne's compilation of student poetry is wonderful in displaying the uninhibited candor and emotion of school age children. I'm doubtless a bit biased as a poem I wrote while in school is included in the book. Sandy visited for several weeks and encouraged us to be open in expressing ourselves, making each student know that they had "the soul of a poet". It was a memorable experience for me, and I'm grateful to be included in this delightful collection.

I found this from NPR's Sunday Edition interview with the compiler, Sandy Lyne. What motivated me to get this book was the haunting eloquence of observations of their (children grades 3-12) lives. I was not disappointed. The book is divided into the following chapters: Angels in Bloom, Poems about Childhood; My Place, Poems about Home & Family; Black & Blue, Poems about Challenges; Then You're a Leaf, Poems about Nature & Beauty; Holding Hands, Poems about Friendship & Love; The Secret Kingdom, Poems about Solitude & Spirit. The book's title is taken from a poem by an eighth grade boy titled, "Rainshowers." "Rainshowers last forever, seconds at a time, and almost like a poem which is long at heart." This is a great sample of the treasures of heartsongs and lifesongs that you find in this book. Submitted by Mark Hashizume

This book is great if you can find it in stock and in print. I lived across the street from the author many years ago. As a gift she gave my mom a copy . It has been a long standing favorite in my mothers home. Not only does powdered milk make economic sense but it also makes time sense. I love using the cream sauce recipe to make soups and gravys in no time. I love the flavor of fresh fat free yogurt. I am always calling my mom for one recipe or another . Years down the road when my mother either passes away or gives her cookbooks away due to inability to use them there will be a fight over who gets this book. Unless of course we find enough to go around in print.

I actually helped her to bind this book, and I want to tell you that I think this cookbook is a must to have in your food storage. Not many people know what things you can make with powdered milk and this helps you out. I echo the words of the publisher. (:)

I loved this book. I needed to find some recipes to use the milk I already have in my food storage. I never realized there were so many ways to use powdered milk. I was so excited with the taste of the recipes that I made seven of them in two days. I also used the evaporated milk recipe in one of my families favorite deserts. It was a real hit.

I am one of the author's 12 children. Growing up with powdered milk was the best. We learned the many uses of dry milk and how to use it. Now, being married I wouldn't be without it. I give it as gifts for all occasions. This book contains everything from fruit smoothies to cottage cheese to pancakes and desserts. Growing up, I thought that dry milk was a staple in everybody's home. I was wrong. With this book, it could be a staple in your home, one you wouldn't want to live without.