Travel Books

Author: Peg Kehret

Ages: 9-12

The secret journey is a great story about a girl named Emma. Emma is a twelve-year-old girl living in London. Her mother and father are journeying to France because of her mother becoming ill. Emma's parents think it is better if Emma does not come along. Emma was supposed to stay at her aunt's house with her cousin. Now Emma will do anything to get away from her aunt and annoying cousin Odolf. So she pretends to be a boy named William and sneaks on a ship that she thinks is going to France. But she is misled and ends up getting on an illegal ship that's going to Africa trading slaves! Then a horrible storm blows-in and wrecks the ship. Will Emma (or William) ever make it to shore? Will she survive?

It is very easy to relate to this book. I give the book 5/5 stars! This fast paced book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I used to not like reading because a lot of the books I read were boring, slow and had no plot to them. But occasionally there was a really good book I heard about and decided to read it. This book was one of those. My teacher told me about it and ever since I read it, it has been one of my favorite books.


About the Author

Peg Kehret has been awarded the "Children's Choice" award in 14 different states. Along with the Kite Award given by the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators and the PEN Center West Award for children's literature. The American Library Association, the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council normally recommend Peg Kehret's books.

How far would you go to be with your parents? 12 year old Emma went all the way to Africa and back to be with her parents.

This story took place on a ship but not just any ship. The Black Lighting was the most notorious slave ship afloat. Emma was told that this ship was the Wayfer. Now Emma is known as ship's boy Willam. Poor Emma landed on the coast of Africa with no supplies. What will happen to this courageous girl? Well I guess I'll tell you part of what happens to this daring girl. She rummages through the forest and... gets attacked by a bull! Then she finds fwigs. Well believe it or not I like it when she gets attacked by the bull because she finds food. Poor Emma from Liverpool to Africa. What could be worse?

I won't tell you anymore but I will tell you that I recommend this book to all my friends and family because of all the description made me make a picture in my mind. Yesiree Peg Kehret did a phenomenal job on this book.

The Secret Journey is a good book. It is about twelve-year-old Emma Bolton, who lives in England in 1834. Her mother is sick and she and Emma's father are going to France and leaving Emma with Aunt Martha and her hated cousin Odolf. In a desperate attempt to get away from the evil Odolf and go to France with her parents, Emma runs away to the docks of Liverpool and gets onto a ship that she is told is the one her parents are on. Too late, Emma realizes that she is on the wrong boat. She has stowed away on the Black Lightning, a slave ship. She is going to have to go all the way to South Africa and back, disguised as "William", the ship's boy. However, about halfway there, the ship sinks in a huge storm. Emma is the only survivor. She is stranded in the jungle of Africa with only chimps to keep her company. Will someone find Emma? Or will she be stuck here forever?

The Secret Journey is a fantastic book. It starts out when Emma's mother is sick and has to move to warmer climates. The only problem is that Emma's father won't let Emma go. That means she has to stay with her horrible cousin Odolf. Emma will do any thing not stay with Ololf. So Emma disguises herself as a boy. She sneaks on to a ship which she thinks is the ship with her parents on it. It turns out that she is on the worst slave ship afloat! Then a storm comes and Emma gets marooned on the coast of Africa. There she only has her wits to keep her alive. The theme of this book is don't give up.
Anyone who likes adventure would love this book.

The Secret Journey was very interesting to read! It is about a twelve-year old girl named Emma Bolton whose mother is deathly sick. The doctor advises Mr. Bolton that the only way to save his wife is to have her have lots of fresh air and complete rest by sailing to France. Emma's father arranges the trip on the ship Wayfarer...but decides to leave Emma with Aunt Matha and her Cousin Odolf, who she really hates. Emma is determined to go with her parents rather than to endure living with Odolf for months.

She then decides to sneak aboard Wayfarer and to stay with her sick mother. So she disguises herself as a boy and rushes on Monday midnight to the dock. There, when she asks which ship was Wayfarer, a man purposely instructs her to the wrong ship. The ship was Black Lightning, the most dangerous and worst ship anybody could ever go on.

Emma realizes too late that she was on the wrong ship and she is discovered. She then decides to keep acting as "William", ship's boy for the Captain Issac Bacon. Suddenly, a storm causes a shipreck and she is the only survivor as she is marooned on the coast of Africa.

She learns how to survive and it is very interesting for I like 'shipwreck stories'.

I'm sure anybody would like this exciting book! It's very fast paced and very enjoyable to read!

This is a very good book on Walt Disney World. It is far superior to the 20th Anniversary Book "Walt Disney World 20 Magical Years". Although, many of the pictures are the same, there are alot more in Since the World Began.

In addition, this book provides much more information on the creation of the park. Still the best book on the creation of the Disney theme parks is "Disneyland: Inside Story" by Randy Bright. Since this is out of print, Walt Disney World 20 Magical Years is a good choice.

Walt Disney lives.

No, I'm not talking about the urban legend about him being cryogenically sealed and stashed below the Pirates of the Caribbean exhibition. Nor is this some soft New Ageism about spirits inhabiting the celestial plane.

He's alive down on a plot of land outside of Orlando, Florida, a boom city that was a dumpy little crossroad when Walt began buying what became a 30,000-acre spread there is the late 1960s.

Walt's gone, but his vision and energy lives on, and once you start dipping into "Since the World Began," you'll see that the scope of his vision is nothing short of awesome.

There are many faces of Disney, the producer of family-friendly and highly profitable movies, the creator of family-friendly theme parks, but also a visionary who thought that, as one associate put it, "bad information was responsible for all the evil in the world." Who tried to change people's attitudes within the confines of an amusement park, the man whose idealism spawned the Epcot center, and under Michael Eisner, the Disney Institute, where education and learning are on a par with entertainment.

What the book won't tell you -- this is published by Hyperion, Disney's publishing arm, and written by Jeff Kurtti, a longtime Disney employee -- is just what hell Walt went through to realize his vision. You won't hear of Disney's fundamentalist upbringing, his retreat into fantasy to escape a brutal father and life in poverty, his endless hard work to make animated movies, his multiple nervous breakdowns. His brother Roy is idealized as the business brain behind Walt's success, but you won't hear that Roy constantly opposed Disney's ideas as a waste of money. When Kurtti writes that Disney founded the design firm Walt Disney Imagineering in 1952 "because he realized that he wouldn't be able to create Disneyland within the boundaries of the studio system," he doesn't mention that it was also because Roy and the Disney board refused to advance Walt the money to design Disneyland, fearing that it would be a failure.

There was plenty of reason for Roy to be worried, too. Disney's ideas constantly threw the company perilously close to bankruptcy, generally on the order of every 18 months, until Disney's deal with ABC in 1955 made him very wealthy and put the company on a firm financial footing. Walt Disney was an idealist and a visionary, and if it wasn't for his tenacity, the company would not be the worldwide giant it is today.

Even while ignoring those shadings, there is still plenty of story left to make "Since the World Began" an awe-inspiring overview of Walt Disney World. It's probably the single largest and most complex construction project this side of the space shuttle. Its statistics are jaw-dropping: 55 miles of canals and levees were built to control the water levels, nine acres of underground corridors thread through the park, housing sewer lines, pipes and cables, and a pneumatic system for hauling trash, 60,000 plants and 800 varieties of trees acquired, moved and transplanted to build the park, 100,000 pounds of linen had to be washed every day.

As befitting its creator, the theme park was ahead of its time in its use of innovative technology. WDW was also the first area to implement 911 service in Florida, the first commercial venture to use fiber optic cables, the first telephone system using underground cable instead of overhead wires.

But the park was also a reflection of Walt Disney's vision of a global coming together of different peoples and cultures, learning about each other and attempting to find and enjoy peace as a result. It's globalization with a human face, to borrow someone else's phrase, and even if it seems outdated or even impossible in this post-9/11 world, Walt's beliefs is a hopeful and sustaining vision, and as American as the culture from which it sprang.

The author dives into the nuts and bolts of Disney history, including the formation of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and Disney's unique infrastructure. Yet the book isn't bogged down with technical, intricate details. Any Disney fan should enjoy reading about the Imagineering behind all four Florida parks' concepts, the hidden meanings of the names on Main Street's second floor windows, the transformation of Tomorrowland, ad infinitum. I received the book as a gift in 1996 and I've enjoyed reading through it several times.

Wow, wow, wow what a great book depicting the history of the number one vacation spot on the planet. I actually bought this book when it came out about 5 years ago. After reading it, I decided I'm going back to Dinsey World to celebrate its 25th birthday. Needless, to say it was a great trip. This is the book for all you wanting to know about Dinsey World History. For Dinseyland I would reccommend Disneyland: Inside Story, but getting on of those under... is a hard task.... What are you waiting for, buy this book! Get ready to experience the magic!

This is a very good book on Walt Disney World. It is far superior to the 20th Anniversary Book "Walt Disney World 20 Magical Years". Although, many of the pictures are the same, there are alot more in Since the World Began.

In addition, this book provides much more information on the creation of the park. Still the best book on the creation of the Disney theme parks is "Disneyland: Inside Story" by Randy Bright. Since this is out of print, Walt Disney World 20 Magical Years is a good choice.

Wow... I just started reading this book two days ago and I'm completely engrossed... wished i had started reading it on a weekend, in order to read it faster!!!
Having been in China just a couple of months ago, I wish I had read this before my trip. Seth Faison provides lots of information about China society, culture, history and politics without sounding too judgemental. This is one book I'm sure I'll come back to. Essential reading for these times!

I'm sure that with technology, there are no secrets. I give it four stars instead of three stars because people who take issue with his contradictions will want to read this. Break out the highlighter pens. I laughed when he acknowledges for the first time (and then frequently throughout the book) that Chinese women are fodder because I've heard the lengthy and boring explanations by those who refuse to admit that about themselves. Use a different color to highlight the many times he feels that Chinese have developed an "obsession for money" and that Chinese women use him to get magazines, currency exchange and see him as marriage material while they cannot afford his expat coffee or sundae. (The kinds of things he was asked for, many people would have no problem giving without the burden of the economic and racial differences between the giver and the receiver. Obtaining magazines are a big deal FOR EXPATS in China. There have been some socially retarded incidents of too much asking but I think the Chinese are better at showing when that's been inappropriate of Chinese so I think he could have been clearer about that.)

Then use a third color highlighter for the many times that he is reliant on the generosity not just material but the generosity of Chinese attention that helps him acclimate and get his job done. People and perhaps especially Chinese fail to draw the comparison that the percentage of Chinese immigrants who enjoy that thorough a level of generosity overseas is much less than the percentage of nonChinese who are helped by Chinese in China. I bear him no rancor though I can't imagine he would appreciate this review. I haven't laughed so much READING in a while. The pungent motives and unspoken assessments are not a shock and I think he's very clever and remembers that many Chinese know this so he presents them for consumption. It's his admissions that save him just as when Kip Fulbeck's narrator admitted that he wouldn't want his daughter dating someone like him. LOL. I wonder if M. Faison (French Huguenot! LOL) has ever been frustrated that Chinese don't realize how clever he is. This book is not about "dating." It's about world politics and its instruments. And his cleverness is not in his confessions of eliciting confidences but in the entire book.

A good companion to this book is Thailand Fever written from both Western and Thai perspectives (as interpreted by a Westerner apparently) with tips on how to successfully navigate the cultural misunderstandings to forge successful romantic relationships. The tone of Thailand Fever is different because the goal for the Westerner is different. I don't think that the authors of either books speak for all Westerners although Thailand Fever tends to generalize. Some expats may welcome South of the Clouds and refer to it to reinforce their criticisms; however, this book fails to explain that Asians and notably the Chinese are very good at ignoring other people and becoming invisible when they are not being appreciated or well-regarded sincerely so there is something to be said when they help you.

I'm fed up with the lack of Asian male faces in American media while Asian women are left exposed and devalued so that this kind of reporting is part of the mainstream depiction instead of just a blip. I'm calling quits on going to the movies and closely considering every American media purchase I make (including magazines) from now on. I've had it!

Faison brings us closer to the people of China and gives us an honest view of himself and how his own personal uncertainties influenced his choice of going to China and his life there. He dates a woman, who like China, has deep secrets, and he dates another who's personal choices help him understand himself. He visits the sauna massage to have a human touch and someone to talk with.

I like this sort of armchair "travel" book because it skips the tourist sites, hotel/restaurant reviews and encyclopediac history in favor of narratives about the people and the times. You will not read about the Great Wall nor Summer Palace here, and the Xian soldiers are only here because they are part of a story about real, everyday people.

These narratives are rich and memorable: the emmigrants and their familes of Fujian, a bootlegger, a sadly compromised government guide in Tibet, the slow build up to and the ensuing confusion of Tienamen Square. The sky burial, haunts me now, a day after finishing the book.

I recently re-read Seth Faison's marvellous book on a return trip through China. I was in Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai and then Hong Kong all in the space of a week. Faison's book was like a becalmed harbor that I could return to -- every time I got on a plane or settled down to bed. His crackling prose and incisive view of China and the gentleness with which he explained what is a tangled and complex place were something I looked forward to each day. It's a great book and deserves the widest possible attention.

I've spent over 8 years in Asia with much of it in China and have always enjoyed reading books about China. Many though, do not come close to capturing the modern thoughts of China as it changes from an agricultural to industrial power as this book does.

If you are looking for a deeper understanding of how many Chinese feel on the street, with threads of intrigue, history and current events I heartily recommend this book.

A friend recently loaned us a copy of "Spirit of the Open Road". This book is an absolute "Must Read" for anyone who has any kind of recreational vehicle or anyone who thinks he may want one. We are reasonably seasoned RVers (we have graduated over a period of 20 years from a pup tent on the back of a motorcycle all the way up to a Class A motorhome), and we don't know how we ever survived without this book. Peggy McDonald has done a masterful and entertaining job of really telling it like it is. "Spirit" is chock full of timely tips and suggestions that have been gleaned from on-the-road experience and is presented in a style that anyone can enjoy. It is particularly appropriate for Canadians who want to be winter snowbirds. I agree with another reviewer who wrote that every RVer should have two copies - one to keep and one to loan out to your friends!

Whether you are new to RVing or have been RVing for years, Spirit of the Open Road is in fact Essential and the only Reference Guide RVers will need. When we started RVing a friend recommended this book and I am sure glad we purchased it. Spirit of the Open Road is always at my finger tips and is full of helpful Facts and tips; everything from saftey to what you should look for when purchasing a new or new to you Rig; budgeting for Full-Time RVers; important information to know when travelling across the border; and, the list goes on. The selling feature for me is the fact that the author, Peggi McDonald, writes about her and her husband John's personal RVing experiences. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work, Peggi & John!

My wife and I are new Rvers & were looking for a good book or two to help us learn and avoid beginner mistakes. If you are in the same boat, this is the book for you! While the book is subtitled "The Essential Reference for Canadian RVers", it is almost completely irrelevant whether you live in Canada or the USA (as we do). This book is about the RV experience - period. Jam-packed with tips, it teaches you the basics and much, much more. This book, written from years of experience & suggestions from other RVers, is very complete and informative. If you're not a novice, you still just might find some great ideas that you had not occurred to you before.

The book is easily read, fun, and well laid out. You'll find information on maximizing your space, towing/driving, dealing with pets, budgeting for your RV lifestyle, finding a good campground, buying or selling your RV, and much more.

I bought 5 different RV related books, but "Spirit of the Open Road" was far and away the best of the bunch.

At last, practical advice for both before and after you have bought that dream RV. I have read a lot of RV advice and how to's but this is the one I'll take with me. Peggi delivers an organized and extremely helpful book divided into logical sections so you can read the whole thing ( I recommend this approach so you don't miss anything) or just what you need to know when you need it. I have owned an RV for 6 years and I wish I'd had this book when I bought my first one. This is the best book I have seen for novices - strong on how to and practical tips culled from years of experience and chats with RVers all over. This is also a great book for those thinking of beginning in RV's. If you think you know it all read Peggi and you'll learn a lot more! Hope she brings out another one soon.

SPIRIT OF THE OPEN ROAD is subtitled, "The Essential Reference Guide for Canadian RVers," but in fact it holds a wealth of how-to advice for American travelers as well. Most RVing basics are the same everywhere: selecting the type of RV that suits your needs, dealing with limited storage space, safe driving techniques, ways of keeping in touch with family and friends back home, selecting campgrounds from the many types out there, securing your home on wheels from the dangers of burglars, fire, or carbon monoxide poisoning. Peggi McDonald covers all these topics and more, in a clear, easy-to-read style with occasional cartoon drawings and shaded boxes for key points. As an American RVer, I especially appreciated the many practical tips in the book -- including clever fixes for plumbing problems, an entire chapter of hints on "Extending Your Living Space," and "Weighing Your RV," a section that explains the alphabet-soup mysteries of GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GCVW (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight). RVing wannabees of any nationality should find this a useful guide to getting started in life on the road.

This is one of a few books I purchased for my honeymoon to the Virgin Islands. As in other books, it seems that the books on St. John are always the best. This book is a nice guide to the beaches of St. John. I don't think it is the best or most thorough guide out there, but the photographs really bring this book on an even keel with others like St. John : Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive.

I think more important is that the photos in the book and the very concise beach guide make a nice coffee table book for after the trip when you want to show off the places you went. St. John really is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and unlike other travel guides, which you would probably get rid of once the trip is over, this one is one you'll want to keep forever just for the photos and memories.

The photography in this book is perfect to get you in the mood to visit this beautiful island. If you want more detail about the culture, history, trails, and other things to do, Feet, Fins, and Four-Wheel Drive is a must to be "in the know" when you get there.

This is a "must have" book if you travel to St John in the US Virgin Islands. We saw more beaches than we would have ever known about without this book. If you like to snorkel, you need this book to make the most out of your vacation. This was the best vacation we ever had!

A fantastic heavily illustrated book on the planets greatest beaches (St.john's of course!)

What a fabulous book! The photos alone make the book worth buying but the text (including directions) make it an indispensable beach guide for a trip to St. John.

I bought this book the week before we went and spent the plane ride mesmerized by it!

I found this book to be quite informative. It essentially covers the trials and tribulations of 6 `super' chefs in the pursuit of their eatery empires. Like you and me they have their share of personal challenges and I thought this book covered it quite well. Definitely worth a read, might just give you insight on some things you need to be aware off while building your restaurant empire.

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Super Chef by Juliette Rossant is real find for all of us who love food (and who doesn't?) It's fun, informative and no calories! It makes the top of my list for gifts from a good summer read into the holidays.
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Write on, Ms. Rossant!
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The author uses a wealth of detail to give real insight into the personalities of super chefs and the key to their success. A fascinating and entertaining read!

I'm what you call a foodie, but I was never that interested in the business side of fine cuisine...until I picked up Rossant's book. After reading it, I finally understood that people like Puck and the others profiled in its pages really transformed the way we eat in restaurants across the country and at home, too. The entertaining anecdotes on the super chefs reveal just how tenuous success is in the wacky restaurant world, and how passionate and motivated these men and women (especially the women!) must be to become stars. I found it more fascinating than to read about a basketball superstar or a movie heart throb. I especially like the introduction, which narrates the story of influential chefs from the 17th century on. It's clear, easy to absorb, and really makes sense of how haute cuisine came to this country. A page-turner.

Juliette Rossant, a business and travel journalist who also writes about the food business writes `Super Chef'. And, this is entirely a book about business, business people, and food people rather than a book about food. While it is good journalism, it has little in common with the culinary journalism of Michael Ruhlman, Robb Walsh, or Calvin Trillin.

The subject of the book is the business careers of five restaurateurs and talented chefs who have been successful in starting and running at least two different restaurants. The subtitle is `The Making of the Great Modern Restaurant Empires' which brings to mind Emeril Lagasse, Jean George Vongerichten, Nobu Matsuhisa, Daniel Boulud, and Mario Batali, all of which are known as great chefs who have opened several different haute cuisine restaurants in major venues. Three of the five chefs featured in the book, Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Palmer, and Todd English, certainly belong to this group, but two, Tom Colicchio and the team of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, seem somewhat out of place.

Wolfgang Puck is by far and away the poster boy for the American Super Chef prototype. More than any other, he has turned his name into a brand. The fact that no one except Emeril Lagasse even comes close to Puck's celebrity is simply a measure of how clearly he stands out from the crowd. His business concerns include a `fine dining' company with its flagship Spago restaurants, a `fast casual' company with restaurants in the mold of Chilis and Bennigans, a foods marketer handling his trademark frozen pizzas and other foods, a line of cookware Wolfgang hawks on QVC, a series of cookbooks, and headlining appearances on Food Network shows and specials such as the `Master Iron Chef' series of shows. Last but by far not least is his Hollywood catering gigs where he wines and dines the Academy Awards celebrants and other high profile events. Since Wolfgang's career is so visible, it is easy to verify some of the author's impressions of Puck against other appearances.

Two things about Puck are well known and are echoed in this book. The first is his great modesty in the face of a backbreaking schedule that can turn less well-tempered people into people whose company you simply do not want to share. Watching any Puck appearance on TV in a quiet atmosphere can see this. The second is his great skill under pressure. On the Food Network `Master Iron Chef' segment where Puck was competing against Masaharu Morimoto, Puck's dishes were so clearly better at using the theme ingredient that the competition didn't even seem fair. Other evidence is his behavior on specials about the Oscar catering gigs where his assistants comment that Puck seems to have ice water in his veins, as he simply never looses his cool while standing back and letting his team get the job done.

The truly odd thing about the forty-two (42) pages about Wolfgang Puck in this book is that I recall but a single sentence about his cooking, where the author offers the opinion that Puck is not a great chef, but he is very good. The book says as much about Lagasse's cooking talent, and Emeril is not even the subject of the book.

The book says much more about contracts, leases, locations, and partnerships, and the extent to which these things take the empire building chef away from the kitchen. I really regret that Daniel Boulud was not a featured subject in the book, as he is one of the very few chefs I know have written on the challenges of switching from cooking to creating a chain of high end dining restaurants. The author accurately reflects Boulud's observation that one needs a very different set of skills to pull this off. The author's main contribution to this insight is that the chef who does it must, like Wolfgang, have and maintain a relatively pleasing personality in order to build up a team of people who are willing to stay with you and embrace your vision and level of food and service quality.

In spite of the very large cast of characters, the book gets close to none of the supporting characters and does not get very close to the featured chefs. One of the most revealing anecdotes was the encounter between Charlie Palmer's Las Vegas employee Andrew Bradbury and a very tired and pallid Microsoft founder Bill Gates where Gates took an unexpected half hour quizzing Bradbury on how the sommelier planned to use Microsoft products in selecting wines at Palmer's Mandalay Bay Aureole restaurant.

One story which shows just how much a restaurateur changes from chef to businessman when they open multiple restaurants is the fact that Charlie Palmer spends a lot of time and energy setting cost thresholds for food purchases at his various restaurants, varying levels to meet local conditions, cuisine, and clientele. This immediately illuminates some of Rocco DiSpirito's weaknesses as a restaurateur when he seemed to ignore both the kitchen and the books at Rocco's on 22nd, as seen in the second `The Restaurant' series.

This book is a good read whether you are interested in business or in restaurants. If your interest disappears if there has been no mention of garlic in the last two pages, this may not be the book for you. On the other hand, if you really like all aspects of the food business, you will get a major dose from this book. You will find it especially revealing if you have the slightest interest in going into the food business. The chapters on the two girls and Colicchio are interesting, even if they don't fit the book's premise as well as Puck, Palmer, and English.

I almost wish the author would do a book featuring the non-chef restaurateurs who have, for example partnered with DiSpirito in New York and Morimoto in Philadelphia. Recommended reading.

We used this book before and during our volunteer trip to Kenya.
It's a great resource, helps a lot, has all the basic things you wanna know (actually much more than you're going to need for a short trip), as well as slangs and even a few surprises (what to say in very specific situations, like when you're drunk or having sex (I'm guessing if they put this on the book, it must be because people asked for it)).
There are a few phrases they recommend I found out nobody uses anymore, and a few others that are used by people in the coast, but not by people in Nairobi area or other parts of the country, for example.
But still, I recommend it.
It's very small, fits in your pocket.
But there's so much information you really need to do your homework, study it before your trip, and mark the pages that interest you.

This course to teach yourself Swahili is easy for anybody - all you need is to take time and study.

For a compact book on Swahili this is the best I've seen. The contents of this little gem were easily divided into useful and practical sections, covering a broader use of the language than I've come across in other similar type books. Each section was uniquely and clearly identifiable allowing faster access to put your fingertips on the words or phrases you need. This book also succeeds in helping the reader obtain a basic yet concrete understanding of the Swahili language where other similar books have attempted but failed.

This small hand-sized book is an excellent resource. Sections are seperated by practical categories (like food, social, and practical). Very easy to read, and really has everything you would need to get around.

I had this guide when I went to Kenya, and I highly recommend it! It was very useful when I got very ill and needed to explain to a Swahili speaking doctor what was wrong with me. I also used it when I'd go to the Masai Markets and I always got a much better deal when I'd barter in Swahili. The Kenyans can speak English, but they appreciate it when you try to speak to them in Swahili.

I loved this guide so much I am buying copies for the members of my family who will be joining me for a holiday in Kenya this coming year.

It's an absolute must for any traveler!

Yes, you must read it. This book tells about two girls that live 100 years apart that think that life in 100 years or 100 years ago will be better than the life they lead. So, while Amber is transported back in time, Ada is transported forward in time with the help of a mysterious wishing well. Both girls must go to orphanages, as they have no family in this strange time, and both figure out that life in either time isn't what they thought it would be. Now they long for home. But they have one problem. How in the world are they going to get home?
A book filled with suspense and fantasy is the best book, in my mind. The only thing wrong with this one: the author never reveals what creature was in the well. Still, I would highly recomend this book for anyone who loves fantasy.

Switching Well is one of the best yet most confusing novels I've ever read. As they switch times through chapters it was kind of confusing. Peni R. Griffen sure has a way of grasping your interests.
The quality of the book on a scale of 1-10 would be 91/2. Most of the characters are almost real. You can feel the emotions they face and the hardships they endured. My favorite character is Ada because as she experiences the modern world it is just one more discovery after another. This character is special to me because even though her father believes women are inferior she still tries to earn his respect. The author did a masterful job in development of characters. Peni R. Griffen was able to grasp my interests and hold on throughout the entire novel. As she switched off characters she would leave you with many questions such as: What about Ada? Will Amber be in trouble? etc. My favorite scenes in the book are when Ada and Mrs. Bauer hang out with each other because they were interesting. I wouldn't have made any changes. I think Peni R. Griffen's way was the only good way this novel could have been written.
From this book I learned to take nothing for granted and that you never know how important something is to you until it's gone.

Switching Well, written by Peni R. Griffin is an outstanding narrative about two girls who switch centuries in a magic well and can't reach their times. Ada is a 13 year old girl with a peaceful and normal personality. Amber is a spunkier girl but feels sad when she finds out her parents are divorcing. They meet new friends, people that aren't very nice, and have to lie along the way, but somehow tell the truth. The girls learn about one another because people think they're missing. I recomend this book... it's absalutly fastinating.

Switching Well by Peni R. Griffin has two main characters. The first is twelve-year-old Ada Bauer, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, in 1891. Women in her time are not considered as important as men, and her father thinks so. Her teacher was tempted to fail her essay about a woman's rights. So she goes to the Haunted Lot and wishes in the well to live a hundred years in the future. The second main character is twelve-year-old Amber Burak, who also lives in San Antonio, but in 1991. Her parents are thinking about getting divorced, and she seems to be the last to know. She, too, goes to the Haunted Lot and wishes in the well that she lived a hundred years in the past. Ada and Amber switch places and are completely confused in their new lives. They try to wish themselves back home, but it doesn't work. The longer they stay a hundred years away, they wonder if they will ever be able to get home.

Yes, you must read it. This book tells about two girls that live 100 years apart that think that life in 100 years or 100 years ago will be better than the life they lead. So, while Amber is transported back in time, Ada is transported forward in time with the help of a mysterious wishing well. Both girls must go to orphanages, as they have no family in this strange time, and both figure out that life in either time isn't what they thought it would be. Now they long for home. But they have one problem. How in the world are they going to get home?
A book filled with suspense and fantasy is the best book, in my mind. The only thing wrong with this one: the author never reveals what creature was in the well. Still, I would highly recomend this book for anyone who loves fantasy.

This was a book that has a lot of action packed story. You should read it to find out about a young boy named Harrison Ford Hawkins Who goes back in time to meet his old friend, and to save his sister. This book keeps you on your toes, you should read this amazing book.

I started reading the Tennis Shoes series a while ago and got hooked onto every one. I finished the latest published book and am anxiously waiting for part two of The Seven Churches book.

When I first heard that the main character was going to be Harry Hawkins in this book I thought for sure that this book and The Lost Scrolls wouldn't be as good as the first for with Jim Hawkins as the main character. To my suprise it was just as good as all of the other Tennis Shoes books (which is really really good.) I can't wait to read Heimerdinger's next book.

I own all seven of the Tennis Shoes books and love and cherish each of them. I read this book for my book report and couldn't wait for the next report to start the next one, "The Lost Scrolls"! I am unhappy he titled this book, "The Seven Churches" because the Seven Churches are mentioned ONCE in the h\whole story. It should be "The Lost Scrolls Part 1". All in all I rate this book 100 out of 5 stars! Must read this series!

Tennis Shoes Among the Seven Churches by Chris Heimerdinger a new book that I just read. It tells the adventure of fifteen year old Harry Hawkins and his soon to be sister Megan Sorenson who go on an adventure into Frost Cave. This cave takes them back in time. During this adventure they meet a boy named Jessie who has no parents or relatives so they take him with them, they almost get eaten by a pack of heinas, they get to watch a gladiator fight, and they got reunited with some old friends. The obsticals that they have to go through makes this book an excellcnt book. At the begining of the story Harrys sister gets hurt in a motorcycle accident and while she is in the hospital she mentioned the name of an old friend that she met when she went into the cave when she was younger, his name was Marcos. When Harry, Megan, and Jessie are traveling, Megan and Jessie got kidnapped. The purpose of the story is to entertain people and the charcterization in the story is excellent because it is developed well through the story. Harry is a boy worried about his happines and when he finds who he is looking for he knows his sisters happines will improve. Overall I think Tennis Shoes Among the Seven Churches is a great book. I think this book is a great addition to literature.

Imagine that! Poe actually lived here, and I missed it!
Good read! Glad he's finally settled!

This is a great book. Endlessly fun and insightful and funny. Poe's adventuresome spirit sweeps-up the reader and delivers us to places we may probably never go. He dares to visit the shadow of America as well, and delivers to us the jewels of characters hidden therein. The experiences through which they all live are painted here in vivid, full spectrum color. I would buy and/or read anything this guy writes.

I am not very good at writing reviews, but just wanted to say this is a great book which deserves reading!!!

I became a fan of Poe Ballantine through reading his articles in The Sun magazine. This collection of short stories is just great. They are all autobiographical stories about his stays in different areas of the US and Mexico. The editorial, or maybe confessional, "twist" he puts on each experience is what makes the narrative so interesting.

If life were a greyhound bus, you would find Poe Ballantine out on the front bumper, experiencing it sooner and more intensely than the rest of us. This book is a collection of dispatches from the road, and what they have to tell us is edifying, entertaining, terrifying, and reassuring, as well as utterly authentic. Some readers have likened Ballantine to Charles Bukowski, and certain common themes suggest the comparison, but Ballantine's sympathy, wry understanding, and cheerless optimism have more in common with the themes of Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, and Hank Williams.