Book Description
Imagine a young boy who has never had a loving home. His only possesions are the old, torn clothes he carries in a paper bag. The only world he knows is one of isolation and fear. Although others had rescued this boy from his abusive alcoholic mother, his real hurt is just begining -- he has no place to call home. This is Dave Pelzer's long-awaited sequel to A Child Called "It". In The Lost Boy, he answers questions and reveals new adventures through the compelling story of his life as an adolescent. Now considered an F-Child (Foster Child), Dave is moved in and out of five different homes. He suffers shame and experiences resentment from those who feel that all foster kids are trouble and unworthy of being loved just because they are not part of a "real" family. Tears, laughter, devastation and hope create the journey of this little lost boy who searches desperately for just one thing -- the love of a family.
Customer Reviews:
The brave boy.......2007-05-25
I recommend this book because it is very interesting,and you do not want to put it down.In the book, I learned that I have a good life and that I should be thankful for everything I have after seeing what Dave has gone through in his life. I would read another book by this author because all of the books are sequels and at the end of each book you are left hanging and wondering what will happen next. These are some things about the The Lost Boy.
Dave's story helped me during really tough times........2007-04-18
As a foster parent who accepted only one child at a time, I needed all the inspiration I could get. Dave's story not only inspired but also encouraged me. It is full of truths that make us aware of how blessed we are. Anyone who is interested in helping abused kids should read this book. With Great Mercy author.
The story continues.......2007-04-14
Dave Pelzer gives a wonderfull account of his experiences of foster care in this sequel to A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive. In this book you begin to see the transition to a "normal" state of being, but it is not without it's problems.
My Hat Goes Off To Dave Pelzer.......2007-04-06
All of Dave Pelzer's books are absolutely by far the best books I have ever read. I couldn't put them down!!!
Best book!!!.......2007-04-06
Do you want to know how it feels like to have your parents not love you? Well thats how a little boy named David (the main charactor) feels in this story. David Pelzer is a young teenager who only wants the love of his parents, but his mother, doesn't love him... She keeps David in the basement, and she rarly ever feeds him!!!! Once David id put into foster care, he has to go to court, and the judge gets to chose whether to keep him in foster care, or to release him back to his parents. The judge chooses....... Well to find out you have to read this amazing book.
Dave Pelzer has written more books besides this one.. The Lost Boy is part of a three-part series... That includes A Child Called "it," The Lost Boy, and A Man Named David. I really think that Dave Pelzer is a great and wonderful Author.
This book will really make you cry and become very mad at the same time.. If parents read this book they will see what some parents really do to there kids. I would extemely recomend this book to others, becuase it is an adventure of one boys determination to find love. I think this book wouldn't be a good book for kids under 13, becuase it has some pretty foul language in it and they might not understand what is happening. When you start reading this book, you won't want to put it down until your done reading it..
Amazon.com
Ron Suskind won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1995 for his stories on Cedric Jennings, a talented black teenager struggling to succeed in one of the worst public high schools in Washington, D.C. Suskind has expanded those features into a full-length nonfiction narrative, following Jennings beyond his high-school graduation to Brown University, and in the tradition of Leon Dash's Rosa Lee and Alex Kotlowitz's There Are No Children Here, delivers a compelling story on the struggles of inner-city life in modern America. While it appears to have a happy ending (with Jennings earning a B average in his sophomore year), A Hope in the Unseen is not without a few caveats (at times, Jennings feels profoundly alienated from his white peers). Trite as it may sound to say, this book teaches a lesson about the virtue of perseverance, and it's definitely worth reading. --John J. Miller
Book Description
It is 1993, and Cedric Jennings is a bright and ferociously determined honor student at Ballou, a high school in one of Washington D.C.’s most dangerous neighborhoods, where the dropout rate is well into double digits and just 80 students out of more than 1,350 boast an average of B or better. At Ballou, Cedric has almost no friends. He eats lunch in a classroom most days, plowing through the extra work he has asked for, knowing that he’s really competing with kids from other, harder schools. Cedric Jennings’s driving ambition–which is fully supported by his forceful mother–is to attend a top-flight college.
In September 1995, after years of near superhuman dedication, he realizes that ambition when he begins as a freshman at Brown University. In this updated edition, A Hope in the Unseen chronicles Cedric’s odyssey during his last two years of high school, follows him through his difficult first year at Brown, and now tells the story of his subsequent successes in college and the world of work.
Customer Reviews:
Overrated. .......2007-08-26
A Hope in the Unseen was an engaging read and I absolutely fell in the love with the beginning. Cedric's life was put into a perspective that I could connect to and it was as if I could see everything through is eyes. It is a story that is uplifting and can be appreciated by people of any gender or color.
However, I did find a few things to frown upon. One part of the book that bothered me was the constant racial labeling. Understandably it is one of the main themes throughout the story and it is what makes this book so appealing to many. You get to see a struggling young black man make it out of a situation where many others would have gotten swallowed up. Yet, to me it became annoying because when I would finally reach a moment when I could connect to the characters as people the writer, and sometimes Cedric, would draw the whole focus back to who was what race and where they come from. It is great to be proud of who you are and what your background is but it doesn't have to define you.
During one of the later chapters we encounter Cedric and Zayd eating lunch. Zayd's friend, Josh, wanders over and immediately Cedric makes a remark about he should not be seen with two white guys. Whether he meant it jokingly or not it hurt Josh's feelings and created an awkward situation. Maybe it's because I just don't understand it but I think it was a little insensitive of Cedric. This was the only flaw that I had problems ignoring. It just seemed as if Cedric felt that he was entitled to be at Brown simply because he was a minority. Even if he wasn't in the minority, I sense a certain attitude that develops from attending an ivy league institution. It is almost as if by having your name on their roster that it makes you superior to everyone else.
This is definitely not the case and if people to hold on to such a mentality is disturbing.
Another problem I had with the novel was that after finishing such an uplifting story you start wondering what is next and if the system has ever changed. Sure, Cedric made it out and became successful but what about everyone else who was left behind? What about the students who were not as academically inclined or those who were not fortunate enough to have people supporting and pushing them like Cedric did? This book gives people an insight into a world that many are oblivious to. This could have been a great opportunity to open people's eyes about social injustice and to spark their interest in finding a way for more students to become like Cedric. I believe the author could have steered this book into becoming a link between the readers and social activism. Plenty of people have either had similar experiences or are now more aware of such situations and would be more than happy to support and contribute to any programs that are trying to turn this around. I believe more could have been done with A Hope in the Unseen in this regard.
All in all, this story was fairly interesting and inspiring. It was definitely helpful to read about the transitions from high school to college and to see how one person dealt with the common worries of university life. However, I do not see myself recommending this to many people and I believe that it is highly overrated. I do not believe it is "formula shattering" as one reviewer described it. In fact I think it follows the basic guidelines to any underdog story. I felt as if I could have been reading any number of stories, except with a different setting and character. A Hope in the Unseen is good for classroom reading assignments or book clubs because it has many discussion points and may lead readers to be more aware of the various issues it touches on. Other than that, I must truthfully say that I would not have read this given the chance to choose it for myself.
A Beautiful Mind.......2007-07-07
Ron Suskind's A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League is reminiscent of A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash. In "A Beautiful Mind," our hero, John Nash, faces and fights his own demons to finally succeed and excel in the Ivy League world. In "A Hope Unseen," our hero, Cedric Jennings, fights and faces demons of societal injustice to finally succeed and excel in the Ivy League world.
Suskind's riveting narrative of Jenning's ascension from inner city life to Ivy League life paints a portrait of the contrasts between cultures like few other books ever have or ever could. More importantly, it tells the story of moving beyond suffering to a place of hope through persistence and resilience based upon Christian faith, maternal wisdom (mother wit), and the inspiring tradition of African American music.
Reviwer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.
Awesome Book!.......2007-02-06
This is an awesome book that I would have never read if it weren't required by one of my classes! Even though I paid for standard shipping, the book arrived quickly! I am very pleased with my purchase from this company.
Hope is seen.......2007-01-22
Moving story about a young man struggling through life in the inner city, who through grace, faith, determination and hardwork achieves the dream. The story follows him through high school and college. Outstanding novel for anyone to read, but especially for young black males.
Inspiring, but I'm not a fan of Suskind's style.......2007-01-04
I read A Hope in the Unseen recently and found it to be an uplifting story which had the potential to create awareness about DC's inner-city schools - but that's where it stopped.
I had been hoping for a bit more research within the story on the inner-city situation and proposals for its improvement, but I was let down in the face of a lot of needless detail which I did not care about and which had no lasting impact on me. The book is a nice story, but I finished it feeling as though I had not really learned anything new and although the book had a personally inspiring effect, its value as a tool for social activism is not there. That doesn't in any way make it a bad book, but it certainly could have been better, perhaps in the vein of Ted Conover's work - a combination of research, storytelling, and activism together.
I didn't feel that paragraphs devoted to such things as what CD Cedric happened to be holding were relevant, and was generally irritated by their inclusion. Suskind's "invisible author" perspective bothered me greatly, and could have been better handled in a different fashion. Those things said, the book was indeed a nice story - but it just could have been so much more.
Amazon.com
There Are No Children Here, the true story of brothers Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, ages 11 and 9 at the start, brings home the horror of trying to make it in a violence-ridden public housing project. The boys live in a gang-plagued war zone on Chicago's West Side, literally learning how to dodge bullets the way kids in the suburbs learn to chase baseballs. "If I grow up, I'd like to be a bus driver," says Lafeyette at one point. That's if, not when--spoken with the complete innocence of a child. The book's title comes from a comment made by the brothers' mother as she and author Alex Kotlowitz contemplate the challenges of living in such a hostile environment: "There are no children here," she says. "They've seen too much to be children." This book humanizes the problem of inner-city pathology, makes readers care about Lafeyette and Pharoah more than they may expect to, and offers a sliver of hope buried deep within a world of chaos.
Book Description
This is the moving and powerful account of two remarkable boys struggling to survive in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes, a public housing complex disfigured by crime and neglect.
Customer Reviews:
The other America indeed.......2007-09-25
Nice mix of anecdote and historical background on life in inner city America. Excellent insight into the everyday difficulties faced by families and some of the root causes. This book, though almost 20 years old, still has a message that needs to be heard.
a sobering account of the horrendous state of America's impoverished.......2007-07-18
You don't need to look to Africa or the Middle East to find crime and poverty. Millions live in gang-riddled public housing projects, where violence is a fact of life. If these thoughts don't stir your heart, this book will.
impressive work of reserach and great story telling.......2007-04-30
As in his other book, The other side of the River, Alex Kotlowitz proves again what an amazing story teller he is. Kotlowitz spent a couple of years living with and getting to Know Pharaoh and Lafeyette in the Chiacgo housing project, a place where even the police are afraid to go into without back up. The life of these children seems to be written in the stars, everything is planned for them - poverty, delinquency, prison, abuse, drugs and finally death. Regardless of your stand on social (in)equality, wellfare and other government help, it is easy to relate to Kotlowitz' regard for the boys and some of their friends, although most of us are on the "right" side of the law and the more affluent side of society. The poignant story brings to mind the chicken and the egg debate - do people sink into poverty because of inadequate government help or do they have a hand in it? The boys' mother has 8 children, no job and her husband wont provide for them. Why does she continue to have more children? The government built housing for the people, but the housing is substandard, and reinforces the residents' feelings of being left behind, not on society's top priority. Has America given up on these children?
Can't wait for Alex to write an update, 10 years later.
Great Reading.......2007-04-07
I was required to read this book for a class and loved it! The story of these boys was so moving. I would recommend this book to everyone!
You MUST read this book.......2007-01-10
This goes out to everyone living in America today.... you have to read this book. I grew up in a small rural town. My only experience of urban life came from movies and rap music. This book made it plainly clear to me that we are sweeping Americas own problems under a rug. Though I feel strongly for the plight of others all over the world, how can we help them when we haven't spent the time and energy that we need to fix our own backyard? We need to invest in our future and it needs to happen now. This book should be required reading in our schools especially with regards to small town schools. These schools tend to "glamorize" urban life and gangs instead of understanding what they are, a means of survival for our scared youth looking for protection and who don't see another way out nor a future for themselves.
Book Description
In a summer that refuses to end, in the deceiving warmth of earliest October, civil war has come to Green Town, Illinois. It is the age-old conflict: the young against the elderly, for control of the clock that ticks their lives ever forward. The first cap-pistol shot heard 'round the town is dead accurate, felling an old man in his tracks, compelling town elder and school board despot Mr. Calvin C. Quartermain to marshal his graying forces and declare total war on the assassin, thirteen-year-old Douglas Spaulding, and his downy-cheeked cohorts. Doug and his cronies, however, are most worthy adversaries who should not be underestimated, as they plan and execute daring campaigns—matching old Quartermain's experience and cunning with their youthful enthusiasm and devil-may-care determination to hold on forever to childhood's summer. Yet time must ultimately be the victor, with valuable revelations for those on both sides of the conflict. And life waits in ambush to assail Doug Spaulding with its powerful mysteries—the irresistible ascent of manhood, the sweet surrender to a first kiss . . .
One of the most acclaimed and beloved of American storytellers, Ray Bradbury has come home, revisiting the verdant landscape of one of his most adored works, Dandelion Wine. More than fifty years in the making, the long-awaited sequel, Farewell Summer, is a treasure—beautiful, poignant, wistful, hilarious, sad, evocative, profound, and unforgettable . . . and proof positive that the flame of wonder still burns brightly within the irrepressible imagination of the incomparable Bradbury.
Customer Reviews:
Sequels aren't always Equals.......2007-06-25
Farewell Summer is a good story, but pales in comparison to Dandelion Wine. While recognizable as atypical Bradbury, it lacks the wallop I was hoping to get from his other books. I can't say much more than that without spoiling the story for you.
It is a fast read though. I finished it in one sitting between lunch and dinner. It's not a waste of time, just not Ray's best work. Read Dandelion Wine first.
Douglas Who?.......2007-06-23
Dandelion Wine has been in my personal top 3 ever since I first read it for a sophomore lit course in 1982. Although the afterword of Farewell to Summer asserts that both novels were born of one draft, the original characters are recognizable only in brief flickers. Douglas Spaulding, in particular, in a matter of supposed mere days or weeks between the end of the first novel and the beginning of the next, has inexplicably morphed from the pensive, sensitive everyboy into the wannabe leader of a small-town terrorist cell. Yes, Bradbury remains ever the wordsmith, but this was just a bummer - too dark and too bizarre in comparison to the original. I almost wish I hadn't read it at all.
Interesting novel, worthy sequel to Dandelion Wine.......2007-03-31
Although not as good as Dandelion Wine, Farewell Summer is still a magical novel, though much darker. Some of the chapters here feel like filler (and I will admit, there was some filler in Dandelion Wine) and the book feels too short. However, it is a worthy extension to a great book, and some of the themes in this book are pulled off quite well. Bradbury's superb writing skills excel this book to a 4-star rating.
A Most Fitting Sequel to "Dandelion Wine".......2006-12-22
Now in his mid 80s, at the close of a long, and most productive, career in American letters, Ray Bradbury has finally offered a tantalizing, moving sequel to his great novel on youth, "Dandelion Wine", which is once more a return visit to the fictitious town of Green Town, Illinois (Actually Bradbury's boyhood home of Waukegan, Illinois), meeting up once more with Douglas Spaulding, his brother Tom, and their friends, two years after the events chronicled in Bradbury's earlier literary triumph. Much to my surprise, Bradbury doesn't disappoint, offering a most fitting sequel to "Dandelion Wine", with the same graceful, lyrical prose that defined that earlier novel - and I might add, so much of his great work from the 1950s - but with a somewhat more somber, darker atmosphere, as the boys finally confront both the passage of time and their own impending adulthood. Moreover, Bradbury still demonstrates that he is still both a most persuasive spinner of tales and an elegant observer of the human condition, capturing well the nuanced, elaborate personal relationships between the young and old, and between boys and girls.
Spaulding is now the leader of a "Grand Army of the Republic", in which he and his friends undertake several dastardly mischevious raids against the town's senior citizens, most notably the dictator of the local school board, Calvin C. Quatermain. Time and again, young Doug Spaulding leads his friends in brilliantly conceived raids in the vain hope of trying to stop the passage of time, thinking that they could live forever as twelve year old boys. And then suddenly, unexpectedly, Doug has a moment of epiphany which leads to an unexpected truce, and then, a brief friendship with Quatermain, an 81 year-old bachelor, who sees in young Doug, a brief reflection of his own youthful self many, many years ago. And Doug is also unexpectedly soon caught up in the mystique and magic of girls, getting his own first kiss from one in a rather unique, most surprising, manner.
Does "Farewell Summer" rank alongside Bradbury's best works of fiction, like, for example, "Something Wicked This Way Comes", "The Illustrated Man", or "The Martian Chronicles"? I suppose a thoughtful, extremely erudite, critic of Bradbury's work might be inclined to say "No", but I would hope that such a critic would agree that Bradbury hasn't lost his superb skills in both storytelling and in writing elegant, lyrical prose. Regardless, Bradbury's latest, short novel, remains a most fitting sequel to "Dandelion Wine", and perhaps, a most fitting conclusion to a splendid literary career which has crossed genres from pulp science fiction to mainstream literature, earning Bradbury ample recognition and praise as one of our finest contemporary writers of fiction.
Bradbury reprises the battle of youth against age.......2006-12-04
"Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave."
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "A Psalm of Life"
In "Farewell Summer," the eagerly anticipated sequel to "Dandelion Wine" (1957), Ray Bradbury takes us back to Green Town, the fictional version of his boyhood hometown, Waukegan, Illinois.
It's Indian Summer in Green Town, but the trees have changed their colors and the night wind tells us it's autumn, with winter not far behind. The passing of the seasons signal the transit from childhood and youth to middle age, old age, and death.
The central character in "Farewell Summer," Douglas Hinkston Spaulding, 14, is two years older than he was in "Dandelion Wine," as is, of course, his brother Tom, now 12. Like Peter Pan, the boys take a dim view of old age and seek to remain eternally young.
Doug and Tom, and their sidekicks--Charlie, Will, Bo, Henry, Sam, Ralph, and Pete--make a solemn pact to resist the elders who run their town. The boys envision themselves as pawns being pushed around on the old men's chessboards, and perceive the ominous tolling of the giant courthouse clock as measuring the hours of their lives.
Although stout and brave, the boys' hearts, like muffled drums, are beating funeral marches to the grave. Perhaps, if they could silence that courthouse clock, they could arrest time in its flight.
Dividing his novella into three sections--"Almost Antietam," "Shiloh and Beyond," and "Appomattox"--Bradbury shapes the narrative of "Farewell Summer" into a story of a civil war between the old geezers and the young upstarts.
At the head of the enemy forces is Calvin C. Quartermain, 81, chairman of the school board, which passes draconian legislation restricting the freedom of the young. The boys shudder at the sight of Quartermain and the other old men who run the town.
In their puerile and futile quest for immortality, the avoidance of old age and death, "The Great Army of the Republic," led by Doug as their general, maps out the strategies and tactics of various military campaigns, such as purloining the old men's chess pieces from the tables in Green Town Park and sabotaging with firecrackers the giant clock in the courthouse square.
The turning point of the tale occurs (gasp!) when Doug fraternizes with the enemy, offering a piece of birthday cake to Calvin C. Quartermain. And then a strange thing happens: the town Grinch has an epiphany, He begins to see Doug and the other youngsters through the eyes of his own youth.
In the final section of the book, "Appomattox," a truce of sorts is called by the combatants, with old and young grudgingly realizing, and admitting, the perspective of their foes. Chastened and somewhat dazed, neither side can decide who won or lost. Perhaps both sides won. Perhaps both sides lost.
As I read "Farewell Summer," I kept thinking of Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," and the escapades of young boys growing up in a world characterized by complicated power struggles, ruthless oppression of the weak by the strong, and strange ideas of what it means to be moral.
A slight book in length, "Farewell Summer" is, at least on the surface, a charming and heartwarming tale, a coming-of-age story and a nostalgic trip into a vanished Midwestern world.
Beneath the surface antics of the protagonists and antagonists, however, there lurks an undercurrent of existential angst--of the brevity and uncertainty of life and the inevitability of death. Bradbury's points are: "Memento mori" ("Remember that you are mortal") and "Sic transit gloria mundi" ("Thus passes the glory of the world").
One of Quartermain's friends, a Mr. Bleak, preaches to him on the folly of stubbornly holding on to the past: "Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You've got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it. It's like boats. You keep your motor on so you can steer with the current. And when you hear the sound of the waterfall roaring nearer and nearer, tidy up the boat, put on your best tie and hat, and smoke a cigar right up till the moment you go away. That's a triumph. Don't argue with the cataract."
Ray Bradbury, 86, one of the most prolific and celebrated fiction writers of our time, has published more than thirty books, close to 600 short stories, and numerous poems, essays, and plays.
Bradbury was born August 22, 1920, in Waukegan, Illinois, and now lives in Los Angeles. Among his best known works are Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Judging from his latest book, Bradbury retains, even in old age, a youthful spirit. Rather than rage against the dying of the light, he celebrates his great fortune to have been an actor in the great drama of life, however the tragic last act may be.
In an interview with Bradbury, Allen Pierleoni (a staff writer for The Sacramento Bee) asked, "Have you given any thought to a fitting epitaph?" Bradbury replied, "Oh, God ... it should read, 'Here lies a man who loved life from beginning to end, and he's sorry that the goddamn thing is over.'"
Book Description
The holidays are over and Massies room is chock full of new things from Santa: jeans, sweater, and a new . . . roommate? Once Claire unpacks, Massies room feels more crowded than a Zac Posen sample sale. But whats worse, Claire isnt the only person moving into Massies territoryAlicias hot, Spanish cousin, Nina, shows up from Spain and starts edging in on all the Briarwood boys, including Massies crush! Will Nina, with her super-tight mall clothes, make every boy in Westchester fall in love with her? Or will Massie toss her out faster than last seasons Sevens jeans? The social minefields of Westchester Countys most privileged middle school girls drive the page-turning action of this addictive series, set in New York Citys most elite suburban county. The Clique . . . the only thing harder than getting in is staying in.
Customer Reviews:
AWESOME.......2007-09-25
I LOVE this book. It's probably one of my fave books. I love how much drama there is, and how the entire book just comes togther at the end and answers all the questions you have/had. I espescially like all the details, and how you can imagine the characters, and how in eah book in the clique series, a little more information is revealed about each character. I love that. It's like putting together a puzzle of each character. Out of 5 stars, I would definetly give this book a five.
Richly Entertaining.......2007-08-05
Okay, I'm not gunna lie, not really used to reading the whole rich girl livin' in a wonderful world thinking everyone wants to be like her. Me, I'm more into the African- American novels that talk about what's goin on down in the hood and high school drama that we gotta deal with. But.. this book has made me change my mind on that. I picked it up in a book store and this was actually the first book I read out of the whole Clique Series and I just had to buy the rest. So now I'm starting at the vert begining and am actually enjoying myself.
This book, filled with so much drama (about boys, what else?!) sparked my intrest with the simple title and from the first page on, I was glued to that book.!!! ENJOY!!!!!♥
A wonderful book.......2007-04-18
The book Invasion of the boy snatchers, by Lisi Harrison, is a wonderful book. It talks about friends who gossip a lot. Massie, Claire, Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen are all friends. They all love makeup and having fancy clothes. Massie even gets free Chapstick every month.
One day Alicia's cousin, Nina, came from Spain. Alicia's friends looked at some pictures of Nina and saw that she wasn't very pretty. But when she arrived all the boys from their school were in love with her.
After a little bit of time all five friends got sick of Nina having all the boys' eyes on her. So they started looking for something that would humiliate her. To see what happens at the end you will have to read the book and figure it out.
My favorite part of the book is the end, but I can't say what happens at the end so you will have to read it to figure out. If you like books that talk about gossipy girls and boys you should read this book. It's a very good book.
Invasion of the boy snatchers review.......2007-04-05
Massie finally thought that she had everything that she wanted, she had derrington, all of her best friends, and Claire was living in her guest house and they finally worked out thre problems. Claire was even living in Massie's room. But then.... Alicia's HOT causin Nina was comming to visit from spain! All of the Pretty Commity thought that she was going to steal there men. Will Nina steal all of the Brairwood boys from them? Or will Massie and her friends still rule the school and tell her to go back to spain?
"Invasion of the Fashion-Zombies" by bleh.......2007-04-04
I completely agree with the reviewer "Scott McKay". We've reduced our youth to obessive, fashion freaks and teen losers. By today's standards, being a "fashion god", a "hottie" and a brat are cool. These books show how immature some of our writers are today.
Have some sort of value and when your daughter comes home from the bookstore with a bagfull of "The CLique" books, light up your grill and make her watch you burn those books to ashes. And when she asks for the money back, just say "No".
As Green Day would say, we've become "one nation controlled by the media".
Average customer rating:
- A Collision of Cultures
- I Am Regina Review
- This Book is Great
- An exciting book that's hard to put down
- I AM REGINA
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I Am Regina
Sally M. Keehn
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
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Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison
ASIN: 0698119207
Release Date: 2001-12-31 |
Book Description
The cabin door crashes open-and in a few minutes Regina's life changes forever. Allegheny Indians murder her father and brother, burn their Pennsylvania home to the ground, and take Regina captive. Only her mother, who is away from home, is safe. Torn from her family, Regina longs for the past, but she must begin a new life. She becomes Tskinnak, who learns to catch fish, dance the Indian dance, and speak the Indian tongue. As the years go by, her new people become her family . . . but she never stops wondering about her mother. Will they ever meet again?
"A first-person narrative based on the true story of a young woman held by Indians from 1755-1763, related with all the impact of a hard-hitting documentary . . .Wonderful reading." (School Library Journal)
"I Am Regina is an enthralling and profoundly stirring story, historical fiction for young people at its very finest." (Elizabeth George Speare, Newbery Award-winning author of The Witch of Blackbird Pond)
Customer Reviews:
A Collision of Cultures.......2006-11-15
In I am Regina, Sally M. Keehn tells the story of a ten-year-old girl who is taken captive by Native Americans after they brutally kill her brother and father. In their village, Regina is given a new name, Tskinnak, and slowly adapts her new way of life. This young adult novel is well-crafted in terms of structure; it has a sound arc of conflict sustained by a strong narrator and cast of fascinating supporting characters that all possess individual goals and desires. Keehn masterfully juxtaposes Native American culture and the ways of the "white man" through the eyes of Regina/Tskinnak, her innocent narrator. As time progresses in the book, so does Regina/Tskinnak's understanding and acceptance of Native American culture. Though this transformation occurs slowly, the soul of her very being is forever altered. She is able to see the war amongst white men and Native Americans from both sides, and finds herself questioning where she truly belongs, a question that resonates in the minds of children and young adults of today. The only inconsistency in the book occurs during shifts in time. Keehn shifts in "moons" and at times it is confusing to judge how much or how little time has passed since the last scene. Keehn began the story using short choppy sentences, but as the book progresses, it outgrows this simplistic structure and evolves into a well-written text. I am Regina is a powerful and moving story that will captivate readers right down to the final sentence.
I Am Regina Review.......2006-10-30
I Am Regina is one of the best books I ever read. It's good, because you can learn about a good time in history, and its a true story, all in one exciting book! I didn't think it was boring, I thought it was interesting to learn about facts! It's a great book for pre-teenagers!
This Book is Great.......2006-10-21
This book is great you'll love it. First she and her sister gets caputered by indins when her mom and younger brother went to the mill and her dad and older brother got killed by the indins. Regina is sad first she wanted the white men to come and save her but they didn't entill every one of the indins were gone. Which was most of her family because she gave up hope. She was at this camp with the white men and all mom's and dad's are tring to find there dauters and sons from the war. Regina was so nice and tried to never give up like i am.
An exciting book that's hard to put down.......2006-06-05
This book gives an accurate portrayal of what it was like back in the 1700's ~ and what it was like to move into the Indian's territory.
I am Regina is a true story (historically), making it that much more exciting to read. It is also one of the best books I've read lately. Ms. Keehn keeps the mystery and excitement going from beginning to end. I am also sure she did much research to find out what the Indians ate, how they prepared their food and how they forraged for food during the winter.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes true stories, anyone who is interested in history, and anyone who likes a book you cannot put down.
Don't want to spoil the story for you ~ read it for yourself and see what happened to this darling child - as well as so many others.
This book makes me want to go to Pennsylvania and visit Regina's gravesite.
I AM REGINA.......2006-04-14
Rould you believe that two indians would crash your cabin door open, holding rifles at that, intending to kill you and your family. Well this is exactly what happened to a girl named Regina in a historical fiction novel called I am Regina.
The main charactors are Regina, Sarah, Tiger Claw, and Woelfin. This book took place back in 1755, when the French and Indian War was starting in Pennsylvania.
In the colonial times of Pennsylvania, on a small farm in the cornffield, the Leininger family were held victom by two indians. While the mother and the youngest brother were at the mill on the hill, the father and brother were murdered and scalped and the two daughters held captive to go to their tribe. while going there the two indians that met up with other indians split up at a fork, seperating the two sisters. the younger sister, Regina, and her companion, Sarah, were now held captive by the indian known as Tiger Claw to his tribe. when she reached the tribe, Regina and Sarah were adopted by none other than Tiger Claws mother, Woelfin. Will she ever see her mother and brother again, will she be able to even survive. you must read the book to find out.
this book was one othe the best books my group ever read so far, there's so much action, lost lives, war, and other great things. My personal favorite part was when Regina's sister tries to run away from the indians, on a stallion at that, I thought that showed great courage unlike her sister at the begining of the book but she does get braver. this book is great for people who like action and sorrow because in the book, the French and Indian War was going on so there was a lot of fighting and bloodshed. the author, I think, was trying to tell us to not judge people for their appearence but get to know them because in the ook when Woelfin gets to know Regina, she starts showing her good side. hope you all like this reiew and bye.
Amazon.com
This heartbreaking and inspiring book goes a long way toward fulfilling the wish one of its authors, LeAlan Jones, makes in his epigraph: "You must learn our America as we must learn your America, so that, maybe, someday, we can become one." Based on hours and hours of taped interviews that Jones and Lloyd Newman, two high school students, conducted for two National Public Radio documentaries they prepared in 1993 and 1995, Our America is a no-holds-barred look at the devastatingly poor Chicago neighborhood in which they live. It's a world where elementary school students learn about sex and drugs before they learn how to read, and where many boys do not expect to live to be 20. You finish the book marveling not that so many of those who people it are trapped, but wondering that anyone survives at all.
Book Description
Through two award-winning National Public Radio documentaries, and now this powerful book, LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman have made it their mission to be loud voices from one of this country's darkest places, Chicago's Ida B. Wells housing project. Set against the stunning photographs of a talented young photographer from the projects, Our America evokes the unforgiving world of these two amazing young men, and their struggle to survive unrelenting tragedy. With a gift for clear-eyed journalism, they tell their own stories and others, including that of the death of Eric Morse, a five-year-old who was dropped to his death from the fourteenth floor of an Ida B. Wells apartment building by two other little boys.
Sometimes funny, often painful, but always charged with their dream of Our America, LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman reach out to grab your attention and break your heart.
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-05-20
...for use in the classroom on diversity, cultural difference, and endurance over challenges in a person's environment.
Our America.......2006-02-15
Our America, a book by two young boys from a housing project on the South Side of Chicago, is raw and beautiful all at once. It tells the story of the authors, LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman, as they make their way in the Ida B. Well's housing project and tell the story of a five year-old's death from one of the buildings. The book, which was written by the boys in collaboration with author David Isay, is part journalism, part activism and part reflection. It takes a very factual look at the events of the child's death, there are transcriptions from interviews, and there are their own ramblings and editorializing about what's going on in their part of the country.
The boys become involved simply by bringing their notebooks, pens, tape recorders, cameras (and their instincts) to their own neighborhood. Interview subjects include teachers, young children, cousins, neighbors, the chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority, police officers and lawyers. Their approach is direct and simple - they ask the tough questions of the people in charge. For example, Lloyd asks the CHA chairman, "Would you want your kids growing up in these public houses?" With the help of David Isay, LeAlan and Lloyd become the chroniclers of their particular time and place.
The book's readability level is low - at maximum, it's on a fifth grade level in terms of vocabulary and sentence structure. However, the themes and issues developed in the book are far more advanced. Students of any age level in high school should be able to grasp the content and then think critically about the issues it presents around racism, poverty, gang violence, family structure and public housing. It is a book aimed not only at young people but also the adults in power, the people who make the decisions that affect the poor.
Our America is not something to pick up for light Saturday afternoon reading, or to help you forget about the troubles of the world. Instead it's a book to crack open the minds of two young boys living an all-too-common reality, and face both the issues and the joys that they see every day. Its literary value is lesser than its cultural significance, one of the few books written by young African Americans and one of the few resources for genuine information about what their lives are like.
Our America is published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, 1997.
This book is so sad........2006-02-04
We read this book in school and I felt really bad for the kids. I don't know what I would have done if something like that happened to someone I know.
I related to this book because I live close to this neighborhood, but I feel lucky that my life is so much better.
South Side Chicago- Pocket Books-1997.......2006-01-29
This telling account of life on the south side of Chicago is worth reading to catch a glimpse of the struggles and hardships that marginalize this south side community. The narrative and accounts of life in Chicago's public housing complexes unveil the social conflict that is tucked away from viewing and ignored by outsiders.
To shed light on the situation, two teenagers, assigned by the National Public Radio, conduct interviews with family members, neighbors, and friends throughout the text. During the process of their interviews, they describe the everyday life and hopes of escaping the self destruction of those who must live in the projects especially Ida B. Wells public housing.
The book is a short read of two hundred pages with a reading level of sixth grade. Despite the simplicity of the layout of the accounts, the descriptions of urban city life and death are profound. Since the teenagers' interviews, some of the public housing complexes have been brought down. The south side of Chicago is beginning to prosper as new schools and businesses bring opportunity and hope to a community that seemed abandoned.
Whether you are a student, parent, or professional, reading this book will make you want to take action to rebuild our community.
AMAZING.......2005-03-24
This book is amazing and heartbreaking. Very raw and honest, and eye-opening to the inequalites apparent in the United States today. The poor African-American people who live in the Ida B. Welles housing projects live a life that is like growing up in open warfare with very little hope for the future and enjoyment of the past.
The narrators, LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman, are very bright and perceptive young men who prove that a child born in the ghetto can still make something out of his life. The revelation I came away with after reading this is that the children in this world are smart; they just don't have the resources and support that are needed for a child to be fulfilled and happy. Although the principal we meet in the book is doing her best to provide these children with the education they deserve.
These children grow up too fast. They see things at a young age that no one should see, ever. Drug deals, shootings, prostitution. It is so sad. Conducted in interviews, many memorable characters are come across in this unfortunate housing project.
Slavery may be over. The Civil Rights movement may have happened. But, really, what is happening here is a form of racism. Poor black people are stacked in unfordable housing and basically forgotten about by the white establishment of America. This book is important for drawing attention to these inequalities and the shameful reality of urban American living.
Particularly heart-breaking is the story of little Eric Morse, a five year old, who was dropped from a four story window by two eleven year olds. Heartbreaking.
What is truly inspiring is the words of wisdom and hope by narrators LeAlan and Lloyd.
Average customer rating:
- not what I want my child to emulate.
- ooh I just love Eloise!
- Mother of Two
- Don't bother
- Give the Kids Some Credit
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Eloise (Eloise Series)
Kay Thompson
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Madeline, Reissue of 1939 edition
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Olivia
ASIN: 067122350X |
Amazon.com
"I am Eloise/I am six." So begins the well-loved story of Eloise, the garrulous little girl who lives at New York's Plaza Hotel. Eyebrow raised defiantly, arm propped on one jutting hip, Eloise is a study in self-confidence. Eloise's personal mandate is "Getting bored is not allowed," so she fills her days to the brim with wild adventures and self-imposed responsibilities. An average Eloise afternoon includes braiding her pet turtle's ears, ordering "one roast-beef bone, one raisin and seven spoons" from room service, and devising innovative methods of torture for her guardians.
Eloise's exploits are non-stop, and--accordingly--the text uses nary a period. Kay Thompson perfectly captures the way children speak: in endless sentences elongated with "and then ... and then ... and then... " Hilary Knight's drawings illustrate Eloise's braggadocio and amusement as well as the bewilderment of harassed hotel guests. Eloise's taunts are terrible, her imagination inimitable, her pace positively perilous. Her impertinence will delight readers of all ages. (Ages 5 and older)
Book Description
Eloise is a little girl who lives at The Plaza Hotel in New York. She is not yet pretty but she is already a Person.
Henry James would want to study her.
Queen Victoria would recognize her as an Equal.
The New York Jets would want to have her on their side.
Lewis Carroll would love her (once he got over the initial shock).
She knows everything about The Plaza. She is interested in people when they are not boring.
She has Inner Resources.
If you take her home with you, you will always be glad you did.
Customer Reviews:
not what I want my child to emulate........2007-05-13
interesting to read as an adult. Wouldn't want to read to a young child.
ooh I just love Eloise!.......2006-08-12
Awesome book! Totally loved it--my three year old finds her fascinating. "Why does she want to pour a pitcher of water down the mail chute, mommy?" She's a naughty girl but such a wonderfully creative and self reliant one! I think she is a great role model for my little girls!
Mother of Two.......2006-04-11
I would think someone who would be offended by the style in which "Eloise" is written would be "smart" enough to know that the expression is "for all intents and purposes" and not "intensive purposes."
Don't bother.......2006-03-25
We have one of the softcover books and enjoy it very much and so I thought I would by this for my 4-year-old (who actually acts like Eloise sometimes). BAD CHOICE! I read through it on my own before I read it to her and THANK GOODNESS! Eloise is a back-talking, foul-mouthed terror! I can see how some adults may enjoy this book - maybe they're living vicariously through her antics. But she is no example in this book for small children. I'll be more careful next time - there definitely are cute "Eloise" books out there but this one was dreadful. If you're a big fan, read it through completely first to see it it's a fit. I must say that I was horrified.
Give the Kids Some Credit.......2005-12-06
I was surprised by the negative reviews! This is a wonderful, imaginative, hilarious book. I think even the under-8 crowd can see that Eloise is a naughty, outrageous little girl. When you're a kid, constantly being told how to behave, you get some vicarious pleasure out of Eloise's antics. How boring for everyone involved if you want your kids to read only preachy books about perfect children. I always preferred books where those children come to a gruesome end. If you really think your kids are too slow-witted to understand that Eloise is naughty and her internal monologue is ungrammatical, you could always talk with them about it (and explain it to death)! (Oh, and for the Mother of Two in VA who complains about the "bad grammar"--the correct phrase is "for all intents and purposes," not "for all intensive purposes." Read much?)
Average customer rating:
- Hail the tripods
- Review of The City of Gold and Lead
- Great Read
- When the lights go down in the city
- science fiction for a novice...
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The City of Gold and Lead
John Christopher
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
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ASIN: 0689856660 |
Book Description
35th Anniversary Edition with New Text and a New Preface by the Author!
Will, Beanpole, and Henry have managed to escape the Tripods. But instead of living in safety, in the small community of free people, they have chosen to embark upon a mission that may cost them their lives.
Customer Reviews:
Hail the tripods.......2007-03-25
I read this book six times last month, it is that good. The story is well written, and has several things going for it, such as the aliens. I am going to let you read the book to find out about them, lets just say they're cool. I could ramble about this book for days, but the morgage dictates so farewell.
Review of The City of Gold and Lead.......2005-09-30
The City of Gold and Lead is a fascinating book. In fact, I was a little sad when I finished it, but the cliffhanger for the next book lifted my spirits.
This book was the second book in the series, The Tripods. It began where the last book ended, The White Mountains. Friends Will, Beanpole, Henry, and other people that lived in the white mountains were completing their training to try to get in the games. The games are like the Olympics. The winners of the game would go on and serve the master in the City of Gold and Lead. The City of Gold and Lead is where the tripods live. Tripods are evil machines that take control of your mind using caps. Will, Beanpole, and another boy named Fritz were accepted to go to the games. Henry had to stay back because he was not selected to participate in the games. Both Will and Fritz won in their sports category. They now had to serve the masters because winners were considered strong and fearless. However, the real purpose of a winner serving a master is to gather information on the dreaded Tripods. If by chance the winner escapes, he will be able to take the information back to his land. No one has ever been known to escape. I will not give away any secrets and reveal if Will and Fritz escaped. You will have to read the book to find out.
I found the entire book exciting. The characters are very well developed. At the end of each chapter, I was anxious to find out what happened next. The book ended with a spectacular cliffhanger. When I read the last sentence, "We would come back," I instantly wanted to read the next book in this series.
I recommend this book for ages 12 to 101 years old. This is a great book waiting to be read. After you read this book, you should also read the first book and the preface book. The preface book gives you background information on how the tripods invaded earth and where the caps come from. The City of Gold and Lead is a must read book. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Great Read.......2005-09-09
This is a great series for kids of all ages. We are reading it to our 6 year old who is inthrolled and cannot wait for the next night and the next chapter! My mother in law read it to my husband and he is thrilled to be reading it to his child!
When the lights go down in the city.......2004-04-27
The second book (or third, if you consider the prequel the first book) in John Christopher's massive Tripod series. Continuing where, "The White Mountains" left off, the book follows the adventures of Will and his fight against the Tripods and their alien masters. The book furthers our knowledge about the invaders of Earth and their personal lives. Will and a fellow uncapped boy are given the chance to enter into the home of the Tripods. Once there, Will finds himself a slave to one of the aliens that live in the city and his companionship with this creature leads to further knowledge. This book also marks the point at which Will learns of the aliens' final solution (referred to here as The Plan) for earth's original inhabitants.
I found myself enjoying this book far more than "The White Mountains" itself. Though the first book in the series was far more action packed and filled with gripping chase and escape sequences, the second book is filled with fascinating descriptions of the Masters and their alien lifestyle. This is the kind of book we've been waiting for. Who are these creatures that fit every human with a silver mesh of a cap, making them docile and compliant? Where are they from? How extensive is their knowledge? And, most importantly, how can they be beaten?
Christopher has inserted a clever handicap into this tale that keeps Will from doing anything rash or careless. Neither Will nor his fellow uncapped slave can reveal their true intentions. From the moment they enter the city of gold and lead (so nicknamed for its design and intense gravity) to the moment they are supposed to leave, our heroes mustn't reveal to the Masters that they are uncapped or that a resistance has been planned. The writing in this tale never lingers unduly and the narrative is crisp and swift. Even reluctant readers will breeze through this tale, stopping to marvel at the amazing world the author has created within the boundaries of the city.
I'll admit it right now. Until this book I never really noticed the similarities between this series and H.G. Wells' remarkable "War of the Worlds". Certainly both stories rely on the world being conquered by huge tripods from outer space. In both cases, the aliens responsible for earth's enslavement are unwilling to consider human beings' rights. But the final similarity, and the most striking, is the physical resemblance between the aliens found here in "City of Gold and Lead" and the Wells classic. Both books contain aliens that have tentacles and can't breathe Earth's air. Has Christopher stolen his ideas and made them palatable to children? Perhaps. If so, I've no real objection to his strategy. Slightly more infuriating is his continued dismissal of women in general. If there are female aliens, we're never told of them. As for the girls sent, like the boys, to the city to work as slaves for the Masters, they are quickly dispatched. Apparently Christopher reasoned that while men can handle physical labor and pain, girls cannot. As such, women are killed and the most beautiful amongst them are placed in glass display cases to be observed. Forget trying to search for any symbolism here. It's obvious that the aliens, in addition to being wholly male, are just as sexist as their human counterpoints. While the first book in the Tripod series had a few weak willed females here and there, this book hasn't a single living woman in it AT ALL. This is fairly weird, even for a boy's adventure novel. So on a level of one to five (one being the least chauvinist and five being the most) I'd place this book squarely at 4.7.
Otherwise, I've no objections at all. The book is well paced, well written, and well thought out. All in all, a delightful read that makes one even more eager to read the final chapter in the trilogy.
science fiction for a novice..........2004-03-24
this book is a great one to start off your reading of science fiction with. with many twists and turns, this book shall keep you on the edge of your seat, and perhaps even make you fall of of it!
it's a basic sciecne fiction story, two kids go to an alien city, try to get info on how to kill the aliens, and actusally almost get killed along the way.
this is a great book, no doubt, but it does have a couple boring parts. good luck with reading it!
-by Sickity Wicket, aka chilihead.
Average customer rating:
- Sports and War
- "Over the Wall," a baseball story that really hits home
- Over The Wall
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Over the Wall
John H. Ritter
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Baseball's Biggest Bloopers: The Games that Got Away
ASIN: 0698119312 |
Book Description
Tyler's temper is out of control. If he isn't careful, he'll blow his chances of making the All-Star team and being noticed by a scout. But Tyler's coach, a Vietnam War veteran, has seen anger destroy enough people. He knows that if Tyler is ever going to fulfill his dreams, he'll have to learn to fight his battles with his glove, his bat, and his love for the game. Not with his fists. But it all comes down to Tyler. Does he care enough about his future to work through the past?
"A grand slam." (The ALAN Review)
"An ambitious mark that predents a compelling, multilayered story." (School Library Journal)
Customer Reviews:
Sports and War.......2007-07-05
Tyler is incredibly focused. He is determined to make baseball his life. Even though he is only thirteen, he already has a plan to get noticed at home in his California high school during the school year, but then to also make a name for himself during the summers playing in a New York City league with his cousin. He is certain this summer he will make the New York all-star team and begin getting noticed.
Right away, though, there is a problem. Tyler has a terrible temper that causes him to get into fights with other players, on the other teams as well as his own. When something gets to him or he feels he's been treated unfairly, he simply explodes. He thought his abilities on the field would get him onto the all-star team, but the coach almost immediately pulls him aside and tells him that unless he can show a little maturity, he has no chance.
At first Tyler is even more furious at the coach for telling him he's not in control. But then he decides to do something to change the coach's opinion of him. It's not easy to reign in his temper, and a lot of the time he's just acting relaxed instead of really feeling it. But then he begins to reflect more on his life and the lives of his family members and their connections to violence and war. Eventually he begins to view himself and those around him in entirely new ways.
I liked the connection to the Vietnam War, although at times I thought the book lost its focus and the author couldn't decide between a story about baseball and a story about the effects of the war.
Unfortunately, I really didn't like the character of Tyler. I found him irritating and wasn't really rooting for him to be successful.
"Over the Wall," a baseball story that really hits home.......2006-12-11
I started reading "Over the Wall" on a Saturday, and could hardly put it down until I finished it on Monday.
Like John Ritter's other books, "Choosing up Sides" and "The Boy Who Saved Baseball," this is a well written and very entertaining story. I especially identify with Tyler's struggle to replace anger with empathy, despite what other people might think about him. I tend to react with anger, at least at first. Anger is the "easiest way out." Identifying with people and understanding their side is much more difficult
Tyler strives to become a better baseball player to compensate for his parents' mental absence and to rekindle their interest in his life. Tyler's strenuous quest is expressed with foreshadowing. This occurs early on when he disputes the umpire's bad call when he knows he was safe.
All of these writer's craft techniques: foreshadowing, comparing and contrasting between characters, and having the minor characters take control of the greatest part of the plot, are brilliantly expressed. "Over the Wall" by John H. Ritter was one of the greatest books I have ever read. Now I can't wait to read "Under the Baseball Moon" next.
Over The Wall.......2006-11-14
Tyler is a great shortstop and a terrific all around baseball player. He only has one flaw, he has anger issues. After every bad call he gets angry and is involved in a fight. Sometimes he gets in fights because people make fun of his bright orange hair. Tyler's coach, Coach Trioli, tries to help him by showing what happened in the Vietnam war. Now Tyler knows his coaches secret past and why he is so nice, but will Tyler get over his anger problems or will he be kicked of the and kicked off the league forever.
GOOD BOOK.......2006-10-30
Hi, my name is A.C. Murphy and I thought that "Over The Wall" by John H. Ritter was a good book. My Favorite character would have to be Tyler's cousin Louis. Louis is my favorite character beacuse he plays 2nd base just like I do. In the beginning of the book, Tyler comes from San Diego and goes all the way to New York City. While Tyler is in New York City, his cousin asks him if he wants to play on his baseball team. So Tyler decides to play. They have a really good team. But in one game, Tyler gets in a fight and is kicked off of the team and reuins his chance on making the all star team. Towards the end of the book, Tyler apologizes to his coach and his coach gives him a spot on the all star team. If I were to rate this book on a scale from 1-10, I'd rate it a 10 because baseball is my favorite sport, and I've playing since I was three years old.
Good Book.......2006-10-30
I think that John H. Ritter is one of the best authors and I really liked Over The Wall. The reason why I liked the book was because it's about baseball, and it's my favorite sport to play. I think that my favorite character would have to be Tyler's cousin Louis because he was tough and he played 2nd base. I play 2nd base also. If I were to rate this book from a scale of 1-10, I'd rate it a 10 because it was a really good book.
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