( T ) Books - Page 12

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc (Complete)

Mark Twain

Amazon Price: $9.90 List Price: $9.90 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Echo Library Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $7.73

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( T ) -> Twain, Mark
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Mark Twain brings Saint Joan to life! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

The master storyteller, Mark Twain, used his immense talent to create this fictionalized account of Saint Joan's life. Even though it is fiction, it is still very historically accurate and stays true to the story of Saint Joan of Arc. Because it is fiction, Twain is able to bring out Saint Joan's personality in a way that reminds us that she was a beautiful, vibrant, passionate young woman who sacrificed everything to serve God and save her country

I think the very fact that Twain would even choose to write a biography about Saint Joan is a further testament to her greatness. Twain was personal friends with U.S. Grant and could much more easily have written a biography about him. He also lived at a time when some of the greatest military leaders ever lived like Lee, Jackson, etc., so if all he had been looking for was a famous military leader he could have also chosen one of them. Obviously, he was looking for someone even greater to write about. I think his own words probably explain why he chose Saint Joan when he said that: "She was perhaps the only entirely unselfish person whose name has a place in profane history."

Whether you are a Saint Joan devotee or not I think you will enjoy reading this book. It is well written and easy to read and covers one of the greatest stories in world history. If you already know about the life of Saint Joan, I also think you will end up loving this account because of the way Twain brings her to life. Definitely one of the best of all the biographies written about Saint Joan of Arc and considered by Twain himself to be his greatest work. Five stars are probably not enough.

Editorial Review:

The mature Twain writing something of personal interest in a serious vein

Mary Poppins

P.L. Travers

Amazon Price: $14.99 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Listening Library (Audio) Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $11.32

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( T ) -> Travers, P.L.

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very well done audio version 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Sophie Thompson does an excellent job of narrating this classic. It's a favorite audio book in our home.

Wonderful 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Sophie Thompson does an amazing job narrating this story. Her depictions of Mr. Wigg and the vain lion in the zoo, for instance, made me laugh out loud. She creates a unique voice for each character, and perfectly captures the acerbic and stern tone of Mary Poppins.

After listening to this book, I went online, hoping to find that Ms. Thompson had narrated the other Mary Poppins books. Unfortunately, this appears to be the only one, at least so far.

I'd forgotten how much I love Mary Poppins. Yes, she's vain and stern and cranky, but I've always thought that she wears those traits as a disguise -- she allows the mask to slip on a regular basis, and whatever lies underneath is surprisingly complex. What is Mary Poppins? A magician? A star? An angel? Whatever she is, I'm glad P.L. Travers thought her up. I'd forgotten how multi-layered and fascinating these stories are, and I'm glad to have rediscovered them.

Editorial Review:

Mary Poppins is like no other nanny the four Banks children have ever seen. She whirls into their home and “spit-spot,” she works her inimitable brand of magic to make even the bland seem extraordinary. An endless source of fascinating adventure, she slides up the banister, produces an array of tricks from her seemingly empty carpetbag, and ensures the Banks’ lives will never be the same.

“When Mary Poppins is about, her young charges can never tell where the real world merges into make-believe. Neither can the reader–and this is one of the hallmarks of good fantasy.” – The New York Times

“Delightful nonsense that defies an age boundary of appreciation.” — Booklist

Hurricane: A Novel

Terry Trueman

Amazon Price: $12.79 List Price: $15.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $5.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( T ) -> Trueman, Terry

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Courtesy of Teens Read Too 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

With HURRICANE, author Terry Trueman brings to life in vivid detail the almost complete devastation of 1998's Hurricane Mitch on Honduras.

In the tiny village of La Rupa, there are only a handful of homes. One of those, at one end of town, is the house of Jose and his family: his mother and father, older brother and sister Victor and Ruby, and younger siblings Maria, Angela, and Juan. There is also their dog, Berti, who can sometimes be persuaded to do more than lie around in the sun.

La Rupa is the type of place where everyone knows one another; there is no way to avoid it, since the village is so small. Jose, who attends school at the bilingual International School in nearby San Pedro Sula, is pretty much the only person in the town who can speak both Spanish and English fluently.

In September 1998, La Rupa literally comes to a standstill when Hurricane Mitch destroys the town. After a deadly mudslide, the fifty-plus population of La Rupa is chillingly reduced to only a little over twenty. And Jose's father, brother Victor, and sister Ruby are missing, having been on the road traveling when the Hurricane hit.

In this vivid and fast-paced narrative, Mr. Trueman takes us through the days immediately following Mitch's destruction. As a lack of food and water begins to haunt the survivors, Jose is part of a group who must search the nearby trucha for supplies. And when little Juan falls ill, it is again up to the teenage Jose to venture out into the mud and muck to attempt to make his way to San Pedro Sula to find help.

HURRICANE is a vivid, fast-moving story that even younger readers will find themselves immersed in, as they struggle right along with Jose in learning to survive with next to nothing. The emotions he feels, as he worries about his family's fate, both those missing and still at home, will grip readers of all ages.

The author's note at the end of the book states that more than 5,000 people were initially killed in Honduras during the Hurricane. In the months that followed, bodies of the more than 8,000 missing individuals were also found. Even now, in 2008, the clean-up and recovery period in Honduras is still ongoing. This is one book that brings to life a plight of many that most of us never even knew about.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Editorial Review:

outside, the wind is howling.
it is a monster shrieking to get inside.
outside, the rain is a solid wall of water.
everything is dark.
everything is destroyed.
everything is gone....

Everything except for the desperate courage of those who survive that terrifying night. After hours of cowering in the dark with no lights, no warmth, and the terrible noises of the rain and wind pounding on the walls, José walks out his front door and steps into a nightmare.

But his nightmare has only begun as he and the few who are left in his small village start to pull their lives back together.

Based on Hurricane Mitch's devastation of Honduras in 1998, Terry Trueman's powerful story is about a young boy's fear and courage in the face of a force of nature too huge to even imagine.

Goodnight, My Duckling

Tafuri Nancy

Amazon Price: $12.71 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Press Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> Bedtime & Dreaming
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Comforting Story for Ducks and Kids 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Nancy Tafuri's reassuring mother duck is the heart of this sweet and gentle book for infants and toddlers. Mama duck surrounded All her little ducklings surround her as they being their short pond journey, save for one stray duckling about whom the story revolves. In the first two scenes, the mom gazes at them and at the us with the same reassuring pose, her head bent to the right crossing her body, and her beak suggesting a friendly smile. Her large tawny and white feathers contrast with the downy backs of the chicks, their golden undersides skimming the turquoise pond.

One very curious duck temporarily threatens the tranquility of this setting. She (or it could be a he) is distracted by the other pond inhabitants, including a turtle whom we see only in the distance on the first page. This seeminly unimportant turtle stays in the background while the increasingly straggling duck views a green dragonfly, a long-billed bird, a porcupine, and a frog. These animals arrive unexpectedly on each page; it's like an amusement park train ride where every bend brings a surprise. Tafuri draws tantalizing close-ups and blue-wash backgrounds, and her over/under the water picture showing the marshy pond in the background, and an underwater view of the duck's legs, a fish, a snail, and a lily pad in the foreground is a visual delight. (The blue washes of the pond are especially beautiful.)

As night approaches, the duck finds herself alone on the pond, except for that same turtle and one bat flying into the shadows. Even the lost-duck-at-night scenario has a casual air to it: Our little duck is only mildly upset, and the turtle soon rescues her. Things seem a bit too sedate when the bird shows no emotion when on the back of the turtle, who leads her back to her mother and siblings. However, it is calm that rules the day (and this book), and as little duck reunites with her family, the mother strikes her familiar protective profile. A lovely going- to-bed book, Mother duck bids us all good night with "I love you, my duckling," while the constant turtle sleeps silently on a nearby rock, head and legs withdrawn inside a cozy mosaic-like blue and gold shell. This is one of those simple but well-told stories that nicely accompany a child's goodnight rhythms.

Editorial Review:

The sun is setting and it's time for Mama to lead her youngsters home. One dawdling duckling falls behind, drawn to the pond creatures who call, "Goodnight, Little Duckling!" as he paddles by. Soon, Mama and the other ducklings are all out of sight, but there's no need for alarm. One special turtle is waiting to carry the little duckling back to Mama's nest.

In this fresh companion to her classic Caldecott Honor winner HAVE YOU SEEN MY DUCKLING?, Nancy Tafuri's beautifully detailed watercolors and spare text once again capture the tender feelings and joyful wonder of childhood.

Mother Goose

Tasha Tudor

List Price: $14.00 By: Random House Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $9.22

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> Nursery Rhymes -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> Nursery Rhymes -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General

Editorial Review:

The noted artist illustrates her own selection of seventy-six traditional nursery rhymes.

Life on the Mississippi

Mark Twain

List Price: $10.95 By: HarperCollins Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $99.30

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Arts & Literature -> Authors
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Historical -> United States -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Historical -> United States -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

One of Twain�s Greatest! 5 out of 5 stars.
25 of 25 people found this review helpful.

This book--at times disjointed, rambling, self-referential, and irreverent--is decades ahead of its time. It's an interdisciplinarian's dream as Twain takes on economics, geography, politics, ancient and contemporary history, and folklore with equal ease. Mostly though, one appreciates his knack for exaggeration, the tall tale, and the outright lie. It's a triumph of tone, as he lets you in on his wild wit, his keen observation, and his penchant for bending the truth without losing his credibility as a guide.

The book's structure is also modern: He recounts his days as a paddlewheel steam boat "cub," piloting the hundreds of miles of the Mississippi before the Civil War, then, in Part 2, returns to retrace his paddleboat route. Although a few of his many digressions don't work (they sometimes sound formulaic or too detailed) most of the narrative is extremely entertaining. Twain seems caught between admiration and disdain for the "modern" age-but he also rejects over-sentimentality over the past. He writes with beauty and cynicism, verve and humor. Very highly recommended!

Editorial Review:

It's Time to Rediscover the Wonderful Books We All Cherish.

"The Mississippi is well worth reading about. It is not a commonplace river but on the contrary is in all ways remarkable."-- Mark Twain

0riginally published in 1883, Life on the Mississippi is Mark Twain's memoir of his youthful years as a cub pilot on a steamboat paddling up and down the Mississippi River. Twain used his childhood experiences growing up along the Mississippi in a number of works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but nowhere is the river and the pilot's life more thoroughly described than in this work. Told with insight, humor, and candor, Life on the Mississippi is an American classic.

Ice Drift

Theodore Taylor

Amazon Price: $5.95 List Price: $5.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harcourt Paperbacks Amazon Marketplace: 68 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

5th grade book review by Nails 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

In my wildest dreams I can not imagine living on an ice floe for 7 days let alone 7 months. Well that is what Ice Drift is about. It was written by a very talented author named Theodore Taylor. This adventure book is about two brothers and their dog that are stranded on an ice floe. What will happen?
The main characters in this book are 14 year old Alika, 10 year old Sulu, and their dog Jamka. Alika is strong, courageous, and skillful. Jamka is helpful and protective, and Sulu is understanding, meek, and full of questions. The adventure starts when the chunk of ice Alika, Sulu and Jamka are standing upon breaks off and drifts away while Alika is hunting seals. The big question in their minds is will we survive?
A big problem and event in this story is survival. Alika, Sulu, and Jamka needed shelter, food, and protection. For shelter they built a big igloo out of chuncks of ice. The igloo takes a whole day to build. For food they stood at seal holes picked out by Jamka. Alika and Sulu stood for hours sometimes without catching anything, but most of the time they did. Lastly, they needed protection from predators, especially naunk (polar bears). Their hard work finally paid off when they got rescued by hunters. It was a good thing too, because Sulu fell in the water near the end of their adventure on the ice floe. He got sick, but he got the care he needed when they got rescued. They all made it!
My favorite scene in the book was when Alika, Sulu, and Jamka's homecoming. To me, this was a symbol of the courage and strength it took to overcome their challenges and live to tell the story. My favorite character in Ice Drift was Alika because at night when Sulu would ask questions about their home village of Nunatak, he would always try to answer them in the most positive way.
What really stood out for me was how the author put lots of work making the characters so interesting, and how every minute of the book was so good you didn't want to put it down. I would highly recommend this book because it has a lot of adventure, survival, and the characters are fun. I would rate this book a nine for the same reasons. Ice Drift is a great book!

Editorial Review:

The year is 1868, and fourteen-year-old Alika and his younger brother, Sulu, are hunting for seals on an ice floe attached to their island in the Arctic. Suddenly they hear the terrible sound of the floe breaking free from land. The boys watch with horror as they start drifting south--away from their home, their family, and everything they've ever known.

Throughout their six-month-long journey down the Greenland Strait, the boys face bitter cold, starvation, and vicious polar bears. And yet, in this moving testament to the bond between brothers, Alika and Sulu remain hopeful that one day they'll be rescued .

Includes a map, a glossary of Inuit words and phrases,
and an author's note.

You Are Special, Little One

Nancy Tafuri

Amazon Price: $13.22 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Press Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $0.24

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

small error 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

As a children's library clerk, I see many such books in the course of my work. This is a lovely picture book; however, one thing bothers me: the baby fox is repeatedly referred to, both in the blurb and the actual text, as a 'fox cub'. Baby foxes are not cubs. They are kits. I hope this will be corrected in later editions.

Wonderful message, beautiful illustrations 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I just bought this book as a 'new baby' gift for a friend. It is a nice hardcover book that will be a nice addition to any collection/ Wonderful repeating message about how special a young animal, person, etc. is to its parents. A nice message and a good gift, because it's unlikely that everyone else knows about this book.

Editorial Review:

Deep in a tree trunk by a woodland grove, a fox kit asks, 'How am I special?' And her Mama and Papa reply, 'Dear little one, with your glossy red coat and swift running body, you are so special - and we will love you forever and ever and ever.' With lyrical text and lush watercolors, Nancy Tafuri follows I Love You, Little One with a celebration of the ways all creatures are special. Ranging from penguins in the Antarctic to lions on the savanna, baby animals around the world are told just how special they are, And lastly, a human child is praised for his curious mind and loving heart.

A Brighter Garden

Tasha Tudor

List Price: $19.99 By: Philomel Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $14.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( T ) -> Tudor, Tasha

Editorial Review:

A celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first publication of Emily Dickinson's extraordinary poetry, selected especially for children by Karen Ackerman. Tasha Tudor's vivid watercolors match the delicacy of the moment and capture the special connection between nature and humanity that Dickinson so brilliantly captured in her words.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Treasury of Illustrated Classics)

Mark Twain

Amazon Price: $3.99 List Price: $3.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Modern Pub Amazon Marketplace: 101 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A good modern substitute for the original version of this classic 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I am a firm believer that young people should read as many of the classics as possible, preferably in their original form. However, the realist in me understands that appealing to modern children often means that modern techniques must be used. This book uses simpler and more modern language to tell the story of Tom, Huck and Becky.
None of the charm and humor of the original story is lost. It is still exciting; there is still the thrill of boys carrying out a great adventure and slowly, despite all their attempts to avoid it, growing up. There are many illustrations, which are minimally drawn in black and white, yet give more life to the story.
This book would be an appropriate selection for classes of young people where the assignment is to read this great and exciting classic adventure.

Editorial Review:

TOM SAWYER BY MARK TWAIN, GREAT BOOK IN GREAT CONDITION !!!