Classics by Age Books - Page 6

Madeleine (French Edition)

Ludwig Bemelmans

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A great children's book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

"In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." In 1939, Ludwig Bemelmans began writing stories about a group of girls in a school in Paris, foremost among whom was the irrepressible Madeline. Those books are now considered classics in children's literature, having collected many awards.

This is a great children's book, one that my four-year-old likes having read to her over and over again. Indeed, we now have it down to where she finishes the sentences for me. "In two straight lines they..." I start, and she finishes with, "broke their bread." Well, it's a lot of fun. We both love this book and highly recommend it!

Editorial Review:

For 50 years, the adventures of Madeline have delighted millions of readers. Now, here's a special introduction to the famous "old house in Paris all covered with vines"--a paperback edition of Bemelmans' Madeline, packaged in a bright box along with a Madeline doll. She's child-safe, and machine washing keeps her as good as new!.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain, George P. Elliott

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 511 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Huck Finn 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is required reading for my 16 yr old son....the
book arrived quickly & in great shape! Saved me driving all
over town to compete w/ other parents also looking!! Thanks!

Huckleberry Finn 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Huckleberry Finn is a classic. Simple as that. It provides a look into what life was probably like for a 19th century boy. It was different than the life of children today, because today life centers around education. Back then, it was a regular thing to play hooky, even though they got in trouble for it when they were caught. And when they were punished, usually it was with a beating instead of `You're Grounded!'.

The book shows us how badly slaves were treated. They weren't even considered humans! It was like they didn't have feelings, and didn't see things the same way white people did. They way the slaves actually did think was odd. It was sad to see that they could slap a slave for no reason, and the slave would accept it either because they were used to it or they thought that whites were better than them.

Huck Finn is rather unrealistic in the aspect of adventure. I'm guessing most boys back then didn't run off with an escaped slave to Cairo. The way that Mark Twain wrote the book was different than other first/second person books I've seen. The dialogue was very much like the 19th century southern Mississippi talk. Sometimes it got hard to decipher what a paragraph in slave-speak meant because it was so obscure.

All in all, Mark Twain's writing style is different than the traditional Southern book, but that doesn't detract at all from the story. I liked it!

Editorial Review:

'Cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town because he was idle, and lawless, vulgar, and bad - and because all their children admired him so', Huckleberry Finn, the fourteen-year-old son of the town drunkard, joins runaway slave Jim on an exciting journey down the mighty Mississippi River on a raft.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 271 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Difficult Romanticism 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Hemingway's novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (1940) is toughly realistic in its depiction of the butchery of warfare. The book has the no-nonsense, fact-intensive style of a reporter. Yet, in its themes of love, death, heroism, and human brotherhood, Hemingway's novel is, in spite of itself, romantic in outlook, but romantic with an edge.

The novel is set in Spain in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The Spanish Civil War was a multi-sided conflict between the democratically-elected government, the Republicans or loyalists, and its right-wing anti-communist opponents, the nationalists (fascists). The Republicans during this conflict had the assistance of the USSR. Their enemies, the nationalists, were assisted by Nazi Germany and by Italy. Hemingway was a correspondent in Spain at the time. His novel tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American instructor in Spanish at the University of Montana who had earlier spent much time wandering through Spain. In 1936, with the outset of the conflict, Jordan volunteered his services to assist the Republicans and became an expert in explosives. Jordan idealizes his grandfather who had been a hero in the American Civil War. Jordan's father had committed suicide. When the novel opens, Jordan is assigned to destroy a bridge in furtherance of a Republican offensive. He works with a group of guerrillas in the mountains.

The story unfolds over a time of three days. Hemingway's book offers portrayals of a group of Jordan's Spanish compatriots, in addition to Jordan himself. Chief among them is a 48-year old woman, Pilar, physically unattractive, earthy, and strong-willed. She is the de facto leader of her group and is as central to the story as is Jordan. Pilar is the "woman" of Pablo, who was once a formidable fighter but who has become disillusioned by the conflict. The novel includes several scenes of high tension and near violence between Jordan and Pablo. In his efforts to blow-up the bridge, Jordan is assisted by Anselmo, an aged man who despairs of violence and killing but is devoted to the Republican cause. And, in the three days of the novel, Jordan meets and has a passionate love affair with Maria, a lovely 19-year old who has been saved from the nationalists by Pablo.

Hemingway is known for a terse, elliptical writing style, and it is on display in this book. But the writing is highly varied, with long stream of conscious digressions by Jordan as he reflects upon his past life and upon the conflict in which he has thrust himself. Much of the writing is both figurative and digressive. Hemingway tried to transcribe much of Spanish idiom directly into English, particularly the use of "thou" for the intimate Spanish "you." He also makes considerable use of untranslated Spanish phrases. The book captures the speech patterns of soldiers under tension, with much use of colorful language. Hemingway does not reproduce this language directly but, in English, uses phrases such as "obscenity" or "unprintable" in place of the words themselves. In addition to telling the story of the bridge and its destruction, all the characters engage in long discussions of their thoughts and their prior lives. These discussions generally are directed to the brutality of the war. In an outstanding passage, Pilar tells of the destruction under the command of Pablo of a group of fascist leaders who are forced to run the gauntlet before being thrown down a cliff.

Hemingway was in love with Spain, both for its beauty and its brutality. The novel has many discussions of bullfighting, largely told by Pilar as she recounts her experiences with earlier lovers. Pilar also has a power of clairvoyance in the story, especially as it relates to impending death. The book includes several vivid battle scenes. One of these scenes tells of the gunning-down by aircraft of a group of five of the guerillas assisting Jordan at the top of a small hill.(Aircraft has a large and fearsome presence in the book.) Another effective battle scene tells of the difficult destruction of the bridge and its aftermath.

The love relationship between Robert Jordan and Maria comes to dominate the novel. The two become passionately attracted to each other and quickly consummate their relationship. The passages describing the couple's lovemaking are central to the story and effective. The inhumanity of war is juxtaposed against human commitment and the beauty of the everyday. Robert Jordan realizes that he is in love with Maria, Spain, and with life. This love, in the book, reaches its peak in heroism and self-sacrifice. Jordan comes to realize what in life he values. It is because of his realization, that he ultimately must give up the things he comes to cherish. Within its language of toughness and machismo, this novel has the theme of inevitability and of romantic tragedy.

This is a book I read in high school many years ago when it was far beyond me. It is not an easy book, and not every part of it is successful. But it is an extraordinary novel. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to revisit the book when I was able to try to appreciate it.

Robin Friedman

Editorial Review:

High in the pine forests of the Spanish Sierra, a guerrilla band prepares to blow up a vital bridge. Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer, has been sent to handle the dynamiting. There, in the mountains, he finds the dangers and the intense comradeship of war. And there he discovers Maria, a young woman who has escaped from Franco's rebels...

The Snowy Day

Ezra Jack Keats

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 81 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Absolutely timeless 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

So this is pretty much one of the best books ever written. The story is sweet and magical in the way of nature, and the pictures are just to die for with Keats' imaginative and surprisingly expressive design that still has not quite been beaten since. The book, story and pictures together, provides a warm, homey feeling that immediately shows a life. Keats deserved this Caldecot.

A Timeless Classic 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I had long forgotten this book from my childhood, and when a friend recently brought a copy over as a gift for my daughter, I gasped in delight.
The memories came flooding back as I turned each page to reveal the familiar artwork, still as fresh and engaging as it was so many years ago.
I hope my daughter grows to love this book as much as I did as a child, and I'm so excited to have been re-introduced to such a fantastic story.

Editorial Review:

No book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever.

Your Favorite Seuss: A Baker's Dozen by the One and Only Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 61 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From his very first book to his very last book, here in one big volume are 13 classic Dr. Seuss stories, everyone’s favorites. All of the words and virtually all of the illustrations are included. Each story is prefaced by a short essay by someone whose life was changed by Dr. Seuss or who is simply an unabashed admirer. Also included are photographs of Dr. Seuss, memorabilia, and original sketches from his books. The stories included are: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, Horton Hears a Who!, McElligot’s Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, Happy Birthday to You!, Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book, Yertle the Turtle, The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Green Eggs and Ham, The Lorax, The Sneetches, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) was born March 2, 1904, and died September 25, 1991.
With introductory essays to each story by:
Barbara Bader, Author and Critic
Stan and Jan Berenstain, Creators of The Berenstain Bears
Audrey Geisel, Widow of Dr. Seuss
Peter Glassman, Children’s Bookseller
Starr LaTronica, Children’s Librarian
John Lithgow, Actor and Children’s Book Author
Barbara Mason, Kindergarten Teacher
Richard H. Minear, Author of Dr. Seuss Goes to War
Christopher Paolini, Author of Eragon
Charles D. Cohen, Author of The Seuss, the Whole Seuss, and
Nothing but the Seuss
Pete Seeger, Folksinger
Christopher Cerf, TV Writer, Composer, and Producer
Lane Smith, Children’s Book Illustator

The Grapes of Wrath

Earle Rice, John Steinbeck

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 593 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Get ready to relive these times soon! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The second Steinbeck book that I've read as an adult, and probably one of the best books I've ever read. I had no idea California was so messed up until I read it. Unlike some modern readers who may complain about the alternating chapters, one dealing with plot and the other with seemingly irrelevant information, I thought that they added a lot to the book and gave it the feeling that there was more to it than just the story of one family. Everyone needs to read this book. The movie's also great, and I can't say that either one is better than the other.

A master storyteller 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Steinbeck was a gifted author and this is his seminal book and Pulitzer Prize winner. The descriptions are lengthy and they take you there, in the moment. Truly an outstanding work of American fiction that all should read.

A handsome edition 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This edition is a nice way to add The Grapes of Wrath to your collection. The book itself is a must. It's hard to explain how Steinbeck sucks you in with his writing, but the Joad family's journey across the country is a visceral and moving one. Very enjoyable.

Editorial Review:

Forced from their home, the Joad family is lured to California to find work; instead they find disillusionment, exploitation, and hunger.

The Lion's Paw

Robb White

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 71 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Childrens classic adventure novel The Lions Paw, one of the most sought after out-of-print books of all time is back in print through the self-publishing efforts of the authors family. The Lions Paw is the first of a series of books written by popular childrens novelist Robb White to be published by the familys own publishing imprint, A.W. INK, Inc. The Lion's Paw, originally published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1946 and in paperback by Scholastic in 1954, has been out of print for many years. Copies of the Doubleday and Scholastic editions go for hundreds of dollars on eBay, Alibris and other rare book selling websites, and The Lion's Paw has been listed as one of the Top 10 Most Sought After Out-of-Print Books year after year by Bookfinder.com. Robb Whites widow, Annie White said, reintroducing The Lions Paw to generations of old and new readers is a celebration of love for our family and we hope to see the book back in school libraries and public libraries across the country. Annie White said, my daughter, Leslie and I receive mail daily from many readers who proclaim The Lions Paw to be their favorite book ever!

The Little Engine That Could mini (Little Engine That Could)

Watty Piper, George Hauman, Doris Hauman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 67 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Classic Tale 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Love it. My kids love it. We first saw this book in a larger version at our pediatrician's office and we read it while waiting to be seen. My daughter loved it so much that I looked it up as soon as we returned home. The story is so well known, I won't even bother to rehash it. Even though I think I can... (A little humor there)

As usual, the visual component is very important as far as I'm concerned and the vintage art is fabulous. It reminds me of things I saw while cleaning up my grandparents' house. Left behind story books and toys from my mother and her sister. Very nostalgic.

This particular version of the book is quite small which I like, but my daughter wants a larger version. I believe it is available in a lager size here at Amazon.

Great, classic story! Good for negative children who are always saying "I can't." 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The story itself is great-- I like sharing its meaning with the little "I can't do it" children who are in my life. Children seem to like the pictures in this book. However, the quality of the binding is not as great as I hoped it would be-- it's already starting to pull apart after just several readings.

Editorial Review:

"A good example of pioneer feminist lore, with girl engine as 'hero'".--Publishers Weekly. The classic story of optimistic thinking that has delighted generations of children. Full-color illustrations.

Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Betty Smith

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 553 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The American classic about a young girl's coming of age at the turn of the century.

"A profoundly moving novel, and an honest and true one. It cuts right to the heart of life...If you miss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn you will deny yourself a rich experience...It is a poignant and deeply understanding story of childhood and family relationships. The Nolans lived in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn from 1902 until 1919...Their daughter Francie and their son Neely knew more than their fair share of the privations and sufferings that are the lot of a great city's poor. Primarily this is Francie's book. She is a superb feat of characterization, an imaginative, alert, resourceful child. And Francie's growing up and beginnings of wisdom are the substance of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."
--New York Times

"One of the most dearly beloved and one of the finest books of our day."
--Orville Prescott

"One of the books of the century."
--New York Public Library

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (Globe Adapted Classic)

Anne Frank

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 633 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Anne Frank Diary 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As a young adult I had read articles on the book. I knew the story. I saw the movie made from the book. However, I had never read the book itself.
The experience of reading the words of Anne as she lived for two year in hiding with her family, and others in hiding, was entirely different than just knowing the story. Reading another persons personal words as they were living the life that inspired them to write is a most intimate experience.
In my adult life I am glad to have had the experience of actually reading Anne Frank's words. I recommend the reading of this book to young and mature persons who wish to understand what transpired in our world history on an intimate level.

Amazing, This is the best book I have ever read... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is truly one of the greatest books ever written. As a reader reads this book, he will see a young girl blossoming into a phenomenal young woman. All in the confines of her family's "Secret Annexe", while in hiding from the Gestapo, and to keep from being captured, and sent to a concentration camp.

As I read this book, I felt Anne Frank was speaking to me. I felt her anger, her rebellion, and laughed when she would tell a joke, or say something harsh about another member of the "Secret Annexe". Her words, so eloquently written, will touch anybody who reads them, and this book will become one that they will never forget, as it has with me. As I read her diary, and connected with Anne, I felt a depressing feeling, because I knew that at one point her diary entries would suddenly stop, and there would be no fitting ending for this masterpiece.

With that said, what Anne Frank has left for us is a memorable diary, which encompasses what she went through. The hunger, and horrible conditions that she, and many Jews were put through is a testament to how cruel, intolerant, and unjustifiably evil humanity can be.

I recommend this book to anybody who likes to read, and even to those who don't.

Editorial Review:

The compelling diary of a young girl on the brink of maturity as her life draws to toward its tragic end -- one of the most moving and vivid documents of the Jewish experience.