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Elijah of Buxton

Christopher Paul Curtis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Elijah of Buxton - Great Read Aloud 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Christopher Paul Curtis is one of my favorite adolescent authors. I read Bub, Not Buddy to my 8th graders every year (Great Depression) and The Watson's Go To Birmingham: 1963 (during a Civil Rights Movement unit). This school year I discovered Elijah of Buxton and read it to my students during my unit on American Slavery. None of my students had read the book and we were all on the edge of our seats together. This book has great voice and I especially enjoyed the dialect. My students and I throughly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it to students to read, parents to read to their kids and teachers to read to their students! I cannot say enough good things about this book.

Editorial Review:

Eleven-year-old Elijah is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit. He’s best known in his hometown as the boy who made a memorable impression on Frederick Douglass. But things change when a former slave steals money from Elijah’s friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the thief, and he discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled—a life from which he’ll always be free, if he can find the courage to get back home.

Emily's Quest (Emily Novels)

L.M. Montgomery

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A heart felt and beautiful ending 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The last chaptr in Emily's Tale is much devoted to love, and the longing confusion and heartache therein. Emily's love for Teddy has grown by leaps and bounds, but does he feel the same? She has returned from school in Shrewsbury. to find that her life at dear New Moon is not as it once was gone are the days of care free romps with her friends, who all seem to have foud their own paths to walk. Paths which rarely include Emily Ilse has found her place on the stage and seems happy, Perry is working toward political goals, and Teddy seems to be Doing well, but Emily rarely hears from him. Enter Dean Priest, He challenges Emily, and treats her as an equal. he loves her passionately, but can she say the same? Then Emily gets the news that Ilse and Teddy are to be married(WHAT)and it seems her decision is made She will marry Dean. Or will she? and what about Ilse and Perry's stormy relationship. Yikes is this a complex situation, but a great one! my only complaint is that EQ is much shorter then it's fellows and as such goes by far to fast. But all in all Emily's Quest is truly a wonderful ending to one of the best stories ever written.

Editorial Review:

Emily knows she's going to be a great writer.  She also knows that she and her childhood sweetheart, Teddy Kent, will conquer the world together.  But when Teddy leaves home to pursue his goal to become an artist at the School of Design in Montreal, Emily's world collapses.  With Teddy gone, Emily agrees to marry a man she doesn't love ... as she tries to banish all thoughts of Teddy.  In her heart, Emily must search for what being a writer really means....

The Road to Yesterday (L.M. Montgomery Books)

L.M. Montgomery

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Blythes are Quoted . . . A Lot! 3 out of 5 stars.
22 of 23 people found this review helpful.

The Road to Yesterday was the last collection of tales that L.M.Montgomery wrote before she died. Her son, Stuart McDonald, found the manuscript among her papers, and had it published post-humously. Originally, Montgomery had called the work The Blythes Are Quoted, and had framed the tales with accounts of the Blythes at home listening to their favorite stories. This frame-narrative was removed, and the stories were rearranged into their current order.

In many ways, The Road to Yesterday displays both the strengths and the weaknesses of Montgomery's work. It shows her genuine ability to tell stories of the community in the voice of the community. Her narrative voice is that of the neighborhood gossip, who doesn't wish ill on her neighbours but who delights nonetheless in their poor decisions, their misfortunes and their downfalls as an interesting tale. It also shows her command of irony and satire, two qualities with which she is seldom credited. At the same time, though, it reveals how she could never quite break away from the narrative patterns of magazine literature with its improbable coincidences and inevitable happy endings. Most of the stories revolved around love and romance, and tend to be rather implausibly constructed. For instance, "Fool's Errand" tells of a man who becomes lonely after his mother dies and remembers a promise he made long ago to a young girl to return and marry her, while "The Pot and the Kettle" is the tale of a young woman who has to marry a certain man to gain an inheritance and who refuses to do so, only to fall in love with him when he courts her by another name.

Only two stories in the collection are genuinely startling and unconventional. "A Commonplace Woman" is striking in its refusal to conform to generally-accepted standards of morality. It is a savage satire of the hypocrisy surrounding old age and death in a family, a feminist polemic about women's position in society, and a carefully observed character sketch of a woman who feels no remorse or shame about having a child out of marriage or committing murder but merely proclaims that she has lived. Similarly, "Here Comes the Bride" is a gently pointed portrait built up from multiple perspectives of what a village really thinks of a wedding.

Such stories show what Montgomery could have achieved if she had been given the chance. Unfortunately, she was a victim of Anne of Green Gables' early, unprecedented success, which led to her being pigeonholed as the author of rather sentimental tales of girlhood, and which she ultimately came to resent. Some of this bitterness seems to have seeped into The Road to Yesterday. Despite not being its major protagonists, the Blythes are a major presence throughout the novel as friends, neighbours or guests, and they are the subject of much scrutiny by the village. (Montgomery would have been familiar with the feeling, as the wife of a minister who was prone to religious mania and who had to keep up the front of a happy, perfect life for the sake of his parishoners.) People in the tales frequently comment on how tired they are of hearing about the Blythes or having them quoted at them, which surely suggests Montgomery's own irritation at having been linked with Anne throughout her life. Alternatively, the Blythes are praised so often and so profusely that it becomes absurd, which may be intended to parody the public's adulation of Anne.

As a final note, Benjamin Lefevbre is working on a critical edition of The Blythes Are Quoted for publication. This edition will restore the frame narrative and put the stories into their original order. It will be interesting to Montgomery's original intentions for the piece, and to see whether and how the feel of the collection changes.

Editorial Review:

For Anne and Gilbert Blythe, life in a small village is never dull because of all the entertaining gossip, and what strange and funny tales they hear: about the mischievous twins whose dearest wish comes true when they meet up with a bored and haunted millionaire; or clever Penelope Craig, who considers herself an expert on children -- until she adopts a boy of her own; or Timothy Randebush, a man so eager to keep his brother out of the clutches of a dangerous woman that he spirits her away -- only to fall prey to her charms himself. Filled with unexpected surprises, laughter, and tears, here are fourteen of the Blythes' favorite tales.

Number Four, Bobby Orr!

Mike Leonetti

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

My Son Loved This Book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My five year old son loved this story. Great for young hockey fans.

Great Hockey kids book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is great for boys and girls all ages. My grandson is 2, and loves this book. His Dad is a Bobby Orr fan, so it was a perfect gift for him!

#4 Bobby Orr 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The book was better than I expected...so perfect for kids. The books arrived safely and promptly.

Editorial Review:

Joey loves walking to his hockey games with his dad. Often they talk about their favorite player, Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr. One day, Joey has an accident on the ice and ends up in the hospital with a broken leg. During his stay, Joey thrills to the Bruins’ run for the playoffs and––miraculously––gets a visit from none other than Bobby Orr himself! Orr tells him about all the injuries he’s had, shares advice on the game of hockey, and even gives Joey one of his sticks. When Joey leaves the hospital he gets to watch his hero win the 1972 Stanley Cup at Boston Garden. Based on a true story from the life of hockey legend Bobby Orr, this book relays an important message about getting over hurdles and setbacks.

Anne of Green Gables

L.M. Montgomery

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 311 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

When Marilla Cuthbert's brother, Matthew, returns home to Green Gables with a chatty redheaded orphan girl, Marilla exclaims, "But we asked for a boy. We have no use for a girl." It's not long, though, before the Cuthberts can't imagine how they could ever do without young Anne of Green Gables--but not for the original reasons they sought an orphan. Somewhere between the time Anne "confesses" to losing Marilla's amethyst pin (which she never took) in hopes of being allowed to go to a picnic, and when Anne accidentally dyes her hated carrot-red hair green, Marilla says to Matthew, "One thing's for certain, no house that Anne's in will ever be dull." And no book that she's in will be, either. This adapted version of the classic, Anne of Green Gables, introduces younger readers to the irrepressible heroine of L.M. Montgomery's many stories. Adapter M.C. Helldorfer includes only a few of Anne's mirthful and poignant adventures, yet manages to capture the freshness of one of children's literature's spunkiest, most beloved characters. There's just enough to make beginning readers want more--luckily, there's a lot more in the originals! Illustrator Ellen Beier creates vibrant pictures to portray the beauty of the land around Green Gables and the spirited nature of Anne herself. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Bonechiller

Graham Mcnamee

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Real Chiller of a Thriller 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Danny and his father have spent a lot of time moving from town to town after the death of his mother. This time, they are in an icy, barren town in Canada known as Harvest Cove. There may not be much here in the dead of winter, but Danny has managed to find a few friends he feels close with. There is Pike, the troublemaker, Howie, Pike's shy younger brother and then there is Ash, the girl that literally knocked him out when they first met. This may be the first time he feels like he might want to stick around. His father is even reluctantly making friends.

One freezing cold night in the misty darkness, Danny is making his way home when he is attacked by a horrifying creature. As he fights for survival he is knocked into a ditch and he is sure this will be the end of him. Except that the creature only stings him in the hand and lets him go. This mark is the only thing that assures him that what happened was real and not a terrifying nightmare. Danny begins to feel strange and disconnected after his ordeal, leading him to research the creature in the darkness. He finds out that he is not the only one this has happened to and it goes back much further than he could ever imagine. It appears that something is hunting the teens of Harvest Cove, and so far nobody has been able to stop it. Danny is running out of time for himself and he will have to decide if he is willing to risk his life to break this cycle of evil that is plaguing the town. Danny will have his friends to help him, but he may be too late. How can you kill the unkillable, or hunt what should not exist?

Bonchiller is just that. A spooky, scary, pulse-pounding supernatural thriller that will chill you to the bone. The monster in this story is based on the Native American Windigo legends, but Mcnamee leaves enough to the imagination so that readers can create a truly nightmarish creature on their own. The characters are relatable and you will be cheering them on as they do their best to fight the beast and survive another day. You will hope for the best so that Danny and Ash will perhaps find happiness together. This book will make you think twice about walking home alone in the dark.

Editorial Review:

WELCOME TO NOWHERE.

Danny’s dad takes a job as caretaker at a marina on the shore of a vast, frozen lake in Harvest Cove, a tiny town tucked away in Canada’s Big Empty. If you’re looking for somewhere to hide, this is it.

It’s the worst winter in years. One night, running in the dark, Danny is attacked by a creature so strange and terrifying he tries to convince himself he was hallucinating. Then he learns about Native American legends of a monster that’s haunted the lake for a thousand years. And that every generation, in the coldest winters, kids have disappeared into the night. People think they ran away.

Danny knows better. Because now the beast is after him.

Further Chronicles of Avonlea (L.M. Montgomery Books)

L.M. Montgomery

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

the stories have aged poorly 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 13 people found this review helpful.

The Anne books were among my favorites growing up, and I thought it would be fun to re-read them. Boy, was I wrong! "Aunt Cynthia's Persian Cat" and "The Materializing of Cecil" were both cute, and "The Brother who Failed" had a nice end, but the morals of 1920 are more than a little disturbing now. In "The Education of Betty" a man marries his high school sweetheart's daughter, whom he helped raise from childhood, and in "In Her Selfless Mood" we are expected to sympathize with a woman who throws her life away on her no-account brother. And the less said of the **appallingly** racist "Tannis of the Flats" the better. The stories that are not embarrassingly outdated are sappy little romances. The Little House books retain their charm in a way Avonlea has not. I will not be sharing these chronicles with my children.

Editorial Review:

Nestled between the ocean and the hills of Prince Edward Island is a road that leads to the house where a girl named Anne grew up, Green Gables, and to the wonderful place called Avonlea. In this second volume of heartwarming tales a Persian cat plays an astonishing part in a marriage proposal . . . a ghostly appearance in a garden leads a woman to the fulfillment of her youthful dreams . . . a young girl risks losing her mother to find the father she never knew . . . and a foolish lie threatens to make an unattached woman the town's laughingstock when an imaginary lover comes to town for real! Filled with warmth, humor, and mystery, these unforgettable stories re-create the enchanting world of Avonlea.

If You're Not from the Prairie

David Bouchard

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great for teachers in South Dakota! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is an awesome book! Coming from Eastern South Dakota (plains) it is just so perfect! I taught a lesson to students (4th grade) who live in Western South Dakota (the Black Hills) and we compared the two regions of South Dakota. We then wrote a poem that used the author's structure as a guide. We entitled the poem "If you're not from the Black Hills..." It went over great and the kids loved it! It also correlates to 4 state standards and probably many more! This book made me cry! Awesome!

Offensive 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 12 people found this review helpful.

I think this book is offensive. It acts as if the prairie is better than any other place. It also makes fun of people who don't live in the prarie. Our teacher read it to us and a good part of the class hated it. We just survived the blistering cold, and then this author comes and says we don't know cold. If you're not from the prarie, do not read.

Editorial Review:

A nostalgic, evocative look at life in the prairieland of America offers simple, moving verse and beautiful artwork that capture the essence of life in the enduring heartland of North America.

The Buddha's Diamonds

Carolyn Marsden, Thay Phap Niem

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

Poignant and thought-provoking, not to mention a fine introduction to Vietnamese culture and religion 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Ten-year-old Tinh lives in a small fishing village with his parents and younger sister. The rhythm of life is the rhythm of the sea, which provides sustenance for the villagers. Just this year Tinh has started accompanying his father in their boat to catch and net the fish that are eaten and traded for other foods and goods. Part of Tinh misses time spent flying kites with his sister Lan and playing soccer with his cousins, but he's a serious and hard-working boy, proud to be of use to his family and eager to earn his father's respect.

Tinh is also naturally spiritual. He has a deep love and respect for his ancestors, the Buddha and especially Phat Ba Quan Ahm, the Vietnamese Bodhisattva of Compassion. He knows that her many arms protect him and others at sea and that her name will comfort him when he's scared.

Tinh's faith and maturity are put to the test one day when a terrible storm comes, driving the fishermen from the water and ravaging much of the poor village. As the men and boys struggle to secure the fishing boats on the beach, Lan is injured, cut by a piece of metal trying to rouse Tinh, who is laying afraid on the sand. He finally gets up and sees his parents rushing his bleeding sister off, his father yelling at him to make sure the boat is tied up. Tinh is surrounded by chaos, and there's no one to help him. He's alone and terrified, but he's also scared of disappointing his father and losing the family boat. When a giant wave pushes the boat into the trees, Tinh runs for his hut.

The family huddles together during the worst of the storm, praying before the home altar. When the next day dawns, the village is in shambles, his sister is taken to the doctors and the boat is discovered, damaged underneath a pile of other boats. Tinh now must gather his strength and act like the young man his family expects him to be by helping to fix the boat and finding food for them. His uncle gives him a small carved Buddha; this, plus his faith in Phat Ba Quan Ahm, gives him the courage and inspiration to do what he has to in order to help his loved ones. The storm is a turning point for Tinh as his faith and thoughtfulness are rewarded.

THE BUDDHA'S DIAMONDS is the story of a young Buddhist facing his first adult responsibilities in the face of adversity. Though Tinh's prayers and rituals are specific to his religion, the themes of faith, filial obligation, trust and growing up are universal. Carolyn Marsden and Thay Phap Niem also subtly inject into this short novel the emotional and physical effects that the war in Vietnam had on rural and coastal villages like the one in which Tinh lives. Devastation can come from humankind or nature, but faith and responsibility, they suggest, are constants and are able to help one weather the storms, proverbial or actual.

The writing in this book is lovely. The story is poignant and thought-provoking, not to mention a fine introduction to Vietnamese culture and religion. A glossary and an author's note at the end explain some new or more difficult concepts.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

Editorial Review:

After a storm engulfs his village, a Vietnamese boy has glimmers of a new calling in this spare middle-grade novel written with authenticity and grace.

Every day, Tinh heads out to sea with his father to catch fish for their family and the market. While he sometimes misses flying kites with other children on the beach, Tinh is proud to work alongside Ba. Then a fierce storm strikes, and Ba entrusts Tinh to secure the family vessel, but the boy panics and runs away. It will take courage and faith to salvage the bamboo boat, win back Ba’s confidence, and return to sea. This graceful tale narrates a young Vietnamese boy’s literal and spiritual coming-of-age.

The Greatest Goal (Hockey Heroes Series)

Mike Leonetti

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Editorial Review:

It's the start of a new school year, and ten-year-old Paul is just starting to play hockey on a team. More than anything else, he loves to practice his shots in the driveway with his Dad. But soon after school begins, Paul's Dad gets a promotion at work and he no longer has time to play with Paul. Luckily, they can still have fun together watching the most exciting hockey ever - the showdown between Team Canada and the Soviet Union for the title of best hockey team in the world. At first, the Soviet team has the lead; then, the Canadian team rallies. No one can tell who is going to win the series. At last, the day of the tie-breaking final game arrives and Paul's school principal announces that everyone can go home to watch it. Paul is happy to go home, but sad to think that he won't be able to share this great moment with his Dad. But then he learns that you never can tell what will happen - sometimes our heroes overcome all the odds, just when we least expect it. Here is an enduring classic for all fans of the game, young and old. With wonderful, evocative and colorful illustrations, and information at the back of the book about the historic 1976 Canada-Soviet Union series.