Book Description

Seymour Reit re-creates the true story of Will Knox, a nineteen-year-old boy who undertook the daring and dangerous task of transporting 183 cannons from New York’s Fort Ticonderoga to Boston--in the dead of winter--to help George Washington win an important battle. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

My thoughts on a terrible book
This book is about colonel Knox a leader of a freshly starting revolution in America. His mission is to carry around 200 cannons from Ticonderoga back to a city where British forces are docked. The main characters of this book are will Knox 19 year old brother of the colonel, colonel Knox in charge of expedition, J.P. a farmers son .I disliked this book. It drags on and never seems to end. Just when you think your going to get a fight there isn't one .the biggest problem they had on the trip was a river with too thin ice. What's so interesting about that? If I were you I would not buy this book. It is extremely boring.

From a reader of this book

A Fun Book to Stimulate Interest in History
This is a fun book that should help your youngster develop an interest in American History. It is easy to read an has great illustratiions. You will not be disappointed with this purchase. Look for others by the same author.

Guns For General Washington
Guns For General Washington is a great book because of the action and advenerture. Henry Knox, a patroit who goes to Fort Ticonderoga, a fort in New York that has at least 183 cannons, lead for bullets, flint for flintlock muskets. There were also mortars, a type of gun, howitzers, a another type of gun,and a cohorns, another type of gun. They, Henry and his brother and some others who help out, have to go 300 miles to Fort Ticonderoga from Boston and 300 miles back to Boston from Fort Ticonderoga.This takes place in Massachusetts and New York in 1775 and 1776. The conflict is that General Washington is fighting a british general ,General Howe, with no aritillery like cannons and gunpowder.This book has very good action and advenerture

Guns for General Washington
THIS BOOK WAS A VERY DETAILED AND CURIOUS BOOK. IT GAVE YOU ALL OF THE DETAILS NEEDED TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE STORY GOES. USUALLY WHEN I READ A BOOK I STOP IN THE MIDDLE BECAUSE IT IS TOO BOARING, BUT I READ THROUGH TIS ENTIRE BOOK. IT ALWAYS FINDS SOMETHING TO FOCUS ON SO IT DOESN NOT LOOSE YOUR INTREST.IT MAKES YOU REALIZE JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE RISK THEIR LIFES TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SAFE.

Great book!
This book is a very good book. I incurage everybody to read it. It talks about all the trials and tribulations of going to get heavy copper , iron , and steal cannons taking them across a lake throught the wilderness over rocky turran and over all it's a great book! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A wonderful book!
This was a wonderful book! I read it a while ago but I clearly remember most of it. It is about a young girl named Mary Ellen Todd, who, with her family, travels west to Oregon in the 1850s. I highly reccomend this touching, sad, and all together wonderful book!

Bound for Oregon: Dull and Long
Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen, was a book about a 9-year old girl about her journey through the Oregon Trail. It starts out in Arkansas(which was a little odd because most people traveled around Arkansas because all they saw at first was swamps)at their home. She talks about how they moved to Arkansas because of all the illness that was going around. After a while, I lost interest in this book because it was so boring. It stopped having any adventure and got very monotonous.
The setting was in Arkansas sat first and then all the way along the Oregon Trail. I recommend this book to no one.

Leaving Arkansas
This book was alittle more interesting because of the fact that they were leaving Arkansas.(this is were I live) As they leave many people turn back, because they are scared. With the four remaining they go on. With conflict the four splint into 2 groups. A story element for this book would be conflict because of the difference of opinion. GOOD BOOK!

from boring to great
This book was about a girl who has to go to oregon with her family. She has to go through deaths and hardships along the way.I like the fact that her father was so understanding and nice plus it didn't hurt that they were from Arkansas. My favorite part was seeing the romance between the kids. It was good that they were going through such a hard time and could still party at night.I liked it when she flashed back to when her dad was making pottery instead of being sick.all in all, it's a good book.

Pretty good
The book was pretty good but it lacked thrill and excitement. After a while the book got really monotnous and I lost intrest quickly, although I read the whole book in 1 day. But it was a great story in a remarkable era in history. ... Read more

Book Description

It is 1868, and Carl Erik's family faces starvation in Sweden. As their hopes fade, they must endure a journey over land and sea to reach a better life in a new country thousands of miles away. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent for the Classroom
The Long Way to a New Land and The Long Way Westward are companion books that chronicle a family's journey from their Swedish farm, which is suffering from an extended drought, to a new home in Minnesota. The books describe the difficulty and dangers of the journey in a way that is non-complaining and full of optimism for a new life in America. Teachers, these books are wonderful for integrating with other subjects and topics, such as immigration, westward expansion, steamships, trains, geography, and American life in the 1860s. ... Read more

Book Description

The first ever
children's book from
the New York Times
bestselling master
of contemporary fiction

Buddy's an aging movie star.
Antwan's a rough-and-tumble loner.
And Miss Betty, the show girl, is a princess.

Different in nearly every way, they share one thing: they're all dogs...at heart.

Though Antwan's the leader of his pack and loves hanging in the hills, feasting from Hollywood's chicest garbage cans, he's too curious a coyote to turn down his new friend Buddy's invitation to see how the other half lives. Convincing his new human family he's a mysterious pooch named Timmy, Antwan quickly becomes part of the brood.

But as Antwan's star rises, Buddy's spirits fall. Past his prime to humans, Buddy wants to chuck the luxury and live in the wild -- if Antwan will show him how. To cheer up their pal, Antwan and Miss Betty concoct a daring plan, setting off a chain of uproarious adventures that will teach them all a few new tricks about friendship, family, and life.

Filled with the spot-on dialogue and clever plotting that have made Elmore Leonard top dog among writers of every breed, A Coyote's in the House reveals the inner life of canines -- wild and domesticated -- in a fresh, funny tale for the young and the young at heart.

Reviews (1)

A HIP, JAZZY KIND OF COYOTE
Antwan, a coyote, notices Buddy, a German Shepard, in a fancy yard, in the Hollywood Hills. Buddy calls to Antwan, invites him in the house. Buddy wants to trade lives with Antwan. He wants Antwan to live in his house while he runs with the gang (pack). When the family comes home, the young, snippety daughter discovers Antwan in the house. She yells, "There's a coyote in the house!" Antwan escapes, but later returns as "Timmy." The family adopts Timmy (Antwan). While living with them, Antwan comes to understand dogs and cats, but isn't sure he will ever like their masters.

The females in the storyline are Miss Betty, the poodle princess, Lola, the movie star cat, and Romana, Antwan's sister. They get in the act when Miss Betty decides she doesn't like Buddy being depressed. She wants him to feel like the hero he played in the movies. She creates a plan involving Lola. (Lola steals the show during this thread of the storyline.)

Elmore Leonard shares the tale of a wild coyote who swears never to be tamed. He likes running with his gang. The story begins with Antwan talking to his gang, about the various dogs and their backgrounds. Antwan, Buddy, and the rest experience various adventures. There are fun and of course gross moments. Kids will love it.

Actor Neil Patrick Harris narrates A Coyote's in the House. He brings out the hip, jazzy personality of Antwan and the older, wiser tone of Buddy. But it's with Miss Betty and Lola that Harris seems to have the most fun. I have to say, Lola is my favorite ... Read more

Book Description

Using a lively question-and answer-format, the author explains the American Revolution not only as a war for freedom which the American colonies fought against the British, but also as a "civil" war between the Patriots and those colonists who remained loyal to King George III. Special attention is paid to the role of children in the war and to the issues affecting them: What was life like before the Revolution? How did your life change after the Declaration of Independence? Would you have seen a battle?...Gone to school? Colorful accounts of famous figures, and words and expressions (such as "cowboy" and "John Hancock") that were coined during the Revolution enliven the text and enable readers to feel some connection with the people of the period. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

History from different perspectives!
I thought that this book was a great example of how all of our history books should be written: from multiple perspectives! All we ever hear about our history is the positive patriotic version that is sugar coated and mostly false. For once, someone has written a story for children that shares both sides of the story: Loyalist and Patriot. This book beautifully compares and contrasts the viewpoints of both sides, the impact the war had on both sides, and some of the important figures, both Loyalist and Patriot. Excellent book to get your children thinking critically about the American Revolution!

Anti-American, politically correct garbage
When I read this book I was so disappointed at the author's attempt to paint Patriots as the bad guys! She has written a "politically correct" story of the Revolutionary War. Is there anyone out there who actually believes the British should have won, or retained control of the colonies? When I pointed out to my son's teacher the not-so-subtle message in the book, she removed it from the classroom. My advice: READ THESE BOOKS BEFORE YOU BUY THEM.

Great teaching tool
I was able to use this book as a guide in my second grade classroom. It takes you step by step though the Revolutionary War. I used the illustrations in the book as well. My students really learned alot.

She's done it again!
Another great book. Provides useful general information. This is a great children's book - but also a good adult book!

Micah

Good Book
A good book. Now I can answer a couple of questions that my e-mail friends have been asking me, about phrases. Thanks for the help, Kay. By the way, do you think oyu could write something aobut Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion? . . . ... Read more

Book Description

"A voice like yours," celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini told contralto Marian Anderson, "is heard once in a hundred years." This insightful account of the great African American vocalist considers her life and musical career in the context of the history of civil rights in this country. Drawing on Anderson's own writings and other contemporary accounts, Russell Freedman shows readers a singer pursuing her art despite the social constraints that limited the careers of black performers in the 1920s and 1930s. Though not a crusader or a spokesperson by nature, Marian Anderson came to stand for all black artists-and for all Americans of color-when, with the help of such prominent figures as Eleanor Roosevelt, she gave her landmark 1939 performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, which signaled the end of segregation in the arts. Carefully researched, expertly told, and profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs, here is a moving account of the life of a talented and determined artist who left her mark on musical and social history. Through her story, one of today's leading authors of nonfiction for young readers illuminates the social and political climate of the day and an important chapter in American history.Notes, bibliography, discography, index. ... Read more

Book Description

The American Journey: Building a Nation is co-authored by the National Geographic Society and offers a unique blend of scholarship and compelling imagery. The hands-on learning approach used throughout the program helps students see the relevance of history as they discover the context and connections between historical events. The program offers in-depth coverage of America's past to 1914. A visual epilogue then brings students up to date. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If it's Wednesday, it must be Revolutionary War day. Jack and Annie,stars of the Magic Tree House series, are in for another adventure in theirtime- and space-traveling tree house. Mysterious magical librarian Morgan le Fayhas set four new tasks for the siblings. Jack and Annie must find four specialkinds of writing for Morgan's library in order to save Camelot, the ancientkingdom of King Arthur. In CivilWar on Sunday, the pair traveled back to the 1860s to collect a list ofrules ("something to follow") from famous nurse Clara Barton. Now they discoverthey must visit another war era: the Revolutionary War. Jack and Annie set asidetheir apprehension and soon they're spinning back through time to Christmas Day,1776, on the banks of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, where they encounternone other than the man on the dollar bill himself, George Washington! Thechildren accidentally-on-purpose end up embroiled in the famouscommander-in-chief's mission, where they not only play a part in convincingWashington to carry on with his patriotic duty, but also find the second kind ofwriting for Morgan's library: "something to send."

Award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne's young adventure series, The Magic TreeHouse, is immensely popular among children and teachers alike, promoting afascination with history--and reading--no textbook can match. (Ages 6 to 9)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Don't Miss This Review of Revolutionary War on Wednesday!
Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne

This book is about two kids named Jack and Annie and a magic tree house. In this book they go to the Revolutionary War and see George Washington.

I liked this book because they rode on the Delaware River with George Washington. And, they told George Washington to go on a stormy night.

I think the author was trying to teach to participate in things. She also was also trying to teach us to be willing to do things.

Revolutionary War On Wednesday
The book I read was Revolutionary War On Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne. In this story, two kids travel back in time in a tree house. Jack and Annie get to meet General George Washington. Jack and Annie have a special mission to help Washington win the war. I liked this book because I learned a lot about the war. I do recommend this book to a friend.

Great book!
How would you feel if you were in a war? Find out by Reading Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne. Jack and Annie were in a war to get a stone for
George Washington. I really liked this book because it was funny. Will Jack and Annie get the stone in time? Find out by reading this book!

Revolutionary War on Wednesday
Revolutionary War on Wednesday, is about two kids who go on magical quests for Megan, the librarian. In this book, Jack and Annie recieve another riddle to answer, from Megan. This time they must search into the past for clues on somthing to send to Megan, that way she can help Camelot.
I thought that this book was fantastic. It was the first Magic Tree House book that i had ever read, although its number 22. I would defenetly recommend this book to people who are interested in mysteries.

Revolutionary War on Wednsday
This unbelievably immature book carries you on the extremely overrated adventures of Jack and Annie. As they go back in time, Jack and annie meet Gerge Washington, and give him advice. I'm not trying to be unpatriotic, but, this book our founder look like a weak reason to be proud of our country. I dont reccomend this book, unless you spend your time reading second grade textbooks. For pleasure. ... Read more

Book Description

"Sometimes a man has to risk everything to do what's right. Doing it is what makes him a man."

Thirteen-year-old Michael knows he is lucky. Few slaves in 1805 Charleston are where they want to be. But Michael works on the docks and ships in Charleston Harbor, close to the seas he longs to sail. Life seems good. But when Michael's protective mistress dies, everything changes, and Michael's friend Jim encourages him to run away. Michael is torn. Should he risk everything for a chance at freedom in some unknown place? Or should he stay -- is staying safe worth staying a slave? ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Kept my son fascinated for two days
My son is 12, and not usually an eager reader, but Seaward Born really kept him reading.He said"it was real!" and he loved that the main character not only chose his own destiny -- he chose his own name!Definitely worth checking out.

Moving and exciting story of boy's escape from slavery
I read this book with my two grandchildren, ages 8 and ten, and they were fascinated by the story -- and so was I.Author Wait knows her period and her characters, and brings to life the story of a boy who is torn between what he knows and loves, and what the consequences of inaction will be. My grandchildren loved the unhesitating details of what it must have been like to hide in a barrel for days in a ship's hold ... and the chapter on Michael's memories of what his mother had told him of her Middle Passage story are moving and just detailed enough to be fascinating to any age. I would definitely recommend this book
to anyone, of any age -- and certainly to a grandparent wanting to find a way to talk to children about slavery.

Exciting adventure story!
I didn't know too much about life in 1806 or slavery, but I really enjoyed reading Michael's story! He had to decide if he wanted to risk his life to try to be free. He had narrow escapes. I really liked the parts where he was escaping, and where he decided to change his name to Noah. I really liked this book!

Searching for Freedom--A Young Slave in Old Charleston
Michael, born a slave in Charleston, wishes more than anything to be able to work on the docks, andmaybe some day work on a boat. When his master dies, his wish is granted, and he goes to the docks. While there, he learns about the idea of freedom. It's a scary thought, and it takes some gumption for Michael, who renames himself Noah, to think of trying to gain freedom for himself. What will he have to endure to become free, and will he succeed? He has already lost his family and his security with a good master. What else must he lose?

Lea Wait, who lives in Maine, has a good eye for background detail. Her vivid scenes of Charleston in 1805-6 are very believable. The lives and terrors of slaves born there, and what they know about the dreadful ships on which their people arrived in America are gripping. Noah, who is a minor character in Wait's earlier young adult novel, "Stopping to Home" manages to meet those friends again. "Seaward Born" is the second book in what will become more stories for young people about others their age who find themselves adrift in a hostile world, but who eventually find true homes.

Lea Wait also writes adult mysteries, the "Shadows" series.

Adventure on the Water -- a review by Megan
Michael is a lucky 13-year-old African American boy. Even though he lives in the 1800s, he has still not been taken for slavery. He has no parents, but has a guardian, Mrs. Lautrec, who takes care of him and his friends, Anna, Sam, and Sirrah. Mrs. Lautrec sends him off to be with a captain who trains him to survive on water. But after Mrs. Lautrec dies, he and his friends are taken as slaves. He sneaks onto a ship headed to Boston on an adventure to be free from slavery. But not even he knows where it is going to end up.

This book should have been recommended for a more sophisticated age group. The publishers recommend it for ages 8 to 12, but because of the slavery, and men, women, and their children being thrown off of a ship, it should have been recommended more for ages 11 to 15, or for someone who wants to learn about slavery in the 1800s. I was not able to concentrate for a long time, because only every other chapter was interesting. Less describing the scenery and the thoughts of the characters, and more adventure and human conversations would keep the reader more engaged. But other than these minor details, this is a book that makes the reader worry about Michael being caught and enslaved, and at the end it gets more interesting and I cared about the main character's life. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

This a great book that tells the story of a historical event
Under the Blood Red Sun was a very good book and I think the author told the story very realistically. He also did a good job of keeping the book going. For example he had 13 year old Tomi play baseball and that kept the book going in between main events. The actions of him and his mother when Sanji died and when his father and grandfather got taken away seemed to be something that an average person would do.The book told a great story of the Pearl Harbor bombing and the Japanese Internment.

Under the blood-red sun
Under The Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury is one of the better books I've read. It's about a boy named Tomi who has to deal with discrimination of Japanise-Americans after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Ths book only has a few exiteting parts in it but it is well written so you will want to read on. My favorite part is when Tomi and his friend Billy go fishing with Tomi's dad. Another good part is the epilogue that has interesting facts. I recommend this book to people who like history.

A story of friendship in a life changing experience!
This very well written book, Under the Blood Red Sun, had my interest from the very beginning. It has a strong beginning but then starts to slow down. Right after the first chapter the book caught my interest back.

This was a book of a boy, Tomikazu, who was of Japanese descent. He had a Japanese family including his mother, father, sister, and grandfather. Tomi lead a normal life in Hawaii until Pearl Harbor was bombed. Tomi's life then changed. People started calling the Japanese names like Japs. Tomi went through some very dangerous and life threatening adventures. As well as his life, his attitude changes also. His family is going through a very hard time and Tomi learns to be more responsible and respective, especially to his grandfather.

My favorite character in this book would be Tomi's grandfather. I really like how Graham Salisbury told about the grandfather's attitude very detailed and clearly. In the beginning the grandfather was portrayed as a grumpy old man. Later in the book I saw that Tomi was becoming closer to his grandfather than he was before. One reason I think get this idea is because the grandpa told Tomi that he hated puppies and he was going to drown them. The next morning Tomi saw that his Grandpa had built a fence for the puppies that he threatened to drown.

My favorite part of this book was when Tomi went to find and help his father. He finds him but unfortunately cannot help him. Tomi has to be very secretive about this, so secretive he cannot talk to his father eye to eye or he might get caught. I like how Graham Salisbury describes how Tomi moves and walks. It really paints a picture in my mind of how it really would have been.

I think one of the main ideas in this book is that friends can be friends no matter what the difference is between them. My reason for this is that even though Billy is white and Tomi, Japanese, they manage to stay friends the whole time. They have some problems like older brothers and neighbors but they eventually leave that subject alone. All throughout this book Tomi and Billy keep helping each other out. One way is when Tomi was sad about his father; Billy comforted him and tried to make him feel better. I feel this is a very strong idea in this book and that Graham Salisbury showed it very well.

This book has many strengths but also some weaknesses. One weakness it definitely has is that the book starts to move really slowly and made me unsure if it was a good choice. It starts to speed up soon after and it pulled my interest in much more. I also think that it has many strengths. One is that Graham Salisbury would write about something and then make it really start to happen. When Tomi was talking about how dangerous tugboats are because of their propellers and how he gets sucked under water by one, the level of suspense went up!

My recommendation is to try this book out. I would read at least beyond the first chapter before putting the book down because it does have a weak spot for a little while. I thought the book was great and I learned many things about the Japanese discrimination in Hawaii.

Under the Blood Red Sun is a great book!
This novel was very well written by Graham Salisbury. One important reason this book is so interesting is Salisbury's use of literary devices. The greatest of these literary devices used are round character, flat character, and symbolism. These three literary devices really bring the story to life.
Character development is extremely important in any novel. Salisbury gave each character in Under the Blood Red Sun the right character to strengthen them in the story. Tomi is classified as a round character. Throughout the story, we became more understanding of Tomi and his complete lifestyle. Papa, on the other hand, is a very important character in the novel but is known as a flat character. Salisbury does not go into detail about him at all until the end when he is taken away.
Symbolism is slightly used in Under the Blood Red Sun. To represent Tomi's family's Japanese pride, they had a picture of the Japan emperor and also a Japanese flag. Even when they are being bombed by the Japanese, Tomi's grandpa continued to symbolize his pride in his native country. Although they still had pride later on, the fact that they had to hide their stuff does not mean they are not symbolizing their devotion.
Graham Salisbury did an excellent job using literary devices in this novel. By his use of these devices, Under the Blood Red Sun was strengthened. Salisbury's character development and symbolism really helped to improve the features of this book.

Great Book!!!!
Under the Blood Red Sun has a lot of action and keeps you hooked from the first page to the last!! It is a book about a boy, Tomikazu, and his family facing prejudicey during the World War II period.Tomi's family is Japanese and lives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Tomi tries to survive in two cultures. His American pasttime, baseball, gets hime through hard times he faces. In the aftermath of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Under the Blood Red Sun is one of my favorite books, and I would certainly recommend this book! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

We loved this book!
In this wonderful book (published by Moody Press), author Helen L. Taylor takes the Christian classic Pilgrim's Progress and reworks it for younger readers. She simplified the words and concepts, but stayed remarkably close to the original story. The chapters are nice and short, which makes this an excellent bedtime read, which is how I read it to my nine-year-old son and eleven-year-old daughter.

This is really two stories in one book, the first story tells of Christian, a small boy living in the City of Destruction, who hears Evangelist talking about the Celestial City where the great King lives. Christian becomes a pilgrim, and sets off for the Celestial City. Along the way he has many encounters and learns many lessons. The second story is about Christiana, a friend of Christian, who sets out with others to walk the same path, and they encounter many trials, often different than the ones faced by Christian.

This is an excellent book. It is jam-packed with Christian concepts, which you can then stop, at a convenient chapter break, and explain. Indeed, if I have one complaint, it's that I wish that this book had a study guide to accompany it! My children were a little disquieted by the martyrdom of one character, but as this is also a part of the Christian experience, I am glad that this book addressed it.

So, I must say that my children and I all loved this book. As a matter of fact, I think that I will make reading it a yearly tradition (for a while, anyway). We highly recommend this book!

Excellent book for both children and adults
This is a great adaptation of Bunyan's classic Christian work. It makes for great reading at bedtime, and though, being only twenty I have no children, I have found I enjoyed this book a great deal. It details the account of Christian, and later his (in the original book) wife's journey to Heaven (the Bright City). It has been a few years since I've read this, but I've read it four or five times, enjoying it immensely.

The central problem (and this complaint is against Bunyan, not Helen E. Taylor) is, although I have read or heard it used to be a common thing back in that time era (1500 - 1700) to name the characters after whatever virtue or allegorical element the author wishes to state. Bunyan takes his allegory, and like Lewis in THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE stop telling the story and beat you with the allegory. (Narnia is one of my favorites, and although I like LWW, it has earned the position of my least favorite Narnia because several things don't jibe with me, or, instead of allowing readers to learn or draw conclusions, Lewis specifically dominates and draws an entirely too explicit comparison to Christianity. It is more personal taste than anything - though I like allegory, if one gets to explicit (like Aslan dying, or, in this book, when Christian sees a picture of King David) the story loses its spell over me.

However, this is still a great book. Highly recommended, and if you won't want to wade through the much harder original, adults should go with this.

Riveting!
During my childhood nearly 40 years ago) I was utterly fascinated by this book. It stood out as one of the most interesting books of my childhood days, and it made an indelible impression on me. (Other favorites were C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, Little Princess, & Secret Garden). But back to Little Pilgrim's Progress: I'm not sure why this book was so intriguing to myself and my siblings, perhaps because the little pilgrem faced real dangers and even death??
Well, recently this book came up in conversation -- I hadn't thought of it for years -- and I dug out a copy, and started to read it. Moments later my nearly 6-year-old daughter came up and asked me if I would read it to her. My nearly 4-year-old son also wanted to listen. (I read freqently to my children, and they often are able to enjoy stories beyond their age level, but still I thought this would be too advanced to hold their attention.) But still, I decided to try. Of course, when I read I simplified or explained the language from time to time (some of the wording is old-fashioned). But to my astonishment, my children were absolutely riveted. The chapters in this book are short, and the children kept begging me to read more!! I was especially amazed that my 4-year-old remained totally engaged in the story (there are occasional illustrations, but it isn't a picture book; they were just listening). We finished the Christian part of the book in a few reading sessions over 3 days. (We later read the Christiana story, but the children didn't find it as interesting).
Conclusion: I'm not saying that this book would usually be of interest to such young children, but only wanted to comment that it can be a very exciting book and can provide much opportunity for thoughtful discussion with a parent.
Oh, I will add one more thing -- shortly after reading the book, one day my son asked if he could change his name to "Help" (like in the story). And later, he asked if he could be called "Greatheart". So now we jokingly have added those names to his middle name. Also, after reading the story concepts came up a lot in conversations over the following days and weeks.

Excellent example of faith in action
I read this book when I was a child and remember being quite intrigued by it. It confronts some of the deepest fears and anxieties that go hand in hand with trying to be a God-fearing, moral human being. Although I didn't realize it at the time, this book provided (and continues to provide) excellent examples of the hardships and sacrifices that result from chosing the moral path in life, and as a result it introduces a view of Christianity that stresses not only redemption, but also the self-discipline and courage that is required to confront the evil around us every day. Persons of all ages can learn from this book.

A great book for kids
My mom read this book to me and my brother and sisters. It was a good book. At times it was hard to understand and with so many people in the book, it's not hard to see why. After some time, I got the hang of it. It is an exciting book at the end. Not the best book my mom has read, but still good! ... Read more

Book Description

Four times the magic makes four times the fun! Now four of Roald Dahl's most beloved, best-selling books are together in one box! Mr. Fox, Charlie and Willy Wonka, and even James and his peach are available in this beautifully packaged gift set. All of the books are charmingly illustrated by Quentin Blake. ... Read more

Book Description

A vertible cinematic account of the catastrophe that decimated much of Chicago in 1871, forcing more than 100,000 people from their homes. Jim Murphy tells the story through the eyes of several survivors. These characters serve as dramatic focal points as the fire sweeps across the city, their stories illuminated by fascinating archival photos and maps outlining the spread of fire. 1996 Newbery Honor Book. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An excellent resource on the Great Chicago Fire!
On the night of October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in a barn belonging to Patrick and Catherine O'Leary. Before the fire was finally quenched, an area roughly four miles by one mile, comprising the very center of Chicago, was burned out, and some 100,000 people were left homeless. In this fascinating book, award-winning author Jim Murphy traces the events of that fateful night, lavishly using the words of actual eyewitnesses.

This is a great book, and an excellent resource on the Great Chicago Fire! The author spins his account out, giving it the feeling of a story, one that sucks you in, and transports you right into the fire. Containing stories that are both heartwarming and terribly distressing, I loved every minute of this read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Great Chicago Fire, or in anyone who just likes a great read.

Oh the weather outside is frightful.....
An in depth and fascinating look at the series of events that caused a tiny barn fire to be the root source of an enormous conflagration. Murphy is meticulous with his sources, and he sets up the action of the fire perfectly. Starting small, Murphy details the problems that occurred as the fire grew. The alarms weren't called in time. Firemen were repeatedly sent to the wrong areas to put out the fire. The firemen were exhausted from a different fire they'd put out the night before. The entire city of Chicago was made of wood. People, this is an amazing book. The personal accounts Murphy weaves in and out of the tale are harrowing and wonderfully done. Rather than a painful history lesson, this book makes the story personal and human. Most impressive, to my mind, is the series of chapters Murphy dedicates to the post-fire Chicago rebuilding effort. The author wins my "responsible historian" vote by repeatedly pointing out that the rich were quick to assign blame for this fire on the poor immigrant working class. The O'Learys (who owned the barn where it began) were eventually driven out of their own town by the nasty lies of the press. Chicago comes off looking wonderful after the fire (the spirit of the people was so invigorating!) and the worse for wear (the classism was absolutely ridiculous). My sole objection to this book was that we never heard a peep about the many African Americans who lived in Chicago at this time. Surely they were just as affected by the massive fire as anyone. Yet not a single mention is made of them. Beautiful endnotes follow this account. This book would be excellent read aloud to students. It builds like a novel and draws the reader in. Would pair well with other stories of American disaster (the Titanic for example).

Exciting - What a Writer!!!!!
Jim Murphy's books are always a favorite with my 11-year-old son, but this was one of our favorites. My husband and I read it via audio book, and it was so vivid and so interesting we stayed up until we had read (listened) to the whole thing. Next we're reading his Civil War book. Thank you, Mr. Murphy!!!

The Great Fire
The Great Fire of Chicago happened in 1871 on a dry Sunday. The fire began in a barn and swept throughout the city. Through the author Jim Murphy the book takes you through the lives of many people. Eventually it rains, extinguishing the fire and leaving 98,500 people homeless. The Great Fire was one of those books that starts out boring, but if you continue to read or listen to it you'll notice yourself wanting to know what happens next. This book goes through the lives of the people during the fire and shows their hardships through great detail. The Great Fire was caused by many mistakes including a tired fire department. They did all they could, but were unsuccessful because they were unprepared for such a disaster. I would recommend this book to people searching for a good historical non-fiction book.

My students LOVED this book!
I read this book to my 4th and 5th grade class and they loved it! I was afraid they might be bored but the writing is fantastic and the story really interested them. They remember all of the details and have been talking about the fire with their friends and parents. We were all really disappointed when we came to the final page. I've even become inspired to read more about the fire. ... Read more

Book Description

1793, Philadelphia. The nation"s capital and the largest city in North America is devastated by an apparently incurable disease, cause unknown . . .
In a powerful, dramatic narrative, critically acclaimed author Jim Murphy describes the illness known as yellow fever and the toll it took on the city"s residents, relating the epidemic to the major social and political events of the day and to 18th-century medical beliefs and practices. Drawing on first-hand accounts, Murphy spotlights the heroic role of Philadelphia"s free blacks in combating the disease, and the Constitutional crisis that President Washington faced when he was forced to leave the city—and all his papers—while escaping the deadly contagion. The search for the fever"s causes and cure, not found for more than a century afterward, provides a suspenseful counterpoint to this riveting true story of a city under siege.

Thoroughly researched, generously illustrated with fascinating archival prints, and unflinching in its discussion of medical details, this book offers a glimpse into the conditions of American cities at the time of our nation"s birth while drawing timely parallels to modern-day epidemics. Bibliography, map, index. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Superb
Finally, a great nonfiction book written for children. It keeps ones interest all the way through, and is a great companion with "Fever 1793."

An Intense and interesting read
Jim Murphy amazes, educates and horrifies with his wonderful Siebert Award winning and Newberry Honor Book, AN AMERICAN PLAGUE. Murphy deftly describes the political, social, medical and economic conditions that allowed the yellow fever epidemic to devastate Philadelphia in the 1790s in a way that is truly terrifying but nonetheless intriguing.
I couldn't put it down.

Shining example of nonfiction for young people
Jim Murphy's award winning book is a wonderful example of literary nonfiction for young people that's every bit as compelling and well-researched as that for adults. Other recent noteworthy books are Candace Fleming's innovative Ben Franklin's Almanac, Russell Freedman's In Defense of Liberty, and Deborah Hopkinson's fascinating book on immigrants in New York City, SHUTTING OUT THE SKY.

Worth reading
This book is a great read for several reasons:
1. It tells a compelling story.
2. It is written in an informal style that helps makes you feel like you are there as events unfold, and without academic historical jargon or obscure references.
3. The use of archival images and newspapers is terrific.
4. It made me interested to read some of the source documents consulted by the author, such as first person diaries of the time.
5. Lots of fascinating facts for people interested in how American started out as goverment and the challenges it faced.
6. It shows how relatively ignorant science and medicine was back then (bloodletting was still basic medical practice).
7. The book does a good job of giving the details of the story from many different perspectives--from the pauper in the street, to George Washington's frustration.
8. It makes you think about how our goverment now to a big epidemic.
9. It shows how heroic and noble the first African-Americans were at that time, and what a vital service they provided this country through their skill, dedication, compassion and piety.

A few minor quibbles with the editing: I found a glaring typo in a chapter heading, and some of the narrative is repetitious.

On the whole a very good book for young and older people alike.

A disclaimer: It turns out that the author of this book lives in my relatively small town, but I have never met him, don't know what he looks like, but thank him just the same.

A fascinating book
In August 1793, the capital of the new United States, Philadelphia, was in the grip of a heat wave. Suddenly, in the poorer quarters of the city, the poor began to sicken and die in the most horrible of ways. Many people fled, while other worked to stem the tide of illness. Armed with an archaic (and downright wrong) theory of medicine, the city could do little but suffer as this disease raged throughout the city, carrying off some 4-5,000 people (out of a population of 51,000). This is the story of that plague (Yellow Fever), its effects on the country, and its possible future.

This book was written for younger readers, but is detailed and informative enough to interest even the oldest of readers. I found the book to be quite fascinating, and learned a good deal about the state of medicine at the time. The final chapter, which attempts to scare the reader with the idea of a return of Yellow Fever, I found to be a bit out-of-focus. Nonetheless, I found this to be a fascinating book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the early days of the American Republic. ... Read more

Book Description

Ever since sixteen-year-old Tabitha Fortune was a child growing up in Rim, South Dakota, she's heard stories about ghost horses-nightmare creatures whose giant bones haunt the sandstone cliffs near the Badlands. When paleontologist Dr. Phineas X. Parker announces plans to dig for these bones, Tabitha vows to join his crew.

But this is 1899, and the world has different expectations for young women. Tabitha's preacher father urges her to abandon her interest in science. "Pray for a godly husband", he lectures, "not a godless education." Even Dr. Parker discourages Tabitha, saying, "Vertebrate paleontology is no place for a lady." That leaves Tabitha with just one choice-and being a "lady" has nothing to do with it. ... Read more

Book Description

One lovely spring day, fourteen-year-old Bright Morning and her friend Running Bird take their sheep to pasture. The sky is clear blue against the red buttes of the Canyon de Chelly, and the fields and orchards of the Navahos promise a rich harvest. Bright Morning is happy as she gazes across the beautiful valley that is the home of her tribe. Happy until the barking of Black Dog disturbs her and she tums. It is then that she sees the Spanish slavers riding straight toward her. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Review
A Review by Erik

One Spring Day two Indians from the Canyon de Chelly named Bright Morning, her
Black Dog, and friend Running Bird that finally turned fourteen. They decide to take their sheep to a mesa to feed. When the sheep were grazing Bright Morning's black dog barked and they turned around and saw two riders with twoextra horses that asked for directions but were really Spanish Slavers that
captured them.... Will they get away?

I like this book because of how it doesn't bore you with too much detail but get a good description of how everything looks. In the beginning you find out
that it's a spring day and gives a small amount of detail about the surroundings. Something I didn't like was how you don't really get a good character description. You barely know if they are a man or woman and their names are like Running Bird or Bright Morning. I also like that it lets you learn about the time period when the Spaniard's are taking slaves for there
cities. You get to see how they felt about this and how the people treated the Navaho's and what the Spaniard's were like.

The people I would recommend this book to would have to like historicalfiction. I think that it was a good story on how to learn about how the Spaniard's take the Navaho Indian's to be their Slaves as well as what their
lives were similar to.

"A good short story"
Sing Down the Moon is a story written by Scott O'Dell about a Navaho girl named Bright Morning. This is a very interesting book for those people out there that perfer an adventure over sitting on the couch. This story is about when Bright Morning being able to finally take her mother's sheep out during spring with her friend Running Bird. Then, all of a sudden, Spanish slaves appear over the hill to capture children, later to be sold. Of course they capture Bright Morning and Running Bird. They travel to a town where Bright Morning recognized no one and was sold to a lady that was very kind to her, yet Bright Morning was still unhappy. Later she met a girl named Nehana who also wants to escape. Will they escape? You have to read to find out. This book was a little too short for my taste, but nonetheless it was very exciting! The book leaves you wondering: What's going to happen next? Is she going to make it? I normally don't like historical fictions, but for this book I'll make an exception.

Some of the truth about the long walk.
When I read this book I thought that the book was interesting and at the sametime a little sad. I thought it was sad because my ancestors were the one that had to suffer the hard times through the Long walk. The Soldiers were the one that had no repect for the Navajos. They were the one that would shoot any one that would stop, just because an eldery person had to stop to take a break or a Navajo lady was about to have a baby.

I think if some of the Soldiers ever regret what they did to the Navajo's. Even thought they may have just rode the horses along side of the Navajo's that were walking for more then 300 miles. To different places and showing them to they people at Santa Fe. Kit Carson was a mean and hateful guy to the Navajo's

that is all i have to say about the Long Walk.
I hope that it never happen agian, and that the Navajo's fought for us to keep this wonderful and beautful place full of adventure.

Singing Down the Moon
1. SDM took place over a period of two year, starting in spring and ending in spring. The book starts of in a village called Canyon de Chelly, which is located in Arizona. As Bright Morning was tending her sheep one day a pack of Spaniards came and took Bright Morning and her friend, Running Bird. The Spaniards took her and Running Moon to a village where they were to be slave girls. After being there for a little while Bright Morning and Running Bird run away from the village with help from their friend, Nehana (also a slave girl). Final they return home to their village. Then not soon after they are forced out of their village by the "Long Knives". For a few days they hide in a mesa above their village. Finally they are forced to leave because of the supply of food and water is low. When they come down form they mesa they are captured by the "Long Knives". The Long Knives Force the Navahos to go on a long journey to Bosque Redondo. This journey was 300 miles long and called the "Long Walk". After being in Bosque Redondo and getting married to Tall Boy, Bright Morning and Tall Boy run away and go to Canyon de Chelly where she has her baby boy, but then they have to leave because they saw some Long Knives. Finally they end up in Hidden Canyon were Bright Morning used to tend her sheep. There they find supplies that Bright Morning had put in a cave in case of an emergency a few years back.
SDM took place around 1863-1865, over a period of two years. The book started in the spring in the year of the deer. In early 1864, the Navaho tribe was forced on the "Long Walk" to Bosque Redondo. Bright Morning and Tall Boy stay there until 1865, when they decide to run away. Then the book ends in 1865 in the season of spring.
2. Bright Morning is brave, "I had never been afraid before, or only once." (O'Dell 3) She is also obedient, "Tall Boy will marry her only because she is pretty and obedient" (O'Dell 9) Bright Morning is caring. "one girl about my age was caring two young children on her back. They were heavy for her and I asked if I could carry one of them for her" (O'Dell 80)
3. SDM is about a 14 year old girl named, Bright Morning. While tending for her sheep one day she is kidnapped by some Spaniards. Then she ends up running away. Then the Long Knives force her Navaho tribe to flee there land forcing them to live on a run down piece of land along with other tribes, called Bosque Redondo. After being there for a little under two years she gets married to Tall Boy. They decide to run away. They finally end up back at their village with there new born son, but they have to go to a place called Hidden Canyon.

anouther great book by Scott O'Dell
I would recomend this book to people with indian back round because it gives you a little knoulege on what indians went through in those days.

This book is exiting and keeps you on your toes.This Is a great book for everyone I recomend you read it.

Sincerly
Hillary ... Read more

Book Description

This thrilling adventure back in time to the pioneering days of wagon trains uses real objects from the past in close-up to bring the period fully alive. Discover how a typical family from Indiana traveling to Oregon in a covered wagon really lived: how they dressed; what they ate; what they saw; how they survived the hazardous journey. Chronicles a day in the life of the Larkin family, from breakfast cooked over a campfire, until the first watch takes up duties for the night. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Family Travel
Follow the Larkin family on their journey from Indiana to Oregon in 1853 in search of a more prosperous life. This book uses actual pictures of objects from the past, many drawings,and diary writings. Their journey took almost 5 months, the family had to travel over 2,000 miles.Some of the 24 chapters include The Wagon, Indian Country, Children's Activities, Crossing A River, Stopping At A fort, Sickness and Death. A greatly detailed book with an abundance of color pictures on every page. Fantastic!! ... Read more