Boys Books

Fantastic read from the magic of childhood hopes and dreams, to the harsh reallity of Discipline in the Royal Navy.
Any ex-matelot will recall the trails and tribulations of the author during his time in the Royal Navy
A must read .
Unputdownable.

Terry's totally frank, no-holds-barred, account of part of his life. A truly great read for ALL ex and serving members of HM Forces and truckers alike.... Well done Terry...looking forward to the next one!

The story of the journey not just through distance but from boyhood to manhood, from infancy to maturity and from naivety to wisdom, A truly nomadic saga that charts the authors travels, trials, and tribulations to the four corners of the earth.
Strictly NOT PC but written with humour, courage and an earthiness that is refreshing in this day and age, of particular interest to ex serving members of the Royal Navy who will find it particularly easy to identify with the author, It was a pleasure to read.

Well laid out book, runs from one scene to the next and draws the reader with it.

One part, where he describes his fathers death, was a real eye opener for me. So eloquently written, it moved me more than I remember any other passage doing.

I loved the "rip-roaring" "swash buckling" nature of Terry's life and can't wait for a sequel.

I was never in the Navy but his description of the life enhances my regret at never joining.

Must buy book for anyone.

I have already reviewed this book for the publishers and have no hesitation in writing another. This book is one of the easiest books I have read to review simply because I can relate to many of the stories in it. It was written, not to be seen as a literary work of art on which the author could rest on his laurals, as many first books are, but from the memory of things gone by, things loved and hated, things never forgotten and things best forgotten. It is, in essence, a book about life, and one persons life seen through their own eyes. I have been to many of the places described by the author, places terrestial, and places experienced. I have been locked up in a cell with a wooden bed and pillow, have survived on 8 ounces of cabbage and 12 biscuits a day, and I have seen the sunrise over the Armada Club in Singapore and praised the Lord I was there to see it. I have seen the meanest and leanest and cruelest who simply wanted to crush me, but I have also seen, as has the author, the best in humankind, and this is in part what this book is about. Once Navy, always Navy, is the motto of the Royal Navy Association. It is the truest motto I have ever read. There is nothing that can compare to the simple "oppo" as a friend is known to anyone who served in the Royal Navy. There is sadness and gladness in this book in abundance. It is simply written and being so awakens memories and ideas that for many were long forgotten. It is for me the best book I have read since I left the Navy 22 years ago, and is a must for anyone over 30 year old, which actually implies that anyone under that age probably wouldn't understand what it was about! Learning time kiddies!
Fred Rummery
Ex CY RN
1961 - 1980

What's this? Charlie Kaplan turned into a bug! Find out how, by reading Bug Boy by Carol Sonenklar. It's about a boy who can turn into bugs when he gets a Bug-A-View. Charlie has many adventures while he is a bug. I liked this book because in the beginning it was suspenseful when he didn't know what the Bug-A-View was. I think it would be so cool to be a bug. The author's message is of friendship. Even though you make new friends, you don't have to give up your old ones. Charlie has some exciting adventures. How will Charlie change back into human form? Read this book and find out!

How would it feel to be locked in a garbage truck? Well, that almost happened to Charlie Kaplan in the book Bug Boy, by Carol Sonenklar. This book is about a boy who changes into different insects. One day on his porch he finds something that looks like a flashlight. It says, �See the world from a bug�s eye view,� and that�s exactly what he does. I liked when he turned into a tarantula and crawled onto his mom�s face. She sneezed and he flew all the way to the back of the room. This story has a lot of insect adventures. Read this book to learn more about what happens to Charlie.

How would it feel if you were a fly? Charlie Kaplan becomes a fly in the book Bug Boy by Carol Sonenklar. I like this book because it is very cool that he turns into a bug. I give this book a ten. His favorite show is Spiderman and so is mine. I want to read Bug Girl too. I bet it will be really cool like Bug Boy. The author tells a lot about bugs like spiders and beetles in this book so you actually learn while you read. Will Charlie be a fly forever? Read this book to find out.

What would you do if you got a package and you didn't know who it was from? Bug Boy by Carol Sodenklar is about a boy who one day finds a package at the door. The package turns you into a bug when you say you want to be a bug. I like this book because I think it is funny that the kid is a bug. Can you imagine a boy being a bug? The author was writing this book to entertain kids. You should see what kind of bug he turns into! Read this book to find out!

Have you ever turned into a bug? You can find out in Bug Boy, by Carol Sonenklar. When one boy named Charlie Caplan gets a bug transformer he can turn into any bug he wants to. But he takes big risks being a bug. At one point in the book his teacher almost steps on him. I liked this book a lot because the author wrote it so well you could picture what was happening in your head. This book told me risks can be fun but dangerous. Will Charlie get eaten? You can find out in Bug Boy.

You know when you read a finely crafted short story with vivid characters and incidents, and you wish it could go on and on? Well, this book is like that. It's written with the economy and attention to detail you find in a great short story, and instead of ending, it expands into a wonderful novel.

Long makes me think of both Chekhov and Anne Tyler. Here we have four sisters in a backwater town in northern Montana, each with a decidedly different character but still bound to each other in the way that families are. They emerge from girlhood, working in their father's restaurant, and one by one they take on their roles as adults. One marries a carpenter, fresh out of school. One marries an antique dealer. One goes off to San Francisco to live a kind of bohemian life; then returns; then leaves again. The youngest stays with her father, until he unexpectedly sells the restaurant.

It is 1952 when the novel starts. Then it jumps ahead to 1960, and the configuration of sisters takes a gradual turn as the young husband of one of them drifts into a relationship with another one. And when the inevitable revelation occurs, there is a bitter break-up, and a period of many months until things are patched up again.

The story is told mostly through the point of view of three characters - the young unfaithful husband, the youngest of the sisters, and her father, a widower whose days and nights are often warmly touched by memories of his dead wife. We meet several secondary characters, all sharply drawn and springing from the page in deftly told details of speech and behavior.

Long has a fine ability to capture characters and relationships in dialogue. He knows how people talk, how they use language to strike attitudes, pass judgments, reassure, humor each other. Meanwhile, the Montana seasons come and go - autumn, miserable winter, and early spring. Time passes, crises are resolved, lives move on. And after the pain of betrayal, separation, anger, and hurt, there is triumph over the forces that drive people apart.

I loved this book and happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys domestic comic-drama, memorable characters, and fine writing.

I picked up this book after reading Long's collection of stories "Blue Spruce" and feel sure I am going to be reading his other works as well. Long's story gives us an insight into smalltown America, totally different from what we see in Hollywood movies and such. It's simple and honest and explores the basic and fundamental intricacies in human relationships. I personally find the protrayal of the Stavros sisters interesting as one can see the mirror and similarities in the characteristics of the four of them. Although the main focus of the novel was on Mark and his marriage to Olivia, I think more enduring was the flashbacks of Nick's marriage to his long-dead wife, Grace. That is a bond that overcomes differences, difficulties, temptations and time -- gathering all the strands of the novel together and thereby providing a centre for the story. I would have liked to have the WHOLE TRUTH about Celia and Linny, Olivia and Linny, and all the other little mysteries peppered throughout in the novel, but that would just have detracted from the novel's purpose and might just have reduced it as a whole. I enjoyed this book which spoke to my heart and by the way, isn't Davey just adorable?

It would be an uninteresting world if no one made mistakes, wouldn't it? What would we write and read about? In this book, the path to error, and the path out of it, are shown with understanding, clarity, pain, and courage. As these four sisters pursue their lives, one sister's husband observes, intrudes, upsets and finally helps to restore family balance. The book gives us an interesting portrayal of the web woven by connected women--and gave me some empathy for the men who are enmeshed, and yet somehow excluded by the ties that bind us. A quiet, well-written novel of betrayal and forgiveness; read it for the characters, remember it for the lessons.

On many different levels, the Falling Boy is a joy to read. The story of Mark Singer and the family he marries into is a fairly simple one, but the reach of the novel is so much greater.

David Long invests the ordinary with so much meaning and life, without making his observations at all contrived. The Falling Boy will make you look at your own familiar surroundings in a new light.

A perfect read for a quiet day.

I have just finished reading this exquisite novel and I know it will be with me for days to come. Mr. Long has written a beautiful story, not just about marital infidelity but about the "messiness" of life in general. His characters are distinctly drawn without ever becoming archtypes, recognizable even if we have never met anyone exactly like them. There is so much here that strikes a chord of recognition not in a showy, lightning striking way but as gentle thoughts curling up in those many recesses our souls develop as we age and experience. The short story writer that Mr. Long is shows in the well-crafted but clean prose that is a hallmark of this novel. Thank you, Mr. Long. I look forward to reading your other work.

This book is a good self-reading story with a fun character my second grader can relate to.

My daughter loves Fancy Nancy books. I think the character is cute and perfect for little girls. This is a starter book, but I figured she could pass it on to younger friends and get them started on Fancy Nancy after she reads it.

My five year old daughter enjoys listening to Fancy Nancy and recites pages and those 'fancy words' throughout her day.

She's charming...and you can't help but love her. How cute it was that she thought she had finally met a real French person...oh well, Paris, Texas isn't very close to the Riveria, but as the book says, she did make a new friend, and that's a good thing too.

This book is darling and fun to read with a kindergartener/first grader. If you like the other "Fancy Nancy" books, then you'll be pleased with this one. You can't beat the price.

Just be prepared to read this over and over again.
My almost 2 year old adores this book and it has been his absolute favourite for the past 3 months. Yes, I have read it almost daily as a result. But despite that, his almost 5 year old sister and I are still happy to endure another reading even if we all know the words by heart, have gorilla impressions that David Attenborough would be proud of, and can do a rendition of "O Sole Mio" that would have the Three Tenors groaning. And that cheeky face on the cover? Well, the 2 year old now pulls faces exactly like that and it makes ME laugh every time. That Anthony Browne? He's alright and I hope he's somebody's Dad.

This is a favorite of my grandson. He practically reads it by himself. We found it in the library then decided he should have his own copy. This lead to, also, getting MY MOM. These are well loved books.

This is a fantastic book, especially to give dad on Father's Day or his birthday. It is a charming tribute to the daddy who is the funniest, nicest, strongest, bravest and just plain best in the eyes of his little girl or boy. It is good humored and happy, written in a style children find very appealing.

I love Anthony Brown books especially due to his amazing drawings.
In this short book (short of words, that is) it is again the drawings that do the work.
Each page presents the father as another animal figure dressed in Dad's pajamas, depicting all the animal' s great qualities.
The pictures are great as usual, but something is missing. It seems that there are no "further layers" as you get for example in Anthony Brown's "Gorilla", a book which I feel is a real masterpiece. In that book, every reading brings something new when the little details of the drawings offer another aspect, another small joke and all in all add to the reading of the story, which becomes a real "experience" both child and parent can enjoy. This does not really happen in "My Dad".
The only "something else" I found in "My Dad" is the fact that the father, although described by the son as a superhuman figure, is presented very humanly in each page. Always in his pajamas with his unshaven face - which makes him ever so dear and easy to identify with.
I read the book to my 2.5 year old son who enjoys the book and its simplistic message. My disappointment is not because this is not a worthy book. It is. I was just hoping for another masterpiece...

Some things in life are best kept simple. This book does it. For any son that loves his father (uh...provided they are under the age of 10)

I met author John Cummings some years ago in New York, when I was working in publishing. He offered to show me a novel he was writing about Harpers Ferry, and as I'd just visited there with my daughter, I read it eagerly. Cut to this spring, when I heard it was finally being published and ran out to buy it. Imagine my surprise when I found it to be an almost completely different version of what I'd read! That told me two things: one, that this is a fine, fully-realized young-adult novel, and two, that John is that kind of serious, diligent writer who can write and rewrite, think and analyze and continue to hone his work. This careful craftsmanship has resulted in a rich and gratifying reading experience with this initial book, but I'll bet that we'll see much more of this thoughtful work from John down the road.

The pains and pleasures of growing up are keenly depicted in THE NIGHT I FREED JOHN BROWN. These days, I'm a reading teacher in a Denver public school, and I'm surrounded by kids who are about to go through these tough transitions; I'm planning to give at least one copy of this book as a reading prize, as well as asking my school librarian to feature and recommend it. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Cumming's book is several things at once, a peak into what life could be life in Harpers Ferry (where Cummings grew up), a look at one of the most fascinating men in American history and a book which any son with dad issues can identity with.

I highly recommend it.

A charming book for young readers and adults alike. Fascinating recollection of life in tourist-driven Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Young Josh is sensitive, artistic, curious and hopeful... yet burdened with the shame of his family's history, social standing and often embarrassing behavior. He's ultimately an optimist who believes in making things right--though there are several instances where his good intentions don't turn out the way he intends. Kudos to John Michael Cummings for a delightful first novel!

Review of The Night I Freed John Brown, by John Michael Cummings.

by Gabriel Welsch, originally published in Mid-American Review v. 28, n. 2

After publishing nearly 100 stories in prestigious print journals and online magazines, John Michael Cummings has "debuted" with his novel, The Night I Freed John Brown, a brisk and heartfelt coming-of-age story of a misfit growing up with more than the usual burdens of living in a tourist trap.

Set in Harper's Ferry, Virginia, home to John Brown and an epicenter for Civil War era merchandising and tourism, the novel builds toward a chaos that reminded me of what might happen if George Saunders were to play the life-in-a-theme-park theme straight.

The story centers on two boys growing up on opposite sides of the experience. Luke is a historian's son, living in the stately antique home next door to where Josh and his family's run-down limestone house and overgrown yard. Josh's family, and particularly his acerbic and antisocial father, put down roots long before Brown the folk hero became Brown the Person of Historical Significance.

Josh's father loathes the tourists, rages about being watched all the time, and none-too-subtly works to hide himself, his home, and his family from the otherwise scrubbed and period-perfect surroundings. Josh's mother is long-suffering, though possessed of a backbone that while hinted at, comes to little in the story. Josh's parents fight obliquely, and Cummings captures what it is like to overhear cryptic bits of conversations that children know started before they were born.

Those conversations have to do with the father's lapsed and inconsistent Catholicism, his struggle and ire toward the church and its current, progressive director, "Father `Ron,'" and the fate and upkeep of a family house, well away from town but visible out by the tracks, that is an exact replica of the showpiece home next door but is abandoned by the river, haunted only by dope smoking local teens and the odd bum.

To add to Josh's struggles, he has a pair of ne'er-do-wells for brothers: "Seeing my brothers out in the town was like looking in the mirror at the worst time. We were not clean-cut, cute boys like the tourist kids, or like Luke and his brothers for that matter. Jerry had a small, red, scrunched-up face that looked to be in pain all the time. Robbie had a chipped front tooth; old Sharky, they called him at school. And thanks to Dad giving us crew cuts every month with a Sears home barber kit, we looked like cue balls."

Class warfare, angry Catholic family, history, severe appearance deficits, what more could a young boy want? Josh hates that his father's anti-social paranoia makes the family avoid tourists and bans all guests from being inside the home. But as the story progresses, and the father shows glimpses of a friendlier, happier man he might once have been, Josh wants to know more. In a pivotal scene in the book, his father tells a story about what is essentially a lucky plant that grows among the weeds of their yard, cowmint. A plant not listed in any field guides, cowmint is a low grower, but one which because Josh's father once convinced someone it is lucky, now appears to have those same qualities for Josh.

While working to unravel the mystery of his father, things go wrong for Josh as he fraternizes with Luke, and his learned and suave historian father, irritating his dad all the more. When Josh attends and participates in a play about John Brown, one his father had forbid him being part of, the punishment is draconian, and Josh, full of rage and rebellion, sets in motion a chain of events that lead to the chaos of the novel's end.

Cummings is able to keep a sense of suspense thrumming through the book, as well as several simultaneous plots running and clear. While this is a book billed as one "for young adult readers," the story is mature, sad, affecting, and challenging. The characters' flaws make them frustrating, at times tragic, and Cummings resists the temptation to let them off the hook or to let them veer too far from who they are.

Admittedly, sometimes there is writing like this, "In that second, I caught sight of myself in the only crappy little mirror in our house, and my face was nothing any mirror should ever show." The whole catching conscience in a reflection is something that, because it is a book for young readers, I am inclined at first to forgive. But then, why should young readers not expect a solid effort, especially when so many other parts of this story are so well done and so compelling?

It's a small quibble to have with a book wherein a skilled writer holds several plots aloft at once, keeping our interest in what will happen. The end wraps pretty neatly, and maybe should, for its audience, but then details of the story sing, the father character lingers long afterward, and it is easy to stay with these characters long afterward, wondering at the ways the events of that summer played on in their lives.

The Night I Freed John Brown is a very fine read that I would recommend to adolescents and adults alike. My two children enjoyed the storyline thoroughly and anxiously await the author's next great work. Keep up the good work!

One of the books you find difficult to put down until you finished the entire book. A story of a small boy looking out of a window at a world of the holocaust with all its horror and who is able to escape, survive and prosper in this land despite a difficult family relationship except for his love for his brother. The story of how he became a successful business man and a loving, caring family man despite his relationship with his parents should be reading material for all young people.

A soulful personal account of the Holocaust, loss of freedom and property, and relocation to America by a true survivor. Initiated through his child-eyed visions of Nazi dominance in his Austrian homeland, Mr. Abeles' brings us full circle to his tremendous success and triumph as an American citizen and businessman. An outstanding testament to the power of the American dream, and the immigration opportunities that our forefathers intended....

Even though some parents don't know how or can't display their love in traditional ways, Peter Abeles' story shows that the love is still there. How much he and his brother loved each other was emphasized by the lack of expression by his parents. The beautiful part is how Peter learned how to express his love with the help of his wife Bonnie. Unfortunately, these lessons were learned after his parents' death. Everybody can learn from Peter's story.

The book takes you on a journey with a young boy named Otto. His family's trip from Vienna during the start of the Holocaust to their arrival in America. When Otto looks out the window he sees how everyone else around him live with loving parents. He finds no love in his own family except for Otto's brother Heinz Robert. Otto's success is due to hard work and long hours. This has taken him away from his own family. Eventually, the long hours at work pay off with success and family love and appreciation. A joy to read and to think about your own family's hardships and success. I am gald that my son-in-law (Joe) gave me this book to read.

Peter has done a beautiful job in describing the necessity of finding out about your past if you want experience peace in your life today and in the future. Often we don't want to look "back there" but the author shows us much courage and honesty in confronting the demons of his past and the healing that comes as a result.

Just to reiterate. My [...] teacher, Mrs. Childs, from Madison Elementary in Ogden Utah read us this tale, daily, but only if we were good. We lived righteously in those days, just to hear the tale. I have bought it now, to read to my grandkids. Maybe the best book I remember as a child...right alongside Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, of course. A MUST READ! Please, don't let a chance to read this with your kids, or grandkids, pass.....you will never forget the experience.

This story was read to me in 4th grade in a small 4 room school
house in Wyoming, just about 60 miles South of the town of Wilson in Star Valley, Wyoming. My teacher read to the class for about 1/2 hour after the lunch recess to calm us down. I have never forgotten this book and at age 60 now am recommending it to a book group of women friends, most I have know for more than 30 years. We will go from the Bay Area of California, to Wyoming near where these events actually happened and review the book. We will go to Wilson, to the little town named after the author.

The book fascinated me as a child and as I have re-read it recently, I know it stirs my imagination and wonder again about the real experiences of this young boy with incredible courage and good luck. At his age I would have loved nothing more than to have done just as he did. Knowing the experiences he had, so very well expressed, I can imagine any child or adult with an active imagination for a life in the "Old West" will dream to have been this "white" Indian Boy. I recommend it as a gift for both young girls and boys to see the past from the perspective of a boy who really did go to another culture and had an incredible adventure. I wish it could of been me!

Uncle Nick is my great, great, great, great grandfather. I have heard and read the stories many times. I own Among the Shoshoes which came after The White Indian Boy. I have been trying to find a first edition of this book if anyone can help please let me know. My E-mail address is hunterik1@comcast.net

Thanks!!

Years ago, this book was given to me by Perry Driggs, the son of William Driggs who helped Nick Wilson record his stories. I scanned it at the time, but it has only been recently that I fully read it along with my 9 year old daughter. Neither one of us could put it down. Besides fascinating stories, this book gives very interesting insights into the early pioneer life, indian culture, and the indian-white man conflict. There are even very subtle insights about the influence of the Mormon Church in the life of young Nick.

Above all, I have the strong impression that these stories were told exactly as remembered by Mr. Wilson-- without hyperbole. He shows humility in freely admitting his weaknesses throughout the book and only a scholar could have reproduced the details as he has portrayed them. Some may be offended by the seeming "political incorrectness" in this book. I find it a refreshingly honest, unsanitized look at the way things were in the old frontier.

Written in a very simple style, this book is an easy and enjoyable read for even young children.

This book was written as a series of stories told by the author early in this century. It was first published in the early 1900's and has been republished multiple times since. All of the versions, variously titled "The White Indian Boy", "Uncle Nick among the Shoshones", or "Among the Shoshones" have the same text and pictures. For many years it was required reading in the Intermountain West during Elementary or Secondary School. Whenever I give a copy to someone, many of them remember loving this book when they first read it or had it read to them by a teacher 50 or more years ago.

It really is that good. The tales are direct, simple and entertaining. You will remember them 50 years later just like all of those who have read it before.

Nick Wilson ran away from his Utah pioneer home in the 1850's, soon after Utah received its first settlers. The mother of Chief Washakie, a prominent Shoshone chief, had lost her 2 other sons and dreamed they would be replaced by a white boy. Nick was an 11 year old who spent his days herding sheep, working on a farm and living on "lumpy dick" and "greens", which are just as good as they sound. He had a facility for languages and had picked up Goshiute from an Indian Boy who was his childhood friend. When Shoshone Indians heard him speaking an Indian language, they offered him a pony, adventure, venison and grouse and, best of all, no tiring farmwork.

He left without a word to anyone and spent 2 years with the Shoshone as they wandered over Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. He learned Shoshone quickly and learned Indian skills. He hunted, travelled and participated fully in Indian life. He shot arrows at grizzly bears, gathered serviceberries and was an eyewitness of a large Indian battle between the Crow and Shoshone. He met Indians who knew Lewis and Clark.

The book also includes later adventures as a trapper, original Pony Express rider, Army Scout, and many other adventures. General Albert Sydney Johnson of Civil War fame was so enamored of his skills that he tried to talk Nick into going to the Civil War with him. Kit Carson spent a winter at his cabin. Nick was even shot in the head with an arrow and left to die.

This is the authentic article, well-told and gripping. The last year of his life, Nick Wilson was bedridden and his mind began to wander. He never spoke another word of English and spoke only Shoshone until his death. He recognized the faults of his Indian brothers but loved them dearly and wasn't afraid to say that the faults were mostly on the side of the white man.

Recommended highly.

Red and Rover has become one of my favorite comic strips. They are an adorable pair and they make me smile. It's a simple and heartfelt relationship that is a great escape from today's world. This collection tells of how the two meet and the title really says it all, it's all about a time and a feeling - one that we all wish we were a part of.

This is a wonderful little book. There is a warmth of emotion shared between animal and human that I just love. A great read and I'll enjoy it over and over again.

I first heard of Red and Rover in our newspaper, just after my dog passed away. I miss my dog so much and Red and Rover remind me of the relationship I had with my dog. That comic strip was like a gift from Heaven for me. Even on my worst day, just reading Red and Rover would put a smile on my face. When I learned there was a book about Red and Rover, I ordered it right away. When I received the book, I could not put it down! It makes me laugh out loud and makes me happy. Brian Basset should be congratulated on creating Red and Rover and showing us that this world can be a happier place just by the simple things in life...like a boy and his dog and their wonderful adventures together. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys life, and especially for anyone who has shared their life with a dog!

There is nothing better than a comic strip to take your mind of work for a while, and Red & Rover accomplish thisw task with flying colors... One of the best since Calvin and Hobbes

If Red and Rover doesn't give you the warm fuzzies, you must be a cat person. This collection of comics is so sweet and adorable, you just want to give it a hug. The simple retro-style artwork perfectly matches this nostalgic story of a young boy with NASA aspirations and a dog who would follow him to the moon and back. These faithful companions are joined by Martin, Red's terrible teen brother and their parents. If you ever had a canine best friend when you were growing up, this book will definitely bring back memories.

Summary: A comical story of what first appears to be a threatening dragon who the setting's people want to slay. The dragon, however, is of no threat. When St. George is sent to "take care of it" the dragon cowers. When faced with this threat he sullenly, but humorously, replies ". . . Say he can write if he likes, but I can't give him an interview. I am not seeing anybody at present" (page not numbered). The three end fast friends and an uncertain threat is no longer a bother.
The author creates a believable character of a harmless dragon. What usually is portrayed as evil and dangerous, the persona of the dragon generates into a believable story. The twist of the dragon being afraid of St. George adds to the imaginable meaning the writer wants to evolve. Carefully setting the story, the author helps establish the voice of the characters. It evolves into a theme that proves that "things aren't always as they appear."

this is a great kids book. and even i love anything that rhymes. thank you so much.

The original "St. George and the Dragon" story is a frightening tale. Depending on which version you read, the townspeople give the scaly, stinking, vicious, dragon tribute of two sheep per day, and, when they invariably run out of sheep, they begin feeding it their own children. The King is obviously horrified, but what can he do? However, when the lottery selects his own daughter, who should appear but Sir George, (later the patron Saint of England) just in time for the king, if not for the subjects. The daughter worries for his safety, but the knight spears the dragon in its one vulnerable spot, then in a gallant display, borrows the daughter's girdle to drag the wounded dragon down to the town. For his own tribute, George asks only that the citizens become baptized; after this, he cuts off the dragon's head. Not a good ending for the dragon, but then, he wasn't a very nice dragon.

Like others before him, Kenneth Grahame modified this bloody tale for the consumption of the very young, and turned it completely on its head. This dragon would rather sleep than slay, purr than prey, and his true nature is discovered by a tow-headed young boy who gradually becomes friends with the pacifist, poetry-loving beast ("why I wouldn't hurt a fly."). Lay low, he advises him. Naturally, though, St. George arrives, and everyone acts as expected--except for the dragon. He simply refuses to attend his own demise:

"Well, tell him [St. George] to go away," said the dragon. "I'm sure he's not nice. Say he can write if he likes. But I won't see him." The boy, however, understands the underlying social pressures (which echo those of the British class system during Grahame's time) and replies: "But you've got to," said the boy. "You've got to fight him, you know, because he's St. George and you're the dragon."

The dragon, the knight, and the young boy, a person with neither power nor social distinction, make a plan. The plan is simple: Fake it. And so, like one of Vince McMahon's TV "wrestling" matches, St. George and the Dragon have it out, with flames and fury, and, as St. George just barely pierces the dragon in a pre-arranged safe spot. The townspeople, who have brought picnics for the presumed slaughter, were satisfied with the spectacle: "And all the others were happy because there had been a fight, and-well, they didn't need any other reason."

The original story, one of several short studies published in Grahame's "Dream Days" (1898, ten years before Grahame's most famous and beloved work, "The Wind in the Willows") may be found at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=GraDrea.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=7&division=div1. Grahame wrote "The Reluctant Dragon" long at times, and one sees his concerns with religion and nature so evident in the river adventure scene of Wind in the Willows. Inga Moore takes out most of the slower, descriptive narrative (which might be enjoyed by older readers), and focuses instead on the dragon/boy/St. George relationships and the exciting battle. Compare the following excerpts (the first is Grahame's); this is great abridgement except for the inexplicable deletion of the last sentence, a very funny, modernist touch by Graham:

1. Then a cloud of smoke obscured the mouth of the cave, and out of the midst of it the dragon himself, shining, sea-blue, magnificent, pranced splendidly forth; and everybody said, "Oo-oo-oo!" as if he had been a mighty rocket! His scales were glittering, his long spiky tail lashed his sides, his claws tore up the turf and sent it flying high over his back, and smoke and fire incessantly jetted from his angry nostrils. "Oh, well done, dragon!" cried the Boy, excitedly. "Didn't think he had it in him!" he added to himself.
2. Then a cloud of smoke billowed from the mouth of the cave, and out of the midst of it the dragon himself, shining, sea-blue, magnificent, pranced splendidly forth; and everybody said, "Oo-oo-oo!" His scales were glittering, his long spiky tail lashed his sides, his claws tore up the turf and sent it flying high over his back, and smoke and fire jetted from his nostrils. "Oh, well done, dragon!" cried the Boy, excitedly. "Didn't think he had it in him!" he added to himself.

Moore also displays great taste and talent in her beautiful colored pencil and ink drawings. She draws landscapes and houses in a traditional style with meticulous shading and detail, trees show the undertones of illustration from a 1912 publication. The friendly, easygoing dragon is drawn showing an easy confidence and an engaging smile, but he's actor enough to look ferocious when required. He's drawn in one of the most striking shades of blue since the ceramic in the movie "Diva." Overall, Inga Moore honors the original Grahame story while making the story and pictures maximally entertaining for young children. Publisher Candlewick has done it again; this is an extraordinary book.

Fanciful and charming. I enjoyed reading it to my nephew and he loved it too. The artwork is lovely also. I'm looking forward to reading it again, with or without my nephew.

I bought this book for my future child (due Feb 2006) as part of my growing library. I read it through and thought it was cute, if a bit antiquated (what do you expect for a book that was written over 100 years ago?) Basically, a young boy befriends a dragon. When the townsfolk realize the dragon exists, they call upon a champion to vanquish him, blaming the dragon for crimes that he didn't commit. The boy talks to the champion about his friend and they all agree to stage a fight, rather than fight to the death. Once the play fight is over (the champion only gives the dragon a small flesh wound), it is agreed by all that the dragon will not harm anyone and the townsfolk will stop telling lies about the dragon. Nice moral story.

My only problem with the book is that it has been "sensitively abridged". I'm not sure what that means for "The Reluctant Dragon", but my "sensitively abridged" copy of "The Wind in the Willows" (also by Kenneth Graham) edits out silly things like "splashes of whitewash all over his black fur". If the book has to be so politically correct that it can't even refer to the color of an animal's fur, I'm not sure that I really want to associate with the edition. I'd be curious to compare this edition of "The Reluctant Dragon" with the original text now.