Boys Books

Inspiring. Wish it was required reading for every coach. The book describes the world of sports as it should be........encouraging!

Enjoyed the book very much. I lived in Baltimore for a couple years but had no idea there were such great things going on in the inner city. Very inspirational!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not a huge fan of football...but, when I read this book a year ago, I handed out copies to quite a few people! I just bought another copy for myself because I keep giving them away! I'm sure I'll have to order more.
Read this book.

Joe Eherman has captured what is wrong with sports. This is a must read for all coaches.

I had heard that this was an amazing book from so many people and I was definitely not disappointed - what a great story of what God can do through the life of one man wholly sold out to His glory! Marx is a journalist who grew up as the ball boy for the Baltimore Colts. One larger-than-life figure on that team of the 70s and 80s was Joe Ehrmann whose life took a radical turn when his younger brother passed away from cancer. After years had passed, Marx once again reunited with Ehrmann and was struck by what he found - the flamboyant football star was now a coach and mentor to young men using the game of football to teach about the necessities of life. Ehrmann's life was now invested in the lives of others teaching these young boys how to be men - Building Men for Others is the name of his program, but it's much more than a program or a set of principles, it's a way of life, a way to see others, a way to live that completely transforms others around you. The book was a great read and should be near the top of "must reads" for every father and coach.

Wow - this book is amazing. I rcvd this book as a gift and waited a few days to read it, normally this just isn't the type of book I would read. Anyhow I began reading and could not put it down. Finished it in one day. It is absolutely horrible to think of the things one human can do to another. At the same time hearing this directly from someone who was there and survived something so horrible also gives you hope. I found this book to be sad but at the same time inspirational. This is honestly one of the best books I've read in a long time.

My Brother's Voice
By
Stephen Nasser
With
Sherry Rosenthal

December 25, 2008

Sitting that night in early February, 2008, in a restaurant in Chile on our way back from Antarctica with Pista and our wives was one of our life's memorable experiences. Pista was in the mood and the dinner and wine heightened the experience of the evening.

Everyone in earshot was well educated in the Holocaust. Pista tells a good story. His travels to bring the Holocaust alive to school children are very important to their understanding.

I was never directly involved with the Holocaust but having great Aunts and uncles who had emigrated from Germany "in time" I was not unaware. Particularly anxious was, "...the wait for the letters from Great Aunt Elsie who, because the streets in the United states `War nicht Geldt', went back to Germany to share the experience first-hand.

Pista has done an excellent job of presenting the real life experiences of his family into a very readable book. It is well worth your time to read even if you were not directly involved with the Holocaust. We all need to be reminded that man's terrible deeds to mankind are still present.

Just this last October we had another of life's experience. We spent several days in the company of a survivor of the Killing Fields of Cambodia. He was the only survivor of his direct family. His first and last words to us were, "...3 Years, 8 months, 20 days of the Pol Pot horror in Cambodia. There were over 2 million victims in 388 Killing Fields."

Sincerely,


Dr. Edwin B. Hassler, JR

Ida Hassler
My Brother's Voice: How a Young Hungarian Boy Survived the Holocaust: A True Story

A Must Read. This book is a truly inspiring true story about how a young Hungarian boy, Stephen "Pista" Nasser, survived the Nazi brutality of the Holocaust. This book deserves 5 stars in every aspect.
Although terrible we can never forget the Holocaust.
Never Again.

Stephen Nasser recently came to my company to speak about his account during the Holocaust and I have just finished reading his book. I have to admit that I wasn't exactly motivated in the beginning to read the book as I like to stay away from depressing subjects such as the Holocaust, but once I got started it was hard to put down. Reading much like a diary - which is what his writings are based on - it's very light and easy reading. As with any book about the Holocaust, it's filled with many descriptions of unimaginable cruelty and viciousness, some of it very graphic. Yet despite what the author went through on a day to day basis, not knowing if and when his living hell would ever come to an end, the fact that never gave up hope was inspiring to say the least. Most of us thankfully will probably never face the level of hardship that Stephen Nasser experienced. It makes you think that if a barely teenage child can have everything taken away from him and still live for the next day, why can't we?

I found the book, My Brother's Voice, to be extremely powerful, moving, challenging and awakening. I was unable to put it down once I started it and would recommend it to anyone who feels they may have challenges in their life. Mr. Nasser shares that it is the power of your mind that triumphs over all. It was a truly moving and thought provoking read. I give it my highest recommendation.

IT'S AWESOME! I SO TOTALLY RECOMEND THIS BOOK TO YOU! This is the best book in the series by far. the other ones are good to though.

What can I say? I've read all the Pendragon books and I love them all. But this book is my favorite. I love Saangi's cocky attitude and Loor's jokes. To me there is no competition, this is my favorite book.

By far this is the best book yet! Packed with
mystery, action, romance, and revealed secrets about what a travelor is really capable of. This book will keep you entertained.

The Rivers of Zadaa is the sixth installment to the Pendragon series. I loved this book it had adventure and it has mystery in it. This book was the best of the Pendragon it gave me everything that I wanted in a book. This book starts with a tragic death then ends very surprisingly. Saint Dane has gone to the territory of Zadda were he is influencing two warring tribes now Bobby must stop him with the help of the traveler Loor.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an adventure book that is also a fantasy. This book now had to be the best because you had no idea what was going to happen next. I absolutely loved this book I just never wanted to put it down. I definitely would put this book in my top 5 of favorite books.

DJ, you keep me waiting too long. I want you pumping these books out faster.I can't get enough!!!

Golly By Golly!!! This book is off the charts!!!

I can't tell you how many times I smiled, laughed out loud and paused and scratched my head in wonderment that this isn't yet at the box offices!

It's written for children and although the targeted group is 8 to 13 years of age. Adults will thoroughly enjoy this as well! I did! This book is an amazing tale of a boy who writes a comic strip. And low and behold one of them comes out his computer and the adventure begins!

The characters are all so well depicted that I found myself visualizing this as if it already were a movie! And that isn't anything special on my part mind you, because I am quite sure that who ever else reads this will find themselves imagining it as a movie as well!

Speaking of movies, Hollywood really must be a sleep at the wheel to not be acting on this one!

It is like a children's version of "The Matrix" and I am sure with the "Computer Graphics" they have now they could make this one into another timeless classic comparable to "Back To The Future" ET, Bridge To Terabithia and yes, even the Wizard Of Oz!

Those are the kind of feelings it generates in the reader:)

It's also chalk full of wisdom and most importantly, how the adults in this book work together and find out things about one another as well as allowing the children to solve things and thus learning how to do things on their own.

The Toonies?

I can already see them being handed out in Happy Meals at McDonalds:)

Dab was quite the villain and Doog and all the others are so well described that you can imagine them yourself but the book also has illustrations by Kristine Soza Arizzone, this incredible author's granddaughter that wonderfully show this cast of characters and melt your heart as well!

If you happen to read this review and you are a librarian, I highly suggest you order this for your libraries!

The kids will love you for it!

It's an epic adventure that concerns saving the very world and I imagine even kids that don't like to read, will get hooked on this one! And adults as well! I know I am anxiously awaiting the sequel!

Buy this book for a child you love and do read it yourself for the child in you!

I'm sure you'll loved it and after reading, ask yourselves what I began this with...

Why isn't something this great and wholesome and what children really should be seeing and reading a movie???

Chase Von

Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak

The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley proves that Betty Dravis has more than enough talent to spare. Dravis writes this book with all the energy that will attract a curious, fun loving child and once children start reading this they'll never put it down! Betty Dravis writes well and she also uses her extensive knowledge of computers to keep the story spirited, interesting and timely.

The action starts when a young boy begins to see and interact with cartoon characters that pop out of his "Orange" computer! We soon find out that even in the world of cartoon characters there is both good and bad; and although there are a few darker passages in this book children shouldn't be too frightened of them. The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley is THAT good.

I should also mention that the illustrations are very carefully done and they enhance the book very nicely.

Overall, Betty Dravis scores a homerun with this imaginative, clever children's book. I notice that Toonies is out of stock at the moment; only selling on the secondary market. The good news is that it's being republished with a new cover in the very near future. I'm happy to hear that because every child should have a copy of this on their shelves to enjoy over and over again. I highly recommend this book.

THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY is a very fun, extremely charming YA fantasy novel by versatile author Betty Dravis. TOONIES is based on the original premise that if humans are sad enough and in need of sympathy, then the cartoon characters on your computer screen can talk to you, can actually leave your computer, and can join you in the real world. Dravis is clearly a very talented and imaginative storyteller. She not only makes this wild and wacky idea completely believable, she makes it plausible as well. As Dravis weaves her wonderful web of words, you find yourself immediately drawn into the vivid world of the story, caring for her colorful characters and their predicaments, and quickly turning the pages to see how it all turns out.

As the parent of two daughters, ages 11 and 3, I would like to commend Ms. Dravis for one important aspect of this YA novel. In almost every story where the kids are the heros, the parents are either dead or they are evil (think Harry Potter or almost any Disney story, both of which I love, btw). However, in TOONIES, the parents are not only alive, they talk to their son, he goes to them for advice, and they have a wonderful family relationship based on love and respect. Yes, the family has its issues and misunderstandings, but they work together to resolve their problems. I am absolutely thrilled to see such positive family behavior and values modeled here. This key element alone would have me singing the praises of Ms. Dravis from the highest mountain tops. The fact that it comes wrapped in a grand adventure is just the icing on the cake.

I am going to give this book to my 11 year old to read next. I am certain she will love it. I think you will, too. THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY is highly recommend for children of all ages.

Jeremy Kerns is a bright and imaginative thirteen year old cartoonist, whose cartoons are featured weekly in the newspaper.

As Jeremy's parent Arthur and Jessica's arguments have been escalating, Jeremy copes in a constructive manner. He writes and illustrates his own problems on his comic strip with Doog, the red haired boy with stars and stripes suspenders as the main character.

One particularly unnerving day of parental disagreements, Jeremy blocks his ears with his hands to try blotting out their fighting.


Jeremy pushes his chair away from the computer in exasperation, when suddenly a voice summons him. It's Doog, straight out of Cartoon Land. Jeremy is startled and distracted when Doog and Uncle Wom (a.k.a. wise old man) Jeremy learns that he must keep The Toonies a secret. Only Buddy and Ashley meet them, until...

Jeremy's unsuspecting and curious dad marvels at his son's cartoon drawings, then turns on Jeremy's computer.

This is where the Mischief Makers led by Dab (bad spelled backwards)are let loose into the Kern's home and Silicon Valley.

Mischief and mayhem follow in a funny and very, very original story.

One of my favorite events is when Jeremys mom Jessica and friend Ashley make shoes out of tin foil so the light weight little Tonnie Doog can walk more like a human than hop around.

Through Betty's highly descriptive, skilled writing, we envision the comical, colorful Toonie characters, all of whom have distinct personalities and charms. The dialogue is hysterical and we quickly become absorbed into The Toonies adventure.

This is a classic!

I recommend this book highly to both young adults and children. It will steer young people into dealing with stress in a productive manner. Because its extremely insightful, it can have a therapeutic effect on children and teach them new coping skills. For parents, this book will remind them of how positive influence can have a great impact on children.

Once upon a time I taught YA readers in junior high, which is now more often called "Middle School."

There seemed to be a dearth of suitable books for this age group back then. By "suitable" I mean many characteristics:

1.Full of free-flowing fantasy to allow young minds to go far away into safe mind-expanding places
2.Morally acceptable but not promoting a certain sect that would be questioned by the public school administration
3.Free of adult sexual encounters
4.Not loaded with the-ends-justifies-the-means morality
5.Having a plot line that YA readers cannot resist
6.Logical in sequence
7.Appealing to the imagination of young readers
8.Not being a waste of time
9.Encouraging readers to stretch their reading skills
10.Showing the development of the characters in the novel
11.Nurturing the character traits of the young tender minds
12.Simply entertaining

The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley by Betty Dravis qualifies.

I find it so appropriate that if it had been available way back then, I would have acquired permission to teach it to all my YA classes.

It would make an unforgettable class project - an interactive unit that would lead the young people to learn. The students would love making their own pictures of the Toonies to be posted in the classroom. They could also draw their own Toonies cartoons based on the text. Reading facility would result.

There are some questions I would like to discuss related to the story with young people:

--What are some creative ways to deal with family conflict?
--How did Jeremy use his creativity to gain peace of mind while his parents argued?
--How else could the book end?
--Why was the ending that Ms. Dravis chose the best one?
--How did the different characters solve their problems?

The author demonstrates in this book her skill and ingenuity. The Toonies is an enjoyable book for YA readers and for children of all ages. Thanks, Betty, for sharing!

There are two sides to every story, and Regina Leininger experienced the conflicts between Indians and white settlers from both perspectives. In I am Regina (Philomel Books, 1991), author Sally M. Keehn presents a fictionalized account of one girl's Indian captivity based on the true story of Regina Leininger. Ten-year-old Regina's journey begins on her family farm in Pennsylvania in 1755. She lives a comfortable life, but the threat of attacking Indians constantly looms in Regina's mind. She takes comfort in the safety and security offered by her family, by the big Bible that Father reads from, and by the hymns Mother sings. Then one day, two Indians come to the family's home. The Indians kill Regina's father and one of her brothers and take Regina and her sister, Barbara, as prisoners. Regina is soon parted from her sister, but finds companionship in another prisoner, a toddler she names Sarah. Taking on the role of parent to the little girl, Regina sings Mother's hymns and tells stories from Father's Bible to the little girl during their hard journey to Ohio. Their Indian captor, Tiger Claw, takes them to his village, where both girls are adopted into the community and into Tiger Claw's family. Living is hard in the Indian village, but as the years pass, Regina adjusts to her new way of life. As conditions worsen for her Indian community, Regina's loyalties are torn between the life she once knew and the community of Indian villagers she has come to appreciate.

Told in beautifully descriptive language, I am Regina paints a portrait of life among white settlers and Native Americans that portrays kindness and cruelty on both sides. Regina reaches no easy conclusions about her dual citizenship in the two cultures. I am Regina is the story of one girl's struggles to fit in to a new culture without losing her identity, but it is also the story of the demise of one native community in the rise of a new country.

German immigrant Regina and her family have settled into Pennsylvania in 1755 in Sally M. Keehn's, I Am Regina. Regina finds herself orphaned after Indians attack and kill her brother and father after her mother and other brother have gone to the mill. She and her sister, Barbara are kidnapped from their home, along with the other children from their village, so that the Indians can adopt them. The two sisters are separated and Regina, along with a little girl she has named Sarah, are forced to follow the cruel Tiger Claw to his village. Once there, the girls are reassigned new names and punished if they act in a way in what the tribe views as white. Regina, now referred to as "Tskinnak", and Sarah, who becomes "Quetit," slowly become a part of their tribe until one day the lines become blurred, and Tskinnak can no longer remember who she once was.

Though Regina's father and brother are killed within the opening scenes of the novel, the story is a bit slow to start as Regina merely recounts the events in a journalistic fashion. Rough transitions from flashback to present once they are captured also hinder the flow of the story, but everything picks up a fourth of the way into the novel when Barbara attempts to save everyone. A few of the important events are also glossed over, such as Regina becoming fluent in a new language and Regina's emotions after her father and brother's deaths reads almost mechanical.

Readers interested in Native American culture will be particularly impressed with this novel, as Keehn has done her research and manages to present both sides of the struggle between the Indians and the English. Ultimately, I am Regina is about a young girl who loses her identity, gains a new one in a different culture, and is then forced to reclaim her childhood, which all makes for an engaging story.

I Am Regina by Sally M. Keehn (Puffin, 1991) begins in 1755 Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, where young Regina is a happy, normal girl living with her sister, brothers, mother and father. Her world is turned upside down when Indians enter their home and kill her brother and father. The Indians kidnap Regina and her sister Barbara. Only her brother John and her mother are safe, for they have gone off to town. They are soon separated, and Regina is dragged off to an impoverished Indian camp. At first, Regina resists, angry and full of hatred for the people who killed her father and brother. Regina is renamed Tskinnak and treated like a slave. She struggles to hold on to her memories of home and forget the gruesome murders of her father and brother. As she becomes more accustomed to the Indian ways, she must force herself to remember passages from the Bible. Eventually, Tskinnak can no longer recall her past life or speak English. She is an Indian, a daughter to an Indian woman and a sister to Quetit, a young girl kidnapped at the same time she was. So, when the French Indian war ends and they are taken back to meet their families, Tskinnak is torn between her Indian family and a mother she can barely remember from her past. Who will Tskinnak chose?

Based on the true story of 10-year-old Regina Leininger, this book is historically accurate and sensitive. It makes great reading material for middle-schoolers interested in history. Although the novel can be slow at times, getting to the end is worth the wait, as Tskinnak's story is completed and the reader will be satisfied with the conclusion.

I picked up this book when I was 12/13 (for some reason I want to say I was younger) on one of my family's trips to Barnes and Noble. Once a week I'd pick out a new book to read and from the time I picked up this book it has been one of my all time favorites. I'm 21 now and still love it, I have reread it numerous times. Some of the other reviewers on here seem to think it's increadibly graphic for the age group but when most families live in different rooms with each a tv I think I would much rather have my child read a book with an inspiring storyline than a gory cop show or playing shootem up video games! Most young adult novels now adays share adult themes. When I was 15 I watched the Grapes of Wrath in a History class and I KNOW that is an adult book. People need to give their children more credit and realize that reading this book is just preparing their children for reading mature intelligent books.

In I am Regina, Sally M. Keehn tells the story of a ten-year-old girl who is taken captive by Native Americans after they brutally kill her brother and father. In their village, Regina is given a new name, Tskinnak, and slowly adapts her new way of life. This young adult novel is well-crafted in terms of structure; it has a sound arc of conflict sustained by a strong narrator and cast of fascinating supporting characters that all possess individual goals and desires. Keehn masterfully juxtaposes Native American culture and the ways of the "white man" through the eyes of Regina/Tskinnak, her innocent narrator. As time progresses in the book, so does Regina/Tskinnak's understanding and acceptance of Native American culture. Though this transformation occurs slowly, the soul of her very being is forever altered. She is able to see the war amongst white men and Native Americans from both sides, and finds herself questioning where she truly belongs, a question that resonates in the minds of children and young adults of today. The only inconsistency in the book occurs during shifts in time. Keehn shifts in "moons" and at times it is confusing to judge how much or how little time has passed since the last scene. Keehn began the story using short choppy sentences, but as the book progresses, it outgrows this simplistic structure and evolves into a well-written text. I am Regina is a powerful and moving story that will captivate readers right down to the final sentence.

THIS SHOULD BE A MUST READ FOR KIDS AND ADULTS..THERE WAS TIMES WHEN I HAD TO PUT THIS DOWN I WAS DEEPLY TOUCHED AND INSPIRED HOW STRONG AND BRAVE THE LOST BOYS WERE..JUST IMAGINE YOUR CHILD GOING THROUGH SUCH TERRIBLE LIFE HARD TO IMAGINE ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE LOVE ONES THERE AGE.THIS IS KIDS FOR GOD SAKE..NEEDS TO STOP..SADDENS ME

I was not aware of what is going on in the Sudan. This should be required reading, not only for every adult and parent in this country, but also every teenager who thinks they have a raw deal in life...

I particularly enjoyed reading the story of these brave young men who miraculously found each other from time to time, after undergoing such terrible hardships trying to find help. My church offered our extra parsonage to six of the "Lost Boys" and they were a part of our congregation for almost two years. Several became members of our church, and still attend once in a while. Truly God was with these children during that time of horror. They were more resourceful than any American child would ever be, and we pray none will have to suffer as these kids did. We are so proud of "our" boys who learned to speak American English, who learned to get around the city on bicycles, and later in their cars. Most have finished college now. I'm sure the stories of our young men parallels that of the three who shared their stories in this book. Ann Luna, Nashville, TN

This book is on our UMW 2008 reading list. The book is very well written and takes you on this journey that these boys made. It is amazing that they survived and overcame all obstacles

My favorite little independent bookshop, Latitude 33, recommended I read this when they found out I was interested in African Affairs. Melanie, the manager, said that she and several of her book club customers read the book and loved it. That was encourgement enough for me.

I was completely caught off guard.

"They Poured Fire on us From the Sky" changed my life in a profound way.
After reading this book about the Civil War in Southern Sudan, I felt compelled to do something on behalf of Darfur. The story told by Benjamin and his brothers is now tragically repeating itself with devastating consequences to the Fur.

Thankfully, the editor used at light hand so that it retained the Dinka voice, which is the
heart and soul of the story tellers.
You will fall in love with these boys. You will pray for these boys, and you will thank the IRC for bringing them hope in the form of a mentor and friend, Judy Bernstein. READ THIS BOOK!

There are few words needed to effectively encourage people to seek out and read this book. 'Startling' is one word that accurately summarizes the detail and clarity captured through the imaginative mind of just a ten year old. As soon as I one begs to differ and wrestles with the implausibility of such a well written first hand account of turning points in a nations history by just a boy and not a man, the beautiful simplicity shows through time and time again, and as a narrative its almost ghost-like travel through the pages of time and we can see clear remnants of a bygone era thanks to this at once burgeoning effort to document history through the eyes of a boy who lived through it. It is uncluttered, poignant and a rare find.....might be easy to forget if not for the solid writing.

One of the best, most riveting and satisfying plots I've ever read. Also a touching and refreshing memoir of German life that manages to be impossibly happy and inspiring.

Little Wolfgang somehow keeps his life and limb (and soul) intact as he is shifted from place to place in the face of one after another harrowing experiences and family separations. And always with an eye to taking care of his sister and mother (who continually lets him down but for whom he has no greater love). Yet Wolfgang never judges the evil around him; he only seeks to understand it. And in his eyes good is just as ubiquitous. The American GI with the stick of chewing gum left as much an impression on me as it must have on the boy. This moment seems to have planted the seed in young Wolfgang to take him to the place he later came to call home.

German Boy reads like a gripping novel but satisfies the need for biographical and historical truth with its annotated archival family photos and the occupation zone maps. What's more, the epilogue is absolutely satisfying.

This is an eloquently told, often nearly heartbreaking story of what a young German boy endured as a refugee in the closing days and the years following WWII. Wolfgang Samuel tells his story with grace and heart. He dedicates the book to his mother, a major character in his story who, to keep her family alive, sacrificed nearly everything, even to the point of prostituting herself so her children could eat. As Samuel put it -

"People were hungry and would do whatever was necessary to put food on the table for their children ... We were the people who had nothing and lived from hand to mouth. We were the human debris of that evil war. We had no reserves of food, clothing or anything else that sustained life. We were desperate people, easy to exploit."

In a passage startlingly reminiscent of Gone with the Wind, the classic novel of the US Civil War and its aftermath, Samuel tells of how for many years immediately after the war, his mother had no new clothes. "The nicest looking dress she had owned ... she had made herself from curtains which hung in our barracks apartment ..."

And this is not just a book about being refugees and the awful conditions after the war; it's also a universal coming-of-age story, about a boy grappling with the physical changes of puberty and having no one to talk with about what's happening to him. It's about a boy left to take care of himself at the tender age of 14. It's also an homage to his grandparents, who helped sustain him through these worst of times. In other words, there's an awful lot of stuff in here that so many people will relate to, regardless of their own backgrounds.

I know I'm several years late in discovering this book, but I plan to recommend it highly to everyone, particularly history buffs and humanists interested what the human spirit can endure and still rebound. Because after his eventual emigration to the U.S. in 1950 at age 15 (where German Boy ends), Samuel went on to complete college and made a distinguished career for himself in the US Air Force for 30 years. The next book to go into my Amazon cart will be the sequel to this memoir, called Coming to Colorado. This guy can write! And I want to know the rest of his story. But start here, folks. READ THIS BOOK! - Tim Bazzett, author of Soldier Boy

I have always been interested in WWII history and this book is excellent as it deals with the consequences of war. Wolfgang was blessed with an incredible memory and this book tells the story of the time from 1945 to 1950 in Germany and how things were. I will not recap the story since others have done it so well, but this is in the top 10 of the hundreds of books I have read.

This is a great book. I gave the book to a few German friends who lived in Germany during the war. They could identify with the author's experiences.

The author became a U.S citizen and fought in Vietnam. I would have liked to read about the author's experience in this country, and his experience, as a pilot in our Air Force.

A well written book and interesting too.

I specifically remember reading this book in the 1950s, particularly the story about the run-away automatic donut machine.

This is a collection of short stories about a midwest community of the 1930-1950. Think Norman Rockwell type images. The author, who illustrated the book is best known for "Make Way for the Ducklings".

I was struck how politically incorrect stories were then but still good.

I discovered this book in my grandma's bookcase around age ten. It was my dad's old paperback and was already well worn. I devoured it and got hooked on novels. A few years ago I was elated to find a hard bound copy of Homer Price and Centerburg Tales (which was new to me). Now I am sharing the stories with my six and seven year old daughters. We all enjoy the endearing characters, entertaining and often hilarious events, and colloquial style. I grew up in the country and these books make me nostalgic for that simple life and those sweet people of my youth.

I grew up on Homer Price (along with Danny Dunn and Henry Huggins). I don't even own a copy of the book and haven't read it in 45 years but I can still recite from memory: "Forty two pounds of Edible Fungus, in the wilderness a-growin, saved the settlers from starvation helped the founding of our nation!"

Make sure your kids read this book. And "Centerburg Tales" too!

The author of Homer Price, Robert McCloskey, has written six tales for readers to enjoy:

THE CASE OF THE SENSATIONAL SCENT: Homer catches a group of robbers with the help of his pet skunk, Aroma.
THE CASE OF THE COSMIC COMIC: Homer's friend, Freddy, learns what Homer already knows about comic book characters.
THE DOUGHNUTS: Homer can't stop his Uncle Ulysses doughnut machine! Now there are way too many doughnuts, and a lost bracelet cooked inside one of them. Let the eating begin!
MYSTERY YARN: Homer's Uncle Telly and the sheriff both save string. Whoever becomes the World's Champion String Saver is supposed to win the hand of Miss Terwilliger in marriage. But what does Miss Terwilliger think of this little agreement?
NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN: There's a stranger in town. Is he a nice man, or a fugitive in disguise? Homer is on the case.
WHEELS OF PROGRESS: A new part of town is built in Centerburg.

I loved this book ever since grade school, and The Doughnuts is the tale I enjoyed most. I remember that my teacher read this book in a way that made the characters come to life for me; especially the sheriff, who gets his words a bit twisted every now and then. And the illustrations done by the author are some of the best I have ever seen! Parents everywhere should add this book to their child's collection.

You'll roll on the floor holding your splitting sides when you read about Homer Price and the crazy doughnut machine. This is great midwestern 40s stuff, still suitable today for both early teens and self-actualized adults alike.

Homer Price is a kid who's oblivious to difficult challenges. His antics causes each of us to mentally return to the days when frutrations were few and obstructions to new dillemmas just simply did not exist. Homer just takes on each situation as it arises and, somehow, things always turn out okay.

Originally published in 1943, this is one of my two favorite books for young people, (the other being "The Trolley Car Family," by Eleanor Clymer, 1947). The six short stories in this Homer Price volume include:

1. The Case of the Sensational Scent

2. The Case of the Cosmic Comic

3. The Doughnuts

4. Mystery Yarn

5. Nothing New Under the Sun (Hardly)

6. Wheels of Progress

This book is also available in softcover, which is the one I own. You COULD get this book for your kids, especially for boys, but the heck with that idea -- get it for yourself and you won't regret it! My highest recommendation.

Young Adult Novel by Daniel Pinkwater is an amazingly witty story about five young dadaists, who are attempting to revolutionize the dull, strict, hyper-ordinary Himmler High School. One day, the main character (Kevin Shapiro) from a story they were writing is discovered to have the same name as a kid in their school. And that's when things really start to change at Himmler. One page of this hilarious short novel will make you want to finish the whole story. This book is for older children, but anyone will get a kick out of Pinkwater's ingenuous writing style!

by Clark

If you haven't read Pinkwater before, this is a good place to start. If you are familiar with his work then rejoice for here are five books in one. And not just any five books... oh no. This collection contains not only Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars and Young Adult Novel but the first and best of the Snarkout Boy books. Buy it, read it, and know that you and your children will never be the same.

I Loved these books. Daniel pinkwater is an old favorite from my adolescance. I fondly remember my older brother reading aloud from the "Snarkout Boys..." and "Young Adult Novel" on family car trips. More than holding up well with time, I found that now, at 32, I can finally grasp the great comic surrealism that is Daniel Pinkwater. This is a great compilation of old favorites and un-appreciated gems. This book is somehow bound with paper so light, I carried it on the subway daily until I finnished all 5 books and wasn't bothered by the size or weight. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who can appreciate inter-dimensional shopping mall parking lots, gourmets from space, enlightenment brought on by silly hats, socio-political revenge via soggy grape nuts and/or Psycho-kinetic guacamole. Yum...

The five novels in this book are genius. Alan Mendelson, boy from mars, takes youn through a boy going through being the new kid, goofing off with another weirdo, the wacky Klugarsh Mind Control, and... well I just can't give away the rest! I have to say i have a soft spot for The Last Guru, its so just... cool what happens to the boy :). This is an EXELLENT book for anyone to buy, I've read it so many times i tore off both covers and three pages. A great book to love and read again, again, again, and again.

This is an amazing, funny, incredibly random book with five comical masterpeices. Though I agree with the other reveiwers that alan medelsohn, boy from Mars is very good, my personel favorite is the last Guru. the idea of a self-made kid millionare is VERY intertaning. These books are, as I said earlier, random, and A Young Adult Novel is possibly the most random of them all. an example; the Dada's(the main character) beleive dishwashers should rule the world. Weird, isn't it? Any way, no matter wich story you read first, you'll laugh and have a great time reading it.

I love the whole series and I recommend it for anyone ages 11 and up. Meg Cabot is my favorite author and this book WOW'd me more than any other book I've read by her! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I read these books a few years ago from the library, When a friend picked them up at a bookstore recently, I decided to flip through them again. It wasn't long before I had to buy my own set and re-read them.

Darkest Hour is my favorite in the series as it introduces some interesting new characters and serves as a pivotal turning point in Susannah's relationship with Jesse. The storyline is very intriguing, and humorous, as always. There is plenty to keep the pages turning.

I recommend this series for any girl who likes her love stories a little more unconventional and less Disney. =D

THIS WAS THE BEST OF THE FIRST 4 BOOKS!! Seriously, my favorite!! From the beginning to the end is amazing and very surprising. I didn't want to stop reading. Im a girl of 13 years old and I seriously recomend the series to grade 7 to up.

My daughter got me hooked on this series and I was surprised at the great writing.

I love this book , and I love the character Jesse. This book is nothing but nonstop action and thrills , and some parts are so sad , and how Suze does to get Jesse back is certainly is unexpected. Although the new character Paul is very intriguing and I like his character , I can't wait to read the next book to find out about him.And I love the ending . Meg cabot really undone herself this time!