Boys Books

I bought this for our Cubmaster - he really appreciated it. He plans to start a tradition and it pass it along to the next who takes his place...

Scoutmaster Minutes is a great resource for scoutmasters to use teaching moments to make scouts aware the scout oath and laws.

I carry this book with me daily and have several that are my favorite. Many of the stories evoke thought on the part of my Scouts, who I read to.

Will there be another?

In the last several months I have been asked to give many a scouter's minute. Usually that is all the warning I have too. This book is a lifesaver in those instances - great little thoughts and great for building blocks to use in a bigger thought too. Wonderful tool for any scouter/scoutmaster because it has so many great thoughts and ideas. I'd recommend it to anyone that has anything to do with scouting - it goes everywhere with me, just like my handbook.

I was looking for good short stories to end scout meetings, and this book has great ones. The concept of the "Scoutmaster's Minute" is not new to Costa Rica, but finding stories is not an easy task. Well, the search has just become easier.

Arthur W. Pink's The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross is more than a long title. It's also a detailed and challenging look at the last things Jesus said. The dying savior expended precious breath on the cross and we ought to listen carefully to what he says there.

Pink uses one chapter, and a total of 139 pages, for each of the seven things Jesus said while dying: the word of Forgiveness (Luke 23:34), the word of Salvation (Luke 23:42-43), the word of Affection (John 19:25-27), the word of Anguish (Matthew 27:46), the word of Suffering (John 19:28), the word of Victory (John 19:30) and the word of Contentment (Luke 23:46). Each of the seven chapters is then broken down into seven profound insights (some more than others) on what Jesus said, why he said it, and the far reaching implications for us who hear it.

Pink is a classic writer. No where near as classic as some of our Puritan friends. He lived from the late 1800's all the way through to the the 1950's. But a classic writer none the less. Seven Sayings is among the easiest Christian books I've read. The words roll off the page into your mind and there's no confusion about what he's saying. However, unlike most modern Christian literature, this is worth reading. He doesn't stay away from theologically important ideas and he never lets Jesus' words just stay information bouncing around in our heads. He always tries to help guide these things down into our hearts and lives. He's not always successful, but there's much to be said for trying.

Pink adhered to a pretty rigid structure in this book. Seven chapters. Seven sub-sections, per chapter. Unfortunately, it seems that because of that there were points made that perhaps aren't especially relevant. Although an irrelevant point can still be deeply impacting. However, in terms of his immediate goal, it may have been better to leave them out for the sake of staying on topic.

Aside from that one very minor complaint, Seven Sayings was an excellent read. A great companion for meditating on the Work of Christ and its impact on our lives. I recommend anyone and everyone read it.

Christians have a deep and abiding fascination with the cross. Though 2000 years have passed since Christ hung on that cross, Christians continue to grapple with its deepest meanings and continue to seek to apply its lessons to their lives. Of the countless thousands of books written on the subject, A.W. Pink's The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross stands as one of the few true classics.

In this book Pink looks at each of the seven words Jesus spoke while hanging in agony. In his introduction to the book Pink says, "The death of Christ...was unique, miraculous, supernatural. In the chapters which follow we shall hearken to the words which fell from his lips while he hung upon the cross - words which make known to us some of the attendant circumstances of the great tragedy; words which reveal the excellencies of the one who suffered there; words in which is wrapped up the gospel of our salvation; and words which inform us of the purpose, the meaning, the sufferings, and the sufficiency of the death divine." He dedicates a chapter to each of the words of forgiveness, salvation, affection, anguish, suffering, victory and contentment. In every case he spends some time discussing the meaning of the word and usually equal time applying these words to the faith of the individual Christian. Far from "mere" theology, this book is intensely practical and immediately applicable.

The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross deserves the accolades given to it. It bears repeated readings and is ideal for group study (and, indeed, I led a group of over 100 people reading it in tandem). It is worthy of a spot in the collection of every Christian.

Pink, master of the Old Testament and lover of the NT, takes each of the 7 sayings and explores seven aspects of each of the sayings. Wonderfully enlightening as he always is with his timeless commentaries. Use this as a devotional leading up to Resurrection Sunday...you will experience the Cross in ways you never imagined. All of Pink's works and thoughts are Scriptually based.

The hinge point of creation is presented to us in Christ's death and resurrection. I must confess that I knew that..but I didn't really understand all it's implications.

A.W. Pink has a remarkable ability to bring forth truth and understanding that lies incredibly rich in the understanding of the seven sayings of Jesus on the Cross.

If you would like to understand the lessons from Christ on the cross then you must read and understand this text.

I am nearly done with this book and I must confess that Pink has done an incredible job in pointing us to Christ.

Buy this book!

This is a must read for any student of the Bible. Pastor Pink's insights into Jesus on the cross are unique and fully referenced to the rest of the Bible. I couldn't put the book down. It was very readable and unlike many of his works, short and compact.

What makes "The Sneakiest Pirates" unique is that Dalton James, its author and illustrator, is a bright, active, and precocious seven year old boy. Dalton has created the lively and entertaining story of a young boy named Pirate Pete and his dad, Scurvy James, who set sail on the high seas in pursuit of adventure as they seek to find the King's loot which was stolen by Peg Leg Chuck. This whimsical tale is ideal for small children and provides a model of illustrated storytelling that could very well inspire other children to write and draw stories of their own! Very highly recommended for family, school, and community library collections.

Loved this story. I loved the frank honesty of pursuing a treasure and then dealing with greed and resolving it. Children view life so well. I can't wait to read the next Father/Son adventure. Kids will love this book. The plot and illustrations are intriguing.

What a wonderful story from a child's perspective. The pictures and story will have you laughing regardless of your age!
A wonderful inspiration to young writer's proving that their words are meaningful and do matter!

Hello everyone. My name is Dalton and this is my first book. Please take a look at it. I drew all the pictures and told my daddy what to type. I really like it and I hope you do to.

How do you begin to review a book that was authored and illustrated by a seven-year old? This was the dilemma I was faced with when I picked up a copy of Dalton James's first book, The Sneakiest Pirate.

Dalton, as mentioned in the book's press release, is a first grader who has achieved a major milestone that most people could only dream of accomplishing during a lifetime.
Inspired by his grade one teacher, Dalton has written and illustrated a book with a great deal of imagination, ingenuity and wit as he recounts the story of a young lad, Pirate Pete, his dad, Scurvy James and Pirate Peg Leg Chuck. Incidentally, Peg Leg Chuck didn't have a peg leg but he did have a hook for a hand.

The Sneakiest Pirate begins when after stealing the king's gold, Peg Leg Chuck squirrels the treasure away on a beach without noticing, however, that Pirate Pete and Scurvy James are scrutinizing his actions. This gives the latter two the opportunity to row to Peg Leg Chuck's ship and steal all of his possessions. And while Peg Leg Chuck rows back to his ship, Pirate Pete and Scurvy James proceed to the beach, where they find the treasure and abscond with it. However, greed sets in and the two begin to fight over the spoils. Realizing that nothing good will come of their dispute, Pirate Pete and Scurvy James decide to share the gold for as they believe they will become wealthy and famous taking on new personalities, Rock Star Pete and Rock Star James.

This is one book that begs to be read aloud and will certainly prove to be a little treasure and popular with 5-7 year olds, particularly if they are into reading stories about pirates, as is the case with Dalton. It is amazing how he has created very expressive characters coupled with a story that understandably may be described as slight, due to the author's tender age. Nonetheless, the story is still natural and swift moving that will prove to be a delight to young readers who will easily be able to appreciate Dalton's vivid imagination and his creative illustrating talents.

This is a wonderful project on the part of Dalton's parents who encouraged their son to publish his book when you consider that one in twenty adults in the USA is illiterate and furthermore one child in four grows up not knowing how to read. I don't have to draw a picture as to the ramifications of illiteracy. In fact, the James Family has a larger objective in mind for Dalton's book. I have been informed that letters will be sent to every elementary school in the USA and for every book that is sold, the school will receive one dollar for their library fund. Moreover, the Daltons will donate fifty cents for every book sold across the country to Dalton's school to honor his teachers.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures.com

Delightful! Easy to read to younger children as the rhymes are catchy and happily read by adults and older children. The illustrations are eye-catching and lush. I will give this book over and over and recommend it to children ages 3-9.

Must Buy!!! Very clever and well written. My little niece loves the colorful snakes and tongue twisters. I have never seen a book like this.

My two nine year olds loved this book and read it over and over again. The clay creatures have amazing expressions and the story is quite engaging. It is the type of book a child will look at over and over again finding new details in the elaborate pictures each time!

This book has simple rhyming text illustrated with elaborately staged, brightly-colored photographs of the events of the story rendered in clay. My eight-year-old daughter liked the book so much that she read it aloud to me (not something she often does), and added "sn" to the beginning of her words in conversation, in imitation of the text.

Some of the words are difficult for beginning readers; an adult would best read the text to younger children. Excellent for ages 4 to 9 or 10.

(Full disclosure; one of the authors [Jason] is my nephew and my daughter's cousin - but I don't think she's old enough to have her tastes influenced by family obligations!)

This book will enchant you and your child from start to finish! It's the kind of book that your child will pick up and stare at each page, finding something new every time. I loved the story and the snappy rhythm. The graphics are bright, fun and inviting. The story line sneaks in a nice message of tolerance. Buy this book!

Review by Vidu Bansal,
a mid-school teacher with over 4 decades of experience. Presently nurturing minds at Bluebells School International, New Delhi, India.

I read, I listen, I understand, I do and I remember!

The book "Snowff and the Rowdy Cloudy Bunch" is an original creation for children to learn weather science thru captivating illustrations, descriptions and music. The book depicts scientific concepts on rain, snow, clouds, thunder and then frightening lightening etc. The presentation is a perfect blend of style, structure with attractive illustrations designed to capture and delight children of all age groups across the world.

The book inculcates in children the technique of logical thinking and creativity, probing and instilling their adventurousness. The book itself acts like a gravitational force which draws the attention of both little and big minds. The breathtaking incidents keep the children fully engrossed building their confidence to face any challenge. It teaches them to handle crisis as an opportunity to broaden their horizons.

Learning through this book is different from the usual conventional style. Carolyn has effortlessly been able to blend her science series with inspiring and welcoming activities. The accompanying CD helps you to travel into the world of fantasy and grandeur. This science made easy learning book is a sure shot read for one and all. It will positively sharpen the conceptual thinking along the way and inspire in children to develop a deep love for reading, understanding and remembering.

I am now looking forward to see her third book in the series entitled "SNOWFF - VISITS RAZORTEETH VILLAGE".

Snowff is back for another adventure, and Carolyn White has not let us down. Snowff learns about thunder and lightning and takes a wild ride on a tornado. Throughout the story we learn about air pressure, fronts, clouds, and even a rainbow. As with her first book in the Snowff series, the accompanying CD is a perfect complement using creative voices and music to enhance the fun and the learning experience. The scientific glossary at the end adds to the understanding of weather phenomena. Highly recommended for elementary school libraries and public libraries' children's collections. The Snowff series is timeless. I am anxiously awaiting the third book in this delightful series.

Book two in the Snowff series, Snowff & the Rowdy-Cloudy Bunch is an adventurous picturebook set in the land of Snowff. Written to educate as well as entertain, Snowff & the Rowdy-Cloudy Bunch includes wild full-color illustrations and an accompanying audio CD to enliven its story about weather phenomena including rain, snow, and thunder. A glossary of meteorological terms rounds out this playful narrative adventure designed to make learning about the weather science painless and fun.

Science is a great intellectual adventure waiting to be explored. Thanks to science, we understand concepts once thought unimaginable and enjoy the luxuries once thought of as impossible. Still yet, many scientific concepts remain a mystery to most people. Fortunately, a solution is at hand; Carolyn White's series of Snowff make scientific literacy possible for everyone! Her books are entertaining, accurate, and amazingly informative.

Carolyn's new book entitled, "Snowff and the Rowdy Cloudy Bunch" transforms the classroom into a mesmerizing learning journey. Throughout the book science concepts are revealed in a way that engages and totally captivates students reading while listening to the CD. Two years ago a tornado swept through our town leaving many families homeless and causing an array of questions in the minds of many students. Chapter 3 - "Tornado Horse" presented a tornado in a way that allowed students to grasp the concept of warm and cold fronts coming together during a thunderstorm. Many children experiencing fear and discomfort with changing weather often misunderstand weather in general. Carolyn White has found a way to present these concepts in a fun and interesting way that will leave students with a better understanding and appreciation for weather. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Snowff and the Rowdy-Cloudy Bunch will catch the attention of every child, student, and adult! As I read this book and listened to the accompanying CD, I was captivated by Carolyn White's ability and talent to weave educational science into one very fun and fascinating book. As she says on the cover of the book, "Science Made Fun," this book will prove that statement to be totally true! Every age group (including adults!) will be riveted to the continuing story of Snowff! The illustrator, Bruce Manchee, did a marvelous job with his artwork. Each page is full of artistic illustrations of the book's characters in action! Beginning with the very first page you will immediately want to know what is going to happen next to that cute little Snowflake Kid, Snowff!! Is he going to survive Big Wind? Mighty Thunder? And most of all - Frightening Lightning? You must read this book to appreciate it. The book is created on high-quality paper and with beautiful illustrations on each page. As you read along the book's pages, the accompanying CD makes the book come alive, and the CD contains all of the expressions of a good storyteller. All characters in the book verbally express themselves, and you will hear them speak in their own individual voices. Carolyn's musical ability is displayed in various ways on the CD. I particularly enjoyed Mighty Thunder's song, "Dance to the Thunder," and the raspy voice of Frightening Lightning as he sings his "frightening" song. All the music and sound effects in the CD, along with the story and the illustrations will cause this book to be one of the greatest educational science books ever created. It truly is science made fun. Every school should have this set of books in their library, in their science departments, and in their classrooms. It is a must!

Someone recently asked me my favorite book of all time, and i said this one!! I know, that may sound "shallow," as in why didnt i choose some classic, something much longer, or a much 'harder read.' This book just moved me, stayed with me, and has the largest amount of wonderful quotes that i refer back to time and time again. I guess i'm a romantic, but i love the style of writing, and i also had a summer home 'at the shore,' and can SO relate. I keep this book to re-read, and have given copies to friends. I think every woman who has loved a man, needs to read it. Treat yourself!!

"The Sparkling-eyed Boy" inhabits the same reserved space in my
personal text-map as Billy Collins' poetry. Or imagine David Eggars
in his more lyrical moments. Benson manages to take plain language
and do wonderfully beautiful things with it. This is from the end,
describing life/personhood/existence:

"That is my problem: I have been looking shard by shard, but stand
back and I will have the whole, fluid mosaic. But I'm afraid there
is no perspective from which we can view every angle of a moment, a
year, a life, or the life of another. And there is no answer if I
have to answer the question myself."

Yikes! This hits exactly right! When I am at a loss for words, the
best I can do is quote from people much more skilled with language.
Benson has given me a lot to say. :-)

This is a 'small' but big book, read it carefully. This is not to
say that it's difficult to read, more that the prose has subtle
but significant power. Maybe my sense of this comes with particular
resonances with my own life -- I also recall midwestern lake summers --
but Benson makes these personal memories relevant in a way that should
intersect with anyone reading her book. It's most worthy of the
Katharine Nason Prize. I'm really looking forward to reading
Benson's future work.

It is maybe surprising, considering the comparatively few people that live above the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan, that there have been a bunch of books by younger writers in the last few years about and from Michigan's Upper Peninsula (mostly poetry--see Catie Rosemurgy, Cynie Cory, Jonathan Johnson, and Beth Roberts, for starters). This is--as far as I know--the only recent memoir about the place, and it's more a sort of extended meditation than a memoir proper. Still, it is lovely and engrossing. She's conscious of herself as a tourist (both of the place and of the boy, and of her own memories, even), and this is a tour I think you'll want to take with her. Be aware that it does take some liberties with the form (it's absolutely lyrical and likely nearly poetry at times, as the reviews above allude to--and it's not exactly a memoir of things that happened), but this book is rich and good and well worth your time.

This is truly a wonderful book. Each of its sections is a lyrical essay on place, time, the burden of choice and the elusive nature of personal identity. Not a page goes by without a line or two of startling beauty and truth. Also, for someone who has experienced the part of America where lakes are seas and forests stretch north to the Artic Circle, reading "The Sparkling-eyed Boy" was a bittersweet reminder of that dazzling land.

This is a beautiful book. It's much different from Ted Conover's books (he selected it for a prize), which are terrific but more journalistic. SEB is a very personal story, told through a series of chapters or essays (and occasional fantasies) that don't necessarily follow one to the other. While I wouldn't necessarily say that this is an "experimental" book, it's definitely playing with the "normal" way of writing a memoir. After awhile you understand that a larger story is unfolding, but that it's about much more than just Benson's first love. It's about a place and time that has become mythical for her as she's grown up and away from the people and places that formed her. It makes me think of my own brief summers at the Jersey Shore, a place I haven't been back to in years but that I still remember in a strangely sad, hazy way as having been important. It seems like a particularly American story to me, where class and mobility and property and wealth and education are all tangled up and it's difficult to know where you fit in or where you'll end up or why. A complex, lovely book.

Emmaline Cayley, an English girl who has spent her entire 14 years in India, has been shipped off by her parents to England to attend a boarding school, St. Grimelda's School for Young Ladies. Her letter of acceptance arrives from the school:

Miss Cayley,
You are to report to this school for educational purposes. Please do not even consider attempting to avoid this necessity. The arrangements are firm and will not be altered.

The harsh tone of the letter is nothing compared to what Emmaline finds the school to be when she arrives. Under such depressing circumstances, how is she supposed to follow her dream of creating a flying machine? Will she ever see her aunt and friend again?

I put The Strictest School in the World on my to-read list after I read Jen Robinson's positive review (she heard about it from Kelly). And I'm glad I did. Filled with charming illustrations and written in a delightfully old-fashioned manner, this story is enjoyable from start to finish. You will cheer for Emmaline and Rubberbones throughout their various adventures and mishaps. I'm hoping for a sequel!

Fourteen year old Emmaline and 12 year old Robert Burns (Rubberbones) are trying to build a flying machine. They are almost done when....she is sent to a school from a horror movie, St. Grimelda's. It is a very funny book. I loved it. Any boy or girl that likes Harry Potter would like this. It is satisfying, and you won't fall asleep reading it. I couldn't put it down. You won't be able to either.

Howard Whitehouse has crafted a hilarious tale about a Victorian schoolgirl's struggle to build her own flying machine. While the story enchants the pre-teen in your life, the Pythonesque humour is sure to keep you in stitches. At no additional cost, you also get to imbibe the gorgeous illustrations of Bill Slavin. All told, it's a rollicking ride. Highly recommended!

I have to say upfront that "The Strictest School in the World" is my favorite type of children's novel. It's a Middle Grade adventure story involving a daring girl, a crazy aunt, a Dickensian boarding school, and flying machines. What more could you want? Written by Howard Whitehouse and illustrated by Bill Slavin, "The Strictest School in the World" is well written fun for the 9-13-year-old reader.

Emmaline Cayley dreams of flying. Her great-great-uncle was Sir George Cayley, a historical figure and pioneer in aviation, and she uses his plans to design flying machines. Her only problem is that she herself is afraid to fly.

When Emmaline is fourteen, she is sent by her clueless parents from India to England to attend St. Grimelda's School for Young Ladies. The only benefit to this arrangement is that she has the opportunity to stay with her slightly-unhinged Aunt Lucy before the term starts. There she meets "Rubberbones" or "Rab," a small boy who never hurts himself when he falls. Rather, he bounces on impact. Emmaline has found her pilot and, in her aunt, a source of funding for her inventions.

When Emmaline is sent to school, all inventing has to stop. Instead, she's a student at a the "strictest school in the world." The girls live in fear, the matron is a monster, and a couple of "birds" patrol the ground. Soon a rescue operation is under way to save Emmaline from St. Grimelda's.

"The Strictest School in the World" is funny, smart, and exciting. Emmaline is a wonderful character, a girl scientist who is unflinching in the face of danger. Give this one to a Middle Grade reader today!

I had read a glowing review of The Strictest School in the World last month, so I was quite pleased when a review copy showed up in my mailbox. The Strictest School in the World lived up to my expectations. It's so much fun! It's a book aimed squarely at the 9-12 set, featuring lovably eccentric characters, larger-than-life bad guys, two independent-minded protagonists, and madcap adventures.

The story is set in Yorkshire, England in 1894 (the late Victorian Era). The two protagonists are fourteen-year-old Emmaline Cayley and twelve-year-old Robert Burns (also called Rab). Emmaline is sent from India, where she has grown up, to live with her Aunt Lucy in England, prior to attending boarding school. (There are definite echoes here of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden and The Little Princess, though Emmaline is a more independent thinker than either Sara Crewe or Mary Lennox.)

Emmaline is obsessed with creating a flying machine, even though she herself is afraid of flying. Imagine her delight when she meets the intrepid Rab, called Rubberbones because of his rubber-like ability to survive falls with nary a scratch. Rubberbones, who has dropped out of school to earn money for his family, is more than happy to be paid by Aunt Lucy to support Emmaline in her flying machine projects. And Rubberbones turns out to have an instinctive knack for aviation. Together, with the support of Aunt Lucy and her unconventional butler Lal Singh, the two spend the summer constructing flying machines. They have varying degrees of success.

Their happy world is interrupted, however, when Emmaline is sent away to school. The school that her mother has selected for her, sight unseen, has a reputation for being "the strictest school for girls in the world." Emmaline has difficulty adjusting, particularly after the relative freedom of her Aunt Lucy's house.

"St. Grimelda's made her think of the novels of Charles Dickens, with their slum conditions, mean relations, dashed hopes, and general aspects of brutal misery (and miserable brutality). But they were cheery tales compared with daily life at St. Grimelda's.

The girls themselves were beastly to one another. Since almost nothing enjoyable was allowed, girls tried to hide small things, like sweets and trinkets. Every piece of this "contraband" -- as if it were smuggler's cargo -- would be seized by older girls.

...

Strangely, though the girls spent a lot of effort being horrible to one another, they were extremely -- in fact weirdly -- obedient to the teachers, especially Mrs. Wackett and Matron. Teachers simply reminded the girls of "the consequences of misbehavior," and the girls shuddered, turned pale and jumped to attention. Or fainted."

(Above quotes from Chapter 9: A Dickensian Sort of Chapter)

Yes, St. Grimelda's school is a terrible place, filled with rules, privations, meanness and betrayal among the students, and an undisclosed punishment that leaves the girls gibbering with fear. Emmaline quickly realizes that she must find a way to escape. However, escape is not so easy. She's not permitted visitors, and her letters are screened. The castle is surrounded by a wall, and hardly anyone is allowed in or out. Emmaline has to reach deep within herself for bravery and ingenuity to find a way out.

Meanwhile, her scatterbrained but loving Aunt Lucy, and Lucy's loyal companions Lal Singh and Rubberbones, quickly realize from Emmaline's colorless letters that something is very wrong. They put aside everything else to travel to the school, and work from the outside to find a way to help Emmaline escape. They, and Emmaline, receive help from a variety of unexpected sources, but also encounter dangerous enemies, in their mutual quest to extricate Emmaline from St. Grimelda's.

There is a lot to like about this book. The author's voice is hilarious, with matter-of-fact recounting of tragedies, and sly insertions of humor. The naming of the characters reminds me a bit of Roald Dahl (e.g. Miss Sharpelbow, a terrifying teacher, and Professor Bellbuckle, a mad inventor). The plot, with loyal relatives trying to help a young girl escape from a prison of a school, reminds me of one of the main sub-plots in Eva Ibbotson's The Star of Kazan. However, The Strictest School in the World is more humorous and in tone, with more over-the-top behavior. The humor of the book keeps the Gothic overtones from ever being too much.

This book has examples of both loyalty and betrayal. Emmaline learns what true friendship means, and what it takes to trust someone (and when not to trust someone). The lengths that the people who love Emmaline are willing to go to to rescue her are heart-warming. The ending is very satisfying, too. I think that upper elementary school kids, both boys and girls, will love this book. I look forward to future books in the series.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on October 1, 2006.

This was overall a well written overview of the impact of genetic knowledge on both science and society. It is presented in the form of relatively short topic-based essays, selected and ordered (seemingly) randomly. I had to read this book as accessory reading for a cell biology class. While the book was certainly more interesting than a textbook and as a chemistry major/future doctor I found it very good, it is not something I would reccommend reading unless you actually have a desire to learn something more about genetics.

This book is very nice because it is written with stories and personal notes from the author, although a bit biased at times. Not your typical genetics book.

I really liked the book, and it was a required reading for a genetics class. The author is a physician, geneticist, lawyer, and story teller. Therefore, it is flows and is easy to read. It also contains lots of interesting medical and legal details/depth. I passed this book on to my family for them to read.

I have been a medical geneticist for almost 40 years and I have been part of shaping the way genetics impinges on the daily lives of millions of people. Philip Reilly has made these genetic developments of the last 40 years into one of the threads that account for the fabric of our lives. His message is factual, easy to read and compelling, without sounding alarms. If you have any curiosity about whether or how genetics is relevant to your life in the 21st Century, this Dr. Phil can give you a most satisfying answer in "Strongest Boy," his sixth book. VM Riccardi

Science has advanced quickly in completing genetic sequencing projects, including the Human Genome Project. The resulting information is being used while society is considering and making decisions about the complex medical, legal, and ethical implications. Philip R. Reilly's book, The Strongest Boy in the World: How Genetic Information is Reshaping Our Lives, addresses a wide range of issues related to genetic information, making it possible for us to explore them. Through the fascinating stories that he tells, Reilly presents relevant information that enables us to develop educated opinions. The Strongest Boy In the World is understandable by readers who are not science experts; the underlying scientific background is introduced clearly when needed. Reading this book can make us ultimately better informed to consider the dilemmas and to make decisions about the use of genetic information.

This book, like Reilly's previous book, Abraham Lincoln's DNA and Other Adventures in Genetics, explores topics that captivate our interest as they connect genetic information to our lives. For example, "the strongest boy" is a youngster with muscles that are extremely large. The chapter discusses how the phenomenon might have occurred as a result of genetics and then relates it to athletic performance. We begin to understand how elite athletes may gain their superiority as a result of their genetic makeup.

Reilly goes on to look at a variety of topics that affect us personally and arouse our interest. These facilitate discussing diseases with genetic origins, considering genetically modified food, and resolving historical mysteries. Reilly puts forth possible relationships between our genes and intelligence or longevity, he discusses the possible benefits of knowing the DNA sequences of animals, and he comments on how genetics is becoming pervasive in our lives. Finally, he presents controversial issues of DNA forensic databases, stem cells, and gene therapy.

Last year, I selected Abraham Lincoln's DNA as the text for the college course I teach, called The Social Impact of Genetic Information. This year I will use The Strongest Boy in the World. Non-science majors enrolled in the course were intrigued by the colorful stories that brought the important genetic issues to life. They mastered the subject matter and were able to analyze the underlying topics, research them further, and formulate opinions about them. I believe that my students will be better-informed citizens as a result of the overview of interesting genetic issues presented in these texts.

The Tall Boy is a must read for gay and straight audiences alike. Jess Gregg is a gifted writer who tells a story as well as any of the great masters. This book will have you laughing out loud and quietly crying. Do yourself a favor and buy this book today!

Jess Gregg's THE TALL BOY is a beautifully written self portrait, filled with real people,touching moments, and honest introspection. Gregg looks at his life simply and writes about it with intense clarity. It was a joy to read.

If you're looking for a poignant, brilliant, funny, and deeply moving memoir, the Tall Boy is must-read material. Jess Gregg's language is polished to high finish, each story is a jewel! Jess Gregg knew so many fascinating people, and as he reveals the famous and the infamous, he also reveals himself.

Jess Gregg has written a brilliant, haunting memoir of gay life in the 20th century. Each chapter is a stand-alone gem and taken together they moved me more than any book I've read in a very long time.

Jess Gregg is a masterful storyteller. Drawing upon a lifetime filled with abundant memories, he not only recalls events but can recount even the tiniest details to draw you into his world ever so smoothly. This is his story, colored with the charm of a grown man who has lived a full life but with the poignancy and sadness of a little boy who never could resolve what he thought life should be like. I don't know what was more striking, being privy to Gregg's reactions to what actually occurred or understanding what he feared would occur if he were to just be himself.

The Tall Boy is an amalgam of vignettes that gives the reader an understanding of how sexual preference shapes a person's way of being and thinking, many times with fear becoming a driving force in decision making about where to live, how to socialize, and in whom you can put your trust. The humor throughout is astounding, the way a phrase is so delicately turned leaving the reader either laughing through tears or crying through laughter. This is even more surprising given the sometime cruel nature of some of Gregg's experiences. And what autobiography would be complete without poking around in the old family attic, and once again Jess mixes tears with laughter. The family stories, themselves, are woven together so well that we get glimpses of family members and their behaviors written so skillfully as to connect them viscerally to the reader's life, even though the stories sometimes challenged your own biases and stretched your comfort zone.

The Tall Boy is a book I could not put down and when it was finished I was left wanting more. Each vignette is just a mere brush stroke of larger equally compelling story that I hope someday will be painted. The Tall Boy is a sweet, wonderfully rich gift that Jess Gregg has given us from his heart.

I got a copy of the older version, illustrated by James Stevenson - it is a treasure. I LOVE IT! Have read it to my grandkids and they love it. GREAT humor and pictures. Wish the new one was illustrated by James Stevenson! It is a book worth owning!

I read this book at school. I was impressed by the language. The day before I read this book I found out that the author wrote this book about his three sons.

This was my favorite book when I was little. Now that I'm a father, I can't seem to find my copy (I managed to keep it for 20+ years, but I may have just had one move too many), so I was sad to see it was out of print.

Hopefully it will turn up, because this book is a real gem.

This was my favorite book when I was little. Now that I'm a father, I was ecstatic that I could find my copy from 30 years ago, as I was sad to see it was out of print.

I was given this book when I was a little girl and it instantly became one of my favorite books which I still keep in my library today. The book is wildly imaginative and teaches children that limits only exist in your own mind, certainly not in the minds of others. It's a shame that this book is no longer in print because it's truly timeless. If you see it anywhere grab a copy and then torture yourself by giving it away to a child that's dear to you.