Boys Books

After years of being a devoted fan, Chris Heath's book changed my opinion of our Boys from the UK. "Literally" revealed the true side of the Pet Shop Boys.

In public, Neil is the verbal communicator and frontman while Chris is the silent mind behind the synthesizers! But in reality it's almost the opposite: Neil is quiet and reserve and Chris so outspoken, that he borderlines on being obnoxious!

The book reveals the Boys points of view on everything from their opinion of fans to what they think of Bryan Ferry.

The book was not as interesting as I thought it would be. A better book is the follow up book "Pet Shop Boys VS America.

As an obsessive Pet Shop Boys fan I had to have this book and found it to be a great gossipy read. Even for non-fans it's quite the page-turner and gives great insight into what successful musicians have to go through whilst touring. It's amazing the PSBs let someone enter their midst and catch them in such unguarded moments without knowing whether the book would be complimentary or condeming. Heath side-steps such touchy issues as Chris and Neil's sexual orientation, their opinion of other pop stars and celebrities. Some of the stories had me screaming with laughter they were so funny. Yes, Neil does come off a being a bit bossy and a bit of a control queen and Chris does sound a bit demanding, but then again you have to be to be successful on your own terms. Chris Heath's writting is very witty, engaging and crisp, very British and a refreshing blast of fresh air when compared with other pop star bios.

What happens when you put two Englishmen, who just happen to be international pop stars, on a tour bus with forty-odd tech people, in a tour featuring movies, dancers, and a $200,000 wardrobe? You get the Pet Shop Boys, and their 1989 tour of Japan, Hong Kong, and Great Britain.

Sure, concerts are performed to rave reviews, parties are had, the artists are congratulated and much champagne is drunk. But below the surface, you've got squabbling roadies, the censors breathing down your backs, screaming fans at every turn, and two dancers who won't share a hotel room with one another because they each complain that the other one smells. Welcome to the life a pop star.

Heath's writing is excellent, as are the insights made into the lives of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the two Pet Shop Boys themselves. Witty, funny, and fascinating the whole way through. A captivating read from beginning to end! YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!

"Literally" was written by Chris Heath, a long-time PSB collaborator, who also pens their fan letter of the same name. I'm a huge PSB fan, and reading this book was an excellent way to learn a little bit more about the boys. I greatly enjoyed "Literally" and think that other PSB fans will also.

First, the book is terribly funny. PSB act like spoiled rock stars at times and then seem like the most normal chaps you could hope to meet. This schism is appropriate for a group that writes and performs such complex music. We also learn a great deal about their creative process. For example, I had always assumed that Chris wrote the music and Neil wrote the lyrics, which apparently is not the case; instead, they seem to have equal say in developing songs. The boys also seem surprisingly principled and unwilling to bend their artistic choices for the sake of popularity and record company approval.

"Literally" covers their tour during for "Introspective" CD ("It's Alright" was released as a single in Britain during this time). The PSB were in their self-proclaimed "imperial period" - when everything they did went to #1 in the UK and top 10 in the US. However, times were clearly changing, especially with the proliferation of English boy bands during the 1990s. Neil and Chris riff on a number of British and American pop stars, and the fun is not diminished by the fact that many of these acts, such as Bros, are fairly unknown in the US. If anything, the fading of these untalented bands and the continuing (European) success of PSB documents that substance can win over style.

Although the book is a bit dated, it?s a terrific read. Most highly recommended for PSB fans.

This book uses God's word in a prayer format. If I pray a chapter a day for both of my sons, I can cover them both in prayer, in a variety of areas of their life, without being distracted. After I cover my son's, I pray without the book, but it is nice to have God's word right in front of me and use it to direct my prayers. I plan to keep working through the book again and again over the years.

My 27 year old son was very ill over the last 2 years and this book helped me to face each day with hope and courage. I put my son's name in each of the scriptures so it was personalized for me to see the grace and mercy of our Lord. I am very thankful for this little book.

This book is a wonderful tool to use during prayer time. It is divided into short chapters addressing different topics (anger, attitude, fear, etc) Each chapter contains several short scriptural prayers related to the topic. It has been a beneficial and uplifting and encouraging book to use.

My wife and I used Praying God's Will For My Son to help us pray for our adopted children even before they came to the US. It helped us bless them and increased our bonding with them.

One of our favorite prayers was "We pray that neither death nor life, nor angels or principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate our son from the love of you God, which is in Christ Jesus, his Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

i thought this book was very interesting it told a lot about how it was when there was slaves.people who like mysteries and thrillers should read this i think mary downing is a great writer and that everyone should read it to find out what it was really like in a persons point of view that was there when there was slaves.

This book, Promises to the Dead, is a great book that took place during the Civil War time. It begins when Jesse is hunting turtles for the family's famous soup in the family down in the creek. The next thing he knows is that he's finding himself promising a dying slave women that he'll take her young son, Perry, to a relative in Baltimore. Caring for a slave was against the law and against everthing Jesse was thought. He can't break a promise made to the dead and more importanly, he must follow what in his heart is right. The journey turns out complety different from what Jesse thought. He comes upon many hard decisions and tough choices he must do for what he thinks is right. Does Jesse make it through? Read the book to find out!!
I did like the book because it was suspensful and tought you to do was right from wrong. It really made you think of what is important in life. I would recommend the book if you like to be in suspense and if you like books on Historical Fiction and wars.

(...)I just got done reading the book Promises to the Dead. Promises to the Dead is a mystery book. It's about a boy who has to take a slave woman's child to a relative in Baltimore. When they get there, they find out that the relative wasn't there. So,they go on a journey to find her. Along the way, they get into some trouble. If you like mystery books, you should definitely read this book.

Jesse's search for turtles in a swamp leads him to newresponsibilities and reluctant encounters with slavery as he makes apromise to a dying slave woman that her young son will be taken to asafe home in Baltimore. Jesse's beliefs conflict with his promise and are complicated by his young charge's stubbornness in this different story of a move to freedom.

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes to laugh. A little bit of bathroom humor, but not too much. Just a fun read with lots of laugh out loud moments. Kids who enjoyed Captain Underpants but are ready for the next reading level will love it. Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans should also enjoy this book. While I love the Wimpy Kid series, Raymond and Graham are are kinder and more likable characters than Wimpy Kid's Greg. Viewing the world through Raymond's fourth-grade eyes also stirred up my own childhood memories and put a smile on my face.

Mike Knudson and Steve Wilkinson's RAYMOND AND GRAHAM RULE THE SCHOOL tells of best friends who have been waiting the 4th grade for a long time - until they find they're stuck with an old, creepy teacher and an embarrassing class play. Will their coveted year turn out to be the worst ever? Stacy Curtis provides zany black and white drawings for the elementary-to-middle-school grade reader.

This book will definitely be a classic. It transcends through any age, gender, or background. I was laughing as hard, or harder than my kids. This books brings up memories of being a child and all the funny things that happen. There is not any body that will not love this book. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, and so would my kids (ages 5&7).

I read this book to a class of third and fourth graders, mostly boys. I had no idea that the students, the aides, the teacher and I would all enjoy it so much. There were days when we could not stop laughing. I think it is one of the all-time funniest books for children I have ever read. I would definitely put it in the top three.
I taught elementary school for twenty years and also spent many, many hours reading to my daughter, so this rating comes from someone who had read lots of great and not-so-great books. Everybody-- the 8-10 year old students and the 30-60 year-old adults-- loved the chapter about the unibrow most of all. Just thinking of it makes me laugh. As you can see from the age range of the people in the classroom while I was reading the book, the authors successfully appeal to a very wide audience.
I am delighted to see that Mike Knudson is coming out with a second book in early Sept.; I can't wait to share it with my class. I hope he realizes how much the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students (especially boys) of America need Raymond and Graham to keep us laughing.

This an informative study of reading in the high school setting and why we are having so many problems interesting boys in literacy.

I heard about this book on Amazon, and quickly picked it up. As a teacher of middle school English learners who will soon be transitioning to mainstream classes, I have had many battles with students, especially boys, who hate to read. At the beginning of the year, I have my students complete this statement on a piece of paper: "When I read, I feel....". From the boys, I've gotten such responses as "bored", "tired", "sleepy", and, strangely enough, "hungry". The reality is, our male students are falling through the cracks because they are not engaged with the texts. If students aren't engaged by "Death of a Salesman" or "The Scarlet Letter", then why do we still force them to read these books? One solution to solving the problem of low literacy skills among boys would be to allow more book choices. Literature circles are great, because they give students a choice. If one circle is reading "Lord of the Flies" and doesn't want to read it, then he could get in the group that's reading the book he wants to read. "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys" is an insightful, well-researched book that I have been recommending to all my fellow Language Arts and ESL/ELD teachers. Bravo!

This book significantly changed the way I, as a teacher of Language Arts, think about what we do in secondary classrooms every day. Without ever being strident or laying blame, the authors methodically, movingly demonstrate that in so many ways, most middle schools and high schools are still far off the mark in how they teach English. And yet, the answer is right there--all we have to do is listen to the kids.

Sure, it's easy for us to listen to the good readers, the ones who zipped through "Lord of the Rings" in 5th grade, who devour books. But when do we really listen and respond to the needs of those kids--particularly, as the authors point out, boys--who never read, who say they hate to read?

The authors studied, and carried on extensive dialogues, with 49 boys in grades 7-12. What they found will shock and dismay some readers. To others, it will come as no surprise. Still others may see it as a call to action: Increasingly, many children--and boys in particular--fail to make any significant connection with what goes on in the language arts classroom. Even passionate teachers may be of little help, so long as they insist on imposing the conventional canon of "great literature" on all students. What's more, students who resist traditional reading are by no means necessarily illiterate. Many are highly competent readers of computer manuals, sports magazines, graphic novels and internet communications--to name just a few. Many are passionate about these alternative literary activities. But they find no reinforcement for them in school; often, it is quite the opposite.

The authors argue that we must reach students first through the literate activities they already know and value, and tap into these interests, these sometimes unconventional literacies, as ways to engage them in meaningful, real activities. Then, if all goes well, they will begin to seek out wonder and meaning in ways that go deeper than the surface, and the door may open, for some, on that world of symbolic, philosophical, emotional meaning that is so valued by teachers and other lifelong readers.

I read this book as a part of a Graduate level course in education I am taking at Rutgers University; the very University its author Michael Smith (who co-wrote with Jeffrey Wilhelm) once taught at. I found this book indispensible in its informative snapshots of high school boys from different backgrounds. It is clear that the language arts do not suffer from irrelevance for boys but perhaps from being taught in such a way that does not connect the texts with the boys' existing literary knowledge. After reading this book, you will learn that there are many ways to engage boys in the teaching of the language arts. I highly recommend this book. It is one of the top five best educational books I have read so far. Exceptional!

When Mr. Keen arrives in a small farm town with a wooden crate, strange things are observed, from pants that walk by themselves to a invisible ink factory. Bryan is determined to find out the secrets behind these strange occurrences, and with the aid of a girl sleuth the two set out to uncover the bizarre truth of world-changing events in REALITY LEAK.

Almost every day Bryan Zilcher sits by the roadside, trying to sell his invented beverage, LemonMoo, so he can save up enough money to buy a computer. A semi whizzes by, and out tumbles a box. But what climbs out of the box is even stranger: a man named Mr. Keen, who seems more than a little weird to Bryan. When Mr. Keen moves his business into an empty factory in town, Bryan's suspicions get higher and higher. Trouble with a capital T is invading the town . . . can Bryan find a way to stop it?

This book was zany, crazy fun. It's got great characters like Tripper and Spot, with plenty of action and excitement. Full of bizarre things like flying money, popcorn planting, and possible vampires, Reality Leak was a blast to read. Perfect for middle grade readers who enjoy a good dose of oddball humor.

Dangers abound in the world of children's literature. The wary author, ear cocked to the wind, nose sniffing about for trouble, must be vigilant every step of the way. And when an author attempts their very first middle grade novel for children, the dangers are likely to increase tenfold. So ran my line of reasoning as I idly picked up and perused Joni Sensel's, "Reality Leak". The book, let us face it, has a charming cover design but how fares the material inside? I was prepared to be disappointed. I was, instead, truly delighted. Living up to its illustrations (and then some) Ms. Sensel brings child readers a book that wants nothing more than to entertain and be entertaining in the process. Mission, as you will see, most certainly accomplished.

It was a summer day like any other for eleven-year-old Bryan Zilcher. He was just sitting on the side of the highway in an attempt to sell some LemonMoo (lemon flavored milk of his own invention) when out of the back of a semi flies a wooden crate bearing the label, "WARNING: DO NOT LICK." From this box emerges none other than Archibald Keen, a white-suited stick of a man who describes himself as the president of Acme, Inc. Without further ado Mr. Keen is off, purchasing the local defunct factory and hiring all the residents as employees without going into such dull details as what it is they're actually going to MAKE when working for him. Bryan's suspicious, and with good reason. It seems that strange things are happening all the time now. Notes appear out of toasters. Little girls blow bubbles in the shapes of letters. Trains appear to be running in a town where there are no tracks. Now it's up to Bryan and his friend Spot (a girl who thinks she's a canine) to investigate the real story behind Acme, Inc. and find out whether or not Mr. Keen's intentions are noble or nefarious.

I referred vaguely to dangers associated with first time middle grade authors, and for a second there I was desperately afraid that "Reality Leak" would fall prey to one of the biggest mistakes a writer can make. When an author starts haphazardly throwing all the cool stuff they can think of into a story so as to make it kid friendly, they usually end up creating a gawdawful mess instead. Warily I scanned the pages of "Reality Leak" for any hint of undeserved goofiness and at first, to my chagrin, it looked like Sensel was doing just that. For a chapter or two it seemed that she'd given in to her worst whims and created ridiculous stuff without rhyme or reason. Really, the girl that thinks that she's a dog seemed a clear indication of out-of-the-blue nuttiness. Then I read a little further and everything began to fall neatly into place. If there's no rhyme or reason that's because the book demands a complete and utter lack of it. Keep reading and everything begins to even out. The story's plot has a well-thought out beginning, middle, and end and the arc of the tale melds beautifully. Even Mr. Keen (a worthy successor to Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka if ever there was one) with his quirks and potentially malevolent actions makes sense within the context of the writing. Just as you feel Sensel might plunge you off the deep end of cohesive storytelling never to return, she reels you back in so skillfully that you begin to wonder if she wasn't playing with you intentionally all along.

The author seemingly draws her nutty occurrences from a host of different sources. At one point our heroes draw a black hole on the wall only to find a train is approaching them from inside that space they just drew. This reminded me of an old Sesame Street episode with some guys putting two sides of a picture of a hole together and then facing the train that approaches from within the finished image. Sensel also looks to old Warner Brothers cartoons as well as adding in some subtle flourishes that are entirely her own. Black and white rainbows, winking waffles, teabags that turn into mice, etc.

Now Sensel does attempt to bring in some serious family matter into this otherwise silly tale, and in a way I felt that this was unnecessary. In the story, Bryan's mother left the family a couple years ago and since that time his dad has taken up with Tripper, the smart woman who runs the Post Office. And while Bryan doesn't seriously mind Tripper, he begins to chafe when she starts setting understandable limits for him when his dad fails to. The problem is that this storyline doesn't gel as nicely as it might. References to Bryan's mother keep cropping up in spite of the fact that she doesn't have any bearing on the story at hand and the boy seemingly doesn't think of her all that often anyway. It's not an intrusive element to the book, but it did come off as a little unnecessary at times, and that's too bad.

Now it is a fact of nature that authors are not always given the illustrators they so richly deserve. First time authors of novels in particular tend to get the scrapings off the bottom of the barrel time and time again, so it's just a pure pleasure to see Ms. Sensel place her baby in the competent hands of illustrator Christian Slade. Mr. Slade, a former Disney animator, has yet to make a permanent mark in the world of children's literature. "Reality Leak" offers him, then, a remarkable start. Slade knows how to balance the cartoonish elements of this story with just the right amount of reality. I was particularly impressed with his characterization of the mysterious Archibald Keen. Here we have a fellow who is either good or bad, and it's impossible to say whether he falls too far one way or another for most of the book. When he smiles the story says that, "That grin had too many teeth. It made the stranger look a bit like a jack-o'-lantern." Later in the book Slade shows you what the author meant, but at the same time he has to be careful and make it impossible to say if the guy is malevolent or simply weird. The smile does indeed have too many teeth, but the eyes are almost sympathetic in spite of the bushy eyebrows above them. There aren't an overwhelming amount of pen-and-ink illustrations in this book, but their occasional appearances in this story do complement the plot rather magnificently, and for this I am glad.

Kids who may enjoy this book include those youngsters in love with Blue Balliett's, Chasing Vermeer series. I've never been entirely comfortable with Balliett as an author, personally. Her books always have characters idly walking along as clues go out of their way to trip them up. Sensel's book, in contrast, has some lively child heroes who find peculiar clues and secret messages after a great deal of hard work. Bryan and Spot are active protagonists. He, for example, keeps a double-cased pillow full of files on his bed in lieu of a computer. When something weird happens he's sure to write it down pronto rather than let actions just happen to him. But if you can lead kids into reading this story by comparing it to Ms. Balliett's work, all power to you.

I was a little disappointed to find that there have been blurbs of this book that give away the mystery Bryan and Spot are trying so desperately to uncover. Hopefully this will lessen as the book gains in popularity. As it stands, I wouldn't hesitate to place this in the grubby hands of any grubby reader that happens to waltz into my library looking for a book that is fun and funny to boot. In spite of the record number of children's book publications that climb with every fiscal year, few of the titles out there have as clear a sense of lighthearted glee as Joni Sensel's, "Reality Leak". Never disappointing and always surprising.

This is a very, very fun book to read. From the opening page, the reader is taken on a wild and crazy ride in the company of quirky, likeable and, ultimately, very human characters. It's a mystery story and an adventure story, as well as being very funny. I haven't laughed out loud like this while reading a "middle grade" book since discovering Sid Fleischman. Every time you think you know where the story is going it takes another twist and the reader is left to marvel at Ms. Sensel's imagination and the ease with which she presents both scenes of humor and poignancy. I read portions of the book aloud to some of the "underachieving" seventh- and eighth-grade students I work with - reluctant readers, to say the least. They insisted I start back at the beginning, and soon we were passing the book around so we could each take turns at reading it aloud to the group. What more could you want from a novel?

Reckless Courage: The True Story of a Norwegian Boy Under Nazi Rule is a collection of true anecdotes and inspirational true stories about a Norwegian family during the German occupation of World War II. The story focuses upon a young errand boy who worked at a hotel housing German officers, painting a captivating issue of survival under German rule, and the appendices raise thought-provoking questions such as whether Norway was more important in World War II than historically recognized - did Hitler's invasion of Norway ultimately cost him the war? Did one Norwegian colonel, through disobeying orders, save civilization? A welcome and much- appreciated addition to World War II history and narrative shelves.

Fuller's attention to detail makes Norwegian life in 1940 come alive -- and life was tough (the family makes do without food and necessities) and exciting (to an adolescent boy who believes in a cause). Fuller's account should be required reading for today's American teenagers, many of whom are far removed from the realities of a life under foreign occupation. Emotion is downplayed and the moral lesson subtly presented; it will make our youth (and us) think more deeply about the world situation today.
Berkeley, CA

This book is wonderful! It is hard to find non-fiction history that reads like fiction. You will not want to put it down and neither will your children! I loved it as did my 14 and 17 year olds. The book is a quick read about a young boys adventures yet at the same time it is filled with historical facts that don't weigh the story down. The reader gets a sense of life for Norweigans during the German occupation and an insight into the resistance movement through the eyes of the Haines children. Would highly recommend it for all ages and a great non fiction for a school history project.

I loved this book, and so did my 17-year-old nephew. The stories about Gunnar Haines and his family are enthralling and often humorous--how they made do despite rationing; the Norwegian traditions; the boys' adventures, particularly Gunnar's several furtive visits to a Russian POW camp to bring food and tobacco to the prisoners. And the historical details about the war are informative and often fascinating. It is a quick read.

Neil Wollman, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow, Peace Studies Institute
Manchester College

Christopher Harding's "The Reindeer Boy" is so uplifting, easy to read, and reveals through a delightful story the inner journey of someone who has found his oneness with Spirit. A wonderful book to read for the holidays or anytime!

Christopher Harding's "The Reindeer Boy" entrances us with engaging characters and a charming story. The tale challenges us to become whole, to accept and reunite our disowned and buried parts, to become the deep-rooted hero in our own life story.

(Stephen Paul, author of "Illuminations - Visions for Change, Growth, and Self Acceptance")

Christopher Harding has done a masterful job of taking us on a journey into ourselves; into facing our deepest fears so as to free us to discover who we really are.

(Bill Guillory, Ph.D. author of "Spirituality in the Workplace")

A true and fascinating excursion that carried me beyond the known and into the tundra of wisdom - the mystical world of the Reindeer Boy - where the power of the dreamtime became one man's greatest tool of self-discovery.

(Betina Lindsey - shamanic healer and author of "Swan Bride")

Having grown up in the Cleveland area myself, I was partial to this book right away since it's set in a suburb of Cleveland. That in itself is what made me first pick up the book actually. But I think the story here will appeal to anyone who ever had to endure the trials and torments of adolescence (and of course we all do). Ben Farkas's portrait is painted in soft colors at first, but they soon darken. This turns out to be a very tense, gritty and powerful picture of a boy walking a tightrope across an emotional abyss. When he seemingly makes it safely to the other side at the book's end, it will bring a real sense of satisfaction to just about every reader I have to think. That was certainly true for this reader anyway.

This is quite simply one of the best coming-of-age novels I've ever encountered, especially in its unique explorations of what it feels like to be a young athlete with good but not exceptional ability who has aspirations of stardom. The scenes between Ben and his father are so frank at times they're almost too painful to read. The author is also right on target in each and every relationship he depicts between Ben and a coach or a so-called "male" adviser.

Fantastic novel! I read it once quickly and then had to reread it to savor the exquisite subtleties. It caught the trials and tribulations of a boy growing up in the mid-1950s perfectly. Ben's story brought back the poignancy of my high school years all too clearly: the yearning for those cute coeds that I was too painfully shy to talk to, much less ask for a date, and that secret longing for a mysterious older woman of the world who would initiate me into the wonders of manhood. Well done.

Nemec is one the most unappreciated fiction writers we have. Every one of his books is gutsy and passionate and full of strange twists. This book combines accurate, unsentimental pictures of growing up in the 50's in tight concentric circles with the drama and risk of breaking out of those circles into manhood.

I'm a third-grade teacher and bought this book for my class library. There's a mixture of real art pieces and drawings done by an illustrator whose style goes well with the paintings. It's a fun way for the kids to learn about something new. I highly recommend it to teachers of grades 3-5. It's a fast favorite, and now my class is filled with Renoir fans.

My kids (who hate having their hair cut) love this book and have been asking for it every night. I love the fact that now they'll grow up knowing who Renoir was, recognizing his paintings, and knowing the surprising and amusing story behind them. This is such a gem of a story and it's so wonderful that someone thought to write a children's book about it. Great story, beautiful illustrations.

Great Book! Lots of fun to read. My children and I both enjoyed the story, how little Jean was part of his father's artwork and creative process. Good for all ages, from 4 to 41. I liked learning more about Renoir.

This is the perfect book to spark a child's interest
in art. I read it to my sons (ages 5 and 7) and they
had fun picking out their favorite Renoir paintings.
Then they wanted to go to the museum so they could
look for Renoir paintings. (This made me happy!) My
older son identified with Jean (Renoir's son), who
wanted to be more like the other kids, but more
importantly, he admired Renoir who followed his
passion and didn't care what anyone thought of him.
What an inspiring message for kids!