Boys Books

This is a memoir of a boy with normal hearing who is raised by two deaf parents. It reveals the problems and prejudice faced by this subset of individuals and one boy's never say die techniques of overcoming them. It demonstrates as well the problems, both internal and external of the deaf community. It is a very touching and visceral account of the author's trip from infancy to adulthood in very challenging circumstances which ultimately results in strength and resilience of character. It's a quick read and well worth the time.

R.H. Miller provides very descriptive detail with every sentence. This wonderful book is an autobiography of R.H. Miller's life as he remembers it as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). A fascinating book that you can hardly put down.

The second volume of the Deaf Lives series, Deaf Hearing Boy: A Memoir is the true story the author, born in 1938 as the oldest of four hearing boys to deaf parents. Deaf Hearing Boy chronicles growing up in changing times, and the author's own experience as the sometimes unwilling liaison between his deaf parents and hearing grandparents. The end of World War II brought poverty to the family, as returning soldiers displaced his parents' jobs and they had to resort to scraping by on the family farm. Deaf Hearing Boy chronicles an era when small farms gradually faded from the landscape, and cultural connectivity began to erode the isolation of deaf people. It tells of prejudice against the deaf, from fathers who would not let the author date their daughters for fear that the author carried a gene for deafness that would be passed on, to misunderstandings within the family and more. And it tells of a young man's abiding respect for his parents, despite the problems unique to a deaf couple striving to raise hearing children. A compelling testimony drawn directly from heart and memory.

This book is really not what I usually read. I don't remember how I stumbled onto it, but I'm so glad I did. I won't give the plot away, but here are a few details. It's a story of two families, two divergent paths of a religion with common roots (told with much respect and dignity for both), a story of love, and the best family story ever. It has lots of humor in it, the characters are memorable and come alive in your mind. If you like authors such as Nicholas Sparks, you'll love this one. It makes you feel good.

Jensen's book is a riveting tale of love between two people with vastly different cultures. For many polygamy is Utah's "dirty little secret" and Jensen brillantly illustrates the secrecy of these offshoot societies and the clash that occurs when their members interact with the mainstream population of Utah. Jensen's characters are wonderfully real and multi-faceted. You cannot help but love the many characters in this book. The story grabs you attention and the book is impossible to put down. This is a wonderful love story for people who believe in the possibility of soul mates.

Janet has written a marvelous book! It grabs your attention from the beginning and keeps you spellbound with the wit and humor as well as the emotion and everyday people in the book. You feel like you know the charachters and can relate to their lives. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone!

This is a fantastically rendered book that will stay with me for a very long time to come. Its powerful message will resonate in anyone who has ever felt lost or unsure. The artistry involved in its construction causes one to have to process the work and make connections on his or her own. However, through this process one learns of the origins of strength and the universal truths behind love and identity. One young man's unexpected journey becomes the vehicle for understanding what it is to be human. Everyone should read this book and come to see what true honesty is.

I think this author was after something different than most books are after. You actually have to pay attention, because Eliot does not fill in all the blanks for you. Sometimes this is hard, but I really admire the author for taking the risk and being true to his vision. I'm sure many people will want to put the story down, but to me, this book is life. It's difficult, with some details I wish I didn't have in my head now. But in the end, everything comes together and this wonderful boy discovers that how he has been hurt is where his own salvation will come from. It is the sort of book I wish everyone would read. It's the sort of book I wish everyone who doesn't know how wonderful they are would read.

This strange novel tells a story I think many need to read. It's about a man who learns that the bad parts of his life are what help others love him. The book isn't told in a traditional way; it doesn't fill in the blanks between characters or storylines, and lets readers just sort of follow the natural rhythm of something I can only describe as truth. This is a very true story that moves along sort of unassumingly and then hits you at the end with the fact that the way we see determines what we see. It taught me to find beauty in my own life.

You don't have to be straight or gay to read this. You have to be human.

After saving the show in Dustin Grubbs: One Man Show, Dustin is back in DUSTIN GRUBBS: TAKE TWO! In this lively sequel he's trying out for the lead in Oliver. But this time, it won't be so easy. This time he has to sing. And dance. The only place he ever sings is in the shower. But he counts on his sense of humor to get him the part. And the fact that he's the only boy trying out.

What he doesn't expect is an all-out war between the arts committee and the athletic department. He doesn't expect his best friend to find a new best friend. He doesn't expect plain girls to blossom over the summer, beautiful frogs that can be poisonous. And he never expects to attend a casting call for a national commercial with his dad on his first trip to see him in three years.

Plus, his brother is keeping secrets behind his back. And his aunt springs a huge announcement that results in an enormous dilemma for Dustin. Dustin handles disappointments with humor and style. And, once again, without meaning to, he ends up being the hero.

John J. Bonk has another winner on his hands. The bad puns, Dustin's hilarious sarcastic voice, and the author's incredible imagination are irresistible. I guarantee that once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down until you have finished it.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

It unusual for a sequel to meet expectations when the original is such a hit. But in this case, Dustin Grubbs is as lovable and enjoyable as in the first. I hope we see more of Dustin and of his creator, John Bonk!

I just finished reading this book with my daughter. We both enjoyed it immensely. I had read the first one, Dustin Grubbs; One Man Show and didn't expect such a quality sequel. I LOVE the character of Dustin. His quirky family and friends are the icing on the cake. This sequel is strong enough to stand on its own but give yourself a treat and read both. Here's hoping John Bonk has a third Dustin book in the works.

A compelling "From the Heart story" of how the unconditional love of a child can be life transforming for his mother in countless ways.

Iris

A wonderful story about a mother having to grow up fast and finding a true love with her son.

I loved this book. Nina's story of love and redemption is powerful and inspirational. After opening the book I just couldn't put it down. I read the entire book in one sitting. I guess that is part of her genius. The pictures of Nina and Elijah are so poetic.

Unlike so many other dense books, Nina chose to inspire us by giving us just enough. She is definitely a writer on the rise. You won't be disappointed with this purchase.

Chocolate Mama

You thought YOUR high school years were tough.

As if teenage life wasn't surreal enough already, here comes Emo Boy to really turn things upside down. Emond approaches the hellish hallways of high school with a fresh perspective unlike anything you've seen before. Fast, funny, and creepy in its own oh so odd way. This is good, good stuff.

This is one funny character. I love the art. I love the stories. I love all of it. Can't wait for volume two of Emo Boy.

If you like emo, comic books, or neither, this book is for you. Anyone could find something to like about Emo Boy. The author strays from band name-dropping and cliche-pushing to deliver a character who at his very core is just looking to be accepted - and, after all, that's what everyone's looking for. These first six issues of the series promise that good things may yet be coming for the world's most melancholy superhero.

I think that this is one of the best Hardy Boys books ever written. I can't wait to read the next book in this three part seris!

A missing US customs official and a large smuggling operation takes the Hardys to Africa on an undercover mission. It may sound like just an average Hardy Boys mystery, but before it's over something truly shocking happens. I highly recommend this book for all Hardy Boys fans.

The first of a riveting triology, Frank & Joe land up in Africa with plenty of animal protection and poacher catching to do - sounds mundane? Absolutely not..there's a twist and a surprise everywhere...not to mention some tender moments between Frank and an Elephant!! Loved the entire triology. Buy it!!

Couldn't put this book down. Absolutely fascinating and riveting account of two people's experience during WWII from opposite sides of the war. It is heartwarming to realize that true human values survived the ridiculous war games that politicians and the military play, and that these two people survived the constant bombardment by their enemies, to meet and live happily together, going on nearly 50 years now. For anyone from the age of adolescense to adulthood, this book is a must read to understand the devasting effects of war.

This is an inspiring read that offers a unique view of WW2. A page-turner that opens one's eyes to the struggles and difficulties of families from both sides of the war. This book is for anyone who enjoys a story that brings history to life.

Reviewed by Lisa Kisner for Reader Views (5/06)

This book chronicles the young lives of two people who grew up on opposite sides of World War II. Tessa grew up in England, while Martin grew up in what was once East Germany. Their story, told from personal accounts and reconstructed with the help of letters written by their parents, brings that period of time to life.

Tessa tells of growing up with both parents, only to have her father ripped away, killed in the war. Her mother worked to support the family, sending Tessa and her sister to boarding school where it appears safer from bombings. Tessa's mother's letters to friends discussing rationing of food and clothing items gives readers, who have never experienced rationing coupons or shortages of necessities, a clear picture of daily life during those hard times.

Martin tells of his upbringing amid Nazi propaganda. He also tells of the horrors of the bombing of Dresden and how he survived and ultimately escaped out of East Germany. His recollections and letters from his parents after the war reveal how much the German citizens suffered in the economic hardship that followed.

This book gives an account not often told through the media. It chronicles childhood through young adulthood of two ordinary children on opposite sides of WWII. The book reminds the reader that most of the citizens of countries involved in the war were the not the power hungry, cruel politicians and soldiers depicted by the media. The authors wrote this book to give readers a different view of both sides of the war from the average civilian citizen's experiences. They have accomplished this and more.

Wow, this book is GOOD! A wonderfully entailed world, intricately created in this book, takes you on a journey. Well written, suspenseful...it has so many elements. I agree, nothing like it since J.K. Rowling in her fabulous Hogarts world. This is sure to be a woderful, colectable series. I very much look forward to my next steps in this literary world.

This book is a delight to read, a tense adventure. I haven't had this much fun since discovering the Harry Potter series after JK Rowling published her fourth one. I'm glad I got in on the ground floor this time, starting the adventures of "Trouble" from the beginning with "Everest is Hollow." I had to buy a second copy for myself to finish, so I could see how the story turned out. Halfway through, I lost the first copy to my wife, who wouldn't let go of it. I also shared "Everest is Hollow" with friends at a picnic, reading some of the book aloud. They, along with their kids, were hooked. The story is hypnotic.

I downloaded Everest is Hollow to my Kindle and got hooked. The climbing scenes made my hands sweat. I couldn't put the story down until I finished it. I ordered book copies for the pre-teens and teens in my extended family. They've been moping about the Harry Potter series reaching the end. Now they can go on, read another boy adventure and explore a new world. I also love the idea that profits from the book sales are donated to Doctors Without Borders.

Harry Kendall's memoir is one of the best books of its genre. Anyone interested in joining the U.S. Foreign Service, or simply wanting to know what it was like to be a Foreign Service Officer during the Cold War, will find this well-written, personal experience of a U.S. Information Agency public diplomat an entertaining, often exciting, and always satisfying view of life on the front lines of diplomacy.

This personal account of working in Latin America, Europe, and Asia to foster U.S. Foreign Policy goals by telling America's story to the world provides a unique insight to one man's successful and satisfying career as he left behind his boyhood life on a farm to live and work in foreign cultures on behalf of his country.

At a time when the importance of the term public diplomacy has been regenerated in the post 9/11 period because of the greater need than ever to provide the world with information about U.S. actions and the motives for such actions, this book provides some lessons, still applicable today, on how it was done when communism, rather than terrorism, was America's chief concern.

This is "must" reading for students of the Cold War as well as anyoneinterested in what is now calledPublic Diplomacy. It's also a nostalgia trip for those legions who worked for the US Information Agency before it was folded into the State Department in 1999 after 43 years of telling America's story to the world. It portrays an exciting but little known or appreciated branch of this country's diplomatic service.

This fascinating book tells how a boy who grew up on a Louisiana farm distinguished himself as a Foreign Service Officer working on behalf of the U.S. overseas during the Cold War. Harry Kendall's career spanned almost thirty years and took him to posts in Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, including two tours of duty in Japan and two in Vietnam.

The book also gives us a look at the early years of America's space program and the role the U.S. Information Agency played in telling the story to the world. As NASA-USIA liaison officer, Kendall coordinated the agency's information output from NASA's headquarters and later dealt directly with eager audiences abroad.

The story of the work of the rank-and-file diplomats who manned the front lines of the Cold War around the world is one that ought to be told, and Harry Kendall has done an admirable job.