Boston

Supremely concise and useful guide to ... yes, things to do in the Boston area with kids. The first edition, at least, is missing only one thing: a map to tell you where everything is.

This family-oriented tour book is easy to use and a valuable resource, with lots of helpful information packed into each two-page spread, including a description of the attraction, address, phone number, admission prices, hours and recommended ages, interesting facts and nearby restaurants.

The 68 attractions include old favorites (Fanueil Hall, Franklin Park Zoo, Make Way for Ducklings Tour) as well as new (Pirate Adventure, Purgatory Chasm, Plaster Fun Time) in both indoor and outdoor settings. This is a quick read and an invaluable resource for families who live near Boston or plan to visit.

This book was like having a knowlegable and fun loving friend let you in on all the great things to do and see around Boston with kids. We found it very helpful on our recent trip to the area.

This book keeps you on the edge of your seat through one chapter after another! From the tense first chapter set in a prison torture camp, through the ensuing chapters in Boston, our hero Chris Parsons keeps us in anticipation as he unravels a mystery that rattles all the way up through the highest levels of government!

This is a must read book for any adventure/mystery enthusiast, and hopefully it's the first of many more Chris Parsons novels to come!

Open the cover of Peter Spring's novel, The Last Casualty, and you will be thrust into the exciting world of Chris Parsons, a young reporter working in Boston, Massachusetts. In this story, Chris is assigned to write a fairly routine article about a senator running for president, but when he digs a little deeper into the senator's background, he finds a puzzling web of cover-ups and mystery. Although his editor tells him to drop his investigation of the senator's past, Chris senses that he may be on the verge of breaking a major story involving the Vietnam War and the senator's father. He presses on despite the fact that dead bodies of people associated with his newspaper research keep piling up. Will Chris be the next victim?

This novel is well written with a seamless plot that keeps the reader in suspense until the end, when Peter Spring pulls all of the evidence together into a satisfying conclusion. Chris Parsons, his colleagues and his friends are engaging and three-dimensional, with delightful quirks that make even the smallest characters worthy of attention. The details of Boston are authentic and clear, giving the reader a real sense of the environment in which Chris lives, and his budding relationship with Leslie is sweet without overshadowing the major plot of the story.

Overall, this was a thoroughly entertaining book, one I would recommend to anyone looking for a good suspenseful tale. I hope to read more about Chris Parsons in future novels by Peter Spring!

Suspenseful from beginning to end. I'm looking forward to the next Chris Parsons mystery! The characters were realistic and exciting.

William G. Tapply is one of the best writers out there today. His series character, lawyer Brady Coyne, is back with another case. Brady is asked by his friend, former NBA player Mick Fallon to help him fight a divorce which his wife Kaye wants. When Kaye is found murdered, Mick is the likely suspect. Brady's investigation turns up things in Kaye's life that are contrary to what most people believe about her. Tapply does a super job in drawing the character of Mick Fallon, who has a quick temper and a gambling problem. The plot is strong, as usual. This, the 16th Brady Coyne novel, is one of the best in the series.

I loved this book. Tapply's writing is, as usual, impeccable. The story pulled me in and didn't let go until I, reluctantly, came to the last page wishing the next two or three Brady Coynes were miraculously out on the shelves.

If William G. Tapply's books were published in paperback, they'd be flying off the bookshelves. Why aren't they??? Every Brady Coyne novel I've read has been a thrilling adventure. Read any one of them (this one included). You won't be disappointed.

Wow. A great book, all about me. Seriously, I got chosen for a program like this when I was in middle school. It wasn't this program, but another. It changed my life. I like the end of the book, too because it provides good suggestions and smart points about why we need more options like this for our kids. My life went in a positive direction and I watched many children with great parents who worked hard and who were so smart, not succeed like I did. All teachers of minority kids in white schools or wealthy schools should read this book.

I was a student who took part in a program exactly like this one, in another city. I got assigned this book in my sociology class and it was so amazing for me to read it because it is exactly what I went through 5 years ago. Also, many of my friends who are black and who went to suburban schools for different reasons said they could relate to this experience. I could not believe it when I read that this author was white, because all along I was reading it and because it was so accurate and real I naturally assumed she must be a black woman. This made the truth and honesty of the book even more amazing. The book would be really good for all teachers, guidance counselor and school principals and white parents to read because it really speaks to the black child's experience in a white school. And when I was a kid in school I could not have put into words some of the struggles but also all the benefits and good things that grew out of my complicated experience. But this puts it into words what so many young people are feeling but also what they think about their experience when they are looking back as grown ups.

This is an excellent book. It shows readers a better alternative to so-called forced busing which got its worse name in the city of Boston. But this book is about a voluntary program that let black kids go to suburbia. The writer really lets the former students talk for themselves and because of that it is a really moving book that feels honest and real. When the writer does comment on things, it is always very graceful and plainly spoken. This book does not try to be overly academic, and so is a welcome treat to read. I wish there were more 'human' books out there about subjects like this, which are usually written in very dull, dry styles.

If you have a fee day, you can plan a mini vacation Right Here. No need for long drives or plane rides. Liz Nelson has managed to do all the planning, gather the important ingormation, and entice us to explore our own back yard. It was so nice to find a book I can use as a refrence for trips and activities in the North Shore area. It's a great book to pull out when planning weekend entertainment for out of town friends and relatives, and it is a perfect idea generator for those days when the kids think there is 'nothing to do."

When I travel I always plan ahead and study the areas I visit. Unfortunately, when I am at home, I never take the time to do the research. Now, the work has been done for me, so if I want to have a fun local adventure I have everything I need Right Here.

Whether you are new to the area north of Boston or a long time resident, you will find Liz Nelson's Right Here an invaluable guide to reservations,historic sites, museums, parks, bike paths, walks and more. I recommend it enthusiastically to our visitors of all ages and use it myself. Although I have lived north of Boston for 40 years, I have learned a lot from Right Here, and it provides visitors to the Salem Witch Museum with a wide variety of travel opportunities north of Boston. An excellent collection! Alison D'Amario, director of education, Salem Witch Museum, Salem, Massachusetts

I've lived in this area for 10 years and have barely begun to scratch the surface of all the region has to offer. Liz Nelson's little book is now my official personal guidebook to the historic and adventure-filled Massachusetts north shore.

The places she takes me to visit range from the extraordinary (quirky historic homes with unusual architecture and jaw-dropping memorabilia) to the serene (quiet walks amid sea spray roses in search of eagles and seals) to the ridiculous (snow tubing down a ten-story-high hill of ice!?!) to the adventuresome (whale watching!) So no matter what my mood, no matter what the season, I can find a day trip that's just right.

And no matter who accompanies me, from my 85-year-old mother, to my adventuresome outdoor-loving friends, to visiting cousins and their kids, we can always find a suitable jaunt "Right Here"!

I especially appreciate the TRIP TIPS -- complete and thorough driving directions, details about admission fees, where to park, and how much time to allow to thoroughly enjoy each place -- even helpful little hints such as "Disregard the 'Private Road' sign."

The best part of this little book, however, is the way it's written. Because Liz Nelson writes as though she's in the middle of her own exploration of each place, it's as though you are being accompanied by your own personal, not to mention observant and wryly amusing, tour guide.

Whether you're a visitor to northern New England or a seasoned resident, you can't go wrong with this little book. All the locations are easy driving day trips whether you're coming from Portland, Maine; the Concord or Manchester, New Hampshire areas; or from Boston.

The idea behind this book is wonderful. Each verse is accompanied by a detailed cut-out. When you shine the flashlight (included) onto the picture, an even more beautiful scene is rendered on your child's dark bedroom wall. We have read it every night since we bought it.

This book will be a Christmas tradition in our house for years to come. My two daughters, ages 4 and 5, were amazed and delighted by the story and images projected on the wall. We are having a lot of fun with this book- I projected "Grandpa" right onto their pillows, and pretended that he was going to sleep with them. This book is pricey because of the detailed, high quality laser cut pages. It is well worth the money!

I bought 2 copies of this book, one for my niece and the other for my nephew. When they arrived, I made sure to put batteries in each of the penlights. (You will need 2 AAA batteries.) Then I turned off all the lights and read the book myself. What a delight! The negative spaces of the cutout become snow covered mountains, filling the wall or ceiling of the room with a completely new world. The story is lovely, but the shadow images are stunning and mesmerizing. These will be hard books to wrap and give away. I will have to buy a copy for myself.

But in 1918, the Sox won. They really, really won. This well researched book makes me fell like I was there, 83 years ago, following the REd Sox daily, the same way I do now. Difference is, they win it and this is not good fiction, it is great non-fiction. What Ken Burns did for baseball history, Ty Waterman does for the 1918 Red Sox.

Another interesting thing about this book is the news clips which is how you, as a reader, follow along with the season. The interesting part is not just the information from long ago, but how a ball club is written about back in 1918, and how it differs today. Sure the players had "issues" back then, but now days we can get bogged down on the importance of player's personal problems and the effect that has on the team. Looking foward to digesting the next Ty Waterman fact filled book.

No team in professional sports offers a full scale opera with each game more than my beloved Boston Red Sox. All Red Sox and baseball fans know the trials, tribulations, and horror that surrounds this team, and with it Boston, and all of New England. Buckner in '86, Torrez in '78, Bill Lee's junk pitch to Tony Perez in game 7 of '75, the collapse in 72, the could have been of '67, the should have been of '48, Enos Slaughter in '45...the Red Sox have sustained their share of horrific luck since Harry Frazee dealt the Babe to New York in 1919...

Few fans remember, or realize, that the Red Sox dominated baseball for the first 20 years of the past century. They had great pitchers from Cy Young to "Smoky" Joe Wood, to the Babe, and hall of famers Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker, Young, the Babe... yes, the Sox had it all, and it all culminated in 1918, the last time the Babe-led Sox won the World Series.

Waterman's book is a delightful piece of Americana, complete with old tyme sketches, photos, box scores, standings, and everything else that made 1918 what it was- a simpler time in baseball. The stories, from the trade of Speaker to the Indians to the many showcasing the Babe's probelms but undeniable charisma and popularity, to that of Harry Hooper's fight against MLB that lasted all of his life, are fascinating and riviting. The newspaper writers were more than that in those days- they became part of the saga, as well.

This book is a remarkable historical document that fans of baseball, no less those of the Red Sox, will appreciate. Many of the day's brightest stars are mentioned, and it hearkens back to a day when to play baseball was a privledge, not a job. ..and while the 1918 Red Sox were a dysfunctional lot, they played the game hard, and loved what they did. The book, cartoons, and stories from the writers clearly show this. Baseball today can learn more than a thing or 2 from the 1918 Red Sox and baseball of that era. A delightful and informative read.

Nothing but the pain and despair of being a true Bosox fan could ever prepare an author like it must have for Mr. Waterman. The book was a bright read about a very different game in a very different America. As much a chronicle of the era as baseball and the Red Sox themselves. A first class study of the despair of every Red Six fan!

I beleieve the Braves won the 1960 CDE Title!

This book was a real joy to read. It was a pleasure to take in George's unique observations as he bravely went where no non-athlete has been before, between the pipes to guard the goal of the famed Boston Bruins.

What makes this book so special is George's lack of prejudice and his ability to tell a story complete with the smells, sights, thoughts, feelings and emotions of being completely overwhelmed by a situation that he has absolutely no control over.

His story-telling is succinct and yet descriptive enough so that the reader feels like s/he is in the room with George, as he talks with players, coaches, hockey wives, fans, etc.

Throughout the book, it amused me to picture George holding a conversation these hockey players - his Ivy-league mesmerisms and accent remarkable proof that he is a stranger in this crowd.

It is impressive that Plimpton is not judgmental in his analysis of this much maligned sport. He has a splendid time in his experiences, and I had an equally splendid time reading his book. Don't worry that this book was published in the 80s, as this is a timeless storytelling achievement.

This has to be George Plimpton's best book. I've read this book and could not put it down. If you are a hockey fan, or a George Plimpton fan I highly recommend this book.

This book was great! I picked it up about two years ago, and have read it three times since then!

Michael Lee captures the heart's hidden emotions of our day to days most ordinary and mundane interludes. Each and every person
who reads this book will look with new insight into their lives and those closest to them. This collection of short stories is a must read.

The stories in this collection by Michael Lee come at you with a humor and humanity that to this reader's mind and heart tell the story of American manhood today. These are stories about guys with heart trying hard to preserve their good humor and what dignity a world that could mostly care less allows them. There are no literary posturings here, just literature at its quiet, touching, funny, enjoyable best. This would be a great gift for just about any man between the ages of 25 and 70 -- and for any woman who wants a glimpse of how we tick! The only bad thing about this book is that it ends. More, Mr Lee, more!

Mike Lee's ability to turn a phrase is akin to the joy that newly washed windows bring: sudden clarity to unexpected views.

People come first in Lee's world, and he introduces some beauts and some beauties. From Frankie and Bobby in Oklahoma to "Nola" Bowden, all of his characters express their innermost thoughts whether we're ready or not.

Lee is able to describe feelings many of us have shared in language that is crisp and direct, but applied in circumstances that few, if any, could claim to share. Neither the plight of budding entrepeneurs in the XXX sports market, nor the happiness of an immobile street performer in Paris tickled a neuron of identification with me, but the desperate need to succeed or simply to be the first in one's family to be happy are so fundamental that each of us is able is pick off a piece of such longing to consume and reflect on.

"Paradise Dance" is an eclectic package of disparate characters brought to the edge by a handful of emotions. Where the hell is Albright , Massachusetts anyway?

In 1918, Wood's main focus is on the dramatic and historic 1918 season, in which the Red Sox took their sixth Junior Circuit flag, then continued on to beat the Chicago Cubs in the World Series four games to one, becoming the first team to win five World's Championships. As we know, 1918 is also the last world title for the BoSox. Also featured are the amazing exploits of the young pitching phenom George Herman Ruth. This was the year that Ruth burst on the baseball world not as the Cy Young-like lefthander he had been, but as the soon-to-be Sultan of Swat most of us think of when we hear the name "Babe". Wood also goes into great detail on the undisciplined Ruth's season-long feuding with his manager, Ed Barrow, as well as with the Sox' owner Harry Frazee. Ruth was desparate to play first base, the outfield, or even come in as a left-handed shortstop so he could play every day and hit more homers. Management wanted him on the mound, where he was still one of the most dominant pitchers of the dead-ball era. Wood tells of at least three times where Ruth 'quit' the Red Sox, only to show up at the park the next day. Another major part of the book is told through the backdrop of World War I. In early 1918, Major League Baseball inexplicably failed to request an exemption from the government's "work or fight" order (while other entertainment industries, such as theater and the nascent motion picture crafts, were granted exemptions). This meant that players were obligated to either join the active military or find war-related work until the cessation of hostilities. With a September 15 deadline, baseball's answer was to cut the regular season short, with the last games being played on Labor Day and the World Series starting on September 5. Ironically, the Armistace would be signed only eight weeks after the end of the "Late Summer" Classic. This book offers an interesting history of the early days of the game, the early days of the most famous baseball player of all time, and an insight into the background of the "Curse of Babe Ruth". This book is a must read for baseball historians and Red Sox fans. Yankee fans will also draw fiendish pleasure from the book, as a reminder of the eight decades of frustration suffered by fans of the Red Sox.

This is a well-written account of Boston's last championship season. If you are a Red Sox fan, it's a must read. If you know a Red Sox fan, this makes an excellent gift.

1918 is the year the Red Sox last won a World Series, and every opposing fan is pleased to remind them of that fact. Every baseball fan knows that Boston sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees and invoked the Curse of the Bambino. These facts have become part of the very fabric of the game.

Yet, amazingly, no-one has yet written an account of the momentous season, until now. The author, a Boston fan, has lovingly recreated that season, taking six years to research and write the book. The dedication to detail and historical truth shows in every line.

I feel it inevitable and ironic that, despite the wealth of detail and fact, this book will gain its reputation (or notoriety) because of the author's speculation that the 1918 Series may have been fixed, just like the 1919 White Sox series. Wood's impeccable research has brought to light some interesting facts (I won't spoil your reading of the book by going into them here) which, at the very least, draw a question mark over Boston's last World Series victory. It's certain to be the most controversial aspect of the book.

Aside from that, you'll find an affectionate portrait of the great Babe Ruth from his days as an ace pitcher, everything the most demanding fan could expect to know about the historic season, and a wealth of fascinating photographs, many of which haven't been published before. The photos themselves are worth the asking price for the book in my opinion.

Everyone with an interest in the history of the great game should have a copy of this book. Every Red Sox fan *needs* a copy. It might be the closest they ever come to savouring the taste of World Series victory :)

I can't resist ending this with a quote from the Boston Herald and Journal, September 13, 1918, which opens the book :

"Of course it is possible that some year will yet see a Boston team losing a world's championship."

Go Yankees :)