Cover Books

Does anyone who read this book realize how many military personnel would be involved in this " cover up ". No one in any of these stories ever has the
common sense to come up with tangible evidence you can actually see or touch.
Like an Alien earlobe , or an Alien thyroid or finger or match book or cocktail napkin or tail rudder . Some real piece of evidence , instead of
comic book science .

Whether you believe in aliens or are a part of the skeptic crowd, after reading "Witness To Roswell" you will walk away with the conclusion that the government was and still is hiding the full truth of the Roswell incident. The author includes reference information for all witness interviews to insure validity.

You don't have to be a believer to enjoy reading the details of such an historic event, and they are well detailed in Witness To Roswell.

Part 1
While the book is an interesting read, for me, it could have been half as long and told the same story. The authors tell individual parts of the story multiple times, each time including more details from a different witnesses perspective. While this certainly "builds" their case, it creates a somewhat repetitious book, IMO.

Overall, however, I recommend the book. The list of witnesses is credible, and the overall tone of the book makes it easy to believe that a UFO really did crash in New Mexico with "creatures" aboard. In fact, it's easier to believe than the "official" government stories.

Part 2
Hmmmm, so a flying saucer crashed outside Roswell, NM shortly after WWII - conveniently near the military base that's highly involved with the Manhattan project and technologies acquired from the Nazi's after the war.

Wow, what are the odds of that?

I can just see the wheels spinning in the minds of the military who are developing advanced technologies they need to "cover up". Perhaps they were actually covering-up the crash of their own machine?

It's pretty easy to picture the military coming out with their lame explanations to "satisfy" the public - at least temporarly. And their back-up was to encourage anyone skeptical of the "official" explanation to believe an alien UFO crashed (rather than a military UFO). Anything except the (possible) truth that our government possesses advanced technologies they want kept secret.

Food for thought.

I'm really just into ufology as a 2nd hobby and the Roswell incident has always interested me.This was the first ufo type book I ever bought because the claims in this book were just so incredible.

The biggest claim presented is the deathbed confession of Walter Haut.I strongly recommend anyone interested in this book to listen to the July 22nd '07 and Aug 12th '07 editions of the paracast (www.theparacast.com). The July 22nd show has an interview with the two authors where they basically admit writing the affidavit for Haut and having him sign it.From what I understand there is some question as to his state of mind when he signed it as well.
The fact that the authors decided not to mention this fact in the book itself casts some doubt.

I, Christian Carswell, am 56 years old...and in the famous "California Psychological Inventory" personality test scored higher in the areas of perceptiveness and intuition than anybody my
therapist with decades of experience and a massive client base had
ever observed. What does this have to do with "Witness to Eoswell"?
Only that....1) I have just known in my head and heart that Roswell DID occur and that the Air Force's original press release that it had captured a downed vehicle complete with extraterrestrials (at least one of whom was still alive and REMAINED alive for quite a while) was the TRUE one. (If you're a discerning and very intuitive person who makes up his OWN mind...have you ever just K-N-O-W-N something ??) The other
thing is that as I sat down and soaked-in every tantalizing morsel of this terrifically-researched and written book....I was able to plain and simply "feel" the truth and dead-on historical accuracy jumping off each page. The author has interviewed people WHO WERE THERE...not the least of whom is a guy who finally passed away but was featured in a 1990's special on TLC about Roswell. This fella was a party to all the goings on at the air field close to the Roswell crash. He SAW the wreckage, SAW the bodies, was FRIENDS WITH an operating room nurse who later was so scared of U.S. Government retribution just for what she was privy to visually that she moved to England...only to turn up dead not long after.
He spilled his guts. When I saw him and many others (the radio broadcaster who read the Air Force's OWN original press release, then got a call from the Pentagon telling him if he ran it again his license would be revoked THAT DAY...the daughter of a man who recovered part of the craft's enigmatic outer "skin" that would not burn, crush or be drilled through, crying about threats from men in a black, unmarked sedan and wielding night sticks, etc.) on this now-unavailable special which I still own on VHS, I could "see" they weren't faking it. I could "feel" their intense anguish at having to sort of keep their mouths shut for decades, while wanting to go on Larry King or some similar wide-viewership program and almost scream "THRY'VE BEEN LYING TO YOU SINCE 1947 !!!" Believe THIS---extra-terrestrials have been visiting this planet for at least a millenium...probably for much, much longer, as drawings on the walls of caves never opened or touched by modern hands indicate over and over around the world...arriving especially to voyeuristically be a bystander to history's most stupendous and tide-turning events. They also have been abducting various individuals for experiments with cross-breeding (they are in awe of the fact that we have emotions and would like to develop a hybrid human with THEIR advanced intellect and our ability to laugh, cry, love, hate, long for, grieve over, etc.). READ THIS BOOK! I give you my word you will think back on this 5-star-rating review and think to yourself, "That Christian Carswell guy was right!"

I love these books. They are amazingly unique. I was given the first book years ago and it sat on my shelf for ages. Then, for some reason, I picked it up and read it! It was so much fun. I actually laughed to myself while reading it! Of course, I had to read more and more of the books. Thank heavens there are plenty of them to read. Start with this book. You will have grand time!

I grew up in the states, but my parents lived for a time in Europe before having a family and spent many hours in book shops(their hobby). Forty-some years ago my mother (whose taste in literature was instinctive and impeccable)found a boxed set for me (who knows where) and I have memories of that being the best Christmas present I ever got. They were charming, sensitive, adorable, witty little stories that withstand the test of time admirably. The characters are unforgettable; they let their hearts out to play in a way that readers young(and old)can empathize with. And the best part is - I get to share them with my daughter, now.

After living in Finland for a while, I decided to read the Moomin series of books. The first one seems "Moomins and the Great Flood" does not seem to be on Amazon but is available (in English) at least from the Moomin store in Helsinki-Vantaa airport.

Anyways, Finn Family Moomintroll is a great children's book. It starts when Moomintroll wakes up and, together with Snufkin finds the Hobgoblins hat. There is something strange with the hat and most of the story is somewhat centered around it. I won't ruin the whole story, but the rest include boats, fish, wooden ladies, hattifratters, big rubies, fish.

The book is well written and I do recommend it for children or moomin fanatics. It also clearly has Finnish cultural influences, which are nice to recognize. So, why just three stars? It's a good book, it's not a great book (for example, not comparable to Alice in Wonderland). Also, it's not a book I would recommend to most adults.

For me this book was a mess - disjointed, self indulgent, and self important, with so many characters it left my, and my childs head in a spin. Finally managed to struggle through it, but in hind-sight, the book had little that was coherent about it, and left me wishing we had read something else. Reading all these reviews makes me wonder who is writing them - the authors or the publishers?

Its complete tripe.

A little to my surprise my seven year old son loves these moomin books - To me they seem from another age [I remember them from my childhood] The moomin world is full of gentle humour and a cast of sweetly strange characters romping through the long summer days in a Finnish forest. Good for imaginative kids who like to imagine other worlds. My son loves Anime and films like "My Neighbour Totoro" and these books have that kind of sensibility

They don't seem to require reading classic literature in the schools any more, so I decided to build a library for my 12-year old granddaughter. She has read them all, including this one, so it wasn't a bad idea. Now, if I could just get her to call her old grandfather more often....

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I purchased The Jungle Books. I am familiar with Disney's story of Mowgli, but was very unfamiliar to all the volumes and the other stories. These stories were very interesting and moving -- the stories of Mowgli were exciting, and I loved The White Seal, Rikki-Tikki, and all of the others as well. What a great collection.

The Jungle Book (1894) and The Second Jungle Book (1895) are collections of children's stories and related poems by Rudyard Kipling, the Briton who was born in and loved India, and who wrote these stories while living in Vermont. The stories are written as fables, and teach some moral lessons. They are probably Kipling's best-known works.

Many of the stories in both volumes feature Mowgli, the child raised by wolves who becomes master of the jungle (the first three stories in The Jungle Book are very obviously the inspiration for the 1967 animated Disney film). Most of the other stories are also set in India, although "The White Seal" in The Jungle Book and "Quiquern" (which is about Inuits) in The Second Jungle Book are exceptions. In nearly all instances, Kipling anthropomorphizes the animals; they speak, and are always prominent characters.

Kipling does a good job of writing in the fable style, although he doesn't always keep things moving at a good pace, and so some stories are more engaging than others.

There is a subtle racism throughout both volumes. Kipling was a staunch imperialist (he wrote the poem "The White Man's Burden" - this phrase has been used by imperialists since to justify imperialism as noble), and when humans feature in these stories, English whites are often presented as culturally and intellectually superior to the native Indians. This racism is still relevant, as it indicates a popular attitude of the day.

Ultimately, the Jungle Books are well worth reading. They have, perhaps deservedly so, achieved a prominent place in the pantheon of children's literature.

Since it appears that Amazon is combining the reviews for several versions of this book under one, I want to stipulate that I've read the Barnes & Nobel Classic version.

Actually comprised of 2 books, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book, this is a collection of stories surrounding the jungles of India. A central character is Mowgli - a boy left in the jungle when his parents are frightened away and who is raised by wolves. His adventures as he grows up in the jungle are intriguing, frightening, enchanting, and certainly adventurous! This is NOT Disney! The way Kipling presents this material, it is easy to suspend belief and one could believe a boy was raised amongst the animals.

There are a host of other stories in each books that have nothing whatsoever to do with Mowgli, and that is fine. A couple even take the reader out of the jungle and into the frozen north - talk about a change of scenery! Still, Kipling keeps the reader fully engaged with the lives of animals and the effects of their environment.

A book of true escapism, but certainly not "just" for adults or children. Though the language might be a little more difficult to follow for younger children, older children should be able to stretch their imagination. And adults can fully appreciate the language of Kipling, which is rich and descriptive.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Rather than being raised by apes, it is wolves that fulfill for the family role for the young boy Mowgli after he escapes being tiger snacks.

Shere Khan will continue to be his antagonist, and he will gain advice and assistance from other jungle denizens as he grows to manhood.

This also has the pretty cool heroic mongoose tale Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.

This was a great Holocaust story, and gives a new perspective on the holocaust. INstead of being about concentration camps it was about a labor camp which is not heard about as much in HOlocaust stories. This story has a strong conflict. Eva and Rachel try to survive this camp while working in this camp. Without adequate food, hygiene, or good working conditions life is very difficult. This is a great story and must read.

This very well written book sheds light on life ( and death) in the Nazi labor camps.While a lot has been written about the concentration camps this other aspect of Nazi cruelty has been somehow neglected. The writer conducted very comprehensive research which is well represented in a very easy to follow narrative.The story is sad and inspiring at the same time. I highly recommend the book!

Eva is living in a time where her religion was not approved of in her country in Poland. She is a Jew. Her and her sister were eventually ripped away from their family and sent to a Nazi work camp where there is no pay and mindblowing hours. Her only purpose in life is to keep her frail, weak sister alive and to eventaully reunite with her loving family once again. Eva and her sister's job was to spin thread to make uniforms for the German Soldiers. The Jewish workers were treated extremely bad and worked til they couldnt work any longer. Nights were long and days were even longer, but for the Buchbinder girls, it was just closer days to being with family again.

Eva is twelve years old, living in a little Polish town, when all of the Jews are rounded up into a ghetto. There she lives for a long time with her father and her sickly older sister, Rachel. One evening when Rachel is out of the apartment where they are staying, Nazi guards come through and take a bunch of people--including Rachel. Eva and her father are terrified, not knowing where she is or whether she is even still alive. When her father finds out that Rachel is at a work camp, he arranges for Eva to be sent there also, to protect her sister.

At the work camp, life is miserable. Eva and Rachel have to take a train that only goes halfway to the cloth factory where they work, so in brutally hot or cold weather they have to walk miles every day to get to work. Once there, they must keep busy tending the looms all day, or they will be severly punished, maybe even sent someplace really awful, like the death camp Auschwitz. Eva and Rachel live one day at a time, hoping for a time when the war will end and they can be reunited with their father.

This is another powerful true story of survival during the Holocaust. It's amazing what people were able to endure. I know that people will go to great lengths to protect their family, but I didn't think Eva should always have given up so much for Rachel, and I didn't agree with their father's idea to send Eva to a work camp.

Summary:Eva and her sister Rachel are forced to work in a textile factory at a Nazi labor camp. With friends dieing all around them, Eva must do whatever it takes to keep herself and her sick sister alive until the Soviets come to rescue them. Yet as the time slowly passes by and Rachel gets sicker and sicker, Eva begins to wonder if the Soviets will come in time to save her sister, or if they'll come at all.

My opinion:This book is a wonderful example of life for Jewish people during the Holocaust. While I read the book, I felt like I was there with Eva and Rachel the whole time, feeling their pains, aches, hope, joy, sorrow, hunger, and thirst. I have read many books about the Holocaust, but so far this one is my favorite. This book makes me think about my everyday decisions and what I would do in Eva's position. This book has helped me understand about how cruel people can be and about people that live under oppression. Once you pick up this book and begin to read, it is nearly impossible to put it down.

Great book! Has more detail than the movie of the same title. I've also read WALKING THROUGH FIRE: AN IWO JIMA SURVIVOR'S REMEMBRANCE which follows another Iwo Jima survivor from a different perspective. I recommend both of these books.

I bought this book for my 14-year-old son, but needed something to take along with me to the doctor's office and got hooked. I have not read the "extended version", but this youth version is very good. In my opinion this book is about any 6 men who served in the Pacific Theater...I think the selection of any other random men could have brought to light similar stories. This is not to lessen or trivialize the struggles or heroism of the men whose stories are told in this book, but to reiterate what the author says, that "uncommon valor was a common virtue".

Anybody who has read about or has had relatives in the war knows about Iwo Jima. Many sadly get their "knowledge" from TV and or movies. However, the movie made from this book is not bad. Even though Hollywood took a little and made other marines experiences and stories part of the subjects of this book.

James Bradley did a great job with this book and succeeded in putting a human face on the men of the famous picture. Mr. Bradley has the "misfortune" of learning their father or grandfather did much more in the war then they let on. As in the authors case, finding his fathers Navy Cross after he died.

Another good aspect of the book is the picture of battle and the rather horrible deaths that many marines faced on Iwo. I would go as far to suggest it is one of the better battle stories I have read so far.

Iwo was a very nasty affair much more then the fabled "Sands of Iwo Jima" that many of us has seen at one time or another. At least Clint Eastwood's movie does a much better job about presenting what these men went through.

Mr. Bradley also does a good job trying to explain the mindset of the average Japanese soldier of the day. Iwo was the first Japanese soil invaded by the US. It was to be defended no matter what and General Kuribayashi created a brilliant defensive system. He also seemed to understand the American psychy as he decreed that each of his men was to attempt to kill 10 men before he dies. Kill enough American soldiers and the people will loose heart.

However, the Esprit De Cours of the Marines carried them through battle even with the slaughter that went on. Even a nurse once commented that the men she took treated were not beaten no matter how bad their wounds.

One thing that many people (until the movie) did not know was the fact fighting went on after the flag planting. The Marines would loose about 7000 dead with over 14000 wounded. Much higher figures then the blood bath that was Tarawa and the 5 months of Guadalcanal. Even of the flag planters, three would die.

One aspect I did not know about was the lives of the men after the war to where they were basically controlled the photograph for many years. Living with being called Heros when they didn't want to be called that.

This is a great book for any library!

As a teenager at this time I really didn't realize the depth of the struggle in the Pacific. This book really points out the reason for dropping the atomic bomb to end the war.

A fascinating look at a part of our history. It provides an in depth look at the American psyche and the how and why the US was so well served by the young people of that era. A glimpse of the real brutality of the Japanese and why Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the ONLY options for defeating a fanatical army command that espoused no surrender.

This is an Excellent book for teachers and students during the stressful time of state testing! Highly recommended as a sanity gift for teachers druing state testing window. Great book to read to students.

This book was a hit in my class. I pokes fun at standardized testing in a way that the kids can understand and find humorous. It is great to read before major testing starts. It helps get past the serious nature of all the tests and helps the students relax. Cute story and the pictures are great.

Everybody is freaking-out about "the test" in Ms. Malrky's class. the principal looses his wig over No.2 pencils. It is mass chaos because of the I.P.T.U. but in the end everybody figures out that "the test" wasn't even that hard. in my opinion this book is a major comedy about testing anxiety. I recommend this book for all ages.

The book Testing Miss Malarkey is a very funny book about how people react before,and after tests.I think the book encourages you to do good on tests.It will also make you laugh too.In the book it tells you about how people are reacting to the test.Their teacher is biting her nails,their principal is getting very mad about things like number two pencils and their lunch lady is giving tmem food to make their brains bigger.Coaches are making them meditate ,and parents are practing kids at night.Many people would like this book espially testers and teachers,because it would help you for a test.

"Oh no!"says the children of Miss malarkey's classroom. Why? Well, they have a big test coming called the I.P.T.U. test. Miss Malarkey tells the class not to worry but strange things begin to happen. Things such as the teacher making them play educational games during recess or the gym teacher making practice yoga,even the lunch lady does not allow chips to be served to the children they only were served fish because she thought fish was brain food. Evetualy the test day came and happened to become somthing that they never thought they would become. I am not going to you,you do have to read the book you know. I also think there is a moral to this story and I am not going to tell you but I will give a hint the C.R.C.T. So now that you know what this book is about make it your goal to read Testing Miss Malarkey as your next book.

What a phenomenal book Robert Collins has written, complete with illustrations, photos, & copies of highly classified documents. A true revelation for UFO buffs! If half of what he wrote is true, the American public has been lied to for decades about aliens and their craft. This book is hard to put down. Pleasantly surprised to receive a copy signed by the author himself! Worth every penny. The JFK assassination info alone is an eye-opener.

If not anything, this book is interesting as a piece to the puzzle about the Roswell Incident. It is not a definitive explanation nor does it purport itself to be. Reading this book along with the "Day After Roswell" by Phil Corso and digging into the Serpo Project has raised my opinion about what really transpired in the New Mexico desert back in 1947. However, any "closed" system of information or research no matter how "open" to the public it may be, is still a subset of the overall picture of reality we understand to be valid in our day to day experiences. This book helps to crack the door open just a little bit wider and takes you in a direction that might be more consistent with the truth than not. That is a matter of opinion.

In 2008, two actual astronauts, Buzz Aldren and Dr. Edgar Mitchell both just came out and said that extra-terrestrials absolutely exist and that the U.S. Government has been hiding from the American people the fact taht indeed the Roswell crash really happened and that the bodies (one still alive) were removed. Some materials were taken to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio...and I could go on and on (it's all on YouTube).
Of course, the mainstream press gave ZERO attention to the VERY specific interview on both radio and TV by Dr. Mitchell. And that takes us to this fantastic book. "Exempt from Disclosure" blows me away because it contains no "rumors" or "hearsay" and very little if any third-hand information. This author just KNOWS THE RIGHT PEOPLE in our government and somehow has gotten his hands on actual documents that I have never seen in similar works (there are dozens and dozens of such books not worth 50 cents because they are so long on subjective theorizing and so laughably short on real evidence). If you buy this book (there was a waiting list for it when I ordered it on Amazon in the summer of 2008)
you will scratch your head in amazement...indeed, almost not believe
your eyes...how much inside scoop is before you. I won't spoil it.
But if you ask Christian Carswell...just a wedding photographer wielding a Nikon D3 and some lenses, but nonetheless a lifelong believer in the fact that governments around the world working in concert have lied to the entire population about extra-terrestrials for centuries, whether your money will be well-invested by adding this volume to your library...the answer will be a resounding "Y-E-S" !!!!!!

Great book for the intermediate to advanced ufo enthusiast. The book reads more like a research paper filled with detailed notes on the alleged locations of the underground cryogenic tanks, and the history and engineering of the underground tunnels constructed at LANL and Wright Patterson. Robert also gives the reader a first hand look inside the secret Aviary group with background data of some its less publicly known yet highly powerful members. Robert discusses the controversial subject of Project Serpo. While he supports the existence of a USAP such as Project Serpo he is untrusting of the details of the project which he found to be laden with disinformation. Like a good crime investigator Robert Collins identifes the suspects, locations, and aquires first hand accounts from informants on the inside. The book provided fresh data and detailed personal accounts which this reader found captivating. I commend Robert for his hard and important work to uncover the truth.

I've been interested in UFOs since I was a young child. I'm 46 years old now. Over the years I've read many books and seen many films and T.V.shows that have attempted to explain this phenomenon. The facts are: There is a multitude of evidence that exists that has confirmed not only that UFOs are real,but also that the ETs have lived here on this planet and the government knows all about it. There are a number of reasons why this subject is "above top secret",and they're all in the name of "national security. It would seem that our government is reluctant to disclose the truth because they're afraid it would cause a "world wide panic". They base this on a report that was written back in the forties. Apparently the government has been "conditioning" the public to help prepare them for when the time comes to disclose the truth. I guess they must still think we're not ready. How many generations have to be "conditioned" before they're ready to tell us? Time will tell. However,in the meantime,Mr Collins and Mr Doty have been kind enough to provide us this this book. In my opinion,of all the books I've read on the subject,this book is by far THE BEST. It's all in here. I couldn't put it down. Fascinating stuff. Ultimately,you have to be the judge as to the validity of what has been written. But all I can say is,after reading it,I've come away with a new perspective. I truly believe what Mr Collins and Mr Doty have claimed is the truth. I had the pleasure of corresponding with Mr Collins via e-mail. He is an awesome guy.I asked him if he would be willing to answer some questions. He was happy to do it. Granted,a lot of the answers he doesn't know(this subject is after all,still Top Secret,so I wasn't all that surprised)But what he did know,he was happy to share with me. In fact,he encouraged me to share the answers to these questions with as many people as possible(if you e-mail me,I'll be glad to forward you the e-mails). I highly recommend this book.

I first read this book when it was published in 1959. It has held a special place in my memory ever since. A well-told story with strong characters, this gem of a novel was a page turner then and remains so now. I have just read it to my own children, thus reliving a bit of my own childhood. The epic journey its heroes undertake and the lessons it offers about survival are not only timeless, but timely. I recommend The Silver Sword to readers of all ages who like a good old-fashioned story full of heart.

This was an amazing book it is all about trust and hope all throughout the book. It makes you think how lucky you are that you can just go down to the shops and buy some food as someone else said there are a lot of coincedences in the book but i still really enjoyed reading it once you pick it up you wont want to pt it down.

I read this book in my first year at secondary school (age 11+ or 5th grade in the US). That was 18 years ago. A few minutes ago the title came to me and I had to look up this book on Amazon to see if it was still available and I'm glad it is.

Even as a young boy this book was captivating. I was never a fan of reading but this drew me in. I've been fortunate, I've read great novels at school. A kestrel for a knave, A man for all seasons, Men and Gods, the old man and the sea, animal farm, Shane, Huckle Berry Finn to name some of the others in the same group as this title.

I can honestly say books like this have made me a collector even though I still don't read. I've been fortunate to collect great novels, leather bound, gold accents, moire end pages and beautifully illustrated and I owe it all to books such as this.

Thank you Mr Serraillier

I mistakenly checked this book out of the library when I was in 4th grade (1964), thinking it was going to be about knights ("The Silver Sword"). Imagine my surprise when, upon reading the first page, I discovered it was about a young boy (my age) separated from his family during WWII. Yet, even that first page sucked me in. I was not an avid, or even a good reader at that age, but I couldn't put it down, and finished the book in two days. I proceeded to check it out at least once a year until I could no longer find it in libraries. It was probably the single biggest reason I learned to love reading. My son is now in 4th grade, and I logged on to see if I could find it, and will make sure it becomes a part of his life as well.

The Author is Ian Serraillier an it's published by Puffin.
The story is about a family that is seperated during the war and Joseph goes looking for his wife in Switzerland and a few years later the children go looking for there parents they are Ruth,Edek,Bronia and they find a kind helping follower that has got no parents and that is Jan.Jan is my favourite character cause he is daring.Ruth is my least favourite character cause all she does is just and worry.My favourite bit is when Jan gives Bistro the chimp a cigar.The least favourite bit is when the boat crash's.I would reccomend it to all ages from 5 to 13 year olds.

Meet the weird and delightful Anastasia who will bring a smile to anyones face!!

A great beginning to a great series. Nothing sentimental or overdramatic here, just a quirky, smart kid growing up. This is a perfect gift for young, bright girls.

I read "Anastasia Krupnik: Being ten is no laughing matter," by Lois Lowry, to assist my daughter with her 7th grade language arts assignment. The book was very well written and enjoyable to read.

The story is set in Boston, Massachusetts, where ten-year-old Anastasia is struggling with an identity crisis, eccentric parents, and the pain of growing up an only child in a secular household. Her father is an English professor who writes poetry and her mother is an artist who forgets to do the laundry, which is why they both wear socks that don't match. Anastasia writes a poem without rhyme or meter and reads it to her class, but her teacher doesn't appreciate modern poetry; she gives her an "F" and tells her to follow the rules when writing poems. She has an on-again, off-again crush on a boy who doesn't like her, a grandmother who can't remember her name due to the onset of dementia, and a baby brother soon to be born: even her goldfish "blurps" at her from within the confines of its bowl.

At one point Anastasia decides to become Catholic, so she can change her name, but she soon changes her mind when she learns that stealing cupcakes from her friend is a sin and she will have to confess her sins to become a Catholic. Anastasia chronicles the significant events of her life in a green notebook, listing things she loves in one column and things she hates in another. Sometimes the things she hates become the things she loves and vice versa. By the end of the story, there remains only one item on the list of things she hates - liver - but the list of things she loves is long. The story is told with humorous effect, even though some of the things that happen are sad.

There are a few troublesome comments about her teacher's anatomy and conversations between Anastasia and her parents sometimes show a lack of discretion, but all things considered, it is the tender account of a prepubescent little girl with a prodigious intellect and an eagerness to learn and grow. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a coming-of-age story, but it will definitely hold your little girl's interest and in a subtle way, let her know that she is not alone in her quest to overcome life's many tribulations. It even has a happy ending to boot.

(My mom, JaneLovesJesus, wouldn't let me review this before I'm done with it. I read it with her except the 11th chapter, but she also read it herself, so it's OK I didn't read the last chapter with her.) You can call me StoryMaker because that's my nickname and we got Anastasia Krupnik from the library as the hardcover edition. (Please note that I'm talking about hardcover. You might be viewing this review thru another editon. That's because amazon.com groups different editions together. The pictures are very different in different editions according to amazon.com. Please note!) It's a great story about a 10 year old girl who has a notebook with lots of stuff and she made a list of things she hates and things she loves in it. It shows you the lists at the end of each chapter. At the end she crosses out everything on her things I hate list except liver. She's a kid who dosen't like to eat liver. Anyways, it's a great story and is sad in all the chapters with her grandma but something I do not like is it dosen't follow a storyline very well. I mean, each chapter is like a new day. The storyline of this book is a storysquiggle. Other then that, I love this book a lot! Get it from the library. If you think it's great, buy it. It may not be the best for boys, but I am a girl so I don't care. Did I forget anything? Nah! I said the plot, I said it's great. What else is there to say? It's awful? Oh, c'mon, this is a positive review! It dosen't care if you don't like it. This is my opinion! Nothing wrong with having a different opinion, but this is my review. Oh, and, the family in this story is having a baby and Anastasia picks out a name but I think she changes the name at the end. I'm not sure, but I think that's what that text means. Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"

One of the major moments in my childhood came when I read that Myron Krupnik kept his poetry manuscripts in the crisper drawer of the fridge so they wouldn't burn in a fire. My father (also a poet, also an English professor) did the exact same thing. I vaguely remember jumping up and down on my bed and wanting to move to Boston.
Buy these for your child, even if you're not a poet. They're wonderful.

Having exhausted Austen for the time being and seeing that Cranford was funny and touching I began reading the Wordsworth Classics edition of Wives and Daughters. For about 300 pages I was thinking this is really good but at about page 385 nothing seemed to be jelling so I put it down for a few days only to start again at the end to find that the author died before she had finished. There was enough to go on however so that wasn't a big problem. The problem is that the really sad husband/wife relationship was never developed (did I miss it?)I would really advise anyone to read Wives and Daughters:In Half the Time instead of this. Normally I would not want to read a condensed book. For Instance, Thackeray's Vanity Fair must be read in all of its 743 page glory.But see the movie Vanity Fair (first?) The long one.

I am three-quarters through Gaskell's Wives and Daughters (Hard Press Edition) and am enjoying the unusual narration style. The omniscient narrator reads the thoughts of all characters except those of Cynthia. The narrator, perhaps giving a reflection of the author's views, seems to be gently mocking the Victorian mindset, styles, concerns, and customs of the characters. The English country setting in the small village of Hollingford, probably about 1830, gives background to the mimicked mannerisms and foibles of the wealthy or indolent or want-to be's and provides an implausible counterbalance to today's frenetic world. It actually is a relaxing read for a summer's evening.

Gaskell was a personal friend of the Brontes and wrote a biography of Charlotte Bronte. A very minor
character "Miss Eyre" appears as a governess to Molly Gibson, the young lady protagonist. Rosalie L'Ecuyer, Fairbanks, Alaska

I love this story. For anyone that likes Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre. This is in a similar vein but less intense. Very good read and video.

With its fairy-tale beginning ("In a country there was a shire, and in that shire there was a town, and in that town there was a house . . ."), the subtitle of Wives and Daughters is gently ironic. While the basic plot is standard--boy and girl meet and overcome many obstacles, including themselves--Gaskell's tale is as much about the rapidly changing Victorian world as about Molly Gibson and her provincial village of Hollingford.

Set before the 1832 Reform Bill, Wives and Daughters consciously brings together England's aristocratic past, represented by Squire Hamley and the upstart earl and countess of Cumnor Towers, and the future, represented by Molly Gibson and Squire Hamley's sons, especially Roger. The elder son, Osborne, puts his own interests and more modern sensibilities above those of his father, while Roger envisions a future of science, exploration, and expansionism. To Mrs. Gibson, who marries to avoid having to work and dependence on the aristocracy, Osborne offers her daughter an entrée into at least the landed gentry, whereas Roger is merely a second son demeaning himself by dabbling in the sciences. Although renowned in London for his travels and discoveries, Roger becomes worthy of her notice only when he is taken into the inner circle of Lord Hollingford and the Towers as a result of his personal achievements.

While the visible action takes place within the small circle of Hollingford, Cumnor Towers, and Hamley Hall, Gaskell encompasses the widening world of rural England. Cynthia attends school in France while the Hamleys are off to Cambridge. The Hamley home is filled with relics from India, while Lady Harriet advises the Miss Brownings on how to obtain the best-priced Indian tea. Cynthia returns from her jaunts to London fashionably dressed and with hints of admirers, while Roger comes back from Africa browned, bearded, and mature in aspect and mien. Even villagers like Miss Hornblower feel the pull of the larger world and the new technology. As Mr. Gibson tells Molly, " . . . if these newfangled railways spread, as they say they will, we shall all be spinning about the world; 'sitting on tea-kettles,' as Phoebe Browning calls it."

The spheres of the sexes are vastly different. Clare Kirkpatrick thinks "how pleasant it would be to have a husband once more; some one who would work while she sat at her elegant ease in a prettily-furnished drawing-room." Even as Mr. Gibson thwarts the advances of Molly's first suitor, he tries to keep his "little goosey" unprepared for anything but life under the protection of a man, either father or husband. He advises her governess, "Don't teach Molly too much: she must sew, and read, and write, and do her sums; but I want to keep her a child, and if I find more learning desirable for her, I'll see about giving it to her myself." As men of science, he and Roger believe themselves to be dispassionate and rational, yet Molly senses their obvious mistakes before they do and that they are more deeply affected than they appear to be. Gaskell's characters, however, do not follow stereotypes. Lord Cumnor, a garrulous gossip, and Squire Hamley, an openly emotional man, are "womanly" in their ways, while Lady Cumnor and her daughter, Lady Harriet, are models of independence and detachment. Rather than assert her own independence and risk upsetting her excitable, patriarchal husband, Mrs. Hamley wastes away, ironically depriving her husband of her management of his emotions and their expression.

Molly is raised to suppress her feelings. As Mrs. Gibson's values clash with those of Mr. Gibson and Molly, he is able to ride off and immerse himself in his work, while Molly can only swallow her emotions or, as a last resort, hide them in solitude. There is hope, however, that Molly can avoid the life for which Mr. Gibson is preparing her, that of an obedient wife. Her life as companion to Mrs. Hamley shows her impressionable mind the folly of pride and the lasting harm it causes as it separates Mr. Hamley and his elder son. Her natural curiosity and intelligence, consciously discouraged by Mr. Gibson, are encouraged by Roger Hamley, who bridges the ancient Hamley past and the future of science and discovery. This future will be built on achievements, not family name, which makes young Osborne's parentage significant only to traditionalists like the squire and Mrs. Gibson. Their vision of the possibilities never extends beyond their own desires and concerns.

In Wives and Daughters, Gaskell addresses myriad issues important to her and her contemporaries--medicine, science, marriage, the family, gender roles, monetary wealth and land wealth, rural mores, the perception of English heritage and strength and French decadence, exploration, and change. Her characters are so richly drawn that the reader begins to anticipate Mrs. Gibson's "infinite nothings" and Mr. Gibson's searing irony. Gaskell imbues some of them with an enticing air of unsolved mystery. What are Mr. Gibson's origins? Who was Jeanie, his first love, and why did he not marry her? How does that and his other early relationships influence his behavior toward Molly? Why, at age 28, does Lady Harriet refuse a good match and seemingly scorn romance? Gaskell does not judge her characters--even Mrs. Gibson has redeeming qualities--nor does she reveal all their secrets. Wives and Daughters is an enlightening, captivating, and, despite its unfinished state, satisfying look at Victorian life and society, the influence of which is still felt.

I have seen this novel recommended to lovers of Austen, but they may find themselves disappointed. Mrs. Gaskell was of an altogether different era than Austen, and compared to the latter author's lightness and elegant wit she downright oozes Victorian ponderousness. The story is a fairly simple one, revolving around a mere handful of characters, and hardly bears protraction to around 600 pages.

A scheming, hypocritical stepmother tries to secure one of the sons of the local, impoverished squire for her own daughter, Cynthia. The younger son falls in love with the frivolous girl, but then sets off on a long scientific expedition to Africa with only a vague engagement settled, and Cynthia strangely indifferent to his adventures. Her stepsister Molly, meanwhile, is the one who has real feelings for him; she is also the one who soon delves beneath all the surfaces and discovers why the eldest son of the squire wasn't interested in marriage, and which secrets govern the whimsical behaviour of her stepsister. The marital ups and downs of Molly's father, a country doctor, and the occasional interference by the local grandees and the town gossips provide secondary plot material.

The outcome is a foregone conclusion, looming large at an early stage - though ironically we never actually reach it, as death whisked the author away before she could pen the final one or two chapters. Her editor wrote an afterword revealing the unravelling of the plot as already sketched out by Gaskell.

It takes some stamina to arrive there. After the first half, the narrative starts to drag, making obvious points over and over again, and deluging the reader with obsessive detail. Once Osborne Hamley's secret and fate have been revealed, it seems as if the author is groping her way towards the predictable end, not sure how to get there. Her predilection for inserting pedantic literary and biblical references at every turn also grows tiring soon enough (and makes an annotated edition a necessity).

Despite all that, there is a general sense of charm; nor can it be denied that there are several well-rounded and believable characters in this book, squire Hamley and the new Mrs. Gibson the most successful among them (the former truly endearing, the latter, however, eventually degenerating into stereotype). For those with a taste for (upper) middle class life in 19th century in England this will hold interest, but I find it hard to believe in this novel as a work of genius, and it certainly doesn't compare favourably to major works by Austen or George Eliot.