Goes

"Girls don't need school." This is the initial tone for Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys in the beginning. This book is honest with its stereotypes and use of language (considering the time it is set in), yet liberal in it's moral. This book is sharp in its interpretation of how life was immediately following slavery, yet daring enough to portray life honestly and frank. The illustrations are vivid and clear allowing the reader to perceive Virgie's(the main character)exact environment. As you read the book, the pictures draw you into the story as if you are another sibling for one of her brothers to pick on. The emotions on each character's faces are clear as if you can read their minds. The watercolors bring the characters to life right before your eyes and portray life as realistic as a picture. Any child would get lost in the beautiful art in these illustrations, as well as learn a little something about the importance of learning.

Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys is notable for its subject matter and illustrations. The story concerns a young African-American girl in Post-Reconstruction Tennessee who hungers to follow her five older brothers to school; young African-American girls did not typically attend school during this time. The story is told in first person by one of the brothers, who is sympathetic to her cause. (Some of the brothers are against her accompanying them, and their comments add tension to the story--will their predictions come true?) The illustrations, watercolors by E.B. Lewis, provide an engaging yet gentle way into the text. The book provides a story interesting to young school age kids (is it possible that kids could actually yearn to be able to go to school?), and also an avenue to talking about social history. As a linguist, I especially liked the respectful yet accurate depiction of Black English Vernacular, which lends the book an evocative note. The book is 'officially' recommended for ages 4-8. Because of the history theme I would extend that to ten year olds.

Dr Downing shows us his compasion and his willingness to be wrong when faced with questions without answers. This book should be required reading for anyone who practices medicine for more then just money.

In this book Dr. Downing invites us on his journey to provide medical care for those who need it first in Appalachia and then in Africa. He is a careful observer, and a skillful storyteller. Through the stories of memorable people he has encountered, he tells us his own story--how the people he serves, though poor, have much to offer him.

In his premier novel, What Goes Around, author Christopher Thompson hits the ground with breakneck speed. In this classic international thriller bad guy Ensenada corners the Palladium market for ill means. Can one man stop him? Enter Jack Dyson and hold on tight. What Goes Around fuses the suspense of Fleming with the polish of LeCarre. A gripping read!

In his premier novel, What Goes Around, author Christopher Thompson hits the ground with breakneck speed. In this classic international thriller bad guy Ensenada corners the Palladium market for ill means. Can one man stop him? Enter Jack Dyson and hold on tight. What Goes Around fuses the suspense of Fleming with the polish of LeCarre. A gripping read!

In this delightful little book a young child has the opportunity to learn what to expect on the first day of school. The book encourages question asking and answering, encourages activities that can be done during the reading and allows a child to glean useful tidbits about preparing for school and what might happen once there.

Manners discussed include crossing the street, riding on the bus and listening to the teacher. Other discussions include how to find the class and desk, what might be learned, how some things might be easy while others might take more time, recess and playtime, lunch, bathroom breaks and more!

BEAUTIFULLY illustrated with an appealing and expressive kangaroo. I would say this is a must for any young child getting ready for their first school experience.

Author, Sonia Levitin, & illustrator, Jeff Seaver, have collaborated again on this second book in what I hope will be an ongoing etiquette series for young children. When Kangaroo Goes To School is a delightful story of a kangaroo's preparations and expectations for his first day at school..."do you know the rules?", "What about show and tell?", "Where will we eat?" and so on. Kangaroo will steal your heart and share the rules of "school etiquette" with your children.

Setting - this story takes place in the woods of Wisconsin during the winter. Character - the main character is Hobie Hanson. At the beginning Hobie is shy, very organized and doesn't know how to have fun. At the end he has learned how to have fun and not be so shy. Summary - Class 4B earned a trip to Outdoor Ed where Hobie got homesick. He tried to call his parents late one night, but bumped into Miss Ivanavitch in the dark. She told him he couldn't call because his father was in the hospital. Hobie stays and changes his attitude and turns out to have a great time! At the end he had fun because he tried new things and wasn't so shy. A fourth grader at Springdale Elementary

One of our Westchester children's librarians has worked with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to create a quite wonderful book, ADAM GOES TO THE OPERATING ROOM. Children's most frequently asked questions and anxieties are dealt with frankly and reassuringly in this 24-page book. It begins with Adam arriving at the hospital the morning of his surgery and follows him from his ride on a stretcher to the operating room until he wakes up in the post-anesthesia unit.

Developed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, this book was designed to take some pressure off a young person entering the hospital for ANY surgical experience. Clear, colorful photos and short, easy-to-read text make this book adaptable for children of all ages and language skills.

Judith Rovenger, Youth Services Consultant, Westchester Library System

I was "tickled pink" at the storyline in Airabella Goes To School and the promise that it gives to children to be themselves, believe in who they are, and to never stop dreaming. An absolute delight! The graphics are skillfully done! Enjoyed it immensely, and would read it to each of my five nieces and my nephew.

This was a surprise hit with our (then) 8-month-old. Still a favorite at one year. (He turns the pages, I read.) The pictures are very simple but engaging. The example sentences are loaded with the letter being demonstrated- ("Tomas toma te.") and each page includes additional vocabulary ("Can you find..."). He will gladly page through "Albertina..." when he hasn't the patience for "Dr. Seuss's ABC".

The 29 letters covered include "ll", "n~" and "rr", as well as "w" which a note explains is not actually needed for Spanish, but used for foriegn words, such as William.

Probably works in English too, and the English translation is provided on the right-hand side of each page. I rate it 9 out of 10 because of the simplicity of the art- not stylish, just simple. Paper or felt cut-outs. The text is a 10. Recomended!

Much in the same way that the apostles probably wouldn't have bothered to read the Bible, having heard the good word straight from the horse's (Jesus's) mouth I have yet to read this book. That said, I am at this moment taking Professor Seery's Classical Political Theory class at Pomona College, and find it scintillating. The class, not the man...i mean...ughhh...must not succumb to metrosexuality...

I think I'm going to check this book out of the library, now that I've got all worked up about it. But I recommend that you--yeah, YOU--buy it off Amazon!

The title: That's the only way I can put it.

Not a novice to the Civil War, I picked this up simply because of who wrote it. Twenty years after his death, Mr. Catton is continually reasserting himself as THE author to read on the Civil War.

This book contains general overtures, as written for lectures delivered at Wesleyan University in 1958, that he'd presented when he was alive. Like the title implies, passages are simply....beautifully written.

The author takes you through a variety of topics, again generally: politics, the citizen solder, Lincoln, the terrible price of victory.... The layout of the literature is in lecture format, but does absolutely nothing to take away from what you're reading about.

Spend the few dollars, and put this into your collection. It belongs on everybody's Civil War shelf. To take a line from page 68:

We are a people to whom the past is forever speaking.