literature

Am I Blue? was a recommended title for my Adolescent Literature class. I picked it up, not knowing what to expect, and found that I absolutely loved it; so much, in fact, that I recently bought my own copy and sent it to a friend who has been dealing with his own homosexuality. This is not only a book for homosexual teens, but also is for their family, friends, and confidantes, both gay and straight. Each story has its own strong points, from the title work's stereotypical portrayal that somehow is not so, to "Parents' Night" and its proof that parents can accept, no matter how difficult, their children's sexual preferences. Definitely a must-read :-)

Am I Blue? is a compelling anthology which explores lesbian and gay themes among teenagers. Some characters are dealing with being gay or lesbian themselves, and others are dealing with gay or lesbian parents or friends. As with any anthology, some stories are more detailed than others, but overall the collection is superb. My personal favorites among the stories were "Am I Blue?" by Bruce Coville, "Parents' Night" by Nancy Garden, and "Michael's Little Sister" by C.S. Adler

_Am I Blue?_ is a brilliant YA anthology that should be required reading in every classroom! Dealing with homosexuality in teenagers and their parents and friends, these stories will move any reader--gay, straight, questioning, or bisexual. This anthology helps gay kids understand that they are not alone, while shining a light on what it feels like to be homosexual for straight readers. The stories have similar themes, but range in genre, giving every reader something to thoroughly enjoy. I can't recommend it strongly enough!

My only complaint is that there were no stories that really focused on a bisexual character.

This is probably the best novel by Wodehouse and I enjoyed every bit of it.The ever disaster stricken Bertie and Jeeves feature in this book which has some of the memorable characters- Augustus Fink Nottle,Aunt Dahila,Madeline Basset ( Stars-are-God's-daisy-chains ),Pop Basset and Roderick Spode!.Bertie is sent By Aunt Dahila to pinch an 18 th century cow-creamer and what follows is typically wodehouse material.You just can't stop reading once you pick this book up!Wodehouse at his very best.

Bertie Wooster's is a different world. A different world indeed, even from the jazzy age of 1920s and 30s England that P. G. Wodehouse employs as his setting. The code of the Woosters is to never let a friend down, and Bertie would do this far more often were it not for his tactful and clever gentleman's personal gentleman, Jeeves. Bertie is a marvelous type of fellow: over-educated but under-intelligent; useless to society but wealthy beyond any need for scruple; completely numbed by the simple pleasures of an aristocratic life, but always there for his friends and family in a pinch. Amusingly enough, very few of the people that Bertie is enlisted in aiding actually deserve anyone's help. He is variously bullied and cajoled--but usually blackmailed--into putting himself in the most precarious positions. He must steal a cow-shaped piece of silver or his Aunt Dahlia will never let him eat a meal served by her godly French chef; he must steal a policeman's helmet to indirectly prevent himself from betrothal to a starry-eyed ditz of a woman. Being a Wooster, of course, he would go through with such a wedding rather than be impolite.

What makes Bertie's bumbling and stumbling antics the more amusing is that he fancies himself a man of wit and decisiveness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jeeves is the man for that, as well as the man to keep Bertie from his predilection for screaming fashion faux pas.

Wodehouse employs a wonderfully dry wit and a delivery that ranges between the anecdotal and the rat-a-tat. One finds oneself smiling through every page, and occasionally being forced to place the book on the side table so as not to harm in during a fit of laughing out loud. Wodehouse's influence on writers such as Evelyn Waugh, Kingsley Amis and Stephen Fry has enriched British literature of the last century, but he himself was a true original, as are Jeeves and Wooster.

Previous: Right Ho, Jeeves

This was my first excursion into the Wonderful World of Wodehouse, and remains my favorite (though others are in close contention). The plot is simply brilliant, tightly woven together with twists and turns and ingenious irony, and flows directly from the story in Right Ho, Jeeves. Between silver cow-creamers, little leather notebooks, ferocious dogs named Bartholomew, police constables and their helmets, angry neo-Nazis with buried secrets, and the looming threat of the soppy Madeline Bassett, laugh-out-loud comedy is inevitable. Funnier still is the fact that once Bertie arrives at the dreaded Totleigh Towers, all the action takes place in one day and night, making this the most fast-paced of the Jeeves books. This is one instance in which Bertie is never to blame for the soup in which he finds himself-it is thrust upon him by others, either by cajoling or blackmail, and Bertie's ever-good-hearted nature is taken advantage of to full extent. It is Jeeves to the rescue once again. The ending will leave you smiling-and finally able to take a deep breath and relax!

Next: Joy in the Morning (Jeeves in the Morning)

I found this gift of a book while I was browsing in a small shop in Alaska. It's a book that is definitely one to be kept in one's own library to remind ourselves each and every day of the gifts that we have as individuals to share with the world. I believe that there is so much negativity in our every day lives and a book such as this gives us back our humanity to us. As someone said we think we are human beings trying to be spiritual when in fact we are spiritual beings trying to be human. So for all of those who have low self esteem and think they have nothing to give others, read this book, it is a must! And for those who know they have gifts to offer someone, read this book, for it puts into such simple words how simple it is to be wonderful each and every day! Thank you to the author for having the strength and joy in her heart to put forth loving words of inspiration! I am a true fan!

I was so happy to receive this touching book last week. As this book begin's "Royal dignity was yours from the day you were born- Psalms 110:3" we are reminded how each of us has our own special gifts in life.

The book includes a special page for gift-givers to inscribe some personal thoughts to the receiver. I always told my 23 year old daughter she was a princess and now I have a book that shows her just how special she has always been.

I highly recommend "The Twelve Gifts of Birth," as a wonderful gift to give to a pregnant woman, a newborn baby, or a child of any age to remind them of the special gifts that were their's from the day they were born. It would be an especially thoughtful gift for a young person who is struggling with adolescence to help remind them of the beauty and talents that they were born with.

Not only the words are beautiful, but the quality of the materials used to produce this book will make this a gift that will be treasured for a lifetime.

The perfect gift for a newborn, or even someone who is a little older. It's never too late to receive the very special message contained within the pages of this beautiful book!

A great book for those who wish to become familliar with Zen in a closer way than its current overhyped and false pop-culture portrayal. This book contains many important texts that are at the same time not too heavy and generally fun to read (true of many Zen texts)

The first part is 101 Zen stories, some of which are taken from koans. Of these, most either contain some insight into the Zen thought (though that is an oxymoron!) while others give a view of classical Zen life as it happened in the monasteries and countryside.

The next part is the Gateless Gate - a classic collection of 48 koans. This is enough to get the essence of what a koan is but don't expect to even scratch the surface with a simple reading! A thing of particular surprise to those who've heard of Zen only from the media is the use of violence in the koans. This is what I find most disagreeable with them, even conceding that this is not meant to be literal. whatever your opinion, these aren't for the faint-of-mind

Next comes the classic of 10 bulls - ten pictures which tell a symbollic story of an oxherder catching and taming the bull. The version of the images used here is my favourite because of it's utter simplicity, akin to minimalism. Of the texts in the book this one approaches the Zen ideal of essence without words closest (as the main part is the images themselves). The poetry accompanying the images divine and well worth the price of the whole book.

The last part is a Hindu scripture which is said to speak of similar things to the Zen masters but honestly didn't do anything for me.

As you can see, a great book containing so much in so few words. Whether you're after something to exercise an often neglected part of the brain or wanting to learn about Zen or wanting to become an actual practitioner, it's a perfect start!

I received this book as a birthday gift from a friend. I had no idea what Zen was until I read the interesting preface by Paul Reps (the co-compiler of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones), and later when I read the anecdotes and enlightenment stories of the book. Paul Reps (America's first haiku poet) and Nyogen Senzaki (a Zen teacher) have collected popular ancient teachings of Zen and Pre-Zen writings. Their collaborated effort has made this unabridged edition to be a great introduction to Zen literature.

The enlightenment stories, anecdotes, and koans of Zen are all wonderful to read and all serve as delightful forms of meditation. I'm no master on Zen, but the question of what Zen is lies entirely upon one's own interpretation of it. There is no fixed meaning and logic is highly irrelevant. Zen is just an experience to enlighten one's true nature -- and to free the mind. It's the self-discovery and spiritual release that makes Zen Flesh, Zen Bones an ideal gift for anyone.

This book basically holds within it's frame 4 books. The first three being published first in the 1930's! Talk about a pioneer in the field of Zen writings in the West! My goodness, is this ever a must have on your shelf if you are a practitioner of Zen. I will not say it has been my most desired book on Zen through the years; that would be a flat out lie. But I will say that contained herein are some most interesting koans. Yes koans. These allegories are not just stories your going to sit down and say, "Oh my, now I get what this guy is saying!" Not a chance. If you can, you don't even need this book. I confess to you all, that this book spends most of it's time on the shelf. Now why is that? Because I have to contemplate what was said! It may take some months, or some years in several cases. I hold some of these koans "in secret" when I am supposed to be working on another koan. They can be that vexing!

The first time you read this book, you'll probably go, "Huh?"
You may even wonder, "Why did I buy this?"

But I say to you now, when you are practicing this book is truly a best friend. Is it entertainment? Nope. Certainly not. Can it help you clear up the Great Matter of Life and Death?

Actually -- Yes. Enjoy.

Desolation Angels was the second Kerouac book I purchased, and it became my favorite book. In the first half of the book, the "Desolation" chapters explain Jack's feelings and mind more than in any other book and during an important period of his life. Some people say the book is schitzophrenic, having been started in Mexico City in 1956 and completed around 1962. However, I believe the result is not two books but half of the book being thoughts and feelings and the other half being a thoughtful man reflecting. In any case, the book is wonderful, and reading the entire novel does take some work but well worth the effort!

generation in Desolation Angels. Kerouacs frank accounts and vivid style draw you into the heart of a man both idealistic and cinical, naive and experienced, proud and downtrodden, as well as buddist and Catholic, living the life of a "Dharma Bum" as he travels to Mexico. From the fire lookout high on Desolaion Peak, to the junk steets of Mexico, Kerouac shares with his readers every experience and emotion, carring the reader deep into the lifestyle of the Beats as few authors ever accomplished. Its no wonder Kerouac became the symbol of the Beat generation for millions of kats in the 50's, for even today his writing is hep, and inciteful. He could very easily be an icon for generations to come.

But he is an awesome writer, human being, and metaphysicist (which I believe is the whole point of his work). What Kerouac does in his literature, particularly this piece, is thoroughly illustrate the rift created in the worlds of those who are torn between a culturally prescribed allgience/addiction to idealism and a fear that existentialsm is the only truth to which one can rightfully subscribe.
I would certainly point to "Desolation Angels" as the pinnacle of the body of Kerouac's work, and reccomend the book to anyone similarly riddled with Kerouac's spiritual affliction. Or anyone who wishes to study his genre of literature.
I do not reccomend the book to anyone who is easily bored. Though BEAUTIFUL, the text is long, complex, and a bit heavy at times, which can become frustrating. Better to start out with (hey - if you're going to read Kerouac you need to read this book anyway...) "On The Road", which is more of a thrill ride and will compel you to keep reading so you might adjust and become more prepared to digest the poetry he puts into paragraphs and stretches into hundreds of pages.

But that's just my ten-cents' worth. You can decide for yourself.

I first picked up this book when a job change brought us into the Tallgrass Prairie region of Kansas. As it turns out, we settled in Cottonwood Falls, Chase County, Kansas! It was extraordinary to read PrairyErth, knowing that we would soon be experiencing this place first-hand.

There is truly nothing like living in this community and experiencing the sights, places and people described so richly in PrairyErth. William Least Heat-Moon knows this place well, and paints a picture that is as vivid and timeless as Chase County itself. As a "local", I've returned to this book time and time again.

Unfortunately, my job is now taking us away from here. If you've read the passage about Spring Street in Cottonwood Falls, then you know our home. This is truly a beautiful and extraordinary place; unique in the world. If you would like to experience the sense of community that my family and I have been so blessed with, give me a call.

I have just spent 2 days exploring Chase County, Kansas. I had read the book PrairyErth and found myself drawn to explore it for myself.

Driving along I50, I rejoiced at crossing the Chase County border. I had fun exploring the Chase County courthouse, eating at the Emma Chase cafe and meeting folks that have met Heat Moon. Seeing the small towns of Matfield Green, Bazaar and Wonsevu were particularly interesting.

The historical museum in Cottonwood Falls was a highlight for me, Pat, who is one of the volunteers there was extremly helpful and I found everyone I met and spoke too in Chase County as well as the whole of Kansas, a joy to meet and talk too.

I plan to read the book PrairyErth again and relive my 2 days spent in Chase County. I congratulate you Bill on a great book that placed in my soul a want to travel and discover Kansas for myself.

If you want to experience Kansas, with its excruitatingly boring places that slowly creep up on you and leave you blissfully satisfied and in awe of beauty; if you're willing to read long passages of flat text just to discover the beauty of burning fields; I highly recommend PrairyErth.

I grew up in Kansas, about 2 hours from Chase county and was always facinated by the hills, the people, and just the auroa that came from Strong City and Cottonwood falls. After reading "PrairyErth" I am even more mesmorized by the locale.

I have been out of the state for 2 years now, and long to go back. Many friends have complained about the long drives through Kansas, the flat scenery, and boring people. PrairyErth brings to life these flat lands and opens up new worlds of community and life.

For me, reading Moon's book was much like experiencing life in Kansas. I did find some of the chapters long, dry, and dull.. but, that's how some Kansas life is. Moon always concludes these sections with a gorgeous snapshot of the land. He shows us what it is like to be in relationship with the land just as we are in relationship with one another.

He concludes the book with a beautiful journey down the Kaw Trail.
"How do you know when the Prairy is in you?"
"When you see a tree as an eyesore."

This book was a good book but I think it didn't really tell that much about the Iditarod. It was about a musher and the dogs. She's doing the Iditarod and she goes around mountains and peaks. I would recommend this book because it has good illustrations and is about a lead dog.

I like this book because there were really good illustrations. I would recommend this book to my brother because he loves animals. I also liked that it was about dogs, and I love dogs! I am excited about her coming to my school.

I like this book. This book reminds me of snow. This is a cool book. I like you. This is very very interesting

This book captured our attention, but some club members thought the book was just "okay." We liked many aspects of the book. We liked the good descriptions of nature and people such as the one about Nellie Olesen who we thought was asinine. We also liked how the characters really cherished things that are common to us like candy. It made us realize how lucky we are. Nature plays a huge role in this story, and it made us realize how powerful yet precious nature is. The characters in the story cared for nature unlike today when we pollute our environment. Families back then had a totally different life style than we have now. In our world today it seems there are two equal sides: inside and outside. To the Ingalls there were two completely unequal sides. Outside was much greater than inside. We had one big criticism of the book. The Ingalls family seemed too perfect compared to modern families. We thought it was a little fake how everyone was always so loving and never fought. Like many true stories, this one doesn't really have just one plot or story line. It just goes from one event to the next. All in all, though, it was a good story.

Laura and her family have moved to a small farm near Walnut Grove in Minnesota. They will have to adapt to Minnesota, the sod house, and a lot more. Laura Ingalls is a seven year old girl who loves to explore the creek, and is daddies little angel. Laura lives with her Ma, Pa , her two sisters Marry and Carrie, and their loyal companion and bulldog Jack. Pa goes out to get lumber and builds a beautiful new house with windows and he farms wheat to earn money. One day Pa said that in a couple weeks the wheat would soon be ready to pick. Then they see this peculiar sparkling cloud that filled the sky. Shortly after countless numbers of grasshoppers cover the field, the creek, and the rest of the farm, including Laura and her family. The grasshoppers consumed every plant including the wheat that Pa worked so hard to grow.
Mary and Laura start to go to school and on their first day they met many friends and some foes. one of their rivals was named Nellie who had a party and invited all the girls from school. Nellie was very rude and very cruel to Mary and Laura. Laura decided to have a party as well, and invited all the girls from school. Laura invites Nellie particulary to get back at her, and boy did she do a clever and a funny prank on Nellie. Then the Ingalls experienced blizzards, storms, and prairie fires which were very devastating. After all the work the family put into the farm and the wheat, their work finally payed off.
This book had lots of surprising, unpredictable, and very exciting events. If I could rate this book on a scale of one through ten, I would give this book a ten. Once I started to read this book I couldn't put it down, because I was so hooked on it. This book is fantastic and is great for every age, and great for every age, and should be enjoyed by everyone. If your looking for a great book that will excite, delight, suprise, and grasp your attention, On the Banks of Plum Creek is just the book your looking for.

I think this book is the best book this has a sweet little girl named Laura. She lives with her Ma, Pa, two sisters, one is named Marrie and one is Carrie,and thay have a bulldog named Jack!
There is a mean girl that always gets her way,she is so mean!
Guess What! Even a boy likes this book, so I would give this book five stars! Everyone would love this book! Even younger children will like the books in the library because they have thinner books. I've read American Girl books and Girl Hood Journey books are similar. The best book is On the Banks of Plum Creek, By:Laura Ingllas Wilder! It's a five star I guarntee!

UNBELIEVEABLE!
I can't believe that was a book. It seemed so real.This is definitely a book you will remember forever. The setting of this wonderful book is in America in modern times. Most of the story takes place at Ramona's house or at her school. The characters are Ramona, a serious eight-year old girl with a lot on her mind, Mr.Quimby, Ramona's father and Beezus, Ramona's sister. Ramona has a normal life untill one payday when Ramona's father loses his job and starts smoking. One of the interesting parts is when Ramona's cat falls into their jack-o-lantern. Does everything work out for Ramona and her father? Find out! I think this is an A+ book.

Beverly Cleary wrote some of the funniest books ever written for children with her Henry Huggins/Ramona series. However, her Newbery honor winner "Ramona and Her Father" marks the beginning of Mrs. Cleary's decision to include more serious situations into the lives of her characters to go along with their comic adventures. This book revolves around the very unfunny and realistic situation of Ramona's father losing his job. (Undoubtedly, Mrs. Cleary drew upon her own childhood memories of her father's unemployment during the Depression to tell this story.)

Ramona's life is turned upside down by her father's unemployment. Her father is cranky and depressed, her mother tired from overwork, and older sister Beezus, the funloving tomboy of the Henry Huggins books, is now a temperamental teenager. The book chronicles Ramona's attempts to deal with this difficult situation, and results are touching and very often hilarious. Despite its serious subject matter, the book still retains Mrs. Cleary's comic touch. This is one very funny book! The chapter about Ramona's hope of becoming a TV commericial actor, which she believes will end her family's problems, is one of the funniest Mrs. Cleary ever wrote. If I had to pick one book from the entire Henry Huggins/Ramona series "Ramona and Her Father" would be the one. Ramona's experiences with a difficult family situation are told with humor and candor.

Wow! This book was amazing and spectacular. I loved it. Some of the parts were sad but it was happy at the end. It was about a little girl in second grade. She lives with her sister Beatrice, her mom, and her dad, and of course Picky-Picky, their cat. The funniest part was when Picky-Picky ate the jack-o-lantern. It was so funny. I love this book. You should read it. It is called Ramona And Her Father.

It took me three tries before I was able to get through the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy. On my third, successful, attempt, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the second two books. The first book is my least favorite of the three, probably because Kristin's fatalism, so believable when she is unmarried and "shamed", and during her later life when she is forced to confront so many trials, doesn't make sense (to me at least) when she is a happy and beautiful teenager of good family, with a doting father, etc., etc. The second two books were wonderful: well-written, good characterization, good plot. Through all three books I was struck by Undset's eye for tiny details. (The only one that comes to mind right now is when she is a little girl and her father is encouraging her to eat by pinching bred into the shape of horses, putting a piece of meat on their back for the rider, and trotting them across his leg to her mouth.) It took me a while to get into the Kristin books, but when I did, I liked them a lot.

I now find myself re-reading the trilogy by Undset and am now reading the final book, The Cross. I have several questions, though, that even in this, probably my third reading, still persist. Does anyone know if there is a Kristin Lavransdatter message board where people can discuss this complex work? Despite some puzzlement, though, I must say the three books are riveting to me, just as they were when I first read them as a teenager, then again as a young wife and mother, and now as a grandmother. The richness of the plot, the superb characterization, the unfolding of a passionate but doomed and troubled relationship, the profound evocation of another time and place--one can understand why Undset won a Nobel Prize. I would recommend this trilogy to anyone who enjoys rich, beautifully written and complex books, even if certain events and references remain a puzzle to you, as they do to me!

I picked this trilogy up because (a) I had never heard of it and (b) I was astonished to note that it had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. It had to be worth a try. And what a gem it is - a detailed and historically accurate picture of life in 14th Century Norway, complete with a fesity herione, hulking men and the entire range of human emotions in all their glory.

The novel begins with our hero Kristin bathing in the love of her parents in living in the comfort of a wealthy home. As she grows, she finds herself completely in love, and against the wishes of her parents and her betrothed (another far more suitable man) pursues and secures the man of her dreams. But of course we must be careful what we wish for, and the novels take us through the trials and tribulations of life with someone you love, but are not necessarily suited to.

This is a rich and detailed novel, that is not always to read, but at time it was so powerful that it reduced me to tears. You become completely involved in the character's lives, and in the end this gives you a real sense of satisfaction in your reading.

It certtainly is a different book, and one which is well worth your time.