literature

Mr. Bean's farm animals are very intelligent. They can read and some can write.A pig named Freddy gets the idea from a sparrow to migrate.He,a cow,a dog,a horse,two spiders,two ducks,and a cat all migrate to Florida for the Winter they have an exciting trip there and an exciting trip back to New York they meet the President and alligators and much, much, more.This book is full of adventure and humor.I recommend it to everyone. There are other Freddy books such as Freddy the Detactive,Freddy and the Bean Home News,Freddy and the Space Ship.

The first of a series of books about Freddy. Tired of long, hard winters, the animals on the Bean Farm in upstate New York decide to go to Florida for the winter. The animals encounter burglars, outwit a group of hungry alligators, and discover buried treasure before returning to their home

In 1955 I was eight, and the eldest of three brothers. My mother couldn't go to the grocery store with all of us so she'd drop me off at the children's room at the West Hartford, CT, public library, and pick me up on the way home. It was there that I discovered Freddy, and that Pig spoke my language! It was Freddy, his wonderful compatriots on the Bean farm, and their fabulous adventures, that started me out right. Freddy Goes to Florida is the first of the series, and is where I recommend starting your own adventures with Freddy the Pig. Hats off to Overlook Press for re-publishing these books in their original look.

I saw this book in teen and I ordered it because I was fighting alot with my BF. Well, we brok up and I was glad to have this book! i read it in one night and I felt so much better. I stayed up all night crying and this book was the only thing that got me through it. Im goning to take all theadvice in it. Thanks. I recommend it for other girls.

This is a great book for a girl who's just been dumped or has to get over a relationship, maybe for the first time. It's simple, direct and yet really insightful. Each chapter takes you through a different emotional stage, from the moment the break up first happens to that freeing day when you realize you've completely moved on. Even if you read the whole thing the day you're dumped, (and you can, it's short) you'll get that lightness by the end. That knowledge that, even if it doesn't feel this way right now, everything will be better. There's hope.
Also, this book does not talk down to teens.
It takes into account every crazy thing that goes through the head of a girl this age, and knows that some people's imaginations will go in one direction when they're down and others will go in a wildly different direction.
There is 'expert' advice. You know, Dr. Drew from 'Loveline', etc., but it's kept to a minimum, so you don't feel overloaded by it.
The best might be all the personal stories from other teens about thier own break ups (read: dumps)and how they got through it.
What's also great is, hearing what the 'dumpers' have to say for themselves. What was going through their head when they decided everything was over and they had to tell you.
Just a note:
I highly recommend this book to girls to give to their friends who are going through something like this. It shows you care and can say all the things you don't know how to say. And more.

My daughter is 15 and going thorough her first relationship. I am usless with this stuff so she needs a big sister to talk to. I got her this one and one of the Chicken Soup books and she loved them both. For kids who will read, I recommend both sereies.

This book is so much fun. I am a thirty one year old collector of "children's" books and I absolutely love this series. I discovered the I Spy books in a dentist's waiting room and simply fell in love. The riddles are challenging and I Spy "Spooky Night" like I Spy "Treasure Hunt" tells a story as you go along. I really hope that the plotted I Spys are a trend for the future of the series. The photographer of this series, Walter Wick, is an absolute genius.

When I tried to donate this book to a local library, the children screamed. No way were they going to give up their spooky looking book, with lots of riddle limmericks and hunt-and-find fun to keep them busy into the wee hours. Betcha can't find all the candles and cobwebs, spiders and witches' brew in this year-round Halloween gem. Alyssa A. Lappen

My family loves this book and we all participate. However, we were stuck on the last page. Where is the Striped Cat?

Harmon and Holman have done a fantastic job editing this handbook. I had to pick it up for use in a poetry class (taught by Harmon, no less!) and have found it to be not only a useful study guide, but an entertaining read insofar as it is not dry as one might suspect such a book to be, but is at times quite humorous. From "amphimacer" to "homeoleuton" (and seemingly everything else related to literary style, rhetoric, rules, movements, and just plain interesting facts), the handbook is comprehensive and easy to follow.

The editors have cited -- and in many cases quoted -- passages from a wide variety of popular literary works in order to make each entry clear. Cross-referencing is extensive and definitions are very understandable.

The entries are alphabetized, and each time a new letter comes about, the editors give an example and a history of a different font.

Also included are a time-line of literary movements, both American and English, and listings of literary prize-winners and major publications and events in both American and English literary history.

In corresponding with friends whose interests run along the same vein as mine, I have enthusiastically recommended Harmon and Holman's handbook, and I extend that here, as well.

Daryl L. Houston (dhouston@email.unc.edu)

If you have a question about English or American literature, chances are you'll find the answer here. William Harmon, professor of English at the University of North Carolina has revised and updated this handbook, long popular in academia. He's added more than 100 entries which reflect current trends in literature and criticism.

If you don't have a student at home, get this book anyway. Read it. Just the outline of English and American literary history in the back of the book is worth the price. You undoubtedly will find books here you never knew existed. I thought I'd read all of Eudora Welty, for instance, but I found a "new" title listed here -- new to me, at least. I also discovered a James Gould Cozzens book I'd never heard of.

The handbook is actually an encyclopedia of words and phrases pertaining to the study of literature. Listings are defined, explained and often illustrated. There are cross references. Appendices include complete lists of Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction, poetry and drama. The index of proper names in the back lists over 2,300 authors and prominent literary figures.

This book is a must for the home library. Also, it's entertaining as well as informative reading. You may well find yourself curled up with it, unwilling to tear yourself away.

Very informative and expansive. It's handy and interesting because it goes past basic definitions to include historical background, etc.

I read this book several years ago. My mom bought me a hardback copy at a yard sale. Everyone that touched the cover wanted to read it. Just physical contact with the book made me want more....and the story....I just can't say enough!!!!!

I picked this book up from a remainder stack at a local bookstore because I liked the title... I'm keeping this book because it took me for a ride that few contemporary works of fiction have. A thoroughly enjoyable read, full of startling twists and intelligent writing.

I accidentally found this book while browsing the stacks of a local bookstore and was really surprised that I hadn't heard of the book or the author. Not many writers have the ability to startle me with such a wonderful writing style coupled with a zesty storyline. This is one of those books whose words are placed together with great feeling and care, resulting in a sharp, clear and sometimes painful book.

Wolff's short stories in this collection provide crisp narrative journey's exploring humanity in its complexities, confusions, controdictions and emotions. It is as if a heart pumps underneath all the words in each story: they are that alive and that remarkable. I read this in one sitting weeks ago, and the stories and characters are still fresh and instant in my mind. Wolff is one of the best short story writers ever.

I've read most of Wolff's work, and this is my favorite. The collection spans the colorful spectrum of human emotion and experience, yet there remains a pleasant aftertaste of familiarity in his characters that makes us identify with that life on the page.Whether it's a tubby object of scorn, a disillusioned old man on his 50th anniversary cruise, or a young boy spinning tales for acceptance on a broken-down bus, we feel some sliver of our psyche being worked to the surface when reading these stories by Wolff. He's one of the best storytellers of our generation, and you deserve to discover him. Favorite stories in this collection: Smokers, The Liar, Maiden Voyage, Hunters in the Snow and In the Garden of North American Martyrs

The characters in Tobias Wolff's short stories are typically ordinary people in relatively ordinary circumstances yet he creates through them such vivd glimpses of humanity that we recognize our friends ,relatives,neighbors and ourselves in them.
Powerful writing that is subtle and yet somehow unforgettable.

All of his short fiction collections are equally enjoyable and I would have a hard time recommending one as opposed to any other. This particular book contains several stories that will pull you in and cause you to want to explore more. This is a book that can be opened at random to any of the selections and read with great enjoyment.

This book is filled with interesting facts as well as many interesting theories (all very reasonably analyzed by the author). And because it is written as a dialogue between the author and God, it is a pleasure to read.

The chapters detailing the relationship between Christianity and pagan religions should be essential reading for every believer. The case against Christianity couldn't be made more obvious than it is here. Anyone who reads these chapters and doesn't at least begin to wonder is beyond hope.

Joseph's book was the first one I read when I was questioning Christianity. Needless to say, it provoked me to not only read other books, but started me on a road I never dreamed I would be on. A book of this proportion carries a lot of weight, and unfortunately, responsibility. I say responsibility not because I feel he has an obligation to you, I, or anyone else, but at the same time, his words are so provoking, that in a sense, there is responsibility on the reader's part to exam what we will learn from them. Joseph does a phenomenal job in presenting his case concerning many aspects of Christianity. He is astute, easy to read, and very well researched. The topics in the book hit hard and ruthless in some areas. At a few points I was afraid he came across as an angry, bitter, atheist. Atheism is anything but that, and I see now the areas in question were simply tougher issues we need to deal with.

Whether you accept Joseph's view or not, I feel this book is an excellent look at why many do not accept Christianity in any form. The issues are very real, and the presentation is very smooth. If you need a look into the logical mind of those who do not accept Christianity at face value, then this is an excellent, unsung hero for the part. I encourage you to explore your beliefs.

His take on the American religious types like the JW, Mormons, SDA's are excellent. Sometimes people simply need to be given digestible simple examples that speak volumes and not a lengthy dissertation. The author does this well. And I like that he uses the term superstition well.

Those who hold onto religious beliefs because of fear of being ostracized, or because they need to "belong" or because this is the way it has always been will feel some pain when they read the book. The same way an alcoholic hates to be told he is an addict. In fact that's what this book basically points out. Addicts who are afraid to be healthy.

Ralph Masiello is a fascinating illustrator because his pictures are creative. Did you know that there is a big secret in the Icky Bug Counting Book? That is why Ralph is a fascinating illustrator.

Ralph Masiello is a fascinating Illustrator. I like his secret at the back of his book.The Icky Bug Counting Book is the best book.

I read the book The Icky Bug Counting Book. It was cool. After all I think that Ralph Masiello's illustrations are awesome.Did you know that he puts secrets in he's illustrations? He is very creative.

When I finished this book I knew I was going to miss the things it said to me. Alice Walker wrote brilliantly about her own struggles, her passion for other people to discover Zora Neale Hurston, the civil rights movement, and her work as a black feminist. So many subjects are touched in this book that jumps back and forth through 20+ years. Walker is inspritational to all woman. As a writer she shows one the strength to succeed not in business but loving yourself as well as working to achieve equal rights for everyone no matter the sex or the color. Her essays are moving written like a painting. Her words are beautiful and inspire. The few poems that she used in this collection are the best i have ever seen. She is honest about her experiences in hopes that we all might learn from her and take to a cause. We are the makers of our future. I would read this book again and it establishes to me that Alice Walker is a gifted writer who has become one of my favorites.

I first read "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens," the influential essay collection by Alice Walker, as a college undergraduate more than 10 years ago. Re-reading the book was a wonderful experience that reminded me how important Walker has been to so many people. The book opens with Walker's definition of the term "womanist": "a black feminist or feminist of color." The essays in this book, which span the late 1960s, the 1970s, and the early 1980s, thus represent the development of Walker's "womanist" vision.

The pieces include book reviews, letters to various publications, autobiographical pieces, and other prose selections. Many of her essays and reviews represent Walker's views on a range of literary figures: Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Flannery O'Connor, Phillis Wheatley, Buchi Emecheta, and many more. Particularly interesting is her essay about Rebecca Jackson, a 19th century African-American woman who joined a Shaker community. Especially important are Walker's writings about Zora Neale Hurston, whom she reclaims as a black literary foremother.

Other highlights include articles about Martin Luther King and his widow Coretta Scott King, and an account of a trip to Castro's Cuba. She also includes an article about "Conditions: Five," the important collection of writings by black lesbian and straight women.

Alice Walker may be best known to general audiences for her novel "The Color Purple," but "In Search..." reminds me of her skill and passion as an essayist. This is a collection which is, I believe, historically important for the academic field of women's studies. But it is not just a scholarly artifact; it is also a book that holds power and relevance that go beyond its historical moment.

First I read The Colour Purple and thought that Alice
was an older woman. Then I read The Temple of My Familiar and began to wonder. In Search of Our Mother's Gardens illuminates the writer. I have gone in search of many of the books to which she refers in her essays.

Coming from an Italian heritage, this book feels like a little bit of me from the past. I can imagine my family telling these stories to each other in Asiago, after eating their meals. It's nice to read your favorite stories over and over, and never bore of them. I really love these stories, and I read them to my cousins when they come over, and they enjoy the too. It's a great book for the whole family to enjoy.

I was first given this book at age 5, and since then have gone through 4 copies. I've read it so often that I know all the stories by heart, and still keep reading. The tales are beautifully written and edited, and cover religion, love, feats of greatness, and foolish acts. For any lover of the folktale/fairytale genre, this book is a must have. I would recommend buying the hardback version, because if you love it like me -- the binding will fall apart after the first 3 or 4 reads.

I haven't been a particular fan of folk tales in the years that have passed since more or less my tenth birthday, but it's hard not to adore this charming, magical, and fantastic collection of traditional Italian stories as recounted by master storyteller and author Italo Calvino.

In the book's introduction, Mr. Calvino seems to regard his production of this almost 800-page volume as a sort of obligation. But in reading its pages, it's clear that it was really a labor of love, a massive project undertaken by an already established writer who had no need to produce something so unusual and challenging in order to help his own reputation.

But we are clearly better off because of he did produce it. Inside are exactly 200 precious stories, parables, fables, and good old fashioned yarns -- all of them plucked from the Italian folk tradition, dusted off, and improved by Mr. Calvino. I admit that "improved" is not a word I'd usually want to read in regard to a modern production of classic literature, but from the bits and pieces I know from experience, improvement was needed: many of the tales were originally published based on cobbled together version of traditional oral stories with partially-developed sub-plots and characters whose names or motives change partway through the story. I have seen the original Italian versions of at least three of the stories between this book's covers -- Fra Ignazio, Rosemary, and the Peacock Feather -- and was thoroughly confounded by the original, only to be charmed later by Mr. Calvino's cleaner and more thoughtful retellings.

It is important to remember that the Italian literary tradition dates further back in a direct line than any other in Western Europe: many of these tales were originally written in Italian long before the language evolved beyond being anything more than a vulgar street slang and when only Latin and Greek was spoken in the drawing rooms of literate Italians. And yet it wasn't until 1956 and Mr. Calvino's self-described obligation that more than a couple dozen or so of these wonderful stories was gathered in a single volume.

Hats off also to George Martin, Mr. Calvino's translator, surprisingly enough, for only this book. Mr. Martin does a terrific job of preserving Mr. Calvino's cadence and subtle linguistic flare, and he does it while staying away from the temptation of translating too literally, a flaw that has a hold on many less talented translators.