This book is appropriate for all ages. The illustrations are outstanding, vivid, creative, and cause children to notice every little detail. The illustrations and text are brilliantly enhanced by a special C.D. by the storyteller. This text brings the boy Jack of Jack in the Beanstalk fame into American culture. He arrived in America in colonial times and those who settled in Appalachia kept his memory alive through oral tradition. This book puts Jack in the same league as "Johnny Appleseed", "Paul Bunyun", and "Pecos Bill".

I found this volume perfectly presented. The warmly and colorfully told tales are matched by the rich and humorous illustrations. The style of the illustrations as well as the actual production of the book remind of classic books we grew up with. The audio CD add another layer of authenticity.

I bought this book for my grandchildren and loved it as did my grandchildren. Hicks is a famous appalachian story teller and although the stories are somewhat familiar, Hicks gives them his own twist. The best part and what makes the book are the illustrations-somewhat in the style of Thomas Hart Benton and very well suited and expressive of what are essentially country stories. Owen Smith, the illustrator has done many New Yorker magazine covers- let's hope he illustrates many more children's books.

I'm taking a class from one of the guys who compiled the book, and for starters let me say twenty bucks is a damn good deal for a textbook. This one is meaty too. Very interesting prefaces for each selection of writing, as well as essays about each period. A must for anyone curious about Mythic California and the writers who, well, wrote about it. Great stuff by Twain and other biggies. My favorite pieces are those giving a glimpse into Californian mining camps. The one downfall of this book is that it would have been difficult interpreting the native american stories had I not been takeing a class concurrently. The essays written by the editors about the decimation of the native population, the subsequent eviction of Mexicans were much more insightful than the native pieces themselves. There are also pieces by descendants of native peoples, which give insight.

"God's Daughters and God's Women" is an extensive study of the main stories in the Bible that involve women. The heavy hitters such as Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Esther and Mary are covered in their own chapters, some even filling two. The chapters are the perfect length for week to week study, with questions and reflections to fill in. Background scripture and related stories are used extensively, a real plus to the teacher or facilitator. Important words are translated from original Hebrew and Greek to show differences in written meaning as opposed to the meaning we understand today. Each chapter also has a topic (faith, hospitality, purpose, etc.) which can spur furthur group discussion. An excellent study for women, even those with a lot of Bible study background. Beginners may find it frustrating looking up all background scriptures.