This book is a collection of short stories that was put together by the great Harlem Renaissance writer, Langston Hughes. Some authors whose works are also featured in the book are Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, and Alice Walker. These stories are fun to read and they speak about the current issues that Black America was facing during the time period. This book is for anyone who is trying to better understand black thought during the 20th century.

This book is an excellent example of reality. In each short story, there is some kind of relivance of growing up in a nation filled with crime, love, kindenss, hardships, and friendships. The writers express themselves so wonderfully, vivid pictures of the events are played in my head. It keeps middle-school children very attentive, mainly because they can easily relate to the troubles of growing up today. Teens can feel a sense of comfort in this book because they know they are not alone. This book contains collections by some of the best authors in the world. It really makes the african-american culture shine to where all cultures will enjoy!

This book features poetry of Hughes for children. The poetry carefully uses language geared for children, uses repetition more than images. This results in text that conveys to children as much the careful, artful use of language as "fine poetry". The illustrations by Bryan are a superb counterpoint to the text - again geared intentional towards children - but showing excellent use of color and a realism appealing to adults.

This book succeeds in being truly for children without being sacchrine or insulting. Don't think of this as an "ethnic" book, it is far too good to be marginalized.

This book not only captures the beauty of Langston Hughes for young readers but also portrays the beauty of African Heritage within the powerful meaning of the story of Christ's birth. I ended up buying two copies on my first round because it was such a wonderful piece of work for both chidren and adults!

Langston Hughes, one of our greatest writers and poets, was also a jazz fan. In this slim book , he traces the development of jazz, hitting all the basic elements: African polyrhythmic drumming transported to Congo Square in New Orleans, work songs and slave songs, homemade instruments, spirituals, the blues, ragtime, minstrel shows, improvisation, the spread of jazz to New York and Chicago and the regional bands, the influence of Louis Armstrong.

Sound familiar? It's the first eight hours or so of the Ken Burns' documentary "Jazz," only much briefer and written for youngsters ranging from around ages 4 to 9 or so. Although he ignores all the contributions of early women jazz artists (singers are paid scant attention here), his tone is proudly inclusive ("Of course, people were making music in other parts of our country in early times, too--not just in New Orleans. In New England, settlers were singing their hymns. In Virginia and Kentucky, the newcomers were singing their ballads. In the Far West, the Indians were playing on their drums, African slaves in Georgia, the Carolinas, and other parts of the South, who did not always have drums on which to play, were making up songs to chop cotton to, load the river boats, or build the levees.") and emphasizes the joy of performance and improvisation ("That is how the music called jazz began--with people playing for fun.").

The straightforward narrative, although lacking the "poetic" imagery one might expect, is clear and joyful. This is a excellent introduction for young readers. It is obviously not intended as an jazz encyclopedia, and jazz fans will have to ignore a few of its inherent limitations: The above-mentioned oversight of singers and of women (other than one list of pianists that includes Marion McPartland), the over-generalized portrayal of early jazz musicians as untrained, and limited descriptions of Ellingtonto Jazz, swing, and bebop. (Although, for a book written in 1955 by a non-musician, Hughes mentions Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Charlie Parker, and Lester Young). The book includes fun drawings by Cliff Roberts, a brief discography (apparently updated to include Coltrane, Mingus, and Ornette Coleman--but no Miles), a three-page definiton of terms, Hughes' list of his 100 favorite jazz recordings, and a list of "famous jazz musicians" by instrument.

I read this book transrated in Japanese. I could enjoy the rhythm and phrases even in Japanese. I would like to read it in English now.

"How can you print a piece of your own soul," Dickinson, p. 51

This is the 2nd in the Krull and Hewitt's "Lives of ..." series. The book contains 19 chapters on 20 writers in birth order: Murasaki Shikibu (973?-1025?), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Jane Austen (1775-1817), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Charlotte & Emily Bronte (1816-1855 & 1818-1848), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Mark Twain (1835-1910), Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Jack London (1876-1916), Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), E. B. White (1899-1985), Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

This is a perfect book for young adolescents and pre-teens who as they grow and mature frequently feel awkward. Krull introduces us to the idiosyncrasies of the literary. Some of the authors were loners, eccentric, a wee bit peculiar. Michael Jackson's behaviors might seem normal when held in comparison. Some retreated into themselves. Some sought out adventures. Some as adults were unsuccessful at the ordinary.

Some worked at a young age to support the family. Some took daily walks, very long daily walks. Some were not healthy and therefore wrote in bed. There were some similarities and some differences, but they all shared a singular conviction to write and write they each did well.

Hewitt's delightful portraits of the writers are precious. My favorite portrait is of Frances Hodgson Burnett of "The Secret Garden" fame. Her hat is the secret garden.

Given the high price of the book, I was surprised that Krull did not include a list of the authors' books and/or poems and the publication years. END

This book is a fun and informative book. The pictures are filled with humorous meanings and hidden information. The book keeps the reader's attention by keeping the included information short and simple, but also makes sure that the reader gets as much possible about the author. This book is great for kids and students to use as a report source as it is filled with great information. Kids would rather use this book as an information source rather than an encylopedia since the information is easy to understand. Authors in there are some you may not know, ( Murasaki Shikibu) and some well know ones ( Charles Dickens). I am glad I purchsed this book. I really liked the pictures which are so vibrant with color. This would make a great buy.

The watercolor illustrations employed represent the setting perfectly, regardless if the point in the story was that of a rural Kansas, Kansas City street life, and Mexican village. What wonderful impressionistic artwork! There seems to be an inner light in the faces of each person represented in the illustrations.
The action and music portrayed in the text, carries over into the illustrations. The book's illustrations show movement and action. A sense of happiness or loneliness is conveyed through the watercolor paintings. They are very explicit in showing emotion. Overall, text and illustrations, lend this to being one of the best biographical books for young children.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't know much about Langston Hughes before I had read it. I think I understand him a little better after reading it. What attracted me the most was finding a book about an African American boy who learned his own family history and could feel proud of it. I guess the following quote sums it up "Almost always, his grandma told stories of heroes. Heroes who were black, just like Langston." I am volunteering in an inner city middle school. The kids I tutor do not read anywhere near their grade level. I think they might be able to read this book, and still enjoy it. It's not a baby book, although, I suppose a young child might enjoy it, too. I also like the warm and colorful pictures.

This story is so moving. Showing hardships, love, and finding acceptance.It tells of an Afician child learning about his history and walking tall as a man. It was very moving, the pictures were soft and had a texture of warmth. I would highly recommend it for reading.

This book is a biography of the poet Langston Hughes; it is arranged in typical chronological fashion, primarily including information about his youth and early career.

Free To Dream is excellent overall. Langston Hughes was a successful writer with an entertaining and exciting career. Osofsky doesn't skimp on the depressing details, including mention of Langston's thorny relationship with his father, rejections at soda counters and restaurants (due to his race), and several other disappointments, mostly economic. ("To save money, he borrowed textbooks from the library instead of buying them, and washed his socks and handkerchiefs by hand.") Still, this is an entertaining read and a good overall assessment of the author's career. High school students who have been entertained or inspired by his poetry will find more inspiration here.

This is a good biography, probably best for young readers, aged 10-18. It's just over 100 pages, which makes it a good resource for a report. It's not so long you can't read the whole thing in one day.

This book is considered one of Mark Twain's "Mississippi" writings. The setting is Dawson's Landing, Missouri in the 1850s. There is a melodramatic surface plot that seems rather trite by modern standards. The story revolves around switched identities and solving a murder by the fledgling science of fingerprinting. Mark Twain's celebrated acerbic wit is in evidence, but mainly in the chapter heading quotes from Pudd' nHead Wilson's calendar of daily observations and homespun philosophy rather than in the novel itself. In addition, the book portrays 19th century American slavery. The slave woman Roxy, speaking in a heavy dialect, is the catalyst that sets the critical events in motion. The injustice of racism is the underlying theme of the book. Twain refrains from preaching a social justice sermon, but the inferences are there. Pudd'nHead Wilson is a country lawyer with no clients. To pass time, he dabbles in one experiment or another, and enjoys fingerprinting the local citizens. Wilson resembles a 19th century version of Jimmy Stewart's "everyman" in films. Although a minor work, the novel is interesting as an example of Mark Twain's other writing beyond "Tom Sawyer" and "Huck Finn."

The Dover Thrift Editions are an inexpensive alternative to accessing major works of world literature. The no-frills packaging presents the unabridged text and a brief biographical note on Mark Twain. ;-)

Pudd'nhead Wilson
By Mark Twain

To keep her son from being "sold down the river," Roxy, a woman 1/16 black, devises a way for her son to grow up with all the privileges of 1830s white society. But questions as to underlying nature of the boy, born Valet de Chambres and now called Tom, soon arise.

David "Pudd'nhead" Wilson is a well-educated man who found a place in Dawson's Landing, Missouri, not as a small town attorney, but as the local curiosity. He earned his nickname due to his strange and frivols hobby of fingerprinting his friends and neighbors, keeping the glass slides carefully labeled and filed.

The melding of Pudd'nhead with the plot of the story comes late, and to modern readers, the way in which a murder is solved comes not as a surprise. It is, however, an interesting enough piece of history, recorded with care and style by Twain. The most amusing and enduring portions of the book are the random quotes taken from Pudd'nhead's calendar. They include nuggets of wisdom such as "keep all your eggs in one basket... and watch that basket!"

This book takes thought to read. As slim a volume as it is, each chapter takes quite a time to work its way into your brain. And Roxy's speech, written in Twain's famous dialect spelling, can make you set aside a whole afternoon just to grope your way through. But if you find your lips moving don't worry. Each word is important, and there is little in each short chapter that is not necessary and interesting.

I found Roxy to be the most compelling character. Her life in and out of slavery is one of a mother trying to do right, a woman trying to live her life, and an unfortunate pawn in the manipulative world that judges her only by her lineage.

This book was a great one. Mark Twain takes simple plots and mangaes to turn them into classics. The simple changing of children at birth leads to so much more in this novel. I especially liked Twain's use of foreshadowing and always trying to keep the reader in suspense. While it is no doubt predictable that Tom is going to commit a crime of some sort, I could never identify what he was going to do. The way it came about no doubt surprised me and I liked how Twain did it. Twain's style is another thing I love. He uses the vernacular so effectively and it helped to paint a picture of the characters in my mind. I can easily get images of all the characters because I can either relate the characters to someone I have come across or by the excellent description he has given. Pudd'nhead Wilson is an excellent book and Twain once again delivered a classic novel about the old West where slavery still dictated life, and as always, the Mississippi River played a role in the story.

The book was trash. It had no plot, no story, and no action. I couldn't wait to put it down it was so bad, but I had jury duty and there was nothing else to do. I wish I had brought a different book. PLEASE DO NOT GET CAUGHT IN THE SAME SITUATION!!! THIS BOOK IS HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I find it quite amazing that readers find themselves capable of disregarding a playwright's work simply because they have read what could well be a bad edition! This edition of Lorca's Yerma and Blood Wedding is definitely not among the best I have read; others do more justice to the original works. Obviously, much of the content and passion is lost upon translation. I have had the privilege of reading most of Lorca's work in Spanish and must say that he is indeed one of the most influential and talented playwrights (and poets) of our time. Lorca's work is infused with the beauty and passion of the Spanish people and culture and it is quite difficult for us considerably less emotional Americans to understand, let alone feel the intensity of such power; again, this has a lot to do with reading it in English.

I read the review of comyking@home.net and I think that you need to develop literary skills(An education perhaps?!). Maybe then you will undrstand what literature is about. Yerma and La casa de Bernada Alba are two of the most fascinating books I have ever read. They depict the life and frustrations faced by females in an era when chastity, "social stauts and appearance" influenced a woman's life. I think these books are extremely interesting and insightful. One must have an exceptional literary background to appreciate this type of literature.