"High Flight" is the brief story of the poem of the same title and its author, John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Often thought to be British, Magee was an American who served, and died, in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. This book, for readers ten years and older, recounts Magee's life as a child of missionaries in China, his studies in Rugby school in England, his life in America, and his career in the RCAF. Interwoven with his story is the story of his famous poem and the events of WWII. The story is beautfully told and illustrated. It brought tears to my eyes and will be a joy for boys young and old.

This delightful children's book, well worth reading by any adult whose imagination has risen above a stepladder up to some leaf-clogged eaves, is about the Royal Canadian Air Force pilot and the greatest poem ever written about the joys of flight.

Magee, an American born in China, went to school in England, joined the Canadian air force and died in a training accident in England just four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour launched the United States into World War II. Like all great timeless literature from the realm of combat -- the Funeral Oration of Pericles, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and McCrae's In Flanders Fields -- it is about ideals instead of ideology.

In 114 words, dated Sept. 3, 1941, he celebrated the sheer joy of flight. He could have had a scholarship to Yale in the fall of 1940 to study the classics; instead, that October he went to Canada. By then his father was assistant minister at St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., popularly known as "the church of the presidents." His parents hadn't been thrilled about his decision to fly instead of going to Yale, but they gave him their reluctant support.

The poem, written on the back page of one of his letters from England, may have been his explanation of "this is why I like to fly" to his parents. Having spent hours in the cockpit of many aicraft, from sailplanes to bush planes, and executive jets to a Flying Fortress, I understand the feeling. I can't say "share," because the single engine fighters of World War II created a brief era in flight that will never be repeated. Today's jets are pure power, simply point and go anywhere; World War I aircraft were sadly limited by a lack of power. Magee flew when the sheer joy of piston engine power matched but didn't eclipse the nerve and ability of a pilot's feelings, reactions, skills and dreams.

In only 28 pages, superbly illustrated by Toronto artist Michael Martchenko, Linda Granfield book tells how the spirit of a young man -- somewhat rebellious and undisciplined to start -- soared like the high flight he describes so memorably. I first found the poem when I was in the seventh grade, some 50 years ago, and memorized it as part of the 200 lines of memory work that were required every school year. It's the only poem from those years that stayed with me.

This book is the first account I've read that describe's Magee's background, and how the poem came to be written. In school, we were told it was "written on the back of an envelope." The real story, admirably told by Granfield, is more inspiring. Truth is always better than fantasy or imagination.

It's called a children's book. Don't be fooled. It's too good just for children. Anyone who understands the soaring adventure of the human spirit will love it. Magee made his dream come true. Very few of us get to live a more perfect life.

Although I don't agree with everything they say, I think the Friels' recommendations are generally sensible and well-thought-out, and I like their "we don't know everything, so do what works for you" attitude. On the other hand, the book is being marketed as a return to Traditional Values in Parenting, a corrective to an overly permissive era of child psychology run amok, and that's just flat-out not true. I was raised in the 1950's, which conservatives hark back to as the Golden Age of American Values. My parents made four of the seven mistakes listed in this book: they put their marriage last, they pushed their children into too many activities, and they expected their children to fulfill all their unfulfilled dreams and ambitions. And, while they didn't "baby" us in the sense of indulging infantile behavior, they did resist every effort we made to grow up and become autonomous. While I think the Friels are doing a great service to parents by addressing these issues, they're mistakes that arise out of common parental mind-sets, rather than being aberrations of child psychology in the second half of the 20th century.

The authors explains the 7 worst things parents do:
Baby Your Child
Put Your Marriage Last
Push Your Child INto Too Many Activities
Ignore Your Emotional or Spiritual Life
Be Your Child's Best Friend
Fail to give Your Child Structure
Expect Your Child to Fulfil Your Dreams

I rated it 4 stars because I felt that the topics weren't throughly discussed on how we can avoid falling in one of the 7 traps.

Part 1: Get Ready
Chapter 1: The Seven Worst Things Parents Do
Chapter 2: The Rules of the Game

Part 2: The Seven
Chapter 3: Baby Your Child
Chapter 4: Put Your Marriage Last
Chapter 5 Push Your Child into Too Many Activities
Chapter 6: Ignore Your Emotional or Spiritual Life
Chapter 7: Be Your Child's Best Friend
Chapter 8: Fail to Give Your Child Structure
Chapter 9: Expect Your Child to Fulfil Your Dreams

Part III: Go For It
Chapter 10: If Rats Can Do It, So Can You
Chapter 11: The Best Things About Parents Who Choose to Grow: A Typical Success Story
Chapter 12: Some Final Parenting Thoughts

In this book, I agreed much of what the authors wrote about how to avoid the 7 mistakes. There was a few tips of advice that I disagreed with such as putting your child to bed at the same time everynight with NO exceptions such as watching fireworks.

I bought this book for a college class and the next semester they changed the book. I read some things on my own and found some good but I don't think it was worth the money. I still have it though because when I read it, it makes me feel smart. Plus they come out with new ones all the time...dont buy it new. Just get a used one. All they change is the cover and a couple inserts so the pages are different and you think its different than the old one. Dont be fooled.

Although the editorial selection clearly slants to the left, and is bubbling with postmodernism, many of the essays here are quite enjoyable, especially the humorous prose of James Thurber and Mark Twain, and George Orwell's "Politics and the English Lanuage" is delightfully informative. The best expositionary anthology I've yet seen.

College English text yes, but contains a huge variety of stories from notable writers. Short stories yes, but great for those who don't want to delve into full-length novels. Also contains questions to think about after many of the essays and mini biographies of the authors.

I enjoyed all three stories, but I must say I really enjoyed Patricia Waddells, "PROMISES TO KEEP". It was a wonderful story that was truly realistic in how love can pop up unexpectedly. I would defintely recommend this book to anyone. 4 stars for sure.

The stories in this book are all very good, but "Promises to Keep" by new author Patricia Waddell is an A+ read. A strong believable plot, good characters, and a passionate romance with delightfully sensual love scenes makes the book worth buying.

Bride and Groom offers three entertaining stories to please readers of historical romance. The mixture of timeframes and setting works wells. I especially enjoyed Patricia Waddell's PROMISES TO KEEP. It's sensually and deep emotions will keep your turning the pages. Reading this book for that story alone will be worth your while.

While I am just starting to use this edition (6th) of the text, I have been happy with The Macmillan Reader since I began using the 5th edition in 1999. The chapters on academic reading and the writing process are thorough (but a bit dry), and the portions of the text that deal with each method of development are well-developed and thought out so as to help students get the best idea of what a "good" essay of each variety should and shouldn't include.

The essays that are included are a wonderful assortment of old, tried-and-true and newer pieces from authors of varying backgrounds, ethnicities, and creeds. Students usually enjoy the readings I give them (I'd say 80% approval per piece), and with the average length being 5 pages, reading an essay for class and completing a journal entry is not too heavy of a burden any night of the week. The readings vary from "perfect" examples of what the text describes to even a few "what not to do when you write your own" essays that my students never fail to identify as such.

I feel that this is, by far, the best reader I have used while teaching Freshman English (this is my fourth text), and I plan on sticking with it for years to come. The price is moderate, the readings enjoyable, and the "educational" chapters stated in a way that both the slowest and most advanced student in the class can come to the same understanding of what "good writing" is.

This may be a textbook, but it is definately worth buying. The instructions on writing were clear and helpful, and the essays were wonderful. I can honestly say that I liked almost every essay in the book!

This is definitely a book for parents although the title would imply it is for teens. There were several important points I found relevant to our family. Overall the ready was a little dry. I would recommend this book however, because the points we took to heart have deep implications for our teenager. Thanks

This book was so excellent anbd inspiring. I loved it and learned so much from it. I would recomend this book to anyone. It is so real and relates to teens!

A charming tale of adaptation, coexistance and wonder. I highly recommend this book to any bird lover and as a marvelous gift for Mother's Day or for any caregiver.

I approached this book with an open mind, believing that it is entirely possible to communicate with those who have passed on. But not long after the first few chapters, it becomes painfully obvious that this book is mostly about Linda Keen, not John Lennon.

First we find out that not only was she his sister in a past life, but also a spirit guardian, first violin during his Mozart incarnation, his mother, a slave owner who adored her nanny Gracie/John, a son, a daughter, a soulmate, a twin soul, a lover, and on and on. If so connected, why wasn't Keen a member of a certain rock n' roll band from Liverpool during his last incarnation, of which she readily dismisses in her book with nary a mention of Paul, Ringo, or George. In fact, when it's her time to attend a fan function on his 50th birthday, she insists the fans themselves are intruding on her own private Idaho with John, as she is forced to heal him of all those annoying projections that keep getting in their way.

The most appalling moment in this book occurs when "John" states he visits his murderer Mark David Chapman in jail, loving and forgiving him and claiming that the two of them fit together like hand and glove. Pleeze. I don't think even the great JL is godlike enough to come to this unthinkable conclusion.

When all is said and done, Keen's dialogue is most likely a lively and spirited conversation with herself, the character of John Lennon merely a manafestation of some aspect of her own spiritual yearnings or connections that take the form of JL. If she had only taken a less literal tack to the story, it would have been a delightful read with interesting, enlightening and witty insights. Instead, it flounders in a sea of self promotion.

For years, I have mourned the passing of John Lennon. I couldn't understand why he was taken away in the prime of his life. After reading this book, I now celebrate his life instead of thinking so heavily of his death. Linda Keen has been blessed with the gift of communicating with the spirit world and I am so greatful she has the courage to share this amazing book with us. I now understand John choose his life as John Lennon to learn certain lessons. Thru Linda, John explains why a person chooses a certain life and how we all can become closer to our spirit guides. I can honestly say this book has changed my insight on reincarnation and of Heaven.Thank you Linda for letting us know John is in peace. May his spirit touch us all.

By writing this enlightening, thought-provoking book, Linda Keen has opened up a necessary dialogue about life-after-death and the probability of the continued existence of the spirit of the man who was known as "John Lennon." Why would such a brilliant light as Lennon be extinguished upon leaving the body in which he accomplished such wondrous things in the world? Lennon's own documented ideas about spirit and the hereafter resonate clearly with Keen's descriptions of his "afterlife" spiritual communications with her and their mutual exploration of love and light. It matters not whether you believe, but if you love and respect the memory of John Lennon, take this beautiful journey into the unknown in honor of one of the greatest visionaries of all time. John Lennon lives! Highly recommended.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a short novel that takes place in Baja California, Mexico in a little town called La Paz.Kino found "The greatest pearl in the world" to cure his littler son Coyotito who was stung by a scorpion. Kino's wife Juana wanted Kino to sell the pearl to get money and to cure their baby. When everybody in the town knew that Kino found a pearl people from the town got greedy, corrupt and there was no peace in the littler town. Juana wanted Kino to throw the pearl back to the sea.
Did Coyotito get cure?
Did Kino sell the pearl or did they throw it back to the sea?
Read the book and find out.

As an ESL student I give this book 3 star and recommend it.
The Pearl is an easy book to read because it has many similes, metaphor and is easy to understand.
Also I leaned that money change people no matter what need You have.

This book is about one poor family that is struggling to have a better future.In baja california,in a section called la paz,there was a man named kino and his wife juana,and their son who made their relationship evencloser.One day coyottito was in his delicate box playing around having fun,when an evil,ugly,dangerous and untouchable scorpion was crawling on the top of box rope.The scorpion stung the poor little baby who started shaking and crying.Kino was very furious and began to hear "the evil song"An example of foreshadowing.Kino needed to find or get money to help coyottito recover and heal.luckily he found"the pearl of the world ,and he could now get money.The townspeople started to get greedy and became interested in kino pearl.Kino also became greedy because he wanted a higher price for the pearl.Eventually,his greed forces him to act in ways he never imagined.Kino and his family faced incredible challenges.

As a high school student,I'll rate this novel 4 perfect stars.It is interesting and exciting.It has some actions and scenes that will surprise you.It's good because it talks about a foreign nation with a diffrent culture.I recommend this book for children to listen and teenagers to read.

Hi! My name is Fatima. I am from El Salvador. It is a little country in Central America. I have studied English for two months in The Monterey Institute of International Studies. We have a Steinbeck Class. Recently we finished reading "The Pearl".

In my opinion it is a fascinating book. Steinbeck has a big ability to describe the story, the places, the feelings of the characters and the situations; as a result, readers can travel in the story with the characters.

The setting of the story is in a small village in Mexico's Peninsula. The main characters are Kino, Juana, Coyotito, Juan Tomas, his wife Apolonia and of course, the pearl. Around them there is a conflict between the evil and the good. The simple life of the characters is interrupted when they find the pearl. Finally, they discovered the true meaning of the pearl.

I recommend this book because it is a good example of human values, the importance of family, the culture and the community. Also, I recommend this book to other ESL students because it is a very good story, it has a lot of vocabulary to learn and it is a short book.

read this boys life or bevvy of other books dealing with coming of age in a sincere and relevent manner.

you'll love this book. . .
A long meditative piece on the coming of age of artist Linda St. John this book never really produced a true feeling of empathy from me and instead made me feel I was listening to someone paint a picture of exagerated victimization. Her family is abusive poor white trash but some how it escapes that both her and her father are PhDs. In my opinion most people have messed up families but it takes an artists ego to write an extended whine about it and think that half of america doesn't live some version of that . . .

Linda St. John is a wonderful talent and tells her remarkable story of surviving a stark upbringing with wit and insight in the package of a really good read. The story moves along. Her characters are tremendously vivid and orginal.