Magic in the Mist is a maravelosly gentle tale, woven with warmth, immagination, whimsy and MAGIC! The young boy, Thomas, is studying to be a wizard and lives in a crude shelter by the sea. His sole companion is a frog, he named Jeremy. Kimmel captures the essense of magic and wonder for children or those with an open heart, of any age. The illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman enrich this fanciful tale resulting in complete captivation. I was able to hear the wind and the song it carried.

This is a gentle, sensitive story about a child who has studied wizardry long and hard and has only a little luck with his magic. He is not able to light a proper fire to keep his house warm. The only company he has is one small toad. On one remarkable day he listens to the song of his toad and notices the beginnings of magic. The friendship shared between the two focuses the child's magical efforts on songs about wind, flame etc. and that is when the spells work the best.

The black on white sketches are clear and inhance the story set in Wales.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. During this Harry Potter era, I have been looking for a gentle approach to the magical for our little people story time at the library where I work. I also have a 4 1/2 year old who loves Harry Potter on tape and enjoys this story even more since he can imagine himself as the character more easily. I hope the publishers reprint this since my copy is on loan from another library!

Sincerely, Childrens Literature Specialist CAS

In 2003, Fred "Mister" Rogers departed this world after a lifetime of public service to all children.

In a day when many people from all points on the political spectrum had eagerly reduced 'compassion', 'equality' and 'pro-child' to catchy, but ultimately divisive and meaningless words, he continued to bring out the best in everybody.

He is one of the few people in this world deserving of all his awards/honors and then much more.

As evidence of his timeless appeal, I never tired of watching his namesake PBS children's show. Even when I was much older (and out of the intended demographic service range), I loved the truly nurturing environment regularly brough into my living room. Well before I realized my parents were not getting along (eventually divorcing), Mr. Rogers "told" me via daily broadcast that good families come in all structures, and the family format is subsequently less important than how the individual members treat eachother and themselves. When my parents finally did divorce in high school, I had been so helped by Roger's work, I immediately flashed back to his reassuring songs.

That the sets were decidedly showing their age in places by the late 1980's, and the cast themselves featured in some segments had died mattered much less than their overall mission of helping ALL kids navigate an often unforgiving world in uplifting and supportive tones.

The mostly male ensemble cast of the neighborhood (although this changed in latter seasons) was not problematic in the long-run for this feminist, because it suggested an alternate male sexuality that was built on empathy and peace as opposed to macho swaggering. It was okay for men of all ages to cry, hug and freely embrace a side of themselves that Western culture remains fixated on suppresing.

At a different developmental stage in the human life-span, kids were smart, and did not deserve the condescending behavior so many other adults (including those on 'educational/children's' programming) spew at us in the pursuit of ratings and the almighty American dollar.

Unlike PBS's other "flagship" children's program, Sesame Street (now famous for abandoning the original-audience at-risk urban kids to focus on the offspring of suburban yuppies), Mr. Rogers always remembered his audience, and never sold out or let us down.

Even when growing partisan political battles and budget cuts provided powerful incentive to follow suit, he made sure principles were more than abstract words. All children had an inalienable right to be treated with respect and dignity.

From tackling such edgy subjects as the RFK Assassination to hostages and war, Mr. Rogers always both captured and nurtured his audience's imagination. Talking things out wasn't necessarily high-tech or flashy, but it was unbelievably better when compared to letting personal feelings bottle up inside.

Adding to the quality, Rogers was scrupulous about not parading his religious affiliations (licensed minister in the Presbyterian Church) as the reason his advice should be taken.

For my generation with the unfortunate timing to grow up with the beginnings of a markedly aggressive televangelist craze, his conduct provided a welcome alternative to the less-than-admirable actions of other adults in our world. It was not enough to simply apply religious freedoms to one's self, they belong to every citizen.---including those of differing perspectives and no religious affiliation.

Thus, the most constructive educational pedagogy was one that did not continually promote any religion (or the formal absence) but far more civil neutrality.

As with so many other people, I never got to personally thank him for the gift, but I know I am using it whenever I think both critically and compassionately about the larger world around me. I also know I am not the only one who remembers him through this type of a tribute, and our collective efforts will produce the best kind of off-screen "neighborhood" possible.

The not-so-subtle discounting of this very same instructional idea by self-appointed educational guardians suggests both how far ahead of his time he was and effective Rogers truly remains.

RIP Mr. Rogers.

i found this book remaindered for a very low price, but it is totally worth the full list price. a respectful, intelligent look at the great man Fred Rogers and his TV show that isn't even a TV show, really... varying points of views. the essayists only occasionally become too weirdly academic or navel-gazing. i like the production values on this hardcover, too -- it's fully cloth-covered with a full cloth, smythe-sewn binding, acid free paper, and neat endpapers. the back cover photo rules, too. 2003 May 3rd is the Mr Rogers memorial ceremony in downtown pittsburgh -- go!

Margery Evernden's Wilderness Boy is an engaging historical novel for young adults set in the summer of 1794, when sixteen-year-old Jonathon Garrett gets caught up in the Whiskey Rebellion. The uprising is in protest to a tax imposed on the new federal government and the first real test for the newly created United States of America. Originally published in 1955, Wilderness Boy has been newly reissued with a forward by Margaret Mary Kimmel and a one-page afterword. A timeless children's classic of struggle and hope.

Set in the coal mines of West Virginia, Wrestle the Mountain is an entertaining "coming of age" novel. Jed Jefferson Tate is an eleven-year-old boy who yearns for a better life than the constant struggle for survival that his father faces in the mines. With help from his teacher and his aunt, Jed must somehow find his own path. Then when a natural disaster puts lives in danger, everything changes! Wrestle The Mountain is a compelling and heart-told story.