Though not an educator by profession, I have had extensive experience working with youth groups and have seen Polly Erion's teachings put to practical use. Results have been everything she claims and more. Obviously, her lessons were derived from many years of teaching experience.

"Drama in the Classroom" has been an invaluable source of ideas for sparking the curriculum. My students and I have used lessons from this book to plan special programs. Throughout the year, in Social Studies and English, I have turned to it to guide students as they shape skits and oral presentations. The structure the lessons provide helps keep students focused as they plan and work but does not stifle their creativity. Celima Smith, 6th grade teacher, Mill Valley Middle School, Cal.

Polly Erion presents a drama program that is rich, varied, and in synch with the children. Drama in the Classroom is invaluable for suitable, stimulating ideas. Helen Morris, Kindergarten Teacher Tam Valley School, California

I bought this book at the Museum of Appalachia (also founded by the author) on my first visit to Tennessee. The book is almost entirely a transcript of a dialogue/interview between the author and Alex Stewart. At first, I thought this would be a strange format, but as I read on, I discovered that this would be the only way to authentically capture the mind and spirit of Alex on paper.

If you're not from the South, you might find Alex's dialect charminging unusual. A few times I had to read a passage over and over again to fully understand what words Alex was saying. Here is an example where it took me a while to realize that Alex meant "Lord" when kept saying "Law":

"They didn't have no men folks, but they had several children. Making liquor was the only way they had of making a living. Law, they had it hard."

The author cleverly asks questions to get Alex to reveal his pioneer wisdom. More than that, though, the author's selections and chapter arrangements helped to organize the sprawling encyclopedia of Alex's mind.

By the time I reached the end, I was sad to have the "conversation" over. I felt I had known Alex a bit personally, and I mourned at his passing. It was joyous reading while it lasted and my heart ached to know more of Alex.

This is a fabulous book I can't recommend enough. 10 STARS.

One reason I bought this book is because my Greatgrandmother was Alex's Aunt. I visited Alex as a child with my Parents and Grandmother. Alex was always sending my Grandmother items , such as walking canes. He made my mother a rolling pin, which she still has. Most of all the book gave me many names of my relatives that ive been searhing for.

I have read this book and it is all true. Alex was my great uncle. I remember as a child going to his house and striping cane for molasses. They would start early in the morning and work all day. Before uncle Alex died my father took me to see him. I'll never forget a small wooden carving he had of a racoon in a tree with two or three dogs at the base of the tree. He was a very gentle man with a lot of heart. I am very honored to have known this man and loved this man.

Anyone interested in learning how US foreign policy is created should start with this important and well-written book. Gaddis examines the post war search for ways in which the various administrations attempted to come up with a strategy to deal with the Soviet Union. Of course this was the primary center piece of foreign policy and it was the prism by which all other actions, all around the world, were viewed.
What is interesting to me is that each administration sought to embrace some new measure once it took office. What Gaddis makes plain is that despite the rhetoric, what they ended up doing, without exception is to rely on the basic rules of containment established under Truman. For all the talk about "New Looks" and "Flexible Responses," "Rolling Back Communism" and "Detente" new presidential adminstrations were left to fall back on the methods and processes that were developed under Truman and refined somewhat under Eisenhower.

I do not believe there is a finer overview of post-World War II American foreign policy than this important book. As a work of history as opposed to political science, it is well-suited for any reader who cares about America's relationship with the world. Gaddis explains containment as it was originally envisioned by George Kennan and then goes on to show the fluctuations between symmetrical and asymmetrical policies up through the Carter administration. He first describes each policy stance--its antecedents, influences, and applications--then describes the applicability of that policy in reality. He shows how Kennan's conception of containment was quickly lost in the enactment of NSC 68 by the Truman administration and the U.S. involvement in Korea. He describes Eisenhower's "New Look" as a shift back to a policy wherein America drew distinctions between conflicts it would and would not react to, relying heavily on the nuclear option in an all-or-nothing containment strategy. Then he dissects the "flexible response" policy of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, ascribing much importance to their Keynesian economic outlooks in convincing them that America could response to any and all threats while still growing the domestic economy. After the debacle of Vietnam, Gaddis does a wonderful job of describing the détente policies of Nixon and Kissinger.

The most important conclusion he draws is that economic realities and domestic politics seemingly play an integral part in America's oscillating policies over time. To be more exact, the perception of means largely steers policy. Eisenhower adopted an asymmetrical policy, relying on the nuclear threat while decreasing the nation's conventional forces, because he feared the effects of overspending. Kennedy wanted to distance himself from the previous adminstration, and his liberal economic outlook convinced him that the American economy could be grown and controlled in such a way as to provide the funds for increasing both military and domestic spending, which would allow him to meet any threat any where at any time. This symmetrical policy, continued by Johnson, led America into a war in the wrong place at the wrong time against the wrong enemy. Nixon, naturally, wanted to distance himself from Johnson, and he also faced great constraints in public perception and Congressional distaste for increased military spending--under such constraints, he and Kissinger decided on a policy of détente with the Soviet Union, a policy that was effective to some degree but was ineffective in many ways (especially lesser regional conflicts). Carter's foreign policy was a blundering tightwalk between symmetry and asymmetry and was basically no policy at all. Gaddis is fairly objective in his assessment of the oscillating course of foreign policy, pointing out the successes as well as the failures of each strategy. He does not discuss every single incident because it would be impossible to cover everything in detail, so some issues I was interested in, such as Greek policy in 1948, the Bay of Pigs invasion, Khrushchev's shoe-thumping speeach at the U.N., the Iranian hostage crisis, to name a few, were barely mentioned, but his overall synthesis and communication of ideas is illuminating. I learned a great deal from reading this book. I only wish the book had been written more recently than 1982, so it could have concluded with a study of how Ronald Reagan actually won the Cold War.

I bought this book based on a recommendation from a professor. I wanted to get a good review of US containment strategy and I certainly got that. It is a very detailed accout of how the strategy developed in the US after WWII and how that strategy manifested itself though the following Presidential administrations. I am reading it quite carefully because it is so very educational. I have already recommended it to others who have a similar interest in US containmnet strategy.

Initially, one would think that a truly talented author's quirky, unique style could not be very nearly duplicated. But Brad Strickland is doing a fine job with the characters that Bellairs created, and this is one of his best efforts.

Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger have to participate in a talent show whether they like it or not. When they hit on the idea of doing a magic show (fake, not real), they end up consulting a friend at a museum who allows them to borrow some books on stage magic. But when Rose Rita picks up an old parchment scroll, she inadvertantly lets a drop of blood fall on some magic dust -- and the dust turns into a living spider. The two of them flee, but Rose Rita brings the scroll, with intent to return it.

Except she then starts acting oddly. When the talent show results in a dismal failure, Rose Rita is left with a burning hatred and a wish for revenge. Then she starts dreaming of becoming a giant spider, and hearing the voice of the scroll's previous owner -- Belle Frisson, a sorceress who now wants to use Rose Rita to rise again and live forever.

This is labelled as a "Lewis Barnavelt" book, but at least half of it focuses on Rose Rita. While fans of Bellairs will be well acquainted with Lewis's insecurities, Strickland takes the opportunity to delve into a few of Rose Rita's. He also manages to give us a message about revenge and hatred and grudges without beating the reader over the head with it. The Message is simply there.

How much of a "Bellairs" book is this? Very much so, and not just in terms of having creepy beasties and a megalomaniac villain. The pacing and tone are very correct, as is the usage of maybe-it's-real-maybe-not ancient magics. I could have used a little more bickering between Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan, but the comforting scene between Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman makes up for that.

Strickland does an excellent job with the evil sorceress Belle Frisson, and uses the ever-growing, evil-spirit spider very well also. The idea of a drop of blood turning powder into a malevolent spider is not just good spinechilling material, but it also is quite Bellairsesque.

This is an amazing spinechiller. I do warn you though: Arachnaphobics should definitely not read this book, or they'll never sleep again.

I think that Brad Strickland Did a good job with this title. The story has some depth, and the character development is good, as well. I think this is the best Bellairs' novel that Strickland Has written so far, and would give it a full five stars!

At first serving as a finisher for the late John Bellair's uncompleted DOOM OF THE HAUNTED OPERA, GHOST IN THE MIRROR, and VENGENCE OF THE WITCHFINDER, Strickland took those characters to new heights in the late 1990s by churning out books like THE HAND OF THE NECROMANCER, and THE BELL,THE BOOK,AND THE SPELLBINDER which mimicked Bellair's writing style down to the letter. In SPECTER, Strickland goes from mimicking the man to being the man. He captures the vocabulary and characterizations of Lewis Barnavelt and company flawlessly in a terrifying story darker than all of the other books combined. Please check out this book. I hope Strickland continues to write. He is hitting his stride now.

John Lewis tells the story of a time when America was at its crossroads. He was Destined to become a leader in the Civil Rights Movement from his humble beginings in Troy, Alabama. Congressman Lewis tells his story of 35 years standing steadfast with determination and never wavering efforts to bring about "The Beloved Family". "This book is a legacy to us all and should be required reading in all educational settings."

This work is a well written account of one of the most tumultous times America has seen this century. Its vivid descriptions of the many facets of the Civil Rights Movement take you through the mundane and the monumental, and make you feel as though you are there. Through the touching recollections of his family, and the friendships that he made during the Movement, this compelling book gives insight to what makes John Lewis one of America's living legends.

John Lewis was seemingly everywhere during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. From the Nashville Sit-Ins, to the Freedom Rides to the famous march from Selma and more. It is akin to someone having been at the Boston Tea Party, Lexington and Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. Not only was Lewis there but he was an active participant, one of the many brave souls who risked injury, even death to bring down segregation. Lewis knew all the key figures in the Movement, such as Dr. King, and was a leader himself. Today, of course, Lewis serves his country in the House of Representatives.
It's hard to go wrong with such a compelling story to tell and Lewis doesn't dissapoint. With the help of co-author Michael D'Orso, we learn not only of one person's participation in the Civil Rights' Movement, but gain insight into the Movement as a whole.
Lewis is vastly under appreciated by Americans today. Hopefully Waking With the Wind will help future generations appreciate John Lewis, an American hero.

C.S. Lewis has said that he found it painful to write this book since it required him to spend days on end thinking upside-down. But it is lucky for us that he did, since the result is a book that both delights and enlightens.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS documents the correspondence between Screwtape, a senior devil, and his nephew Wormwood, a novice tempter. Wormwood's mission is to win a soul for the underworld, and Screwtape offers him the accumulated iwdom of Hell on how to accomplish it. The result is a well-laid out map to the pitfalls to which we humans are all-too prey. Lewis' had great insight into human weakness, especially the uncanny way ou pride pops into almost every thought we might have. He is also alert to the ways our unquestioned assumtions can lead us astray. As Socrates said, the first step towards wisdom is to "know thyself" - and the tempters in this book do all they can to prevent that from happening.

Lewis, of course, is a Christian, but THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS are useful to any person who is seriously engaged on the spiritual quest. I read this book about once a year, and am always chagrined to find that Screwtape is still one step ahead of me! (And he is unfailingly eloquent to boot.)

This volume includes "Screwtape proposes a toast" which employs the same technique to discuss modern education. I find this a weaker part of the volume. It seems Lewis could have done more with the concept, but his arguments about the failings of modern education are much sharper in his book, THE ABOLITION OF MAN.

Still, this is an invaluable volume. It is the book that I most often give away to people - it is laugh-out-loud funny, and sadly all-too true.

Screwtape, a mid-level bureaucrat in Hell, is coaching his nephew, Wormwood--a recent graduate from the Tempters College fresh on his first job as the tempter to a youngish English man who still lives with his mother, but begins dating a young woman must as World War II breaks out. The first letter begins with Screwtape chiding Wormwood for allowing his "patient" to become a Christian.

Lewis was given a fair amount of criticism when these letters first were published in the "Guardian" in the 1940's. Most of this criticism was from somewhat dense people who didn't realize Lewis was joking. They actually thought Lewis was trying to get people over to the Devil's side. Lewis' intent was just the opposite.

I enjoyed the book, but found it somewhat scary. I am also a government bureaucrat and some of Screwtape's verbiage is very familiar to me!

The best insight I gleaned from the book was one passage where Wormwood is complaining his "patient" is not committing any large, grandiose sins. Screwtape advises his nephew that it doesn't really matter how bad the sin is, only that it is a sin. It helps Screwtape and his fellow minions if their "patients" don't realize the "gentle path, soft underfoot" on which they are traveling is really going downhill.

Makes you think.

I'm not usually a fan of "books on tape" but this is a case where inspired reading (more of a one-man performance) brings out nuances which don't come across on paper. Screwtape was the first C.S. Lewis book I read as an adult (after reading the Narnia books nearly 10 times apiece as a child). Though I'm not a Christian, I found a lot of inspiration in Screwtape. Lewis is so good at capturing the little games we all play and the avoidance techniques we all use. He writes so well about the redemption of souls, and the meaning of our spiritual side. I remember finding some of the wit in the book a little obvious. Not so with Cleese's reading! He has never done anything better. His comedic talents bring out the humor of the book, including some lines which weren't funny on paper. But his performance ranges far beyond the merely funny: the menace with which he says "I could show you a pretty cageful down here . . ." or the quiet hypnotic way he reads Lewis's lines about the road to Hell being "soft underfoot, . . . without milestones, without signposts" -- these things send a chill down the spine. My only regret about these tapes is that four of the Letters are not included. But the remaining letters are read in full with no abridgement. I literally wore out my first copy of these tapes and have ordered a 2nd set.

Some enterprising publisher of lapsed titles--perhaps Dalkey Archives or someplace similar--should publish a new edition posthaste. "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" is a walloping good read, full of excitement, humor, and vivid characters. In places it reads as if Mark Twain and Henry Fielding had put their heads together for a collaboration. Robert Lewis Taylor wrote several books about teenage boys coming of age on the frontier, but "Jaimie McPheeters" was the first and by far the best.

I was fortunate to stumble across this book in our local used bookstore. My children and I read it together and absolutely loved it. The children think it is much better than any of the books their schools have required them to read. It is exciting, insightful, educational, and mostly just fun. Read this book!

Having read this book over 20 years ago, it has stuck in my memory as one of the Greats, where dozens of other titles are all but forgotten, and it is out of print?! A Pulitzer Prize winner, no less! This book needs to be available to hand down to my children and yours, and their children after them!

A joke is always funnier if you understand it, and the Alice tales are so full of inside jokes that you need someone to explain them. The Annotated Alice does just that. Carroll's tales are here, complete and unabridged, and the editors have painstakingly provided every piece of explanation and commentary you could ever wish for. Complete with Tenniell's original illustrations (although, alas, not colorized), this is a book any girl, little or big, can cherish.

Victorian-era readers of Lewis Carroll's delightful fantasies knew the poetry and song and public figures referred to; we moderns need to have the jokes explained to us, and Martin Gardner does a masterful job of it. We're fortunately past the more bizarre Freudian and Marxist interpretations of Alice that Gardner takes to task in his preface, but Gardner's annotations survive, as they should. The White Knight's encounter with Alice is heartbreaking when you know the background information, the lyric the White Knight's doggerel alludes to. By all means, give this to children at risk of being pithed by exposure to a certain indigo reptile; as children, they'll appreciate the story, and as they mature, they'll appreciate the commentary, and you'll have saved a budding intellect.

Alice in Wonderland is an extraordinarily fascinating and delightful story, replete with jokes, puzzles, and nonsense of the highest order. But in order to appreciate it fully, the modern, non-Victorian reader requires some guidance, as well as an adequate background on the man and the times that produced Alice. Martin Gardner, the greatest figure ever in recreational mathematics, provides readers with all the information they need to appreciate this story at its various levels. This book occupies a place of privilege in the library of every serious Alice fan.

Basha was one of the greatest books i have ever read. For someone who is looking for a fascinating thriller and finds the events of the middle east riveting this is a must read......

This espionage mystery is a thrill a minute.A real page-turner set in the explosive Middle East.Spy on spy in the fast paced world of professional tennis.The charachters were deadly and attractive and the action was riveting.Once I picked it up,I coudn't put it down!

BASHA hooked me from the first sentence on. When I finished reading the last word, I closed the book and whispered "Wow." This is the best thriller I've ever read.
An avid reader.

After more than half a century, I remembered still the sonorous rhythms of the prelude to Evangeline. Much has changed since I first read the tale of Arcadian innocence torn apart on order of the heartless King, and Longfellow and his poetry have fallen on hard times and harder hearts in the interim

His allusions and images are strained; his words pathetically romantic and sentimental; and the story of Evangeline barely tracks the actual events of 1755. All of the charges are true, yet much of value remains in the poem. The poet recognized instantly a crime against humanity when he first heard the tale, and he had the talent, drive, and fortitude to create this vehicle to memorialize the sad story of star crossed lovers, families, and communities divided and exiled from their adored homeland.

That a heart could be committed to a lifetime of wandering in search of a lost love seems archaic to the sophisticates of the twenty-first century, but I believe it possible, even today.

I read the poem - aloud and silently - and the beat of the accents, like operatic arias, added to the the sorrow of the sentimental story. I recommend this poem to parents who love to read aloud to their children. I'm sure that Evangeline and her beloved Gabriel have the power still to stir the hearts of the young - and of the readers, too.

A very useful notes section offsets an overly wordy foreword. I found it easy to find and reference words and phrases no longer in common use.

Read it aloud to your early adolescent sons and daughters and to your love. You'll be happy you did.

I heard about this book from my mom a few weeks ago after I went to see the movie Serendipity. I told her about the plot of the two people in love searching for one another and just missing every time. She said it reminded her of another story, Evangeline. Since i attend an engineering school I am always very eager to read books with real meaning behind them, given that all my textbooks focus on is wastewater treatment, biological processes, etc... So given that I wasn't really expecting too much but a relief from textbooks when I picked up this book. Little did I know it was soon to become one of my favorites. I was pleasantly surprised by the Christian influences behind the poem and found myself crying a lot more than I expected. I highly recommend this to anyone who has a great appreciation for well written, romantic poetry and literature.

I am not going to sit here and claim to be the expert on English language poetic literature my 12th grade English teacher would like me to be. I have often fallen prey to the boredom of reading long poems and look upon poetry generally with some weariness.

When my father went to New Orleans, I asked him to bring me something back. He brought back a copy of this poem. It was required reading for my parents growing up - I had never heard of it.

I confess I was probably hesitant when I sat down to read it. But in no time I was hooked. The poetic language is perfectly styled to slowly tell the tale of two Acadian lovers doomed by the path of Acadian history to separate lives. Reading this poem is like suckling slowly on a sweet nectar under the gently rustling leaves of an oak on the side of a gently flowing river. If this sounds appealing to you, then you will enjoy this poem.