This book is a well written, easy to read, account of two little girl's experiences during WWII and their struggle to survive the Nazi occupation of France. Because it is written through the eyes of the girls as children, it is not laden with a lot of adult scenes that are often painful to read when studying written works of the Holocaust. Even so, its story is poingnant and leaves a lasting impression. Cecile's parents and their love live forever in this book. I highly recommend this book. I plan to include this book as part of required reading for history in my son's homeschooling program.

This book tells you about the horrors of World War 2. Cecile was a heroic young girl who had lost her parents and older sister but had to try to keep her and her 6 year old sistr alive. This book made me appricate what I have that she lost. It was a sad book that keeps you reading.

In this book Cecile wrote about the horrors of World War 2. She was only 11 when nazis invaded her home,her town,her country,and many others. She was a very heroic young girl who lost her parents and older sister. But had to try to keep her and 6 year old sister alive. This book made me appreciate all the things I have that she lost. It was a sad book that keeps you reading.

The Knopf guides series are unique. They combine colorful pictures, in-depth historical background and detailed descriptions of sightseeing attractions. They are handsomely bound on bright glossy paper. I preferred the old style of plastic semi-hard binding that has recently been phased out. There are so many great places to visit in the Bay of Naples that they couldn't cover it all and include everything but it's better than any other I've seen.

Guides such as the Michelin Green Guides series will devote just a few paragraphs to an attraction. Such guides have the advantage of being organized in a more orderly way that's much more conducive to touring by car.You can read a few sentences about the place you are about to see before you get out of your tour bus or rental car. The Knopf guide instead would be better read at home even before taking any trip. The wise traveler would be best served by having an in-depth guide such as this or the Rough Guides series and a guide with brief descriptions like the Michelin guide.

The Naples guide contains excellent separate sections for Pompeii (over twenty pages), Paestum, Capri and Herculaneum.
If you are an archeology buff like me this is a great improvement over the 1 or 2 pages that other guides devote to these important but overlooked historical sites. The three delightful Greek temples at Paestum are older than the Parthenon in Athens and less than 100 miles south of Naples on a flat plain (no climbing up a hill as in Athens).

A minor negative point is the use of drawings where photographs would have been more useful; this seems to be true for all of the Knopf guides I've seen. An aerial photograph to give the lay of the land of a city or historical site would be more useful than a drawing that is of uncertain accuracy.

After reading the other reviews of this book, I decided to buy it and I am glad I did. It gives a wonderful account of the history and traditions of this remarkable area. I would recommend it highly for anyone planning to stay in Naples for more than just a short vacation and for people who are just interested in learning more about not only the monuments and churches, but also the rich culture.

You'll love this book if you're the type of person that also enjoys reading National Geographic. This guide is packed with wonderful art, drawings, maps, photographs, and interesting text. It's really much more than a typical tourist guide. It helps one have deeper understanding of Napoli through an exploration of history, culture, geography, and geology. It's an especially great selection for those people planning to call Napoli home.

RW - US Navy

This is the book that inspired me as an undergraduate to learn and appreciate, to a large extent, how physics and mathematics cohabit so beautifully. I continue to see, to this day, as a graduate student, how many of the recent developments in theoretical physics have been inspired by new mathematics and conversely. I still refer to this book on occasion, since it is laid out in a style that is amenable to mathematicians (such as myself!). It's an excellent read, and I highly recommend it (even as bed time reading!) Best regards, A.

This was the most reliable (and compact) source of mathematical information that I could find. I used it (almost exclusively) to teach myself what I needed to know to do my PhD thesis in General Relativity with Torsion fields. It is very overwhelming to look at the book the first time. But give it time. It is well written and inviting. The only draw back for me was the very small print.

I use this book constantly. At first I thought it was good only as a reference, but now I know it is possible to actually LEARN any of its subjects from scratch. I particularly like its chapters on manifolds, Lie Groups and bundles. Connections on a principal bundle is extremely well done, with a translation to physics (gauge theories) performed in detail in an exercise (so to speak). Some time ago David Ruelle said that the physicists needed a presentation of recent mathematics in the form of Bourbaki's "Fascicule des resultats", a synthesis of the subject with complete definitions, examples and theorems clearly stated, but with the proofs ommited. This is it, except that in this book most demonstrations are not ommited, only those too complicated. The whole book is extremely readable, if you concentrate, turn out the TV, etc. A precious book.

Marsha Hayles has crafted a book that children will enjoy as a read-along tale. She tells the story of Tabitha, also known as Tabby, who lives on a farm. Tabby has a pet horse that she teaches a trick to; the horse in turn has a pet cow, the cow has a pet pig, and so on throughout the farm.

The text of the story flows along easily for children to understand. They will enjoy imitating the sounds the animals make as each pet learns a trick. Scott Nash's illustrations, while cartoonish at times, are vivid, large, and colorful, as well as engaging. The pictures complement that story and are sure to draw children into the tale and follow along. "Pet of a Pet" should be a welcome storytime entry, but due to its sometimes-wordy text should be at the beginning of the program. For this reason the 4 to 6 age range is the recommended target.

As a first grade teacher in an urban setting I find that I'm constantly preaching the merits of treating each other with love and respect, well I'm happy to report that I've found a great book that gets my point across in a much more effective way. Pet of a Pet by Marsha Hayles (Penguin Putnam Publishers)is a delightful kid friendly read that my students embraced.

This book is funny, clever, creative and inspirational. It sends a message of love that is sometimes hard to find these days.

This is a great book for kids who love, and are loved by, their pets. There's a running joke in this circle of pets that the "owners" reveal themselves in how they see their pets. That might be a thought-provoking lesson on the nature of love, but in this tale it just becomes all fun and silliness. That said, my nieces and nephew love it. The pattern of the words and story is great for beginning readers. And for the adults who will be reading it to them again and again, there are extra details in the word play and pictures to keep us going.

This book is well writen, well put together, and genuinely enjoyable reading. I was not able to put it down, with one unique plot twist after another. I highly recomend this book.

this is an excellent book, set in Miami, very entertaining and exciting

Adrienne Rich is a poet for everyone - especially those who say they don't like poetry - and the Dream of a Common Language is her most fascinating and accessible collection to date. Think poetry is boring, pretentious or hackneyed? Open up to "Love Poems" and find 32 sultry and pain-stakingly honest celebrations of lesbian love and urban survival. Rich has recently been receiving the wide recognition she deserves, and she will perhaps be the one to convince Americans to open their poetry books again.

In The Dream of a Common Language, the poetry of Adrienne Rich reaches a realm of pure beauty. Rich cuts away the verbal excesses sometimes found in her other works and leaves the vibrant words to stand alone in their powerful simplicity. The reader finds herself emerged in the common language of love, pain, hope, and longing. Only when the final poem has been read, is she able to emerge, gasping, and view the world through vision forever altered by having seen through the eyes of Adrienne Rich

Those of us in Virginia know that Charlottesville is a national treasure, and always has been. Rufus Holsinger was able to capture on film the beauty, uniqueness, and significance of this wonderful city. Now anyone in the world can see how Charlottesville looked during this time period. Rufus Holsinger made that possible for all of us.

Wonderful book! I'm new to the area and learned so much about the history of Charlotetsville and UVA. Very Very Interesting and HIGHLY recommended!

A thinker's book. Wonderful to read Rukeyser wrestle with and explain life, art, thought. She is by turns poet, biographer, essayist and character. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Her art and criticism explore the same themes. The effect is surprisingly consistent in a book comprised of several incomplete selections. If you have any doubts, find a poem or two of hers and try it on for size (Gauley Bridge, for example). If you're fascinated, try this volume. Here's a sample. Rukeyser on poetry (from The Life of Poetry): "A first-rate scientist, or a fine prose writer, is able to say, 'How can I know a good poem? I can tell an honest piece of work in my own field from a phony piece of work, but how can I tell a fine poem from a phony poem? And what has to be said to such a question is that these are people who cannot trust their emotional reactions, their total reactions."

Muriel Rukeyser was certainly a terrific and fascinating poet. These are strange and striking creations, and originality is present on every page. I don't know how she got stuck with Adrienne Rich as her introducer, but one may skip that and go on to a memorable experience. Rukeyser was a true original.

jazz poets are a dime a dozen, so when I picked up this slim volume of poetry I had dim hopes. WOw, what a surprise; what verse and verve. Ed Pavlic's work is without a doubt the most profound, original, spirited and unpredictable in the poetry world today. Far beyond jazz, he lifts the word into that rare sphere where music and verse meet. Pass the word; this is a poet to watch and read and tell your friends about.

An excellent mixture of Jazz Rhythms and the spoken word. A true mixture of Art, Music,Emotion, and articulation. A must have for anyone who loves Poetry!

I enjoyed this book, every scrumptious word of it. From the first chapter when a woman falls off her horse to the court intrigue surrounding Louis XIV and his son and grandsons, I felt as though I had an excellent idea of what life was like in this time period. It's an INTERESTING book most of all, but I found myself liking Cecile and Phillip and Madame--I wanted to meet them all. Ms. Casanova does a great job of describing the time, the place, and the people, and the difference between the very wealthy and the very poor. I hope she'll write more books in this series.

I originally picked this up because it was by the same publisher as the American Girls Series (I am a huge fan of the Josephine and the Felicity books), along with Spring Pearl. I dove into this book, to say the least. The story is about the daughter of a widowed French man, named Cecile. One day while out in the woodlands, a royal entourage passes by and a woman losses her course and finds Cecile. As it turns out, she is the Duchesse de Orleans from the Versailles Court. Madame as she known as around Versailles adopts Cecile and takes her to the frivolous court where Cecile is introduced to the royal family and the grandeur of France. The stories of the Versailles intrigues w/ Cecile are wonderful. They are very detailed, very amusing, very entertaining, and full of hidden morals. Although some of the scenes were unecessary, the story overall was a grand treat. The best scene I think was perhaps the Christmas ball, as entertaining and scandalous as it was. The story ends in tragedy, with the death of one of the little dauphins. Cecile is banished because she helped keep the other dauphin from his family, therefore putting him in danger (but really saving him). Cecile is sent to a girls' school, and forever leaves behind Versailles behind the gates of gold.
This story was great, the best in the series I'd say. Great details, development, characters, and enough to capture your mind. Although, I may be overating this book, as I am obsessed with the French courts of Versailles, Marie Antoinette, and all French royalty, I am sure everyone who tries this book will enjoy it. And of course, since I am one of the biggest fans of the Royal Diaries out there, I have to add that Marie Antoinette, Princess of Versailles, would be an excellent book to read alongside Cecile.
Bon travail Mary Casanova!

A life of wealth and splendor fills the dreams of twelve-year-old Cecile Revel. When given the unexpected honor of serving in the court of King Louis XIV, she leaves home with her father's blessing and eagerly accepts a position with the Duchess of Orleans. However, life at court is far more difficult and dangerous than she ever imagined, and a single misstep could cost her her position or her life. Then tragedy strikes the royal family, and Cecile is placed under suspicion. And a dark secret from her past is suddenly revealed.

Superbly written, this book offers readers of today a glimpse of the splendor and majesty of the French court in its height of glory. Through the eyes of the heroine, readers will see important events in the history of France unfold. Highly recommended for readers of all ages.

For further reading of the French court, I also recommend "The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles."