Simply put...this is THE best book for introducing Anne Frank and the Holocaust to the youngest readers. I disagree with the Horn Book that the folk-style art doesn't fit. Instead, it makes Anne seem like a little kid to the youngest readers/listeners. Buy this book to teach about Anne Frank and the Holocaust..it's perfect!

This is a wonderful book for young children to read to introduce them to the holocaust. i am 22years old, an di had to read it for a childrens literature class, and it had me spellbound! the pictures are a great attention grabber for children and help them follow along. this would be a wonderful teachers aid in a classroom! the illustrations are wonderful, colorful and cheery. yes, the cheery pictures do not fit with the plot, but it is perfect in a childrens story. keep up the good work Yona

This book is sooooo GOOD! The author really does a MARVELOUS job! The book is so FANTASIC that I couldn't put it down, even when my parents told me to go to bed(I read it under the covers)! I recomend this book to ANYONE interested in the Holocaust!

Malcah Zeldis, a self-taught artist, revels in brilliant colors and complex compositions. Her approach to Jewish life, whether in charting immigration to America or the Jewish holidays will lift your spirits.

"Peaceful Protest: The Life of Nelson Mandela" is a collaboration between folk artist Malcah Zeldis and her daughter, author Yona Zeldis McDonough. Of course Mandela is one of the most respected figures of the last twenty years, having been a "prisoner of conscience" in South Africa from 1963 to 1990 before being released and becoming the first black president of the democratic Republic of South Africa. For his dedication to a peaceful solution to the apartheid policy of his native land, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize. This biography for younger readers covers Mandela's entire life, from the childhood when Buti Mandela was given the name "Nelson" by a schoolteacher to his retirement from public life in 1999. Arrested for his anti-apartheid beliefs and activities, Mandela was offered his freedom if he would leave the country, a condition which he refused. When Mandela became South Africa's first elected black leader he was committed to true democratic ideals rather than simply reversing his country's policy of apartheid. Throughout the book the focus on Mandela's life does reflect the title's idea of "Peaceful Protest."

The biography is both informative and respectful, although it does gloss over some of the problems in Mandela's life; his divorce is mentioned in a chronology of his life appearing in the back of the book, but there is no explanation offered. The artwork by Zeldis is quite colorful and done in the primitive style of folk art. I agree with the comment that providing the characters with different colored noses (Mandela's is orange) at the very least looks quite strange. The fact that not all of the white characters appear with different colored noses (usually reddish when they do) does bring up some troubling questions, but my concern is that this artistic distinctiveness makes the blacks in these paintings look less than human. However, that idea is most difficult to reconcile with the book's text. Then again, maybe young kids will not bat at eye at this artwork and see it as similar to something they themselves might do. In that case the worst thing that might happen is that it causes a spirited class discussion or an interesting talk between parent and child. For now I will give the artist the benefit of the doubt and resolve my judgment in favor of the text.

Yona Zeldis McDonough did a wonderful job describing "Who Was Harriet Tubman? I read this book as a part of a Social Studies Unit on African American History to my Kindergarten class they were totally immersed. Even though the audience of students were young. They still answered the comprehension questions that I frequently asked through out the book exceedingly well.

The reason why I selected McDonough's book over other books about Harriet Tubman was that it spoke of all aspects of history that occurred at that particular time.

As a child I had studied Nat Turner, Abraham Lincoln, and of course Harriet Tubman, but it was amazing how many historical events occurred that she was an active part of.

I feel that after reading this particular story that I have learned a great deal about an important icon in African American History, reading this book has enabled me to trace the beginnings of all beginnings. Harriet Tubman was truly a phenomenal women. She gave of herself again and again . . . By assisting others to freedom through The Underground Railroad, her service in the Union Army, and her many years of service as a nurse.

As I read this book to my class they emphasized that they could literally see the scenes as I was reading them. Some of the terminology was intense and I used appropriate wording to make it age-appropriate for my students.

Either way this is an excellent read for all -- and I hope to check out more books by this very informative author!

Written in luminous, almost poetical prose and set against the glamour of the New York City Ballet, Yona Zeldis McDonough's debut novel THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS is an exotic and alluring story that examines how modern day love, marriage and fidelity are tested.
Alternating forward and backward in time, THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS is the story of the love triangle between Oscar Kornblatt, his son Gabriel and Ginny Valentine, the young, brazen dancer who changes both their lives forever.
Captivating and intensely emotional, THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS is an impressive debut.

I read but usually don't write reviews, but this book was so
great i had to share how I was really made to think and could
not put the book down.

I loved this book with a passion. The characters were so alive, so complex, that I felt I knew them. A provocative and absolutely compelling read!

Barbie is one of those pop culture icons everyone seems to have an opinion about. This book was fascinating to me because it delved deep into why these people feel as they do and had many very personal essays about people who developed special relationships with the large breasted bombshell. I was happy that many myths about the doll were not perpetuated. Being a Barbie collector I get frustrated when a book is strictly one-sided and claims things that are misleading. Even the Barbie bashers here spoke the truth- a truth that was very interesting to read and helped me to gain a deeper appreciation for all those with passionate opinions about BArbie- they have their reasons!

The concept of this anthology is simple: collect high-quality commentary pieces on Barbie, that lightning rod of controversy, and put them in a book. This book comprises both anti- and pro-Barbie writings, and the authors find original issues to analyze (e.g., the lack of adults or old people in Barbie-land, the race issue, baby dolls vs Barbie dolls, etc.). The essays included are well-reasoned and entertaining.

However, there are some problems. First, most of the included works are either opinion pieces or introspective pieces. It seems ludicrous that the forms used to analyze a world based on fantasy and imagination are limited to these two tried-and-true alternatives. Only Denise Duhamel's wildly imaginative poetry gives us a glimpse as to the untouched analytical forms that are thought-provoking and incisive (Only 3 of her poems were included; you can read her entire Barbie work in the book Kinky--an incredible piece of work).

Also, the op ed pieces suffer because of the lack of hard data. No real studies exist on the effect of Barbie on kids. Admittedly, such study would be difficult to execute, but interpreting the Arizona study to be such study is a stretch. Accordingly, we end up with op ed pieces either demonizing or adoring Barbie that rely mostly on opinion rather than fact.

Furthermore, the authors end up making the same points over and over: the comma-shaped feet, the torpedo breasts, the unnatural waist, etc. Good or bad? Each author has an opinion. But is this all we can criticize of Barbie?

The introspective pieces are nice (and some of them very funny), but you can only read about somebody's experiences growing up (or old) with Barbie so many times. Because of this limited palette of format and content, this collection runs out of steam too early.

I would have included more works talking about the effect of Barbie on Mattel, the toy industry, etc. How about excerpts of the court decision of the case Mattel brought against Aqua for their "Barbie World" song? The court discusses Mattel's portrayal of Barbie and what Mattel hopes Barbie represents. How about including that song's lyrics? Not only were the lyrics funny, they also provided enough fodder for Mattel to file a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

In the end, while the quality of each included piece is high, they only discuss a small portion of that cultural icon named Barbie.