The book, At Her Majesty's Request was the most wonderful book I've read because it tells the story of how Sarah Bonetta overcomed so many problems. First w/ the horror of watching her parents being killed, and then almost being sacrificed by the slave holders because of who she was and where she lived.Then when she was saved by a white man whom she couldn't even understand becase she spoke a different language.And then soon after that she learned how to speak english and then she became friends w/ the Queen of England, Queen Victoria.So the book to me was very heart-warming and I hope you love the book too! Go Wells Wolverines!

When deciding to buy some books for my kids in elementary school to read, I was intrigued by the title of this book, and I chose it. Reading this book for me was an exhiliarating experience, and I would highly recommend it. The author tried to do justice to the life and history of this admirable African or should I say Nigerian princess (I am biased here), and for the Yoruba folks, she was an Egbado. Her ancestory can be traced to present day Abeokuta, Nigeria.

This book encapsulates the moving story of an African princess, who escaped death from a wicked king in the present day Republic of Benin (Dahomey) courtesy of a British Naval Captain (Frederick Forbes) during the early part of the 19th century. Captain Forbes brought her to England when she was about 6/7years old, where she had a first taste of the British Aristocrats and became known as Sarah Bonetta Forbes. She then had to be sent to Sierra Leone (West Africa) due to illness, having been thought to be unable to withstand the cold weather. In Sierra Leone, she was an astute student in the Female Institution there, and she maintained contact with Queen Victoria. She also met with the famous First African CMS Bishop, Samuel Ajayi Crowther. After about 4 years in Sierra Leone and now about 12 years old, Queen Victoria requested that she be sent back to England. She lived in England until she was about 19 years old. Reading her letters and her experience in England, gave me a personal satisfaction, as I had insight into a potential scholar the world did not really get to know. Sarah undoubtedly was an extremely bright kid, and Captain Forbes conceded that she was ahead of her contemporaries including the caucassian kids she schooled with. After much reluctance, she got married to a West African Business man, Mr Davis. Her marriage then took her back the second time to West Africa where she finally settled in Lagos (Nigeria). She lived and lectured here in another Female Institution until she was about 37/38 years, and had 3 children. Her first child Victoria was named after Queen Victoria, who was also her God-mother. Sarah Bonetta Davis as she became known had a tragic end, dying of Tuberculosis on a Portugese Island, where she was sent to recover. I wonder what happened to her husband Mr Davis and her three children. I think any information available on them and subsequent descendants would certainly complete the story. I congratulate the award winning author of this book, Walter Dean Myers for a job well done.

I'm 12 years old, and I love to read. I can absolutely say that this is with out a doubt one of the best books I've ever read, and I've read alot of great books. I love tthe way the author would put the letters, and the diary entries in the book, that way it let us see what the queen, and Sarah were going through. If you like historical books this is definatly on I would read.

Walter Dean Myers has put together a unique collection of poetry highlighting African
American childhood. Instead of using traditional illustrations, Myers gathered a
collection of turn of the century photographs of African American children in places
ranging from flea markets to museums. Each of the poems seems to capture the very
essence of the corresponding photograph and bring life to the nameless faces within the pictures. I enjoyed all of the poems in this collection, my personal favorites were "Love that Boy" and "Pretty Little Black Girl" which were tributes to Black boys and girls respectively.

While I enjoyed this collection, I believe this is a book that will be enjoyed more by parents than by their children. Still this book is a wonderful tribute to ordinary African American children and our rich cultural heritage. The stunning photographs along with delightful poems make this book worth checking out.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

It's a wonderful make you feel good book. A great gift idea for all ages. The photos are beautiful and heart warming. I have given this book as a gift many times and everyone adores it.

Just think, if I hadn't wandered by the poetry section and decided to look at the books, I might have never discovered this gem. I only found this because of a student's request for rhyming books and an admiration of Waler Dean Myers. Thanks fate.

CRYSTAL is a fine book with an important message. I love the vivid pictures of the modeling world, and the way Crystal herself is such a real girl. She's beautiful, but you won't hate her for being so lucky, because Myers keeps her real and presents the downsides of modeling and Crystal's life being devoured by it. While it's aimed at girls ages 10-14, older girls would enjoy it also.

The only reason I took of half a star is the ending. I won't spoil that for you, but if you've read it, maybe you noticed that Crystal has no ther talents, as far as we know, besides her modeling. If Myers had developed her poetry more, or schoolwork or acting or anything, given her a talent besides being gorgeous, then I would be more satisfied. Perhaps she could have gone into a different, less sexy kind of modeling; cereal ads, TV commercials, whatever; or maybe she could have a talent like poetry (which she has, but it's not mentioned very often) that she could turn to.

But I really loved this book. Myers is so good at thinking as Crystal would: for example, Crystal is meeting a new person, and it says something like "In her mind, Crystal made the woman up. Powder, a less ridiculous lip color, mascara...it didn't help." Of course, a model would think of make up. It's so perfectly told. I also like the fact that Crystal is black, and beautiful. It teaches African-American girls that they don't need pink apple cheeks and golden hair to be pretty--and also, that your looks are tiny compared to what's inside you. All in all, it's a terrific book, well-researched and brilliantly told. Read it!

Crystal Brown is just beginning to achieve success in the competitive glamorous modeling profession. She is a high school student by day and a participant in a fast-paced lifestyle in the evenings. The direction of her career forces her to decide which is more important to her - fame and fortune or self-respect. Athough the universal appeal of Crystal might not be as strong as other works by Myers such as Bad Boy or Monster, his character development and narrative are of high quality.

This was a nice book. It really made you see the modeling world from a whole different point of view. I liked it!

As a book for four to eight year olds, I give it a three. As an adult, I give it five stars for an average rating of four. If you`ve never been to Harlem, or even New York, never met an American of African descent, if you`re too young to have heard of the likes of the Cotton Club, the Apollo, people like Sugar Ray, Langston Hughes, Lady Day, or even Malcolm X, your mama has a heck of alot of explaining to do: too much for the brief span of attention only just long enough to look at the pictures and feel the music of the poem. In terms of just words, I suppose this fits in the 4-8 reading level. However, as a work, this is more likely to be understood and therefore appreciated by older people. My kids, five, and seven, were completely mystified by the poem, although they loved the beautiful compositions that make you wish you could touch them. Having lived in Washington Heights, I can explain some basic things to them, but not enough. The ability to understand and appreciate this book is beyond their capacity at this time.

Walter Dean Myers is certainly better-known for his chapter books for children than for poetry. That being said, "Harlem" offers an insight into the place as well as the man. African-American culture has long had a close relationship with poetry and Myers cements that friendship. Kudos for a job well-done!

For teachers, this is a must-read during African-American History Month in February (as well as any other time of the year).

I thought this book was great! It's a book that anyone can read. This book not only has beautiful pictures, but seems to teach you a little about Harlem. I think this book should be read by all ages, because it is FANTASTIC!!!!

What an awesome book. This novel takes place in New York City during the 70's. It is very entertaining. I am a teacher in an inner city school and I had my students read this. They literally would laugh aloud while reading it. Although it takes place during the 70's, there are still issues in which my students could relate. I definitely recommend this novel to middle school children, both urban and suburban. Hats off to Walter Dean Myers!

I read this book because it was an assignment for my English class.I think young adults can relate to this book because there are some events that occured in this book that they may have experienced.

I read this book as a child in the seventies and enjoyed it at the time. Still hold up good nearly three decades later. This portrayal of ghetto life in the 70s among young people is about as accurate as it was funny. Kinda reminds you of a preteen "Cooley High" or Fat Albert with an edge, as these kids deal with realistic problems of drugs, sex, and violence. Overall, a good example of the resilience of young people without getting overly downbeat.

this book was very fun to read. it had a lot of action. I liked this book beocuase the main charter really fought for what he belived in. Also this book was filled with suspence. we never expected how the book would end! the only thing that I did not like about this book is that there is not a sequel. for that I am up set. iI hope that in the future another book comes out!

The Righteous Revenge Of Artemis Bonner was a adnenturous comedy with a lot of susspense. The story is focused on a boy named Artemis Bonner who in search for his deceased uncle's treasure, but only one thing stands in his way, and that is a man named Catfish Grimes who is also looking for the treasure. The race is on.

This book is best suited for ages 12 and up.

In this book i thought it was really great. i never expected the ending. it qwas a complete shock to me. but Ithought the author should have writen a nother book to see what happens with the ending. i think this is a great book for evryone to read!

kevin

Friends are more important than money. Making music is better than fighting. These are the two lessons Myers successfully conveys in this story. The language used in this tale flows like the words in a blues song. Although I widh that the dogs were a little less anthropomorphically drawn (Flats looks like a teenager in a dog suit), the illustrations reflect the "down home" tone of the story. Overall, this is an excellent picture book.

This was a very cute story about the desire of two animals that wanted to follow their dream, to play blues music. It also shows that fighting is not something you have to do, even if you are pushed into it. The author made a point of explaining to the reader that if you show someone kindness and caring (even though they may not be kind or caring), it may turn that person's feelings around. This is a wonderful story that has several themes, and should be shared with children.

Flats Brown is a junkyard dog along with his best friend, an old mutt named Caleb. The junkyard is owned by an incredibly cruel man named A.J. Grubbs, who wants to turn our boys into fighting dogs. When a dogfight injures old Caleb, he and Flats decide to run away. Each place they go, they find somewhere for Flats to play his guitar and sing the blues, backed up by Ol' Caleb on the bones. And each time, A.J. Grubbs finds them and tries to claim ownership on them and drag them home. Flats and Caleb escape him time and time again, until finally, Caleb puts Flats on a train and sends him to New York. Flats finds yet another place to play the blues, and - you guessed it- ol' A.J. Grubbs finds him yet again. But a song Flats plays stirs some deep heartfelt emotions in A.J. Does Flats go back to Mississippi? You'll have to read it to find out. I loved this book- it helps kids to learn to follow what their heart tells them to do, and also, to see beyond people's exteriors to discover that sometimes all we need is someone to show us a little kindness.

I thought it was boring at first but when you get into the book it gets kind of interesting. I think the author could have done a better job explaining his raps and they kept swithching from finding the treasure to doing something in the hood so you never knew what was happening and he switched the characters so many times it was hard to figure out which character was talking. I think if you want to read this book go check it out dont buy it because its a waste of your money.

This book is a good because it has a touch
of mystery to it.The main characters name is Mouse.
But,his real name is Freddie.Him and his crew love
bassketball.The girls have a singing group called
"The Selects".
But,there is a mystery that you wouldn't think
would be in this book.Thats why this book is good.
This is the best book I've read this school year.

The protagonist in the story is The Mouse, whose real name is Fred. He and The Selects, made up of three girls named, Bev, Sheri, and Ceil, plus Sheri's grandfather, and Sudden Sam who worked for Tiger Moran are all looking for lost money.
There is a rumor going around that his money was lost in the city before he mysteriously disappeared. The goal is to find it. The barrier is no one knows where it is. So they find Booster, a twelve year old boy, whose grandmother helped hide the money. Together they hope to find it and split the money.
This authors writing style is very unique. He writes in a rap/hip hop style. It goes along fine with the title, The Mouse Rap. There is just one thing about the writing style that bugged me. The Mouse is always going place to place doing different things, so it's hard to remember what the point of the story is. For example, one minute he might be playing basketball and the next he might be at the corner store buying coke for his mom.
So if you want a book with a ghetto type scene and you can handle a little confusion, this book is for you.

In the book there are ten short stories. Each of the are different but are in the same settings with some of the same characters. The story I liked best was "Kitty and Mack." It took place at a school. Mack was a great baseball player until he go hit with a bullet and had to get his leg amputaded. At that point Kitty and Mack were going through relantionship problems. Then they worked it out fine. I thought this was a breeze to read. I didn't like all the stories in the book, but i didlike some. I recommend this book to young adults because they can relate to it better.

A grown man at his own funeral, but he is not dead. He wants to be at his funeral while he is alive so he can hear what is said about him, so he makes his own and pretends to be dead. This is just one thing that can happen on 145th street. This is one of the short stories that is a part of this great book. All the stories focus on one character but in the end they are tied together by a bond, a bond which is that they all live and breath this street. You can enjoy stories to read before bed or you can flash through the whole book at once. It's your choice. Enjoy.

I really liked the book because it realated or reminded me of being back home! Back home it seemed like everywhere around where i stayed everybody knew everybody, and thats the way the book was. On 145th street it seemed like everything happened and when it did everybody knew about it! i Also like the book because i like how he makes it sound like we're all sitting around listening to someone tell what happened earlier that day! The stories i really injoyed were Big Joe's funeral, and The Baddest Dog in harlem! I m really loking forward to reading more of his books!

The Outside Shot is about a guy named Lonnie Jackson. In the story he plays basketball for Montclare. Many of the guys on the basketball team, including Lonnie, play some bums for money. The problem is that the guys from the basketball team could get kicked off the team for playing the bums at basketball. If that isn't enough the same group of guys from the basketball team bet on their own league games, and betting on your own games can sometimes even get you in jail.
recommI think that I would give this book eight out of ten stars. I rate this book with eight stars because it wasn't the best book but it did keep me wanting to read more. I end this book if you like sports books.

In the continuing, nonstop, funflled life of Lonnie Jackson, The OUt Side Shot, a sequal to Hoops(both books by Walter Dean Myers),explains Lonnie's college life. Instead of his everyday street life he has to adjust to the abnormal college life.
Lonnie is all alone in a college call Monteclare in Indiana. He recieved a scholorship to play some mean division 1 basketball. he gets into soem trouble acceptin bribes from a person who bets on games. That allmost got him kicked off the team. Lonnie feels alon and needs a friend. Since African Americans are the minority at his college he would like to stick with his race. He meets a black girl named Sherry. He has to change, he can't be a street talking black boy from the city he has to be more mature and show her more respect. He learns a lot from her and she finaly excepts him and they start to date. He has problems at college just like back at home. It's not as est as he thought it would be. I would recomend this book to anyone. I really liked it. even thought some parts were confusing like when Lonnie gets in trouble for accepting bribes. This book gave me a feeling of what it was like being on my own and making friends.
Lonnie is continuing to improve at his game, and he has to keep working on his jump shot. He looks to have a good future in professional basketball. But for now in college as he would say you have to buckle down and hit the books.

college life for lonnie jackson was loud, busy , full of girls and basketball that what it is like in the book the out side shot by walter dean myers.
Montclare state is lonnies big chance to show the world he that he could succeed and to prve to evryone that he could also make it to the NBA. however first lonnie has to first get over many problems like gambling point shaving and failing classes.
i think this book was well written and a wonderful addition to the lonnie jacksons life. this book kept me wanting to pick it up and read some more but this book also has its points were it get really slow and it get really broing but overall i think this is a wonderfull book and i would recomend it to any one who loves to read.