I started reading some of these tales to my 5th grade students as a way to get their attention at the end of the school day. To my amazement, they loved them and kept asking for more. They were so inspired, that they've even come up with some tales of their own and I've had to look for more folktale books.

Although there aren't lots of designs to choose from (15) they are well-chosen with full-color pictures and easy directions. Includes hats, gliders, snapping mouths, jumping frogs, poppers, pinwheels, beads, star box, balloons, lilies and more. I borrowed it from the library to show my kids, but I'm buying a copy to keep.

We found this book at the library and fell in love with it. It's fun to read as a parent, and my son loves to hear it and join in. It's rip-roarin, boot-scootin, west texas fun! It's a story about Mama's famous chili that is entered in a chili contest by her and her five or six kids. A 'monster' from outer space smells the chili and comes for a taste. The pictures are colorful and fun, and the story is fun to read. We recommend it!

I bought this book for my students reading about the American Colonies and Revolution. I didn't feel that I knew enough about Ben Franklin and needed to learn more. My students were facinated about him because he was an inventor and did the experiment with the key and the kite to learn about electricity. I learned so much from this book that I had never known before and the readabilty level is perfect for my students. I can't wait to share this book with them!

Trying to describe this one long joke of a novel is a bit like retelling someone else's disjointed dream with Chinese sign language. Aach, why bother. Suffice to say, the wee man of many monikers made his reputation with this book, getting lumped in with those other tricksters of narrative form, some of them his countrymen in self-imposed exile. With multiple openings, this madcap book discards quare old conventions like consistent point of view and plot. A Dublin student goes mouldy in his bedroom while characters rebel against their slumbering creator and the barmy Sweeney hops from tree to tree. Horseman, if you're looking for linear progression, pass by. All clever parody of Irish literature and mythology aside, the novel has a reassuring warmth. The student, branded a dozey ne'er-do-well by his blockhead uncle, has a small but delightful triumph near the end that makes his part in O'Brien's tangled web particularly satisfying. A novel to be read when whimsical, when life has lost its vim and bubble.

This is, above all, a funny and playful book, playful with itself and the various conceits of fiction: the suspension of disbelief, the conventions of form, and the pretensions of rhetoric. Think of it as Pirandello meets the Marx Brothers.

"At Swim-Two-Birds" delights in rapid-fire wordplay and sophomoric experimentation (there are three alternative beginnings to the story). O'Brien succeeds in this bombastic flair partly because he doesn't take the literary enterprise--his own included--too seriously. He races along at a Groucho-like pace, only to slow down in wonderfully overwritten and overwrought scenes:

"Together the two strong men, joyous in the miracle of their health, put their bulging thews and the fine ripple of their sinews together at the arm-pits of the stricken king as they bent over him with their grunting red faces, their four heels sinking down in the turf of the jungle with the stress of their fine effort as they hoisted the madman to the tremulous support of his withered legs."

Indeed!

James Joyce praised O'Brien as "a real author, with the true comic spirit," and Graham Greene called this "a book in a thousand....in the line of Tristram Shandy and Ulysses." Like Joyce, O'Brien dazzles us with language and the sheer sound of words. The narrative is interrupted with rhetorical notes ("Name of figure of speech: Litotes [or Meiosis]"), populated by varying narrators "Tour de force by Brinsley, vocally interjected, being a comparable description in the Finn canon:," and buoyed by dialogue that variously recalls 30's screwball comedies,B-movie Westerns, and bad courtroom dramas.

O'Brien himself offers some literary "theory" that illustrates his comic sensibility and offers sly clues for his delighted (and maybe perplexed) reader: "...a satisfactory novel should be a self-evident sham to which the reader could regulate at will the degree of his credulity," and, "Most authors spend their time saying what has been said before--usually said much better (Page 33)." Flann O'Brien's command of--and upending of--narrative forms, and the hilarity of his farce make this an essential addition to any comic library. Then again, I could be wrong.

(Buy it!)

I'M HERE TO TELL YOU: THIS IS THE FUNNIEST BOOK IN THE WHOLE WORLD YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF. But don't believe me -- Graham Greene, Dylan Thomas, John Updike, and yes, Jimmy Joyce himself all felt the same about this impossibly convoluted Irish stew of mythology, poetry, drunken banter, and scatological humor. The book is constructed (to use the term loosely) as a UC Dublin student's journal during his final year, including his "spare time literary activities" interspersed with his "biological reminiscences". The former consist of a series of fitful forays into ancient Irish mythology, coupled with a book-within-a-book (within-a-book) attempt to write a highbrow novel. The latter involve the narrator's recountings of his (mostly inebriated) carousals and daft philosophizings with his odd cronies, admixed with his tense and tenuous relationship with his straightlaced uncle, with whom he boards. But to concentrate on the book's plot or content, such as they are, would be pointless. The book's real magic lies in Flann's virtuosic use of unabashed verbosity, unblinking descriptiveness, and just plain words, words, words, to provoke laugh after laugh after laugh after laugh. Nobody -- not Sterne, not Joyce, not even Groucho -- could string together words as funnily as Flann. It's as though an Irish Robin Williams had been locked up in his room with a pencil, pad, pint after pint, and his own mad (but very well-read) imagination. Read this book, you could use a good laugh (everyone can use a good laugh). Just don't drink anything while you're reading, guaranteed it'll end up coming out your nose.

I heard once that John O'Brien's father called this novel a suicide note from his son. It's hard to seperate the two character's paths of destruction from the author's own suicide. A stunning first book, though. O'Brien had a wonderful command of the language. His talent makes his own fate that much harder to take. This book lingers with you long after the last page.

There can be fewer books in the English language so poignantly tinged with tragedy as 'Leaving Las Vegas'. The author, John O'Brien, commited suicide shortly after the film rights to the book were sold. He was 34. With this background, the book itself takes on an almost unparalled sadness. The description of the the decline of a successful man into a sick and pathetic figure is brilliant, and the the character of Sera is equally convincing. Although this is a tragic tale, however, one must see the hope that lies behind it: in the end, Ben has found true love, and although it is too late to save him from the lure of the bottle, he dies as happy as his situation will ever allow him. The backdrop of Las Vegas is perfectly used, and the city of perpetual excess is the ideal venue to show what that excess can do. A book to put you off drink if ever there was one, and not one to read when depressed, but ultimately a beautiful, touching and liberating exploration of desperation and hope.

I read this book years ago, and have never forgotten it. As a non-alcoholic myself, it was an incredible education in how someone stays drunk, from the time he wakes up until the moment he falls asleep dead drunk. O'Brien described, in incredible detail, things I had no idea about, such as how an alcoholic carefully proceeds from bar to bar, and how he hides and "minimizes" what he is drinking to non-drinkers. The only criticism I have about the book is the character of the prostitute. She wasn't as well-drawn, and there was no real explanation or development of the attraction between them. There are probably many lonely hookers and alcoholics in Las Vegas; so what drew these two so close together? But even so, I am sure I will never find a better book revealing the life of a man whose every waking moment revolved around a bottle of booze. Highly recommended.

This book gives an eye opening view of the current Pope. It shows how his upbringing in Poland led him to have his feelings of friendship with the Jewish people. He is presented as a true "tzadik". The book also briefly relates on how the works of Pope John XXIII and Cardinals Willebrands, O'Connor and Spellman have brought about a better understanding of Judaism in the Church. If their messages could only filter down to the populace...

This is a fabulous book. I am neither Catholic nor Jewish, but I was fascinated by the depth of the man we all call Pope. I had no idea of his personal journey, and the breadth of his goodness. Too many times, we don't look beyond the title and the robes. This is truly a saintly man.

I found this book very informative on the Pope, who has always been a hero of mine. It was very indepth and historical. Although it was not negative about the Pope it did seem to contain some incorrect statments on the views of catholics and the teachings of the Church. I felt it was assumed that catholics are, in general, negative towards Jews. I have always been a believing catholic and have never thought of Jews as "Christ Killers" or anything like that. I have never found anything in Catholic teaching that would support those views, most of these from writings from before John Paul II. Usually I read that we are all personally guilty of the crucifiction by our own sins. Over all it was a good and worthwhile reading.

Thumbelina is not normal girl she is about the size of your thumb, but don't let her height mistake you she can do alot of things other people can't do. Like she can fit into small spaces that you can't. So if you like books that are about people doing extremely different things that you don't think that can do then this is the book right for you to read. This book will amaze your eyes with the colorful pictures inside, and with the amazing things Thumbelina can do.

Hans Christian Andersen's story of Thumbeline is so endearing that it's no wonder that so many authors have written their own versions of it and so many illustrators have had a go at making tiny Thumbeline come to life. This version, translated by Anthea Bell and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger is brimming with charm, rustic folk sensibilities, kindness and compassion spiked with just the right amount of perilous adventure to make it interesting, and a lovely magical feel. The story is well told in satisfyingly descriptive language. The illustrations are superb! Zwerger does a wonderful job with all of the animal characters that Thumbeline encounters and manages to infuse them with emotion and intelligence as well as country charm. Little red-haired Thumbeline is delicate and sweet in several lovely costumes with a peasant feel to them. You know the tale...a woman tells a witch that she wants a "tiny child" and the magic gives her exactly what she wishes for, a tiny child no bigger than her thumb. Thumbeline is born from the heart of a tulip. She's so beautiful and sweet that every small suitor in the neighborhood wants her hand in marriage, including a toad, a mole and a June beetle. They are not interested in the fact that she does not want to marry them! She gets help from other wee folk in the woodland community and makes a good friend when she saves the life of a swallow. The story ends happily for Thumbeline. It may be desirable to point out to your young ones that not every unattached female needs to find a husband, especially very young ones like Thumbeline, and that kidnapping and force are not true ways to get a girl to marry you! Children are smart enough to know that but it's still a good idea to talk over the odd concepts that a child may be thinking about after you read this story. I love this old-fashioned story and this re-telling adds beautifully to its charm and therefore justifies its conception.

The familiar Hans Christian Andersen story of Thumbelina has received the royal treatment from Susan Jeffers. Her large, lovely pictures make this seem like you are stepping into the story for the first time. Thumbelina is so dainty and sweet that it's no wonder the toad wishes to marry her but poor Thumbelina has a harrowing time escaping from her warty suitor. Share a trumpet vine blossom with Thumbelina, a pair of hummingbirds and a fat bumble bee or take a ride with her on the back of a gallant swallow. This whole story is enchanting from start to finish and the pictures are a delight!

Although the six hours refers to someone with experience and possessing all the tools and wood, the design is perfect for people (me, for example) with no woodworking experience. Because I had little experience, I had to refer to Tom Hill's extraordinary Ultralight Boatbuilding, which though written for a skilled woodworker includes important details left out of Six-Hour. There are only a few things I would want to change to Six-Hour:
There are two lists of materials, one on p. 11, one on p. 58. They do not match. The one on 11 has a frame bottom, but this is not in 58, and 58 does not list the keel. They mention a "full sized pattern" for the gussets on p. 18, but no such pattern exists. They also might as well include the butt block procedure for two 4x8 pieces of plywood in the main part of the book because most places on the planet do not have 4x16 pieces of marine grade plywood. Also, readers should work hard to find a source of cheap bronze screws before they start (the project requires about 120 of them--not the 50 given in the text--and they are expensive!) It would also have been nice if they had photographs showning the canoe at main stages in the process. The above minor points did not detract from the 30 hours or so of pure enjoyment I had in using this book to build a canoe. I hope the authors come out with the sailboat version they promise.

We have made these as part of youth programmes in Western Australia. They take us about 30 hours to build with groups of 4 to 5 working on them. These people have never made anything before so progress is slower than you would first think. They are a great project, we use cheap ply and paint them well seems to work fine. The group gets a great deal for the building process. I keep meaning to build one for myself, perhaps this time round I will

I have taken a class a Buffalo State College with John Montague, the author. In the class I built the weekend skiff, a row boat/sail boat. I have also built the 6-hour canoe with high school age kids in the Adirondack Mountains at a summer camp. It took a group of 6 kids to build 2 canoes and approximately 4 days working about 4 hours per day, this includes painting the canoe which is not part of the 6 hours of building the canoe. The directions are easy to follow and the cost is very inexpensive. The canoes have lasted 2 summers so far and look to withstand many more. They are made of marine grade plywood. Have fun building one yourself.

Like John O'Brien, my parents were born and raised in WV. In the Franklin of his book, in fact. Like John, my parents left WV after high school look for jobs and greater opportunities. Like John, I am "from" WV, even though I didn't grow up there.

This book went straight to my core. First of all, because he's writing from Franklin, a town I know as "home". He explained so many things I've seen all my life but never quite understood -- the Woodlands Institute, the fight over school re-districting, the conflict between Franklin and the North Fork communities, etc.

I know the places and people he talks about and his words ring true. Everett Mitchell really could sell raffle tickets to a tree stump if he decided to! I also have had the same feelings of attachment and alienation from WV and "Appalachia". It's home but....

I've heard my parents describe their confusion about this mythical place called "Appalachia". I've heard them wonder where it is and what it's about because the myth never seemed to describe their home and their childhood, even though, theoretically, they are from the very heart of Appalachia.
I've seen the conflicts John O'Brien describes between the "middle class" and the "hillbillies" acted out within my own family. Within, I suspect, my parents marriage.

John O'Brien does the ONLY credible job of describing the myth of Appalachia I've ever read. Living in DC, every few years the local papers will come out with a fully predictable feature article. It will include someone, usually a transplant from the midwest, finally wandering away from the whirlwind of Capitol Hill and the White House and national politics and taking a drive west.

They "discover" that WV (and, by extension, the mythical Appalachia) is a mere 2 hours (2 hours!!!) from DC! But, oh!, the contrasts! Oh, the stark beauty! Oh, the poverty! Oh, the feuds! Oh, the tragedy! How can this be, a mere few hours from our nations capitol! The most powerful city in the world!! What can we DO about this?????

yada yada yada. Pretty nauseating, predictable, lamely written stuff. It was an incredible relief to finally read something true, thoughtful, and considered about West Virginia.

The one...downside?...to the book is some of the stuff about John's personal life. I'm torn between really appreciating how Appalachia and his personal trials are interwoven. But sometimes it seems just a bit too...much. That's a judgement call though. I can see why he did it. I can't really blame him.

I lent the book to my father, born and raised in "Appalachia", and currently living back on the home place in Franklin. He found it frustrating but I think that's mostly because it hit much too close to home for him. Once he got past his frustration, he agreed that John O'Brien honestly describes his home, his culture, and his world. I suppose you won't get a better recommendation than that.

John O'Brien has lived and thoroughly researched the Appalachian label. This book is a "must read" for any native of WV that wonders why they don't feel like an "Appalachian" and yet have been referred to as such. It is also the story of a young man fighting "Appalachian fatalism". It can be seen as a struggle against and a struggle for West Virginian culture. A great first book.

This is a terrific book. O'Brien writes with a compelling style that could almost classify the book as a page turner (which is quite rare for this type of non fiction).

As a native West Virginian, just about every chapter had something that I strongly identified with...the West Virginia style family reunion in Pocahontas County, the "deep family secrets" that only the women talk about, the strong sense of family and community, the love of the outdoors, etc.

Growing up in Northern West Virginia, I always considered (and still do) my childhood to be somewhat idyllic. It was small town life with football, 4-H camp, camping vacations, spending summers at my grandmother's farm, etc. I was always puzzled as an adult after I had moved out of the state for graduate school at the quizzical/sorrowful looks that I would receive from people when I told them of my native state. John O'Brien has clearly articulated the history and reasons behind those stereotypes and I believe debunked most of the unfair ones.

I would recommend this book to any West Virginian (both resident and expat) who has that strong sense of pride in their heritage, but is searching for answers and explanations about the conflicting messages they receive from "the outside".

My only trepidation in this whole thing is that it took John O'Brien so long to write this first book, that another book from him may be a long time in coming.