The author never forgot the time his mother, Eileen Levine, stopped an official from cutting down a neighbor's tree in Elmont (Long Island), NY. From that seed, this exciting story germinated, the story of a tough but sweet woman who saves a gingko tree and teaches us how to be a mensch in the world. Pearl and her sisters (Selma, Velma, and Wilma) grew up on Gingko Street (formerly Smith St) -- a street filled with Jewish and other immigrants, shaded by young, wide leafed, gingko trees. As time progressed, the trees grew, and people moved. Pearl stayed and the surnames changed. By the end of the book, Pearl is playing cards and hanging with her neighbors -- neighbors with Asian, African American and Hispanic surnames. They eat bagels and steamed dumplings, jalapenos and iced tea. When someone comes to cut down the last remaining gingko tree on the street, Pearl takes action, involves her neighbors, leverages the media, and gets the mayor to save the tree, plant new trees, and try her warm noodle kugel.

This is a delighfully sublte book that both children and adults will enjoy. It is about justice, about change, about pride, and about community. The illustrations are wonderful and in themselves provide many opportunities for discussion. Every school should have this book and every teacher should read it. Please check it out!

This was my favorite book when I was growing up. My mom would read it to me all the time. The boy is scared of a monster in his room. His dad finally bottles it and it becomes the boys friend.

I finished reading THE CASTAWAY just now. It is a fine little book, dealing with a survival story of Daniel Ross, who is shipwrecked on an island. He must discover how to live and survive on an island of rock that has no life. It is good for younger readers. Daniel has to struggle with loneliness, routine, and torture of old and bad memories. The chief narrative deals mainly with the survival of Daniel, with flash backs and remembrances at various points along the way. The flashbacks help feel in the story of what happened at the seal hunting ship Daniel had taken berth in (the ship's name was Catherine). Also Roth uses them to detail the relationship between him and his brother Tom, and tells us how they left on a bad note. Another central character is Susan, as told by his memories.

Because of the type of story it is, Roth must, by definition, rely on these flashbacks and descriptions of the environment (in this case an island) to tell the story. The plot is survival. The conflict is Daniel against Nature. For the purpose of the book, and the audience, it does just fine (it is probably not over thirty five or forty thousand words long - it can easily be read in a single reading, numbering just a little past 100 pages long [108]). If it was aimed at an adult audience, it would need to show more of the psychological aspects of such an ordeal. Daniel spends a very long time on that island (how long? read the book). But as it is a children's story, and Roth in all probability wanted it short, does quite well detailing the psychological and physical difficulties Daniel had to encounter and overcome. One charming thing (the method is charming, anyway) that Daniel overcomes (to an extent) is loneliness. There is an old seal named H (largely because of markings on skull looks an H, they are old scars), which we see a little of, and Penny, a penguin, aid Daniel in this matter. Penny is a quite loveable bird. This also helps to reinforce that human beings are created for social interaction, and that part of us is intrinsic with our nature. The survival of the human species is dependent on this drive for social interaction (without some type of social ties there would be no society and no reproduction).

THE CASTAWAY is also a true story. Although doubtlessly embellished, true stories like that always help to capture and fire up the human imagination. It also shows the strength of the survival instinct. But I highly doubt that historians knew all the backstory that Roth provides for his protagonist. But according to the opening text in the book, Roth kept true to Daniel's possessions (a pocketknife, an oar, and the clothes on his back). I do not know how THE ICE HERMIT is, but it sounds largely the same thing. If you cannot find this, obtain that and read it. It is largely concerned with the same thing. All in all, a good book for young readers (especially those who like survival stories, but recommended to any young reader, or an adult who wants to view the indomitable will of the species of man to survive). That way, it would show the strength of Daniel's resolve to press on, even after the hope he had had on that island dissolved once he got to the main land. But, again, this is children's, so it is just fine how it ends.

Have you ever been trapped? If you have you would have probably felt lonely, hungry, tired and scared! In the book The Castaway, by Arthur Roth, the main character, Daniel, was stranded in a lifeboat with no means of communication. He was starving on the lifeboat. Daniel had no water, the only thing he did have was salty pork, which made him even more thirty.
The shipmates died off one by one. One of the shipmates went mad. His ration of food was gone and he was severely dehydrated. The shipmate lifted up his boat oar and tried killing Daniel tree times. Daniel and his friend, Josh, had no choice but to kill the mad shipmate. Daniel and Josh rolled the dead body overboard.You can just visualize his dead body rolling into the murky water.
After months of starving Daniel and Josh were forced to eat their belts and boots, for what ever nutrients that might be left.
Daniel and Josh finally spotted rocks far off in the distance. They rowed and rowed against the waves and finally they saw the rocks. Daniel and Josh thought of a plan to land the boat on the rocks, but the timing would have to be just right. If they were too early or too late they could die.
Will Daniel and Josh make it or will they be fish food? I encourage you to read this book. This book will make you laugh, cry, and totally gross you out!

Do you have a pebble bringing penguin as a friend? Well Daniel does in the book "The Castaway". In this book Daniels boat the Catherina hits a ice berg. The next day Dan ends up on a island. And he meets a penguin. Penny (the penguins name)brings Dan a beautiful pebble. After Penny brought Dan the pebble she bowed to him. Dan thought this was very odd but he still bowed back to Penny. Everyday from that day on Penny brought Dan a pebble. The reason she did thuis was because she wanted Dan to make her a nest. Also everyday Penny and Dan bowed to eachother. Penny also always took Dan's finger and played with it. Everytime Dan did sothing Penny would almost always be by his side. One day on the island Dan was sick and sleepy. Penny was making so much noise it woke Dan up. Dan got up just in time to get his ore on top of the hut and for the passing by ship to see it Dan made it home and then he was safe. I am sure that you will love this book as much as I did. So go to your library and get this book!

Arthur Roth does an excellent job detailing the history of climbing the Eiger North Face. Having lived in Switzerland, I visited the Eiger on several occasions and would marvel at that massive Wall before me. The book is an excellent narrative regarding the various climbs over the years and is in part a tribute to the many climbers who have lost their lives in those attempts. A "must read" for anyone hiking or climbing in Europe.

This is a consistently interesting history of climbing on the Eiger's North Wall from the late 19th century to the late '70s. I'm not sure I've read a better narrative on mountain climbing, and I can't imagine a better book about the Eiger (though I've never read Harrer's THE WHITE SPIDER). Roth's account is well written, fair minded, vivid, sometimes harrowing, and always informative. Though I'll probably never have the money to see the Eiger firsthand (and I have neither the nerve nor experience to even think about climbing it), Roth provides us poor armchair alpinists with the best picture of the famous mountain that we can hope for. It's a shame that the book isn't more readily available. And why is it only in large print? This makes no sense to me. The photos are good, especially the ones that indicate the various routes, landmarks, and places where the unfortunates died. I had a hard time putting this book down. This is an absolute must for anyone interested in mountains and/or mountaineering, and I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.

I found this book in the "english" section of a bookstore in Grindlewald and it was my introduction to the facinating world of mountaineering through literature. I have read many similir books since and nothing compares to this series of harrowing tales that progresses from the earliest climbs, through the first successful climb in the 30's and on to the stories of the worlds finest climbers and their attempts on this infamous wall. I was afraid to sleep after reading the Kurtz chapter it was so utterly depressing.

This book was read to me in grade school.Even to this day,20 years later I still think of this story of survival and the importance of companionship.This book will truely leave you so inspired you will be left with a feeling of wanting to be a better person.

One of the best books I have read in the past year has to be "The Ice burg Hermit, by Arthur Roth. It is a marvelous book about a man who finds a way to survive in the cold. One of the major reasons I enjoyed this book so much is that it is full of action . The ice berg hermit is trying to survive in the cold depths of the seas. Another reason I enjoy this book and found this book to be so wonderful but suspenseful. He fights polar bears and you never know when a polar bear comes to kill Allen. Of course my favorite reason for having this book is, that it is full of action. The best action part in the book is when he tries to swing to the iceberg to save his life and almost dies. As for as I am concerned Author Roth hit the nail on the head of this book

I had a very smart and very good teacher in grade school. We had to read a certain amount of books each year, and some we HAD to read as a class so we could discuss them. The Iceberg Hermit was one of them, and I have to say that it was one of my favorites of the must-read stories we had to pick from, right up there with Bridge to Terabithia, Tuck Everlasting, Mrs. Mike and Where the Red Fern Grows.

I had lost my copy years ago, but thought of it again recently. So I was pleasantly surprised that it was still in print. I remember how my imagination soared, trying to picture the main character stranded in the middle of nowhere. I was transported to another place and time, and 20 years after reading the book, I can still remember it vividly. If you are looking for some good reading material for your children, this will NOT disappoint.

If survival stories are your favorite, Avalanche, by Arthur Roth, is for you. It is a survival story about a boy named Chris Palmer, who gets trapped in an avalanche. There are many problems in Chris's family; Chris and his older brother Terry are always trying to outdo each other. Terry seems to be better than Chris is many things, so Chris gets tired of being Number 2. When he decides to show off by shooting a coyote, his gun shot sets off an avalanche. Chris's mind starts to be affected by the cold and he begins to have hallucinations. Will Chris survive under the snow with limited movement and little food? If you are in grades 5 or 6, Avalanche is quite interesting and will capture your attention.

David Cohen
Akeem Hamilton
Steven Pichardo

The book Avalanche made me feel like I was part of it. I just couldn't put it down. It had excellent details and told you everthing you needed to know without making it overwhelming. It was a great book and I'd recomend it to anyone who was looking for adventure.

This was a great adventure book about Chris Palmer who was huntig/skiing when he shot his .22 and set off an avalanche, he gets trapped under the snow. Will he survive?

This book is very short and to the point and can be read easily in an afternoon by an average reader.

The plot is nothing to brag about but it is basic and holds together well enough. Basically it boils down to this: Following a botched hijack attempt by a common criminal, a plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness. Only a handful of people survive and of these people only two teenage boys - one black and one white - are fit enough to travel. So the two boys set off to find help while the rest stay behind and fend for themselves. Both groups have to deal successfully with the mental and physical rigors of survival.

The book seems to be written with a younger readers in mind but it is not childishin its approach; just clean and simple. As such would be an excellent adventure story to spark interest in reading in a young person. Even for an adult reader this little book is a good survival story well worth the dollar or so it would cost to pick up a copy in a second hand bookstore.

This book is about the survival of six people after a plane crash. The crash
was caused by a hijacker, Will Bennett. Will hijacked the plane because he
was going to go on trial for outrunning the police. He did not want to go to
jail so he decided to hijack the plane. His plan however, backfired on him
and the plane crashed in a mountain wilderness.
The six people were, Annie, Desmond, Mr. Lusty, John, Mark, and
Marshal O'Connor. They all realized that they needed to find a way to get
help and survive in the cold and snowy area. They sent Mark and John to
go look for help. The rest stayed, Annie and Desmond looked in the remains
of the plane for food, blankets or anything else that would help them
survive. After days and miles of hiking Mark and John came across an old
cabin. They then checked it out and went back to the crash site to tell the
others they found shelter. Meanwhile, Annie and Desmond found
sandwiches and a box of hard candy, along with some blankets.
The weather was freezing and everyone was getting restless and
weaker. They ran out of food and Mark and John had to go hiking again to
find help. But things at the cabin we bad. The marshal hurt his hip, so he
mostly sat around arguing with people. Desmond was getting worse and
very sick. Annie was still injured but she always tried to find help or food.
Mr. Lusty was the father of the group. He never complained and he tried to
rationalize things.
The mountain area made things difficult for Mark and John. John
had a bad pain in his jaw and Mark had a broken ankle. But they never
gave up. The survival of these six people all depended on them.

Have you ever driven your car of of a cliff, and were caught in your car for a week and a couple of days? Well Jimmy Korne did in the book Trapped by Arthur Roth. Jimmy was driving to his uncle's house after a graduation party,and a deer jumped out in front of him. Jimmy slammed on his brakes but it was no use,Jimmy hit the deer and lost control, and Jimmy drove his little station wagon off the cliff. The accident threw Jimmy all of the way accross the car into the passenger's seat. Jimmy's car lands right side up, but the whole side of the dashboard lands on his foot and he can't get it loose. Jimmy's worse injury is the cut on his arm. During this accident the window broke, landed on Jimmy's arm and cut it wide open. For food Jimmy has a couple potatos, and a bag of marshmallows. Jimmy has a lot of problems right now, such as a lack of food and water. Jimmy also hasa couple of injuries. Jimmy also has to go to the bathroom. He also has problems with some of the weather throughout the the book. Jimmys station wagon landed near the river. After a couple of days Jimmy finally found out how to get the water. Jimmys idea is to hook a bucket to the hook of his fishing rod. Jimmy casts the bucket to the nearest pool of water Jimmy lets it sit there a couple of minutes then he starts realing it in. jimmy gets the bucket stuck between 2 big boulders. Jimmy gets another idea stuck in his head. Jimmy cuts of a piece of sleeping bvag and attaches it to the hook. Jimmy casts it to the nearest pool of water and lets it soak there for a litttle while. he reals it in and now he has water. Will Jimmy survive or die? What would you do if you were trapped in the middle of the woods with hardly any food?

i think this is a good laugh and it is good book to read.I loved the part when the bear put his head in the car that was also scary.i havent read the hole book but it is good so far a kid in my class dosen't like it

"Trapped!" is about a 17-year-old boy who is trapped in his station wagon after he nearly hits a deer while driving on a remote gravel road. The car rolls down a cliff and his foot is caught in the twisted frame of the dashboard. No one knows he was planning to visit his uncle, and if he doesn't get out soon, he will die.
It is a survival story of a different kind. Instead of being able to roam freely, he can barely move, yet he manages to get water from a nearby stream, pick berries and signal for help.
It is a good book for the whole family. If you liked "Hatchet," you will like "Trapped!"