This play tells the continuing story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan as Helen excels at Radcliffe and Anne meets her first love, John Macy. However, their involvement with the men in their lives changes them forever and strengthens the bond between them.

A vast oceanic current is named after Humboldt, and it's not for nothing. This comprehensive multi-volume tome is thoroughly entertaining. The inquisitive insights of Humboldt are well worth contemplating.

While I read it many years ago, it's something I won't forget. The vivid anecdotes Humboldt recounts make this work a veritable page turner at times.

Helen McInnes would have been about 94 years old this year. I wonder what she would have thought about the events of September 11th? This thought has been going through my mind a lot lately as I remember the trilogy that she wrote in the late 1970's and early 1980's. That trilogy includes the titles: Prelude to Terror, The Hidden Target and Cloak of Darkness. These are books that I have read, re-read, and thought about a number of times. (In fact, I even wrote a "fan letter" to Ms. McInnes some years ago, commenting on her excellent main character, Robert Renwick. She sent me a postcard!) The subject of all of these books is world terrorism, yes, fictional for storytelling purposes, but stories that are so well-crafted and so highly literate that they are still relevant and readable today. In some ways the plots of the books even echo recent events, for unfortunately terrorism is not new to the world scene. Those three books and Ride a Pale Horse were written at the end of Ms. McInnes' long and distinguished career and perhaps are most relevant today, however most of her books (in spite of changes in the world political scene) are still very readable and in many ways, educational.Helen McInnes is and will remain one of my favorite authors of the international intrigue genre.

I first read this, or, rather, had it read to me when I was just three years old. That night was the first time I visited 'the Yammi of Yawn', but certainly not the last. Even now I sometimes visit his wonderful castle in my dreams. I still have my original copy of Wide-awake Jake, and would recommend it to anyone, but especially people with children who, like Jake, can't sleep

This book was very interesting. It is about an orphan girl who is sent away to live with her Grandfather in the alms. She is very happy there making lots of friends. Then she is taken away by her mean aunt to be a playmate with a rich girl; who she later makes bossum friends with. But she returns after being incrediaby homesick. The ending is very happy and uplifting, also my favorite part. Everyone should read this book because it is a VERY VERY good book.

Heidi is very exciting. She is very outgoing and adventurous. She gets sent to the Alm Mts. with her grumpy old grandfather. She shows him how to be nice and friendly. She meets a boy named Peter and they become good friends. He then shows her his family. Heidi meets his grandmother and falls in love with her and everything that she does. She then gets sent to a weird house.She soon came home.
This book is recommended for all ages to be read to or read by you!
Why am I telling you this go read it for your self!!!

Heidi is ranked up there with, "Where the Red Fern Grows" with it's genuine love and care of the hearts of children and adults. I read this book to my children when they were in 1st and K...several times I had to stop to choke back the tears.. or laugh in exhuberance. It's a heart-warming tale of a little girl who didn't understand the "status quo" and sought to make sense of not only her own world, but those around her. Her innocense, genuine love and acceptance is so moving and so inspiring.

Ms. Helen Bunkin did an excellent job on her book. She portrayed all aspects of men with beards. I liked how she used a variety of men and a variety of beards. You can definitely tell that she has put years of effort in selecting just the right kind of men with the right kind of beards. Great job!!!

It's nice to find a little book that is simply pleasant to read...a little book that makes you smile and giggle...a little book that does not attempt to be literary or snooty or philosophical or didactic or dogmatic. This is a small, harmless joy. We need more books like this! Take a break from the horrors of the World and sink yourself into a little book like this once in a while. It'll do you good, and it will take a lot of pressure off the Universe and make it expand at a slightly loping pace. --Jim Reed, author, DAD'S TWEED COAT: SMALL WISDOMS HIDDEN COMFORTS, UNEXPECTED JOYS jimreedbooks.com

I read this book to a third grade class. The kids and the teacher loved it. The humor was great.

The story begins when Jason discovers a wart on his hand "the size of Mongolia." After a funny exchange about how awful it is, his Mother promises to buy medicine to take it away. Feeling sorry for him she gives it a kiss.

The next day, Jason discovers that his Mom is missing. His sister, after seeing his wart, had just told him that "If you touch a wart, you turn into a frog." Jason is convinced that his Mother is a frog that he finds on the kitchen floor, next to his Mothers purse.

L.R. Boardma

My mom the frog is an excellent book.It's about a boy named Jason and he has a wart. His mom kisses the wart and turns into a frog.
It is a good book for kids 5-100.Jason is fun,funny,worried,and strong.His sister Mary,lies,and she thinks she's the boss.

MacInnes often has a main character who is a journalist, struggling to fight against lies being circulated into the media by Communist-controlled or -inspired writers. In this novel, we may have her clearest portrayal of writer as freedom fighter, fighting to expose the hidden sources of anit-American journalists. There is her usual element of romance, as well as the gifted amateurs who take on the trained operatives, and win. And always I enjoy her carefully crafted writing; she was a lot more than a writer of "action" novels.

This book has been less popular than many of her others, but it's one of my favorites.

My first contact with Helen MacInnes was when I was 13 years old and found Neither five nor three in the school library. From then on I have searched for her books in my country in the US and France. I keep rereading my torn copy. In these times the way Helen MacInnes depicts the struggle between communism and democracy may seem out of date, yet the characters, on both sides are very well built, with depth and humor. You can relate to them, feel the atmosphere of those cold war years. One of the things that are more impressing is the fact you feel watched and cornered as if you were deep behind the iron curtain while the novel is set in downtown New York. At the same time, you have your share of humor which give you time to catch your breath. Overall an excellent book which has kept over the years.

Shakespeare's gifts as a dramatist , to my mind ,were always incomparable but I had my reservations about the sonnets___I thought they were a tad overrated___ untill I came upon Helen Vendler's book . Though Vendler's critical interpretations are at times a bit leaden & overly "technical" , her sensitivity for these sonnets comes across in spades , throughout the book .I especially enjoyed her vocal renderings of 65 of these sonnets on the accompanying CD which are sensitive,nuanced and a sheer auditory joy ! (esp 12,29,30 & 55)_____much better than Sir John Gielgud's version , which I always considered a trifle affected .Vendler also convinced me that the best way to enjoy these sonnets is by etching them in your memory ! A lot of their nuance and the sheer majesty of their language is lost on you if approached cursorily .

In this invaluable book, Helen Vendler investigates what she finds aesthetically most provocative in each of Shakespeare's beautiful sonnets, i.e., the fact that Shakespeare, himself undertook the writing of the sonnets as a "writer's project invented to amuse and challenge his own capacity for inventing artworks."

The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets is comprised of a single introductory chapter outlining Vendler's own critical perspective and 153 individual sonnets, together with critical commentary. (Sonnets 153 and 154 are presented together in one essay.) Vendler's format seeks to restore "comprehension of the internal logic and old finery of Elizabethan lyric" which has almost completely disappeared from contemporary examinations of these sonnets. Vendler's book will help readers to better understand the language of Shakespeare's sonnets as well as uncover textual clues in a clearer and more deliberate fashion, leading readers to a greater appreciation of the power of language when manipulated by a master poet intent upon expressing the inner life of the speaker.

The author provides fresh and unexpected interpretation of the sonnets based on clear, textual evidence rather than through a dominant theoretical perspective. She also explores linguistic strategies directly from Shakespeare's own compositional acts and then constructs upon them an interpretation of the poet's duty "to create aesthetically convincing representations of feelings felt and thoughts thought." Vendler chooses to concentrate her efforts on Shakespeare's ability to accurately convey the speaker's own misery, torment, joy, wonder, exuberance, etc. within the mere fourteen lines demanded of the sonnet, that most structured of all forms of expression. She points out that it is in the "simultaneous marshaling of temporal continuity, logical discreteness and psychological modeling that Shakespeare's sonnets surpass those of other sonneteers."

Vendler then goes on to assert that Shakespeare, as a writer of sonnets, was seeking as many ways as possible to manipulate the form. His orchestration thus results in vignettes, musings and one-sided conversations with imagined listeners who do not reveal an extended hidden narrative or meaning but do "comprise a virtual anthology of lyric possibility."

Vendler invites the reader to participate in his own exploration of the sonnets. Unlike most critical treatises where the poems appear as a block in front of the text followed by an analysis, in this book each sonnet and its analysis appear together. The reader can formulate his own speculations and check them against Vendler's without even having to turn the page.

For those who want to listen to the beauty of these sonnets, there is a CD bound into the back cover of the book, providing an indispensable tool in helping readers to fully appreciate all the textual and acoustical clues--the allure de la phrase.

This is definitely not a book to read straight through, nor is it intended for the novice. Readers should already have some familiarity with the sonnets and those who do not should keep an annotated edition close by. Familiarity with poetic terms is also a necessity, since Vendler, a splendid poet herself, makes frequent reference to terms which are undoubtedly unfamiliar to those who are not frequently engaged in the study or analysis of the lyric form.

Vendler does an excellent job of making the sonnets accessible and illuminating for all readers of Shakespeare. For those who are novices to Shakespeare's work, Vendler points out the patterns of structure inherent in the poems. To the individuals more familar with the sonnets, Vendler offers a detailed analysis of the words of the poems. The sum of these approaches provides both the novice and the expert with an appreciation for the depth and complexity of the sonnets.

Interestingly, Vendler does not often provide interpretations of the meaning of the poems. Instead, she chooses to provide the reader with an appreciation of the elements of the sonnets in order to allow one to make their own informed interpretations.

Vendler has created a book that mirrors the sonnets in that it can be enjoyed on many different levels. But, regardless of which level upon which it is enjoyed, the book is an indespensible guide into the wonders of Shakespeare's sonnets. Any student of Shakespeare needs to have this book in their collection of critical works on the Bard.

The book The Miracle Worker by William Gibson is written exceptionally. It is about Helen Keller (def/blind child) and how she is taught how to communicate.
Her teacher was a woman named Annie Sullivan. The story is told from Annie's view in the first person. Throughout the book Annie tries different methods of teaching Helen how to communicate. Finally, one method of hers works. At this point Helen understands that objects have names. By memorizing the hand motions (sign language) previously Helen knows the names for everything.
Because Helen can't talk, hear or see William Gibson describes everything she does in great detail. This gives the reader many visuals in their mind while they are reading. You can almost see Helen feeling things and you can also get a picture in your mind of what she looks like. At the beginning of the book, we don't really know what to think of Helen and Annie because of some of their actions. Helen as anyone could imagine is not well behaved and is a mess. Annie is very strict with Helen and other than getting very upset when Helen disobeys her she is a pretty quiet person. However, as the book goes on we learn to love both of these characters because we understand where they are coming from.
I would strongly recommend reading this book to gain a greater appreciation for the lives of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan.

I read Miracle Worker in class with my classmates and teacher. I find Miracle Worker a very touching story, about Helen Keller and Annie Sulliven. Some of the other characters are: Captain Keller, his wife Katie and his son, Helen's half brother, James. In the beggining of the book, Helen is a wild animal, but we see how this all changes, with Annie's help. By looking at Helen's actions throughout the book, we see what a great mind Helen has, and if she knew how to speak she would have tons to say. It is a very good book

Based on a true story, The Miracle Worker is a poignant drama exposing the childhood struggles and feats of Helen Keller. Keller's life story is widely regarded as one of the most inspirational triumphs of the human spirit in American history. This modern drama is a near perfect rendition of Keller's early years on a homestead farm in Tuscumbia, Alabama.

As the play begins, Kate Keller discovers that her child, Helen, cannot hear nor see her. A period of time elapses, and the family is trying to decide what they should do for Helen. After a bit of reluctance, Captain Keller consents to writing to Dr. Chisholm, an oculist who might be able to help her. It turns out that the oculist cannot help Helen, but he does contact Alexander Graham Bell, who in turn refers the Kellers to the Perkins Institute for the Blind. The Institute sends to the Kellers Annie Sullivan, a teacher who will attempt to communicate with Helen. Annie's first day with Helen is rough, as Helen ends up locking Annie in her room and throwing away the key. Eventually, Annie is able to finger-spell into Helen's hand, but Helen doesn't quite understand what the words mean. When Annie tries to discipline Helen, Helen gets mad and won't let Annie touch her. This prompts Annie to ask for two weeks alone with Helen in the Kellers' garden house. Once again, after great reluctance, Captain Keller assents. The two weeks pass and Helen still hasn't learned what words mean. Annie asks for more time alone with Helen, but the Kellers refuse and insist on bringing her back into the house. The reader is left wondering what will happen and reads on, awestruck, as Helen begins to make tremendous progress.

Besides educating the public about an important cultural icon, The Miracle Worker also promotes handicap awareness. I believe that this play can be used as a tool to teach children about accepting people with disabilities. As a disabled person myself, I testify to Keller's strength and every time I think of Keller, I am continually reminded at what I have accomplished in life despite tremendous difficulty. I'm sure that anyone who has ever been faced with an unusually tough set of circumstances will cherish this story, regardless of age, sex, or interests. As I said before, it's all about the human spirit -- if Keller's story doesn't inspire you to accomplish more in life, I doubt that anything will.