I first came across this book because I saw an email with the chapter on "Partners and Marriage" circulating on the Web. That chapter was one of the highlights of this book. It was falsely attributed, but a quick search of the Internet revealed its true author.

Its chapters share Nerburn's accumulated insights on life and matters that concern males across generations. The male instinct does not encourage the sharing of many private matters - many fathers are unwilling, or perhaps unable, to discuss these topics with their male heirs. Yet these questions rise up again and again to trouble generation after generation of men.

Nerburn has done us all a favour by addressing this book to all men, young and old. He speaks of matters you wished your father had shared with you. Somewhere inside, there are gems of wisdom that can change your outlook in life.

Like any fatherly advice, some parts do not go down easy. They may sound like words from another era, of someone who's not quite in touch with your generation. But on deeper reflection, they echo a timeless truth, and speak of eternal principles that guide our lives.

A book well-worth your money and time.

This book is extremely well written and very insightful. A great book for any man or any father of a boy. The book is full of wisdom and advice that will provide insight to the reader on how to convey values to their son. It crafts solid explainations to difficult questions that men have throughout life.

The book gives the reader the tools to become a better person and to appreciate other people and life in general. It could be called "the gentle-mans coaching guide". I couldn't put the book down until I finished it and I can't remember the last time that happened.

Hats off to the author for crafting this magnificient work which gets us to stop and think about what is important. That's quite a feat in this "point and click" society.

I first read this book in 1993. My own son was ten and I was grappling with the issues all fathers face when raising a son. I read alot,but this was the first fathering book, the first parenting book whose words leaped off the page and seized me. The author was honest, his words resonated with the integrity of life lived and hard lessons won. Upon finishing the book, I felt liberated and genuinely empowered about being a father. This is not the only book available on fathering a son, but it's the best I've ever come across and I can't recommend it highly enough. And Letters to My Son is not just a book for fathers, like many great books with an abundance of insight and inspiration, readers will find many simple truths on faith, travel, love, sex, aging, God and dying.

Arthur Gordon Pym was a young man who had dreams of great adventure. He defied his family and stowed away on board a whaling ship. Doing this lead him into all sorts of exciting adventures. He confronted things like mutiny, near starvation, and altercations with different cultures.

I'd have to say that this story is "classic Poe". If you are a fan of Poe's short stories, you'll definitely like this book. I only had a few problems with the story. There were times that the story dragged, but this is far outweighed by the times that the story was very exciting, and I couldn't put the book down. I won't go into the ending, but it left me unsettled.

I found that the explanatory notes were very helpful. I'm not a great scholar on any level, nor will I ever claim to be. The explanatory notes were very simple to understand, and it helped me understand portions of the story that caused confusion, particularly the end.

I haven't yet ruled out the possibility that I'm simply an oddball, but I assume every boy goes through a sort of Poe mania at some stage, at least I did. In fact, I got so bad around 5th grade that, having torn through the stories and poems, I was even reading biographies about him. But somehow, even with all of that, I think I had missed this longer work. I'm sorry I did, because while this wildly overstuffed adventure is enjoyable now, I would have really loved it as a kid.

When Arthur Gordon Pym stows away on a whaling ship, he little dreams that he'll encounter tyranny, mutiny, biblical storms, cannibalism, shipwreck...and Poe's just getting warmed up.

I've read that he cobbled together this semi-novel from several shorter pieces he'd written. It has a somewhat uneven feel to it; episodic, even disjointed. And as the episodes are piled one on top of the other it becomes a tad much. But it is always fun, often thrilling, and the mayhem that lurks on the surface guards layer upon layer of allegory and allusion. As you read you find yourself saying, "Hey, Melville borrowed that scene and Jack London got that idea here and Lovecraft cadged this plot..." If you have any doubts about how influential a literary figure Edgar Allan Poe was, this melodramatic masterpiece will put them to rest. More importantly, you'll thoroughly enjoy yourself.

GRADE: A-

A Great Poe Story

"The Narrative of A. Gordon Pym of Nantucket" is a devilish tale about a young sea-loving man by the name of Arthur Gordon Pym. He becomes a stowaway onboard a ship by the name of Grampus. This gravely error causes the mutiny of the Grampus, the stranding of the Grampus at sea, and the death of his friend, Augustus. I believe this story is a wonderful spine-tingling tale by the popular author Edgar Allan Poe. This story would be a wonderful addition to anyone's horror story collection, especially anyone who loves Edgar A. Poe's gruesomely good stories of horror and mystery.

A frenetic, funny & memorable book of short stories about the life & times of Jeremy Theodore Grabowski, the summer the girl next door decides to liberate the women of the world & gets a crush on Jeremy; he gets noticed by the neighborhood bully & his parents think about re-locating to Arizona.

Kevin Carlson's maps of Jeremy's street, yard & room & all his illustrations add delightful images to the crazy stories.

This is one book you'll be reading under the covers in the brightness of your flashlight!

1978 in Stormville, New York finds Jeremy Grabowski wondering if he's going to survive another crazy summer. Absolute frustration with his brother and sister leaves Jeremy wishing that he'd been born an only child. His mother cautions him to be careful what he wishes for. Worse, now he finds out that his family might be moving to Arizona. Jeremy doesn't want to move, even if his dad promises they'll have their own swimming pool. Stormville's a fun place to live, even if a girl likes him, his brother and sister drive him crazy, and the worst bully ever lives just down the road.

Author Richard W. Carlson Jr draws from his own childhood experience of living in Stormville, New York to create JEREMY GRABOWSKI'S CRAZY SUMMER IN STORMVILLE! Written from the perspective of a ten-year-old, this fun tale will be immediately appreciated by that age-range, though the rest of us may have to remember being ten to "get it." But once you've got it, Carlson has a knack for sweeping you away in the madcap adventure with extreme enthusiasm, when living for the moment was the only way to live. Jeremy's friends and family are vividly realized, with political and historical background that will keep adults entertained as well as preteens. JEREMY GRABOWSKI'S CRAZY SUMMER IN STORMVILLE! is highly recommended.

I really enjoy this author's talent for capturing youth at its best. We desperately need more books and authors such as this one to keep our children in good, wholesome, yet enthrawling books. Can't wait to see what else Mr. Carlson has to offer!

A readers first impression of Don't Look and it wont Hurt by Richard Peck, is if you are a teenager, you could identify with the normal problems teenagers do. This is a book of suspense and courage. This is a great book and I encourage you to read it. Claypitts, known as the "Pearl of the Prairie," is where the Patterson's live. Liz the youngest, Carol in the middle, and the oldest is Ellen. Claypitts is the kind of town you drive right through and don't even notice. Even thought it is small it still has its share of problems. Kids using drugs and teenagers getting pregnant. Carol Patterson is a girl in the middle; in the middle of her sisters, in the middle of her adolescence, and in the middle of her families many problems. At Carol's high school her shyness and ragged clothes maker her outcast. When Carol and Liz get together her shyness goes away. They let their imaginations take them places they've never been before. An unexpected turn happens in Carol's life when she finds out her older sister Ellen is pregnant. Through it all Carol changes in a way she has never changed before. Don't Look and it won't hurt; in my opinion is a great book. Anyone could read it even if you aren't the best of readers. It has a satisfying ending which you will love. Don't Look and it Wont Hurt will touch you with its honesty and sensitivity.

"Don't Look And It Wont Hurt" by Richard Peck is a very good book!
It tells about a girl that is very poor and doesn't have many friends and her mom works all the time and she feels very alone.
The book is very good because it is based on a true story and in the book the girl tries to escape her terrible life but she cant it is a very extraordinary book for many readers

I read this book when I was bearly a teenage and fell in love with it. Every teenager goes through the same feelings and worries Carol does about "fitting in". This book helps to show that growing up we all have the same worries and fears, and the only person you have to worry about liking you is you. If you can like who you are, then what everyone else thinks about you is meaningless. It is definitely worth reading. I still have my copy and will pull it out once and a while to read it again. When my children get older, I want them to read it too!

As a non-native English speaker (but a reasonably accomplished journalist and translator) I really looked forward to this book. After all, the excerpts I found online and in the readers' comments were wonderful... Unfortunately, I discovered that the reality of Crazy English is that of a quite "normal" textbook on rethorics. The examples are usually funny, but if you're experienced enough with English you don't really need anyone to explain you again what omophonics and "false friends" are. Oh, and the author really tends to be quite logorrhoic in his drive to show us how many words he does know - sometimes failing miserably with his explanations of Latin origin of words. Interesting, mildly fun but quite a disappointment, really.

Recently I read the book Crazy English by Richard Lederer for a school project. I thought it was a very interesting book and it really did explain why our English language is so crazy. My favorite part of the book was the Tense Times with Verbs secetion. There were very good poems written in this chapter to help explain and give examples of how our language doesn't make sense sometimes. Another good portion of the book is The Sounds of English, it talks about the many different letters that have different sounds and the words that have mute letters, or silent letters. It has a very indepth perspective of many different sounds and why they are spelled and said the way they are. Overall, I thought this was a very educational book and interesting to read.

It's not a text book style book on the dusty history of the English language. Mr. Lederer writes an easy to read (pardon the expression) light hearted look at some of the eccentricities of the English language. Overall, a very enteratining read.

This book lingers long after you've put it down. I find myself returning to certain passages and rereading them often (particularly the jarring conclusion). This book beautifully captures the confusion, fear, longing, loneliness, and uncertainty of the teenage years. Peck introduces the characters and makes you feel as though you know them. We see the events through the eyes of Buck; from his first encounter with Kate at age twelve, to his friendship with her and Trav as they begin to grow up together.

High School is honestly portrayed in this novel, often sarcastically and never sugar-coated. The humor helps soften the alienation that students often feel during this time. As Buck says: "You could yell "Fire" in that school, and most people would think it didn't apply to them." Through this mess, Kate, Trav, and Buck emerged as close friends. There was some hint of rivalry between Trav and Buck for Kate's affections, but never enough to ruin the relationship. They were always there for each other. Nothing could spoil their friendship...or could it?

Most of the reviews and even the back cover of the book give away what happens in the end, but I won't do that here. To dwell on any one event is to ruin the effect of the entire novel as it shows how the events in our lives work together to change us and shape us as we grow into mature adults. Along the way, we find friends who help us on this difficult journey, and that is what this novel is really about: Friendship. Friends who are there to laugh, cry, talk, and listen. As Buck grows, he learns the value of true friendship, and this lesson helps him face the most challenging time of his life.

This book makes me cry every time I read it. It breaks my heart, and it gives me hope. As one character says, "We can't have a community until we are ready to be one," and it's true. But if the characters in this book can learn, maybe we can. So read. Laugh. Cry. Remember the good times in your own life, but look to the future, because "In your memories, it's never raining."

This book lingers long after you've put it down. I find myself returning to certain passages and rereading them often (particularly the jarring conclusion). This book beautifully captures the confusion, fear, longing, loneliness, and uncertainty of the teenage years. Peck introduces the characters and makes you feel as though you know them. We see the events through the eyes of Buck; from his first encounter with Kate at age twelve, to his friendship with her and Trav as they begin to grow up together.

High School is honestly portrayed in this novel, often sarcastically and never sugar-coated. The humor helps soften the alienation that students often feel during this time. As Buck says: "You could yell "Fire" in that school, and most people would think it didn't apply to them." Through this mess, Kate, Trav, and Buck emerged as close friends. There was some hint of rivalry between Trav and Buck for Kate's affections, but never enough to ruin the relationship. They were always there for each other. Nothing could spoil their friendship...or could it?

Most of the reviews and even the back cover of the book give away what happens in the end, but I won't do that here. To dwell on any one event is to ruin the effect of the entire novel as it shows how the events in our lives work together to change us and shape us as we grow into mature adults. Along the way, we find friends who help us on this difficult journey, and that is what this novel is really about: Friendship. Friends who are there to laugh, cry, talk, and listen. As Buck grows, he learns the value of true friendship, and this lesson helps him face the most challenging time of his life.

This book makes me cry every time I read it. It breaks my heart, and it gives me hope. As one character says, "We can't have a community until we are ready to be one," and it's true. But if the characters in this book can learn, maybe we can. So read. Laugh. Cry. Remember the good times in your own life, but look to the future, because "In your memories, it's never raining."

This book is not one of the more popular young adult novels, which is too bad. Remembering the Good Times addresses many important issues that face teens today--stress, academic pressures, friendship, divorce, and suicide.

This book does a great job of educating readers about the warning signs of suicide and the aftermath of this tragedy. It can open teens' eyes to the problems they and their friends can face when a loved one commits suicide.

This is an important book for teenagers and parents to read.

I must preface my comments by explaining that I have Richard Schmitt as a professor in creative writing, so I have no doubt that my comments are biased. However, I feel compelled to urge readers to pick this book up. Schmitt has a knack for characters - picking them up, examining them, and framing them for all to see. He uses the small detail in order to extract a full story. The novel reads as a series of vignettes, each chapter a self-contained story, yet adding to the understanding of the larger journey.

Pick it up, read it. It's great.

Richard Schmitt's moving and mythical tale tells the story of one man's journey to peace and understanding. The amazing thing is that Schmitt takes all of us along for the ride. We come to understand not only the hidden world of the circus, but more, our role in that larger circus we all live: Life. From its rollicking opening to its moving conclusion THE AERIALIST is vividly rendered, funny, heartbreaking in places, and always surprising. The unlikely keeps cropping up and is made inevitable as Schmitt captures perfectly the subtle development of young Gary Ruden and his coming of age through a wide variety of characters, places, and lyrical prose not often seen in a first-time novelist.

THE AERIALIST begins ordinarily enough - with two hapless guys, one who dodges responsibility and the other dying of cancer, taking a joy ride in a car that's obviously a murder scene - but once this novel gets going, it takes an extraordinary leap. Gary joins a circus by whim and by accident, and later pulls his buddy Dave aboard. What they experience there (particularly what Gary, our narrator, does) becomes something both larger and more gritty than a circus show. Schmitt takes his readers through Gary's various jobs in the circus as well as describing a variety of others, giving me the impression, whether false or not, that Schmitt knows his material. From bull prodder to aerialist, Gary becomes the circus with all its quirks and desperate moments, its glitz and its manure, the odd comraderie behind the scenes as well as the machinations that make the audience ooh and aah. Gary and the supporting characters are well-drawn and compelling in their off-beat ways.

This debut is a literary gem. Its originality, well-written prose, and the deftness with which the characters are drawn will assure Richard Schmitt of a solid following.

ABE starts well. Slotkin's portrayal of his early life rings true. The relationship Abe had with his parents and their place in the community sounds very realistic. At this point, I felt Slotkin had a real grasp of what Lincoln might have been like and I was really enjoying this speculative look at the young Abe Lincoln. The trip down the river changed that for me. Slotkin uses Lincoln's flatboat journey down the Mississippi as the basis of Lincoln's eventual political beliefs, but it just doesn't ring true. The journey is one event after another, with social and sexual overtones that intefere with the natural flow of the novel. Eventually, it doesn't even seem that the novel is about Abe Lincoln anymore, but some nameless boy's "journey into manhood along the Mississippi". The best historical fiction gives the reader insight into the characters; this book seems to be trying to make too strong a point, as if it were an actual historical document instead of a picaresque fiction. Like an earlier reviewer, I found this to be less than it could have been.

I will be quite honest, this is a bad book. The research Slotkin did about many of the often ignored events in Lincoln's formative years and the inclusion of some obscure celebrities of the 1830's is impressive, but attempts to connect the two are ridiculous. There is simply no reason to make up a fictional story about Lincoln's upbringing to make it interesting, unusual, and important to his political beliefs. It is thrown together haphazardly and Slotkin's attempts to occasionally use the vernacular (without rhyme or reason all of the characters and even the narrator go in and out of their unique dialects)do not help the story flow or add anything to the novel. Basically it seems that Slotkin is trying to take elements from Huck Finn, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and The Bible, stir them up and add a little sexual scandal to sell a book. It does not work and really makes for a disappointing read. I think historical novels about famous leaders are great, but there should be a thesis the author goes on to prove in it and the later part of that equation is sorely lacking here--Slotkin wants to show that Lincoln's trip down the Mississippi influenced Lincoln's future politics, but he never really demonstrates it even though he was free to make up any dialogue and events he liked in order to do it. Slotkin tried to do many things with this book, and I appreciate the effort, but it just does not work and going against the general feeling of most reviewers on Amazon, I cannot recommend this to anyone unless it all you have available to read.

After the "Lost Years" that preceded the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, the life of the young Abraham Lincoln is one of the great biographical mysteries. How did a boy, born in a log cabin to poor, uneducated dirt farmer become arguably the most important figure in the nation's history? The prominence of this position is based on my belief that no other American living during the time of the Civil War could have preserved the Union. But it is hard to reconcile the author of the rhetorical eloquence of "The Gettysburg Address" and "The Second Inaugural," both of which are carved into the walls of the Lincoln Memorial, with the young boy trying to learn to read by candlelight out on the American frontier.

What little is known of the young Lincoln serves as the narrative framework for "Abe: A Novel of the Young Lincoln." As he explains in his afterword, author Richard Slotkin has taken some liberties with events (he combines Lincoln's two raft trips down the Mississippi into one) and people (Lincoln crosses paths with several prominent people he probably never met). Slotkin is interested in explaining "how a man raised as a 'normal' nineteenth century racist was able to transcend the limitations of his culture." Having authored several books on the American frontier of the 19th century, Slotkin uses that background to select various true stories and add Lincoln to their telling. Readers will see a strong but ironic parallel to Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," which I am sure was intentional on Slotkin's part.

The strength of "Abe" is how Slotkin slowly has the pieces come together for the Lincoln that would preserve the Union. There is a moment relatively early on in the novel where Lincoln gets the hang of telling a story and of making a point "sideways." It is watching the young Lincoln try to make sense of the world around him, not just the issue of slavery but his strained relationship with his father, the nature of republican government, the mystery of women, and how to navigate the Mississippi River, that this novel becomes captivating. The portrait of Lincoln's parents has a resonance beyond what you can find in a Lincoln biography and Slotkin totally captures life on the frontier of Kentucky, Indiana and Elanoy.

This is obviously a work of fiction, so it is not the true story of young Abe Lincoln, but it has the feel of a real story. Certainly Slotkin can be forgiven historical liberties taken in the pursuit of a better understanding of the creation of the nation's most important political figure. Following his assassination, Lincoln, the most vilified President in the nation's history to be sure, was deified as a martyred saint. Slotkin creates a memorable portrait of Lincoln, at the time when the idea first entered his head that his goal in life was to find a part to play, and a stage to play it on. In the end, Slotkin creates a slight but significant gap in his narrative, signifying that the final chapters have caught up with the historical Lincoln (certainly more than the rest of the book). By that point, I think most readers will be willing to agree that he has achieved his goal and told a convincing tale of how Abe became Lincoln.

I like this book 'Stays Like Us' because it's about two kis, a boy and a girl, that have the same problem and become friends over that problem. I also like the book because the girl was tough, which you don't really see, and thought she knew everything but found out you can't know everything. One thing I didn't like about the book is the girl was a little too tough, like she fell out of a tree and didn't get hurt.

My favorite part of the book was when Emma, the girl, was in the bathroom and a short boy, who was in her grade, was in there too. Emma beat him up and a teacher came in and took them to the office.

The most vivid story elements would have to be setting and conflict. The setting was vivid because the girl kept talking about what she hated about the town where she was. the conflict was vivid because Emma kept wondering when her mom would come back an get her, which never happened.

Strays Like Us by Richard Peck is a fictional story about a girl name Molly Moberly. Molly is a 12-year-girl sent to live with her Aunt Fay in a small Missouri town while her mtoher is in the hospital. Aunt Fay, a distant relative, is Molly's only family. Aunt Fay works hard all over town as a home nurse. Molly waits for her mom everyday to come back. Molly is a pretty good artist but she only draws pictures of Debbie, her absent mother. She meets a boy named Will McKinney, who lives with his grandparents next door. Will tells Molly that they are two strays living with relatives. The McKinney's have a secret that will change Will's family dramatically.

School starts, and Molly has to enroll because her mom has not came back for her yet. Not making any friends, Molly meets a home-schooled girl named Tracy at the public library. Everything is so perfect. Molly thinks that it would be cool to have a girl as a friend until Tracy invites her over and Molly realizes that she is not accepted in Tracy's world. Others, including her teachers, try to take Molly out of her shell but they fail in doing that. When Molly learns the terrible truth about her mother, the dramatic experience will change her forever. This book will keep you turning the pages at the edge of your seat. Molly and Will are Strays Like Us in this unraveling five star novel recommended for everyone!!
By: Ariel, Camille, Kristen, and Stefanie
Ms. Malone's 7th grade reading class!

I have read a lot of books; three or four a week for the last 20 years. Many many of them have been very good. Few, however, are written as well as this one. Richard Peck is a fine author. I believe this may be his best book.

It is not a long story, I read it in just a few hours. The depth of character development in this book is amazing, though. Also, Peck chooses his words so well. Many times I found myself thinking, "My this is good!" I wish I could write that way.

What I find most interesting, however, is Peck's use of punctuation marks - or lack of it. About halfway through the book, I realized that he never used exclamation points. Oh, he did one or two times for a minor character, but never, not once, for the main character, Molly. Not during the fight. Not at the McKinney's on Thanksgiving Day. Not when she found out about her mother. Never once. Read the book with that in mind and notice how well it fits the story.

Highly recommended. I am buying a personal copy of this book now.

worse than revisionist history, this book tries to dress up the "big lie" from the christian right and make it look presentable and scholarly. but a lie is still a lie. this nation was founded and our freedoms established in spite of the pernicious, oppressive, and brutal traditions of the christian religion. christianity has inspired intolerance, the inquisition, and witch burning. when in christianity's long history did it ever inspire freedom of speech or freedom of religion or freedom of thought?

This is a very interesting and useful read. Mr. Amos cut quickly to the core issues, presented both sides, supported his arguments with undeniable facts, exposed the mythology of false viewpoints, and did it with an admirably informed understanding of both history and theology.

It is very sad that many of his critics choose to merely spew ad hominem attacks and perpetuate myths without even responding to the specific arguments that Mr. Amos makes. I guess that the truth hurts. More Americans need to understand that those who hate the absolute truth of Christianity do not fight fairly. Consequently, they misrepresent world history in order to blame Christianity itself for the abuses of the heretical Pre-Reformation church hierarchy, failing to note that true Christianity was what Luther, Knox, and others demonstrated in beginning to liberate individuals to find God, truth, freedom, and, eventually, a new land in which to boldly enact and protect the very truths of God's word. The enlightened Bible-based renaissance that is the legacy of Luther was carried into practice by men such as Washington, Jefferson and Adams. This is the untold story for which Mr. Amos deserves great thanks.

Well done, friend. Agape, grace, and peace to you.

Today's secular world view teaches us half-truths as to America's founding. Our Declaration of Independence, Constitution and even the Founding Fathers themselves are called or are alluded to as being "Godless." Nothing could be further from the truth. I read this book and now know just how profound Christianity's impact was on this early period in America's history. This information should have been taught to me decades ago. It needs to be taught today. Today's rush to remove religion from the classroom has also eliminated even the teaching of "historical" facts. Who we are as a nation is detailed exquisitely in this book, going back to Martin Luther, and tracing Christianity's profound impact on the thinking and founding documents which all peoples of all races and religions enjoy today in this nation. Don't cheat yourself another day, buy this book, read it, and pass it along so the whole history of America's beginning can be known. It's time to get back to basics in this country...this book will help you get there!