A friend gave me this book to read, and I must say it was the best thing I've ever read. From the beginning to the end. You just become one the Anne. I felt like I was the one going through all the her ups and downs in a extremely predijuce town. With the way some took to her and others didn't hesitate to let her know how they felt. Knowing how true it was and still is about peoples feelings of what was then called half-breeds. Anne was so strong and brave and always wanting to do what was right. Taking in Chuck and Ethel when their mother died. Knowing they'd never have the chance to advance if she didn't. The story is well written and very captivating. I was a little let down at the end. I would have loved to see what else happened - the ajustments Chuck and Ethel had to make, and much more about Anne and Fred's love for each other. I was hoping there would be a sequeal. Once finished with the book. I read the last six chapters again before giving it back to my friend. Then went right out and bought it for myself.

I met Anne Hobbs Purdy in Junior High School. Her story captured my imagination and still does to this day. I have read Tisha many times and every reading captures my heart. Her courage to stand for what she believed to be right in the face of opposition, is a lesson that carries through almost 80 years later. Alaska, seen through her eyes, is a place of incredible beauty and harsh reality. Even though I wanted to crawl into the pages and do battle with some of the characters, they also earned my grudging respect. Anne's will power, strength of heart, and sheer determination to do what she knew was right, made her a formidable force. The book I own is a treasured possession, signed for my father. She writes, "Happy landings from the Land of the Midnite Sun, Yellow Gold, and Determined mosquitoes." A must read book!

I teach high school literature in a suburban school in the midwest. I bought Tisha for my daughter, then read it myself. It is a captivating read. There are few "challenges" for even students who read slowly, yet the story and heroics are attractive even to sophisticated readers. For years, I have offered "extra credit" to students who will read a novel of my selection over Chirstmas. In recent years, I offered books by Farley Mowat and The Catcher in the Rye. Kids usually have great intentions, take books, but return from the holliday having not finished the book. Usually I would have about 10 out of 25 who finished the book/s and liked it. This year I gave out Tisha. 35 out of 50 finished it. I had trouble getting the books back because kids had given them to their parents to read.

Created from the popular "Discussions on Youth" series in the World Tribune (America's premier weekly Buddhist newspaper), this new book by Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International, is an excellent collection of Ikeda's responses to the questions of today's young people.

"The Way of Youth - Buddhist Common Sense for Handling Life's Questions" includes topics such as how to build confidence and character, learning to respect both yourself and those around you, developing lasting happiness from within, dealing with peer pressure and ways to contribute to a happy, free and peaceful society.

Although Dr. Ikeda is the current leader of the world's largest Buddhist organization, this book is written for a general audience and will appeal to both teens and parents regardless of their religious background.

As Arun Gandhi, grandson and founding director of the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence recently said - "The Way of Youth is an outstanding guide to humanity. I recommend it to all who seek self-improvement."

Educator, philosopher, and spiritual leader Daisaku Ikeda presents a wonderfully accessible approach to the timeless wisdom of Buddhism and its relevance to the problems and conditions of today's young people. Ikeda's The Way Of Youth: Buddhist Common Sense For Handling Life's Questions shows the reader how to flourish as a young person in the world today; how to build confidence and character in a modern society; learn to live with respect for oneself and others; how to contribute to a positive, free and peaceful society; and find true personal happiness. The Way Of Youth is a superb contribution to Buddhist "life style" literature and is especially recommended to teenage and young adult readers.

This book is an excellent collection of Buddhist responses to the questions of today's young people. "The Way of Youth" includes topics like building confidence, respecting yourself and others, developing happiness from within, dealing with peer pressure and contributing to a peaceful world. The book is written for a general audience and I believe it appeals to both teens and parents regardless of their religious beliefs. I also highly recommend a book called "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom" by a young Buddhist author named Taro Gold. Excellent!

Like it or not, everyone who lives long enough is sooner or later going to become disabled. Read about it here and now from a brilliant writer and extraordinary person. Mr. Hockenberry covers every aspect of disability, from sensitive descriptions of his feelings about his body, to the horrendous insensitivity with which many so-called able-bodied folk react to him, to vital discussions about the social injustices perpetrated on disabled people at every turn. All this and more is woven into a tale about the amazing world of a courageous, iconoclastic, humorous, and outrageous individual who lives a very exciting life. Thanks, John, for one terrific read, with a hundred or more important messages for all of us.

Hockenberry doesn't really need more people to tell him how good his book is. However, he does need a person considered to have a disability (Deaf) to tell him--Great JOB! And to recommend to all those undergoing the process of learning to deal with a disability and grieving over loss of abilities, to read this book. It will help significantly. He learned in a shorter period of time, and had a significantly better outlook on his new disablement. He also brings up the fact that sometimes the obstacles placed in our way are of our own making. The Americans with Disabilities Act is not going to solve all of our problems...and as a country we are lucky to have it. But many of those problems won't be fixed until we the Deaf and the disabled get off our collective butts (excuse the pun) and do something about it. This means becoming active politically and otherwise. Mr. Hockenberry needs to write a followup since his career has gone in different routes now...and we see him more often on television. How has this newfound fame added or detracted from his life? I didn't always agree with him...I too have worked with mentally disabled adults, and sometimes found his attitude shocking, though I think he was merely very young at the time. But I am recommending this book to my students, to people I work with who are disabled, to my computer group (the SayWhatClub--we all say 'what') and anyone else I can think of. Ok Mr. Hockenberry, get busy writing the sequel! Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

First book I've ever read that I feel compelled to recommend as a MUST READ for everyone. It's extremely eye-opening (at least to this reader) on the subjects of physical limits, our relationship to our physical selves, and even the meaning of life. You don't need a spinal-cord injury to appreciate Hockenberry's perspective on friends, family, work, American society, or journalism. This book is intelligent, reflective, funny, tragic, introspective, and, as far as I can tell, brutally honest. When John Hockenberry is the lens, the photo is exquisite

Legendary flying ace Chuck Yeager has put on paper not only his life, but his amazing character as well.

Since I was a child I was told the stories of Chuck Yeager by my brothers.One of whom was an aviator himself, and was in awe of this man.

When I read his autobiography, which is definitely one of the best books I've ever read, I felt a new kind of respect for the man. A man who was never given a college education, yet managed to be one of the greatest aviators and men in history. He overcame the odds more than a few times.

What touched me most about this book was it's honesty.He never embellishes the truth, and tells it like it is, always. The book may not be the best articulated book in history, but that is because that is not Chuck's way.

He recounts all the major events in aviation history with a style that reveals his passion, and his determination that if you are going to do something, do it right.Eloquently put by Chuck, do it balls out.

I most enjoyed his manner in the book, fun loving without losing sight of himself, his demeanour is that of a mischievous brother who'll stand up for what he believes in, no matter what.

This man is a role model and one of the world's finest heroes. Read the book and meet the man.

The word around the campfire is that Chuck Yeager is real SOB. Fortunately, I heard this long after I'd read this book and decided he was anything but. I still question this "SOB" assessment. General Yeager signs books, answers fan mail and cracks great jokes. This is the Chuck Yeager that comes across in the pages of this book, which is undoubtedly one of the best aviation yarns ever written.

Yeager had a way of being at the right place at the right time. Those places and times form the heart of this book, and the heart of the golden age of aviation itself. If there is a person most qualified to tell the story of how America transitioned from piston-fired aircraft into the supersonic jet age, Chuck is that person. Told in a loose, casual manner, the story whizzes along at mach speed, slowing only to allow "other voices" (friends, family, comrades) to further illustrate Chuck's highly adventurous life.

The book can be very funny, as when Yeager describes "topping" a tree with his WWII trainer's wingtip; it can be suspenseful, as when Yeager and others describe his nearly fatal flight beyond Mach 2. And the book can be sad, as when he illustrates the dangers of flight testing by revealing that streets at Edwards Air Force Base were named after fallen test pilots. Of course, it's all old news now - some of the lore has even decayed into clichés. But the magic of this book is that the moment you pick it up and start reading, it all seems new again.

Yeager bashers always seem to miss what this book hits on so well; it's not the things he did, it's the way he did them. This isn't the story of a war ace turned arrogant test pilot; this is the story of a country boy who inadvertently made a name for himself merely by doing what came naturally to him. We should all be so lucky.

Yeager is an amazing man, and this is an amazing book. It opens with a 'hook', an exciting passage from flying the X-1 that leaves you hanging and entices you to read the book. But once you get into it, no literary techniques are needed to keep you reading. He is just an amazing man, ergo, so is this autobiography.

The sections on his childhood are mercifully short; no one is reading the book to know what he did as a child. The WWII fighter pilot sections were a very pleasant suprise. I knew he was an ace, but I didn't know about his escape through France when he was downed, or about how he became an ace-in-a-day.

The sections on the breaking the sound barrier are just filled with details, insight, and excitement. This is the best part of the book.

The latter sections of the book continue with his exploits in Germany, Korea, Vietnam, and space school are interesting. The book tales off a little at the end with his description of Pakistan, but even this boring chapter is more exciting than most people's lives (so who am I to criticize!)

You won't be sorry...this is a great read.

The story takes place in North Korea in the city named Pyung-Yang in the town of Kirimni. The Japanese occupied Korea during World War II. The story deals with issues like liberty and freedom. Kisa and Aunt Tiger are killed by the Japanese army thinking they were traitors. The family tries to escape the to South but are caught many times and are punished every time.
As soon as the Japanese left, the Russians conquered and the family once again are under oppression. Sookan, the ten year old girl along with her brother Inchun, runaway to the South and are reunited with their father. The book Year of Impossible Goodbyes talks about many Universal Human Concerns like, Liberty and Freedom which the author shows and explaines. I highly recommend this book for it's multicultural richness.

Have you ever thought about freedom? What you ever thought about when your next meal would come? Have you ever thought about living under oppression? Living in today's world, there are many that live under fear and oppression. This is exactly what a ten-year old Korean girl Sookan is going through. She lived during the 1940's under Japanese military rule. What we take for granted today were rare commodities at the time.
I would highly recommend this book for the study of oppression and freedom in the time of war. This story although fiction really did happen in our history and is interesting to read. This story happened during World War II. However, because of what happened in the Western world, all the bad effects in Asia are almost ignored. We tend to study only our history, but there was more damage done to the rest of the world other than the Western and European countries.
One of the main universal concerns in this story is freedom. Although living in the U.S, everyone wants freedom. But what is truly freedom. Not wanting to clean our bedroom, is that freedom? Is wishing to speak your mind out loud a freedom? One of the most powerful quotes that rivet the heart is on page 164 when Sookan and her brother are trying to escape " It wasn't worth hiding anymore. It was now or never. We could see the fence..." Life and death was not a question when freedom was at hand. Many people go to great distance for freedom. This book is the best place to find it.
This book can tie into history and Language arts as the book touches all bases of humanity and survival. It is appropriate for sixth grade and up.

I had to read this book for a college Children's Literature class and loved it! My father served in the Korean war but I never knew much about all that happened during this tumultuous time. Sook Nyul Choi does a superb job of transferring the reader back to Pyongyang, North Korea. You feel like you are there watching the chaos hit, as if it was your own family. It is one of the best books that I have ever read and makes me want to read more about Korea and it's people. I would recommend this book to children and adults. Teachers this is a must and a great way to teach Korean War history. The student's will always remember this book!

Dear Future Reader of this book,
J.W.C. is a brave and talented young girl. She is the person who starts of the one last wish series. So before you read any other o.l.w. books read this book first.
Jenny is a 16 year old girl who is really sick. During her time of sickness Jenny finds the true meaning of love, laughter, Friendship, and family. Read, see, and feel Jenny's legacy through the eyes of Jenny's only love Richard. I hope yopu enjoy this book as much as I did.
The true gift is in giving not recieving. Always remember that.
Your forever friend,
J.W.C.

Finally,the mysterious JWC revealed! I always wondered who she was,so I was thrilled to get my hands on this book. It was marvelous that Jenny wanted to make a difference in other sick kids' lives. This book also showed how much friendship and love can help people, sick or well. The ending was poignant. However, I wonder what happened to Kimbra.Did she live or die? Despite this little mystery,I still loved this book. Everyone,young and old,should read it. It proves that teens can make great differences in the world. A little warning:don't read Please Don't Die first,or else it'll spoil the ending. Now,buy it from Amazon.com and enjoy!

Hmmm... How should I start??? Well, I really like this book. It has to be in my top 5 favorite Lurlene books. Jenny was always in love with Richard, and the same goes with Richard. Then, Jenny came down with leukemia, and she tries her hardest to fight this illness. When Jenny became sick, Richard finally found out he couldn't live without her because he truly cared for her. (Sniffs...) Then Jenny goes into remission, but then gets sick again. Soon enough, she made it through the New Year, but died. Later, Richard went to the cave where the two of them use to hang out with each other when they were younger. It brought a lot of memories back to him, and he found a gift Jenny left for him months ago. This book left me so emotional. I recommend you to read it.

This was really a great book. It had a interesting plot. It lagged only once when Frances,the oldest,did something for her job requering going on the streets. I thought it was page turrning when the children were being seperated. I liked the fact that the charicters were going through such in intence situation that i could never relate. I will warn you that I think the book "stops short". I wouldn't let that stop you from reading it. Infact I read it in the car dispite the fact it made me car sick. I recomened this to anyone who likes books on slavery or the west. I congradulate Joan Lowery Nixion on a job well done!

I thought that A FAMILY APART was a really good book. It helped me to understand what a poor teenager's life was like in the mid 1800's. The story was mainly about a thirteen year old girl named Frances, who lived with her mother and five siblings in New York. After Frances' father died, the family lived in poverty. The mother worked at all hours of the day to support her family. Therefore,she never had time to properly care for her six children, so she sent them on an orphan train to St. Joseph's, Missouri to live with farm families who could feed them and care for them. The children were very upset to leave their mother. They were upset because they would be separated from their brothers and sisters also. Frances did however get placed in a home with her six year old brother, Petey. Frances learned to cope with, and love her new family. Frances had some very exciting adventures while she was living with her new family in Missouri. This book helps the reader understand love, sacrifice and trust. If I were you, I'd sacrifice a little bit of time to read A FAMILY APART.

I thought that this novel was extremely well written. I actually did some research about orphan trains and I could tell that Nixon didn't just dream up the orphan train riders lifestyles. I think that Frances Mary Kelly (the main character) was very lucky to have a mother and a shelter. Most poor children at that time didn't have parents or a shelter. Until Charles Loring Brace founded the Children's Aid Society in 1853, children were living on the streets making their living as pick-pockets. He established the orphan trains to send homeless children west to find new families. In my educated opinion, I think that this book is great for a historical fiction report and also a good curl-up-with kind of book.

Having never seen the anime, my perspective on the book is probably different from the average reader. Upon first reading, I found Volume 1 to have a relatively simple plot hiding behind the complex scenes and characterizations. Perhaps this is the beauty of Evangelion: it seems so difficult to understand, but at the most basic level it's just another case of humanity trying to preserve itself. And yet this series presents the classic dilemma with such a unique twist.

Shinji obviously has some major issues, and with a father like Gendo Ikari, it's understandable. The tension between father and son is so strong; in fact the interactions/conflicts between all the human characters provide a quiet turbulence throughout the story.

One complaint, however: Evangelion is Sadamoto's first full-length manga, and it shows. Although most of the artwork is certainly up to par, the fight scenes between the evangelion and the angel in Vol. 1 were difficult to follow. Perhaps for someone who had seen the anime, this would be not so much of a problem, but since I'm not too familiar with the Who's-Who of Big Honkin' Robots, I couldn't always figure out who was hitting who. Otherwise, Neon Genesis Evangelion is an excellent story and highly recommended for those who like something that's stretch their minds.

This is the start of a totally great manga and anime series. If u are serious about your manga's and anime's, I seriously suggest u read Neon Genesis Evangelion. It is about a 14-yr-old boy in the future who has never know his father and his mother is dead and he is living with his aunt and uncle. Suddenly out of nowhere, he gets a postcard from his dad saying that he needs him. He goes to the place to were he needs to meet him. Thinking to himself y his father, after so many years, needs him and for wut reason. I don't want to waste the rest of the story, because that is when u come in. Humor (tones of it!), romance (some), action (u can say that again),... Hope this helps! ^_^

Neon Genesis Evangelion:
If you like sadness, comedy, really cool robots, high-quality drawings and very good characters, this is the series for you!
The story: Shinji Ikari is summoned to NERV headquarters, a research organization. When he arrives, he finds out he has to run one of the robots, Unit- 01, to protect the city from monsters they call "Angels".
The main reason I liked this series is because the characters are really great. When I read a book, and the characters stink, I really don't get much out of it. When, like in Neon Genesis Evangelion, the characters are great, it really makes the story better.
There are 6 volumes in this series, so far. It isn't finished yet. I want the next to come out so badly!
This is a series that you should definitely consider buying.

As a child, I read this deliciously chilling book over and over, and it caused me never to look at lawn-ornament reflecting balls in the same way again. As an adult, I checked Jane-Emily out of the library a few years ago to see whether it was as good as I'd remembered, and surprisingly, it still gave me goosebumps!

I'm disappointed now to see that Jane-Emily is out of print, so that I will have trouble finding a copy to share with my children. The story, with a little bit of historical detail, a little bit of romance and coming of age, and a whole lot of things that go bump in the night, is definitely worth a reprint!

I owned and read this book years ago, but it got ruined. I liked it a lot, because I've been looking for it for years. I recall that it had me on the edge of my chair. It's full of suspense, mystery, and the supernatural, and I'm hoping Amazon.com can find it for me so I get to read it again!

I loved this book so much that I've read it four times! It's so nice because there is so many things that you will love, the characters, the plot, the things that happen, the romance, and the choice of words that this wonderful author has put into her story. I have read this book and still lots of things still remain in my head: like the reflecting ball, the pansies, the ruined dress, the melted doll, and the night of when Emily was "pushed back to her world" I should say. This is a wonderful book and thankfully it is still at my library. :) I love this book SO much that it is my favorite! I really suggest looking into this book (sincerly) and reading it.

Thunder cave is a very good book to read. the reading level is 4.4 but it is not that bad. the story takes place in Kenya, Africa. the main characters in the books are Jacob,Robert,supeet, and donavan. this book talks about how you can live in Kenya without a grown up.

Thunder Cave is one the best books I have ever read. It's all about elephants, the Masai people, and poachers. When Jake's mom dies, Jake secretly goes to Kenya on a wild adventure to see his father who works in Kenya. On his way, Jake meets Supeet, a Masai boy who's trying to bring back the Masai people and the heavy rains. Jake finally finds his father, and they move to New York.

I think Thunder cave is the best book I have ever read. I like all the adventure. In the book, Jake (the main character) finds out that his mom has been injured in a car accident, later Jake's mom (Beth) die's. So he sets out on a trip to Kenya, Africa to find his father that he hasen't seen in a long time. If you like mystery, adventure, and suspence then you will LOVE this book!!!!