What a refreshing surprise to discover that Noah Webster, the father of our dictionary, was such a devote man of God! The only down side to his story in shaping American education by biblical standards is how far we have fallen from these lofty heights. Could you imagine Mr. Webster walking into one of our modern 'Government training camps'? (called public schools!) He'd call for a second revolution! Any mention of the bible today in our schools is taboo and strictly prohibited. Most of our educators come from a humanistic background that rejects the absolute and denies that God even exists. It's no wonder the crime rate among our youth is astronomical and immorality at epidemic levels. With our churches compromised and the truth fallen in the streets, what are the young people to do but drown in this sea of iniquity. Our nation has gone from being firmly grounded in the principles of Christianity to absolute chaos. I urge every parent to learn from our forefathers, withdraw your children from these decadent schools and get them focused on the things above before it's eternally too late.
Webster may not have been a clergyman of his time, but his grasp of Scripture is above and beyond MOST preachers of our day. On the issues of saving faith, heart purity and rightness of life, he is light years ahead of our modern pulpit parrots. Today men stand in pulpits and tell people they can deny Christ & He won't deny them, that they can live like the devil and still inherit the Kingdom and even blow their brains out! Webster would call them reprobates and indeed be speaking the truth. His lessons are timeless, based on God's Word, not men's opinions. It would behoove any young person to take them to heart and ensure their entrance into the eternal kingdom.

"Struggle and Love: 1972-1997, From the Gary Convention to the Aftermath of the Million Man March" is the sixteenth and final volume in the Milestones in Black American History series. Actually this volume covers milestones from Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm announcing her bid for the presidency in January 1972 and ends with the death of Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown in an airplane crash over Croatia in April 1996. Mary Hull covers a lot of ground in seven chapters.

(1) "Unity Without Uniformity" looks at the convention in Gary, Indiana in 1972 when eight thousand African-Americans delegates with diverse political goals. While they failed to crate a new black political party, let alone a single black political agenda, they were able to create a sense that "All things are possible." (2) "Mixing Southie and Roxbury" examines the forced integration in Boston that began in the fall of 1974 with the busing of students. (3) "To Get Beyond Racism" focuses on the issue of affirmative action, begun during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and challenged by the 1978 Bakke decision that ruled the policy was essentially reverse discrimination. (4) "Rolling Up Their Sleeves" looks at the political success of blacks, from Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition campaign for the presidency to the election of L. Douglas Wilder as governor of Virginia and Carol Mosley Braun to the U.S. Senate. (5) "From 'Roots' to Rap" looks at how African-Americans have transformed the culture of the country from Toni Morrison winning the Nobel prize for literature to Michael Jordan becoming the most famous athlete on the planet. (6) "Criminal Justice" contrasts the "Scottsboro Boys" being found innocent 45 years after their convictions with the Rodney King riots and the O.J. Simpson trial. (7) "Putting the Chain Back Together" looks at the Million Man March in October of 1995 conceived by Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan as a fitting counterpart to the Gary Convention of the opening chapter.

Hull's focus in this volume is on the struggle for leadership and focus among African Americans who have to deal with the desire to build consensus and the necessity of accepting the diversity of black politics. In that regard, the "Unity Without Uniformity" slogan popularized at the Gary Convention holds true. By taking more of an issue-oriented approach than a standard chronology, Hull is able to focus on important themes that establish the current concerns of African Americans. This is certainly appropriate because once you get to the present you are no longer dealing with history, but rather with politics. "Struggle and Love" is illustrated with black & white photographs and underscores that during this period, more so than anytime before, blacks in the United States are able to set their own agendas, cognizant of the cultural and economic problems that continue to exist.

This book is about a man named Gary Paulsen and all of the dogs he has owned that have had an effect on his life. Each chapter is about a different dog, and what it did to make the dog special to Gary.
Because I am a "dog lover" I thought this book was great. It is written very well and I think it was worth reading. I like how it is about all different kinds of dogs, each dog has different personality and a different story. It's pretty exciting to read because you're always wondering what the next dog is going to do, whether it is saving someone's life or just making someone smile. Until you read My Life In Dog Years you probably won't realise the impact our pets or animals can have on our lives. There is an amazing relationship that we have with our pets and this book captures that.
I recommend My Life In Dog Years to only people who truly love dogs. If you are not a "dog person" then I highly doubt you would enjoy this book. My Life In Dogs Years is written at a 6th grade level, but it is read by all different ages. It is a great book and if you love dogs then I guarantee you will love this book.

Gary Paulsen has owned many great dogs over the years, and each dog has its own special characteristics and abilities, in their own special way. Throughout the book, different dogs help, protect, and make Paulsen laugh during his bad times. Among some of the dogs were Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball his favorite friend that he owned as a little boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting dog, who would never follow Paulsen home. Instead he would wait until the next day when Paulsen went to hunt, and he would be right by his side. One of my favorite parts of the book was the little twist about where Ike was always going, and why he didn't follow Paulsen home. Dirk was Paulsens K-9 bodyguard. Although he was small, don't let him fool you, he would take on any challenge that would lye in his path. Josh is a brilliant Border collie that Paulsen still owns to this day. Josh was more human than dog. When Paulsen would talk to him, he would not only listen, but in a way he would talk back. Josh has great talent, and is always watching out for everyone. My Life in Dog Years is definitely a five-star book. Paulsen used great imagery that you can relate to in your own life experiences. It was the perfect length book, that was not to long, not too short. It was a very detailed book that made you want to keep reading until you were finished. This book will make you laugh and make you cry. My favorite dog was probably Josh because of how smart he is, and how fast that learns things. All of the dogs were great companions, and had a close relationship with Paulsen. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs, or is just looking for a good read.

This is a really great book. The dogs in the book are all really interesting in their own way. It made me sad when each chapter came to an end. I got to know each dog Gary Paulsen had, and had a lot of fun.I especially liked Josh, the last and smartest dog. This is a funny read. If you like dogs, you'll love this book!

This is the best book I have read for awhile. It tells about Carl and his cousin taking a journey through the woods. They were after a fox. They get lost on the way home and a storm is coming. They find a shack and knock on the door. The foxman answered the door and the boys seen his hideous face before he could grab his mask. The boys leave the next mourning but Carl's cousin keeps going back to find out more about the foxman. What I enjoyed most about the book was the author kept, well, when I was tired of reading I didn't want to put the book down. This is a great book. You have to read it.

A fifteen-year-old boy has been putting up with the hazards of his drunken parents for some time now. After a certain event happens as a result of them being drunk, the boy is ordered by the court to go live with his family in the cold woods of Minnesota until he can come back home.

While staying with his new family, the boy will see what it's like to do some pretty tough chores, he'll hear many unfunny war stories, and try to fit in with the people he now has to share a house with. But all of those things pale in comparison to meeting and befriending the Foxman. This 'Foxman' isn't your typical, everyday person; something bad happened to him years ago, and he doesn't choose to be anywhere near society, but there's something about the boy's company that changes him.

"The Foxman" is a GRIPPING story, to say the least! The author, Gary Paulsen has had countless experiences of what it's like to live in the north amongst the woods and wildlife, and you can definitely see it when you read many of his books. I must say, it is beyond me as to why "The Foxman" wasn't a Newbery Honor Book. It's much better than The Winter Room, which did win the great honor, and it's a downright classic in my book!

Gary Paulsen has a natural gift of writing in a way as to provide imagery from start to finish in his works. While you're reading "The Foxman", you will be devoured into the story and after you read so far, you'll almost feel like you're actually a part of the story. Let me give you a fair warning right now, once you begin reading THIS book, you will not want to put it down until you finish it. Another great thing about the book is that its characters are very interesting; you'll grow attached to the two main characters before you know it.

"The Foxman" is a great, adventurous book about friendship, troubles, and life in the northern woods. If you're a fan of books of those kinds, you can't afford to NOT purchase this one! I've read a bunch of Gary Paulsen's books (I just counted 16 from memory), and I'd put "The Foxman" right up there with the likes of "Hatchet", "Dogsong", and "The Island". It just might be one of the most underrated books there are.

Are you looking for an action packed book? Well, if you are, you should read this novel. The story takes place on a Wisconsin farm. Carl is the protagonist. He is a very nice, caring person. His main conflict is his parents. They have a drinking problem, and that's how he got to live on the farm. The police made him live there with his relatives. While Carl lives on the farm, he finds out a lot about the wilderness and hunting. One day his cousin and he were out hunting, when a snowstorm was coming. They were too far away from home, to return safely, so they decided to camp through the snowstorm. When Carl stood up on a rock to see if he could find a good place to camp, he saw a house. The house belonged to the Foxman, and after he went there once, Care couldn't stop going, because he was so curious. I enjoyed this book because it was a mixture of comedy, excitement, high interest and sadness. SO, if you're looking for a good book, this is one to read!

This book is the best role-playing book I have ever read. Except for maybe the sequels. Not only is it a choose your own adventure book, but it's one that's written with a good enough plot to be a regular novel. You can develop your charachter and use skills and items in later books. I've read Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and I would say that this book and all the ones after it rank right up there with them. I recommend this book and all the sequels for anyone who likes role-playing and/or sci-fi.

I've read a lot of gaming books, and I must say that Lone Wolf is the best series of all time. It allows for character advancement and there is a cohesive story that carries throughout the series. It keeps you excited and I must say that I was happy when I had an opportunity to use an item in the ninth book that I had gotten in the first! The fighting is decently realistic and the skill development carries from one book to the next. Even the artwork is great. A choose your own adventure book is never as good as real honest role-playing, but if you're going to read one, this is it. I'd rate it an eleven if they let me.

When I started reading the Lone Wolf series I was instantly hooked up. I really like role playing game books when i was around 10. I'm 17 and i still read the books written by Joe. He's one of my idols!! Because the book have stopped being sent to my local book store in Malaysia, i've only been able to read up to book 16. But when i'm bored I pick up book 1-16 and read away.!!!

I had to read Nightjohn for school and it was a truly fabulous book. Gary Paulsen did a great job crafting this. The book is about 12 year old slave Sarny, that lives on a plantation with her caretaker Mammy. One day the mean old master buys a slave named John. Sarny makes a deal with John that she will give him tobacco if he will teach her to read and write. This he does. She learns letters and them spells a word. The master finds her writing and whips Mammy and cuts off two of John's toes.

This is a great book for black history month and a great book to read all year round. I highly reccomend this book for a lover of slave fiction, Gary Paulsen, or a great read. Buy and enjoy this great book. Be sure to catch the film adaption of the book on the Disney Channel.

HAPPY READING

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to have been a slave on a Southern Plantation? If so, you must read the historical fiction book, Nightjohn, by Gary Paulsen. This book will have you so involved with the character, Nightjohn, and his twelve year old friend, Sarny, that you cannot put down this book. Nightjohn comes to live on the plantation that Sarny lives on and teaches her to read and write. He feels all slaves need to be literate so they could understand what was happening around them and to keep account of their own lives. The struggles and hardships he goes through to share his gift of reading and writing is unbelievable. This story is heartbreaking yet informative to readers about the true accounts of slave life in America. This book will certainly open your eyes about our country's past and how people were treated in this "free" land.

This is my fourth year to teach the book, Nightjohn, in my sixth-grade classroom. Nightjohn is set in the 1800's on a plantation. Sarny, a slave girl the age of most of my sixth graders, is the narrator. As the book unfolds, we get to experience the life of a slave during this period of time in America's history. It has thirteen curse words in it, and I had to black them out before letting my students have a copy. I did that job during the summer so my students could have the privilege of reading this one-of-a-kind book. Only by looking at the past can we possibily hope to make the present better. Nightjohn will evoke laughter, sadness, and despair as you read. As I teach children everyday how to read, it breaks my heart to realize that slave children were deprived of this great gift. I recommend this book highly. It has an extraordinary message that everyone needs to remember!

The Book Soldiers Heart is a very good book. The suspence is really amazing. Gary Paulson just makes the words flow right. I really thought it was neat when the Union were forming a line of battle and the Rebels were charging. I also think that its neat the way the ambulance didn't pick up people with stomach wounds. This book is also good because its about a fifteen year boy who joins the Union to become a man. The fifteen year old tells the war in his eyes. Gary Paulson also did a very good job of describing the train that the soldiers took to the South. Also the time the Union had charged at the Reb's stockades and the Rebs were retreating. Another reason I liked this book is because of how intense it was. I also liked the blood and guts. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Civil War. That's one of the main reasons that I read this book. Hopefully by reading this review you will want to read the book Soldiers Heart.

A Review by Seth

The book Soldiers Heart is about a boy named Charley who goes to fight in the Civil War. He is a 15 yr old boy that lives with his family and leaves to go fight. Through out the war he writes letters and sends money back home to his family for food and supplies. He was interested in what was going on but realizes that the war was not something that was fun or interesting. He fights in Battle of The Bull Run and many other battles on the east and southern part of the United States.

Three things I liked about the book were the descriptions, characters, and the fact that it was about the Civil War. The descriptions that they have were really good. It talks about how the people die and all the fighting and shooting. As an example: Charley helps out a dying soldier by giving him a gun to shoot and Rebels that come in. The description was of his wounds and the blood. The characters were pretty good. You get a sense of reality when they talk and do things like the battles. It tells you what the people look like and how they act. Like during one of the battles he says how the Rebels are charging and screaming. The last thing I liked about it was the fact that it was about the Civil War. It to me is a really good book about the Civil War because not many other books will go into detail about the hospitals and patients. It seems like the book comes alive.

I would recommend this book to people that love descriptive books or just books that are easy to read. This book has everything I like in it description, war, blood and gore, and lastly a real story.

A Soldiers Heart by Gary Paulsen is a great book that gives specific details of the Civil War. Charley Goddard is a fifteen year old boy that lies about his age so that he can join the First Minnesota Volunteers--part of the shooting war in 1861. Charley thought his experiences with the Volunteers was just an adventure; he later found out that it was actual combat on the front lines. Charley fought battle by battle and literally saw the "horror of combat."

I believe the age levels for this book could be middle school or high school. It is a very easy and short book to read, therefore any student would like it that much more. Personally, I feel like this book would be very appropriate in today's society because it deals with a real life issue--war.

I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!!

Have you ever been stranded in the woods all by yourself? In the book HATCHET, Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father for the summer when his pilot has a heart attack. Brian is able to crash land the plane in lake nearby. Brian had to face the elements of nature and starvation. He had to learn how to survive with only his hatchet and his surroundings. This book is for middle school age students because the vocabulary is exelent and easy to understand.
HATCHET is a good book thatyou cant put down. There was a tornado that destroyed Brian's shelter and scattered every thing he owned. One night while Brian was sleeping a porcupine intruded his shelter and stabbed Brian in the leg with its quills.
HATCHET was a good book that teaches you how to survive in the wilderness. Brian had to gather berries, hunt rabbits and birds, and spear fish to eat.
Hatchet is a fiction story because it didn't really occur.
Brian Robeson has a plane crash and is stranded in the wilderness. He has to learn how to hunt for his food. Brian has to fend against mosquitos, flies, bears, moose, and tornados.

When I was in 6th grade I read the book Hatchet. This particular book was different and unique than any other book I have ever read. I can still remember the book clearly.

The setting of the story took place in northern Canada. Brian, the main character, was flying to visit his dad in Alaska. The pilot had a severe heart attack and dies while flying. the crashed in a lake below and luckily Brian survived. He somehow got out of the plane and swam to shore on an island. The island was heavily forested and had plenty of wildlife. It was autumn at the time but winter was coming soon. I really enjoyed the way Gary Paulson, the author, described the island. he used many adjectives and made it sound beautiful.

The main character, Brian, was a shy, fourteen year old boy. He had black hair and was about 5'8". During the story he was stressed and a little bit depressed because of his parents recent divorce. But during the whole book he was determined to get off the island, yet at some points he really wanted to give up and just die. Actually at one point he tried to kill himself by slitting his wrist. I still admired how he handled the problem and obstacles that came to him.

The conflict of this book was that Brian was stuck on the island with the cold, harsh, Canadian winter approaching. At one point in the book he screamed out in agony, "I'm hungry! I'm hungry! I'm hungry!" As he is being tortured with no food, shelter, communication, nor protection. He was in a very scary situation and when you read the book to the end you will be surprised at what happens.

The book Hatchet is one of the best books I have ever read. It has suspense, a lot of action, and also good lessons to be learned.

Hatchet was an amazing story of the survival of a 13 year old boy named Brian Robeson in the Canadian wilderness. I really enjoyed this book and it held my interest with extraordinary descriptions and intense suspense. Hatchet contained adventure, but it also had deeper meanings not usually found in adventure stories. Although this book was not hard to read, and it was not very long, the descriptive details of the wilderness and the survival tactics kept me turning the pages.
My favorite part of the story were the conflicts. The main conflict in the story was a boy trying to stay alive in the wilderness alone with no food. There also was a strong internal conflict that surfaced about "the secret". "The secret" was that Brian found out about his mother's affair. In trying to survive, smaller external conflicts occurred, such as animal attacks, tornados, and starvation. All of the conflicts combined made an exciting story. Another thing that I liked about the story was the theme. The theme of Hatchet was that Brian learned from his mistakes, and moved on. This was extremely important to the story because every mistake was very crucial. For example, when Brian's shelter was not closed securely, a porcupine was able to get in to the shelter and stick Brian with its quills. This injury caused Brian great pain and limited his ability to get survival supplies. He learned from his mistake and made his shelter more secure so animals could not enter as easily. Because Brian learned from his mistakes the story was more realistic.

I disliked the mood of the story because some parts were sad. For example, the mood was sad when Brian thought his situation was hopeless. Actually, the sad mood was the only thing that I did not like about the story. I think that someone who likes adventure and challenge would like this story. A person who dislikes the outdoors probably would not like Hatchet. I enjoyed reading this book and I would read it again. I do not think that this book would make a good movie, because there was not much dialogue in the book, and I really do not think a movie without dialogue would be very good.

A good lesson I learned from this book is that being positive will always help make a negative or difficult situation better. Reading this story really gave me a new appreciation for the necessities that I take for granted.

Woodsong is an autobiography of Gary Paulsen's life in Minnesota and in a dog-sled race in Alaska. Gary trained dogs to trap and to race. He had many adventures with his dogs. He starts off by trapping in Minnesota with his dogs. After an encounter with the death of a deer that got chased down by wolves, he decides trapping is cruel and he will not trap anymore. He enters a race in Alaska called the Iditarod. It is a long cold race across Alaska. He trains his dogs by running in Minnesota. In the race he encounters many obstacles; running in -20 degree weather, falling down a 30 foot frozen waterfall, bears eating his food and long runs through mountain passes. In the end of the book Gary finishes the race. Although not in first, he learns great lessons of life.

Wood Song is about A man who loves his dogs and adventures. He was living in the woods when the beavers over-populated, so he borrowed his friend's dogsled and some dogs and then he set up a couple hundred mile trapline for beavers.He loved it, and very soon he got good at it, and the huge Alaskian race, called the Iditaron, was coming soon so he entered it, and that lead to a whole new part of the adventurous stoy. I liked this book, because of all the detail that Gary put into it. He did a great job, You could almost see what was happening as you read it. This book strikes the imagination of readers of all ages. I give it 5 stars and 2 thumbs way way up!

Woodsong told me winter isn't just for presents on Christmas Day and we aren't supposed to stay indoors all the time during winter. Winter is to be experienced, because it's a wonderful experience, maybe the best experience in your whole life. I give this book five stars because this book had action! Plus, this book is true so Wood Song is even better. Gary Paulsen learns about dogs, bears, hawks, and life. Gary Paulsen, the author, and I have something in common, we train dogs! Gary trained dogs in this true book, Woodsong, and I am training my dog now. My dog, Pepsi, is a wild dog and she runs away. I recommend this book to nine-year-olds and up because there is blood in this true story. Some parts are sad and some are funny, but it will help you appreciate winter, dogs, and life.

The Haymeadow By: Gary Paulson John Barron, a fourteen year old boy, lives with his father on a ranch in Wyoming. His father goes to town to help a sick employee that works on the ranch. This employee usually and herds six-thousand sheep up into the haymeadow, but since he is sick it is up to John to help out his father's business. The sheep can not survive outside of the cool mountainous environment of the haymeadow during the summer. This meadow is a two-day trip by horse from the Barron's camp. John is forced to stay there for three months tending to the sheep. While John is there the river floods and his supplies are scattered everywhere. John is faced with possible starvation. Also he loses his rifle and has no way to defend himself or the sheep from the ravenous coyotes. In the haymeadow John has to be very resourceful and brave as he faces many dangerous and difficult situations while he is alone in the valley. The story reveals that Gary Paulson wrote The Haymeadow well. In the novel Paulson describes everything thoroughly and keeps one on the edge of one's seat. Paulson's theme in this novel is different than most. He wishes to convey that everything in nature is beautiful in some way no matter how what an organism's purpose is. To back this up Paulson writes soon after the herd is attacked by coyotes, "By the end of three weeks things had reserved and he decided one afternoon to try and find what wasn't beautiful. He was sitting on the side of the stream and had his pants rolled up and his bare feet in the water and he looked around and thought of the last three weeks and tried to think of something that wasn't beautiful. And he couldn't." This book is filled with action and is interesting. I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it to many.

John has to work at a farm and then has to take care of 6,000 sheep for three months, all by himself, with just four dogs and two horses for company. He's only 14 years old, and he get worried about being all alone for such a long time. Tink, the farmhand, was originally going to tend the sheep, but he got sick and John's father and the doctor think that Tink has cancer. Tink has worked at the farm before even John was born, so John never had a reason to think he would be working up in the haymeadow...alone. I can tell why everybody's reviews were all saying good things about this book. I really like The Haymeadow because it sort of relates to me. I have been working up on a farm for almost my life, of 12 years. When you think about being very young, sometimes you don't think you can keep up with the challenges and responsibilities you to assume, working on a farm. But after awhile, you come to think it's pretty easy. You learn to cope with having to work everyday. John learns to cope with having to care for 6,000 sheep. It was hard for him because Tink taught the four dogs all different kinds of commands-every whistle means something different. John had to learn all the commands in two days. The only bad thing about this book is that it's kind of hard to keep up with Paulsen, because the narrative switches between settings and characters' actions very quickly. But that's the only thing.

This was probably one of the best books I have ever read. It is packed with excitement and I couldn't put it down. It shows how the brave main character,John, can handle one big problem after another with extreme perserverence. From hurt dogs and lambs,to flash floods,cyoties, and even bears. And in the end he comes out intact and in one piece. John had to spend three months tending many sheep with the help of dogs and horses, and with the distraction of bears and other wild happenings.His father, who didn't have a strong relationship with John, came to visit near the end of John's time at the haymeadow. Somehow, by his father telling stories of the past and just talking to each other all night,thier relation ship was binded together. This is a wonderful book and I highly recomend it.