No comments about When the Moon Stood Still.

5 comments about Through the Eyes of a Child: ''Diary of an Eleven Year Old Jewish Girl''.

1. This book should give the reader two very important perspectives..one is that humanity triumphs all religious differences, the second, which may be difficult to understand in today's society, is that the little inconveniences we experience everyday are petty, at best, and our reactions to them are filled with complaint and protest. Ilse never whined.



2. This book is written in a very easy, flowing style. It is difficult for me to imagine a child living in a secure and loving middle class home being left all alone in the world at such a tender age. Ilse describes her fight to survive through her ingenuity, "luck", and strong belief in God. I recommend this book to both adults and children, who want a better understanding of the horrors of the holocaust "Through theEyes of a Child".



3. This is a moving account of a young child who not only survives the Holocaust but somehow manages to keep her positive outlook on life, even when faced with the most difficult of circumstances. Ilse Reiner is an inspiration.



4. This is a touching account of how a young, orphaned child survived the horrors of the Holocaust. Ilse's diary reveals the depth of her courage and resourcefulness to survive in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Although her faith in God and man was tested, Ilse's very personal story is a testament to the ultimate triumph of courage and hope



5. Miraculous Ilse Reiner's diary survived the holocaust and was returned to her 44 years later. More miraculous by the age of 14 she had survived Terezin, Birkenau/Auschwitz, Kurzbach concentration camps and escaped from the death march to Gross Roseen. "Through the Eyes of a Child" is a testament to hope, belief and the courage to survive.

No comments about Making My Mark: An Artist's Early Life.

No comments about Is the War over: Memoir of a Child Survivor of the Holocaust.

5 comments about My Father's War.

1. For the sons and daughters of WW II combat veterans this book is a must read. The author vividly details the pain and suffering many combat veterans' lived with through out their lives, and the effects on their families. In her writing you can see how the sufferings of some of these veterans' struggle with until death; witch was their only relief.
   Ms Collins and I have a few things in common. Both are Grandfathers were close friends. They both were businessmen on Main St in the center of Branford CT, and had sons over seas in the Marine Corps. They spent many hours comforting each other that their sons would survive the way and return home safely to Branford. In fact my family celebrated VJ day at the Collin's home in Pine Orchard.



2. I picked up this book because I was interested in reading someone else's experience. My father was a Korean war vet and his experiences early in his life certainly changed who he was as a father. Julia Collin's book is inciteful and true to life and anyone who has a parent who has served in combat whether their parent talks about their experiences or not will find it enlightening. Experiencing war is an ugly thing and we all must remember that now and in the future when our veteran's return home to piece their lives together.



3. At first, I could only read this book in bits at bedtime, but by the time I hit chapter four, I could no longer put it down and finished it in the middle of the night. I wept long and hard. Sadness and overwhelming joy. Ms. Collins - no, Julia - thank you for having the courage to share your story with us and for telling it so even-handedly. I felt like my grandfather, a storyteller whose quiet voice used to gather amazingly large crowds, was telling a tale of that Great Generation, of the tribulations faced not just a war but at home. And I feel sorry for anyone who has not heard this tale of yours and had the chance to share its epiphanies. Thank you again.



4. I read this book over a period of three days while nursing my baby; I could not put it down. it rings so true, I could even imagine Jerry's voice singing those old big band tunes and improvising those bedtime stories for "the girls" as he tried to keep his nocturnal memories at bay. He sounds like a true Irishman, that heartbreaking combination of humor and melancholy. For personal reasons too complex to describe, I am very grateful for this book and for its courageous author, who revealed as much of herself as of her haunted father. I will read it many times.



5. Collins' moving memoir of her battle-scarred father offers readers a window into the lives of vets after the fighting is over, and the battles that emerged on the homefront. It's as much a story of the author's father, Jeremiah Collins--Yale student-turned soldier-turned salesman, as it is the writer's own. With painstaking honesty and powerful imagery, Collins paints a portrait of small town America in the grips of post-World War II boosterism. Some of the pictures aren't pretty, but Collins, a gifted writer, manages to move the reader through those passages and take them to a place of solace and closure.

No comments about Movies, Memories, and Me.

3 comments about Enchanted Companions : Stories of Dolls in Our Lives.

1. All these words describe Carolyn Michael's book Enchanted Companions. But mostly it is full of surprises. None of the stories are predicatable or the sort of stories I would imagine that people would have about dolls. Dolls touch peoples' lives in unexpected ways. My favorites stories were "George Rufus Yoder" and "Bawl Room Dance." Amazing writing and a beautifully put-together book. I want volume two if there is one!



2. filled with heart, laughter, joy and memorable characters. Vintage black and white photos of doll owners and their "enchanted companions" enhance this delightful book. A marvelous gift.



3. This book was created by Carolyn Michael, her friends, and other contacts as a part of individual and group writing practice. The author states in the introduction that she was inspired by a story written by another participant about her mother's feelings about a special doll. The story is the first story in the book, entitled "Who Would I Tell?" by Susan Berlin. This treasure holds 24 more stories, which the author has been collecting since 1993. This memoir style collection speaks with many voices, including several pieces by children. The stories are brought to life with black and white photos of the dolls that are in each story and by picures of the writers as children. My favorite story in this collection is called, "The Night My Fanny Hit the Wall" by Nina Munk, who was 15 when she wrote this story. She speaks of the touching moment when she realized that her dolls were not real. Carolyn Michael's collection allows each writer to share their own personal experience, while connecting the reader with the common experiences that many of us have shared. I would recommend this book for adults and older children who value the memories of love and friendship with their own special dolls, and for those who want to reflect on a cherished time in childhood.

4 comments about A Girl from the Home.

1. I cannot be objective about this book. From the moment that I held it in my hands, I knew it would be one of the most important books I would ever read. A Girl From The Home, written by Muriel Fox, is about her childhood in the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum, the same orphanage that my mother lived in. With a few changes, my mother could have written this book. The situations, events, names, and details are so recognizable, as though I have heard them before. I have heard them in my mother's telling of the story.
   Muriel writes from the perspective of a child. She doesn't editorialize or judge, but rather tells her story the way she remembers experiencing it. I had the wonderful good fortune of meeting Muriel. She told me that her research for the book revealed facts that, of course, she was not aware of as a child. Because those facts were not part of her childhood awareness, she left them out of her memoirs. This writing device creates a profound and engaging experience for the reader. We are drawn a simple picture, like a child's line drawing, and from that we are compelled to feel so deeply, protectively, and sympathetically for that child.
   Muriel describes in detail the orphanage, the people who ran it, the children she was friends with, and what life was like for her. Each short chapter depicts with clarity and simplicity an aspect of life in the home. Each aspect helped to shape Muriel's life, and illuminate my mother's.
   A heart wrenching section of the book deals with Muriel's experiences in foster homes. Muriel is placed with eight different families in a two-year period. The quality of care in these homes is varied: some good, some very bad. At age twelve, Muriel is brought back to the orphanage and allowed to present her case for her permanent return. She proceeds to present one of the clearest, most thought provoking, and compelling arguments for the orphanage system versus foster care. It is an impassioned plea from a child desperate for the sense of belonging and family that the orphanage offers. After speaking with Muriel at some length on this issue, it is clear that she feels our children could be better served if we revisit the potential benefits of the orphanage.
   I didn't want this book to end. I wanted to keep reading until I got every detail of everyday of life in the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum. In a sense, I got my wish when I met Muriel in Brooklyn. Her vivid first hand accounts of a world seven decades old brought that world to life for me. Reading A Girl from the Home helped to bring my mother's childhood into clearer focus. I will always be grateful to Muriel Fox for that precious gift.



2. This book was very special to me.Muriel and I were considered "sisters" as we lived in the 'Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum".She writes through the mind of achild.Her style is most engaging.She illustrates so intmately her harrowing experiencs in foster homes and the joys of the orphan home.Because I was a fellow inmate I can attest to the TRUTH of her narritive. It's a "Can't put it down book".Her tale is quite dramatic and VERY unusual.I opine this is a MUST read book.Esther Gerber



3. This book was very special to me.Muriel and I were considered "sisters" as we lived in the 'Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum".She writes through the mind of achild.Her style is most engaging.She illustrates so intmately her harrowing experiencs in foster homes and the joys of the orphan home.Because I was a fellow inmate I can attest to the TRUTH of her narritive. It's a "Can't put it down book".Her tale is quite dramatic and VERY unusual.I opine this is a MUST read book.Esther Gerber



4. A GIRL FROM THE HOME is a remarkable memoir which tells the story of a precocious seven year old who, against all convention, preferred the orphanage to the several foster homes she was sent to. It is also remarkable for how the now mature author manages to maintain the voice of her childhood experience throughout the narrative.

   This was a child wise beyond her years with a mind of her own and a strong will that would not accept anything that was thrust at her unless she was able to think it through and found it intelligible. The opening chapter is a humdinger and is followed by one memorable scene after another. This is a book to warm the hearts of all readers, men and women, as well as children.

1 comments about West Sullivan Days.

1. For anyone who grew up in a small town, this book is wonderfully nostalgic. It is absolutely pure downeast flavor. Beautifully believable characters and wonderfully depicted Maine coastal scenes. This is a charming read!

2 comments about Cornbread And Beans For Breakfast : The Misadventures Of A Boy.

1. I read this book and then passed it on to other friends. Each of them, from children to an 85 year old, said that it was such easy reading and written just like someone was talking. It is good for any age. The illustrations were kind of "down home", too. I would recommend this to anyone.



2. The book held my attention. I couldn't put it down until I read the entire book. It is filled with humor and easy to read. I highly recomnmend this book for all ages. It is a must for reading about the South during the Great Depression.