5 comments about The Book Thief.

1. I read this book in my book club and was so impressed by the story that I bought copies as family gifts for my children. I believe it has the potential to become a classic.



2. I just finished this book and it was amazing. I became very emotionally involved in the story which is an important characteristic in deciding whether I like a book or not. I was happy to find a great book to read after a string of not so good ones.



3. This is a wonderful book. I can't understand why it is marketed for young adults except for it "looks" like a "genre book". It certainly goes across all ages as a well written book. Every page is insightful. The narrator is amazing.



4. I have read more than 30 books last year and I have to say The Book Thief was an amazing surprise. In fact the book left around my bed for about 6 months. My wife received it from a fried from Brazil during their visit last July but never started to read it. Few days before the end of the year I decided to give it a chance. I have to say I could not stop to read it to the end and, since than it stills in my mind.
   
   This is a very creative story, easily readable and totally enjoyable, no matter the age of the reader. For sure a book to become a movie soon.



5. I normally wouldn't grab a book from the young adult section (or even the historical fiction section) for myself, but I am SO GLAD I did! This is a wonderful, but sad story told by Death. The setting is in Germany during WWII and it follows a young girl's journey to try to lead a normal life during the holocaust. Not being an avid history buff, it really gave me a better perspective into the history of that time. After I bought the book, I found myself unable to put it down...even into the wee hours of the morning. I finished the book in 2 days and then purchased a copy for each of my sisters. Don't be discouraged by the book's targeted audience or that it is "historical" fiction. I highly recommend this book - but beware: you may need to make the time to read it cover to cover, it is THAT good!

5 comments about Boy In the Striped Pajamas (Movie Tie-in Edition).

1. Excellent book. This captivating story was well written. People of ANY age can relate to this book. Even though it's a book about the Holocaust, almost anyone that understands the bonds of humanity and friendship can relate to this storyline. In addition, most human beings have experienced a "fence" in their life. We have all (at one point or another) had a wall that separated us from someone or something. Overall, I think the author very respectfully told a story warped around a horrific time in human history. I would love to see the movie, I hope they did the book justice.



2. Summary: Bruno is 9 years old. He lives in a difficult time, in Germany during the World War II. One day, Bruno comes home to find that his maid, packing all his things. His family and him move to Out-With (Auschwitz). In his window, he can see a concentration camp, where everyone wears striped pajamas. He thinks that they are "neighbors". He misses Berlin and his friends there. He want to return, but since his dad is in charge of the camp. He is unable to.
   After being inside for a couple months with his sister, Gretel, he decides to explore the fence and visit his "neighbors". He befriends a boy born on his birthday, Shmuel. He visits him everyday and they become friends.
   My Review: I found this book very interesting, because I love history and the many different voices available to us. I have never read a book about the Holocaust in which the person didn't know what happening and John Boyne wrote that only a young child would work for it. So, you could see a child's view of evil. This book will ache at your heart. It is pretty deep reading, I would say if you can read Anne Frank's diary or Night. Then this book will not be too much for you. John Boyne does an amazing job.



3. in a sentence: meet a boy named Bruno and discover the unfamiliar and confusing adventure that awaits him.
   
   i'll be honest - the number one thing that interested me about this book was that the inside cover. they thought it would spoil the reading of the book to give anything away and beleived it was important to start to read without knowing what is it about. having read it, i totally agree with that sentiment and will try and do my best to review without spoiling! though there is a movie version already, so you may already know.
   
   Bruno and his family live in Berlin, and is pretty happy with his life actually. he's a typical 9 year old boy with a typical bratty older sister (she's 12, practically a teenager) and doting house servants. he loves adventures and exploring and all the fun discoveries that come with that sort of thing. something happens that leads his family to move away from his home and he is not pleased about that.
   
   i absolutely adored Bruno's voice in this book. that's not to say that he was the narrator, because he wasn't really. it is his voice that is heard mostly in the book and his phrasing and everything, but we also get a peek into the thoughts of others through his eyes and through general narration. i'm not explaining it very well, but i really did like the way that Boyne did that.
   
   Bruno experiences the changes and new experiences through his 9 year old eyes, and so do we. it is with this naivety and simple acceptance that we learn what is going on in the story. there are some internal struggles, some serious questions and curiosity - but he is only 9 after all and who cares about what a 9 year old wants to know? so mostly Bruno discovers things for himself and does his best to make sense of them, and what he can't make sense of, he shrugs away.
   
   this was absolutely one of the best pieces of literature i have ever written. not purely because of the subject matter, but because of how it was written. i am seriously impressed with using a 9 year old as a narrator successfully and in a way that brought me to that level of naivety without any hint of condescension. even the chapter titles were 9-year-old-yet-adult-geared without being condescending. it was just incredible, and if you haven't read this yet - do it! you'll thank me.
   
   fave (non-spoiler) quote: "One afternoon, when Bruno came home from school, he was surprised to find Maria, the family maid - who always kept her head bowed and never looked up from the carpet - standing in his bedroom, pulling all his belongings out of the wardrobe and packing them in four large wooden crates, even the things he'd hidden at the back that belonged to him and were nobody else's business." (opening paragraph and it totally sucked me in / set the tone for the book).
   
   fix er up: a tad predictable, but that didn't hurt the overall impact and beauty of the writing.



4. Christmas has come & gone and I haven't received this book that was to be a present. Don't promise delivery if it's not going to happen.



5. This book is warm, chilling and haunting. So far, 3 people have agreed with this synopsis. This book should be required reading, but I'm not sure for whom anymore. We just can't forget what DID happen, and some people tend to just forget. Once I get this book back, as it's going onto 3 others, I'm keeping it. To read again, once I stop thinking about it. It's just excellent. If you like kids and history, make this book on your next list to buy.

5 comments about A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy).

1. As I read deeper and deeper into the book, I just couln't put it down! The suspence, mystery, shock and detail just made the book so amazing. This book from front to back cover is by far one of the best books I have ever read and I cannot wait to get it's next book, Rebel Angels.



2. Beautiful prose, with lots of description. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if it had moved a bit faster, but I did enjoy the author's style, and the characters were well developed. The ending was a bit of a let-down for me. I didn't realize it was a series, but it didn't engage me enough to read on.



3. I'm a pretty avid reader, I devour books in one or two day when they grab me. But this one, I don't know...I thought it was this excellent book, but it just okay. i think its for somebody who reads like 20 pages for day. Its a book to read it very slowly. the book didn't grab me at all. the author, for me, its very simple, the things she wrote in the book didn't catch my attention at all, didnt surprise me at all, very cliche-y book. Maybe it is good for kids, but for the avid reader, who enjoys reading a book the whole day DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. I hope rebel angels is better because i bought both of them. and will buy the third, because I want to know how it ends.



4. This was in my amazon recomendations so I thought I would try it. I was a little sceptical from the begining because Gemma seemed like a spoiled brat but it picked up quickly and I could barely put it down. The end suprised me and was satisfying. I am a Twilight and HP fanatic looking for more series books to sink my teeth into. I would say however this book is not for girls under high school age. It got a little graphic sexually more so than I would find appropriate for middle school or younger to be reading.



5. I bought the third book at Wal-Mart not knowing it was the last one in the set. I read the first few pages and had to buy the other two. Wal-Mart didn't carry the first to anymore and I live too far from a bookstore so got them here. I have to say that this set was a fast and fun read. I read each book in less than a day...all three books are pretty thick too!

5 comments about The Sweet Far Thing (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy).

1. For the past two days I have locked myself up and away from any form of life (it surprised me that I didn't even show any concern for Americas next top model primer that I was anticipating for months! Not to mention that I have a lot of House M.D to catch up on!) and I trapped myself inside the lives of Gemma Doyle and her friends and I must say I already miss them all.
   The Sweet Far Thing is Bray's last and concluding book of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, where Gemma has to make a lot of big decisions that will alter the faith of her friends, the order, the Rakshanas and of course the realms.
   Set where we have left of in Rebel Angels, Gemma has the powers of the realms in the tip of her fingers and everyone wants it for their different purposes, Gemma's choice of giving it equally to everyone living in a realms dosent come without a price, As Gemma ventures into the world of the realms while still trying to be a normal girl in Spence academy she finds herself questioning her own motives and at times resisting temptation which is quite interesting because after all she is only human.
   As for the ending, I would not know how to describe it because I am still unsure what I think, I could say its bittersweet or perhaps unexpected for me.
   This action packed book certainly is a page turner and with 800 pages of the story I still wished for more! When I remember the main reason why I picked up these books in the first place was because I was told it was similar to reading Twilight, how wrong I was because I find these book far more interesting in terms of its writing style and descriptions and lastly the main difference is that brays conclusion of the story was not as bad as the twilight saga! I hope and I know this hope is a lost cause but perhaps hope to have atleast one more story!
   -spoilers-
   Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book there were significant parts that quite annoyed me! First and it mainly had to do with Gemma's friends and perhaps how they shouldn't even be called her friends! I was frustrated ever since the book started by their actions but expected them to evolve but that never happened, they were still annoying and childish as ever including the whole pip thing!
   Second, the whole plot at parts seemed predictable and left me saying and I should be surprised because?
   And finally I was devastated with Kirtiks choice! I really would have wanted to see Gemma and Kirtik happy together to perhaps prove that they can defy what society thinks of such a match but that wasn't the case! *sighs*



2. I enjoyed it more so than the first 3 but still did not think it was a great series. It has been awhile since I read the first two so there were a few things I was still fuzzy about. I couldn't really remember how Gemma trapped Circe. Even though I wasn't in love with the first two books I had to read this one because I wanted to find out if Felicity and Pippa would prove to be good friends or turn on Gemma. I also wanted to know if Gemma ended up with Kartik. Gemma's brother was such a jerk and idiot I found his character really irritating. I suppose you could say that was good character development since I'm assuming that was how he was supposed to come off.
   
   I read this one pretty fast as I had to get back to work today but there were a few things I did not understand or like about the characters. I think one of the main reasons I did not care for this series is I did not really like Gemma. She seems so self-centered and spoiled. She is always moping about how alone she is and she is tired of people using her and telling her what to do. Yet over the three books I don't see her maturing at all and making any decisions that show she is growing up and deserves to choose her own fate. Even Felicity seemed to grow up more than Gemma in the end despite Gemma's constant thoughts of how thoughtless Felicity is to the real world and other people's feelings. I felt sorry for the way Ann was treated but this is one instance I agreed with Gemma. If Ann was not going to make any effort to try and change her lot in life then she might just deserve what she gets. Stop here if you do not want any spoilers.
   
   It was nice to see that Mrs. Nightwing was on the good side. I was surprised in the end Ms. McCleethy was basically a good character and just misguided in trusting Eugenia Spence. I did not care for the way she was killed off though. At first when she tells Pippa to sacrifice her instead of Gemma she appears noble and self-sacrificing but then when she sees Pippa is going through with it and then she protests. So instead of looking self-sacrificing it looks more like she thought she was bluffing Pippa. Since she was going to die I would have rather her gone out as the brave heroine.
   
   I was happy to see that even though she was not able to cross over Wendy wasn't really "sacrificed" like Pippa claimed. I actually don't understand what happened there. When Pippa sacrificed Mr. Darcy and Wendy did she just hand them over to the creatures of the Winterland and not actually kill them? It was a little confusing since for Ms. McCleethy and Gemma she was going to sacrifice them in her castle.
   
   I was shocked to find out that Eugenia Spence was really the ultimate villainess in the book. That was one outcome I did not expect. Not to mention the fact that Circe helped Gemma and even seemed to sort of care for her. I was sad that Gemma did not end up Kartik.



3. I just read this book (after reading A Great and Terrible Beauty & Rebel Angels) and have to say how much I loved it. They should be read in order to best understand everything that is happening. I was sad at the end but understand that not everything can have a happy/perfect ending. I would love to see another book where she returns from University in America and goes back to Spence and the realms. I would definitely recommend these books to anyone of any age!



4. I felt those 800 pages. Like others, around pg 600 I began to skim to move things a long. Gemma was just to stupid. Giving Circe magic, and Pippa for that matter. Her friends had almost no redeem qualities to them. I began to like Felicity in book 2, but in this book she had no personality other than selfish and spoiled. The friendship of the four girls just became unbelievable because they were all so unlikeable. It was a disappointing end, mostly because nothing happened.



5. This is a perfect fast paced and gripping finale to the Gemma Doyle trilogy. Readers will love to follow Gemma as she grapples with personal, social and magical dilemma's. In this final installment of the trilogy friendships are tested, new worlds explored and romance discovered. I was hooked from the very beginning of this book, and found my heart racing along with the plot line. My biggest problem with this book is that it was the last one. I was completely drawn into the Victorian and magical worlds created by Libba Bray. When it was over I felt like I had lost my friends. I highly reccomend this and the other Gemma Doyle books.

5 comments about Number the Stars.

1. Number the Stars tells a simple believable tale of a pre-adolescent girl in Denmark who performs an heroic act. The act is not over the top or outrageous and it is perfectly comprehensible that a girl could do it. That is what makes this book special. The people in this book are ordinary human beings who end up doing extraordinary things out of necessity and conscience. They are not invunerable superheros but people who are compelled to right in a wrong situation. I admire this book immensely and think it was wonderful that Lois Lowry wrote it like she did. Highly recommended.



2. This book is very well-written. I read this book in 8th grade and many times after that. When you read this book you feel like as if your experienceing the struggle. A very good book.



3. Although my favorite genre is historical fiction, this book just didn't do it for me. I wasn't greatly moved and I didn't feel really sad or compassionate. This novel is short and sweet, informative, not boring, and well put together. The only thing is that it doesn't make you feel the way the characters do, or change your perspective on things. I reccomend to anyone who enjoys reading about the holocaust. I did enjoy reading it, but it wasn't fanominal. The plot was almost unbelievable. It is a little juvenile for older kids, who can move on to more sophisticated Holocaust books. I read it just befor going to the Holocaust museum in Washington, DC and found that having background knowledge is very useful when going there. Overall, good and informative; not breath taking.



4. As a kid reading this book, I was overwhelmed. It was entertaining, dramatic. I was overcome and learned religious tolerance, compassion, and other great emotions for a child to learn. Incredible introduction to WWII/Holocaust.



5. This book is a great book you can picyure if you and your friends went through a very hard time and relized that it could be the end of your friendship forever it makes you picture that if you and your best friend went through that what it would feel like to know that your friend is in trouble and you and your family need to help them so that they dont get taken away and if they do get taken away you feel thet it is on your schoulders. when I read this bookicould not put it down I loved it at first I was not sure i was going to like it but then I got into it and I really enjoyed it hope you red the book and like it.

No comments about The 39 Clues: The Sword Thief.

4 comments about The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves.

1. THE KINGDOM ON THE WAVES is the second volume in M. T. Anderson's historical epic The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, which is set in colonial America on the eve of the Revolutionary War. Octavian is a slave who has been raised in isolation at the College of Lucidity. In the first book, THE POX PARTY, Octavian comes to realize that he is part of an experiment on ethnicity and intelligence. After the death of his mother, he leaves the college and experiences the difficulties and hazards of living in the outside world. Recaptured, bound in chains and silenced with an iron mask, THE POX PARTY ends with one of his teacher's helping him to escape.
   
   This follow-up begins with the two fugitives running to British-occupied Boston, where Octavian finds work in an orchestra entertaining British officers. It is not long before Boston comes under attack from the colonial rebels. When Octavian hears that Lord Dunmore is raising a troop of African soldiers, he enlists with the British on the promise that he will earn his freedom by fighting for the Crown.
   
   Instead, Octavian learns that serving as a soldier is another kind of bondage, especially for the dark-skinned Royal Ethiopian Regiment. Consisting primarily of escaped slaves, the promise of freedom wanes as the fortunes of war turn against the British. THE KINGDOM ON THE WAVES features the Revolutionary War as readers have rarely encountered it. It is a tale of desperate yearning for freedom among those who will be returned to slavery should the colonial rebels attain their goal of independence.
   
   The Royal Ethiopian Regiment is the first experience Octavian has spending time with a large group of his fellow slaves. They come from a variety of nations and backgrounds, and English is often the only language they share in common. He is quickly given the name 'Buckra,' "...which is their word for a white man;" Octavian writes, "for having seen me read, they say that I am a white man hidden in a black skin.... And I have just called them 'they.'"
   
   Octavian is moved by the experiences of other men in his regiment and writes down their stories in his book. Some are funny, some poignant, but many speak to the brutality of enforced servitude. Among his companions he finds someone who is from the same Oyo nation as his mother. Before she died Octavian used to beg her to tell him "One true thing." He discovers she deliberately hid the truth about her origins to protect him, telling him instead that she was a princess and he a prince.
   
   Other truths emerge: That freedom is not promised to the slaves of loyalist subjects, only to slaves escaped from rebels. That half the regiment is to be sold to the "Sugar Isles" --- the sugar plantations in the Caribbean where human life is so cheap that slaves are often worked to death instead of being given adequate shelter and sustenance --- to recuperate British financial losses.
   
   Octavian's idealism disintegrates amongst the stark realities of warfare. Starvation and disease wrack the troops. He has chosen the losing side of the conflict, eventually observing, "It is a fact easily discernible that governments are instituted to commit the crimes that their citizens require for gain, but cannot countenance committing privately." When asked about the "Rights of Man," which were a big part of the revolutionary rhetoric at the time, he responds that nature recognizes no rights. "Our rights are unnatural, or we should need no government to defend them," he says. "Look abroad in the fields.... What may kill, kills; what may eat, eats. All things are born unequal and there is no low but that inequality.... The world is the house of the strong."
   
   The strength of M. T. Anderson's work is built on Octavian's eloquent narrative voice. It reminds me of another tale, in which the creation is more eloquent than its master: Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN. Both Octavian and the creature in FRANKENSTEIN are scientific experiments and products of a classical education. Both struggle to find a place for themselves in a hostile world. Both provide a bridge from the scientific rationalism of the Age of Enlightenment to the more emotional and deeply personal world of Romanticism. Both seek the value of human life. Is the value of human life measured by its input and output, or the price it will buy at the auction block? Or is a life measured by the insight of its narrative? At the end of THE KINGDOM ON THE WAVES, Octavian returns to the college where he was raised to replace the tomes detailing the weights and measures of his youth with the two-volume narrative he writes about his experiences in the world.
   
   This is one of the best and most difficult books I have read all year. The 18th century English the book is written in will be a challenge for some readers, as is the difficult subject matter and open-ended conclusion. In an interview with the Washington Post, Anderson defended his work and the intelligence of his readers by saying, "'It's insulting to believe that teens should have a different kind of book than an adult should....' Teens like challenges, he says. They know the world is complicated, and 'they can tell when a book is simplifying life.'"
   
   Likewise, Anderson offers an assessment of his own work at the end of THE KINGDOM ON THE WAVES:
   
   "If this were the fantasy novel it so much resembles, there would be a third volume. In that book Octavian, Pro Bono, and Nsia would come forth from their place of hiding; they would orchestrate the desperate clash of these two great nations and engineer the toppling of both governments. There would be gargantuan, cleansing battles, and in their wake, our heroes would found a new realm. All people would be free, their shackles would fall from every wrist, and bounty would return to the land.
   
   "But of course, this is not what happened. Instead, slavery persisted in this country for another four generations. And a full century after the general emancipation, nearly two hundred years after the Revolution, federal legislation finally ensured legal equality for black and white."
   
   The most difficult aspect of this novel is not the artifice of fiction, but that it gives a face to facts. Lord Dunmore's Ethopian Regiment was real, as were the ethnographic studies performed to justify the unequal treatment of our fellow humans. Octavian is a character in a book, but his story speaks to the larger forces of history in which we all play a part. Closing the covers on his fate I couldn't help but reflect on how many other voices will emerge in indictment of our own times.
   
   Anderson ends the author's note with the following:
   
   "History is not a pageant arrayed for our delectation.
   
   "We are all always gathered there.... We are gathered at the river, upon those shores, and the water is always moving.... Nothing will cease. Nothing will stop. We ourselves are history.
   
   "The moment is always now."
   
   --- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood



2. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves (The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation)
   An amazing books. Most students would be put off by the length, but I persuaded some SAT History prep students to read volume 1 & 2 by discussing the Triangular Trade as described on pg 500-501--they were hooked!
   
   I started reading ON II on the eve of Obama's election. I heartily agree with the first reviewer that ON I & II are great books to read in hope and preparation for a new era in American politics.



3. Reading the first book was like opening Russian nesting dolls. Each revelation leads to yet another amazing revelation. I read the first book without any knowledge of what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised by this irresistable story. The mystery of Octavian and his mother's situation was revealed in such a compelling manner that one cannot hope to feel anything but compassion and wonderment. I can't wait to read book 2.



4. I have just finished listening to the audible version of Octavian Nothing, and it seems fitting that we have just elected an African American to be our President. I think Octavian would have been so happy to know this. Octavian is one the most complete, complicated, heartfelt characters a reader will come upon. Learning the plight of the African American soldiers who fought on either side of the revolution, was an education, and because of the wonderful story telling, and authentic period dialogue as well as narration, an adventure I was sorry to have end.
   
   Octavian is real to me and has touched my heart in the deepest of ways.
   
   Beckie Weinheimer
   Author Converting Kate
   Viking Books 2007

5 comments about Devil's Brood.

1. This is yet another view of life with Henry V and Elanor of Aquitaine. I can't seem to get enough! What I like about this author is that she gives the reader a lot of detail but keeps the story flowing at the same time. The characters and life as it was during this period of history really come alive and I find it fascinating. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves English historical fiction.
   M.Hoban



2. much cheaper at barnes and noble .i guess amazon is going to start ripping us off.



3. Penman does it again! The Devil's Brood does not disappoint. It was fabulous - exquisite attention to historical detail, excellent character development. The 700+ pages felt like 200, and I was sad when it ended, as with all her books. Already waiting for the next one!



4. The third novel of Ms Penman's trilogy about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, this book picks up the story some months after the murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1171. The novel deals with the consequences of a family at war within itself and the impacts both on the individuals involved and on the political landscape of Europe and beyond. Henry Fitz Empress ruled England as Henry II for over 34 years between 1154 and 1189. He was also the Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou, Maine and Touraine. Eleanor, his Queen, was Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. Eleanor and Henry had eight children including five sons, four of whom survived to adulthood. This is the story of the causes and effects of the collapse of the marriage of Henry and Eleanor and the suspicions and rebellions of their sons.
   
   Working within the framework of known history, Ms Penman has brought the period and the characters to life. The gifted, but flawed, Henry and the formidable Eleanor (whose loyalty to her husband sometimes conflicted with her loyalty to her Duchy) produced four sons who lived to adulthood and competed with each other and with the King their father with fatal consequences.
   
   For those familiar with this period of history, historical characters will stride or glide off the pages into life. Their motivations and justifications will have explanations which will be plausible if not always understandable to modern readers. For those unfamiliar with the history: I recommend that you read the trilogy in order to obtain a more complete understanding of the characters and events. The novel can be read on a standalone basis, but if you do so, allow yourself the treat of reading of Ms Penman's other novels. I doubt that you will be disappointed.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith



5. This is the third book in Sharon Kay Penman's Angevin trilogy, and we've had to wait quite awhile since Time and Chance. This is a novel of family betrayal. This book starts in 1172 and ends in 1189 with the death of King Henry II. I have been a long-time lover of Ms. Penman's wonderfuly real historical novels, and I waited a long time for this one. I highly recommend that if you haven't, you begin with the first novel in the trilogy (When Christ and His Saints Slept), and then read Time and Chance and then this one. You will not find a more comprehensive review of the notorious Angevin family than between the covers of Ms. Penman's books. She is an extraordinary writer and she uses real people and real historical happenings in her books. Devil's Brood tells the story of a truly disfunctional family, and none of the betrayals, lies and mistakes are glossed over. You will get a true picture of a king that history remembers as great, but who had human foibles like everyone else. Henry's decisions were not always the right ones, and he made lots of mistakes with his family, but these mistakes were mostly due to the fact that he did not see clearly when it came to his own family, including his wife, the beautiful Eleanor of Aquitane. Disastrous decisions were made with all the best intentions, and he is continually beset on all sides by members of his quarrelsome and stubborn family. I really should write a lot more to try to do justice to this wonderful novel, but it is a book that needs to be read to be appreciated. It's a very long book, but one that kept me spellbound until the end.

5 comments about The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party.

1. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very thought-provoking and gave an interesting perspective to the Revolutionary times in our country's history. I'd recommend it.



2. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is a fictional story about the end of the world which, according to one Agnes Nutter, Witch, is next Saturday, but the Antichrist has been misplaced. In order to stop the end of the world from happening, an unlikely team comprised of an angel, a demon, a witch, a witch finder, and four kids must try to find the misplaced Antichrist and put a stop to the Apocalypse. What might otherwise be a pretty dark story is made light by the humor that can be found throughout Good Omens. The demon Anthony Crowley's first name is mentioned only a few times throughout the book; one of those times is in direct reference to the song "Frog he would a-wooing go" which talks about a frog named Anthony Rowley. The reference is then made clear when Crowley then says "Hey-ho" in reference to the chorus of the song. While some of the humor may be missed by those who are not as well read as its authors, Good Omens is jam packed with allusions and written in a way as to still be understandable and engaging even if you can only catch some of the humor.



3. I read Octavian Nothing this weekend. In a night, actually, in one enormous fascinated appalled gulp. Now I understand why everyone was talking about it. Slave narratives have alway been political, so using a fictional one (be it never so fantastical and gothick) to illumine the history we don't see as much is lovely. This is not a book for hagiography, not of people or nations. It is about Jefferson, although it never says so. It is like a darker, older version of Johnny Tremaine. People die, and are sold into slavery, and you ask yourself if this books shares DNA with Lemony Snickett, and yet it is a really compelling corner of Americana. I put the sequel on my wishlist. I expect we will end up in Halifax.



4. The premise of this book (a child raised by 19th century natural scientists as an "experiment") is so provocative that I grabbed it off the bookstore shelf and couldn't wait to read it. The description of Octavian's early life, and the unraveling of who the people are and why they are doing it, is fascinating. After the initial shock and curiosity, however, the plot plods along tediously. The writing is meant to evoke 19th century prose style, but it comes off as pretentious and I found it difficult to read. Once Octavian comes of age, I couldn't have cared less. I forced myself to get to the end, on a camping trip where I had nothing else to read, and will not be picking up any sequels.
   Disclaimer: I am an adult and a rapid reader, I can't imagine the intended audience of middle-schooler's getting through this book.



5. I knew some of the historical references when I read this but not all. This book goes to a dark dark place. I love the argument at the end. This book is a powerhouse.

4 comments about Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out.

1. It is a Christmas Gift, so I do not know how to respond until the recipient of the gift gives me feedback.



2. As a journalist who specializes in covering spirituality in daily life, I find myself drawn toward projects conceived by Candlewick Press. I still think their "A Visitor for Bear" is one of the best books I've ever read about the spiritual theme of hospitality.
   
   Well, "Our White House" is a colossal project compared with "Bear" and I was pleased after reading all of its more than 200 pages to conclude that even in large-scale, long-form projects, the Candlewick team hasn't lost their impish sense of storytelling.
   
   I say that because this is a weighty project. More than 100 top names in American history, arts and literature contributed to this coffee-table book for families. Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough is here along with Jimmy Carter, Charles Dickens and Walt Whitman. These are heavy names. This is a big book. It could have turned out as dull as one of those bronze statues in D.C. that people barely notice anymore.
   
   Here's what I like about the book and why I think it's timely with our American role in the world called into question in so many ways: This book dares to have fun with America's enduring capacity for creativity. And that is an important spiritual lesson right now.
   
   Did you know that Thomas Jefferson defied naysayers in personally helping to popularize the tomato? He did. He cultivated them and ate them both fresh and cooked. Today, who could imagine American cuisine without tomatoes?
   
   Did you know that the Lebanese-American journalist Helen Thomas opened doors at the White House to female journalists? She did. And she did it by first cultivating coverage of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a major barrier breaker herself.
   
   Did you know it was a White House Executive Order in 1903 that kick started the national preservation of our wilderness and wildlife? It was. Teddy Roosevelt was behind it and, more than likely, his family's love of wildlife -- including a crazy array of pets in the White House -- played a role in saving some of our most precious natural areas.
   
   Families will have a lot of fun sharing individual two- and three-page stories from the book. And it's not only a collection of stories. There are poems here, too, and letters. Some of the lavish illustrations are worthy a good bedtime story by themselves.



3. This book is a contemplation of many stories about the White House. Some are old, most are written by famous children's authors of the day. Great book illustrators are included too! (I want a poster of Eric Carle's contribution.) Every single entry is superlative and of great interest. I was absorbed from beginning to end. I am a teacher and my only problem will be how to share this book with my students. I will look for openings in the curriculum to share many of the stories and hope some of them will be interested in reading it themselves. The book is wonderful.



4. Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out This book is the natural outcome of all those speeches and interviews David McCullough has given around the country claiming again and again, "our children don't know enough about history."
   And this book couldn't come at a better time, on the heels of the spectacular John Adams HBO miniseries. This book was written for young people to help them fall in love with history, the way the 108 contributors to this marvelous book clearly already have.
   This book has all the reliable gateways to keep a kid interested, great illustrations, funny stories and personal notes the people that lived in the White House.
   Really well done. I'm so glad!!