Books

Average customer rating:

A Newbery winner?
Great Read
Understanding Lucky A Lesson
Well written, but rather dull
Be more creative...and stop trying to shock...The Not So Higher Power of Lucky

The Higher Power of Lucky
Susan Patron
Manufacturer: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1416901949

Customer Reviews:

A Newbery winner?.......2007-06-20

I was very disappointed in this book as a Newbery winner. It is not in the same league as recent winners. It is a cute story, but not great literature.

Great Read.......2007-06-07

A few weeks ago my mother sent me the link to a New York Times' article: With One Word, Children's Book Sets Off Uproar. Why are some people so shocked? Why has this book already been pulled from the shelf? Because the word "scrotum" appears on the first page.

Thus in my unfailing curiosity I checked this book out from work to actually see what all the hubbub was about. The word "scrotum" does indeed appear on the first page as our young, heroine Lucky eavesdrops on a conversation and overhears a story about Short Sammy's dog Roy being bit on the scrotum by a rattlesnake.

Following the use of the "scrotum" in the book it reappears a few pages later as: "Scrotum sounded to Lucky like something green that comes up when you have the flu and cough too much. It sounded medical and secret, but also important, and Lucky was glad she was a girl and would never have such an aspect as a scrotum to her own body. Deep inside she thought she would be interested in seeing an actual scrotum. But at the same time--and this is where Lucky's brain was very complicated--she definitely did not want to see one."

Now if we move beyond this atrocious and horrible idea of using anatomically correct terms in children's books The Higher Power of Lucky is the story of a young girl living in the Mojave Desert. The population is 43 and the history we're given is that Lucky's parents are divorced and two years ago Lucky's mother dies accidentally from stepping on a fallen but live electrical line after a storm. Rather than her father taking care of her, Brigitte--Lucky's father's first wife--comes to California from France to take care of her.

The big concept in the book is the idea of finding your "higher power," which Lucky picks up (as well as the "scrotum" story) from eavesdropping on the local 12 Step-esque programs. These programs occur at Hard Pan's local Found Object Wind Chime Museum where Lucky holds the wonderful job of sweeping the front porch. The programs include Gamblers, Alcoholics, Smokers and Over Eaters Anonymous groups and those members who have beaten their addictions share stories of how they hit "rock bottom" and managed to find their "higher power."

The word choice of "scrotum" is entirely appropriate as Short Sammy explains "even though it bit him in the worst place it can hurt for a male" his dog Roy still managed to rescue Short Sammy--who was too drunk to even notice the snake--by killing the snake. Waking into sobriety Sammy makes a deal with himself that if Roy is okay that he'll stop drinking, go clean, and join AA. Realizing that he was too drunk to even care for himself and could have been killed in the situation Short Sammy realizes that he's "hit rock bottom" and now attends AA-meetings to share how he found his "higher power."

The book becomes a story of the complications and trials and tribulations in a child's life that may not seem quite so serious to adults to downright serious concerns for some children in non-traditional family units. The book becomes a tale of Lucky hitting "rock bottom" and ultimately finding her "higher power" by the end of the book. Also at the end of the book the reader will find:

After a moment Lucky said, "Brigitte, what is a scrotum?"

"It is a little sack of the man or the animal which has in it the sperm to make a baby," said Brigite in her deep, quiet voice. "Why do you ask about that?"

"It was just something I heard someone say," said Lucky."

Overall I don't think there is anything objectionable in this book but only librarians (for the most part) worried about parent's squeamish reaction. And can you blame them? In the United States where sex ed largely seems to have gone the way of the dodo as we're replaced more and more with abstinence only courses how often does the public school have to explain or even say the word "scrotum"? The Higher Power of Lucky is an excellent choice for the Newbery medal and if you find yourself with a few free hours on a rainy Sunday I do suggest you visit your local library or bookstore to take a look.

Understanding Lucky A Lesson.......2007-06-02

When my friend, librarian/ neighbor put this book in my hands and insisted I read it, I was in the middle of "The World is Flat" and cramming to finish it in time for a discussion; however, it proved to be the perfect time to take a break from the flat world and enter into the world through the eyes of Lucky. Perhaps the psychology in this book and the need I feel for closer relationships between parents and their children today caused me to find this such a worthwhile read that I passed the book on. It has been going around the neighborhood with all favorable responses even from other writers. Ironically, there is a story in "The World is Flat" on page 53 that involves a frog who was born and lives his entire life in a well. Lucky needed to break out of her well and find someone she could feel secure communicating with...don't we all? It is a precious and relevant-to-our-world today kind of story. The word in question could have been omitted to avoid the criticisms, but makes a point; when a child is left to figure things out alone, misconceptions will occur and simple explanations can save much misunderstanding. The humor was a tonic. It is for adults and children.

Well written, but rather dull.......2007-05-25

This is a well written book; however, nothing much happens in it. The characters are well-drawn, but there is very little action. I am a plot-driven reader, which is why I only gave the book 2 stars. I wanted to only give it 1 star, but I thought "hate" was a pretty strong word for something I just plain didn't like.

Be more creative...and stop trying to shock...The Not So Higher Power of Lucky.......2007-05-18

Although this book was well written and brings a lot of subjects to the surface for conversation...give me a break...let's get creative about the writing and not the shock value. Books are a beautiful thing, because they allow our minds to develop our own visions through the vocabulary used...I have no problem when certain words are used for significance, but the "s" word on page 1 was unnecessary to the entire book...something else could have been portrayed to carry the story along. Unfortunately, I trusted Amazon to recommend books for my 9 year old that I could trust.

Average customer rating:

A story every child deserves to be told, with wonderful images, and in perfect size
Better than "Goodnight Moon" in many regards.
Classic snoozer
Great Book For Moms
not the classic I was hoping for

The Runaway Bunny
Margaret Wise Brown
Manufacturer: HarperFestival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0061074292

Amazon.com

Since its publication in 1942, The Runaway Bunny has never been out of print. Generations of sleepy children and grateful parents have loved the classics of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, including Goodnight Moon. The Runaway Bunny begins with a young bunny who decides to run away: "'If you run away,' said his mother, 'I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.'" And so begins a delightful, imaginary game of chase. No matter how many forms the little bunny takes--a fish in a stream, a crocus in a hidden garden, a rock on a mountain--his steadfast, adoring, protective mother finds a way of retrieving him. The soothing rhythm of the bunny banter--along with the surreal, dream-like pictures--never fail to infuse young readers with a complete sense of security and peace. For any small child who has toyed with the idea of running away or testing the strength of Mom's love, this old favorite will comfort and reassure. (Baby to preschool)

Book Description

Clement Hurd redrew some of his pictures for this new edition of the profoundly comforting story of a bunny's imaginary game of hide-and-seek and the lovingly steadfast mother who finds him every time.

Customer Reviews:

A story every child deserves to be told, with wonderful images, and in perfect size.......2007-06-08

I bought this book for my son when he just over a year old. I read to him ever since he was born, and he loves books.

This book is a good size for small hands, and very resistant for toddlers due to the cardboard pages. I was always able to let him hold it because of that, without having to tell him to be careful with it. And because of the beautiful and colorful pictures that the book has on every other page, he has always been inclined to take the book himself.

The story itself is beautiful. It speaks of a little bunny at a "silly" age, where he tells his mother all the things he will do to get away from her. The mother answers each of these "ideas" to run away, lovingly and patiently, telling him HOW she will always run after him, no matter what. The last idea that the bunny has "gets him caught", and he then gives up the thought of running away. The mother's reaction to this is to warmly welcome him back with a homely gesture that is to give him a snack.

My son was first drawn to the book by the pictures and the rhythm of the words... and well, he has always loved the "bunny" and "mommy" voices that one can make while reading it aloud. But now that he is almost three, he tells ME the whole story, and starts to giggle when we get to the page where the bunny gets caught. He loves it when I hold him in my arms and start tickling and kissing him at that point.

This is definitely his favorite bedtime book.

It's a book that has helped strengthen the mother-son bond in my family. It also teaches both mommy and son, if you read between the lines: unconditional love and patience.

I already have my older son's copy, but when I have my second son/daughter, I will get him/her a copy of their own. It's a book that belongs on a night table, and that every child deserves to listen to.

Better than "Goodnight Moon" in many regards........2007-05-31

Now that I have your attention, do not misconstrue this to mean "Goodnight Moon" is not a great book (it is) or that the simple near-rhymes aren't wonderful (they are) or that the illustrations are somehow deficient (by no means).

Rather, I considered two factors. One, this book has a narrative thread: it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's the next step beyond recounting a list of items in a room and then wishing them a goodnight. Two, my son Ethan loves this book above all others. That's the single most important factor to me.

It has pretending in it, some minor adventure, and hidden gems if you care to find them (especially if you notice the tie between all three in the series). Overall, an underrated followup to the classic that hasn't been overlooked in our home.

-Fred

Classic snoozer.......2007-05-30

I know she's a respected author, but aside from Goodnight Moon, I find her rhythm to be flat and the storylines rather boring. I can't get through this book without wishing it would end. My daughter doesn't seem at all excited about it either. We like Sandra Boynton stuff better. Classic or not - this book is a snoozer.

Great Book For Moms.......2007-05-24

I Love this book as does my 5 year old daughter. We decided to get 2 more of this book to give to or moms & grandmas for mother's day! It's got a great message.

not the classic I was hoping for.......2007-05-07

My 7 month old daughter won't even sit through 2 pages of this book. I think the black and white pictures were a bad idea on the part of the publisher.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Average customer rating:

midnight museum magic
From the Mixed up Flies of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E.Frankweiler
5 star rating!
FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS BASIL E. FRANKWEILER

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
E.L. Konigsburg
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689711816

Amazon.com

After reading this book, I guarantee that you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or any wonderful, old cavern of a museum) without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and her brother Jamie. They're standing on the toilets, still, hiding until the museum closes and their adventure begins. Such is the impact of timeless novels . . . they never leave us. E. L. Konigsburg won the 1967 Newbery Medal for this tale of how Claudia and her brother run away to the museum in order to teach their parents a lesson. Little do they know that mystery awaits!

Book Description

Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped -- right into a mystery that made headlines!

Customer Reviews:

midnight museum magic.......2007-06-13

Do you like adventure, mystery and fun? Well then this is the book for you. It is about a girl named Claudia (11), and her brother, Jamie(9); they decided to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They worked together which helped them to survive many days and nights in the museum. I learned that you should work together no matter who it is you are working with; your brother, your sister, a friend, or even Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! I'd love to tell you more, but I can't spoil the story befroe you read "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler."

From the Mixed up Flies of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler.......2007-06-12

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler
E.L Konigsburg

Twelve year old Claudia Kincaid, is bored with her life - being an "A" student all the time, not having a big allowance, and having to deal with being the only girl and oldest of all her brothers. So, she decides to change things a bit to make them exciting. She takes all her allowance, her brother's allowance, her brother (Jamie) and a trumpet and violin case and heads off on an enjoyable, fun adventure to the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York City. There, they take tours everyday, sleep in queens' beds and do whatever they please while being careful not to get caught. One day, they uncover a beautiful, exquisite statue of an angel. As they get to know more about this angel, they find out that it is a mystery. No one knows who actually created this angel. Claudia is determined to find out who the artist is. But will she ever figure it out without getting caught?

This book was full of adventure, and filled determination and concentration. I really enjoyed this book because I felt like I was in the story with the characters through their good and bad times. Konigsburg makes this story become so realistic, it comes to life.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good adventure. The plot and setting of Konigsburg's book makes it an incredible, thrilling quest that I am sure you will enjoy! I know I enjoyed it!

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E.Frankweiler.......2007-04-17

E.L. Konigsburg wrote, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a Newberry children or teens book. The book is about two children running away from their house and staying at the Metropolitan Museums of Art. The obstacles they go through to live independently include regrets from going anyway. It reminds you how much you care about your parents. While at the museum the kids find a mysterious puzzle that has clues that to an unexpected conclusion. There are no weaknesses in this book. I read this book because my Aunt is the author. I am not saying this book is good because I am related to the Author but because it is a fantastic and interesting novel. I totally recommend this book to anyone. There is also other books of hers that have won Newberry medals. A movie has been made to go with the book if you are more of a movie kind of guy.

5 star rating!.......2007-04-01

This book absolutely is over-whelming, hysterical and it helps you learn other people's point of view. If I ever go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I might just do the same as Claudia and Jamie! I am nine.

FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS BASIL E. FRANKWEILER.......2007-03-25

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is interesting and exciting with a bit of mystery and suspense, but it also has a soft side that lets you really connect with the author and characters.

Average customer rating:

This is Historical Fiction, right?
Simply Beautiful
CHS, New Britain, PA
A Delightful book
Everything you never wanted to know about Pap

Finn: A Novel
Jon Clinch
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400065917
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Book Description

In this masterful debut by a major new voice in fiction, Jon Clinch takes us on a journey into the history and heart of one of American literature’s most brutal and mysterious figures: Huckleberry Finn’s father. The result is a deeply original tour de force that springs from Twain’s classic novel but takes on a fully realized life of its own.

Finn sets a tragic figure loose in a landscape at once familiar and mythic. It begins and ends with a lifeless body–flayed and stripped of all identifying marks–drifting down the Mississippi. The circumstances of the murder, and the secret of the victim’s identity, shape Finn’s story as they will shape his life and his death.

Along the way Clinch introduces a cast of unforgettable characters: Finn’s terrifying father, known only as the Judge; his sickly, sycophantic brother, Will; blind Bliss, a secretive moonshiner; the strong and quick-witted Mary, a stolen slave who becomes Finn’s mistress; and of course young Huck himself. In daring to re-create Huck for a new generation, Clinch gives us a living boy in all his human complexity–not an icon, not a myth, but a real child facing vast possibilities in a world alternately dangerous and bright.

Finn is a novel about race; about paternity in its many guises; about the shame of a nation recapitulated by the shame of one absolutely unforgettable family. Above all, Finn reaches back into the darkest waters of America’s past to fashion something compelling, fearless, and new.

Praise for Finn
“A brave and ambitious debut novel… It stands on its own while giving new life and meaning to Twain’s novel, which has been stirring passions and debates since 1885… triumph of imagination and graceful writing…. Bookstores and libraries shelve novels alphabetically by authors’ names. That leaves Clinch a long way from Twain. But on my bookshelves, they'll lean against each other. I’d like to think that the cantankerous Twain would welcome the company.”
–USA TODAY

“Ravishing…In the saga of this tormented human being, Clinch brings us a radical (and endlessly debatable) new take on Twain’s classic, and a stand-alone marvel of a novel. Grade: A.”
–ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“A fascinating, original read.”
–people

“Haunting…Clinch reimagines Finn in a strikingly original way, replacing Huck’s voice with his own magisterial vision–one that’s nothing short of revelatory…Spellbinding.”
–WASHINGTON POST

“Meticulously crafted…Marvelous imagination…The Finn of Clinch’s novel is certainly a racist villain but also psychologically disturbed and disconcertingly compelling.”
–SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

“From the barest of hints in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Clinch has created a fully believable world inhabited by fully realized characters. Clinch treads dangerous ground in making one of America’s greatest novels his jumping-off point, but he brings it off magnificently…The language of this book is one of its great beauties…Finn is far from one-dimensional, and that is another beauty of the book. Clinch has a knack for putting us squarely inside the heads of his characters….Clinch draws as compelling and realistic a picture as any we’re likely to find…Finn stands on its own. The richness of its language, the depth of its characters, the emotional and societal tangles through which they struggle to navigate add up to a portrait of life on the Mississippi as we’ve never before experienced it.”
–dallas morning news

“His models may include Cormac McCarthy, and Charles Frazier, whose Cold Mountain also has a voice that sounds like 19th-century American (both formal and colloquial) but has a contemporary terseness and spikiness. This voice couldn’t be better suited to a historical novel with a modernist sensibility: Clinch’s riverbank Missouri feels postapocalyptic, and his Pap Finn is a crazed yet wily survivor in a polluted landscape…Clinch’s Pap is a convincingly nightmarish extrapolation of Twain’s. He’s the mad, lost and dangerous center of a world we’d hate to live in–or do we still live there?–and crave to revisit as soon as we close the book.”
–newsweek

“I haven’t been swallowed whole by a work of fiction in some time. Jon Clinch’s first novel has done it: sucked me under like I was a rag doll thrown into the wake of a Mississippi steamboat…Jon Clinch has turned in a nearly perfect first book, a creative response that matches The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in intensity and tenacious soul-searching about racism. I wish I could write well enough to construct a dramatic, subtle and mysterious story out of careful, plodding and unromantic prose, but for now I’m just happy to have an alchemist like Jon Clinch do it for me.”
–BOOKSLUT

“Finn strikes its most original chords in its bold imagining of possibilities left unexplored by Huckleberry Finn.”
–austin american-statesman

“An inspired riff on one of literature’s all-time great villains…This tale of fathers and sons, slavery and freedom, better angels at war with dark demons, is filled with passages of brilliant description, violence that is close-up and terrifying…Everything in this novel could have happened, and we believe it… so the great river of stories is too, twisting and turning, inspiring such surprising and inspired riffs and tributes as Finn.”
–new orleans times-picayune

“A triumph of succesful plotting, convincing characterization and lyrical prose.”
–ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

“Shocking and charming. Clinch creates a folk-art masterpiece that will delight, beguile and entertain as it does justice to its predecessor…In Finn, Clinch expands the bloodlines and scope of the original story and casts new light on the troubled legacy of our country’s infamous past.”
–new york post

“In Clinch’s retelling, Pap Finn comes vibrantly to life as a complex, mysterious, strangely likable figure…Clinch includes many sharply realized, sometimes harrowing, even gruesome scenes…Finn should appeal not only to scholars of 19th century literature but to anyone who cares to sample a forceful debut novel inspired by a now-mythic American story.”
–atlanta journal-consitution

“What makes bearable this river voyage that never ventures far beyond the banks is the compelling narrative Clinch has created. He writes exceedingly well, not with the immediacy Twain imbued to Huck's voice, but with an impersonal narrator’s voice that almost perversely refuses to take sides. And the plot is masterful.”
–fredericksburg freelance-star

“Disturbing and darkly compelling…Clinch displays impressive imagination and descriptiveness…anyone who encounters Finn will long be hautned by this dark and bloody tale.”
–hartford courant

“Jon Clinch pulls off the near impossible in his new novel, Finn, which brings Huck's dad to life in all his terrible humanness…Clinch vividly paints the origins of the amazing Huck...powerfully told.”
–winston-salem journal

“Gripping…he inventively remaps known literary territory…the descriptive riffs are lucent.”
–chicago tribune

“The best debut so far of 2007.”
–men’s journal

“Inventing Huckleberry Finn’s father using only the thin scraps of information that Mark Twain provided is a pretty admirable feat, and reading Jon Clinch’s first novel provides an almost tactile pleasure…Clinch clearly respects Twain, but he doesn’t feel especially cowed by his inspiration, and some of his inventions qualify as genuine improvements on the original text.”
–washington city paper

“In this darkly luminous debut…Clinch lyrically renders the Mississippi River’s ceaseless flow, while revealing Finn’s brutal contradictions, his violence, arrogance and self-reproach.”
–Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

“Bold and deeply disturbing. . . A few incidents duplicate those in Twain,
but the novels could not be more different; instead of Huck’s unlettered child’s voice,
we have an omniscient narrative, grave, erudite and rich in the secretions of adult knowledge;
terse dialogue acts as an effective counterpoint. All along, Clinch’s intent
is to probe the nature of evil . . . a memorable debut, likely to make waves.”
–KIRKUS REVIEWS, STARRED review

“Every fan of Twain’s masterpiece will want to read this inspired spin-off, which could become an unofficial companion volume.”
–LIBRARY JOURNAL, STARRED review

“This is a bold debut that takes a few tentative steps in tandem with the familiar Twain,
but then veers off dexterously down a much more insidious, harrowing path.”
–BOOKLIST

“Jon Clinch’s first novel Finn…succeeds wonderfully because its gritty lyricism is at once authentic and original…reminiscent at times of Cormac McCarthy…the eloquence of the telling will never make the courageous reader wish for a gentler touch. Like any appealing novel, Finn achieves the force of a dream with fascinating actions, indelible characters and spellbinding language. Its ...

Customer Reviews:

This is Historical Fiction, right?.......2007-06-25

The writing of this novel was very good. There is no doubt about that, but its merits as a Historical Fiction novel...well, in my opinion that has much to be desired.

First, I didn't feel the author made an attempt to create a good historical fiction novel. For me this was a book about a man named Finn that could have taken place in 2007. I missed the little historical details that Ms. Gregory, Ms. Erickson and Ms. Donnelly are so good at. Granted, maybe if I continued to read this book there may have been more, but I could not continue. As another reviewer said, the author screwed up some historical details, a big no no in my opinion.

I did not enjoy what I read. Maybe it would have become better, maybe it wouldn't have. I'm glad others enjoyed it, but this was not for me. I'm turning my attentions to another HF novel.

And I made a mistake..it my opinion it should have been one star.

Also, I have a feeling no one will find my review "helpful" because this book has a huge following. Hey to each their own :-D

Simply Beautiful.......2007-06-14

Finn is a novel of beauty and sophistication. Cinch masterfully backlogs the story of Huck Finn and his evil, yet complicated father. Finn, the father, and his debilitating addiction to whiskey are an indelible mark on the Mississippi landscape. Cinch is bold in his storytelling and does not disappoint when tackling one of America's most important works of fiction. If you love Huck Finn, you must read this story and find the true beauty that Cinch has created. This is his first novel and I look forward to his future works. I hope Finn finds its place along Huck in the the American Canon for the future of students of literature.

CHS, New Britain, PA.......2007-06-09

VIOLENT. BRUTAL. But, I cannot stop thinking about it. Went back & read Huckleberry Finn after this book. Twain's sick humor & satire pale in comparison to the impact of this book. I am horrified to recall that "Huck" was recommended/required reading for young boys. I am sure the satire was lost on youngsters. It must have come across as just too cutsy and funny. NOT FUNNY AT ALL FROM A MATURE VIEW! From my current perspective, it was demeaning and degrading to African-Americans and to Southerners. This book is far more specific and moving. It targets bigots of any generation, race, gender, etc. It is heartbreaking but mind altering.
This is the first time that I have been moved enough to write about a book (and, no...I am not the author's mother, sister or acquaintance)and I read a lot of different book styles. Have recommended book to other discerning book-reader-friends and some could not stomach it. I am still trying among less squeamish acquaintances. But, even among those that were horrified by the book, it stands out in their minds! How many books have I read that I could not remember a week later? Not this one.

A Delightful book.......2007-06-06

Who would have thought that a valid novel could be written about Huck Finn's father? So many reasons to recommend this book, probably the main reason is that it captures your attention, it creates real characters, and it deepens the experience that Mark Twain initiated.

Everything you never wanted to know about Pap.......2007-06-05

My niece just finished reading one of my young adult books. It inspired her to start writing the backstory of one of the characters, essentially writing her own novel based on the book. She's nine. No one will fault her for a lack of creativity. No one will accuse her of trying to emulate my style. Certainly no one will charge her with blasphemy for daring to desecrate an American classic.

John Clinch is not nine. He is open to those charges and many more for attempting to paint in the details of the sketchy life of "Pap" Finn, as originally laid out in Huckleberry Finn. Given the difficulties of getting a first novel published, why would one add multiple rows of hurdles by setting oneself up for comparison with perhaps the greatest American writer? This is not Star Trek we're dealing with here, a literary form that practically begged fans to invent new adventures for their favorite characters. If Twain had felt there was more to say about Pap Finn,wouldn't he have said it? Isn't the unsaid often as important as the said in great writing?

I rant. But only alittle.

Finn is in many ways a clever novel about a truly awful man. This all but unredeemable stalwart of slothful self sufficiency is appealing on one level in his near total rejectionof social mores. We love the cad because we sometimes want to be one. Embracing this anti-hero for that reason would not carry the story. His lack of concern for others is too complete. In its most minor and common manifestation he steals skiffs as if he simply owns them all. The money his boy comes into and the hard earnings of the boy's mother are, in his mind, as much his property as the fingers on his hands. His property because that is also the status of the woman and boy. And yet, there is an occasional dim light that seeps into his black soul, illuminating if not the reason for its blackness, at least evidence that some humanity might still gasp there.

In alternating triple timelines Clinch doles out the details of Finn's life to slowly reveal some of the mysteries, though not always the motivation. He and his father loath each other, though we get no better explanation than that each is loathsome. Finn is a bigot drawn to the radiance of race like a moth with flaming wings. In the end it will consume him.

To his credit, Clinch makes not attempt to emulate the stylings of Twain. He comes off more as a literary detective, curious about the titillating details of that floating deathhouse in Huckleberry Finn. Fine. Now, please tell us a story we don't recognize.

Average customer rating:

Being teenagers is rough enough without having super villains for parents
Fantastic
A great adventure for readers of all ages
Short review, but all you need to know.
May appeal to the younger set, but not interesting to an Adult

Runaways, Vol. 1
Brian K Vaughan
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785118764

Book Description

In Pride & Joy, six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains! Finding strength in one another, the shocked teens run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy. In Teenage Wasteland, the Runaways find a kindred spirit in a daring young stranger and welcome him into their fold. But will this dashing young man help the teenagers defeat their villainous parents... or tear them apart? Plus: who do you send to catch a group of missing, runaway teenage super-heroes? Marvel's original teen runaway crimefighters, Cloak and Dagger, make their first major appearance in years! In The Good Die Young, the world as we know it is about to end, and the Runaways are the only hope to prevent it! Our fledgling teenage heroes have learned how their parents' criminal organization began, and now they must decide how it should end. As the Runaways' epic battle against their evil parents reaches its shocking conclusion, the team's mole stands revealed, and blood must be shed. Which kids will still be standing when the smoke finally clears?

Customer Reviews:

Being teenagers is rough enough without having super villains for parents.......2007-05-14

I picked up this collection of the original eighteen issues of "Runaways" because on a recent visit to my local comic book store I learned that Joss Whedon was now scripting the title. I had never read "Runaways," but since I was already reading "Astonishing X-Men" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight," the other two comics that Whedon was scripting for Marvel, I picked up issue #25 of the title. The problem, of course, is that I have never read "Runaways," even though it was the 2006 Harvey Award Winner for Best Continuing Series. Marvel published a one-shot comic "Runaways Saga," obviously intended for readers like me who have come late to the party, that recaps all of the 42-issues by Brian K. Vaughn and Adrian Alphona (Volumes 2 and 3 of "Runaways" has the next two dozen issues). But "Saga" is like a string of 42 "previous on 'Runaways'" segments and since it is relatively easy to get the entire run of pre-Whedon "Runaways" that was what I decided to do (Besides, I read "Saga" and apparently retained none of it by the time I got Volume 1 and read it).

The Runaways are six teenagers who meet each year at an annual gathering of their parents, only this time they manage to spy on what is happening and see the ritual sacrifice of a young girl. Figuring out that their parents must be super villains of some type, calling themselves the Pride, the teenagers run away, discovering in the process their unique abilities, which they then plan to use to bring their parents to justice. Finding out about the kids and their powers is half the fun, so there is no reason to give everything away. Suffice it to say that some of the powers are relatively basic, but a couple are quite interesting, especially the one with the mystical Staff of One. There is an interesting wrinkle is that the parents of each of the Runaways are unique, from time-travelers, aliens and criminal bosses to mutants, mad scientists, and dark wizards, which has significant implications for the Runaways.

Actually, it seems nobody calls them the Runaways; at this point they are simply the children of the Pride, and my biggest reservation about this story is when we find out what is up with Pride. That "deal" is strange enough, but then the Pride's twist on the original deal is where I started rolling my eyes and asking myself a lot of questions: Would the Gibborim allow this reinterpretation of the deal? Do humans, mutants, and aliens granted immortality age or do they stay the same age--adult or teenager--forever? Are they prohibited from being fruitful and multiplying? Do not ask me what this has to do with the Celestials, Galactus, the dread Dormammu and every other extraordinarily powerful creature in the Marvel Universe, because it would only make my head explode, and realize that these questions will not make sense until you read these stories.

Ultimately, the problems with the back story on the Pride does not matter because the big appeal with these comic books is that this is a group of teenage superheroes. This makes them distinct from both the pre-adolescents of Power Pack and because they are going after their "rents" they are devoid of a mentor like the X-Men had with Professor X. Being mentored matter because these kids are still a step away from being novices, as opposed to the Teen Titans, who at least in their original instantiation were all superhero sidekicks. The Runaways squabble a lot more than the Merry Mutants ever did (although I suppose a lot of what they do is better qualified as whining). When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby came up with the Fantastic Four the idea of a bickering group of superheroes was a radical notion, but Vaughn and Alphona get to deal with puberty, hormones, and a telepathic velociraptor. The genesis for the Runaways was the idea that while superheroes from Superman to Spider-Man had total respect for their (foster) parents, most teenagers are playing out some primordial death match with their parents (Pick your complex: Oedipus, Elektra, or mix and match as necessary). Besides, the Runaways have a pretty good excuse for disobeying their parents.

"Runaways" is also different in two other significant ways from your regular superhero comic books. The first is that it takes place in Malibu, which means this is off the beaten path when it comes to superheroes. Cloak and Dagger show up, not because this is their turf, but because being a runaway is something that they know about. So this comic takes place in the Marvel Universe in much the same way as "Tomb of Dracula" and "Man-Thing," where a superhero might show up from time to time, but that is the exception rather than the rule. The second difference is that the pacing of these comics is similar to the television show "24." Issue #1 starts at 6:01 p.m. on Day One and by issue #12 we are at 12:26 a.m. on Day Four; so that initial story takes place over the span of 54 hours. Issue #9 takes place over the span of 22 minutes. Issue #13 jumps ahead a week, and then #14-17 covers an evening and night of the same day, and then #18 is an epilogue that takes place later. I am not totally enamored with the results, but there is enough here that is intriguing enough to justify rounding up, and I think that with the different situation that will present the Runaways in Volume 2 things can only get better, which would explain the aforementioned Harvey Award. Plus, Joss Whedon likes it enough to do six issues.

Fantastic.......2007-05-06

Brian K Vaughan has done it again. Just when you thought he couldn't get any better, he does, and he gives us Runaways. This 18 issue volume is quite the page turner, filled with plot twists, comic book cliches (which are humorously made fun of to no end), and the freshest group of characters in the Marvel Universe. Six teenagers (Alex, Nico, Karolina, Chase, Gert, and 11 year old Molly) discover that their parents are actually evil crimelords who control almost all of LA. They decide to Runaway and put a stop to their parents evildoings. BKV cleverly plays off classic teenager attitudes and puts them in a comic book world. The art is also amazing. Adrian Alphona has a unique and attractive style that can be summed up as simply beautiful. And his teenagers actually look like teenagers, which is rare for comic books, where most characters are adults. Part of the draw to this book is that it is set in LA, a place in the Marvel Universe that doesn't have many super heroes or villains. So we get a fresh setting, fresh art, fresh characters, fresh stories, and an amazing time overall.

A great adventure for readers of all ages.......2007-04-10

I am not a serious comic fan. I own about three dozen graphic novels, which is a lot compared to the average American, but paltry compared to serious comic fans. But I can't imagine many not loving this story about six young kids who become runaways when they realize their parents are super villains. It is set very much within the Marvel comic universe. Captain America appears briefly and there is mention of the Avengers. Also, one of the six kids is a mutant of the X-Men variety. But the story is not at all dependent on any in depth knowledge of the Marvel pantheon of heroes and in fact having such knowledge won't actually add much to the enjoyment of the story.

I want especially to recommend the book to parents of children. I deeply regret that this wasn't around when my daughter was young and we were still reading books together. There are a couple of bits that might be disturbing to very small children, but I would have felt comfortable reading this with my daughter when she was 8 or 9. The book is especially good for girls, because in an unusual alignment, four of the six kids are girls and in fact both the oldest and the youngest are female. A girl of 10 would really identify with Molly aka Bruiser (though she would prefer to be called Princess Powerful), an eleven-year-old mutant with super human strength (though upon using it she always has to take a nap afterwards). But I don't want to mislead and suggest that this is mainly or even primarily for kids. This is an "all ages" book in the best possible sense. An adult of 60 could easily enjoy this as much as a child of 16.

This is certainly a nonstandard collection of heroes. I've mentioned Molly. Karolina Dean is the oldest, the child of two famous actors who in fact are aliens from another world. Karolina aka Lucy in the Sky turns out to have remarkable powers based on her ability to channel the energy in sunlight. Alex is not gifted with any powers, but is a master of strategy and tactics and a brilliant prodigy. Chase is your the dimmest bulb of the bunch, but uses his parents' fistigons, metal gloves that spew out fire. He is given the name Talkback by the others. Nico aka Sister Grimm has taken possession of her mother's Staff of One, with which she can cast any spell, but only one time. Gertrude aka Arsenic has no powers, but is the recipient of a velociraptor who is tied to her DNA and who responds to her telepathically whom she names Old Lace. (The first volume never addresses the question of precisely what Old Lace eats to stay alive.) The wonderful twist is that one of these heroes is in fact a mole and still faithful to the Pride, the super gang formed by their parents.

I can't recommend this volume strongly enough. It is a wonderfully fresh take on the idea of the superhero. Creator Brian K. Vaughan went on to write two more volumes of their adventures and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER creator Joss Whedon is now continuing it (though I feel compelled to add that as much as I love what Joss is doing with the X-Men, the Runaways, and his continuation of BUFFY in comic book form, I would really like to see him get back to TV).

Short review, but all you need to know. .......2007-03-26

This is the best thing Brian K. Vaughan has written. And that's saying a lot. So do yourself a favor and pick this up already. It's funny, it's smart. it's refreshingly unpretentious, but most of all, it's a lot of fun.

May appeal to the younger set, but not interesting to an Adult.......2007-02-26

Maybe I'm a crusty old guy even though I'm only in my mid 30's and I'm not the target audience for this book. I picked it up, because I love Y the Last Man. This book didn't do anything for me. The writing and plot (though innovative) is simple and straightforward. The artwork was good, but even that seemed to reaching for the younger crowd (Dragonball Z influence?). I just want to warn Y fans that the writing in this book isn't skewed toward adults and does seem skewed toward disaffected youth. If I could jump back to 13 (and oh man I would love to!) I might dig this book, but this book isn't for those over 20.

Average customer rating:

Runaways Vol. 2
The Runaways get another shot at life, atoning for the sins of their 'rents
Keep on running!
A strong follow up to the spectacular first volume
Unremarkable

Runaways, Vol. 2
Brian K Vaughan , Adrian Alphona , and Takeshi Miyazawa
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 078512358X

Book Description

This deluxe hardcover collects Runaways Vols. 5-7, plus extras. In True Believers, it's an all-new beginning for the book that Wizard calls "the best original concept from Marvel in thirty years!" When a group of teenagers discovers that their parents are actually super-villains, they run away from home... but that's only step one! Now that the evil Pride is gone, nearly every bad guy in the Marvel Universe is trying to fill the power vacuum in Los Angeles, and the Runaways are the only heroes who can stop them! Plus: What does a mysterious new team of young heroes want with the Runaways, and which fan-favorite Marvel characters are part of this group? In Escape to New York, the Runaways embark on a coast-to-coast adventure, guest-starring Cloak and Dagger AND the New Avengers! When Cloak is accused of a crime he didn't commit by the heroes of New York City, the vigilante is forced to turn to the teenage Runaways for help. This story will take our teens to a place they've never been: NYC! And in Parental Guidance, the villainous Pride returns, but this all-new group isn't made up of the Runaways' evil parents. Who are these shadowy players, and what do they want with the Marvel Universe's next generation of heroes? Collects Runaways (Vol. 2) #1-18.

Customer Reviews:

Runaways Vol. 2.......2007-06-15

It took awhile for this to arrive but it was worth it. An excellent follow up to the first volume. Runaways is probably BK Vaughan's best Marvel work. I can hardly wait for Volume 3. I wish that Marvel will collect the rest of Runaways issue even though its not by Vaughan in a similar hardcover format. (ie Runaways/Young Avengers: Civil War.
An excellent buy for me.

The Runaways get another shot at life, atoning for the sins of their 'rents.......2007-06-02

My attention was drawn to "Runaways" when I learned the Joss Whedon would be scripting the title this summer. With three volumes of reprints providing all of the pre-Whedon issues of "Runaway" I decided to keep the current issues on the shelf while I went back and started from the beginning. This was not only because I am inclined to read everything that Whedon writes, but also because in checking out "Runaways" I learned the title won the 2006 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series (meanwhile, over at the Eisner Awards, it as Whedon and artist John Cassady whose "Astonishing X-Men" was named Best Continuing Series for that same year). "Runaways, Volume 2" collects "Runaways" #1-12 plus "Free Comic Book Day 2006," and much more so that the original run of the title in Volume 1, I understand why many fans see this title, written by Brian K. Vaughan and penciled by Adrian Alphona, as something different.

The first six issues make up the "True Believers" story-arc, which begins with the kids trying to kids trying to do something about the supervillains who are starting to show up in L.A. to take advantage of the power vacuum created by the defeat of the Pryde. Meanwhile, a teenage superhero support group named Excelsior gets an offer of $1 million to track down the Runaways. That is before the kids get a new mission when a future version of Gert pops up and warns that in the future a man named Victorius is going to betray and kill not only the Avengers, but the Fantastic Fourteen and every other superhero. Before she dies, future-Gert tells them to find Victor Mancha, the boy who will grow up to become Victorius, and kill him now, before he becomes too powerful. So basically this is the old quandary about killing Hitler when he was a baby, with the added question of exactly who is Victor's daddy. Of course when the Runaways find Victor, the Excelsiors find them and the fun begins.

"Star-Crossed" is a two-part story (issues #7-8, drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa) where Karolina learns that another important thing her parents neglected to tell her, besides the fact she is an alien, is that they arranged a marriage for her. But when a space ship lands and her fiance shows up, which is the first of several interesting twists. My only complaint is that these interesting things end up on the back burner by the end of the story (good thing I have everything that follows, so I do not have to wait months to see where this is going).

Finally, there is what Molly calls the "Field trip" that is "East Coast/West Coast" (issues #9-12). If the superheroes will not come from New York City, then the Runaways will cross the continent courtesy of Cloak. It seems Dagger is at death's door and the Avengers think that Cloak was her assailant, so Cloak turns to the Runaways for help. I think there are some economic considerations in having the kids go to the right coast because that means the kids run into not only Captain America but also Spider-Man and Wolverine (a.k.a. "a hairy little Canadian guy"). I wanted the kids to stay in L.A., but the scenes between Molly and Wolverine tip the scale the other way. The "Free Comic Book" issue also teams up the X-Men and Runaways, featuring art by Skottie Young, as the mutants show up to try and persuade Molly to be one of them. Also included are the full script for (new) issue #1 and an Adrian Alphona Sketchbook.

On the one hand the Runaways exist on the superhero continuum between Power Pack and the New Mutants, but on the other hand the series reminds me a lot of Marvel's "New Universe" titles (1986-89), which took place in a more realistic world, totally divorced from the Marvel Universe and operated more or less in real time. Not that "Runaways" takes place in a world devoid of aliens, magic, supertechnology, etc., but rather that it is off the beaten path. New York City has always been the center of the superhero world in the Marvel Universe, but with the Pryde there is an explanation for why Los Angeles has been relatively devoid of supertypes. Of course, in the aftermath of the Civil War each state gets its own roster of superheroes, which will probably have an effect on a series that is dealing with, as Iron Man calls, them "more super-kids," which will be Whedon's headache.

Keep on running!.......2007-05-09

Volume two isn't quite as compelling as volume one, but still a good read. I recommend the hardcover, because the softcover collections are teeny.

A strong follow up to the spectacular first volume.......2007-04-16

Though not quite as outstanding as the first hardback volume in the series (I would give this 4.5 stars if we could do halves), this is nonetheless a thoroughly satisfying following up to the initial volume. The reason it is not quite as compelling as the first is the lack of a unified narrative arc and too many guest appearances (intrusions?) by heroes from other Marvel product lines.

The story picks up a few months following the end of the previous volume. After having been betrayed by their former leader Alex, the leadership of the Runaways has been taken over by Nico. The current volume is roughly split between two smaller arcs. The first concerns a group of former teen superheroes who have formed a group to rescue current teen superheroes from their plight. This has overtones of those organizations dedicated to rescuing gays from their sexual orientation in that it involves forcing our heroes to deny who they truly are. Interestingly, one of our heroes, Karolina, is revealed to be a lesbian, just before she leaves the story (at least for now) as she returns to the part of the galaxy from which she came. The power vacuum created by her departure is filled by Victor, whose presence is complicated by the fact that Gert, using her parents time travel machine, comes from the future to warn that Victor in her world is the most dangerous super villain of all time, who has killed all of the heroes of her time. Our kids respond by befriending him, hoping to lead him in a different direction. Time will tell what happens with that.

The second major arc involves our heroes going to New York to help Cloak prove that he was not responsible for Dagger being in a coma. Here they run into various Marvel universe superheroes, including Spiderman, Captain America, Ironman, and Wolverine. If I have a complaint with Marvel, it is their tendency to endlessly mix the various strains of superheroes. Some of this is a good thing, but it happens so often sometimes that I wonder if this is an attempt at product-promotion. Nonetheless, despite all this, it was fun seeing Molly and Wolverine enjoying a brief encounter in which she tosses him, much to his shock and consternation, a hundred feet or so through a church door. Molly, by the way, no longer seems prone to instant exhaustion upon using her super strength.

All in all, this is a marvelous sequel to the opening volume in the series. I wonder what the future of the franchise will be like. Vaughan stuck around for one more volume of stories. Interestingly, Joss Whedon has taken over for the next round. If one could point to a single major influence on THE RUNAWAYS, it would unquestionably be BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. So Whedon taking over the come he has most influence will be interesting indeed. Whedon has done wonderful work with the X-Men and is currently producing Season 8 of BUFFY in comic form. I love his comics, but I would really like to see him get back into TV. Let's be honest: a lot of talent people are doing comics, but not many of them could produce a great TV series. Whedon's considerable abilities would be better expended on a new TV series.

Unremarkable.......2007-03-28

I enjoyed the first volume a great deal, but this volume lacks the strong story arc of the first book with its focus on the protaganists' parents, and a satisfying conclusion. this volume just seems to lack direction.... what is driving the characters? What are they rebelling against?
In addition the writing seems weaker. For example I found the entire Victor storyline dull, and could not get involved. Another problem I had was that unlike the first volume, which did not require much background knowledge beyond knowing who the major Marvel characters are, this expected one to know and care about some decidedly 3rd or 4th string heroes.

The other thing is the art is kind of bland at times... I had to keep checking which of the male runaways I was reading about... they looked so similar.

There is some good stuff in this but, not up to the first volume at all. Will see how the 3rd volume shapes up.

Average customer rating:

Bud Not Buddy
Bud Not Buddy
What a gem!
Bud, Not Buddy
One book but 1Million Life Lessons

Bud, Not Buddy
Christopher Paul Curtis
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553494104
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Amazon.com

"It's funny how ideas are, in a lot of ways they're just like seeds. Both of them start real, real small and then... woop, zoop, sloop... before you can say Jack Robinson, they've gone and grown a lot bigger than you ever thought they could." So figures scrappy 10-year-old philosopher Bud--"not Buddy"--Caldwell, an orphan on the run from abusive foster homes and Hoovervilles in 1930s Michigan. And the idea that's planted itself in his head is that Herman E. Calloway, standup-bass player for the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, is his father.

Guided only by a flier for one of Calloway's shows--a small, blue poster that had mysteriously upset his mother shortly before she died--Bud sets off to track down his supposed dad, a man he's never laid eyes on. And, being 10, Bud-not-Buddy gets into all sorts of trouble along the way, barely escaping a monster-infested woodshed, stealing a vampire's car, and even getting tricked into "busting slob with a real live girl." Christopher Paul Curtis, author of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, once again exhibits his skill for capturing the language and feel of an era and creates an authentic, touching, often hilarious voice in little Bud. (Ages 8 to 12) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

It’s 1936, in Flint, Michigan, and when 10-year-old Bud decides to hit the road to find his father, nothing can stop him.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Download Description

After his mother's death in 1936, 10-year-old Bud can't squelch a yearning to find out his father's identity. Bud has a hunch from clues his mother left--posters of Herman E. Calloway and his band. The fearless fellow takes off on a journey to find his father and himself. The latest release from Newbery Honor winner Christopher Paul Curtis promises to be a warm adventure.

Customer Reviews:

Bud Not Buddy.......2007-05-22

If you think your childhood was or is horrible then you don't know Bud. Bud's mom has died so he will have to travel from Flint, Michigan to Grand Rapids, Michigan trying to escape the dreadful adoption home. While on his journey, Budd will try to find the biggest jazz musicians said to be his father. That won't be an easy task. Throughout Bud's journey some strangers will end up as his friends and assistants. He'll have to learn to trust others and how to let go of things he loves. Bud has to make this journey to prove that he can survive out in the world on his own or he'll be sent back to the adoption home.
This book is good for people of any age. It's an emotional story that keeps you turning the pages to find out how Bud's life ends up. You see Bud struggle to become more self reliant and feel his every pain and triumph. I recommend this book as it is one of my favorites.

By:Caleb Knight

Bud Not Buddy.......2007-05-22

What a gem!.......2007-04-18

I only wish I had the writing talent to come up with a review that would do this story justice. We've opted not to get a DVD player to entertain the kids in the car. Instead, we listen to audio books that we pick up from the local library. "Bud, Not Buddy," was by far the most wholesome book we've chosen. In this Audio book, actor, James Avery, reads in a lyrical, better-than-James Earl Jones, voice.

You'll fall in love with Christopher Paul Curtis's clever, funny and, ever-so optimistic orphan, Bud Caldwell, as you follow Bud on a journey through the Michigan of the Great Depression. The writing is witty and colorful. Curtis's lovely story will stay with you and leave you feeling hmm hmm goooooooood!

We chose the audio book only as a way to entertain the kids on those long boring drives, but since we are home schooling, this book has become a launching pad for lessons in creative writing, the history of the Great Depression, and, of course, that Great American Institution--Jazz.

Bud, Not Buddy.......2007-04-14

This adventure and fantastic book is about a boy named Bud. He lived in a Foster home. After Bud went through cruel treatment at a home, he decides to runaway and go to who he thinks is his dad. This is an amazing story with a surprise twist in the end.

One book but 1Million Life Lessons.......2007-03-29

This book is absolutely fantastic because it packs so many life lessons in a story that you start to have a new outlook on life. Also, this story is a tremendous page-turner because you never know what Bud is going to do next. I really enjoyed reading this because I could really relate to Bud in so many ways I lost count. For example we both have a family member who it is really hard to get along with even though we try our hardest to get along with them. So if you are person who really enjoys reading between the lines in books then I would highly recommend this amazing story!

Average customer rating:

Awesome book, though Amazon shows wrong covers
The Remarkable Runaways
Another excellent collection of my current favorites in the Marvel universe

Runaways, Vol. 3
Brian K Vaughan , Adrian Alphona , and Mike Norton
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785125396

Book Description

This deluxe hardcover collects Runaways Volume 6: Parental Guidance and Runaways Volume 7: Live Fast, plus extras. In Parental Guidance, the secret super-villain society is back, but this all-new group isn't made up of the Runaways' evil parents. Who are these shadowy players, and what do they want with the Marvel Universe's next generation of heroes? Plus: When the youngest member of the Runaways is separated from her teammates, Molly Hayes must survive a night alone on the mean streets of Los Angeles! The 11-year-old mutant girl soon hooks up with a new group of runaways, but is their mysterious leader a hero or a villain? And in Live Fast, the Runaways say good-bye to the past, and make hard decisions about their future. Plus: Still reeling from the events of Young Avengers/Runaways, the teenage heroes must now confront a horrific enemy who threatens to tear the team apart. Collects Runaways #13-24.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome book, though Amazon shows wrong covers.......2007-05-31

Picked up both Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 hardbacks from Amazon.

I love this book. It's truly one of the best titles being published by Marvel these days, and is probably the most unique among them.

My only complaint, and this applies to both books, is that the cover artwork for both books is different than what is shown on Amazon, which is a shame. The two covers shown (Vol. 2 has an outline of Molly, and Vol. 3 has a group shot saying "one of these runaways is going to die") are fantastic cover designs, but they aren't the covers of the actual books. In fact, the Molly pic really belongs to Vol. 3 instead of 2, as the story it's associated with is actually in Vol. 3.

Oh well.

The Remarkable Runaways.......2007-05-31

I have the other three volumes that Vaughan wrote and was a bit let down by this volume. It still has the wit and craft of the others, but the story feels a bit perfunctory. Regardless, this is one of the best series written and Vaughan with his collaborators more than made me a fan with the first two volumes. I love Nico and Gertrude most of all because of their passion and personality. It's about time someone wrote a book with strong female leads. I recommend this to anyone and if you want to get a sibling into comics I'd say that this series is a great place to start. By the way, it's unfortunate that the cover pictured above is not the actual cover for the book because I think it's one of the best I've seen on a book. The one that actually appears on the book is much less effective. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and read this series.

Another excellent collection of my current favorites in the Marvel universe.......2007-05-26

I love the Runaways. Probably this is because in a superhero universe where all the other inhabitants seem to be variations on a theme, these guys truly seem to march to a completely different drummer. Other Marvel heroes can be considered outsiders, like Wolverine and Spiderman, but even they have forged strong connections with other heroes. But our Runaways not only want little or nothing to do with other heroes, they don't want anything to do with any adult either, caped or not. This is the third collection in the Runaways saga and brings to an end the stories by series creator Brian K. Vaughan. Luckily the series has continued is uniquely capable hands. One of the clear influences on the Runaways is the television series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and BUFFY creator Joss Whedon has taken over the kids from Vaughan. Based on the first two issues by Whedon to have appeared so far, there is going to be no decline in quality. In fact, some fresh blood is likely to keep this the most original line in the Marvel world of comics.

The charter members of the Runaways were a group of kids whose parents turned out to form The Pride, a thoroughly evil criminal organization that dominated Los Angeles. After most of them accidentally see their parents commit a ritual human sacrifice that is the cornerstone to their power, they run away from home and eventually fight and defeat them, resulting in the death of their parents. One of the original kids turns out to be a traitor. The remaining members are led (somewhat ineptly) by the Asian goth teen Nico, who is a powerful sorceress who possess the Staff of One, with which she can cast any spell, but only once. She also has a tendency to develop sexualized relationships with others in the group, a real life character flaw that is a bit more real-to-life than that with which other Marvel heroes struggle. The oldest in the group is Chase, the child of two evil genius inventors. Chase, however, though goodhearted, is not the brightest bulb in the bunch. Karolina, who can channel the power of sunlight into a variety of powers, is actually an alien and a lesbian, whose betrothed, Xavin, is a Super Skrull warrior (who didn't complete his training and therefore can wield only one of his many powers at a time) and shape shifter, so that he/she appears alternately in alien, female, and male form. Xavin appears different in almost every frame. Gert is the child of time travelers and has no powers of her own, but she is psychically linked to a velociraptor named Old Lace that her parents got for her before they knew that she was going to reject them. Victor Mancha is a cyborg who is the son of Ultron. Gert traveled from the future to let the Runaways know that in the future Victor turns evil and kills most of the world's superheroes. Victor, humbled by this, is striving not be become the kind of person who would fulfil that kind of destiny. Finally, and physically least, is Molly Hayes, who I will confess is my favorite character. She is now twelve, is still very much a little kid (she is actually young for her age in terms of behavior), and is the child of mutants. The Runaways exist in the post-House of M Marvel Universe, which means that Molly is one of less than 200 mutants left in the world. Her powers are that she is incredibly strong, even by mutant standards (she and Victor replicate the famous scene in which Colossus throws Wolverine through the sky like a football; only, Molly's passes are a bit wobbly and Victor doesn't fly so much as tumble through the air), has remarkable endurance, and is virtually indestructible. But after using her powers for a bit, she usually has to take a nap (actually, it is a long, deep sleep). Her strength and tendency to fall asleep combine for one of the funniest moments in the book. A monster even larger than Godzilla tries to stomp on 4'11, 100 lb. Molly, his foot large enough to crush two school buses parked beside one another. She catches the foot, holds it for a bit, and starts growing sleepy. Nico casts the spell "Caffeine Injection" and Molly not only wakes up, but flips the monster backwards, causing it to fall (in the Marvel "Power Grid" Molly is listed as having Strength of 4, the same as Victor Mancha, but this seems wrong, since some of her feats of strength seem more in the Incredible Hulk, Colossus or Thing--Molly does use the phrase "It's clobberin' time" on a couple of occasions--range, which would mean ability to lift over 100 tons, which was certainly the weight range of the large monster in this volume, though maybe this was a burst that she won't consistently be capable of until she matures). Molly, who always wears some kind of hat with an animal theme, is also the only one of the group who would like for them to wear uniforms.

The volume collects two story arcs. The first is concerns a group of Alex Wilder's former gaming buddies who are duped into thinking the Pride were heroes. By following instructions Alex left behind they inadvertently summon Geoffrey Wilder, Alex's father, from the eighties. During the course of these adventures, Wilder kills Gert, who while dying transfers the psychic connection with Old Lace from her to Chase. The second arc, however, deals with the enormous grief that Chase feels following Gert's death and his attempt to get the Gibborim to bring her back.

I love the Marvel world, but as I mentioned above, sometimes it all feels like variations on a theme. The Runaways are just a wonderful breath of fresh air. They are loosely integrated in the rest of the post-House of M/Civil War universe, but not deeply so. In fact, in this volume the other Marvel characters barely make an appearance, though Cloak and Dagger along with Captain America appeared in the first volume and a number of the New Avengers and other East Coast heroes in the second one. This is sure to change in the current Whedon stories, since they are set in New York City (where they have relocated in an effort to escape super hero registration and foster care). Still, it is impossible to imagine that these guys will ever be easily integrated into one of the usual teams or organizations. It will also be interesting to see how they change as they age. Chase turned 18 in this volume. Many of the Marvel heroes seem to be perpetually ageless, but these guys seem to be aging. I'll be delighted to see what happens to them.

The Runaway Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel

Average customer rating:

Runaway Quilt
I love this book
The Runaway Quilt
First of these books I have read, kept me intrigued
Wonderful addition to the series

The Runaway Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
Jennifer Chiaverini
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452283981
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Book Description

The fourth book in the popular Elm Creek Quilts series explores a question that has long captured the imagination of quilters and historians alike: Did stationmasters of the Underground Railroad use quilts to signal to fugitive slaves?

In her first novel, The Quilter's Apprentice, Jennifer Chiaverini wove quilting lore with tales from the World War II home front. Now, following Round Robin and The Cross-Country Quilters, Chiaverini revisits the legends of Elm Creek Manor, as Sylvia Compson discovers evidence of her ancestors' courageous involvement in the Underground Railroad.

Alerted to the possibility that her family had ties to the slaveholding South, Sylvia scours her attic and finds three quilts and a memoir written by Gerda, the spinster sister of clan patriarch Hans Bergstrom. The memoir describes the founding of Elm Creek Manor and how, using quilts as markers, Hans, his wife, Anneke, and Gerda came to beckon fugitive slaves to safety within its walls. When a runaway named Joanna arrives from a South Carolina plantation pregnant with her master's child, the Bergstroms shelter her through a long, dangerous winter -- imagining neither the impact of her presence nor the betrayal that awaits them.

The memoir raises new questions for every one it answers, leading Sylvia ever deeper into the tangle of the Bergstrom legacy. Aided by the Elm Creek Quilters, as well as by descendants of others named in Gerda's tale, Sylvia dares to face the demons of her family's past and at the same time reaffirm her own moral center. A spellbinding fugue on the mysteries of heritage, The Runaway Quilt unfolds with all the drama and suspense of a classic in the making.

Customer Reviews:

Runaway Quilt.......2007-06-08

Great book.....a must read for those who are into quilts and good stories!!

I love this book.......2007-01-15

I have read the three first books in this series. I loved them and was eager to read this one too. This book has answered some questions I had about Anneke and Gerda. The history about the Underground Railroad was interesting and it was facinating to see how it impacted the family.

The Runaway Quilt.......2006-07-18

Jennifer Chiaverini is amazing. This book was yet another that I couldn't put down. Who knew that an author could be so talented as to write novels based on quilting that would be so riveting? Jennifer Chiaverini is now one of my favorite authors because she mixes two of my favorite things (reading and quilting) so well!

First of these books I have read, kept me intrigued.......2006-05-10

This is the fourth in the series of Elm Creek Quilters novels, but the first I have read. It was intriguing, and it has certainly spurred me on to find more of them to read. It follows Sylvia, a quilter at Elm Creek Manor who runs summer quilting camps and her discovery of an old quilt which may have had links to the Manor in the past. She goes off and searches for the 'legendary' quilts of her great grandmother, anneke, stored somewhere in the attic.

In the process of finding the quilt - well quilts as it happens, she also comes across the memoir of Anneke's sister in law. The memoir is runs parallel to Sylvia's historical analysis of the quilt and its significance to the community for abolitionists - most particularly, for its possibility of being a runaway quilt - a quilt which showed runaway slaves a map of where to go to find help. After all how would slaves know where to go - a quilt hanging out on the line during the day airing would attract no attention from the slave hunters, they were fairly innocuous. But information could be quilted into them which showed the slaves where to go.

there is a great deal of personal information in this story which I found difficulty in understanding. I think it would pay to read these novels in order as their seems to be significance in relationships which I just don't understand in the context of this book easily. However they do not interfer with the telling of the story - they simply inhibit the peripheral stories.

This book is quite compelling. It has good hooks at the end of each chapter to keep you wanting to read. At first I found this annoying as Gerda's voice (supposedly a woman of the 1850's and 60's who his writing in the 1890's) is very much a modern voice, and the memoir has a very modern structure to it. It is certainly not the memoir of a non-writer. However once that is suspended, and knowing it would be a dull read if it hadn't been structured like a modern whodunnit - then it flows wonderfully.

Good characters, flawed yet sympathetic. Good writing, and fascinating subject. Chiaverini clearly knows her stuff about quilting and while I don't it was easy and satisfying to go and research what she is talking about and she has a helpful website you can go to

There are quilting patterns as endpages in the Hardback version too.

Wonderful addition to the series.......2006-03-25

I have enjoyed this series. While there are several books they all seem to be a little different in story line. I like that it isn't just drama all over. My favorite books in the series have been the ones that are period stories, where you are looking at life in a different era, finding out about a current characters family history and how it all fits together.

Average customer rating:

The Catcher in the Rye
I love Holden
Disgusted With Human Behavior?
Best classic read out there!
Angst

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316769533

Amazon.com

Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins,

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them."

His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.

Book Description

Ever since it was first published in 1951, this novel has been the coming-of-age story against which all others are judged. Read and cherished by generations, the story of Holden Caulfield is truly one of America's literary treasures.

Customer Reviews:

The Catcher in the Rye.......2007-06-27

Book reads as a teenager talks. I think I would have loved it when I was in high school but find it rather tedious at age 64.

I love Holden.......2007-06-26

It makes me sad that so many young people don't like this book, since reading it was a highlight of my own youth. Although I was already a great reader, I'd never had a character come alive the way Holden did; I've remembered and loved him all my life as though he were a real person that I once knew. I read it again in my 50s, and loved it even more. I'd either forgotten, or never appreciated, how hilarious it is: Holden's observations about the people he encounters are dead-on and very funny. I especially don't get why people think Holden is a whiner who hates everyone. To me he is very perceptive and intelligent and interested in everyone: he's always trying to chat with everyone he meets, although he doesn't get a lot back from most of them.

Disgusted With Human Behavior?.......2007-06-15

If you are disgusted with human behavior, well then so is Holden Caulfield. I read this book after it was recommended to me by a friend in college. I had just finished telling him that THE BELL JAR is my favorite book of all time, and he instantly replied by telling me that if I had enjoyed THE BELL JAR then I would definitley love TH