The cover image stopped me in my tracks at the bookstore, and I bought multiple copies. The young woman at the checkout counter was mesmerized by the image as well. The illustrations inside equal or surpass the one on the cover.

The images are detailed but not fussy. They are highly evocative of German Romanticism -- very moody, dreamy, somewhat melancholy, with an emphasis on the grandeur of Nature. If you enjoy the illustrations of Maurice Sendak, Edward Gorey, Arthur Rackham, et al., you will like this book.

Like Barrett's artwork, Poole's text tells the classic tale soberly, including the queen's botched attempts to strangle Snow White with silken laces and prick her with a poison comb. There is also more mention of Snow White's mother and father than in many retellings. This version is certainly more in line with magical/mystical/matriarchal imagery than Disney's.

Some of the images -- e.g., drops of blood -- and the story itself may be too intense for very young readers. For me, this book is a contemporary gem and is worth seeking out.

Wonderful illustrations, of course, but also the story includes the incident with the poisoned comb (left out in many editions). A great book for parents looking to replace the Disney-fied version for their children.

If you like this, also check out the same author/illustrator team's collaboration on "Joan of Arc."

The illustrations are beautiful without being frou-frou, serious without being creepy. Highly recommended for ages 4-8.

This is the well-known story of a princess whose evil stepmother tries to have her killed. The huntsmen could not go through with it and tells Snow White to run away. When she does she finds herself in the company of seven small men. They live in a house very happily until the queen finds that Snow White is not dead. She finds Snow White and tricks her into eating a poisoned apple. Snow White dies. She is awoken from her death by the kiss of a prince and they live happily ever after.
The reason I enjoyed this version of Snow White more than others that I have read was that is was not as much of a fairy tail like story and more of a darker approach to it. The seven dwarfs, for example, are not shown as happy little creatures that sing and dance all day long. They are merely shown as small, kind men. The illustrations in this book are so beautiful even though they are not the bright colors that would usually go along with this story.

The man stood and turned to Noah, his mouth set in a grim frown. "I assume you called for me to pronounce death?" When Noah didn't readily respond, he added, prefacing it with a deep breath, "The coroner would have been more appropriate. Of course, the authorities would hae to be notified, and a coroner's inquest pursued..." Noah stared at him. Despite his attempts to hide the truth, the man had immediately seen through to the fact that Tony's death had been a suicide. Still, Noah held to his design, struggling to keep a sense of calm in his voice. "I would hope, sir, you are not suggesting that Lord Keighly might have taken his own life." Shocked at the discovery that his best friend, Tony, committed suicide, Lord Noah Edenhall is certain there is a cause to his friend's demise. Why would Tony, ecstatic with joy over a new woman in his life, want to kill himself? Noah suspects the mystery woman, and his suspicions are confirmed when he finds a note rejecting Tony as her suitor. But who is she? With only an initial and a wax seal to go on, Noah throws himself into the duty of solving the mystery of why, and who? With the help of his beloved aunt Amelia, he places the seal as that of the Brierley, the home of the Marquess of Trecastle. Not only does the Brierley door-knocker match the seal, but the Lady Augusta Brierley's name begins with the letter "A." Certain that he is on the right track, he vows to retrieve a priceless necklace from this "mystery woman" and return it to Tony's sister, the rightful owner. Although her many night-time rendevouzes make her a suspicious character, Noah has trouble connecting Augusta in any way to Tony. But the trouble does not stop there--the closer Noah gets to the truth, the deeper he falls in love with the lady whose head is in the stars. The characters of Augusta Brierley and Noah Edenhall are slightly unconventional in their pursuits, but with all the important qualities that makes some heroes and heroines shine above the rest. In White Magic, Jaclyn Reding reaches yet another star on the horizon, following her first success with Book One of the Regency Rogues Quartet, White Heather. Set in Scotland, White Heather focuses on Noah's older brother, Robert Edenhall, who leaves England suddenly when he is accused of a fire that claims the lives of his family members. White Magic picks up the Edenhall Saga with Robert's younger brother, Noah, and White Knight with Noah's friend Christian Wycliffe.

Lynne Remick, Reviewer

Augusta is Reding's most unique heroine so far, IMO, and Noah is the only man who could match her. Their adventure through Regency London kept me up through the night as I tried to figure out the subtle "who dunnit" all while enjoying this touching romance. Augusta's wry wit and outlook on the strictures of society during the early 19th century in London were an added bonus. Keep your stories coming, Ms. Reding. I'll gladly give up sleeping to read them.

I loved this book. The characters were wonderful, the setting beautiful and this author knows how to take a reader right into a time and place that no longer exists. Can't wait for her next book!

My husband, my 15-yr.-old daughter, and I were fortunate enough to pay a visit to historic Brattonsville. Aside from the fact that we were completely enamored of this being one of the sites for the film, "The Patriot"--which is how we found it in the first place, we were fortunate enough to have an excellent and enthusiastic young woman who is a history major (and has been active at Brattonsville since she was 15) as our guide. I had only recently discovered that my family tree goes back to the Revolution. I have always loved historical fiction, but this story thrilled me as I knew I'd be able to use it to finally start (and fuel) those same fires in my 8th grade students. I teach in the Drop-Out Prevention program for unmotivated students, and feel it to be fast paced, therefore interest holding, and easy to read. (I read it in the car on the way home.) My daughter read it and loved it as well. I've asked our reading specialist to order a class set. It's an excellent tool for "Bridges" between Language Arts and Social Studies, either in the middle or high school. ***** Please write more!*****

I am a 14 year old Revolutionary war novel writer in sc. I personally met Cristine Swager; and have a signed Copy of Black Crows and White Cockades. I continually read the novel and enjoy it. Finally some has had the initiative to write a novel about S.C's role in the Revolutionary war. Thank you Mrs. Swager.

I am a 16 year old Revolutionary War re-enactor from South Carolina, and I live about an hour and a half away from Camden, SC, where the story took place. Black Crows and White Cockades has been the best book written about a Southern Rev War family I've ever read. Not only was all the information about the various battles mentioned in Dr. Swager's book extremely accurate, but the characters in the book, particularly Ann, were easy to relate to, which brought the story to life. Black Crows kept me reading and interested until the very last page. Masterful!

The same helen and Ade Hoover who introduced the reader to a place in the woods, now share their intimate relationships with a deer family in the remote Minnesota forest they live in. After leaving successful careers in Chicago, the Hoovers decided to fulfil a lifelong dream and move to a cabin on a lakeshore deep in the northwoods. From the first page the reader shares in the daily challenges and sheer magic of their life in the woods. When Peter a fully grown buck wanders into their clearing a relationship that would last for years begins. Over the years Peter, his mate Mama, and their offspring become integral parts of the Hoovers' life. Helen Hoovers' descriptions of the quiet snow filled forest and the glorious summers in the woods are breathtaking. The hen Bedelia and other forest animals are endearing,But Peter, Mama and their young are a gift indeed. Their trust in the Hoovers is complete and unusual. If you want to spend a New Years Eve in a cabin in the northwoods listening to a concert on the radio by the heat of an old oil stove, and wake up to visions of a winter wonderland read Gift of the Deer.Its a book you'll read again and again.

Helen Hoover's beautifully vivid prose makes this memoir read like a fantasy piece. I felt I was sharing the precious moments that she and her husband Ade spent with the wild whitetail deer family who visited them at their log cabin deep in the Minnesota woods. Helen's richly descriptive style of writing draws you into their enchanting lifestyle, filled with peace, and the quiet mystery of virgin forests. The area around their cabin became a safe haven for a groundhog who became a regular houseguest, squirrels who nibbled graham crackers from Helen's hands, chipmunks, ermine, owls, beautiful birds of all kinds,and even a bobcat and a lynx.This is more than just a story about wild animals. It is a tribute to Peter, the magnificent whitetail buck who taught them so much about the dignity and majesty of wild things, and enriched their lives with his noble and gentle ways.This book is a treasure of a journey into some of the most peaceful, delightful, and rewarding places that a nature lover can go without leaving their home. I hated to see it end.

There isn't much I can say about this book without spoiling the powerful ending. It's about a starving buck who was saved by the Hoovers, and his family (and there's no doubt in my mind that it was a family in every sense of the word). Mrs. Hoover's prose is beautiful and moving, and you will be very surprised at just how human that Peter, Mama, and their fawns could be. Ade Hoover's illustrations are also very good, and complement his wife's prose perfectly. The book had me riveted from beginning to end, and I read it in two sittings.

As a mixed race Mexican/Anglo myself, I saw my own childhood as well as parts of my adult life in Dean Johnson's writing. While reading like an autobiography, this book is not lacking in scholarship. The numerous and current scholarly references for each chapter provide a wealth of resources for those who desire to learn more about the topics of which Dean Johnson speaks. I am enriched by having read this book.

I am an American born Hispanic, from a large family. Like a great percentage of families in this country, my siblings and children have married non-Hispanic partners, thus we have experienced several of the issues raised by Dean Johnson in his poignant history. This book was begging to be written. It was a treat to read things that have long remained unsaid, or possibly said by those who have not lived its sad truths. Since massacres of innocent multitudes by racially intolerant psychopaths are becoming commonplace, this book should be included in every school library.

As a person of Latino/Anglo heritage, I was quite excited when I saw this book at my favorite bookstore. We do not often hear about us when racially-mixed people are discussed. Johnson's experiences mirrored many of my own and I found myself verbally agreeing with him as I read the book! As a future scholar in the area of multiracial identity, I will certainly utilize this book in my classroom!

I found this book very interesting I learned a lot about Reggie White. I wish that he was still with the Green Bay Packers. I am a huge Green Bay Packer fan. This book had a lot of interesting stuff in it. For example I never knew that one of his favorite players growing up was O.J. Simpson. Reggie said in the book that O.J. Simpson was like a moving target for defensive linemen; he said, that was one of the reasons that he wanted to play defensive end. I also learned that he really liked his coach Buddy Ryan when he played with the Philadelphia Eagles ,and when Buddy Ryan got fired Reggie couldn't figure out why he got fired; he said Buddy Ryan was a good coach. Reggie also talked about his church getting burned. He also talked about his friend and teammate Jerome Brown who was killed a car accident and he thought he was a really great person and he said he misses him. I learned a lot from reading this book. This book is one of my favorite books that I read. I would recommend this book to every Green Bay Packer fan.

This was a great book because it shared with me how profesesional athletes deal with the same things that us normal, every day Joe-Schmoes have to deal with. It was interesting how he dealed with his church getting burned down and how he was frustrated with the authorities, just as I am.

really awesome book, cool pics in the middle!! exciting life to read about. im a big GB fan, ad was sad when he retired, but am constantly impressed by his faith. God bless Reggie!!

PS im glad u finally got a superbowl !!!

This book has been very useful for me and my 4 children. I found the subject of the use of herbs with children broad, but lacking for children under 1 year. The many tips and recipes were wonderful and easy; the charts were helpful, and the "when to see your Dr" was especially useful.

I give it 4 stars for lacking matter for older babies and also because it is very pro-vaccination and there's almost a bias against those that choose against doing so. However, the mention is minimal, so if you can overlook the few mentions of the vaccination issue this is a very wonderfully written and useful book.

As a mother of a 14-month old, I have used this book numerous times. It is a life-saver for someone who is not intersted in feeding their kids antibiotics at the first sign of sickness. I have found all the answers to all of my questions about my daughter's health, starting with how to correctly evaluate fever to natural remedies for vomitting. The book is very well organized -it's easy to find answers to any common medical questions one could have. I feel so good about treating my daughter the natural way - I know it is so much better for her in the long run. This book is a must have for any parent who is interested in natural ways to promote and keep their child's health.

After reviewing this book from the prespective of a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, I believe this to be an invaluable resource for those who have children in their homes. It is full of common sense information that will help parents in protecting their children's health without compromising it due to unnecissary drugs.

The book is a compilation of the author's articles on all aspects of fishing the Arkansas and Missouri tailwaters of the White River system. All manner of tackle and technique are discussed and there are in-depth interviews with area fishermen. It's an interesting look at the unique fishing culture of the area.

This book offers a great compilation of fishing information, recommendations, locations and good ol' fish stories that is a must-have if you consider or if you do fish the White River System of Arkansas and Missouri. Steve has all the essential scoop plus great added information that is helpful to the seasoned veteran as well as the first-timer to the area. You will read this book over and over and refer to it often when it comes time to go fishing. Get two copies so your friend doesn't "borrow" it forever. A Must Have!

A good friend of mine about 4 years ago was telling me about this amazing book he purchased. I borrowed it from him one day, and unfortunately for him, I have yet to return it.Sorry, Micah!One day I'll return, but it will be difficult!This book is amazing! I am 26 years of age, and began trout fishing when I was 7. It's amazing how addictive trout fishing is, and how it gets in your blood. Only duck hunting can compare, for those of you that know what I'm talking about! Since 1999, several old high buddies and myself have frequented the Norfork River resort at the town of Norfork for a little reunion and some good trout fishing. We usually go sometime in late winter, usually late Feb. or early March. Each year we have come back, I always start reading my Ozark Trout Tales book to freshen up on my strategies and techniques on how I'm going to fish. Most of all, this book gets me pumped up about the upcoming trip. About a month before the trip, I literally fall asleep almost every night reading a few of the stories from this book. My wife thinks I have a serious problem! I can't recommend this book enough for you trout anglers. I have read this book cover to cover probably about 20 times, maybe more! Trust me, you'll do the same!

The book was useful, but if you download the file of source code that covers all chapters, some examples are missing. At least for the middle chapters, you'll find the missing projects in the smaller downloads that cover only a few chapters. I didn't think of that possibility until chapter 12, so for a lot of the code in earlier chapters I couldn't make the comparisons I wanted to when I needed them. Other than that, if you already know GDI fairly well, you'll be able to burn through the material pretty quickly and pickup a good knowledge of GDI+. If you don't, I think this would be a pretty good place to start. It moves right along without a lot of hand-holding but seems to tell you everything you need to know for basic GDI+ and custom controls.

GREAT BOOK! The book was by far the easiest to follow book for GDI+ and Custom Controls using C#. I am very pleased and highly recommend this to all who wish to learn GDI+.

If you are moving up from GDI, you will find that GDI+ is about 50 times slower, but 50 times easier to program.

It delivers what it promises. You will be able to write printing code, make your own controls, etc., after reading this book.

This is a very good book to read. The title of the book tell a whole lot about the book. Stories told through the book tells about the hard times African Americans faced in the earlier years of baseball. The book also tells how African Americans overcame the adversity that their skin color put them in. The book also makes you wonder were would baseball be if African Americans had the same chances as white people.

Most baseball fans are familiar with the great names and stories that emanated from the Negro Leagues. Satchel Paige, ever the showman, often asked his fielders to sit down while he struck out a dangerous hitter; Cool Papa Bell was so fast that he could blow out a candle and be in bed before the room got dark; and Josh Gibson may or may not have hit a ball completely out of Yankee Stadium. Peterson includes these gems and much more in this incredibly in depth history of the Negro Leagues. He chronicles the history of the black ballplayer, beginning with those few who actually played in the major leagues during the tail end of the nineteenth century, before the doors were closed, and continuing into the 40's and 50's, when Jackie Robinson's arrival in Brooklyn led to the demise of the Negro Leagues. Peterson relies almost exclusively on first-hand accounts culled from the black press of the day and extensive interviews from players and coaches. Also included is an appendix filled with year by year standings and an alphabetical listing of Negro League players. Certainly, this book is invalueable to anyone interested in learning about the unknown greats from the Negro Leagues.

This book beautifully captures the heart and soul of what Negro League baseball was. Not only does this book give real insight into what the game meant to black players and fans, but helps one understand how the alienation of blacks from big-league play was a great tragedy to the game. This book makes me wonder how great the game could be today, if this tragedy had not occurred.