Winter Barn has quietly become the backbone of my 2 year old son's little library. With no distracting character names, the young reader (or young one being read to) gets to meet a farmer and his barn full of animals during a gentle winter snowstorm. The text flows in and out of rhymes, creating a sense of comfort which is confirmed by the pleasant illustrations. This book is a wonderful change up from many of the other "louder" books that are out there. Don't let the reading level of 4 -8 years old prevent you from reading Winter Barn to your toddler. My family has found it to be a very rewarding experience.

My almost-four-year old insisted I read it three times in a row the first time we read it! It is a well-written abridged version that manages to retain a feel of the original.

Douglas Kent Hall has a way of capturing the work and the manner of real cowboys that makes this book both a terrific photo album and a well-written description of these men and the world they work in. Hall snaps many shots of branding, roping, bronc riding, and working cattle, but the best photos are the full-length portrait shots of cowboys standing or leaning against a door frame or fence, having their pictures taken. They look into the camera, with a serious expression, portraying visually the stoic-romantic, cowboy-up way they are recorded in the words of Hall's text.

Hall sees them and describes them in the way they see themselves. Hard-working, often silent, resigned to the conditions of an occupation that pays little but gives them pride, self-reliance, and a belief that they stand for a way of life superior to any other. They are both fiercely independent individuals and members of a fraternity with a strict code of behavior and values. Given the opportunity, they may complain about less-than-perfect conditions of employment, and they're ambivalent about the modernization of ranching, yearning for the good old days before attempts to mechanize the business of raising and working cattle changed the nature of the work they love.

Hall has a great eye for detail both in his images and in his text. He wants you to see the way cowboys individualize and put their own stamp on the universal uniform of hat, boots, jeans, and shirt. By putting photos of young and old cowboys together on the page, he also wants you to see the toll that this kind of work takes on their bodies and physical features. His descriptions in prose are also rich with details as he describes the predawn rituals of saddling up, or the ambiance of sitting in front of a fire in a camp house without electricity, or a long ride over rough rangeland in a pickup, which eventually gets stuck. He also seems to have recorded and transcribed his interviews with cowboys, because the text is realistically rich with their turns of phrase and their long ramblings on various subjects.

The author has considerable credits, including the scripting of "The Great American Cowboy," a documentary which won an Academy Award in 1974. As of this writing, this wonderful book is out of print. If you can find a copy, get one and hang onto it. It's a gem. For a similar, though less handsome book of photography and interviews, there's Darrell Arnold's "The Cowboy Kind."

"The Worst Helper Ever" is a very good book I thought. Farmer Pig has a lot of work to do so he decides to go into town to get some help. He runs into Charlie Cat and asks him to give him some help on the farm. The only problem is that Charlie Cat is very clumsy. He tries very hard to help him but every time he messes up Farmer Pig gets angry with him. It is very comical for a young reader especially since the illustrations are so good. At the beginning of the story when Farmer Pig first goes into town to get some help you realize what kind of person he is and also how different he is form Charlie Cat. On the way back home from town Charlie Cat offers to drive the truck so that shows that Charlie Cat is a good person to have help you. But on the way home as they're going over the bridge they fall in... that is how most of comical story goes. But at the end of the story Farmer Pig messes up but Charlie cat doesn't get mad at him like Farmer Pig did to him. Charlie cat tells him that everyone makes mistakes and that's true. I think it was a good moral to the story for younger readers and I think that they would learn a lot form this story.

This has been a favorite book of ours for years and years and years. "The Year at Maple Hill Farm" is written and illustrated by Alice and Martin Provenson. It documents, from January through December, the hard tasks and simple pleasures inherent in life on a farm--everything from bird migrations to the foaling of the horses to lazy summer days spent doing nothing more important swatting flies.

Humans and animals co-exist peacefully here. The illustrations are simple and gently colored, with subtle detail sprinkled throughout. The animals are given a great deal of personality (see especially the cats, who are wonderfully quirky) and the story itself, while utterly basic and free of frills, has an undertow of narrative propulsion that makes each page seem a natural outgrowth of the previous page.

I can't recommend the book highly enough. If you live in the country, you will recognize so much of what is here. If you live in the city, you will welcome the peaceful rhythms of this charming book.

My daughter received this book for her 2nd birthday and picks it out every night to read. She loves to say z-z-zoink! as we read along and talks to all of the farm animals in the book. There is just the right amount of text on each page - no problem keeping a two year old's attention.

"Charlotte's Web" was one of my favorite books growing up. My grandmother gave it to me when I was 9-years-old, and I read it so often after that, I would make tabulations on my bookmark of how many times I had read it per day.

Not only did I become a bookworm, but part of my love for animals came from this book. I mean, it's hard not to get attached to Wilbur, the runt pig 8-year-old Fern Arable "save[s] from an untimely death", or Charlotte A. Cavatica, the clever, imaginative gray spider who fools everybody into believing Wilbur is a special pig by spinning flattering words about him in her web so he's not butchered, or even Templeton, the sarcastic, self-centered rat who is somewhat of a help later on.

One year after it was published, "Charlotte's Web" was named a Newbery Honor book. During the 70s, it won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal and was later made into a movie. Although it's been several years since I've seen the cartoon, I do remember that I really enjoyed it. Not more than the book, of course, but it's worth checking out if you liked this story.

Recommended for readers age 8+.

This book was about girl name Fern and her pet Wilbur, the pig. I liked this book and it's the best book I read this year that I understand the most. The story was good and interesting and you just want to keep reading until a new chapter. It all starded when a lot of pigs were born in their farm and dad said that he will kill the smallest one, but Fern stoped him and that pig became hers. She named him Wilbur. After 6 monyhs Wilbur was big, so Fern had to give him away to her aunt, Mr. Zuckerman. Wilbur was bored and alone until he meets Charllote, the spider, and they became good friends. They play and teach each other different things. Then Wilbur got to meet all the animals on a farm and some animal tells him that Mr. Zuckerman will kill him when winter comes. Wilbur asked Charllote if thats true and Charllote said that it's true, so know they were thinking how to save Wilburs life.All long days passed and it seems impossible to save Willbur, but soon there will be a Country Fair. Wilbur talks to Charllote that if he can do tricks on the fair then maybe Mr.Zuckerman will keep him. Next morning when Wilbur was practicing his tricks Mr. Zuckerman came and saw them and thought maybe I'll win prizes if I go to the fair with him.Then he took Wilbur to the Fair. After the fair Wilbur came home proudly with a metal and a ribbon saying, Zuckerman's famous pig. Then Mr. Zucherman talked to his wife about taking good care of Wilbur and keeping him, so they did. Everyone was happy even the animals. Wilbur and Charllote lived there for long time and had a lot og fun together.

Charlotte's Web was checked out of my grade school library many times by a classmate of mine that I considered "dumb". I thought "If SHE likes it, then I surely wouldn't. So I never checked it out. When my own child brought it home as a part of a third grade assignment, I decided to read it. The surprise of my life! It turned out to be the most wonderful book! The subtle nuances of humor are missed by children,even though they love the book, too. The way the author transforms everyday farm-life into interesting tidbits of information (including the actual contents of Wilbur's feeding trough) is nothing short of ingenius. The way he makes you feel for the lovable Wilbur--I love the way Wilbur asks Charlotte, "How is your plan coming? (for saving his life) I'd be happy to help with the plan in any way that I can." Naturally, he would like to see the plan move along, for saving his life, but the way in which he offers his help is adorable! The emotions, the characters of the animals (goose, sheep, and of course, Templeton) all combine to make Charlotte's Web a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!

First off I should let it be known that I am a fan of the Bob Lee Swagger novels and I also thought that Dirty White Boys was a good read. Stephen Hunter's first novels showed promise but they were awkward. They came across as trying to be works of literature. But with Point Of Impact Hunter found his stride. For those who are involved with the "gun culture" this series is superb. The technical details are dead on. But in Time To hunt Swagger comes full circle. The great American war hero finally finds peace with himself and has a re-match with his nemisis. This novel is more then just a suspense/thriller. In Time To Hunt Hunter finally achieves a level of literature and the best part of it is he isn't trying. Slow moving? No it trys to capture the pacing of real life. Rest assured though when the action happens it happens in buckets. Being from Idaho I especially enjoyed the sequence in the Sawtooths. If I have any complaint and it is minor is the fact that there are two hospitals in Boise. There is no Boise General Hospital.

It is usually a bad idea to continue the adventures of a hero from a successful book or film. Sequels tend to be a watered-down retread that ruins the memory of the original. However, this is the second time that Stephen Hunter has pulled off a continuation of the adventures of Bob Lee Swagger, the Veitnam veteran and retired Marine sniper first introduced in the classic POINT OF IMPACT. This time, an old enemy from Swagger's past shows up to wreck the peaceful life he has built for himself with his wife, Julie (the widow of Swagger's spotter during the Veitnam War) and their now 5 year old daughter, Nikki. After opening with a nerve-jangling attempt on their lives, Hunter daringly moves the story back in time to the war to focus on the aforementioned Donny Fenn, Julie's first husband. We learn the bizarre circumstances that got Donny sent to Veitnam for a second tour that would end up taking his life. Afterwards, Hunter shifts back to the present as Swagger tries desperately to figure out who wants him and his family dead. The strength of these books is that Hunter has allowed Swagger to grow and evolve through each book. He becomes more human and likable, and even easier to identify with despite his almost supernatural abilities as a killer. Everyime you think that Hunter has hit his peak, he outdoes himself with yet another over-the-top, nailbiting, edge-of-your-seat action sequence that is still wholly credible. TIME TO HUNT is better than BLACK LIGHT, although its not quite as good as POINT OF IMPACT. But it does come awfully close. I personally can't wait for Hunter's next book, about Bob Lee Swagger or anybody else for that matter.

I have read Point of Impact, Black Light and now Time to Hunt. This book was fabulous! I really enjoy the way Mr. Hunter entwines the characters from all these books to make a story that never stops twisting and turning! The detail of the snipers world and his heroic characters pull you in and never let you go until the book is done. I agree with others who feel this is his best book, although that may be because I read all three in a row with no let up, so actually I probably am feeling the rush of the entire trilogy. I just ordered Dirty White Boys to finish off the Bob Lee Swagger saga. I can hardly wait; I love Mr. Hunter's style!

HARRIS AND ME is a book by Gary Paulsen about a boy with parents that are drunks. Over the summer the boy goes to his cousin Harris's house in the country. When he gets there he thinks it won't be fun because there is alot of hard work. The narrator and Harris make a motorized bike and fight a rooster named Ernie.
Harris is always swearing and when he does he gets smacked by Glenice. Another thing they do is go to the movies and when they get home they do the things that were in the movies. At the end of the summer when it was time to go the narrator didn't want to go. He felt like they were his brothes sisters and parents. If you like funny books you should read this.

A Review by Beau

My book was about a kid with a very dysfunctional family that where drunks. He goes to move in with his uncle but he is crazy. Later on he moves in with his second uncle's family the Larsons. That is where he meets the family, Knut (the father), Clair (his wife), glen's the daughter and Harris the youngest. Harris and the main character work hard on the farm but they play hard also. The main character always gets pressured into harrises ideas that always get them into trouble. Thought the summer the boys get into lots of trouble and have many adventures.

I liked this book a lot. It was fun to read about the boys and all the crazy things they did. The way this book was written made it easy to read and it flowed very well. This book was very exciting and made me want to read more and more. Almost all of the ideas Harris had turned out with somebody getting hurt or getting into trouble. The author of this book described the situations very good and made the funny parts have a picture in your head. This book was very funny and made me laugh wile reading it. The vocabulary in this book was easy and there were no words that I didn't understand. The characters came to life in you're head. The more you read this book the more you learned about the characters.

I would recommend this book to anybody. This book was very funny and made me laugh out loud. I liked reading this book and I think most other people would like it as well.

The book, Harris And Me, is an intresting book full of surprises and laughs. It's about a boy who moves from his home of drunken parents and runs into his cousin Harris. Harris is a kid who loves adventure always gets into trouble. He and Harris do wild things together such as, jump off the loft onto a horse's back, shoot a real shot gun and ride a horse at the same time. Harris even went to the bathroom on an electric fence for "dourty pictures." The funny part is every time Harris and the narrator do something stupid, Harris get a slap in the back of the head. This book is also about the narrator trying to fit in at the farm. Finally, one day he sees carvings of the family and he's a carving too. It made him feel like part of the family. That is all about the book, Harris And Me.

An outstanding book. This book is a decent look at humanity. It is a simple explanation of human nature. All of these are descriptions of a novel I recently read by the name, "Of Mice and Men" by a well-known author John Steinbeck. I would rate this book 8 on a scale of 10 because I learned so much about the way we treat others and their reactions, told through a man who has had much experience with the subject. Lennie, a big dumb, jock, was born slow, mentaly incapable of reacting to daily life. After George, a caring yet riggid man befriends him early in child hood, the two become traveling partners and best buddies. George becomes weary of Lennie's childish ways and misachievous antics, which continually causes the pair trouble and forces them to skip around the country.
"That ranch we're goin' to is right down there about a quarter mile. We're gonna go in an' see the boss. Now, look-- I'll give him the work tickets, but you ain't gonna say a word. You jus' stand there and son't say nothing. If he finds out what a crazy ... you are, we won't get no job, but if he sees ya work before he hears ya talk we're set. Ya got that?"
This story is special because all aspects of diction, from all characters are described in simple English. The story had no useless vocabulary or pointless explaining, just a plain dexcription of the people. The story also uses vivid imagery when George tells Lennie about how they were going to own a ranch and Lennie can raise rabbits. Steinbeck reveals the simle truth about racism, dgradation, and jelousy. People in the book are struggling to overcome an obstacle that holds them back. At their final stop, they meet all types of people, which teach them about diversity and how to deal with it. The story's resolution reveals how humans deal with the sorrow of our society. The outcome may shock us, yet it seems just in it's own irony. I sincerely suggest this book to those looking to explore humanity and to those who would like to know what friendship and loyalty is and if you liked "To Kill a Mocking Bird" or "The Catcher in the Rye", you will like this book because I, Jamil Faruque a student of Falls Church HS, have read both of these books which shows similarities with "Of Mice and Men"

My name is Kelly, and I am a junior in high school and I was recently assigned to read John Stienbeck's novel OF MICE AND MEN. I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book, for many different reasons. For instance, Steinbeck uses a storyline that grabs the attention of all ages, young or old. In the begining, we are introduced to George and Lennie the novel's two main characters. They are fleeing from their former hometown in search of a new job opportunity on a ranch located in the Salinas Valley. The two fathem a dream of owning their own ranch one day with lots of acres and rabbits. They work out a plan to earn money so this dream can be fulfilled. While on the ranch the young childish Lennie is objected to numerous situations, in which they put George in akward posiitions. George's loyalty is constantly tested throughout the novel. With a surprise ending their dream seems to fade away. This book is one everyone should read, because it teaches the meaning of friendship and the "American Dream".

This novel is about friendships and dreams shared by two men named George and Lennie. They dream about one day owning a farm. George acts as a father figure to Lennie, who is large and simpleminded, calming him and helping him to control his physical stength. After the death of Lennie's Aunt Clara, George took care of Lennie. As the author, John Steinbeck did an excellent job introducing each character. I really connected with all the characters. The theme of friendship, struggle, and following a dream was beautifully written. I thought that the book Of Mice and Men was great because it never got boring. I was not able to put the book down. This novel will leave you with a lot of diffrent emotions; it touched me deeply because it reflected true events in my life about hardship and friendships. I recommend this book to everyone.