When i first saw the book I thought it was going to be stupid but, i was soo wrong this book is now one of my favorites and i have read it 3 times already! so if your thinking of buying this book or just reading it, You definatly should!

This book is amazing! Mia's dream was to return to her homeland,America,but her wish wassn't granted the way she expected. When her bohemian parents got lost at sea,she and her eccentric older half-sisters were sent to their aunt in Tennessee. Orphaned and unable to fit in with other kids,Mia was as unhappy there as she had been in Beirut. She felt alienated in both countries and didn't appreciate her parents until they got taken from her. Then,she slowly reverted to compulsive behavior. I knew how she felt in her isolation,wondering if she would ever catch up to her new friends in matters such as love. I became totally immersed in the story. For anyone who's ever doubted whether they belong,I reccomend this book. Please,Mrs. Freeman,write a sequel! We want to know if Mia's parents ever come back.

I love this book! Definately my favorite! Very descriptive and sad. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

This book is great at showing a part of oral history of the African American culture. Most of these stories I have never heard before. They show a great deal of imagination and I would recomend these short tales for bed time stories for any children. The stories slan words would be the only real challenge for a younger reader. Most of the stories have morals and are very interesting. I strongely recomend this book to everyone of every race and natonality!!!

The first time I met Virginia Hamiliton was when I read "Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush." I thought, this author rivals Toni Morrison with her vivid language, but she writes for children. How wonderful! "Her Stories : African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales" is a illustrated collection of folk stories that any child would enjoy. Parents could read the tales to a young child to introduce Hamilton's work. Then later the child could begin to read some of the easier Virginia Hamilton stories such as "Cousins." Virginia Hamilton has written books that appeal to elementary, middle, and high school students. A student who finds her early will have a fine author to befriend him/her from kindergarten to high school.

I don't care if you're African American or Caucasian, 6, 16, or 60; if you are female, you should read this book. Not only are the folktales, fairy tales, and true tales here wonderfully spun, but the illustrations are so masterfully rendered that they will take your breath away too.

Stories like these are the foundation of culture. All too often we overlook them as low brow and common when what we should be doing is revering them for the treasure that they are.

When you are finished reading "Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales" you should buy a copy for someone you know.

The third installment of this collected series about a Preacher mixed up with the divine, his hit(wo)man girlfriend, Tulip and their vampire friend, Cassidy is not as good as the previous two chapters.

The story divided into three parts. The first part is a flashback story about Custer's dad. A well told poignant story that finally speaks out wha the heck of a relationship it was with John Wayne.

The second has Custer following the path of his kidnapped friend Cassidy who was taken hostage in the last book. From all the stories, this one is the best told, though not as strong as the previous chapters in the previous books. Some light is shed on what is the being that is sharing Custer's body and why the beings in Heaven and Hell are just scared to confront him.

The last story is an origin retelling of the vampire, Cassidy. More questions stem out of this story than those attempted to be answered.

I have to admit the books was not as good as the previous installments. Ennis has toned down the content and the humor of the storyline. Dillon, however, just seems to move on like a locomotive, complteley and utterly unstoppable. The work here is comparable to the work Ennis has worked on the Punisher. The problem with this book is that you can't not read it. Some important aspects of the characters are showcased.

A wonderful read, just don't expect to much. The guys were taking a break and so should you.

This is one of the most incredible treasures you can find out there in the comic market today. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon have acheived nothing short of a...miracle with Preacher. This compilation of ten Preacher comics following the "All in the Family" and "Hunters" story lines gives an in depth look into the relationships reverend Jesse Custer keeps with his (twisted) family, his blood sucking friend, and his one true love Tulip O'Hare. There's also a great forward by Chasing Amy/Clerks/Mallrats/Dogma writer and director Kevin Smith, who is an admitted obsessed fan of Preacher. In the All in the Family storyline, we learn why Jesse had to break away from Tulip so many years ago, and also what happened to his mother and father way back when. We learn of the perversions of farm-hand T.C., the killing sprees of family help Jody, the sick and twisted plots of Gran'ma, and the sad fate of boy hood friend Billy Bob and dog Duke. We see Jesse Custer get put through the grinder in a series of sinister and traumatizing events that would make the worlds biggest hero snap his own neck. Then we see Jesse get tough. In the Hunters story line, we witness the bonds of strength and friendship between a preacher from Texas with a angelic/demonic power trapped within him and an Irish vampire who's as old as the century. This is great stuff, anyone with any interest what so ever in the direction comics are headed in the future, or those who just want to check out something that'll really make yout think twice about what you've been told, should check it out. Do yourself a favor. Order it now. You won't regret it. Kelii from Oahu

What can you say about Preacher that hasn't already been said, this series has had more praise heaped on it than any other comic book that I have read. And deservedly so I say. Proud Americans, the third Graphic Novel in Garth Ennis' world conquering Preacher series, starts with the superb tale "Texas and the spaceman", a shockingly tue-to-life tale about Jesse's fathers days as a marine in Vietnam. As a majorly huge fan of Vietnam films like Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now and The Deerhunter, I have an exceptionally high standard when it comes to stories about vietnam. Knowing that this was Preacher and Garth Ennis was writing it I knew it would be brilliant, but would it be realistic?! Due to the fact that Ennis is Irish and would have been nowhere near Vietnam, I was apprehensive about how true to the tragic war it could be, I knew Dillons artwork would be top-notch so no worries their. I was AMAZED by what I saw, this was a unique moment in Preacher history, a story that could rely on characters we hardly knew and still make us emotionally involved with them. I almost felt sad when I read this tragic story, especially the gruesome scene where Gonny was splattered all over Tex and Space's faces. The other two tales concerned the Grail kidnapping Cass, The Saint of Killers kicking butt, and the tale of Cass' past. Both these stories were excellent, perversed and funny with stunning artwork by the great Steve Dillon. Both great tales but not quite as stunning, realistic or moving as Texas and the Spaceman. Well done Garth you've done it again!

I recently returned from a two-week trip to Naples and Sorrento, Italy and was disappointed to find that a number of common Italian menu items were not listed. Examples were AUBERRGINES (eggplant), "ROCKET" SALAD , PARMA HAM, (just to mention a few). Based on my review of several different Italian menus, this book was of little practical use.

And you can use this book to find out just what speck is. We took this guide with us on our trip to a small town in Italy, where we could not count on finding English speakers in all restaurants. The large print and generous spacing made it easy to read even in low light, and the descriptions were all spot-on. We ordered a few things we might have skipped over without knowing what was in them, and were able to avoid things that trigger allergic reactions. And since we've gotten back, it's nice to page through and remember some of the fabulous meals!

Eating & Drinking in Italy has been updated! Search amazon.com for the new Eating & Drinking in Italy. The new edition (available August 1, 2001) has the most comprehensive Italian menu reader available and lists more than 100 great restaurants in Italy.

It seems only fitting that a work as wide in scope and broad in character as Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's epic 'Preacher' series should end up in a place so resonant with and characteristic of American ( especially the Southern United States) history as the Alamo. With the penultimate volume ( 'All Hell's a coming') re-revving the series into high gear and letting readers know that it was time to put all the cards on the table and bring it all to an explosive climax, this volume delivers on all counts- bringing what has been a refreshingly brilliant, funny, action-packed, thoughtful and adrenaline soaked series to it's deservedly satisfying finish. The way that issues are resolved with all characters is engrossing and the final 'money shot' that the entire run has been leading up to and hinting at is worth every penny.

If you haven;t read Preacher yet, or haven't read the whole saga, now is the time; you won;t regret spending the money on something that you will re-read again and again. LIke Warren Ellis's 'Planetary' stories , this is modern comic story-telling in it's purest form.

Thank you Garth and Steve for such a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable comic-book series.

Lordy! I just had time to read the entire collected "Preacher" series in one sitting, and what a great time I had doing it. This is one of the few "adult" comic series that actually gives you some real meat to chew on. It calls into question every dogma, motiviation, desire, and belief one drags along with oneself into adulthood, along with the very nature of the divine and ridiculous. Garth Ennis et al never miss a chance to poke fun at themselves, keeping the book from veering into that sort of moroseness and gloom that seems to pervade the comics industry lately, yet all the while manage to convey an air of deadly seriousness to the quest that Reverend Custer and Tulip find themselves thrust into: confronting a god who's quit heaven in fear of the powerful offspring of a demon and an angel who's escaped and taken root in Jesse Custer in order to gain a will to direct its terrible power. An absolute must for any and everyone who's ever wondered "Who's up there, and why has he made such a terrible mess?" Compelling, gritty, violent, profane, sacreligious, thought-provoking, and fun as hell. Ride on, Reverend!

It's hard to imagine I'm not still reading the Preacher series. The nine collections I made my way through over the months became such a constant source of entertainment and discussion material it became as much of a individual love to me as a great movies, or a CD that you never get sick of. When I picked up Alamo for the first time it really hit me. After this, it's done. After this, every single loose end will be closed, every ominous cliffhanger will be explained and every character will meet his or her final destination, in this plane of existence or the next. I had faith that the serie's creator\writer Garth Ennis would be able to bring it all to a tidy and satisfying conclusion, and not only was I not dissapointed, I was completley flabbergasted at the masterful storytelling that Ennis poured into this final chapter to his epic-religious-horror-western-saga. If you're going to read Alamo, I implore you to read every Preacher collection before it. That way you will know every characters story, and you can enjoy in blissful bewilderment where Ennis leaves them. Alamo is savagley witty, intensley thought provoking and astonishinhgly satisfying. Do yourself a favour, read the series, finish here. You won't thank me, you'll thank yourself.

I just found this book but already I have used it to record some of my notes from books my reading group read this year. It also has lot of suggested reading lists which my group might be interest in. I had no idea this book was even around even though it was published a few years ago. I wish I had had it two years ago when my reading group started out.

THE READING GROUP JOURNAL Notes in the Margin, by Martha Burns and Alice Dillon, is an exquisite journal that covers every aspect a reader or member of a reading group could possibly want in a journal. The journal has 18 devisions for 18 books and each division offers ample space to take notes on the book and author, to compare the book under discussion with other books read, to take favorite quotes from the book, and to jot down possible questions for discussion if you are in a book group. If you are not in a book group, this journal is a place for you put down your reflections and create a private literary journal. The question section can become a place where you pose questions to yourself about the meanings and themes of the book, and the note section that follows can be used to answer those questions. That's why this journal makes the perfect gift for not only book group members, but for readers in general.

This journal also offers very practical and useful resource materials, including websites for on-line book sellers, library resources, book lists and on-line reading groups. There are also excellent readings lists included in the journal such as The New York Times Book Review list, a National Book Award list, a list selection by the authors, and several more. The journal even offers you suggestions on how to go about setting up and running a book group. The resource section also includes some very lovely quotes about reading by famous literary figures. You then add to these facts that this is a physically beautiful item, well made and meant to last, and you can see why as a reader I am so pleased with this purchase. I've bought several for friends and family and everyone has been delighted.

I've found the perfect gift for so many of my friends and family this year - The Reading Group Journal, Notes In The Margin. It was really just a chance encounter which led me to it in the first place, augmented by my curiosity over its content. Although I am not a member of a book club, I know quite a few people who are and they will be the delighted recipients of this journal. I was especially impressed by the organization and ease of access for recording information. In addition, even for the person who is not a reading group member, there are numerous lists of recommended books, providing a map of the best in literature both current and from years past. I say I am not a reading group member, but after the inspiration of Notes In The Margin, I just might become one! I could even consider beginning my own group as there are many helpful hints about how to organize such a group. And did I mention the price? This useful and beautiful journal is the perfect gift!

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema, Pictures by Leo and Diane Dillion. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1975.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears is an African folktale which offers a great lesson to be learned by children. The story is about a mosquito who tells a lie to an iguana and annoys the iguana. This sets off a series of events that affects everyone who lives in the forest and the initiation of daylight.

It is an excellent story for a young reader to learn the consquence of telling lies and the detrimental affect it can have on individuals and/or communities. After reading this story to a child parents should ascertain whether the child understood the lesson of this folktale and emphasize how important it is to always tell the truth.

The illustrations in this book are spectacular. Each page is filled with brigthly-colored pictures that will capture the interest of a young child and keep them reading until the very end. The illustrations also correspond directly to the storyline which will give the young reader the ability to glance at the pictures and help them read the printed words.

This is not only a good story for children, but for adults too. The end offers a humorous reason for why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears, and why people shoo them away. This is definitely a good book to keep in every home and school library.

Nancy Paretti

I'll be 30 this year and I remember my father reading this to me when I was a kid. I loved all the different voices he did for the series of animals in it. In fact, I loved it so much that it was one of 3 stories I had my father record himself reading so I could play it for my son whenever he wanted to hear it. If you're looking for a book you can have fun reading, this is a great choice!

The illustrations in this book simply couldn't be more beautiful. It's spectacular to look at, and my son thinks so too. He loves pointing out each of the animals over and over again, commenting on colors and the sun.

The retold African folktale is a great read, a good sequence of events, and a good illustration of logical consequence. My only argument (and this is with interpretation rather than the book itself) is that: a)nobody asks the mosquito what happened and b) what the mosquito tells the igauna in the beginning isn't a lie. It's silly and irrelevant, yes, but she's not lying. The farmer was undoubtably digging up yams bigger than the mosquito. Maybe it's just my sympathy for the underdog here, but I think the mosquito got a bad deal.

This is not a bad story, but as regulars know "not bad" isnt really a term generally associated with Preacher. I know Garth Ennis is basically trying to write a modern-day western, but the plot is a too-transparent take on a certain John Wayne film, even down to Jesse spouting many of the same lines as "The Duke". There's some interesting revelations about the past, and several genuinely enjoyable confrontation scenes, its just that they're too padded-out with uninteresting (though well-written) dialogue. Maybe I've missed the point and Ennis is trying to say something I didn't quite get here, and obviously after all the stuff Jesse Custer has been through in the last episodes he would want to relax and kick back for a while, but I sincerely hope the storyline picks up with the next episodes. If it does, then "Salvation" will sit fairly comfortably as a middle-part "Calm-before-the-storm" chapter in the storyline as a whole. And maybe that's Ennis' intentions for it. If it doesn't pick up a bit, it will be a great pity that the series lost pace after such an awesome first forty issues. I hope Garth Ennis reads these comments, and if the story-line does get back to the heights of its earlier days, then sorry Mr Ennis and change my score for this book to *****

I hate bookstores. Every time I try to read a series in order, I run into odd gaps in bookstores' shelf stocks, and I end up reading things all out of order. For example, I planned to read "Preacher" in order, buying each volume from a local comics shop, but when I applied for a job at Borders, I happened to look at the graphic novel section. And there they sat: "Gone to Texas," "Salvation," and "All Hell's A-Coming." Any sign of the volumes in between? Noooo... I have no willpower when it comes to books, so I bought "Salvation" and "All Hell's A-Coming," and all my plans of actually following continuity went straight out the window. Oh well. This has never impaired my enjoyment of other series, and I guess it won't matter much now.

"Salvation" is the seventh collected trade paperback volume of "Preacher, and is apparently a departure from much of the earlier storyline. Following an epic confrontation in which Jesse loses his left eye, and Tulip goes off with Cassidy, Jesse is confused about his mission and his understanding of the world. While trying to find his purpose, he spends some time as the sheriff of Salvation, a small town in western Texas. Jesse soon angers Odin Quincannon, the crazed and crooked owner of a local meat plant, whose efforts to kill Jesse fill most of "Salvation." There are also subplots involving a former Nazi, a woman from Jesse's past, and Cindy, the deputy sheriff. After Jesse leaves Salvation, he reaches the Pacific and takes peyote in an effort to remember what happened to his eye. He remembers, and apparently makes a vital discovery about God's motives and fears.

The violence is a trifle more restrained, though Ennis and Dillon don't shy away from showing plenty of sexual perversions. I personally think Quincannon's particular obsession might have been better left unrevealed; I imagined many things much more disturbing than what Ennis and Dillon finally show, which probably tells you more about me than you really need to know. "Salvation" also contains numerous references to Westerns and the myth of America, which sound slightly out of place in the mouths of Americans, but I can easily forgive that lapse, since the story as a whole is so fun.

Yes, "Salvation" is quieter than "Gone to Texas," but is that really a bad thing? As my band director used to say, unchanging fortissimo gets old fast; you need to vary the volume and tempo to get the full effect of the exciting bits. And soft is good in its own right, anyway. (Besides that, "Salvation" is only quiet in comparison to the rest of "Preacher." Compared to a lot of other literature, it's still incredibly violent and graphic.)

With the feel of a mini-series rather than being part of the on-going series, Salvation is one of the best storylines in the Preacher story. Writer Garth Ennis places his usual black humour, graphic violence and good versus evil themes in a more relaxed tale than regular Preacher readers are used to. The epic, grandiose scale of previous stories such as War In The Sun are replaced by several issues of the monthly comic centered around Jesse Custer's period as sheriff of a small backwoods town named Salvation. Jesse needs to reflect upon the cataclysmic events in his life and step back from the manic lifestyle he had shared with his girlfriend Tulip and best buddy Cassidy, both of whom are not featured directly in this volume. Jesse's influence on Salvation eventually sees the departure of the vile and corrupt local businessman Odin Quincannon and the return to law and order and a safer way of life for the town's citizens. Along the way, Jesse reunites unexpectedly with his mother. He also gives up the chance of a relationship with his attractive female deputy after the realisation that despite everything, he is still in love with Tulip. He shares another conversation with the ghost of John Wayne and, after leaving Salvation, has a drug-induced meeting with God, a truly momentous event that serves to drive forward the next chapter of the Preacher story (featured in the next Preacher graphic novel, All Hell Breaks Loose). The final tale in this volume concentrates on John Custer, Jesse's father, and how he won the Medal Of Honor during the Vietnam War. Although not connected directly to the main Preacher story, it also has the same reflective tone as the Salvation-set tale. Proving that Garth Ennis can write meaningful, less dramatic stories equally as well as his trademark sensationalism, and complimented by regular artist Steve Dillon's outstanding work, Salvation will please all fans of the series. Also included in this volume is my favourite Preacher cover (of issue 45) by cover artist Glen Farby, an outstanding piece of artwork in its own right.

WARNING WARNING...do not expect too much from this book if you are a fan of Elton John's Broadway musical and not the actual opera. I found this book in the library shortly after seeing the traveling version of the new "Aida" (it was AWESOME) and, while the book does have gorgeous pictures and the story is told from the point of view of someone who practically lives in Aida's shoes, I was disappointed with the overall story. It was completely unlike the show I saw. I realize that the opera and the Broadway show are totally different. However, I found this book to be confusing and was unimpressed by the sloppy style of the writing...loved the musical, though!!

I read this book and marvelled at the incredible illustrations. I'm a teacher, so I shared it with my young students. They didn't understand everything, but they sure did appreciate the artwork and story line. I'm buying it again as a gift for my niece's 12th birthday. She is obsessed with Egypt and Egyptian subjects. The Aida Broadway production recently came through Austin at the Bass Concert Hall, but we were unable to attend. This truly is the next best thing. When read correctly, it pleases the senses so much more (or as much as to some people) than hearing the production.

I was only about 10 or 11 when my PATS class was studying the arts. I was given this book as a gift, and brought it to the class. The teacher then got the information from my book to buy it for herself. To this very day I have an appreciation for the arts, and especially Aida. Even though I cannot find my book, I still have the cover, and the memories. The tale is beautifully written, and the exceptional artwork in my opinion should be enlarged and framed. I recommend this beautiful book as a teaching tool for young students.

While this is probably the best book on the Battle of Midway I noticed a couple of factual errors. The authors have fallen for one of the biggest myth of WWII in their account of the recovery of a crashed Zero. They stated that American designers tested the rebuilt plane and were able to counter its weaknesses and designed the Grumman Hellcat as a response. Totally, false, design work on the Hellcat and construction of a prototype was well underway by June 1942 and the captured enemy plane had no bearing on the Hellcat's design. This story has been repeated in so many historical works that it is rare to find a book on the Pacific War that does not mention it. Blatant mistakes like this, which can easily be checked, cast doubt on the credibility of the rest of the research.

In the same tradition as At Dawn We Slept, Miracle At Midway engulfs and captivates the reader. This book describes in great detail both American and Japanese plans for battle. The apprehensions of the Japanese staff to approve the Midway mission are described, as well as Washington's uncertainty of the Japanese intentions. Many believed that Japan would try to attack Hawaii or the West Coast. Thanks to the codebreakers, Midway was found to be the true objective. Prange describes in great detail how the brave torpedo bomber pilots flew undaunted against the Japanese carriers, clearing the way for the deadly attacks by the Dauntless dive bomber pilots. Also, the Japanese blunders in rearming their aircraft after the Midway strike are described. This book is a must read for any fan of naval warfare.

The Battle of Midway was the most decisive battle in the Pacific in the Second World War. Prior to the battle the Japanese had one victory after another. They had put the majority of the American Pacific Fleet out of action at Pear Harbor, they had sunk the British Battle ships the Prince of Wales and the Repulse in a few minutes and they had won naval actions in conquering the Philippines.

The Japanese had in their carrier arm a superb weapon. The Zero fighter at that time was superior to any American aircraft. Their naval pilots had been fighting since 1936 in China and were superbly trained.

The Japanese fleet which sailed to Midway had four carriers and a huge battle fleet. The Americans had only three carriers available, one the Yorktown had only just been repaired after the battle of the Coral Sea. Logically the Japanese should have won and dominated the Pacific. Instead at the end of the battle all the Japanese carriers involved in the battle were sunk, the cream of the Japanese fliers had been killed and the Japanese started to lose their confidence. As the war developed the Americans were able to rebuild their fleet and to develop technology which meant by the 1944 the Japanese navy was totally outclassed both in numbers and qualitatively.

Unlike the European war there have been no real mysteries about the pacific campaign. The conquest of Japan meant that records of all major battles were available from both sides. Never the less this book is a clear well-written account of an important battle. It can be easily understood by anyone and is a delight to read.

In short the victories of the Japanese meant that they became careless. The did not do a proper search for the American forces and their carriers were caught with fully armed aircraft on their flight deck. This meant that single bomb hits detonated the weapons of the Japanese dive bombers causing multiple explosions and the destruction of the carriers. A great book of a battle in which American bravery allowed them to win against considerable odds.