I finally got ahold of a library copy of "Carney's House Party," and I am so excited to have read it! It was another great look at Deep Valley life, and for me it was great to *finally* see where the heck Sam came from. (If you go right from the high school books to "Betsy's Wedding," you don't get much explanation who this Sam guy is and what happened to Larry.)

This book made me feel like I was right there at the house party, with my good pals from high school Betsy and Carney and Bonnie. I hope the publisher sees fit to reissue this title, as well as "Emily of Deep Valley" and "Winona's Pony Cart," so that those of us that are B-T nuts can finish our collections.

Only thing is that I wished there had been more about Tacy, since she always was my favorite character. But a very small flaw, indeed. The Betsy-Tacy world is a magical place, and very soothing to read about.

Good news Maud Hart Lovelace fans! Harper Collins publishers will be reissuing the Betsy-Tacy books, including Carney, Emily of Deep Valley, and Winona's Pony Cart beginning in December 1999. They will have NEW cover art and retain the Lenski and Neville illustrations inside.

I have 5 sisters and each and every one of us read all the Betsy Tacy books when we were girls. I read the ones of their childhood when I was little and then "graduated" to the High School and past, series as I grew older. Oh, so many fun hours reading them, trying to copy the wonderful Vera Neville illustrations, wishing I could live in Deep Valley just for awhile. Several years ago I startled the customers near me when I whooped with pleasure at finding these books in a bookstore -- just like I did a few minutes ago when I saw here on Amazon recommendations "Carney's House Party"! THANK'S Amazon!! I didn't know that that one, and "Emily of Deep Valley", had been re-published. I've just ordered both, (for me!) as well as two complete sets of the younger-age books for my two eldest granddaughters. This tradition is one I am happy to pass on -- I can't wait to give them this treat. By the way -- I don't agree with the 9-12 age rating for the books that are set in high school and beyond: they are really for a bit older, although there is certainly nothing harmful in them for little girls: on the contrary. But they are intended for a bit older -- say 12 and up.

I've always enjoyed the Betsy-Tacy books but have never read Emily of Deep Valley...until about a month ago. By getting on this website and reading all the accolades, I had to discover for myself if it was worthy of five stars and I wasn't disappointed. What a wonderful book! Any girl that has ever been a "wallflower" as a teenager, can relate with Emily. Any girl that has ever suffered an unrequited love, can relate with Emily. Any girl that has cared for an older grandparent, can relate with Emily. Her kindness and optimism towards life was contagious and refreshing. Like someone else wrote, I to, would love to be Emily's best friend. I'm older now, but I enjoyed this book as much as if I were a teenager. In fact, I just shipped this book to my 17 year old daughter who's an exchange student in Switzerland. Emily will remain in your heart and mind long after you read the last word. The book made me smile and cry. She's a heroine for any young girl to emulate, and I thank Maud Hart Lovelace for creating such a character as Emily Webster. No wonder it was Lovelace's favorite work! She paints such a vivid picture of Emily and her friends and her grandfather and the home she lives which is situated over a marsh. The sights and sounds come alive of the year 1912, and of small-town America. Please do yourself a favor, and buy this book.

I admit, I only bought this book because I am such a Betsy-Tacy fan, and I felt that anything by Maud Hart Lovelace had to be good. I doubt very much whether I would have been interested in this book if it had not been written by Lovelace, but I thank my lucky stars that I was led to this book! Yes, as the cover states, it is a Deep Valley book, but it is so much more insightful and meaningful, even in today's world, than the other Deep Valley books. Emily's need to contribute toward the cause to help her fellow man is absolutely inspiring in today's world of "hustle and bustle."

In my opinion, the book began a little slowly, but after a couple of chapters, it drew me into its story in a way that a book has not done for me in quite some time. Emily's development into a self-confident adult is so inspiring to those readers who are searching for meaning in their own lives. Although I loved all the Betsy-Tacy books and have one or two on my bedside table at any given time, I believe that this book is the hidden treasure of the whole Deep Valley series.

This book was so entertaining, and so meaningful, that I would suggest reading it to just about anyone!

In my youth, I read every Maud Hart Lovelace book I could get my hands on -many ,many times. As an adult, I have been trying to collect these beloved books. Although the Betsy-Tacy series has been republished and a beautiful novel for adult readers - "Early Candle Light" - "Emily of Deep Valley" and "Carney's House Party" are out of print and I haven't found them in years of trying. Please republish these gems from my childhood. With the founding of the Betsy-Tacy Society a few years ago, I'm sure I would not be the only buyer.

I last read this book two years ago and plan to read it again soon. I honestly could not put it down! It is a true story of Simon Kenton who as a teenager became one of the bravest and most skilled frontiersmen of the late 1700s. He became a friend of Daniel Boone and in fact saved his life in a daring rescue at Boonsboro. The book includes many detailed facts gathered from diaries, memoirs, historical records and many other sources and each is carefully footnoted. Many references are made to geographical locations of events so that you can actually drive up to the place where these historical events occurred. It is history turned into a novel and is very enjoyable reading.

I love this book! Eckert's classic tale of Simon Kenton and settlement of the Ohio Valley is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the United States. This book was recommended to me after reading Eckert's "Dark and Bloody River". It is exciting, highly engaging, and historically detailed. The notes at the end of the book are a novel by themselves. The story of Kenton, Boone, and the Kentucky settlers is truly amazing. It has often been said that this should be required reading in high school and I can't help but agree. Eckert's books take place in a time and place nearly forgotten by modern Americans. Children raised on the old "Cowboys and Indians" westerns never learn that there was a whole other "West" on the Eastern frontier and the Northwest Territory. I grew up in Ohio, and I never learned about many of the events that happened in my own back yeard until I began reading Eckert! Many people are surprised to learn that there were a number of very bloody and significant battles during the Revolutionary War west of the Appalaichans, right here in Ohio in fact. A whole chapter of our history is being forgotten, but luckily, Eckert's books help to prevent that.

This is one of the best books I have ever read! I highly recommend it to everyone. This book kept me spellbound. If you had trouble getting interested in history before, you won't while you are reading this. Why can't they teach history like this in school?

Allan Eckert spent 7 years researching this book. It is a true story of history. He tells the truth about the frontier as it was for real people. I am so glad a friend recommended this book to me. I plan to re-read this book and check out some of Eckert's other books.

I think Anna's real cool and I think that Liz is too perfect and everything gets handed down to her. I don't think that Salvador and Anna, or Sal and Elizabeth should hook up, though, they should all just be friends. Because of they broke up, the friendship they had will be gone forever. Jessica's cool. I think she and Damon will make a good couple.

This book was great! I think Salvador and Elizabeth need to hook up, i mean if their going to be happy together, which they probably would be since they like each other, then Anna should be happy for them. I mean whats her deal anyway she needs to stop feeling sorry for herself and get a clue.

What is wrong with Anna? Does she think she's Salvador's girlfriend now? The last time I checked, they were FRIENDS. They should stay friends too. I think it's better that way. No petty jealousy, just good times. Salvador isn't that great anyway. But he must have some good qualities, since Elizabeth the Great likes him and Anna "jealousy is my middle name" also does.

I wouldn't say that Salvador is cheating on Anna. Anna is completly weird, fixated on nothing but her own troubles.

Bill Belleville's sublime story of the St. John's River was a book I could not put down. A modern version of William Bartram's Travels, "River of Lakes" truly catches the history, geology and flavor of life along the St. John's River. For those of us who have grown up on the river, and who have played in its creeks and springs since childhood, it was an absolute joy to read. I hope that Belleville (who also makes films about rivers) makes a film about the St. John's based on this book. Hang up your hammock by the river, sit back and soak up the beauty of this poetic odyssey. If you haven't seen the St. John's before, you will want to now!

Bill Belleville invites you aboard an allegorical raft as he explores Florida's St. Johns River. I was glad I accepted his invitation. With him as your guide "discover" this river with its many surprises and wonderments. With Belleville you learn how much of the "old" has survived modern day Florida and how important it is to preserve what remains. It is a wonderfully written book and before you know it you are caught up in Belleville's storytelling and when his story is finished you wish there were more bends in the river to travel and more tales to read about.

Bill Belleville travels the length of the St. Johns River from south to north, a rarity for rivers in North America, by houseboat, kayak or whatever means necessary to travel the river and many lakes through which it traverses. The book is an excellent balance between the natural and human history of the river and the river valley. The human history focuses on the early settlers, the growth of agriculture and lumbering as well as the later growth of tourism. It disusses some current problems with pollution and sprawl. The unique nature of the St. Johns truly comes across in the descriptions of the natural history. It has narrow passages through subtropical vegetation and then goes through a number of lakes, large and small, all of which have their own personality and unique characteristics. To me, the most interesting part of the book were the dives into the cave from which the many spring come to the earth and are the point where manatees often gather. Well-written, lyrical with just enough ironic humor to make you enjoy the trip.

This is one of those books that you would think I would retire. I'm almost 21, a literature major, but yet I can't part with this one Sweet Valley book. This is one of the only books I could read twice in one day and still love. I've read it so many times, and it is one of my favorite books. Unfortunately it's out of print, but fortunately I still have my copy. This is seriously one of the best books I've ever read, even though it is geared towards elementary school kids. I make a point of it to read it at least once a year. It is a magical tale... magic in the genre (which is pretty much fantasy), and magic in the way it makes me feel (all warm and tingley inside) and magic in the values it has molded upon me. Jessica and Elizabeth, the famed twins, try to (unknowingly) show off to one another for their Christmas gifts... Elizabeth writes Jessica a story about a memory that she has, and Jessica actually saves money to take Elizabeth to a concert. When Jessica doesn't appreciate the story and Elizabeth cannot make a concert, they get into a huge fight. Christmas eve, they're given two dolls that belonged to their great-aunts that contain a riddle. The twins (through a magic of some sort...) solve the riddle at the same time, and ...

I've started reading sweet valley twins a long time ago when i was about 8 years old. This is my favorite book of the series and i still love it. On christmas Eve Jessica and Elizabeth get into a huge fight. The next day their grandparents give them too magic dolls, and soon they get transported to another land. but not together . With their dolls who turn into princes. The story is about them trying to find eachother and get back home. Its a great book filled with humor, adventure and even some romance. It might even make you cry its so touching! read it!

When Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield give each other perfect present for each other, they argue about who is being selfish. This leads to the dolls.
To help stop arguing, their grandparents give them twins dolls! Dolls are for babies, the think. Then when they solve a riddle, magic unfolds. An evil sorcerer and two princes are the main focus. Will the twins ever get back to Sweet Valley? And more important - will they ever see each other again?

Jessica and Elizabetht have a huge party but their parents don't let them go because they say they are too little. Then, they both wish they could be big. When they wake up in the morning something weird happens. If you want to find out what happened to them read the book!!!

This book was VERY good. I loved it! It starts off as the twins are invited to this great, big Christmas bash of the year. Of course, the best part was that there was going to be high school guys there! But when they're parents say they're too young for a high school/middle school party, they're hopes and excitments vanish. But that night before they go to bed, they wish they were all grown up so that they could make they're own decisions and not be bossed around by grown ups all the time! When the following morning arrives, they realize they're wishes came true and thats when the adventure and excitment begins! Read this book! You'll love it! I guarantee! :) ~Samantha~

This book was one of the best books out of the sweet Valley twins series. With its series of laughter, fun and emotion it is the perfect book for you hopefully.
It is about these two identical twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. One of Jessica's friends Janet Howell is throwing a joint big christmas bash along with her high school aged brother Joe. The twins older brother Steven is invited to go along with the twins. The twins are very excited about going but Steven isn't. He would give anything for them not to be there so he trys to bargain with them.
Eventually the twins parents Alice and Ned Wakefield find out there are going to be high school boys at the party and are a little worried. With a little help from Steven telling his parents how 'wild' the party is going to be the twins aren't allowed to go. They get very disapointed. That night they go to the carnival and make a wish together. They both with 'I wish i were grown up.'
However, much to their surprise their wish comes true! In the morning they wake up to find they've grown into young women overnight. They quickly escape the house so it doesn't cost major embarrasment and their parents think they've ran away. Steven feels bad and trys to help them.
I won't say anymore, i'll have to let you read it for youself.
I Hope you get as much pleasure out of it as i did.

In the Dark valley Piers Brendon gives us a panoramic view of the 1930's and of the leaders and events that led the world inexorably toward World War II. The sweep of the author's wit and analysis remind one very much of Paul Johnson's classic ''Modern Times''. Brendon clearly sees the Great depression as the seminal event of the era, the event which produced everything else. The thing that stands out most strongly in the book is the moral blindness of the world's leading democratic statesmen. With the exception of Winston Churchill they seemed oblivious to the threat posed by Hitler and the other Dictators. All of this is best summarized by a quote the author gives from George Orwell; Upon the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 Orwell said''History is over and the age of propaganda has begun.''The most memorable chapter of the book is the one about the Stalinist purges of 1937-38.Brendon has left the madness and the evil of Stalin and His regime exsposed for all time. This book is not only a great read but also a cautionary tale that in our own day our belief in the essential goodness of man seems to have caused us to question the very exsistence of evil. That was the same mistake that was made in the thirties.

Piers Brendon's massive work, The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930's, is an addictive historical treat. He concentrates on the countries of England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Japan and American as they hurtle towards a war that seems all but inevitable, driven on by the Depression and the growth of militaristic and totalitarian states. The reader will also hurtle through this massive book along with the decade covered on the roller coaster ride the author provides. One of the great charms of the book is the author's ability to select just the right quote from an observer at the time to make the reader feel the events on a personal level. Both the right and left get skewered along the way. The author throws his own opinion in and it is often as keenly observant as his selected quotes. This book is in the marvelous tradition of Barbara Tuchman, particulary her Proud Tower covering the period before the First World War. It is a marvelous achievment and a wonderful read for history buffs. Highly recommended.

This expansive historical survey opens with the First World War (highlighting the battle of Verdun) and proceeds with a protracted overview of the years leading up to the Crash of 1929--all of which proves to be essential background for a full understanding the book's focus: the infamous decade of Depression and dictatorships. The bulk of the book alternates between seven countries--the United States, Germany, Italy, France, Britain, Japan, and the Soviet Union, with important excursions to Spain and China. The first half highlights the repercussions of the Depression, and the last half details the events that led to World War II, with a pivotal intermission describing the Spanish Civil War as a preview of sorts to forthcoming afflictions. (The portrayal of Mussolini's conquest of Ethiopia makes particularly gripping reading.)

Instead of offering an overarching thesis or new claims (which, given the complexity of the decade, would nearly guarantee quick rebuttal from any of a variety of historiographic camps), Brendon summarizes the major figures and events of the decade, and his study benefits greatly from material that has surfaced since the fall of the Soviet Union. He occasionally presents two views of a major event or political figure and often presents the middle ground as the most probable. More descriptive than explanatory, this comprehensive history is unabashedly old-fashioned and traditional--in the very best senses of both terms.

In spite of its length (700 pages, not including notes, bibliography, and index) and its density, Brendon's prose moves the pace masterfully, and he infuses the decade with an astonishing mix of humor, warmth, pity, and horror. Every passage is spiced with several witticisms or barbs uncovered by his impressive research. Less confidently, he offers detailed presentations of such occasions as Britain's Silver Jubilee of 1935, the Berlin Olympic Games of 1936, and the Paris International Exposition of 1937 (but not, strangely enough, the 1939 World's Fair)--yet he still analyzes adeptly the international importance of each of these events. Brendon traps himself in a cul-de-sac, however, when he discusses Hollywood, exposing less about the pervasive influence of popular entertainment than about his own high-brow tastes (e.g., his easy dismissal of escapist fair from Disney to Oz as "nostalgic evocations of small-town virtues" and "treacly affirmations of New Deal values").

Oh, but who really cares! Rarely has a single book synthesized for me so much information--both well-known and unfamiliar. Brendon has written what may well be regarded as the standard history of the decade. Not only should this book receive a permanent place in anyone's library, it will undoubtedly encourage readers to explore some of the many other volumes mentioned in the exhaustive bibliographic apparatus.

I've nothing to add to the others reviews, because you've said all. I can only add that I've read this book for the first time when I was fourteen and today, that I'm 46 years old, I've read it again experiencing the same emotions! Now I want publish all that I found on the web: all the books and articles and the links to buy them and have more informations too!
You can find informations on the author and his masterpiece "The rivers ran east" on... and here an abstract follows "Leonard Clark [1907(1905?) - 1957)] was perhaps one of the greatest of all twentieth-century explorers. He did not believe in big expeditions and elaborate paraphernalia - he was a man who carried his own belongings and charged ahead. This same trait enabled him to perform extraordinary feats of military intelligence and reconnaissance in difficult and dangerous areas during World War II. Clark attended the University of California, then joined the army, attaining the rank of colonel. During the war, he spent many months in China behind Japanese lines organizing guerrilla activity. His post-war expeditions began in Borneo, and over the years he made trips to Mexico, the Celebes, Sumatra, China, India, Japan, Central America, South America, and Burma." He passed away in 1957 at the age of 49, while on a diamond-mining expedition in Venezuela"
He wrote:
A wanderer till I die [1937] very rare
An article on National Geographic magazine - September 1938
Among the big knot lois of Hainan: wild tribesmen with topknots roam the little-known interior of this big and strategically important island in the china sea [1938]
The Rivers ran east [1953]... - translated in italian by Garzanti...
The marching wind [c1955]...
Yucatan adventure [1959]...
Alle sorgenti del fiume giallo [1996 ] italian edition...
I hope I've found something interesting for all!

Leonard Clark was my uncle, and the new edition having been released, I have recently re-read The Rivers Ran East.

I found this book to be most incredible, not simply for the storytelling, but more importantly for Len's foresight into the value and preciousness of the South American rainforest. While he was admittedly not an environmentalist, he was truly a man ahead of his times in that respect. His appreciation for and finely detailed descriptions of the flora and fauna of the Amazon River basin are extremely topical and perhaps even more pertinent today than when he wrote the book. Among all else, he identifies specific native tribal practices and forest herbs as remedies unknown by Western medicine; as with many other products of the rainforest, these hold great promise and yet remain unresearched. Furthermore, his anthropological descriptions of the Amazonian natives capture a culture that now, just 50 years later, has largely been transformed to modern society and lost.

Purely on a swash-buckling adventure-tale level, the book is priceless: this is a real-life Indiana Jones! Len's hair-raising stunts, death-defying experiences, and encounters with Amazonian headhunters hit the reader one after another with nearly a breath in between.

Altogether five of Leonard's books were published: A Wanderer Till I Die (1937), The Rivers Ran East (1953), The Marching Wind (1954), Explorer's Digest (1955), and Yucatan Adventure (posthumously in 1958). All five make for fascinating reading. Many of his books were translated into Italian, Japanese, and other languages. My mother was Len's younger half-sister and I inherited her collection, which includes first editions in English of all five, as well as several of the translated versions, for example, the Japanese edition of The Marching Wind. In addition to The Rivers Ran East, The Marching Wind has also recently been republished and is now also available on Amazon.com. Beyond his books, articles by Len were published in National Geographic, Life, Literary Digest, Field and Stream, Popular Science, and American Weekly. The family still receives inquiries from time to time about possibly make a film based on one of his adventures, but none has been produced to date.

All of Len's books except for A Wanderer Till I Die were written after World War II. However, it was during the war that he perhaps made his greatest - though unpublished - contributions. Leonard served as an officer in the OSS, spending a good portion of the war in the China-Burma-India corridor conducting intelligence work in the Yellow River valley. Near the end of the war, he was stationed on Formosa and accepted the first (unofficial) surrender of the Japanese there. He earned the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Order of the White Cloud with Ribbon, the highest honor given by the Chinese to the foreigners who served them.

All of Leonard's works are fact, not fiction, and he is very highly regarded in our family as a military hero and quintessential adventurer. After the war, he built a log cabin near Fresno, California that I visited as a child. I remember Len as a large, quiet, gentle man who liked to tease us children, smoke his pipe, and take long contemplative walks in the woods with my mother. Yet he also embodied a sophistication, powerfulness, and seriousness that I sensed even as a child.

Len was born on 1/6/1907. He died on 5/4/1957 under mysterious circumstances while exploring for gold and diamond mines on the Caroni River in Venezuela. You will find a fairly extensive biography in Current Biography, Volume 17, No. 1, January 1956, although this does not cover his last years. In addition, my father devoted 20 pages in our family history to Len. For more information, please feel free to contact me.

Clark,an American who helped engineer the resistance to the Japanese occupation of China, goes looking to the source of gold flowing to Spain from the new world. He finds the key in the archives of Spain. He travels alone into the interior of the Amazon river basing seeking the gold source. His guide abandons him the first day into the trek, leaving Clark armed only with his wits and a .38cal revolver. The story takes you into the vicious lifes of the head hunting Juarvo indian natives,..even as friends, they are deadly. To say more would give away the story. The reader gets a stark education of the ways of the not so primitive South American jungle inhabitants. Add to the mix a young Italian lady on a shadowing river boat, who is all to eager to assist him. But , in his quest, or demise. The book should be labelled as addictive to anyone who likes to read fast moving, hair raising non-fiction. REVIEWER NOTE: "The Rivers Ran East." is such a fantastic story that when it was published, no one took it seriously. Finally, two expedientions were mounted to follow Clark's footsteps. The first found that the indian resistance was even more formidable than Clark had reported and turned back. The second team found the gold, it is the richest gold strike in history. Their claim is said to the to be the "most expensive real estate on earth."