The Orchard submerges the reader in the lifestyle not only of the Depression era but also that of a small New England farmer. I not only enjoyed reading about Kitty Crockett's triumph's and failures, but I somehow felt that I too experienced them. The book has piqued my interest about this time that I did not live through. There is much to be learned here from the self-reliance and the necessary simplicity of the people that did live through the Depression. It was also interesting to see that many of the issues that Kitty faced in trying to save her family farm, are still faced by small family farmers in New England today.

The late Adele Robertson's story of her attempt to save her family's property by establishing a commercially viable apple orchard during the Great Depression is a true gem. Robertson, who later went on to become an award-winning columnist for the Ipswich Chronicle, writes in a clear first-person voice. At times wildly humorous and often poignant, the story is superficially about growing and selling apples. What it is really about is self-reliance and courage. It is no wonder that so many New England high schools now include this book on their reading lists -- Robertson (with the help of her daughter Betsey, who retrieved and edited the manuscript after her mother's death) has produced a riveting work that speaks to a woman's need to "make it on her own" without ever preaching about it.

The Orchard, a Memoir, is a great book. Last week I was on a long flight back to San Luis Obispo from Omaha and I had this book with me, a gift from my mom. I started reading it and totally forgot about the flight, never noticed the movie they were playing. A good number of times tears were just pouring down my face and I'd wipe them away, wondering if the people on the plane around me thought I was a bit crazy.
But I tell you, I'm crazy about this book! Honestly, I read a good deal and this is easily one of the most interesting, deepest, most powerful books I have read in years. Although true, a memoir, it reads just like a fine novel. I was so totally absorbed reading this rare gem of a find, that it was difficult to realize that the author had died some 20 years ago--she, Adele Crockett Robertson, seems so real, so full of life, so gutsy, so immediate.
Briefly, this is the story of a young girl, a smart, educated girl with a good head on her shoulders, who loses her job in the great Depression, and goes back to the family farm to try and save it from the bank. The many people in the book all come to life perfectly and there are surprises aplenty. I am a gardenwriter (author of Allergy-Free Gardening)and have farmed myself, and I appreciate what Adele went through. I would also add that this is no doubt the best picture of life during the Depression I've ever come across.
I plan to review this book every place that I can, because to my mind, this one is so good, so readable, so well worth reading, so enjoyable, so satisfying, that it completely deserves to be a best seller. Do yourself a favor and read this marvelous book!

I awoke last Saturday to hear Daniel Pinkwater reviewing this book on NPR. He said, "[the author] has made funny and accessible cartoons which are at the same time beautiful, or you could say she's made beautiful paintings which are funny." I completely agree with this statement and I think that the illustrations will help capture the attention of even the most reluctant young reader...Who will then be fascinated by this creative and totally entertaining interpretation of the life of Crockett. Perfect for classroom reading and a delight for bedtime, for all ages.

"I reckon by now you've heard of Davy Crockett, the greatest woodsman who ever lived. Why, Davy could whip ten times his weight in wildcats and drink the Mississippi River dry. He combed his hair with a rake, shaved his beard with an ax, and could run so fast that, whenever he went out, the trees had to step aside to keep from getting knocked down..." So who else, but Davy, would the president call on to save the planet from being "blown to smithereens" when "the biggest, baddest ball of fire and ice and brimstone," Halley's Comet, came "hurling itself lickety-split" towards earth? Rosalyn Schanzer answers the question with her witty and entertaining, wild and rollicking tall, tall tale about this larger than life frontiersman. Ms Schanzer's vibrant storytelling captures the imagination with its rich, over-the-top exaggeration and clever backwoods language that just begs to be read aloud and shared. Her bold, bright, and expressive artwork is filled with dazzling, action packed scenes, eye-catching detail, and marvelous humor. Perfect for youngsters of all ages, Davy Crockett Saves The World is a captivating, fun-filled treasure that shouldn't be missed, and also finally tells the world why old Davy always wore his coonskin cap.

Davy Crocket Saves the World saved this grandmother last night while I was babysitting my grandsons. Barely interrupting a food fight after supper, I coaxed the boys onto the couch with me by telling them I would read them the new book I just brought. We all plopped on the couch in a snuggly pile as I opened the book and started to read. Their faces soon wore expressions of rapt attention interrupted frequently with smiles of delight and animated discussion.

The boys loved Davy...and he is great! His face is the face of a hero personified. His expressions are so animated and appealing to my grandsons (and me too)! The graphics of the pages are filled with movement which captured my grandsons' attention and saved this grandmother from an evening of total chaos. Hooray for Davy Crockett!

The other reviews were right on the money. This book is a great find for someone that is looking to do some custom shades and/or curtains. Creativity has never been my strong suit. I am the type of person that moves into an apartment and keeps up the white blinds that are supplied. I buy curtains when necessary, but they are never "eye-catching". So when my husband and I decided to build our first house, I began to stress. I have not sewn since high school and I needed ideas. This book gave me that and more. The instructions are very thorough and easy to follow. The book also has great color pictures as well as fabric and color information. It is a great find for someone totally new to home design to a person that has been doing it for years. I think you will enjoy this book and find it is worth every penny.

This has been another great addition to my design library. There are fresh new looks and I can pick it up and find the perfect look for a client of many tastes. If you're looking for excitement in designs and photos - get this book.

I was trying to make Roman shades and none of the patterns or phamplets in the fabric store helped. I borrowed this book from a friend in PA and I just finished my shades. The directions were concise and easy to follow for any level seamstress. I have just ordered my own copy as I think I'll now tackle french pleated curtains for my newly refinished living room. With the help of this book, I'm pretty confident I can do it!!!

In my opinion, this book needs to be actively published again! I used this book as a guide to grow my first vegetable garden in Richmond, VT. It thoroughly explained EACH step in the process with text and illustrations/photos. My neighbor, whom I hadn't met yet, left a letter in my mailbox around August of that year. It contained a photo of my garden and a note saying that mine was the most beautiful vegetable garden she'd ever seen and thought I would appreciate the picture of it! I have checked this book out of the library each spring since and this year it was listed as "lost!" That's why I'm here on-line: buying an "acceptable" condition copy used rather than do without! BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU CAN!

I just want to emphasize the earlier reviews: This is a great, enormously helpful guide to gardening just about anywhere (I live in southern CA and I enjoyed the section on cold weather gardening even if I never use it). The author isn't clearly part of a gardening school of thought (square foot, raised beds, biodynamic), he is just vastly knowledgable about gardening and will meet you wherever you are - a sign of a great teacher. He wrote the best section on homemade garden structures - A frames, cold frames and the like - I have seen. Not a useless or wasted page. Please bring it back!

I have borrowed this gem from the library every spring for 3 seasons, and now I am desperate to get my own. There is no better gardening book dedicated to vegetables, and the month by month schedule saves me hours of planning. No other gardening book I've found has this month by month format, and it is unbeatable! I love this book - a reprint would sell a lot of copies in Indiana, because every gardening friend and relative I have would receive a copy as a gift from me.

If only a book like was done on each salmonid species. Great photograhy, very interesting text. This is still the only great book on salmon fly fishing as seen through the eyes of a master photographer. Bravo!!!!!

Of course I would like to review this addition, but since there is a limited supply here in the salt water environs of the Virgin Islands, it has been extremely difficult to find a copy. Therefore, please don't hesitate to send us one for our perusal and subsequent comment. Hope all remains well for you and Paula. Mollie and John

I WAS NEVER REALLY FOND FLYFISHING UNTIL I ORDER FLYWATER AND WATERMARK...I NOW AM MORE CURIOUS ABOUT IT. THE PHOTOGRAHY WAS ABSOUTLY PHENOMENAL!!! I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH INCREDABLY SCENERY BEFORE. WANT TO THANK MIKE AND GRANT FOR GIVING ME THAT OPPORTUNITY!!!!! LOVE FROM ST.JOHN USVI

This book is beautifully written and illustrated. I share this story with my 3rd and 4th graders to teach the comprehension strategies of visualization, questioning and inferring. It is a powerful teaching tool. ( For a full lesson see Stephanie Harvey's Strategies That Work). They love it! Picture books aren't just for little kids anymore!

I shared this story with my physically and mentally handicapped students. They loved it. I wish there were more stories like this that they could relate to. I told the students about the author and how that she is blind from the same eye disease (RP) that I have. It helped my students to understand what it is like to be visually impaired. I hope that Estelle continues to write more books.

I love inter-action within a family and this is a wonderful way to express the childhood responses of siblings. The brothers think they are the only ones who can see, but the indepth sight of their little sister warms the heart. Hooray for Estelle Condra for helping us who are physically sighted to see in a deeper way. A very helpful book!

The author speaks to lay people such as myself. He illustrates and compares through photographs different effects of lighting upon the same scene, so you not only read, but get the visual idea. Through reading this book, I am able to plan a lighting scheme that works for my environment and have become my own lighting designer!

A really great book. Very charming and great photos.

Most lighting books show you lots of pictures and tell you what was done. They hardly help clueless DIY's like myself. Kevin's approach to lighting, however, is systematic and understandable. His ideas and methods are innovative yet simple. You'll be surprised at how much your room or house can be transformed with the proper lighting. Absolute must-get for new or renovating home owners.

A friend of mine gave this book to her son who could not seem to even get interested in reading the Bible. He had made several attempts to grow in his faith before. She gave him this book. Once he started to read the 911 Hnadbook, he could not put it down. He found real practical answers to his problems. He began to grow for the first time in his spiritual life. He died tragically shortly after he read this book. At the funeral service his mother gave the Lord through this book credit for saving her son !!!! Give it as a gift to those who struggle with their faith.

Pastor Kent has written an outstanding book which is a real asset to any library, large or small.I am a United Methodist pastor in the Kansas City, Missouri area. I have repeatedly recommended this book to people in all walks of life. The book has great commonsense insight with a strong spiritual foundation. This is a practical, easy read, which makes effective use of stories and illustrations! Get it-you won't be sorry

Over the last ten years I have read many books relating to self-help and religion. Most of these have offered useful insights, such as Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled. Others such as The Lies We Believe by Chris Thurman have been enlightening and helpful. However, Kent Crockett's book cuts to the chase to give the reader immediate access to the scriptures which identify our problems and present Biblically sound solutions. Pastor Crockett has a fresh and genuine outlook and style which is non-judgmental and comforting. His words deliver unpretentious wisdom and a message that God is alive and available to help us in today's world.

I'm not 100% convinced of his theological principle: 'today's life being directly equal to our eternal life in heaven', BUT it's very encouraging, has a wonderful message and offers great hope to those who are presently discouraged or unsure of why we're here on earth, and why it's so painful at times.

I strongly recommend this book. He describes how one can put a smile on God's face by everyday actions. He addresses the assumption that people have that they must done something "big" to be significant by countering it with his premise that the small actions in life are actually the important things. The Scripture reference for his point is Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." He writes that life on earth determines responsibilities in heaven and "the most important thing you can do is whatever God wants you to do at that moment" (p. 165).
This book motivates a person to be diligent in every task, realizing that nothing is insignificant.

What a blessing from the Lord this book is! :) This book is so needed in our day. It's very encouraging and uplifting, and scripturally helps you to realize just how important our purpose and short time on earth are. God made each of us unique & special for a reason...and this life is our "opportunity for Christ", with many heavenly rewards. This book beautifully shows that whatever your position in life is...whether a homemaker or an engineer, etc..God will use you right where you are & with how He made you the way He did. :) Enjoy! I know you will! :)

Twenty-five years after I last read the story of "Harold and the Purple Crayon", I picked up the book again to read it to my four-year-old son. He loved it! Several years later, I picked up a copy again to send to my grandson.... what amazed me about both those times (even with the lengthy intervals between them) was that I had forgotten nothing. The pictures were burned into my mind's eye; the text still a part of my memory. I found that I could recite the story of Harold and his crayon without even looking.

This is a true celebration of the imagination, and in my opinion the very best children's book ever! It has a profound impact on adults as well as children, and it is infinitely delightful. (I even learned my very first play-on-words/pun from Crockett Johnson's classic (near the end of the book, when Harold "drew up the covers").

"Harold and the Purple Crayon" is the first and by far the best book in Crockett Johnson's "Harold" series, but it is not necessarily Johnson's best work. That distinction is reserved for his old "Barnaby" series of comic book stories, with the memorable Fairy Godfather Mr. O'Malley (hmmmm... come to think of it: Barnaby and Harold look a lot alike-- could they be related?).

If you have children emerging from the theatrical threes and heading into the fabulous fours, try them on "Harold and the Purple Crayon". It is a masterpiece of perfect simplicity and imaginative joy!

Even though this book was written quite a few years ago, it doesn't matter because somethings transcend time. In this book you have a child in a nightgown with a magic purple crayon that can create any environment that is necessary. We all do this each night when we dream...Every page has a 'situation', and the readers look forward to discovering what Harold will draw next with his purple crayon in order to get out of it. My copy is a bit worn because it was one of the 'must read books' that was read to each of my five kids. Enjoy!

Our family loves Harold and the Purple Crayon as well as all the books in the Harold series. Harold is the original Charlie Brown with his cute round head. With his crayon, he can meet any challenge, climb any mountain, do battle with any witch. Kids see Harold as quite the adventurer as he draws himself to faraway places but they also see the trouble he can draw himself. into as well. But in the end, Harold usually draws himself home, safe and snuggled under the covers. The book has a wonderful rhythm to it that appeals to kids. It is a book that is both calming and empowering to kids, it allows them to dream and imagine. A classic that deserves more notice.