My mother is in rehab, recovering from hip replacement surgery. I gave her this book and she's enjoying it immensely. She says time goes by so fast. The gel markers that come with the book are bright beautiful colors and are of good quality. Now my children want grandma's coloring book too. And you know what? I want another for myself. This is a top quality book and very entertaining, especially the poems that go with the drawings.I can recommend this book to anyone.

My three children ages 5, 9 and 15 all enjoy coloring in this book. There is a great variety of designs, all easy for them to color. And there is a poem with each drawing that is so delightful. I like the one about the 1970s and my kids like the ones about the seahorses. The markers that came with the book are good quality and are very bright. What a treat to get these markers with the book. I think this book would be appropriate for kids, teens, adults and especially for retirees.

Extremely satisfied with this book. Received it in excellent condition. Very well done, makes a beautiful gift. Gave one to my niece and one to my retired father. Both loved it. It's one of the most imaginative and creative books I've ever seen. Loved the great drawings, easy to color, and the poems are funny and thought-provoking. Came with great gel markers. What colors! I highly recommend this book for holiday gift-giving, vacations, any occasion and for any person.

This is an amazing book on Hawaii, focusing on the less-well-known and less-traveled islands. Most of us only know Hawaii as a wonderful tourist destination, composed of a handful of islands fulfilling all of our vacation needs. In fact, Hawaii is much much more. The Hawaiian islands actually extend for many miles to the northwest, where the visitors are mostly only the native wildlife. These Northwestern Hawaiian islands comprise the "real" Hawaii: the Hawaii that is untouched by tourism; the Hawaii that gives us a glimpse back in time, allowing us to view the untarnished natural and cultural history of this unique archipelago. This is the Hawaii that the author focuses on, and he does it with great success.

Although the author is a biologist by trade -- and one might think from the title that this is basically a biology book -- it would be a big mistake to think that this book is limited to the biology of these islands. In fact, this book is much broader than that. What Mr. Rauzon does is integrate many aspects of the islands' life and history into an eminently readable story.

This book works on so many levels: a cultural narrative, a historical account, a description of the flora and fauna, a memoir of the author's experiences, a photographic essay. Take any one of these aspects alone, and the author succeeds admirably. But the real beauty of this book is the way that the author weaves all of these elements together into a rich and fascinating story of these enchanting islands. (Personally, I'm partial to the exceptional collection of high-quality photographs which add life to the text. But they could also easily stand alone as a coffee-table photography book in their own right.) One more bonus is the inclusion of artwork by the highly-skilled author -- beautiful watercolors and pen-and-ink drawings.

The author has an easy personal style which makes this book read like an unfolding story. It is not a text book. Sure you'll learn some interesting facts, but that's not the point of this book. Mr. Rauzon allows us to experience the joy and wonder of these islands just as he has in his explorations and adventures over years.

This book has it all; it's educational, entertaining and thought provoking. Mark Rauzon has written a book that provides an understandable look at the natural history of the sea birds, mammals and sea turtles that thrive throughout the leeward islands. This is fascinating stuff and interesting in its own right--but wait there's more! He also has meticulously researched and reported on the human history of the area, including early Polynesian times, discovery and exploitation in the 1800's and early 1900's, world war drama, and recent attempts to recover the natural beauty of the area. This history documents the folly of man's attempt to intervene in natrual systems and the often catastrophic results.....but wait there's more! He also shares some of his personal journey as he spent much of his time over the past twenty years working in this remote area (he has visited all but one of the leeward islands). These personal stories are sometimes humorous, but always interesting. I've never been to these remote islands and probably never will be able to visit them. Rauzon took me there and I'm gald for the visit. Read this book, you won't regret it--it's wonderful!

Who would have thought that a book about a series of tiny islands in the middle of the ocean could be so fascinating? Somehow, the author, Mark Rauzon, has crafted an extremely compelling book about these Northwestern Hawaiian islands. This book took me places I didn't expect, but surely enjoyed. Rauzon, with his expert story-telling and beautiful photography brings these islands to life. The reader comes to see each of these small islands - some hardly larger than a rock outcropping - as a unique entity with its own story to tell. And Rauzon, through his beautiful prose and eloquent style, speaks passionately for these islands, which he so clearly loves. The author, with his rich experience to draw from, as well as his obvious joy of discovery, has created a book filled with spirit and emotion. I learned so much from this book; but that's not the half of it. What's so special about this book is that I now feel as though I "know" these islands

Jim's Journey: A Wake Island Civilian POW's Story is the compelling, true-life account of James A. Allen and his survival of 1,354 days of imprisonment as a civilian prisoner of war after being captured by the Imperial Japanese navy in December 1941 when the Marine garrison on Wake Island was finally overwhelmed. Jim was held in Japanese POW camps in China, Korea, and Japan. In addition to his eye-witness account of life as a POW, Jim's Journey also relates what happened to him when he was finally liberated and returned to America. It would be thirty-seven years before the U.S. government would official recognize that Jim and other eligible civilian POWs for their contributions to the dramatic defense of Wake Island against insurmountable hostile forces. Jim's Journey is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to the history of POW experiences arising from World War II in the Pacific Theater.

This is the story of a civilian POW contracted to help build a naval air base on Wake Island shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is a thoroughly researched and compelling account of a young man whose early life and influences shaped him in ways that would only be beneficial to his efforts to survive terrible hardhips later. After playing a vital role as a civilian defender of Wake Island, Jim spent more than four years in various POW camps. On many occasions, he was a hairs breadth away from death, but his persistent courage and ingenuity sustained him. He used his intuitive understanding of Japanese culture to outwit the enemy in ways that required them to see things his way and thus spare his life. Japanese pride dictated that they give in to prisoners' demands at times in order to "save face". Jim's keen intelligence and resourcefulness kept him alert at all times as he constantly sought ways to help himself and his fellow prisoners to stay alive.
This book is a remarkable memoir, vivid and graphic, sometimes uncomfortably so, in its portrayal of the horrific experiences of the POWs and their unflinching will to survive. It is a living testimony to the freedom of the American spirit and should inspire great respect for all those men, whether military or civilian, who did not shrink from the responsibility of defending this country in a dark time of history. Some of these heroes,like Jim, were fortunate enough to live to tell us about it.

God Bless Jim and all his Wake Island buddies. There is a place already set aside in heaven for all of you.

Wonderful book covering all aspects of Bali from it's culture right through to the more popular destinations that are so sought after in Bali from the wonderful white beaches of Kuta through to the ancient village of the Bali Aga in Tenganan... what more can I say about this book. It sent shock waves through my head when I first read it. Everytime I read this book I feel that I need to see and explore Bali one day. Therefore just one of the great books ever produced on Bali alone... wonderful photographs and pictures as well as diagrams. Concise with every sections from the well known villages and areas that are off the beaten track. I give it the thumbs up for sure...

A first rate guide...I know because i live in Bali

A rare and wonderful travel guide that goes much deeper than the regular where-to-find-hotels-and-restaurants type. Beautiful layouts of photography and artwork complement short essays on everything from detailed explainations of complex hindu ceremonies to food preparation. The information here is amazingly accurate, and well presented with cross references to basic tourist information. This would be a great book to kill the time while waiting for your ferry in Padangbai, or in the Losmen at night trying to learn more about the miracle of Bali! Enjoy!

I LOVED this book! I just wish that it didn't end without anything about her little sisters. For me, it ended too abruptly.

this book was fab!! i nearly fell in love w/tim!! he was so awesome...but her dad was a joke...i mean how horrible was he to promise never to drink another drop and go out to Casey's he pisses me off! but then he was sweet in his own way...it was soooo good!! everyone...maybe every girl...should read this book!! i give it a 5* rating

This book was my second favorite out of the series. It's with sadness, adventure, and romance. I recommened this book to anybody who likes historical fiction.

Legends of the Pond is a delightful book filled with incredible short stories of ingenious people that reflects a 300-year span.

As a N.H. native, I found myself reliving the past through the mythical and magical writing ability of the Author. This book created a tremendous imagination allowing me to wander back through the familiar rural towns of N.H. and relive their past, especially among the impressive Abenaki Indians and their culture.

I highly recommend this book as the Author has skillfully written something worth reading for everyone including a chapter on the First American in Space, Alan B. Shepard, Jr. of Derry, N.H.

New England is fancinating and full of stories and legends. This book takes you to that time. The author shares his time consuming research to provide us a glimse of yesterday. Living in New Hampshire myself, I have been to America's Stonehenge. I have seen Big Island Pond and stepped on Escumbuit Island. The author who I have met, is a wonderful individual who cares about detail. If you like legends, if you like history, if you like descriptions of what people did in those times, then I strongly recommend this book.

In New England there is so much history. There are also little no communities' rich in story and this is about some of those towns. The book is set in the small rural areas of New Hampshire called Atkinson, Derry and Hampstead.

Legends of the pond is a collection of stories, poems, letters and so much more about Big Island Pond. The book is well written and I was very impressed with the author ability to make the words come to life.

Covering the time frame from 1692 to the present you'll read stories about rum-running, underground railroads and even John Glenn, who spent 11 years summering on the island. There is bound to be something everyone can enjoy with this book.

One thing I liked about this book is that you do not have to read it in any order, skip around the pages and let history take you on a journey, what you'll find in the pages is pure magic. The author has done a great job and I highly recommend reading this one.

an excellent book. sad, funny, always interesting. just enough elements of cinema to draw a reader in, seduce them into thinking they're getting nothing more than a well-written drama--which it is, only with depths that movies don't bother to ever aspire to find. the subtle, sad undertones floating throughout the story make this book a humane but dark book. i wish all adpeople would read it and recoil at how shallow most of our lives are.

Dee's book has a moral weight that you rarely see in American fiction, but the writing is not at all heavy-handed. An excellent accomplishment.

Main plot: retiring professional meets reclusive neighbor who turns out to be a wanted man. Good piece of fiction that develops the characters well. Characters become well known and the main character guides the reader to an understanding of how little it really takes to get us out of our little civilized shells into a bigger, scarier world beyond the US borders and beyond our sense of humanity. The initial smoothness of the reading makes the transition to deeper thoughts all that more involving and tedious.

This beautifully written book brings to light, in an understated but poetic way, the genius and greatness of the man who, as Gaustad says, "was out to do nothing less than alter the institutional structure of the Western world." It is a measure of our time that many people-especially young people educated pursuant to the fashionable bromides of contemporary social science education-have never heard of this first founder of liberty of conscience and disestablishment of religion in America. In our epoch of attempted "faith-based" governmental initiatives, Gaustad's book reminds us, by constant reference to the writings of Roger Williams, of those principles that, after a bitter struggle of more than a century, came to distinguish this nation from the government-controlled religion and thought of the rest of the world. The life of Roger Williams shows that deeply held religious belief necessarily implies an unwavering commitment to the principle of absolute separation of church and state. Williams' life also demonstrates that at least one colonial leader tried, unsuccessfully, to overcome the tendency of the Puritans to treat Native Americans as less than human or as mere subjects for conversion to Christianity. The tragedy of Williams' life consisted solely in the failure of his decades-long effort to resolve the conflict between rapacious, religiously hypocritical English settlers and the Native Americans. The triumph of his life was his original pronouncement, in this country, of the enduring but often threatened principle that government should be restricted to civil, not religious, tasks. More than a century later, Jefferson and Madison built on the foundation that Roger Williams so nobly established in his writings and in the constitutional documents of Rhode Island.

Gaustad did an excellent job of portraying not only Williams' beliefs, politic and theology but the state of the world that led to their development and need. Very readable, never boring, practical and insightful to William's America as it is to ours. WE could learn a great deal from Williams, even so mamy years later. Gaustad truly brought him to life.

Gaustad's Liberty of Conscience is the second biography of Roger Williams I have read this summer. Perhaps because the first, Covey's The Gentle Radical, was so prolix, I loved Gaustad's work. His selection of historical data, his clear sequencing, and his explication of Williams's own writings make this a delight to read. Seventeenth-century Britain and colonial America and all those names one vaguely remembers are vividly described. The prose is clear and attractive. I came away with a new appreciation of Williams. Gaustad sees him as the first to set forth those principles of religious liberty that were picked up after him by Locke, Penn, Jefferson, and others and which we take for granted today. Toleration is a subject of current conversation within the United States. This biography depicts someone who fought for toleration in a time when people were being banished and even executed for not believing what the political powers said they must believe. It really gives a healthy perspective on our times. I recommend it highly.

These books are REALLY good. Alice Turner Curtis has the remarkable ability to be able to blend delightful, historically accurate plots with an old fashioned charm and morality.

I read this series as a child, and I was very happy to see them reprinted, and keeping the all the lovely illustrations intact, too. Now I can buy them when I have children, continuing the tradition.

I read the complete set of books as a young girl. Fifty years ago, I found them in the Warwick Public Library, yellowed, loose-leafed, dog-earred, but very interesting. Imagine my delight when I learned they were being reprinted. Presently, I am buying them for my granddaughter. Having performed some genealogical research, I find that Colonel Barton, who captured General Preston in this story, was a distant relative of mine. I went to church in the meeting house at Warwick. It still stands. I have no reason but to believe that Alice Turner Curtis, the author, researched her books well, and that her writtings have historic happenings supporting them. Give to all the female 9-10-year-olds and enjoy them yourself. They may lack sophistication for many 11-12 year-old girls of today, but read them to your child or grandchild and establish a bond. These make excellent gifts to "young maids."

This book told about the Revolutionary War through the story of 11 year old Penelope Balfourd, who lives on a farm on Rhode Island with her mother and older brother Ted while her father fights in the American army. Penelope is determined to do something for her country. She manages to deliver a message to the American army. Because of her message a British officer is captured. I really enjoyed this book.