Product Description

If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl?

As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.

From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

The Trouble With Breaking Free
I picked Chains up on a whim not knowing much about it.I'd read one of Anderson's other books (Speak) and really enjoyed it.This story is set in a wildly different era than Speak, but it still has some intriguingly similar traits.Chains drops us into the American colonies in 1776 and gives us a story from the point of view of a young slave girl.

The writing is fresh and simple, yet also vibrant, descriptive and detailed.Part of me was expecting stylized writing and dialog similar to Mark Twain's treatment.While this writing doesn't have elements of negro/slave dialog, it does have other significant elements that lend to its realism.It's very evident that the author did a lot of research for this book.There are many simple little details that just make the scenes and events absolutely real.She also includes interesting historical epigraphs with each chapter that help set the tone.

The story is fairly simple and easy to follow but what makes it great is the tension and emotion of the characters...Isabel in particular.We're taken inside the head of a very thoughtful, very emotional slave girl.Her life is turned on its head a number of times and she finds herself forced into bad situations again and again.Her internal debates really invoke a lot of thought about the nature of life in the late 1800s both in America and in the British Empire.I found myself very sympathetic to her dilemma and curious to see how (or even IF) she would be able to find some sort of happy resolution through all of her trials.

This was a very quick read but well worth the time.The only down side was that I reached the end of the book only to find that it is part of a series which is currently in-process.Fortunately, the second book Forge is about to be released, so I can hopefully find out what happens to her.

For anybody with an interest in American history, slavery, or just a fun youthful adventure, I can recommend this.If you're a big history buff, you may be discouraged at the lighter weight, but hopefully you'll find enough there to be entertained.

****
4 out of 5 stars

Good transaction for school book
Required school reading book arrived in record time for my son to get a chance to read it over the summer and received in condition as described by seller.

My daughter's favorite historical fiction novel.
My 11 year old daughter has read and re-read this novel at least half a dozen times.Obviously it has many tragic and heartbreaking moments, but provides a great opportunity to begin a discussion about American slavery, the Civil War and ultimately, the civil rights movement.

Makes very good reading
It is one of those books that you can not put down until finish. I love Laurie Anderson's usage of sixteen century colloquialism occasionally without harming the readers enjoyment. I am already looking forward to read the sequel "Forge".

Amazing and Touching
Absolutly amazing! I finished this book within days because I couldn't put it down. I really hope that I can get my hands on the seqeul, Forge. When I read the small part of the begining of it at the back of the book, I relized it was in Curzon's veiw of things. I recommend everyone who loves historical and exciting books to read Chains. Hope this helps you. ... Read more

Product Description
In this compelling sequel to Chains, a National Book Award Finalist and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson shifts perspective from Isabel to Curzon and brings to the page the tale of what it takes for runaway slaves to forge their own paths in a world of obstacles—and in the midst of the American Revolution.

The Patriot Army was shaped and strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter. This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. In addition to the hardships of soldiering, he lives with the fear of discovery, for he is an escaped slave passing for free. And then there is Isabel, who is also at Valley Forge—against her will. She and Curzon have to sort out the tangled threads of their friendship while figuring out what stands between the two of them and true freedom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a terrific historical thriller
If by some chance you missed Chains, you'll want to read it before delving into this sequel--the second volume of a planned trilogy.Chains, set at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, focuses on the story of Isabel, a 13-year old slave owned by a prominent New York City family who support the British.Isabel meets another slave, Curzon, with ties to the Patriots, and becomes a spy for the Patriot cause--with the hopes of obtaining her freedom.

In Forge, the story begins where Chains ends, with Isabel and Curzon escaping to freedom, but the focus of the story quickly changes from Isabel to Curzon.The two have separated again, with Isabel running away to try to find her sister and Curzon finding himself in the middle of the Battle of Saratoga, then enlisting in the Patriot army.The irony of a slave fighting for the freedom of others does not escape Curzon, who attempts to argue his case with his friend and fellow soldier Eben.Curzon questions whether bad laws deserve to be broken, but Eben is frustrated by Curzon's logic."Two slaves running away from their rightful master," he says," is not the same as America wanting to be free of England.Not the same at all."

But when the army arrives at the winter encampment at Valley Forge, white and black soldiers alike are unprepared to deal with the conditions there:about 12,000 soldiers with no barracks, bitter cold, and no meat.The author begins each chapter with a quote from a contemporary source, many of which are increasingly desperate reports from General Washington to the Continental Congress on the need for supplies of all kinds, from food to shoes to clothing.Most days rations consisted of nothing but firecake, a mix of flour and water that tasted like ashes and dirt, and was "hard enough to break rat's teeth."Anderson so successfully evokes conditions at the camp that we groan along with the men at their terrible conditions.But the men manage to find a little humor in their situation..no food means "we've got nothing to fart with."A special treat for Christmas is a piece of chewy pigskin to chew on (I'm assuming like the pigs ears people buy now for our dogs).

Through all the hardship Curzon manages to keep secret that he is really an escaped slave, but he can't stop thinking about Isabel and what might have become of her.Fate is to bring them together again at Valley Forge.While General Washington and Baron von Steuben try to forge the raggedy American volunteers into real troops, Curzon and Isabel try to forge their way to a new relationship...are they more than friends or an ever-bickering brother-sister pair?And can they in turn forge their way to a life of freedom along with the Patriot army?

This book equals Chains in its ability to bring the complex world of Revolutionary America to life--a world in which some struggled for freedom while others were condemned to a life of slavery.What will happen to Curzon and Isabel?We won't know until the last volume in the trilogy comes out next year.

While the main characters in the story are fictional, Anderson integrates their story seamlessly around real-life figures such as Washington, Nathaniel Greene, Charles Wilson Peale, and others, and in an afterword explains clearly which characters are "real" and which are fictional, as well as additional historical explanations.For example, she explains how black Americans fought for both the Patriots and the British.The appendix also provides a wealth of suggestions for future reading.

But don't call her book historical fiction.The author believes historical fiction gets a bum rap from kids.Please, she begs teachers and librarians, in her blog, call her books "HISTORICAL THRILLERS."The phrase historical fiction, she says, makes kids bolt for the exit or writhe on the floor in agony because between Johnny Tremain and the excruciating boredom of history class, they think all things historical are worse than chewing on barbed wire." I think the "thriller" label is justified for Forge, as it is for Chains--I had a hard time putting the book down, and literally gasped with shock at times as I turned the pages.Put this in the hands of young readers, please, and kudos to Anderson for another page turning thriller (with some non-excruciating history thrown in). ... Read more

Product Description
Another New York Times bestseller from Laurie Halse Anderson! High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy— and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in school, in his family, and in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

Must read for teens
Anderson does a great job telling the story of Tyler Miller. I felt as if I was living his live along side him. His journey of ups and downs made the book far from predictable. I was always interested to see what happened next. This lead to a book that was very enjoyable and hard to put down.

Bought because of Risha Mullins and her uncensored story on reddit.com
I bought this because I read the uncensored story of the vicious campaign against Risha Mullins by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (and various parents) in Mt. Sterling, KY.You can still find it at [...]

The book is very good -- the first 30 pages, at least -- and I recommend every freedom lover purchase this book to make at least some good come out of the tragedy that faced Mrs. Mullins.The author of this book's opinions on that matter can be found here: [...]

A Trip Into the Teen Male Psyche That Isn't As Twisted As The Title Suggests
Twisted centers on Tyler, the used to be nerd, now somewhat bad boy who bloomed into a full grown, six foot hottie over the summer. With his newfound ripped physique, he may actually have a chance with the hottest girl in the school, the girl of his dreams, but his feelings have to contend with his dysfunctional family and his slowly crumbling world.

Character-wise, Tyler is fantastic. I couldn't put the book down because I was just so attached to the guy. Anderson writes from the teenage male perspective and does it so wondrously. Tyler is the epitome of teenage boy. He's moody and angry and lustful and beyond hormonal, but he's also a real character.

Tyler's funny and cares about his mom and his sister and he tries so hard to be a good guy. The things that happen to him are a bit out of his control, but that's where the book gets so good. The escalating tension builds so much throughout the story that I found myself just waiting for the explosion and Anderson does not disappoint.

Tyler's inner thoughts are vividly raw with his emotions. His past mistake (just the one really) becomes the center of his world, the single factor that drives his senior year. Anderson probes Tyler's family life so we see way past the pristine surface to a family that is falling apart bit by bit; from Tyler, a high school senior on parole, to Hannah, the freshman who wants to express herself and break free from her parents rules, to the mom who is fast becoming and alcoholic, and finally to the dad who is overworked, easily agitated, and constantly verbally abusive. Like I said, the family is twisted, but their imperfections are what make the entire story so easy to just get.

The book is stamped "THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR CHILDREN" but it isn't really all that graphic, at least in my opinion. Sure, there's talk of erections and cold showers and a scene alluding to masturbation, but Tyler is 18 years old. If people don't think that teens know, think about, or have sex, then they're fooling themselves. Tyler's world doesn't even revolve around the opposite sex. The plot focuses much more on him as a person and how much he has changed and how his family is a little twisted. This is definitely not for the younger crowd, but with the warning right there in the beginning, I don't see how/why it needs to be challenged in high schools.

Twisted is an incredibly well-written book that's easy to relate to and impossible to put down. Filled with lusty thoughts an uproarious humor, Anderson taps into the teenage male psyche in a way few female authors are able to do. Take the time to read this book, you won't regret it.

Opening line: I spent the last Friday of summer vacation spreading hot, sticky tar across the roof of George Washington High. ~ pg. 1

Favorite line (I have two): I scared myself, because once you've thought long and hard enough about doing something that is colossally stupid, you feel like you've actually done it, and then you're never quite sure what your limits are. ~ pg. 95

The guy in the mirror looked like somebody had wrapped his heart in barbed wire and pulled. He wasn't just a loser. He was lost, no-compass lost, don't-speak-the-language lost.
I have screwed up everything. ~ pg. 189

Macho Macho man
I'm a guy and I do not talk like such a macho macho man as Tyler.I liked the book and I liked the story but as a man I was offended at the language.Everything was like "The feeling of seeing that video was like a jackhammer pointing on my back" and "The sun came up like a great ball of fire ready to burn us all".I think Laurie should stick to writing women.I loved Speak and Catalyst and I think she can write like no body's business but this book just offended me as a man who.Also I'm a het guy who likes to sew and I have worked construction and no guy talks like Tyler I know.

kids read through it like lightening
I always make my children read over the summer....I try to pick books that give a message and is fun...this was a winner. ... Read more

Product Description
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

Awards for Speak

A 2000 Printz Honor Book
A 1999 National Book Award Finalist
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
A 1999 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
Winner of the SCBWI Golden Kite Award
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Top Ten First Novel of 1999
A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare TitleAmazon.com Review
Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshmanMelinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her tospeak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every timeI try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It'slike I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have causedMelinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to the fact that noone at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and goteveryone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it'sbecause her parents' only form of communication is Post-It noteswritten on their way out the door to their nine-to-wheneverjobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knowsthe real reason why she's been struck mute...

Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetictribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in whichMelinda finds her voice, is cause forcheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two). Afterreading Speak, it will be hard for any teen to look at theclass scapegoat again without a measure of compassion andunderstanding for that person--who may be screaming beneath thesilence. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1233)

Best Audio CD Version of SPEAK
By far, this version of SPEAK is wonderfully voiced.IF you teach this novel to young adults, please consider adding this to your library collection.My students were very impressed with Mandy Siegfried's ability to make the novel come alive.

A character who truly comes to life, scars and all
A couple of weeks ago, I read You, a YA novel that, for all its compelling thoughts and voice, got so involved in having a clever plot that it forgot that the best thing about "slice of life" books is when they remain grounded in everyday life. I mention that to say that Speak, by contrast, is the sort of YA book that manages, miraculously, to do almost everything right. Speak is the story of Melinda Sordino, a young girl who starts her freshman year of high school abandoned by her friends, misunderstood by her parents, and slowly withdrawing into a near-mute state. The reasons for this remain murky for some time, although Anderson foreshadows it well and deals with the nature of Melinda's crisis well. There's a lot here that I loved, but what Anderson really creates is a rich, thoughtful character whose psychology and scars seem genuine, not forced, and one whose story truly feels believable and relatable. The book stumbles at a few points - there's some heavy-handed symbolism, the art teacher is a bit absurd, and the climax is a bit silly. But they're all minor, forgivable points when woven into such a rich characterization. By the time you finish the book, you truly feel as if you know Melinda well, and she feels like someone who could easily be around you at any time. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical going in, but I really loved Speak a lot, and I totally understand the push to include it in English classes - and agree with it 100%.

Speak
This was another book my teen needed for her book report.I preferred ordering the books she needed,show she could take her time to enjoy reading and so she could get a better understand of the book with out rushing to return it to the library.Once again the book was very affordable and we recieved the book within days after ordering.Once again the amazon websit was easy and simple,and "Yes I'll be back"

GREAT book to teach in ninth grade
Have you ever had an entire school cafeteria look at you with hate in their eyes?Seen someone whisper something to someone else and know, without a doubt, it is about you? Fourteen year old Melinda Sordino has. She called the cops at her first high school party over the summer and now she is a social pariah.Only no one knows she had a reason.A good one. She'll barely admit it to herself.
Halse Anderson artfully and authentically describes the life of a high school outcast in a way that is both humorous and heartbreaking.It is fun to read because sometimes I find myself laughing out loud and other times I am holding back tears and sniffling.Her description of high school's social hierarchy and the journey to being comfortable in your own skinbrings me back to my ninth grade year.
The book deals with the very real and very serious issues of teenage depression and sexual assault in a way that it is accessible to teens who have dealt with all or none of the above.Any teenager who has struggled with some issue can relate to Melinda's struggle, even if it is not the same.I think using Melinda's struggle with her art project, the rendering of a tree, as a parallel for her struggle to face herself added a neat symbolic dimension to the book.
This is a book that despite it's serious, controversial subject matter I have taught and will teach again because of its ability to connect to the teenage experience and accurate portrayal of adolescent struggles and issues.It's only weak point?The ending.Both myself and my students have lamented the lack of real closure we feel at the end of the book.However, as real life generally doesn't clean up into a well-rounded fairy tale ending, perhaps we shouldn't expect our books to as well.

Forsaken Friendships
Melinda begins high school as the outcast who called the police to a party that took place in the summer before the start of school. She has never been asked why she called the police and her best friends have abandoned her.

Melinda carries a very real secret with a lot of pain involved. She is holding back speaking to most people and her grades and social life come to a dismal fall.

Melinda has quite the personality, something that the reader is aware of, but not necessarily the people that she deals with.

This book is very well written, you really do feel Melinda's pain, you just don't know the reason behind it until the end of the book. So sad that people she considered her friends don't bother to try to find out the reasoning behind her call to 911.

Says so much about the torment that is adolescence, the hormonal changes and angst to becoming one's self.
... Read more

Product Description
Laurie Halse Anderson’s award-winning, highly acclaimed, and controversial novel about a teenager who chooses not to speak rather than to give voice to what really happened to her marks ten years in print with this special anniversary edition. Bonus material created for this edition includes a new introduction and afterword from the author, resources, and discussion guide. Will also include a preview of Anderson’s newest book, Wintergirls. The quintessential edition for all fans of this powerfully moving book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

A must read for all
Speak is about a young girl who was raped at a party when she was only 13 and when she tried to call the cops for help everyone thought she was calling to break up the party and basically shunned her the next school year which was her first year of high school. Friends that she has had all the way through middle school also refused to be her friend anymore or even speak to her. She never told her parents her friends or cops what happened that night until months and months later. I really enjoyed this story because it did not go straight to the rape it was thrown in parts of the story when you were not even expecting it. It is told from a young girls point of view and you can feel the pain and loneliness she is feeling. It was hard to read and her not reaching out to anyone until the end of the book because you feel sorry for her you want her to tell her parents or a teacher and she is still faced seeing this guy she calls IT on a weekly basis. She is still scared of him with good reason and even comes after her again at the end of the book. I loved that part because she finally broke loose of the restraints she that has been holding her down and she found her voice and it saved her not only from him but also the silence that was slowly destroying her. Great read and heard it has been requested to be banned because of the sex in the book and that is crazy because there is no sex in the book there is a rape and that is not sex. This book is a great tool for every young girl to read and learn from.

What Miss Kelley Is Reading: [...]
Melinda Sordino is starting high school, and she has "seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache." (1) Something has happened with Melinda, and she's an outcast at school, isolated from her former friends and unable to connect with anyone new. She hates the hypocrisy of high school, and like any good outsider, she is brutal in her description of the failures of her teachers and her fellow students. There is, of course, a good reason for Melinda's unhappiness, and discovering it makes this a novel that is impossible to put down.

This book is flat-out brilliant. The writing is awesome, the story compelling, and it's hard to believe that this was Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel. One thing I didn't expect was how enjoyable the novel was to read; many books with dark subject matters are difficult and depressing to read, but not Speak. The books is actually quite funny at times, largely because of Melinda's voice. And while some people have objected to the portrayal of both teachers and students in this book, especially in the first half of the book, there's more than a grain of truth in many of Melinda's statements. (As a former high school teacher, I have to agree that teaching in the week leading up to prom really is nearly impossible). And anyone who finishes the book knows that there are also positive portrayals of teachers and students, and anyone reading critically will know not to take Melinda's more outrageous statements literally.

I like to think that I'm pretty aware as a teacher, but I'm not sure that in my early years teaching I would have known what to do for a student like Melinda. I'm not sure I would have recognized the signs of a girl desperate for help, rather than a teen acting out. Melinda's parents also make me wonder how many parents fail to consider that there might be a reason, both good and horrible, for a marked change in their child's behavior.

Speak is a book that every teen, and every parent of a teen, and every teacher of a teen, should read. It also belongs in the curriculum for both its subject matter and its quality. It is a modern classic for a reason, and I'm going to make sure that I get the chance to teach it one day.

Speak
It's a good story, kinda slow, but I could relate to Melinda..and I figured out early on what happened at the party. I had to keep reading to see if she survived. I cannot believe how incredibly stupid her parents were. Your child is all of a sudden not talking , skipping school and failing grades...and you don't try to find out what the problem is? Give me a break. If you have never been in this position..you probably won't understand the "inside Melinda"..."

Speak: Not What I Expected.

When I picked up Speak, I thought I would be reading a book that would take me through a rollercoaster of emotion. I believed it would be a heart-breaking story of the young girl named Melinda. This, however, was not the case. I was surprised by the humor that took me from one page to the next. At some points, I even found myself laughing out loud. It was interesting to read about something so tragic but have it laced with humor. I really enjoyed the book. It was interesting and continually hooked me. I never wanted to put it down. Melinda is such an interesting person and the way she deals with her situation is also intriguing. It is well written and has a great flow. I would suggest this book for young adults ninth grade and up. I think it is a little out of the realm of middle school kids. I definitely enjoyed it and would gladly suggest it to others.

For everyone who ever felt like an outcast...
Why I picked it up: This has been the most talked about book for the past few days and while it was easy to take a stand against banning it, I thought I should put my money where my mouth is and see just what it's all about.

Why I couldn't put it down: I have never read a book that captures so painfully and so truthfully what it's like to be a teen aged outcast. Melinda was quite possibly the realest character I have ever lost (and found) myself in. Reading this book took me back to some of my own painful memories of junior high, memories that make me wanna cry for the girl I was and wish I had found my own voice sooner. I was never raped, but I suffered emotional abuse at the hands of my classmates. My family moved a lot when I was growing up and I found myself in a new school almost every year. Seventh grade: I was new, I wasn't cool, I wore a lot of badly patterned polyester, and I got good grades. These things didn't win my any popularity contests. I can remember sitting by myself at lunchtime and having kids come up and smash M&M's in my hair. I can remember hanging out after school with the girls I thought were my friends only to suddenly find myself alone save for the school bully and her followers. I got punched that day and walked home alone and shaking. I remember being excited like everyone else at the end of the school year about getting my yearbook signed only to find everyone wrote "to a weird girl."

Anderson captured perfectly what it feels like to be that girl. This book isn't just for survivors of sexual assault, it is for anyone who has ever felt like an outcast, like they didn't fit in, like they were alone. Melinda's thoughts and feelings could belong to any girl. And that's what made me so invested in this character. I was pulling for her the whole time, wanting her to find her voice and find herself...to realize that she may have been damaged, but she wasn't broken.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you haven't read it yet, read it soon. If you know a girl who might be feeling left out, give her a copy. I wish I would have had this back in 7th grade. I might not have felt so alone. ... Read more

Product Description
Philadelphia high school who doesn’t care about the prom. It’spretty much the only good thing that happens there, and everyoneplans to make the most of it—especially Ash’s best friend,Natalia, who’s the head of the committee and has prom stars inher eyes. Then the faculty advisor is busted for taking the prommoney and Ash finds herself roped into putting together a galadance. But she has plenty of help—from her large and loving (ifexasperating!) family, from Nat’s eccentric grandmother, fromthe principal, from her fellow classmates. And in making theprom happen, Ash learns some surprising things about makingher life happen, too.Amazon.com Review
Ages 12 and up. Who would have thought the author of the gritty classic Speak had a gift for comedy? Here she demonstrates her comedic talent in the warm and witty story of Ashley, who is definitely not a prom-type person, and her best friend Nat, who lives for the prom. When the math teacher disappears with the funds just eleven days before the dance, determined and organized Nat goes into high gear to find alternative ways to make the prom happen and drags an unwilling Ashley into the flurry of urgent details.

Ashley has enough problems in her life already, starting with the complexities of her crowded but loving working class family -- her extremely pregnant mother and her three exuberant and prom-crazy aunts, and her cab-driving father and three younger brothers, who think nothing of happily trashing the kitchen in a game of hot dog baseball. Then there’s Mr. Gilroy, the evil vice principal of discipline, who has Ashley on endless detention, her awful job at EZ-CHEEZ-E, where she has trouble seeing the customers through the eyeholes of her rat costume, and her good-looking but lowlife boyfriend TJ, who wants her to join him in a future as depressing as the dank one-room apartment he has so proudly rented for them.Not to speak of Nat’s loony grandmother, who wears her red bathing cap even when she’s not doing the backstroke in a wading pool, babbles at Ashley in Russian, and spits on the floor to show her disapproval.

But in the end it’s grandma with her skill at baking (pastries to bribe the custodians) and sewing (a magical prom dress) who saves both the prom and Ashley’s belief in herself and her future in this delightful and heartfelt novel. --Patty Campbell ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

Super Cute, I loved it!
Laurie Halse Anderson é a mesma autora que escreveu Wintergirls e Speak, ambos super bem falados na mídia e nas críticas. Pena que nunca tive a chance de ler ainda, mas quem sabe um dia. Eu comecei lendo Prom pensando em uma coisa e quando comecei já abandonei completamente o que tinha em mente. Por quê? Bom, porque Prom é super diferente de todas as formaturas que eu já li ou vi nos filmes americanos. Eu pensei que esse livro iria ser um clichê, mas não foi nem um pouco. Eu gostei bastante e me diverti muito com ele. Gostei muito da maneira de escrever da Laurie Anderson, achei super adolescente e a linguagem não é aquela certinha nem nada, é o modo como os jovens americanos falam mesmo, pelo menos alguns.

O sonho de toda garota é um ótimo baile de formatura, menos para Ashley Hannigan. Quando a professora Miss Crane é presa por roubar praticamente todo o dinheiro que eles salvaram para a fortuna, todos ficam chocados e sem saída fazendo com que cancelem o baile. Mas Natalia, melhor amiga de Ash, não quer largar de mão e sonha com um lindo baile de formatura. Ela pede ajuda a Ash, que concorda apenas porque é o sonho da amiga.

Prom é uma leitura rápida e leve. Eu adorei a família inteira de Ashley, principalmente a mãe dela que faz umas loucuras extremas estando grávida com quase 8 meses. E ainda tem a avó de Natalia, que mora ao lado da casa de Ash, é super doidona e não fala nada o livro todo porque ela só fala russo. Eu sinceramente acho que as pessoas que não dominam muito a língua inglesa possam ler sem problemas. Claro que ele tem muitas gírias e tal, mas muitos de vocês lerão sem problema. Eu achei muito interessante essa leitura e fiquei feliz por ter achado ele. Agora tenho que dar um jeito de ler Wintergirls e Speak. Alguém quer me dar de presente?? (hehe)

satisfied
It seemed like it took a little long considering when it was mailed.However, I did get it before I needed it and it was in great condition.When I emailed the seller to find out how long it would be, they responded quickly. That was good.

"Prom" Book Cover Sleeve Should've Had a Picture of a Garbage Truck!

I didn't want to rate this book one single star, but since I don't have any other choice....
My daughter bought this book at a nearby bookstore a couple of years ago. I noticed she had never read it, and when I asked about the book, she said it wasn't good and she didn't want it. So, the book stayed in the bookcase and I forgot about it. Well, today I sat down and read the first few pages, and I couldn't believe the bad language that is in this book and the negativity the character portrays about herself and education. I assumed this was a book for teenagers. Who else would buy a book about prom? Don't let the nice book cover fool you, girls. This book belongs in the garbage!

Fluff
Ashley is a pretty regular high-school senior.She's lower middle-class and lives with her parents and three little brothers, with another sibling on the way any time.Her school has metal detectors and security but Ashley is comfortable there.She is figuring out her options for after graduation; her best plan is to move in with her boyfriend.

The prom is the furthest thing from Ashley's mind.

Then, there is a crisis.Their math teacher has stolen all of the prom money, and the members of the prom committee, including Ashley's best friend Nat, are falling apart.Although she has enough on her mind trying to make it to the end of the year, Ashley steps in to assist her friend.And, naturally, she gets sucked into all of the prom madness herself.

I really liked the characters in this book and the matter-of-fact way they dealt with the hardships in their lives.

I didn't understand the relationship between TJ and Ashley.She was so hooked on him at the beginning, but then they had a fight that didn't seem to be a big deal and suddenly their relationship was in trouble, all without major signs of conflict.I would have liked to have seen their relationship make a bit more sense.

The book was fun, but not fantastic.

Fantastic Book!
The book was fantastic!

Ashley is a "normal" girl. She lives in an urban area and going away to college is rare. Her high school has metal detectors which has kept the knives out of the building. She doesn't really like school and gets herself into trouble and a lot of detentions.

What makes this book so great is that it doesn't hide the imperfections of teenage life. There are drugs - but Ash does not do them and gets her friends away from dangerous situations. There is sex - nothing graphic, they take clothes off and go under covers and passing out condoms is a big controversy for the prom. There is smoking and drinking...nothing too excessive, but what is normal for teenagers.

The publishers described Ash's family perfectly - eccentric but loving. She may get annoyed by them, but you can tell how much they all love each other and that they will be there for each other when in need. She also loves her friends. She may say that she doesn't know why she decides to help, but it is because she knows her friends need this prom, need this chance to have a night when their lives are better.

I also enjoyed it just because I was on prom committee junior year and it was crazy...but nothing compared to this! It brought back some very happy memories!

If you were putting it off like I was, stop and go get this book! I can't wait to read her other books now! ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Times bestselling story of a friendship frozen between life and death

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss-her life-and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend's memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. In her most powerfully moving novel since Speak, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all-hope.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (97)

Another favorite
I'm a grown woman but I have always loved Laurie Halse Anderson. She can write haunting things, but her characters are all different and real. Wintergirls is no exception from Speak, Twisted, or Prom. Anderson is a genuinely good writer, and her things always remind me of Joyce Carol Oates.

Wintergirls delves into the problem of a girl with anorexia. She spends the book battling it and at most points I kept thinking, "So that's what it must be like." As a girl who grew up watching the media and seeing what seemed to be impossibly skinny starlets, spending hours staring at girls in magazines, always envying the girls 'who had everything' because they were skinny, comparing them to the plump hips and thighs and arms that make up my own body, reading this book makes me thankful I never succumbed to an eating disorder - but reminding me how desperately close I always was. And reminding me of plenty of girls who did. It made me think how I have no idea how they struggle everyday.

There's always a lesson to be learned with an Anderson book. There's always something to relate to.

Good story and characters
Laurie Halse Anderson has been one of my favorite young adult fiction writers.Even though my favorite novel of hers is still Fever 1793, Wintergirls is good.I found Anderson's writing to be extremely poetic with good transitions. I am glad that Anderson took on the difficult topic of eating disorders and self-image.
Deborah Hautzig wrote a similar novel Second Star to the Right at least twenty years ago, and which I read when I was ten or eleven.That book meant a lot to me at that point in my life because I was struggling with my body image and had begun counting calories and feeling guilty about eating.In Anderson's acknowledgments, she mentions that the book is not based upon one person but multiple girls' lives.I felt that the book had less power than Hautzig's since Hautzig herself suffered from anorexia and bulimia, but Anderson nevertheless did a job worthy of praise.

SPOILER
One part of the book I did question was the unexpected revelation that Lia saw ghosts other than Cassie, and had all her life.I felt that schizophrenia was not necessary for the character, was introduced too late in the novel, and was not given closure.If Anderson felt it necessary to explain the occurrence of Cassie's ghost with a medical explanation, there should have been more information about schizophrenia provided for teens reading this book.The term was not even offered that I remember--only the doctor's recommendation that she be given a different kind of treatment.
END SPOILER

Overall, I think the plot and characters were well done. As far as reccommending this book to an adolescent, some of my education colleges said they would not give this book to a student becuase of the skewed perspective of the protagonist (she often seems selfish and the reader has to work to filter through her perspective).However, I would not completely dismiss the book based on that opinion.Judge according to what you think you or your student can handle.

Chilling
As the novel opens, we meet Lia, an eighteen-year-old girl who's been in clinics not once, but twice for anorexia. Her family thinks that she is still in recovery, but she's slipping back into her old habits and using tricks to make then think she's still healthy as her weight starts to plummet back into the danger zone.

Her best friend Cassie- well, former best friend, seeing as they haven't spoken in months- just died and the night that it happened, she called Lia thirty-three times. Lia never picked up. Cassie's ghost now haunts her wherever she goes and as the voices in Lia's head whisper to her and encourage her to shed pound after pound, as her already-crumbling life continues to fall apart, as the girl inside starves to death, she gets closer and closer to joining Cassie on the other side.

This is the third time I've read Wintergirls, but it's still just as powerful of a read as it was the first time. It's a dark, depressing, emotional, and morbid read, but it's so sickeningly fascinating that you have to keep reading. I'm not sure how accurate of a portrait this is, just how much it resembles the mind of someone who really is anorexic, but even if it's not, it's still powerful because as frightening as it is to read, you just can't stop.

I love the style in which this book is written. Almost everything around Lia is alive, brought to life with personification that is so constant in this novel that it's almost irritating. The only reason it's not is because it contributes to the story instead of distracting from it and is used well; it's used so well that I don't even care that no teenager would think in the manner that she does. I also enjoyed Lia's true inner voice, usually represented in strikethroughs like this. Lia is constantly doing mental math with her food and rejecting anything high in fat or calories, but this girl inside is the true Lia- the one who just wants to eat until she's finally full and is slowly starving to death as Lia's weight plummets.

The characters were another high point with me. My personal favorite was Emma, Lia's sweet little stepsister that is just a little bit overburdened, but I also thought that the characters of Dr. Marrigan, the hardworking mother who's hardly around but still loves her daughter and who feels pain when she sees what her daughter is doing, Professor Overbrook, the father who cares for his daughter Lia but is terrible at keeping his promises and spending time with her, Lia herself, the girl who wants to weigh nothing and float away from her life, and Cassie, the ghost that haunts Lia in death and the friend that Lia trapped in the ice with her in life.

Speaking of Cassie, I liked how there was a little ambiguity with her. Was she a real ghost, or was she just a hallucination that Lia's mind came up with? It all depends on the reader's point of view. Mine was that she was a ghost, but someone else might argue that she wasn't real. Either way, she makes for a fantastic symbol of Lia being haunted not only by her former best friend, but her own past and the things she's done wrong, such as sabotage Cassie's recovery.

All my life, I've been happy with my body (except for one certain part, but losing weight won't make those any smaller) and have never obsessed over losing weight, but I would call this novel an excellent preventive measure against anorexia and bulimia. The thought of sinking into the same frames of mind that ruined these two girls, where I'm obsessively counting the calories of everything I eat or throwing it back up or starving myself to near-death, terrifies me. This is not a promise, but I like to think that it is even more unlikely for me to develop an eating disorder after reading this novel.

(In addition to this, the cover is absolutely amazing. I can't think of a better cover that could have been designed for this book.)

Cross-posted from my blog, Ashleigh Reads (With a Ukulele), also posted on Goodreads.

very raw and disturbing
this is a very heavy read, very intense and incredibly crafted.I had to keep reading it to see how it ended. even though days later some of the imagery still haunts me.I would recommend to anyone but know it is very deep

Wintergirls
Anderson's latest novel, Wintergirls, is a provocative, and at times graphic, insider's look at eating disorders and the damage they cause for all those involved. Cassie and Lia begin their friendship as young girls, reading books and letting their imaginations run wild. Then one summer Cassie comes back from drama camp with a box of laxatives and a problem with bulimia. The two girls make a pact that they will always be the skinniest girls in the school, both competing to be thinner than the other. Their competition continues in a downward spiral which puts Lia in the hospital, ends the girls' friendship, and eventually ends Cassie's life. After Cassie's death, Lia feels she is being haunted by her dead friend. Watching Lia struggle to control her body and her mind is heart-wrenching and painful, but ultimately rewarding. Although the reading level is fairly low, it is most appropriate and engaging for high school age students. ... Read more

Product Description
"For the last year I’ve been on the road with a solo performance. Every night another theater, another hotel room. Gradually my dreams became wild, vivid, more and more relentless. Headless singing squirrels, vast empty spaces, bizarre clatterings and invasions. My own dark and private theater was slowly taking over. I began to draw these dreams literally out of self-defense. I kept the computer drawing tablet next to the bed and tried to capture them in their most raw state. After many months of drawing my dreams I was drawn into the odd language and logic of the images. Often I drew my own head in the foreground. What did that mean? Who’s watching who? Often the dreams were alternate versions of the day’s events. Sometimes they were heavily charged atmospheres, sensations, emotions. Depictions of bewilderment, ecstasy, weightlessness, abandonment, freedom." Night Life is Laurie Anderson’s diary of a year of dreams. Its pages re-create each night’s mental show as a work of art, employing Anderson’s skill in theater, lyrics and narrative to investigate the workings of her mind in the languages of dreams, drawings and text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Wonderfull
What can be said about Laurie's work that don't use words like amazing, lovely, brilliant, delicate, elegant an so on? This book register her dreams, both on text and digital drawings made on tour far from home. It's the very source of her criativity and unique poit of view on the absurd and beautiful world around us. As we read it, we discover how rich and amazing is both her lifes - awaken and asleep. As allways, the multimedia artist reveals that any media can be used as an expression of her own soul and as a voice of expression. Sometimes a word, sentence or a drawing can say more than a concert, a music video or a performance. She ingeniously uses all channels of communication and expression to cleverly mark her statement on simple and complex things. Absolutly delicious from beggining to end.

Pieces and Parts
If you buy this book it is because you enjoy Laurie Anderson's work.Don't buy it to interprete her dreams, buy it because you like her art and her work, and feel like maybe she has something to say.In this case her message might be more vague in in her other works but they're dreams, the playthings of the mind while it is sleeping.She writes that these drawing, this book was written out of "self-defense."It's just a piece of her.It's just art.

Dream of the Brave
There
is
something about
this storyteller
this
artist
this visionary
that
I
groove

with

Haunting drawings, fascinating dreams
Expectations -- any Laurie Anderson fan knows that it's best to leave them behind. She will constantly surprise, amuse and intrigue. These images were first shown at the Sean Kelley Gallery in New York as part of an installation called "The Waters Reglitterized," a "kind of diary of dreams and their literal recreation as works of art."

As with all of Laurie's work, these drawings raise more questions than they do provide answers. They are a look directly into her subconscious and the process of how her dreams manifest as art. She has said that she began to draw these dreams out of self-defense, so wild and relentless the dreams had become.

It's fascinating to watch her chronicle her dreams during the course of a year on the road. The drawings are entertaining, haunting and beautiful -- headless singing squirrels, a visit to her childhood home, a mid-air collision and PR people. In her own words: "'Not every show needs a plot!' I keep shouting."

Over Priced Curiousity
Most people who buy this book will buy it for the same reason: To get inside the quirky mind of artist and musician Laurie Anderson.What better way to gain an intimate understanding of her then to explore her dream life? I'm pretty good with dreams. For years I ran a dream interpretation website. However, when I read her mostly one line descriptions I didn't get the feeling that the universe was talking either to her or through her. If these were real dreams then she has left out all of the content you were hoping to read.
While Salvador Dali could go on endlessly about the dreamlike meanings of his paintings, Laurie Anderson gives most of her small scratchboard etchings little more than a title and never more than a bland description. "I stand on a balcony while Paris is Burning," is a good example, along with, "Everything I look at is dazzling." Even though I am a fan of her work, I only flipped through the volume once before shelving it. This roughly 7 by 9 inch book is only a little over a half inch thick making it a poor choice for your coffee table and given the price, your pocketbook as well.
... Read more

Product Description
Meet Kate Malone-straight-A science and math geek, minister's daughter, ace long-distance runner, new girlfriend (to Mitchell "Early Decision Harvard" Pangborn III), unwilling family caretaker, and emotional avoidance champion. Kate manages her life by organizing it as logically as the periodic table.She can handle it all-or so she thinks. Then, things change as suddenly as a string of chemical reactions; first, the Malones' neighbors get burned out of their own home and move in. Kate has to share her room with her nemesis, Teri Litch, and Teri's little brother. The days are ticking down and she's still waiting to hear from the only college she applied to: MIT. Kate feels that her life is spinning out of her control-and then, something happens that truly blows it all apart.Set in the same community as the remarkable Speak, Catalyst is a novel that will change the way you look at the world.Amazon.com Review
Chemistry honors student and cross-country runner Kate Malone is driven. Daughter of a father who is a reverend first and a parent second ("Rev. Dad [Version 4.7] is a faulty operating system, incompatible with my software.") and a dead mother she tries not to remember, Kate has one goal: To escape them both by gaining entrance to her own holy temple, MIT. Eschewing sleep, she runs endlessly every night waiting for the sacred college acceptance letter. Then two disasters occur: Sullen classmate Teri and her younger brother, Mikey, take over Kate's room when their own house burns down, and a too-thin letter comes from MIT, signifying denial. And so the experiment begins. Can crude Teri and sweet Mikey, combined with the rejection letter, form the catalyst that will shake Kate out of her selfish tunnel vision and force her to deal with the suppressed pain of her mom's death? "If I could run all the time, life would be fine. As long as I keep moving, I'm in control." But for Kate, it's time to stop running and face the feelings she's spent her whole life racing away from.

Catalyst, Laurie Halse Anderson's third novel for teens, is a deftly fashioned character study of a seldom explored subject in YA fiction: the type-A adolescent. Teens will identify (if not exactly sympathize) with prickly Kate instantly, and be shocked or perhaps secretly pleased to discover that life is no easier for the honor roll student than it is for the outcast. Anderson earns an A plus for this revealing and realistic take on life, death, and GPAs. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (118)

There's Good Kate....and then there's Bad Kate
"Catalyst" focuses on Kate Malone, daughter of the reverend, straight A student, science geek. All the parents envy the fact that Reverend Malone has the perfect daughter. But even Kate has her dark side. Out of all the colleges that could accept her, she only applies to MIT. In her mind, she isn't the Kate everyone sees. She is Bad Kate, who is the girl that no one wants to be their daughter.
This book isn't a super-interesting book, but it is exceptional in the way that Laurie Halse Anderson writes it. For everyone who reads it, they will receive a different message from the story.

Poor Young Adult literature
This is a poorly written book for the targeted age group.This book is classified as 'young adult'.An adult is 18 and over so this is book is listed for readers 18-25 years old.The literary style is generally below that of that age group.However, the language and subject-matter is appropriate for that age group. Young adults should be able to appreciate and read Hemingway, Faulkner, Dickens.When compared to those, this is a poorly written book.As a literary style, it is more appropriate to 10-15 year olds, but the subject matter, and mostly the choice of language is not appropriate.If you want to write in an immatrue literary style and target an adolescent or pre-adolescent reader then the subject matter and choice of language should be more carefully crafted.Some young adult readers may be at this reading level given the type of books that make the NY Times bestseller lists so it is a fine book for those readers as a remedial book in order to learn to read.

Toxic
I happened across this, and picked it up on the grounds that YA books are often good stories.I found it utterly appalling, not because of the writing (which was expressive and engaging), but because I thought the underlying messages in the story were completely toxic. The ones I noticed:

1) Girls aren't meant to be successful, even if they're bright, talented and disciplined, they'll just screw it up.
2) When you fail, you should give up instead of trying to fix it or find another way.
3) Ignoring problems is the way to deal with them.
4) If you've done something wrong, the answer is to be more nurturing.Even if you're already spending a lot of time caring for people who neither need, want, nor appreciate it.
5) An appropriate way to deal with people who treat you badly is to be more understanding and give them the opportunity to continue the behavior.

Oh, and let's not forget the boyfriend who is convinced by the events of the book that studying history is impractical, and he needs to study something 'real'.

Girls already grow up in a world of mixed messages and conflicting cultural expectations about what makes them good or valued members of society. This is a story designed to undermine ambition and sow doubts about the very things that bright and talented girls already worry about.I'm very grateful that I didn't read this as a teen, when I might have found it more persuasive.

Even Sub-Par Anderson Is Pretty Good
CATALYST is not Laurie Halse Anderson at her best, but it's still an interesting (if flawed) novel.If you like misery, there's plenty to go around in this outing as the minister's over-achieving daughter, Kate Malone, chronicles her obsessive desire to follow her now-deceased mom's path by getting into MIT.Trouble is, Kate never applied to any other school (believe it or -- more likely -- not).This point is tough to buy only because MIT is notoriously selective in its selection of students.While this is of mild interest, it certainly won't carry the plot far, so Anderson adds the high school pariah, Teri Litch (rhymes with...), for some excitement.

Teri lives with her ailing single mother and little brother, Mikey.For Dr. Phil effect, the ex-husband/dad was a wife beater, and Teri is a muscular outcast willing to take on the entire football team in the cafeteria (an odd pastime, but entertaining).A fire guts the Litch house and, lo and behold, Kate's minister dad takes Teri's family in.By now you know the course of the book: gut-wrenching conflict between the pugnacious Teri (who is a bit of a kleptomaniac) and the high-strung Kate.Perhaps sensing that her plot is getting a bit predictable and stale, Anderson adds a maudlin touch (I cannot give away more than that) and from there the novel limps to the finish line.

Nevertheless, you have the usual Laurie Halse Anderson instincts for how teenagers talk and what they care about.No, it's not written as poetically as SPEAK or WINTER GIRLS, but it gets the job done.By the timeyou reach the morally-uplifting ending you'll hold this truth to be self-evident: even sub-par Anderson is pretty darn good.

Another emotional story from Laurie Halse Anderson
This is another emotional story written by Laurie Halse Anderson. "Catalyst" is a novel about Kate - high school senior who thinks she has all her life planned out and under control. She is a perfectionist and does everything to make sure her life doesn't steer away from her plan. Some might think that Kate is self-centered and almost obsessive, but in reality she uses this orderliness to shield herself from the deep pain caused by her mother's death. After a series of events, some catastrophic, some not that vital, Kate is forced to lower her "shield;" she finally starts to understand what is really important in life and faces her emotional issues.

I enjoyed this novel. Anderson's writing, although it requires some getting used to, is superb and deeply personal. This is definitely one of the better YA books. Although I didn't come to understand Kate and Teri as much as I would like to (sometimes Anderson's writing is too subtle for me) and this book wasn't as focused as her other book I've read "Wintergirls", I enjoyed "Catalyst" enough to continue on reading this writer's other books.
... Read more

Product Description
In Laurie Halse Anderson: Speaking in Tongues, Wendy J. Glenn examines the life and works of one of the most popular authors for teens. Drawing from both primary sources (Anderson's writings, published interviews and speeches, the author's blog and other online sources, as well as a live interview with the author) and secondary sources (reviews of and scholarly articles on her work), Glenn explores the themes and impact of Anderson's novels. This richly researched work includes in-depth analyses of each of Anderson's young adult titles, chapters on Anderson's lesser-known writings for children, short stories, and poems, and a synthesis of reviews for each title Anderson has published. ... Read more

Product Description
Sunita Patel is book smart and good with cats. When a hurricane approaches, Sunita realizes that Lucy, a diabetic cat with a broken leg, is in danger, along with her owner, Mrs. Clark. When the vets are called out on emergency, the evacuation starts. Will Sunita be able to save Lucy or will she be a scaredy-cat? ... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Mac has brought Brenna, Maggie, and Zoe to Florida to visit her friend Gretchen, a marine biologist who runs a manatee rescue center that’s in desperate need of money. Brenna’s immediately drawn to the endangered, gentle giants, and wants to do whatever she can to help them—and the center. But is she causing trouble where she wants to help? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Cool!
This book is cool. I've read a lot of the Vet Volunteers books and they're pretty good. If you love animals you would like this book and the rest of the series. Save the manatees!

Great for animal lovers
Finally, a series that my 10 yr old daughter finds exciting!She has been going to bed early so she has extra time to read every night.

My Daughter is 9 and loves this series
My 9 year old daughter is need a lot of encouragement to read. With this series I never have to remind her to read! She loves them! ... Read more

Product Description
The challenge of the New World becomes deadly when Mattie's struggle for a better life must give way to something even more important--the fight to say alive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Entering the Fever
Reading Fever 1793 you get so pulled into the story that it feels like you're there. Mattie Cook is the main character, but this book also circulates around her mother, grandfather, and an African American ex-slave, Eliza, who works at Mattie's mother's coffeehouse. Soon into the story, Mother becomes ill with the dreaded yellow fever, and sends Mattie and Grandfather to the countryside to avoid contamination. While away, Mattie becomes infected with the disease, but is able to outlive it. Upon returning home, Grandfather dies, and Mattie and Eliza are left to take care of Cook's Coffeehouse. As the story continues, you under stand the hardships faced, the friendships kept, and the scary, lonely feelings faced by Mattie Cook.
Before I read this book, I had absolutely no idea what it would be about. I never would have guessed i would learn so much from it. I also was surprised by how real it felt, like i was there with Mattie experiencing it all. I find this book to be influential because it helped me understand how real diseases are, and how seriously they need to be taken. Life isn't forever, and sometimes people are gone sooner than you would like them to be. As i read about the death of Mattie's Grandfather, it made me think about a time when i lost someone important to me. After i had read this selection completely, it helped me to understand the past, mainly the epidemic known as the yellow fever.
Fever 1793 has given me a better awareness of sicknesses, and the reality of them. The amount of shows on television and movies being made where characters die or become ill make people think that this wont happen to them, because television and movies aren't real. Although yes, they arent real, sicknesses can be. Sicknesses can wipe out nearly an entire city, like in Fever 1793.
This book was very interesting, and i really enjoyed reading about the historicallity of it. Being a historical fiction, it had an air of realness, while still containing a story to be told. This book is comprised of 29 chapters, all five to ten pages in length. The lengths of the paragraphs are quite diverse. anywhere from one to 15 sentences. It is written in a simplistic way, and has a fair amount of dialogue between characters. ... Read more

Product Description
sunita has always wanted a cat, but her parents are dead setagainst it. then she finds a group of strays living in the wild, andknows she can domesticate them—even though she’s been toldthat these are feral cats, who see humans as their enemies. First,she convinces Dr. Mac to examine the cats, fix them, and givethem shots. then she wants to re-release the cats, now healthy,into the neighborhood. but the neighbors consider the cats dangerouspests. will her plan backfire? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Great Feral Cat Story Book
This is a great story to help explain feral cats to young readers. The story is well written and keeps the reader interested with the added benefit of teaching the next generation about the feral cat issue and how to work to fix the problem.

Clarissa Wolf
Qwincy, Feral Kitten Tamer
Cat, Cat, Feral Cat

Homeless addresses importand issues yet entertains
There are already some very thorough reviews on this book, but I just had to share how much my 7 year old daughter and I loved this book.Our cat was a rescued feral kitten, so this is an issue close to our hearts.This book does a great job of talking in language my 7 year old could understand, yet I never felt like the issues were "dumbed" down for kids. I look forward to reading more of Anderson's books.

A sequel that leaves you purring
Eleven-year-old star student, Sunita Patel, has longed to share her home with a cat for as long as she can remember. She wants nothing more than to wake up to a furry friend every morning, and bask in the sound of a feline purring. But, alas, her mother, Dr. Patel, refuses to make Sunita's dreams come true. An orthopedist, Dr. Patel is frightened of cats, and doesn't want to share a home with one. Luckily, Sunita receives her fill of feline love by volunteering at Dr. Mac's Place - a veterinary clinic that treats animals of all shapes and sizes. At Dr. Mac's Place, Sunita works alongside four other animal-obsessed friends - Brenna, Maggie, David, and Zoe. While each and every day at Dr. Mac's Place is full of laughter and tears, Sunita finds herself more attached to the case at hand, than any other previous cases she has seen in the past. When Dr. Mac's cat, Socrates, disappears after a cat fight, the vet volunteers begin a search to locate the beloved orange boy, only to stumble upon a place called Cat Land. Cat Land is located in a wooded area of a local neighborhood, where cats of all walks of life have taken up residence in an abandoned boxcar. Noted as a feral cat colony, Sunita is convinced that, with a little love and attention, these cats can live healthy, happy lives in homes with humans. But Cat Land is in danger. Local residents have become fed up with the overpopulation of wild cats, and are frightened of the oft-times aloof creatures. So, taking matters into their own hands, they contact Animal Control, and plan on having each and every one of the animals captured and destroyed. Sunita is devastated to learn this news, and is determined to find justice for these felines. Putting her head together with Dr. Mac, the two come up with a plan to use a widely-effective program called TVSR - Treat, Vaccinate, Spay, and Release. Sunita is thrilled to have the chance to help these homeless animals. But before the program is even well underway, tragedy strikes when Sunita attempts to tame one of the wild cats, and ends up in the hospital. With Sunita sick, she believes that the cats are destined for tragedy, unless she can convince her parents, as well as her neighbors, to have a little compassion, and save these cats before it's too late.

As an animal lover, I have found myself absolutely falling in love with Laure Halse Anderson's VET VOLUNTEERS series. And, after reading FIGHT FOR LIFE, I decided that Sunita was certainly my favorite character out of each of the five volunteers. So I was thrilled to learn that HOMELESS was predominately about her. Anderson has painted a more in-depth picture of Sunita within HOMELESS. While, in FIGHT FOR LIFE, we learned a bit about her character; in this installment, readers have the opportunity to get inside her head, so to speak. We have the chance to see what an intelligent, smart individual she is; and get a close up view of her compassion and determination. The fact that Anderson gives us the opportunity to learn more about Sunita's family life, and learn why she is so crazy about cats only adds to the story. As with FIGHT FOR LIFE, Anderson has targeted a very important issue surrounding animals today: pet overpopulation. However, she also provides readers with facts about feral cats, and gives us the chance to learn more about programs that are being used throughout the country to help feral cats survive and thrive in the wild, without producing more offspring. Anderson continues to shed light on serious issues regarding animals that many authors are too intimidated to touch. And, by providing this information within such an interesting, fun series of books, she gives readers the chance to want to make a difference in the world for animals today, and gives us the information we need to be pro-active in society. The article she provides at the end of the story - told in Dr. J.J. Mackenzie's voice - is interesting, and sheds some light on what cats mean when they purr, knead, and so much more. This article is a fun addition to the tale, and provides an interesting conclusion to the story. A sequel that leaves you purring.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Homeless
I think this was one out of the series that was one of the most exciting books. It's about Maggie's friend, Sunita Patel. Sunita loves cats. She works as a vet volunteer at Dr. Mac's clinic. One day Sunita and her friends are walking home from school and they come across an open field with a ton of cats walking around. One of the cats are feral and hurt. They take him to Dr. Mac. The only trouble is, the two kids that were feeding the cats before Sunita got here is that their mother is raving mad about the kids being around feral cats. Sunita must persuade the kids mom that not all cats are bad. Will Sunita change her mind after she is bitten by one? Find out in Homeless.

the best book
this is the best book i ever read, even though it has the part about the icky racoon! ... Read more

Product Description
Listen up! You've all heard about the great men who led and fought during the American Revolution; but did you know that the guys only make up part of the story? What about the women? The girls? The dames? Didn't they play a part?

Of course they did, and with page after page of superbly researched information and thoughtfully detailed illustrations, acclaimed novelist and picture-book author Laurie Halse Anderson and charismatic illustrator Matt Faulkner prove the case in this entertaining, informative, and long overdue homage to those independent dames! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wonderful Engaging History
This book is so well written and illustrated that our DAR State Society purchased ten copies to present to school libraries.

Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
Unlike most historical accounts of the American Revolution, Independent Dames focuses on the critical roles played by countless women-some prominent, most not. As anger in the colonies over British taxes and authoritarian rule spread, women exerted their power as consumers by boycotting British goods such as tea and cloth. Groups calling themselves "Daughers of Liberty" sewed clothing made from homespun cloth, supported American businesses, and even harassed shopkeepers that sold British imports.

Women also worked actively as spies before and during the war, using a variety of clever means to disguise themselves and the information they carried. While banned from joining the army, a number of women disguised themselves as men so they could engage in active combat, and even more worked as camp followers to perform the caring labor that supported the army.Women fundraisers collected thousands of dollars to support the war effort, and women took on a variety of non-traditional occupations vacated by men-including printers, carpenters, and shopkeepers-to keep the economy going.

Thoroughly researched and illustrated with a graphic-novel approach, this unique book makes a strong contribution by busting a number of high-profile myths and setting the record straight on the multiple ways in which women and girls shaped the course of history during the American Revolution.The country owes much to their powerful acts as consumers, producers, spies, soldiers, fundraisers, and workers.

Women with an Attitude
First of all, on the very first spread there's a little glossary of `Who's Who' which I think will be extremely helpful for youngsters (heck, even for adults!).Some terms include: Militia, Patriots, Loyalists and Parliament.A timeline follows which goes throughout the rest of the book.I love the continuity of facts in the timeline which can be read at the same time as the "fun" part of the book, or separately.It really depends on the reader and how much they want to know!I read them at the same time, which was interesting, but I think that the intended audience of this one might enjoy the illustrated text first, then go back and read the timeline (or vice versa) as you lose a bit of the continuity of the story going back and forth.

Most people probably think women didn't help all that much during the Revolution, or do things other than sew and nurse.They'd probably be quite surprised to know that there were women who dressed as men to become soldiers and that many were spies!They also took over family farms or even became blacksmiths if their husbands had died!

Generally speaking, I like the illustrations, but there's something about them that just bothers me a little bit.While I think they're fun and probably attractive to children, the added dialogue boxes don't always work for me, nor do the faces of the women.They aren't caricatures by any means, but that's what they remind me of.Granted, finding out what some of these women looked like may have proved difficult, but I think because of the seriousness of their contributions they could have been treated a little more respectfully.That's not to say the artists' intentions were to disrespect them, I think its far from it, I just don't always like the humor and find some of the dialogue difficult to follow, like on pages 32-33.Maybe its just me being picky, but I'm pretty sure the kids are going to love it.

At the end of the illustrated selection, there four pages of additional information!There are three sections titled: "Even More Dames,""Fact or Fiction?," and "The Other Americans."Honestly, the entire book could have read like this for me, even without the illustrations!I found it a lot more direct, but then you lose some of the `fun' of the text and illustrations working (or trying to) together.There are even notes from the author and the illustrator to give you a little background on just what they did for this seemingly quite time-consuming project!

As with all works of nonfiction, I love me a good bibliography, and this one is no disappointment, I can tell you!If my counting is correct, there are 45 (FORTY-FIVE!) additional books listed, with ones that are of particular interest to adults starred!There are even 5 web resources!And an index!While I really enjoyed the book itself, the last 7 pages really outdo themselves for me!



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Product Description
A study of this complex, multifaceted artist, whose groundbreaking work continues to engage and entertain while challenging the relationship between art, technology and society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Laurie Anderson Book
I was somewhat disappointed in the content of the book. For a multi-media artist, I expected to see more of her artwork. Interesting, but not what I was expecting.

Must have
No LA fan could be without this book. The bio part is excellent and gives another dimensions to the artist we love, the photos are great (Laurie with long hair!) and it has lyrics for hard-to-find songs.
I would have been a little bit more happy (and given 8 stars) if EVERY lyric, poem or shopping list Laurie wrote was here, but, well, I am asking too much.
Spend your money here, you won-t be dissapointed.

good job Roselee and Laurie
If it says Laurie Anderson on it I'll probably buy it.This is just another example of the great work they both work towards and accomplish.. If i may digress, the first time I heard Laurie was at a party before Big Science was released.Rick Wakeman (YES) was the guest DJ at the radio station..Talk about a brick wall !the party came to a complete standstill during O Superman.I swear nobody said a word except for wow! As far as this book goes..yeah get it before it gets hard to find..United States is hard to find now, and its a great companion to United States Live (the CD)

Highly recommended reading for all Laurie Anderson fans.
Blend a social history with a fine survey of complete panoramas and you have an elegant, sophisticated presentation. Roselee Goldberg's Laurie Anderson covers the works of the multi-media performance artist/pop star,moving beyond her rock image to establish her skills in art and performancepieces alike.

Monograph template
Wow.This sumptuously illustrated monograph has redefined the manner in which monographs will probably be executed in the twenty-first century.How fitting that RoseLee Goldberg, who penned and organized the equallybreath-taking "Performance: Live Art Since 1960," has joinedforces with maverick Laurie Anderson.

Ms. Goldberg not only unravelledthe complexity of Laurie Anderson's works, but did so without jargonizing.She, instead, chose wisely to tell Laurie's story through pictures withextended captions.She was spare with her words--something few arthistorians can claim to do.

On that note, I better stop writing,myself.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1233)

Best Audio CD Version of SPEAK
By far, this version of SPEAK is wonderfully voiced.IF you teach this novel to young adults, please consider adding this to your library collection.My students were very impressed with Mandy Siegfried's ability to make the novel come alive.

A character who truly comes to life, scars and all
A couple of weeks ago, I read You, a YA novel that, for all its compelling thoughts and voice, got so involved in having a clever plot that it forgot that the best thing about "slice of life" books is when they remain grounded in everyday life. I mention that to say that Speak, by contrast, is the sort of YA book that manages, miraculously, to do almost everything right. Speak is the story of Melinda Sordino, a young girl who starts her freshman year of high school abandoned by her friends, misunderstood by her parents, and slowly withdrawing into a near-mute state. The reasons for this remain murky for some time, although Anderson foreshadows it well and deals with the nature of Melinda's crisis well. There's a lot here that I loved, but what Anderson really creates is a rich, thoughtful character whose psychology and scars seem genuine, not forced, and one whose story truly feels believable and relatable. The book stumbles at a few points - there's some heavy-handed symbolism, the art teacher is a bit absurd, and the climax is a bit silly. But they're all minor, forgivable points when woven into such a rich characterization. By the time you finish the book, you truly feel as if you know Melinda well, and she feels like someone who could easily be around you at any time. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical going in, but I really loved Speak a lot, and I totally understand the push to include it in English classes - and agree with it 100%.

Speak
This was another book my teen needed for her book report.I preferred ordering the books she needed,show she could take her time to enjoy reading and so she could get a better understand of the book with out rushing to return it to the library.Once again the book was very affordable and we recieved the book within days after ordering.Once again the amazon websit was easy and simple,and "Yes I'll be back"

GREAT book to teach in ninth grade
Have you ever had an entire school cafeteria look at you with hate in their eyes?Seen someone whisper something to someone else and know, without a doubt, it is about you? Fourteen year old Melinda Sordino has. She called the cops at her first high school party over the summer and now she is a social pariah.Only no one knows she had a reason.A good one. She'll barely admit it to herself.
Halse Anderson artfully and authentically describes the life of a high school outcast in a way that is both humorous and heartbreaking.It is fun to read because sometimes I find myself laughing out loud and other times I am holding back tears and sniffling.Her description of high school's social hierarchy and the journey to being comfortable in your own skinbrings me back to my ninth grade year.
The book deals with the very real and very serious issues of teenage depression and sexual assault in a way that it is accessible to teens who have dealt with all or none of the above.Any teenager who has struggled with some issue can relate to Melinda's struggle, even if it is not the same.I think using Melinda's struggle with her art project, the rendering of a tree, as a parallel for her struggle to face herself added a neat symbolic dimension to the book.
This is a book that despite it's serious, controversial subject matter I have taught and will teach again because of its ability to connect to the teenage experience and accurate portrayal of adolescent struggles and issues.It's only weak point?The ending.Both myself and my students have lamented the lack of real closure we feel at the end of the book.However, as real life generally doesn't clean up into a well-rounded fairy tale ending, perhaps we shouldn't expect our books to as well.

Forsaken Friendships
Melinda begins high school as the outcast who called the police to a party that took place in the summer before the start of school. She has never been asked why she called the police and her best friends have abandoned her.

Melinda carries a very real secret with a lot of pain involved. She is holding back speaking to most people and her grades and social life come to a dismal fall.

Melinda has quite the personality, something that the reader is aware of, but not necessarily the people that she deals with.

This book is very well written, you really do feel Melinda's pain, you just don't know the reason behind it until the end of the book. So sad that people she considered her friends don't bother to try to find out the reasoning behind her call to 911.

Says so much about the torment that is adolescence, the hormonal changes and angst to becoming one's self.
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Product Description

Join acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson on a journey of a woman and a pen that spanned four decades, the Civil War, and five presidents, all so you could have your turkey and eat it too! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

A Great One For GIRL POWER!
My eight year old daughter and I just borrowed this from the library and read it for the first time tonight.We just loved it.It was funny, charming and impressive.I had no idea about Sara Hale saving Thanksgiving.

I love the illustrations by Matt Faulkner and the way the author incorporates humor into this story.The message isn't about Thanksgiving it's about perseverence and the fact that one person can make a differece.Two hugely important lessons that I don't think we can share too often with our children.

I would think this book would be very popular with elementary school teachers and librarians and it could tie in very nicely with the first grade curriculum (where we live) on letter writing.

Nice work Laurie Halse Anderson and Matt Faulkner!

Good book for older kids (4th grade and up)
This book assumes that not only does the reader know all about the history of Thanksgiving but that they are tired of hearing it year after year. Then it goes into a different and important historical figure. There is a good use of humor to teach.

Thank you Sarah
A good children's book with a woman role model that shows the importance of perserverance.Also, some surprising facts.

Great Classroom Book
"Thank You, Sarah" is a book elementary school children find exciting.Virtually unknown to all the students (as a library teacher, I presented it to 3rd, 4th and 5th grades)it is read to, they become involved in the narration and fun political cartoon illustrations.Great title.

Another That Could Have Been Much More
I wanted to love this book.I love teaching history through story and biography and here's an unsung heroine... but WHY do we think we must package stories for children in such vapid ways?In over simplifying the writing we remove beautiful prose as part of our heritage, and from the minds of our children.The irreverence (You think you know everything about Thanksgiving) was tiresome -- I encourage my students to think that when it comes to history we NEVER know everything... and BIG LETTERS for things like "WE ALMOST LOST THANKSGIVING" should be left to the reader's intonation rather than a gimicky method of making text stand out.

While I note other reviews stating that all history teachers should include this book, the children I teach, including my own, did not have any positive response for this book other than it was mildly interesting to talk about the impact one person can have if they just keep at something they truly believe in.It could have been told in a way that might have had a larger vocabulary (How were books like Winnie the Pooh, pre-the Disney Easy Readers versions, ever considered children's books in days gone by?) but more gripping and memorable. While I admire that the author wanted to honor her family history and put a lot of heart into it, I'd love to see someone tackle this topic again and this time with less of the hip and trendy approach.My copy, sadly, went to the library freebie table. ... Read more

Product Description
Mom and Dad Fleefenbacher think their daughter Zoe's hair is wild and beautiful. And for her kindergarten teacher, Zoe's vivacious tresses were a comfort. But Zoe's about to start first grade, and her new teacher doesn't fool around....

"School has rules," she says. "No wild hair in my class!"

So what are Zoe and her free-spirited hair going to do now?

With exuberance and humor to spare, Laurie Halse Anderson and Ard Hoyt, the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, tease up a terrific tale of hairy hijinks, classroom chaos, and the importance of teachers and students learning to work together. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Hair ball of fun!
Bright, red hair with a mind of it's own! A little with a mop of crazy hair that does everything from get cookies from the cookie jar and pet the cat to taking out the trash and flying. The problem comes when Zoe and her hair go to first grade. First grade has rules and there's no room for uncontrolled hair.I think young children will really get a kick out of the hair and all the funny things it gets into. I loved the book and the illustrations. Except for the fact that Zoe's eyes were not two different colors in the illustrationsas described. Not even in the first picture where it tells you they are.

For those Bad Hair Days
From its bright purple end papers and wrap-around cover featuring a flowing mop of wild red hair clutching a baseball mitt, bat, pink flamingo, goldfish bowl and Zoe Fleefenbacher, you can tell this is a serious book about a girl with a serious hair problem. Her bright red untamed hair has a mind of its own, which is fine at home but wreaks havoc in Ms. Trisk's first grade class because "school has rules" and Zoe's hair seems determined to break them all. It tickles people, it draws on the walls while Zoe is in time-out, it must be tamed. Braids don't work, and ponytails don't work; scrunchies, barrettes and clips and headbands and duct tape are all brought to bear on the problem of Zoe Fleefenbacher's hair (the kids will love the name I'm sure) to no avail. When Ms. Trisk has difficulty demonstrating the solar system's workings to her class and the wild red hair breaks free to help, the day is saved and Zoe Fleefenbacher'shyperbolic hair proves to be amazing and helpful, and thoroughly acceptable in the first grade. We can hardly wait to see what happens in the second grade.

Excellent!
I can't say enough good about this book.The story is interesting, the illustrations are phenomenal, and the message is spot on.

First, the story.Zoe is a cute little first grader with very special hair.Her wild red hair can do things for Zoe, like brush her teeth and take out the trash.Zoe's new teacher doesn't know how to cope with such special hair, and things get, ummm, hairy.The story is great.The author has created a very likable character, introduced some conflict, and resolved it in a way that makes the reader say, "Yes!"

Secondly, the illustrations.Ard Hoyt knows how to draw hair.I found myself mesmerized by Zoe's undulating locks.Every time I read the book to my daughters, I would see something new in the illustrations.Every now and then I find myself picking it up just for a quick flip through on my own.Zoe's hair has a mind of its own, and the pictures reveal that fact perfectly.

Thirdly, the message.I really appreciated this book's message and I think it's one kids need to hear over and over again.We're not all the same, and we don't have to pretend that we are or can all do the same things.The moral of Zoe's hair is very similar to the message in The Incredibles (Two-Disc Collector's Edition).Some people have special gifts, and society only harms itself when it tries to minimize those gifts in the spirit of equality.

Give this book a try.Delightful.

Good but not great
Zoe Fleefenbacher and her wild, difficult to control hair head off to first grade, where her hair lands her in trouble. The story is rather predictable, but the ideas of individuality, and teachers and students working together, are told anew with Zoe's wild red hair. The best thing about this book for us, and our 3 and 5 year old daughters, is that it piqued their interest in the solar system. Other than that, it's a nice story with nice illustrations.

Great book
I bought this book becasue I have huge naturally curly hair and 2 diff colored eyes....My 8 yr old son loves this book and it is hilarious....it is an easy read for kids and I recommend it to anyone with kids over 4. ... Read more