Review:This book was recommended by Tracy Chevalier in 'the last runaway', to get a better picture of the American Civil war period. (I am Australian!). It certainly did that! I was fascinated by the life and the hardship people and especially women and children had to endure during that time! The love story angle was perhaps a bit soft, but nevertheless gave it a nice story along side the horror! I liked the fact there were no raunchy pages and the reader had the opportunity to fill in the bits for hi... Read more

Review:Like some other readers have stated in their reviews, I enjoy Pressfield's writing immensely, but this book took a bit to get started for me. I was never a huge fan of the WW2 exploits in the North African theatre of war, until I read Panzer Battles by Von Mellinthin. That reading helped me to appreciate this well researched novel. Killing Rommel is a fairly quick read. I am not as much of an Anglophile as some are. The language that is used can be a bit distracting but that is how they talk.Che... Read more

Review:Hattie Big Sky is purportedly a story about a teen having the courage to leave a safe, if unpleasant, home in Iowa to `prove up' (work) her deceased uncle's claim in Montana; hence, the `Big Sky' of the title. The story sounds simple. It takes courage in 1914 or any time for a young girl of only sixteen years to travel to a completely strange country (read, Montana) many miles from anyone or anything she has ever known in order to work really hard on the land by building fences and plowing an... Read more

Review:I enjoyed the book once the story got beyond Johnny's immaturity. Historically, it was mostly accurate. I did feel that John Adams wasn't adequately portrayed, but then the book wasn't about him. The relationship between Rab and Johnny was interesting was treated in depth. The girls, Cilla and her little sister lacked an adequate portrayal. It was good as far as it went but I would have liked to see more development of them. The shallowness of the Lyte family was apparent as was Mr. Lyte's greed... Read more

Review:We found this a great family read-aloud. But more importantly, it's one that holds the interest of my 11-year-old son enough for him to choose to read it alone. Set in ancient Israel during the Roman Empire, and the time of Jesus (in fact He is included in the story). So this makes for great historical fiction... and great for home-schoolers! Read more

Review:I enjoyed the book once the story got beyond Johnny's immaturity. Historically, it was mostly accurate. I did feel that John Adams wasn't adequately portrayed, but then the book wasn't about him. The relationship between Rab and Johnny was interesting was treated in depth. The girls, Cilla and her little sister lacked an adequate portrayal. It was good as far as it went but I would have liked to see more development of them. The shallowness of the Lyte family was apparent as was Mr. Lyte's greed... Read more

Review:This is a biographical story of Nathaniel Bowditch, a famous mathematician and navigator, who lived in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 1700's and early 1800's. Nathaniel, or Nat, is very gifted in mathematics; when he starts school, his schoolmaster punishes him for suspected cheating because Nat's math skills are so far ahead for his age. After the schoolmaster sees that Nat can solve difficult mathematical problems for himself, he not only apologizes to Nat but says that he sees Nat as Harv... Read more

Review:Although fictional characters are used in this account of the negotiations between Hitler and Chamberlain, this novel has an authentic and sinister feel . Harris’s wonderful prose, his attention to detail and believable descriptions make the reader feel they are witnessing a moment in history. Not his best, but up there. Read more

Review:Charles Portis wrote a wonderful story of a time and era gone by and is all but buried. A time when certain manors were expected of people in public and in which our main character Mattie, comes across that at least two of these characters do not agree with her and accuse her as being a run away to try to get rid of her. She is a quick study and uses her "new" manors to quickly be used in a way to help her cause.

If the reader has not read the Bible thoroughly and familiar with U.S. Histo... Read more

Review:This book has been an excellent source of entertainment. While it is well below the reading level of what usually read I have enjoyed it and have been unable to predict it's outcome. I would suggest this book for Middle school aged children and up because it does deal with the death and injury of various characters. Not graphic in nature but possibly confusing and complicated for younger children to read on their own. Feel free to purchase this book, it is worth the price. Read more