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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
heldenbaer1 has commented on (3) products
Life & Times Atticus Of Rome 30 Bc
by
Barry Denenberg
heldenbaer1
, May 18, 2006
This novel is one of two that Mr. Denenberg has written for this series. Having read and reviewed ?Maia of Thebes,? I wanted to read these other two works, as possible inclusions for my own home-schooled children, as we study this year Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. This review is about both ?Pandora of Athens,? and ?Atticus of Rome.? While Ms. Turner?s book, (Maia) set in Ancient Egypt, could easily be used as a ?read-aloud? for younger elementary age children studying this early civilization, neither of Mr. D?s books in this same series would, in this reviewer?s opinion, even be suitable for pre-adolescents, let alone Elementary age readers. In both of these books from the ?Life and Times? series, (published by Scholastic) Mr. Denenberg?s penchant for including vile scenarios (the practice of crucifixion, depictions of blood- lust and graphic yet glamorized descriptions of gladiatorial battles in ?Atticus?), suggestive prose (prurient verbal descriptions of the female anatomy and allusions to the onset of menses in ?Pandora?) and in both novels, tantalizing glimpses of concepts re: to pagan attitudes (civic and religious worship of the time) at odds with a civilized/Christian society/worldview, are things which I believe most HS parents would find extremely offensive; or at the very least, in extremely poor taste, (to put it mildly). My wife (an Elementary Ed. Teacher) was disgusted by my reading aloud some of Denenberg?s prose in ?Pandora.? She teaches fourth grade in an inner-city school, and clearly told me that, (while acknowledging that she has daily to deal with issues such as: knives toted by students, ?in-your-face? attitude, early puberty among the ?children of color,? and the beginnings of sexual banter of the most vile sort from same) she would NEVER choose these books, if a choice had to be made for supplemental reading in HER classroom. My own interest in the possibility that these books would make easy a set of ?readers? to supplement my HS task has been completely disillusioned by these books of Mr. Denenberg. However, to be fair, I will say that, for an unusually mature sixth grader on up, the second of these books would be just the sort of thing that a ?real boy? would find fascinating, specifically because of the blood, guts, and intrigue in ?Atticus,? which is the far better written, constructed, and paced of the two books. Having said that, nevertheless, I found both of Mr. Denenberg?s offerings to be totally unsuited for young children. I give them a wide berth, therefore, and offer only one star for the level of writing alone in ?Atticus.? I?d rather read D?Aulaire?s marvelous account of the real Pandora?s BOX, (not jar, as Denenberg erroneously has Socrates narrate!) than this tawdry attempt at a Grecian Harlequin romance, rather than historical fiction.
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Life & Times Pandora Of Athens 399 Bc
by
Barry Denenberg
heldenbaer1
, May 18, 2006
This novel is one of two that Mr. Denenberg has written for this series. Having read and reviewed ?Maia of Thebes,? I wanted to read these other two works, as possible inclusions for my own home-schooled children, as we study this year Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. This review is about both ?Pandora of Athens,? and ?Atticus of Rome.? While Ms. Turner?s book, (Maia) set in Ancient Egypt, could easily be used as a ?read-aloud? for younger elementary age children studying this early civilization, neither of Mr. D?s books in this same series would, in this reviewer?s opinion, even be suitable for pre-adolescents, let alone Elementary age readers. In both of these books from the ?Life and Times? series, (published by Scholastic) Mr. Denenberg?s penchant for including vile scenarios (the practice of crucifixion, depictions of blood- lust and graphic yet glamorized descriptions of gladiatorial battles in ?Atticus?), suggestive prose (prurient verbal descriptions of the female anatomy and allusions to the onset of menses in ?Pandora?) and in both novels, tantalizing glimpses of concepts re: to pagan attitudes (civic and religious worship of the time) at odds with a civilized/Christian society/worldview, are things which I believe most HS parents would find extremely offensive; or at the very least, in extremely poor taste, (to put it mildly). My wife (an Elementary Ed. Teacher) was disgusted by my reading aloud some of Denenberg?s prose in ?Pandora.? She teaches fourth grade in an inner-city school, and clearly told me that, (while acknowledging that she has daily to deal with issues such as: knives toted by students, ?in-your-face? attitude, early puberty among the ?children of color,? and the beginnings of sexual banter of the most vile sort from same) she would NEVER choose these books, if a choice had to be made for supplemental reading in HER classroom. My own interest in the possibility that these books would make easy a set of ?readers? to supplement my HS task has been completely disillusioned by these books of Mr. Denenberg. However, to be fair, I will say that, for an unusually mature sixth grader on up, the second of these books would be just the sort of thing that a ?real boy? would find fascinating, specifically because of the blood, guts, and intrigue in ?Atticus,? which is the far better written, constructed, and paced of the two books. Having said that, nevertheless, I found both of Mr. Denenberg?s offerings to be totally unsuited for young children. I give them a wide berth, therefore, and offer only one star for the level of writing alone in ?Atticus.? I?d rather read D?Aulaire?s marvelous account of the real Pandora?s BOX, (not jar, as Denenberg erroneously has Socrates narrate!) than this tawdry attempt at a Grecian Harlequin romance, rather than historical fiction.
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Strawberry Girl 60th Anniversary Edition
by
Lois Lenski
heldenbaer1
, May 03, 2006
Newberry Award-winning books are those books that others have found to be of merit over the years. As a College professor who is taking time off to be with his children, to homeschool them, I am reading books that others in the various hs curriculums recommended. I had seen this title on a few 'lists' but had never read it, either as a child or as an adult- until now. To learn about this forgotten part of American culture (Florida 'crackers') was a joy to read,and informative. The pictures by Mrs. Lenski add to her work immensely. But it was the humanness of the characters that really touched me: in Strawberry Girl, there were the industrious, the lazy, the mean, the stuffy in the little girl, Birdie's world: as well as the simple right and wrong a child's view of the world entails. And, in the end, one is given a truly happy ending. And that is something the "PC-crowd" would never allow in this day and age (one of the characters 'gets religion'- and it sticks!). But it is for that reason exactly, that I would reach for this book before any other, when my children and I begin our literature study of the various states in the USA next year. A children's novel that is well-written, nicely paced,filled with good characters (people you could emulate, rather than loathe, as the overseeing parent) vibrant characterizations, quaint dialogue, a moral and uplifting story, and not a monster, alien, mummy, or wizard in sight (thank God!). I can see now why Strawbery Girl is a classic, but I don't understand why it is not more well-known and used; (why did it take me until 50 to even read this book?) unless that aforementioned, overt acknowledgment of our Christian heritage- as a nation and as a people- is too 'controversial' a subject for those who hate our own history, and who want to keep children in the dark about any era before 1970- unless of course it is dwelling on the 'ultimate evils' of the period 1940-1945, which is waaaay overworked; and it is those same pharasaic minds who also wish to portray multiculturalism as normative- which it is not. Those types will therefore not like this book, in that it cearly shows a cultural/racial/relgious solidarity at odds with the dogma of the multicultis- the 'dogma of the moment' types. For those narrow minds, no amount of truth- or historical vibrancy- can ever make something 'worthwhile.' Even a children's book. I'm sorry I did not know of this book growing up. I will not forbid my children to grow up in a like manner, to be merely a [multi]culturally stunted drone. I choose this book for the richness it offers about a people like me, imbued with a heritage that once was everyone's. It's time we discovered that heritage- our heritage -once again. Reading this to your children, or having them read it themselves, is a great first step.
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