Incident at Hawk's Hill Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book was one of my alltime favorites as a child (in the late 60's). I grew up on the prairies, so badger holes and fields of waving grasses, as well as neighbors with rifles, were part of everyday life to me. I loved the quiet child who fit in with animals more than humans, and the relationship with the wild mother badger. The world created was more realistic and naturalistic than that portrayed by cheery kids books like the Berensteins and Dr. Seuss. There was tragedy as well as compassion: the mother badger has been caught in a trap, her babies have died of hunger, she is hurting and in pain. These are realistic concerns in nature. Not all is cute fuzzy puppies and loving understanding adults. In the end, the misunderstanding between the child who has been cared for by the badger, and the adults who only see a dangerous wild beast, very much touched my child mind and reflected my experience with adults. I saw injustice in the real world left right and center and it was seldom reflected in children's books. This is one of the deeper children's books I have read, that doesn't shy away from the complexities of life, difficult emotions and depth of feeling. I have reread it recently as an adult, and it still touched me. I highly recommend it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Incident at Hawk's Hill

Six-year-old Ben is very small for his age, and gets along better with animals than people. One June day in 1870, Ben wanders away from his home on Hawk's Hill and disappears into the waving prairie grass. This is the story of how a shy, lonely boy survives for months in the wilds and forges a bond with a female badger. ALA Notable Book. Newbery Honor Book.

Click here for more information about Incident at Hawk's Hill

Read More...

The Knight in Rusty Armor Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I know that every man who reads this book will see himself in this book. And I hope that they will pay close attention to this story about a man who learned that he does not have to prove to others that he is good, loving and kind.
Men are traditionally taught to fight the threatening enemies; and place fragile women, who are consumed with despair, into an environment that tells the world that they are materially doing just fine.
What's wrong with this, as the story demonstrates, is that this is done out of allegiance to the world first, as apposed to the man's allegiance to himself, and his family.
He develops emotional, social, and spiritual armor, to the point that he doesn't know who to be fully in the moment, in the presence of others, until the price for living like this potentially costs him the very people who he claims to be providing for.
In this story, the knight learned to take in the reality of life, which led him on a path to find his authentic self. He learned that he had lived his entire life trying to make everyone like him, at the price of not knowing who he himself was, in his heart.
And it was not until he was able to cry tears from his heart, that his armor disappeared, and he was able to go home, and truly love his wife and child.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Knight in Rusty Armor

While searching for a way to remove the armor that has become stuck on him, a knight finally discovers the true qualities of knighthood.

Click here for more information about The Knight in Rusty Armor

Read More...

Giraffes Can't Dance Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Gerald the Giraffe is one clumsy animal. He's good at standing still and munching shoots off trees but when he wants to join the other animals at the Jungle Dance, they only laugh at him. Not for long, though. His friend the cricket knows how to play the music that inspires Gerald to dance like John Travolta in his best days. Gerald is transformed because "we all can dance ... when we find music that we love."
"Giraffes Can't Dance" is my personal favorite among Max's books. The story is familiar to many kids who go to kindergarten and learn that their peers can be picky about who belongs to the pack and who does not. In the book, the exuberant illustrations of Guy Parker-Rees take the sting out of Gerald's initial rejection by the other animals. Watching the Rhinos rock'n'roll and the lions "dance a tango that was elegant and bold," balances Gerald's sadness. The emphasis of the story is on Gerald's joyful transformation, anyway. Just read Gerald's jubilant "I am dancing! Yes, I'm dancing! I AM DANCING!" with enough liveliness and watch the kids identify with a flying giraffe. After all, the lesson is that you can excel and enjoy who you are even if, at first, the world does not play your tune. With a little help from his friends, Gerald finds out that "sometimes when you're different you just need a different song."
Let me add one short paragraph on Gerald's helpful friends, the cricket and the three small bugs that are hiding on every page. These four little fellows are an ingenious device to soften the impact of the emotional story. Kids are in love with details; once they know what to look for, they will tirelessly search for the bugs and the cricket, and point them out to you. Hint: play dumb and they will have a party.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Giraffes Can't Dance

Click here for more information about Giraffes Can't Dance

Read More...