Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Princess Mia and her friends volunteer to build a house for the less fortunate during their spring break. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

A tiny disappointment
I had wanted to read this book since I started reading the series in 7th grade. 5 years later I finally got my hands on it, and I was very disappointed. Not just because I knew part of what happened through references in the various other princess diary books. It was way too short.
Plain and simple. Its hard to gain anything from this book with its 50 pages. The story starts and then is over. And its proportioned very weird. The first 30's pages is Mia going on about going to West Virgina, 10 pages of her in West virgin complaining about the food, and 10 about the resolution. And it was bizarre, the resolution was very busy. It was nice to have the busy ending to try to complete the book, but it didn't feel right. Such a short book should not have such a busy ending.
Overall, the book was a disappointment. Way too short, and just useless to the series! PD readers can really skip this book. It was a waste of time.

the selfless and selfish princess
Mia leaves her element of being a princess in NYC and goes to help build houses for the rural poor, hopefully discovering a secret and useful talent, and make-out with her boyfriend. Very short novella that is meaningful, humorous, and lovely. Grade: A-

Short, but Not So Sweet
Project Princess is a fun, short addition to the Princess Diaries series.This books details Mia's spring break spent building homes for the less fortunate.Project Princess goes by pretty fast that by the time you get into it, the book is over.Anyone who wants to read the entire series should just read it and then move on to the later installments.

Project Princess
This book was okay. Very short, easy to read. It covers what Mia is doing on her spring break and how she has a hard time adapting to the wilderness because she is a city girl.
But I think she's gotta get used to it, if she wants to save the whales or whatever.
But it's only fifty pages, and you should read it because after all you gotta take the good with the bad and if you loved her other novels you should try to keep up.

Project Princess
It was good but not as good as her other books.A very quick read but I should have only paid a couple of dollars for it not 5.00.

It was her same style but very short. ... Read more

Product Description
Once again, #1 bestselling author Homer Hickam takes readers on a ride back to the hometown of his youth in a new memoir as moving as October Sky. The New York Times applauded, "Hickam builds a story of overcoming obstacles worthy of Frank Capra," and readers are eager for more.

By the summer of 1961, Sonny Hickam, who has just finished his first year of college, thinks he has left his hometown of Coalwood behind forever. He's got big dreams—dreams that got their lift-off with the backyard rocket launches of his adolescense. But a scandal at the mine that threatens to ruin his father takes Sonny home for the summer. And to his surprise, what begins as a summer of coal dust and misery will allow him to discover truths not just about his parents, work, and Coalwood, but about himself and the true nature of his dreams.

As he did in October Sky, Hickam's touching memoir recreates a place and time that is at once uncannily familiar and wonderfully revealing. USA Today raved, "Unlike so many memoirs, this book brings to life more than on man's experiences." Hickam makes this happen again in Sky of Stone. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Perfect Escapism...
'Sky of Stone' chronicles Hickam's summer after his freshman year at Virginia Tech. Hickam's hopes of spending his summer at the beach get dashed after he gets into a car wreck speeding down the narrow, twisty roads of Southern West Virginia. Instead of living on the warm/sunny beach for a few months, he ends up living in Coalwood working in his father's mine.

I am awed at Hickam's ability to make you feel as if you are living in the setting he is writing about. He writes in somewhat of a Hemingway style when describing a setting, which really immerses you in the story. He makes the characters very three dimensional. The story itself is very engrossing; it is not just a story about coal-mining, it is a story of love, hard work, and a son's attempts to garner his father's respect. All of these elements make 'Sky of Stone' one of the best books I have ever read.

5/5

Sky of Stone
"Sky of Stone" is a rich and real examination of a deeply troubled Homer Hickam. It is 1961, the summer following his freshman year at VPI. Academic difficulites, his parents marital problems and tumoil in Coalwood darken Homer's outlook and confidence. A fine read.

Sky of Stone
We never received this book. Amazon said there were none in the warehouses. We were disappointed.
So why are we having to rate and review it?

It just gets better and better
If you have read Rocket Boys, it's imperative you continue with Coalwood Ways and Sky of the Stone.All are wonderful reads with great life lessons.Sky of the Stone was my favorite of the three but they build on each other.I look forward to reading Red Helmet in February!

Rocket Boys continued!
Just a great part 3 continuation of "The Rocket Boys", AKA: "October Sky". I could hardly put it down. I really enjoyed this book, too. ... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Sixth-grader Marty and his family try to help their rough neighbor, Judd Travers, change his mean ways, even though their West Virginia community continues to expect the worst of him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

The Jacket
Great book on how children can become influenced by how their parents treat others. It was nice to see how the young boy over came his diversity on his own. Great influential book for children.

Saving Shiloh: The Power of Believing in the Good in People
As we return to the story of Marty and his dog, Shiloh, we find that the town bully is starting to drink very heavily, endangering all with his drunk driving and careless hunting. The whole town gives up on Judd, keeping their distance and fearing him. That is, everyone but one eleven-year-old boy, Marty. Marty tries to understand Judd's loneliness, and he believes, rightly so, that, given a chance, even Judd can change. This inspiring book reminds us to find the good in all people.

Overcoming Evil With Good
This is a great story, not only about a dog but about how people can change and good can overcome evil.It is the third of a series which really should be read in order starting with Shiloh. ( Ab 10 J.).then Shiloh Season - 2000 Kids' Picks.Marty decides to befriend Judd and help his other dogs too by putting up a fence so they don't have to be chained all the time and then Judd steps on his best hunting dog's paw while putting in a gate and dog bites his leg and won't let go. Judd kills dog and fells real bad. Judd ends up saving Shiloh after he jumps in the creek to save Marty's sister.

--Karen Arelttaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

you go dog!
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys realistic fiction. This is my fourth book that I have read by Phyllis R. Naylor and I have got to hand it to her. She is an amazing writer. The best thing that all these books have in common is that each book has its own little lesson. Asking me if I would recommend this book is like asking me if I want one million dollars. This book is fun and enjoyable too!! The book Saving Shiloh was not a boring book at all and in fact, I that in every book of hers the most the most important features are always trust and loyalty!!

Disappointed
I thought this book was going to be about angelina jolie & brad pitt's kid. ... Read more

Product Description
Relates episodes in the life of eleven-year-old Ellie and her family who live in a coal mining town in West Virginia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Blue Eyed Daisy
A Blue Eyed Daisy



"Have you ever wanted to start a newspaper?" The book I read was "A Blue Eyed Daisy". The book was about a girl whose life is like a puzzle. Ellie is a girl who is very scared because she is so insecure and unsure. She can't trust anyone cause her father has tough her not to cause the will betray you. She is really weird out cause her dad got hurt in his job and still hunts so she is kind of weird out.I really enjoyed this book because I really love puzzles because they are like riddles and are cool. One thing I did not understand and did not like was because Ellies dad would do something really mean to her and did something really mean. Well I really enjoyed this book because it's really interesting and hope you will enjoy this to.

"A Blue-Eyed Daisy" - -~the story of a little girl~- -
"A Blue-Eyed Daisy" is by Cynthia Rylant. The story is about a little, eleven year old girl named Ellie. Ellie lives with her mother, father, and four other sisters. Her sisters are: Eunice, Wanda, Martha, and Linda. Ellie's father is called Okey. Because he has lost his job from an injury, Okey has been drinking and treating the family badly. Until one day, Okey brings home a beagle named Bullet. Bullet is a hunting dog, but Okey cannot hunt with his injury. Ellie becomes attached to Bullet. There are many situations that Ellie has to deal on her own. She makes one best friend named Carolyn. When Ellie is invited to her party, Ellie experiences an unforgetable experience.
1)This book is great for realistic fiction
2)I recommend it to young readers like me for this story incounters problems of a young girl and her experiences
3)enjoy this book!!!! it is good to read!!!!

A Blue-Eyed Daisy
"A Blue-Eyed Daisy" is about a blond, blue eyes girl named Ellie that has four older sisters, a mom, dad,and a dog named Bullet because he is a beagle and runs very fast. Her dad, Okey, always drinks because he had lost his job and can't get over it. Her mom just basicly cook dinner for all of them. Ellie only has one best friend Carolyn and when she goes to her party, something happens that she'll never forget. They all knew it would happen, but Okey got in a trouble acident that almost cost him his life. I liked this book because it was sad, funny, and scarey.

A little girl's life
1.This book is about a little girl, Ellie, who is 8 years old and her family don't really talk at her, they barely talk to each other.She is the only girl out of all of her sisters who has blue eyes and blonde hair, she's the cutest of all of them. The one thing she doesn't like about herself is her teeth because they're starting to get rotten.Her parents don't really take good care of her, her dad, Okey, drinks alot because he lost his job and got real upset over it.Her mother mainly just makes supper for them.One day her dad gets a hunting dog,Bullet, and Ellie was confused because her dad can't hunt because he has a hurt arm and can't use it very good.Ellie told her daddy that she wanted to go hunting, so they did. She was a really good shooter.Ellie didn't really have no friends, except for one, Carolyn, she was the best friend she ever had.They did everything togeter, but when Ellie goes to Carolyn's house, something happened to Ellie that never happened before.A few days later something else happened to Ellie's dad and she was scare that he would die because of what happened.
2.I think this is a really good book because it's really sad and it makes me feel really sorry for her and I just couldn't stop reading it.
3.There is alot of protagonism in here because it's all about Ellie and her life.
4.I recommend this book to people who like to read realistic books because what all has happened in Ellie's life could happen to someone in real life.

A Blue - Eyed Daisy
This book was really horrible because.It was really bad.

The reason I didn't like it is because. It was really boring and

stuped. Because thay used old words like Mama, Papa and insted

of dinner thay use supper.

It was also really sad in the beginning because her father dies

her dad died in a stable accident. The stable fell on him. While

he was working on them.

The only part I liked was when she was going to try to get her

own room because. She bugged her sisters and her mom and dad. But

it really got anoing after a while.Those are the resons I

didn't like like the book


... Read more

Product Description
It's fall, 1959, and Homer "Sonny" Hickam and his fellowRocket Boys are in their senior year at Big Creek High, launchinghandbuilt rockets that soar thousands of feet into the West Virginiasky. But in a season traditionally marked by celebrations of thespirit, Coalwood finds itself at a painful crossroads.

Thestrains can be felt within the Hickam home, where a beleagueredHomerSr. is resorting to a daring but risky plan to keep the minealive, and his wife Elsie is feeling increasingly isolated from bothher family and the townspeople. And Sonny, despite a blossomingrelationship with a local girl whose dreams are as big as his, findshis own mood repeatedly darkened by an unexplainablesadness.

Eager to rally the town's spirits and make her son'sfinal holiday season at home a memorable one, Elsie enlists Sonny andthe Rocket Boys' aid in making the Coalwood Christmas Pageant the bestever. But trouble at the mine and the arrival of a beautiful youngoutsider threaten to tear the community apart when it most needs tocome together. And when disaster strikes at home, and Elsie's belovedpet squirrel escapes under his watch, Sonny realizes that helping histown and redeeming himself in his mother's eyes may be a bigger-andmore rewarding-challenge than he has ever faced.

The result ispure storytelling magic- a tale of small-town parades and big-heartedpreachers, the timeless love of families and unforgettable adventuresof boyhood friends-that could only come from the man who brought theworld Rocket BoysAmazon.com Review
In this follow-up to his bestselling autobiography Rocket Boys, HomerHickam chronicles the eventful autumn of 1959 in his hometown, theWest Virginia mining town of Coalwood. Sixteen-year-old Homer and hispals in the Big Creek Missile Agency are high school seniors, stillbuilding homemade rockets and hoping that science will provide themwith a ticket into the wider world of college and white-collarjobs. Such dreams make them suspect in a conservative small town where"getting above yourself" is the ultimate sin and where Homer's father,superintendent of the Coalwood mines, is stingy with praise anddubious about his son's ambitions. Homer's mother remains supportive,but bluntly reminds him, "You can't expect everything to go yourway. Sometimes life just has another plan." Indeed, Hickam'sunvarnished portrait of Coalwood covers class warfare (union minersbattling with his authoritarian father), provincial narrow-mindedness(the local ladies scorn a young woman living outside wedlock with aman who abuses her), and endless gossiping along the picket "fenceline." These sharp details make the unabashed sentiment of the book'sclosing chapters feel earned rather than easy. Hickam can spin a gripping yarnand keep multiple underlying themes and metaphors going at the sametime. His tender but gritty memoir will touch readers' hearts andminds. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

A most delightful tale of life in a coal town in the 1950s
Curl up in your chair, light a scented candle or two and get ready for a pleasant read courtesy of Mr. Homer 'Sonny' Hickam Jr. This novel transports the reader back, way back in fact, to a time that seems light years from the hustle and bustle of the typical American towns today.
Homer is an execelent story teller, providing an easily digestable story, refreshingly lacking in vulgarity, that will warm the heart while offering a glimpse at life in the small town of Coalwood West Virginia.
Although he embellishes some details, here and there, the book is a true joy to read and quite difficult to put down. It is easy to see Homer 'Sonny' Hickam had a good upbringing; surroundedby a pair of loving parents and the kind of towns people who once made small town America a great place to live.
From the tales of his first crush to the tales of shooting off model rocks, this book leaves a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. I am truly thankful that Mr. Hickam took the time to share the memories of his formative years in this and his other novel 'Rocket boys'. While a feature film has been made based on the story of Rocket boys, to truly appreciate the tale, I strongly recommend you consider reading the book.

LOVED IT!
I'm 13 years old and i really enjoyed "The Coalwood Way". After reading October Sky for a class book in school, i bought this book. If you liked October SKy, i'd recommend this book to you. I loved reading about more of Sonny's adventures and some details not mentioned in Oct. Sky. Overall, i loved this book and i plan on reading the next book, Sky of Stone. HOpe this helps!

Great Story About Growing up
Several years ago, I saw the movie, "October Sky," and loved it.I ordered this book, and it sat around for years, but I finally got around to reading it and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the movie.It's well-written, with plenty of surprises and several great stories wrapped around the dream of a young boy who wants to work in the space program.

Homer Hickam grew up in West Virginia, during the 1950's and couldn't ever seem to please his father.It's a great book, about family, friends and growing up in a more innocent age.The book reads like a novel and you can't help pulling for Homer and his friends as you read it.Now I want to go back and watch the movie again.

The Coalwood Way
Great book! Maybe as good as I've read. But I'm partial to coming-of-age books for boys - and if they graduated from high school in the same year as myself (1960), then so much the better. I'm in the process of passing around the book to friends and family. However, I can't convince my wife to give it a try. She thinks it's about rockets, but it's much, much more than that. And now for true confessions - I shed a couple of tears at the end - a combination of the story, as well as the fact that "Rocket Boys" and "The Coalwood Way" are the last in his series of non-fiction.

Best book I've read this year
The Coalwood Way is by far the best book I have read this year. The story and the writing style grab you back to the couch to read another chapter every time. The only bad part is that the story was not longer, but that's why this is a trilogy. I am now rushing to order Hickman's next novel in the series! ... Read more

Product Description
A heart-stirring true story of survival. Thirteen-year-old Buddy and his younger brother, Tim, set out with their father to explore New Trout Cave, but their vacation turns into a battle for survival when their lights flicker out while halfway through The Maze section and they come within hours of death from cold and starvation. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt introduced the social programs of the New Deal to the people of America.Laboring under the economic collapse known as the Great Depression, people needed jobs, many were homeless, and more lived in dire poverty.This was graphically true in rural areas.One such was Scotts Run, a stretch of coal mining land in West Virginia that caught the attention of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.She determined to help the people there by creating for them a new, self-sufficient community called Arthurdale.

Eleanor Roosevelt had grown up in wealth and privilege, but her life had been full of personal hardships.Energetic and determined as a first lady, she was a lightning rod for critics who thought that her "pet project" couldn't work - but she held fast and proved them wrong.To the refugees from the mines, Arthurdale was the answer to their dreams.Here were tidy homes with furniture and indoor plumbing; a place for planting gardens, sending children to school, learning new trades in new industries, and working together for the good of the community.Arthurdale, nestled in the green hills of West Virginia, changed the lives of its first families forever.

This is the story of the unlikely relationship between a president's wife, the poorest of the poor, and the dream they shared.It is told in part by those who were once children in Arthurdale, and will give young readers an unusual slant on Depression-era history.

A Linnet Book. Grades 5-8, xvi, 110 p., illus., notes, bibliog. Library binding, 0-208-02504-9, $22.50. ... Read more

Product Description
Focuses on the trial of the abolitionist who was hanged for treason and murder following his attempt to capture a military arsenal and arms the slaves for revolt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Concise history of this American hero, trial and his martyrdom
John Brown acted in a bold and perhaps quixotic way to stop slavery. But he got his message across to America clearly and likely jump started the end of the horrible institution of African-American bondage. That is precisely what you will learn in this entertaining book. It is part of the Lucent Books "Famous Trials" series, possessing a format that is highly appealing in so far as it first discloses all the relevant facts of the case and then presents the critical elements of the actual trial and even aftermath.It's all done in a way that is not too laborious yet makes a highly informative read. You will feel that you have captured the entire story once done. ... Read more