Product Description
A frank autobiography of the jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. This book records his life - the music, the women and the drugs. It talks about the white promotors and producers who exploited black musicians as well as the critics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (73)

One of the best biographies I have ever read.
This is a must buy for those interested in the life of Miles Davis. Not only a phenomenal trumpet player, but also one of the most alluring personalities to ever grace the jazz scene. I could not stop reading once I started. The book is written in the voice of Miles himself, and the use of profanity gives one the feeling of authenticity which all autobiographies should aim for. A creative genius and one who always strove for perfection in all of his musical endeavors.

Really great book.
A lot of jazz history inside it. Great to understand Miles's background and roots. In this book he says a lot about the jazz developing, the backstage, drugs, racial problems in the US and some very good stories about some of the greatest characters who cohabitated with him in the jazz scene such as Parker, Dizzy, Hawkins, Max Roach, Mingus, Coltrane, Gil Evans, Clark Terry and many others.

Everybody who is interested in jazz should read it! A must have, for sure.

Excellent man, excellent book
I do not know if editing made this book that awesome or whether Miles Davis is such a great guy (I believe in the latter), but once you start reading it, it is very hard to put the book aside. What is more, you do not only read the life plus mentality of Miles Davis, but also you read the music scene of an important era as well. All in all, very good book and not even a single second of your time is wasted while reading it. Do I recommend it??? Yes plus plus..

Best Jazz book every!
If you are a musician or an afficionado and conneusiour of jazz music, you must own and read this book.

good
I love the music. But I gotta be honset, when I read this, I had a hard time matching that genius with this man.

There are some great stories here and you get a whole insiders scoop on postwar jazz through that of the 1980s. But Davis also self-agrandizes a lot here, talks in big generalizations about "white people" and rationalizes beating his wives and girlfriends.

I litterally had to put this down. I did not want this narration in my head when hearing Davis' amazing music.

This is an interesting read, but for a more objective and comprehensive account, go to Milestones: The Music And Times Of Miles Davis ... Read more

Product Description
Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, Kenny, and Byron, Kenny's older brother, who, at thirteen, is an "official juvenile delinquent."

When Momma and Dad decide it's time for a visit to Grandma, Dad comes home with the amazing Ultra-Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. Heading South, they're going to Birmingham, Alabama, and toward one of the darkest moments in America's history.

By turns comic, tragic, and touching, this remarkable Newbery Honor work, delightfully performed by LeVar Burton in this unabridged production, will delight listeners young and old as they meet Christopher Paul Curtis, a storyteller of bold ambition and a true and original voice and his inimitable Watsons.Amazon.com Review
The year is 1963, and self-important Byron Watson is the bane of his younger brother Kenny's existence. Constantly in trouble for one thing or another, from straightening his hair into a "conk" to lighting fires to freezing his lips to the mirror of the new family car, Byron finally pushes his family too far. Before this "official juvenile delinquent" can cut school or steal change one more time, Momma and Dad finally make good on their threat to send him to the deep south to spend the summer with his tiny, strict grandmother. Soon the whole family is packed up, ready to make the drive from Flint, Michigan, straight into one of the most chilling moments in America's history: the burning of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church with four little girls inside.

Christopher Paul Curtis's alternately hilarious and deeply moving novel, winner of the Newbery Honor and the Coretta Scott King Honor, blends the fictional account of an African American family with the factual events of the violent summer of 1963. Fourth grader Kenny is an innocent and sincere narrator; his ingenuousness lends authenticity to the story and invites readers of all ages into his world, even as it changes before his eyes. Curtis is also the acclaimed author of Bud, Not Buddy, winner of the Newbery Medal. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (648)

Parents BEWARE!
Warning for Parents with children in 4,5, or 6th grade.This book is filled with bad language, violence, bulling, and overall inappropraite situations for children.Do not allow your child to read it!You will regret you did!More trash from liberal educators and people who think they know how children's minds work.

Quote out of the book:

Page 82. "I thought I told you, shut the hell up and eat the damn cookies"

This kind of lanuage is "salt and pepper" throughout the whole book.
I could list so much more, but I don't have time to go through it.Luckly, I was glancing over this book as my 10 year old was reading it, and was shocked over it.
The ending is the worst.The main character, Kenny, in the book starts out as an innocent little boy, ends up confused, angry and stripped of his childhood dreams.

historical fiction not to be missed
A vividly drawn, probably autobiographical, portrayal of a northern black family that takes a fateful trip to Alabama. The Watsons of Flint, Michigan are a stable working class family. The central character, nerdy, sweet Kenny, is the middle child of three. He's ten, likes to read, and has a "lazy eye." His older brother Byron has delinquent tendencies, and his younger sister Joetta loves everybody. The pace is leisurely, with Kenny as narrator. His daily trials are gently enumerated: Byron torments him; other kids steal his toys and tease him about his eye. But Kenny learns from his loving parents to cope with these and other problems.

The book picks up pace when the family plans a summer trip to Birmingham in their beloved 15-year-old "Brown Bomber." Kenny's father has tricked out the car with the latest gadgets, including an "Ultra Glide" record player mounted on the dash. The scene in which the family first tries the Ultra Glide is among the book's highlights: though they have a record player inside the house, all five sit for two hours in the stationary vehicle, taking turns playing their favorites (Kenny requests the Coasters' "Yakety Yak" every single time).

Their stay in Birmingham, Mrs. Watson's hometown, goes from interesting to traumatic when little Joetta appears to have been killed in a church bombing. Here the author takes the story to a higher plane as he connects the Watson's experiences with a terrible piece of US history. The book is, in fact, dedicated to four black girls who perished in one of the many racially linked bombings of the 1960s. The story would make a terrific film. The dialogue is pitch-perfect, apart from the author's careless overuse of the word "slob," by which he means the noun "slobber" or "drool." The word appears about a dozen times; it draws attention to itself and away from the story.

Appropriate for middle school and up, especially those studying the Civil Rights era. Kenny's episode of post-traumatic reaction after he touches a body at the bomb site will offer an opportunity to discuss how people deal with tragedy and shock.

Civil War....
A great book to read about a sweet family with a little introduction to what was going on during the war.

The Watson's are a likeable family
This book had humor, likeable characters, a story line that everyone can find a connection to. It touched on brotherhood, bullies, teasing, friendship, and an old southern strict granny living in Birmingham. The book includes in story line, the racial church bombing and how it affected the Watson family who was visiting in Birminham at the time it happend.

CGE student review
Christopher Paul Curtis is the master-mind behind the book The Watsons Go To Burmingham 1963.His writing styles in this book are most interesting,not the least bit boring!Each chapter leaves you wondering about the next.He adds in amazing details you think you would have never thought of yourself.Every reader immediately can tell that Mr.Curtis puts an amazing amount of thought into his characters.The Weird Watsons wacky ways will leave you laughing.Mr.Curtis also includes some hilarious titles such as "Every Chihuahua in America wants to Take a Bite Out of Byron."Even if the book didn't tell you which character was using dialogue you would know who right away.I'm not a critic but I give this author five stars!His writing style is 100% perfect!
... Read more

Product Description
Phillip's mother didn't like black people. "They are different," she had told him. Phillip had never believed her before, but now...After all, Timothy was different. He was huge, and he was very old, and to Phillip he seemed ugly. And he was the most stubborn man Phillip had ever known. But after the Germans torpedoed the freighter on which he and his mother were traveling during wartime, Phillip found himself dependent on the old West Indian. There were just the two on them cast up on the barren little Carribbean island--three, if you counted Stew Cat--and a crack on the head had left Phillip blind.

Their struggle for survival and Phillip's efforts to adjust to his blindness and to understand the dignified, wise, and loving old man who was his companion make this a memorable tale.
Amazon.com Review
This award-winning novel remains a powerful classic of prejudice, love, andsurvival. In 1942, 11-year-old Phillip Enright lives with his parents onthe Dutch island of Curaçao, but when the war moves too close for comfort,his mother decides to travel with him back to the safety of Virginia. Whentheir boat is torpedoed, however, Phillip is blinded and finds himselfadrift on a life raft with an old black man and a cat. They eventually landon a deserted island.Phillip is suspicious of "the large Negro," but soongrows to trust--and ultimately love--the patient and generous Timothy.Dedicated to "Dr. King's Dream," The Cay has a clear message thatfriendship is colorblind; it is also a terrific adventure story of a young,newly blinded man learning to survive on an uninhabited island. (Ages 12and older) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Customer Reviews (610)

An Adventure
After reading The Cay I was left wanting more. The story of a white boy named Phillip learning from his mother that you shouldn't like black people. Then Phillip is left to survive with an old black man named Timothy after a shipwreck. This made this a great lesson book. I am now a great fan of Theodore Taylor. This book is a great book, if you are wanting a fast, easy read that will leave you wanting more and needig more stories with this kind of topic. This book has everything from friendships, loyalty, trust, loneliness, dreams, and much more. This was a great book. The only thing more I would want to add is a more detailed and better ending. If you want to fing out if Phillip can learn to trust Timothy then you should read The Cay by Theodore Taylor.

A wonderful Children's Book for all ages
The Cay was deservedly named Book of the Year by the New York Time. A well paced, fast-moving single plot but multi-dimensional exciting adventure story about growing up. The style is simple and colourful. I loved it. Excellent reading for Boys and girls.

torpedoed... the cay
I rank The Cay four stars. It was the best survival story I've ever read even though it has some sad parts. My favorite part was when Philip gets saved because it is funny because he was naked when he got saved. I would recommend this book to third grade and above because if you were younger you would not get the story or you would not understand the words.

An amazing book The Cay
By:Siraj Sabha

The cay was a very good book.it was about phillip and his friend timothy stuck on a cay and it shows there struggle to survive on that cay. It was brillant it also shows how racsim shouldnt effect you friend ship with any one. The book starts out about phillip tallking about himself then goes to the germans and then a little about the island. After that phillips mother decided to leave the island so that they wouldnt get hurt. By know your probally wondering how the got on the cay,well im almost there to leave the island they had to take boat. when they left they were very nervous almost to there destanition they get torpedoeod by a german subarine. They slip on there life jackets then get ready to board the life boats. A piece of the burning ship hits phillip and makes him go overboard. Thats how phillip wakes up on a raft with this black man named timothy but also withthe cooks cat stewcat. After a few days they end up making it on to a cay. Then they have there struggles on the cay like when there facinga hurricane.




By:Siraj Sabha

Friendship, love, and sacrifice
This is a very sweet story about the friendship between a blind boy and an old man. Wise old Timothy becomes a savior figure for Phillip, first teaching him how to survive on his own and later saving his life. Reminding me a bit of Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Cay makes for great discussions with younger readers due to the themes explored including forgiveness, human nature, race, survival, love, and sacrifice. It's a fabulous quick read that I would recommend to everyone. ... Read more

Product Description
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. (born February 16, 1957in Landstuhl, West Germany), professionally known as LeVarBurton, is an American actor, director and author who firstcame to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award- winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novelby Alex Haley. He is also well known for his portrayal ofGeordi La Forge on the syndicated science fiction seriesStar Trek: The Next Generation and as the host of the PBSchildren's program Reading Rainbow. ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of the 2010 Audie for Audiobook of the Year, Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales is an extraordinary audiobook featuringGillian Anderson, Benjamin Bratt, LeVar Burton, Ricardo Chavira, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hayes, Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Scarlett Johansson,Debra Messing, Helen Mirren, Parminder Nagra, Sophie Okonedo, CCH Pounder, Alan Rickman, Jurnee Smollett, Charlize Theron, Blair Underwood, Forest Whitaker and Alfre Woodard with a special message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Original Music by South African legends by Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela, Directed by Alfre Woodard. The audiobook was a truly international affair recorded in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, London, and Johannesburg.

The stories were chosen by the Nobel Laureate himself, from every region of Africa.


"We hope this audiobook will be enjoyed by people of all ages across the globe, increasing awareness of Africa's rich cultures while creating a better future for South Africa's most vulnerable children," said ANSA Executive Director Sharon Gelman.



In his original foreword for the folktales, Nelson Mandela wrote, "It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all the children of the world may experience the wonder of books." The audiobook brings his vision full circle, as these timeless tales return to the oral tradition to be heard around the world.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A Collection to Treasure
A wonderful collection of stories told in a rich assortment of familiar and unfamiliar voices, beautifully put together.This is an audio book to treasure.

Stories are good!
Stories are always a good thing. Diversity too. Hearing tales from other lands helps us to learn more about each other. I shared this set with my niece and two nephews ages 5 to 8 yrs old. They loved it too. Truthfully, the real reason why I made this purchase is because of Alan Rickman. He's one of my favorite actors/voices. I could find only one story read by him, but it was well worth it.

Great Stories for a Great Cause
I was moved by the fund raising effort support for HIV AIDS orphans in South Africa, familiar and admiring of the story collection released some years ago, I was delighted to listen through the entire collection. The blend of music and voice, brilliantly realized by a host of talented talents "Artists for a New South Africa", brings these stories alive!Libraries (like mine) and individuals will appreciate each and every track in this 3 CD set that is up for Grammy nomination.

Rating the CDs
We've given the audio book and the book as gifts to a number of people, and they've raved about it. I haven't heard every one of the readings but the ones I've listened to are superbly done.Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), which produced the three CD audio book, assembled a distinguished cast that included (among many others)Desmond Tutu, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Samuel Jackson, Alan Rickman, Charlize Theron and Don Cheadle-- and had music composed and played by one of South Africa's leading musicians and sung by South Africa's best-known singer.The tales are collected from all over Africa, and they will interest adults as well as children. It's a wonderful present for Christmas or Hannukah or for a child's birthday. And, Hachette, the producer is giving the proceeds to ANSA and Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund which will use the money mainly to help AIDS orphans.

An all-star narration cast...
An all-star narration cast helps bring to life Nobel Peace laureate Nelson Mandela's collection of short stories that create a patchwork of legends drawn from all over the African continent, In one story, the children of an East African village must destroy a beautiful and enchanting bird that has brought bad luck to the surrounding countryside. In one story, a brave girl frees a prince from the spell that made him a python. From [...] ... Read more

Product Description
In Adventure 2 of this book series Tuck and Billie rescue a trainload of passengers on the President Washington when a lightning storm knocks out the tunnel signal. Soft cover book, audio cassette, battery powered engine (uses one AA battery, not included). For ages 5+ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

My Little Island
My Little Island is a delightful book which I first read to my daughter when she was 4 years old. The story is wonderful and the illustrations are captivating. We read it again and again many nights as it became one of our favorite books. Soon my daughter began reading it by herself. She is 6 years old now and still remembers the names of all the beautiful trees in the story. I would highly recommmend this book to the parents of any 4 to 6 year old child whom I am sure would enjoy this book as much as we do.

A delightful book-- buy this for a child you love
Both my parents worked when I was kid.My younger sister and I used to stay at home and play.Every mid-afternoon we would stop playing and runto turn on MPT (PBS) and watch Reading Rainbow.We were neverdisappointed-- even the theme song pleased us and we would sing and danceto it. MY LITTLE ISLAND was one of my favorite episodes-- I have not reador seen this book in 12 years yet I remember so much from it: seeing theisland overhead, looking exactly like a large swimming turtle, the marketscene (the clothes and fruit compete with each other, both are so deliciousto look at), and the night fishing. This is a beutiful book-- beautifullywritten, beautifully illustrated.Read it only once and I guaranteeneither you or the one whom it is read to will forget it.

Great Art Work
I like the pictures in this book.The book made me wonder what goat-water stew and guavas are.I wonder if people still live on Montserrat since the volcano erupted.I wish I could go there to swim, fish, and visit the market.I am 6 1/2 years old.

Beautifully Ilustated, highly recommended!
This book is absolutely beautiful. The illustrations are incredibly colorful and true to life in the islands.The volcano that has erupted and buried Montserrat is mentioned and show in the book, and though Monteserratis now buried under ash and not at all like the paintings in the book, yourchild does not have to know the details.My three year old loves thisstory and pictures.He is familiar with Carnival and many of the"island" fruits and vegetables mentioned in the book.If youlive outside the Caribbean, you could go to an island marketplace with yourchild and actually find and eat these delicacies.Overall, this is awonderful story about a boy and his best friend who travel to Montserratfor an all-too-short vacation.Again, for you statesiders who have notbeen to the Caribbean with your kids, you will have to explain some of thepictures; however, this is what imaginations are for.Enjoy the book. Highly recommended.

a tribute to Montserrat
It's important to note that recent events have added poignancy to Lessac's tribute to her home island. This charming book is a record of an island practically destroyed by a recent volcanic eruption. "My LittleIsland" is the island of Montserrat, three-quarters of which liesburied under layers of volcanic ash. All the colors and the activity of thepeople portrayed here are fond memories. What a wonderful opportunity totalk to children about the things they would cherish about their own homes. And what a joyous appreciation of a lifestyle also typical of otherLeeward islands. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

rapid service...
the book came in the condition advertised and in an expeditious manner, very happy with this seller's promptness and professionalism!

Didn't do much for us...
I read this with my little kids after seeing a fantastic HBO Story - video version. (Wish that were available for sale - NOT.) We have enjoyed other Demi, but this one just didn't generate feeling.It needs a helping hand.

Good, but not Demi's best
This is a simple story with beautiful pictures, though it's not particularly engaging. Neither my kids nor I enjoy it as much as our other Demi favorites -- One Grain of Rice, Firebird, and The Empty Pot -- which we adore. These other three not only have superlative pictures but wonderful stories, each in different ways.

A resourceful boy triumphs over evil...
In this lively tale, a poor boy in China who longs to paint is given a magic paintbrush by a mysterious visitor.Suddenly the boy has the power to bring life to things that he paints.Liang uses this gift for good,until he must use his skill to outsmart an evil emperor who wants to usethe magic brush for his own greedy purposes.The ending is a bittroublesome- not as completely fair and peaceful as we might like - butthen, the tale is based on an old Chinese legend which, like Grimms' fairytales, were probably a lot more scary than story books today.Still, thestory is wonderful and exciting and the illustrations, though subtle, arelovely --delicate but colorful ink and watercolor drawings with lots ofdetail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Keeper of Treasure
Do you keep things? You know, horde treasures? If you could keep just one of those treasures, which would it be, especially if it signified something of great importance? Ba chose the lotus seed, the subject of this nostalgic story of Vietnam.

When she saw the child emperor abdicate, she ran into the royal garden and took a seed as a memento of a fallen leader (even though he was a mere figurehead at the time). After she married and had children, Ba still held onto the seed. When the war came, she escaped with her children as boat refugees. She grabbed the seed and not her pearl combs to take to America.

One day a grandson, headstrong and curious, wanted to see a lotus flower, so took Ba's precious seed and planted it near her onion patch. What is an emperor, he wanted to know. What is a golden dragon throne? What is a lotus bloom? These stories filled his head. Ba was heart-sick at the loss.

One day "a beautiful pink lotus/ unfurl[ed] its petals,/ so creamy and soft." Ba was delighted. "It is the flower of life and hope...the flower of my country." In time she gave a seed to each grandchild. The boy's sister, the narrator, hid her seed to repeat the new tradition for her own children one day.

So simple. But a simple story is brought to life by Tatsuro Kiuchi's "light-infused" paintings in oil and alkyd colors. There are three different lotus illustrations, each a unique artistic rendering. The first is a close-up of a single bloom against a mountain landscape in a brilliantly red-cast sky. The second is of the palace lotus garden where sunlight is soft and makes the blooms shimmer in whites and pinks. The third is a soft close-up of a single glowing pink bloom.

The lotus seed. A single treasure from Vietnam. I hope this story is true.

*The author's note at the end provides historical background of Vietnam.

A wonderful book
This has to be one of my favorite children's books and being a soon to be teacher I have read a lot of children's books. One of the reasons it's my favorite is that it touches a subject that is close to my heart, the Vietnamese culture. My mom came to America after the Vietnam war with my sister who was 5 and brother who was 1. I never knew how important the lotus seed could be, but growing up I enjoyed eating the fruit and peeling it off the seed. This book is truely one of a kind and as I read it I learned more about my mom's culutre and just how special it is.

This is one book that I'll keep for many, many years even when I retire from teaching.

Lotus seed
This book is great for encouraging students to ask questions and infer meaning!Try it out in the classroom!

This book is awsome
The lotus seed is about someone's grandmother who gets a lotus seed to remember her emperor.It takes place in Vietnam.It has lots of information obout what they used to flee from the Vietnam war.I think Tatsuro Kiuchi did a good job with the illustrations.I think every one from 5-8 should read this book.

Symbol of a Lotus Seed
This book helps me remember more about Vietnam and why I appreciate my culture so much.The significant symbolism of the lotus seed is the culture Vietnam and what the woman endurance in her past.Ba picked out a lotus seed from the imperial garden because of its beautiful and fresh scent.The lotus seed has never left her side as she carries it with her through the tragedy times and moved to a new country after the Vietnam War.One of her grandchildren planted the lotus seed in the backyard and it grew into a beautiful lotus flower.The beauty of it reminds Ba of her country.

This is definitely one of the best children's book I have ever read.The images are beautifully drawn as they describe Vietnam and the story.The symbolism of the lotus seed reminds me of my culture and I should never forget it.I really like how the author added a Vietnamese poem at the back.A must read for all young and old! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Great preschooler book for overcoming fears
My 4 yo daughter was introduced to this book at her preschool, where it's a perennial favorite. At first, she told me she didn't like it and that she would walk away from the circle when it was read, but over the course of a few months it became a favorite she talked about frequently. She would play an "Abiyoyo's coming" pretend game in which she would find ways to protect us. Clearly this book has played a role in helping her believe that she can find solutions to things she fears. We took it out of the library so many times I finally bought it for her, and months later she still loves it! Highly recommended.

Good, but not quite right
This was a book I bought on recommendation from a reading list. It was well illustrated, but definately not a "happy" type book. It doesn't teach as much as it illustrates, and it was too far removed from my kindergartner's level of understanding int he story line. Maybe for older kids? I just thought it was OK.

timeless classic
My three year old son gets as much joy out of this classic story as I did as a child (according to my mother).He identifies with the little boy as well as with the giant - and he asks for it over and over - the enclosed CD allows me to read to him or to let this be independent play as I need to.

MAGICAL effect
Got this book from a used book store when our kid was 2 years old.It'shad a magical effect on her even today, a year later.She has imitated the Abiyoyo character, begs me to make up Abiyoyo stories, tells me he's her friend, etc.We've read it at least 200 times.The monster is a real, significant presence in our daughter's life.

Perhaps because its phrasing comes from a song, the lines are memorable.Our child has memorized whole pages, and "sings" along when we read it to her.There's not a single word that can be deleted, it's that finely edited.

Definitely in the top 10 in our library.

abiyoyo
Illustarations excellent..story in the book and on dvd are a favortie of my grandchildren...must confess, even though I am 67, I enjoyed it too. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on January 3, 2003. The length of the article is 2103 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Pantalla grande. (En Proyeccion).(Resena de pelicula)
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 3, 2003
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 9Issue: 514Page: 41(1)

Article Type: Resena de pelicula

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more