Jan 31

Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs
by Ansel Adams
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Ansel Adams: 400 PhotographsPublisher: Ansel Adams
Salesrank: 2190
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Customer Reviews:
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS (2008-03-21)
This is a beautiful collection of Ansel Adams photos. A great coffee table book or, as was my purpose, an inspiration for a budding photographer.Ansel for Everyone (2008-02-22)
Ansel Adams might be the most famous art/nature photographer of all time. He inspired many with his images. In 400 photographs you get far more than a small sampling of a few famous images. This book shows Adams’ chronologic development as a photographer. With this format we can not only see his growth but also his depth something that is rare in book under $100. This volume is both something inexpensive and something anyone can be proud to display on ones coffee table.Almost perfect, were it not because of… (2008-01-20)
the size. This book is about the size of 8×11, so it’s not a large coffee table book size. What it lacks in area size, it makes it up in the number of great photos, all 400 of them.

I also own the Yosemite and the Range of Light, one of Ansel Adams most highly acclaimed publication printed back in the 70’s. I compared the two books. The 400 uses a whiter paper stock. Many of the photos in the 400 look different from the Range of Light. Some have more contrast, some have less. It is sort of like a slightly different interpretation. I closely compared a couple of the photos, in one case, I found the 400 has more shadow details in the deep shadow area, but the Range of Light counterpart has more emotional impact; the larger size may have to do with the emotional part. In another case,the 400 has less overall contrast, and a lot more shadow information comparing to the Range of Light, and I like the 400 interpretation better.

This book is a must have for Ansel Adams follower.Great Addition to My Photography/Art Books Collection (2008-01-13)
It’s no secret that Ansel Adams is an inspiration to any landscape photographer who loves to be outside, and this book is an excellent addition to my collection of photo/art related books.

Ansel Adams - 400 Photographs is the latest book related to Ansel Adams and this collection was compiled by Andrea Stillman, who worked for Adams in the 70s as his personal assistant. She is intimately familiar with his work, and according to the book, have spent much time contemplating what should be included . Her goal was to present a selection of the best images made by Adams during different periods of time (and images are presented chronologically to help us see the development in Ansel’s vision), and after finishing reading and looking through the book, I must say that she succeeded.

In this book you will find many of Ansel’s famous images, but what I liked particularly that you will also find many images that you have not seen before, especially from his early days and those that were made with his first cameras. For someone like myself who’s still a beginning photographer, I was inspired to see how it all started for this legendary photographer. You also will not see these kinds of rare images at usual Ansel’s exhibits.

The presentation of those images in terms of their sizes and how they are placed against the white background is eye pleasing. There is not much writing in the book, and Ansel’s work speaks for itself, which I found appropriate for a book with such title. In addition, the quality of paper and printing is excellent, which is always important when it comes to photography books.

Due to the amount of images presented in the book I know I’ll be looking through it again and again for inspiration, so the book is well worth it. It’ll also be a great book to put on a coffee table, when we finally get one for our living room.Great book (2007-12-28)
This is a great first Adams book. It gives you a sense of how the photographer grew in his professional life. I find myself looking at the pictures over and over again. Timeless subjects that give texture to the viewer. My only criticism is I wish the pages were larger. My copy arrived with a permanent crease in 10-15 pages from poor packaging on Amazon’s behalf. I’ve noticed over my last 3 shipments a decline in their packing for intl shipments. Heads up. 

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Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs

Jan 31

Loved at First Sight: A Mother’s True Story of Eleven Adopted Children
by Marilyn Diskerud
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Loved at First Sight: A Mother's True Story of Eleven Adopted ChildrenPublisher: Father & Son Pub
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Heartfelt Story (2001-02-07)
This is a wonderful story, that in my opinion, isn’t meant as a "guide" to parenting or adoption, however it is a look into how rewarding adoption can be. For those unable to have biological children, this book proves that the happiness and joy of having a family can be acheived. My hats off to this fine couple who provided a loving and happy home to their children and perhaps given hope to many. 

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Loved at First Sight: A Mother's True Story of Eleven Adopted Children

Jan 31

Egyptology
by Ian Andrew, Dugald Steer
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EgyptologyPublisher: Candlewick
Salesrank: 9742
Released: 2004-11-04
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Customer Reviews:
Not as good as I expected (2008-03-25)
I was actually disappointed in this Ology book. I have two others and the way the information is presented in them plus the little extras were just better in those. There weren’t as many exciting extras in this one as I expected and the “mummy cloth” example was a bit disappointing. I bought this for my daughter and she became bored quickly due to the confusing way the pages were written and presented. I am hoping the next Ology I choose will be more like the first two I have.A beautiful book (2007-12-29)
My sister loved this book. It is beautifully drawn, illustrated, and written. There are many wonderful pull outs and the budding archaeologist in our family loved it. :D Great! (2007-12-11)
I had been looking at this book for about a year and was on the fence about buying it. The main reason was because it was 20-25 dollars everywhere. When I saw it for under 14 on Amazon I knew it was a bargain! It’s wrapped up safe under my tree and I know my daughter will love it!A book to treasure!! (2007-12-04)
I am a life-long Egyptology buff, and co-author of a novel, Secret of the Sands, that is set in Egypt and I was absolutely thrilled to receive this as a Christmas present one year. It has sat proudly showcased on my main bookshelf ever since. Not only is it a lovely book to look at, the design of its interior is like leafing through the personal notebook of an Egypt-traveller. Its fun design includes all kinds of interesting things to open & unravel. It is a book that children find fascinating, because of all the little hidden items they can discover, plus the book is packed full of great facts about Egypt. This book truly does do justice to Egypt and her magnificent and unrivaled history. My house is decorated throughout with Egyptian art and this book is a wonderful addition to my home. It is a keepsake I will treasure forever…

A great gift for the Egypt-buff in your family!!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

www.secretofthesands.com

“A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion.”

-McNally Robinson

A stupid pop up book (2007-08-30)
What a waste of paper. I was very disappointed when my cohort recently purchased this book. She told me it was a pop up book for little kids, but I could see through the lies and deceit. Unlike my friend Maryanne I can see this book for what it really is….a cheap gimmick to exploit the middle class of America. As if we didn’t have enough I-Spy books, pop-up books, and Dora the Explora books. Her kids did enjoy the book however, and even learned a bit of Egyptian culture. The ends do not justify the means. I would much rather have my child look up Egyptian history and culture for a fraction of the cost on the internet. Please save your money and invest it in a more productive manner. Children can learn from pop-up books, but poor quality books like these are not worth the money. 

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Egyptology

Jan 31

Print Reading for Construction: Residential and Commercial : Write-In Text With 116 Large Prints
by Walter Charles Brown, Daniel P. Dorfmueller
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Print Reading for Construction: Residential and Commercial : Write-In Text With 116 Large PrintsPublisher: Goodheart-Willcox Co
Salesrank: 29511
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Customer Reviews:
good reference book (2007-12-28)
This book shows all aspects of print reading. It can help take away the brain freeze many people get when they look at a set of prints for the first time. However, there is no better practice than to consistently read prints in the field, since many prints still are not written in the same formats and structure.Written in a plain English Style (2003-07-29)
I have been teaching print reading for over 4 years, & this is my required text. Print Reading for Construction is written in a very plain English style and works very well in diverse classroom settings. In addition, this text provides a great deal of sample building plans for sharpening your skills. 

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Print Reading for Construction: Residential and Commercial : Write-In Text With 116 Large Prints

Jan 31

The Learning Annex Presents Making Money in Real Estate: A Smarter Approach to Real Estate Investing
by Robert Shemin
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The Learning Annex Presents Making Money in Real Estate: A Smarter Approach to Real Estate InvestingPublisher: Wiley
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Customer Reviews:
Brilliant Teacher (2008-01-14)
Bob Shemin is a genius,one in a million.

You want to really LEARN about the subject matter,this is the book,this is your man.Excellent Real Estate Investors beginning tool (2006-03-27)
It is almost everything you need to know in one book for real estate investing. I would highly recommend this book.The Great Real Estate Guru Shemin in a Nutshell (2004-10-11)
Robert Shemin has a great reputation as a master teacher in real estate, and this book does not disappoint. I am a homeowner and thought I knew enough to get by — to make a small residential real estate investment and to even start to dabble in small commercial properties. But I am grateful that before I parted with my money, I got a chance to read Shemin’s Learning Annex book. It is a gem. He distills a lot of complicated stuff and it is even fun to read. 

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The Learning Annex Presents Making Money in Real Estate: A Smarter Approach to Real Estate Investing

Jan 31

A Bloody Business: America’s War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of Iraq
by Gerry Schumacher
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A Bloody Business: America's War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of IraqPublisher: Zenith Press
Salesrank: 49622
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Customer Reviews:
Interesting, but too much Message (2008-04-19)
This book had tons of information and great stories but it also had almost 3 pages of political jargon at the start of each chapter. If you can wade through the “commercials” for private contracting you will enjoy this book.A Balanced, Objective Account (2008-01-01)
While Jeremy Schall’s book on Blackwater is very well reported and informative, it is infused with anti-contractor bias, whereas Schumacher’s account allows for the necessity of contractors to the military to fill voids left by U.S. (and other Western countries’) policy. Pelton’s book, while it contains some anti-contractor bias, is exciting and the best of the lot in my view.An interesting read on the PMC world (2007-12-30)
A Bloody Business looks at the world of the Private Military Contractor from the inside out. Col. Schumacher’s views on the PMC and the niche that they occupy in the world of security are made fairly evident in the first chapter. He sees the contractor as the “redheaded stepchild” that performs an important and valuable task yet recieves no respect for carrying it out.

Schumacher’s organization of the prose sometimes left me wanting. I found myself constantly saying “so what?” through out the reading. I would like him to have spelled out his point a little more. That being said, the Colonel’s chapter on the trucking contractors was compelling to say the least. The journalistic style during this chapter really brings an interesting question to the forefront; What are we to do if civilians are killed in a combat zone? Why are they there in the first place? These questions unfortunately do not the space they deserve in the book, however the overall information that the Colonel provides makes it worthwhile.A Bloody Business (2007-07-31)
I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book. I was pleasantly surprised. I initially had a very negative view of military contractors, mostly due to the media bias in our country. The book spells out what type of contractors serve in Iraq and what I enjoyed the most, gives personal accounts of the contractors who serve. I am considering taking a position as an International Police Officer in Iraq and I found the personal accounts of the officers who served there quite compelling.

The author remains very politically neutral, unlike recent books I have read about this subject, and lets the reader decide how he or she feels about the involvement of “civilians” in the warzone. I only wish he could have dug a little deeper and gathered more personal accounts, but this is still a good read nevertheless.A Bloody Buisness (2007-03-30)
Gerry Schumacher brings the gritty world of security contractors into focus in this very informative book. War stories from actual contractors, re-told from the vantage point of a battle seasoned veteran. Plus, the experiences of a retired soldier who was in Iraq, met the people, and ran some of the missions. If you are looking for a political agenda, this is not your book:) If you are looking for a window into life in Iraq, this is an excellent collection of stories that changed my view about contractors and about what life in Iraq is like outside the spin zone. 

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A Bloody Business: America's War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of Iraq

Jan 31

Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder Power Manual
by Leo Santucci
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Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder Power ManualPublisher: California Bill’S Automotive Handbooks
Salesrank: 168950
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Customer Reviews:
Great How to Book (2008-04-21)
This book is hands down the best book I have read about the Chevrolet 6cyl. It gives very in depth explinations of how to achieve excellent power and/or performance out of your 6cyl.My review (2008-03-01)
Very helpful, lots of combined information from a number of sources

Well worth the purchase!Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder Power Manual (2007-12-18)
Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder Power Manual This is possibly the most incredible well written and informative engine performance book ever written. It’s not just that I am smitten by the late model Chevrolet Inline Six Cylinder motors. No they are a mere testament to perfection. Ask anyone who has driven a car with these engines and they simply last forever.

But I digress, what Mr. Santucci has done here is assemble and share his most comprehensive insiders knowledge to building these outstanding American engines into true performance overachievers! He also details everyone in America who specializes in building this inline six and gives the novice many tips on durability and general performance.

Outstanding and if I may say “The Bible” of the Chevrolet L6 Engine!!

Bravo!

James KuenziBest Chevy Six Book Ever! (2007-11-29)
I’m a graduate mechanical engineer and former Chevy Six racer, and this book taught me things I never knew - or even thought about. It gives every piece of info necessary to select and build a Chevy or GMC six from mild street to full race. It even provides the part numbers and interchangeability info, so you can’t go wrong if you pay attention to the author’s comments.

Also included are the strengths and weaknesses of each engine model, modifications necessary to get reliable performance and power, and little secrets of tuning that make the difference between good and great engines.

If the info you’re looking for isn’t in this book, you don’t need the info.

VERY highly recommended!!Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder Power Manual (2007-05-15)
I found this book to be very informative and easy to understand. I had been looking for sometime, for any information reguarding the chevrolet inline six cylinders, 250 and 292. It really help me with the knowledge and unstanding of this inline six cylinder motor, that i find to be very inpressive and highly underated by most small block V-8 chevy motor heads. I just wish I could have found this book long before I finished building my motor. But that’s ok, I already have plans for the next motor and I will be refering to this book when building torque and horsepower. 

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Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder Power Manual

Jan 31

Living Faith (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper))
by Jimmy Carter
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Living Faith (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper))Publisher: Random House Large Print
Salesrank: 887083
Released: 1996-10-29
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Customer Reviews:
Spiritual autobiography that will help you better understand President Carter (2008-03-13)
Heard LIVING FAITH, a spiritual autobiography read and written by

President Jimmy Carter . . . it helped me understand this remarkable man

who has perhaps accomplished more since he left office–in large part

because of his religious beliefs.

You don’t have to be Baptist, either, to enjoy this book . . . it contains

lessons from the Bible that apply to any faith, and you’ll also enjoy

hearing about the many experiences, friends and family members who

have affected Carter’s life.

For example, he credits Miss Judy Coleman (one of his former teachers)

for teaching him that “We must adjust to changing times, but hold

to unchanging principles.”

And from a Pastor Cruz, he learned the following: “You only have

to have two loves in your life: 1. For God; and 2. For the person in front

of you at any particular point in time.”

Lastly, I liked these guidelines he shared for praying: “When I pray,

I ask: Am I pursuing the right goals? Am I holding to my personal

code? And have I done my best?”

This was the first book I have read by President Carter . . . I’m now

tempted to seek out some others he have written, particularly

if I can hear his soothing voice do the narration.Down to earth (2007-10-07)
A well written book that’s easy to read. If you want to get a good understanding of why Carter took or didn’t take certain actions while in office and the greater accomplishments he’s made since, you’ll enjoy the book. Learn about what makes Carter who he is.My introduction to Jimmy (2007-04-29)
This was the first book I read writen By x president Jimmy Carter

I was one of you who didn’t give him a second chance,(Because of all the yellow ribbons in my neighborhood,) Which in my case This book opened my eyes to what he was dealing with while in office.

GREAT BOOK to make you feel ashamed, If you like me were feeling pretty hawkish at the time HOSTAGES issues were all over the front page.

This man will be recorded as our biggest blunder not keeping him in office! If we want to be thought of as a great people insted of our current world wide profileA Moving Memoir (2005-05-03)
I really appreciated Carter’s description of his personal faith and his attempts to live and practice Christianity in today’s world. I think progressive Christians will find this book speaks to them in their attempts to reconcile a very real faith with an outward-looking and inclusive world-view. Being engaged in left-wing causes does NOT require abandoning religious faith, and we need more men and women to assert that there IS a religious left, too. In fact, for many, religious faith is the inspiration that leads us into politics. I can’t beileve a man this kind and sincere and gentle was ever president, it seems so bizarre considering today’s realities.A Gentle Man and a Gentleman (2005-01-20)
Former President Jimmy Carter is a truly outstanding person. He is very devoutly committed to his faith and he uses illustrations from his own life to affirm the faith that guides him.

Carter is indeed a humble peacemaker and this book is a sterling testament to faith, hope and living a good life. It is a book for everybody regardless of faith. It is a book about core values and internal beliefs. It is a book about the power of sharing. 

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Living Faith (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper))

Jan 31

CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition
by Todd Lammle, William Tedder
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CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium EditionPublisher: Sybex
Salesrank: 31644
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Customer Reviews:
Pass the CCNA (2008-04-11)
This product was great practice for the CCNA. I can not afford a router and switch, so this product was a good solution for me.CCNA Virtual Lab (2008-03-13)
The CCNA Virtual Lab is a product which I do recommend. It works well and offers many features. It comes with several labs to learn from and to work with which enhances the learning experience. The downfall is that it’s somewhat confusing to learn the many features. It would be nice if the program came with not just the cd but also with a written manual. The instructions are included with the cd but it would be easier and less work if the student didn’t have to click on the ‘Help’ icon and look things up and make sure on how to perform a certain task. Program does have some quirks. I couldn’t get a 2950 switch to take a few commands and according to the ‘help’ area I was entering the commands correctly. After a while the command was taken. Frustrating!! All in all I do recommend this program for the serious student.great software (2008-03-12)
I’ve been using this software for the past few months. I took the CCNA exam yesterday and passed. Thanks CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition!Great learning tool for the CCNA exam (2007-11-12)
I purchased the CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition in June of this year and I couldn’t be more pleased. I read some of the negative reviews and I felt compelled to respond since the major complaints seem trivial compared to what the software actually does.

The licensing scheme is very straight forward. You have to be connected to the internet when you install the license and after that you don’t. If your computer crashes, you can get your license reactivated - no big deal.

The hosts in the program support ping, tracert, and telnet. Not sure you need anything else to pass the CCNA exam.

I’m almost done working through the labs and the program has never crashed. One thing I did notice right away is how easy it is to design the network and connect devices. I like the fact that the devices look like the real devices and not the hockey pucks.

I’ve worked through the RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, and NAT/PAT labs and learned quite a bit. Another neat thing about the software is the ability to save my network at any point and reload it when I have a chance to work on it.

If you want to study towards your CCNA and get some hands on experience, I recommend purchasing this product.Disappointingly Overpriced with DRM that Makes it Worse. Avoid if You Can. (2007-10-24)
I was required to purchase this for my class and am disappointed that my instructor chose this particular software title. Before I explain the quality of the software, let me explain the DRM licensing scheme. For starters, you must be connected to the internet to activate the license. Yes, you must activate the license to use it. Their server then deducts one from the number of activations you have remaining (you get two). When you’re done, you can deactivate the license and place the activation back on the server if you choose. If you’re unlucky and need to reinstall Windows after an activation, then you’ve just lost a license activation. If you’re in the middle of nowhere without an internet connection and want to get some practice in, too bad, you won’t be able to use the software that you paid for.

Now on to the software itself. You can install virtual switches, routers, and hosts. Double clicking on any of them brings up a command prompt that allows you to configure the device. The hosts are a joke. Double clicking a host brings up an MS-DOS command prompt that only allows you to PING other machines. Apparently TRACERT, IPCONFIG, ROUTE, and ARP commands don’t exist to the author. The stability of the software is questionable as I’ve had it crash on me twice. There is also a bug that prevents me from getting out of the connection mode.

Avoid this software if you can. I wish my teacher had allowed us to use something else as I am really disappointed with this simultor. 

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CCNA Virtual Lab, Titanium Edition

Jan 31

The Shadow Club
by Neal Shusterman
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The Shadow ClubPublisher: Dutton Juvenile
Salesrank: 1206456
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Customer Reviews:
Practical Jokes Gone Awry (2007-07-01)
Jared, a ninth-grader, is so sick of always being the second-best runner on his team. No matter how hard he pushes himself, he is always beaten by Austin. To make things worse, Austin loves to rub it in when he beats Jared.

Jared’s best friend Cheryl knows how he feels. Her cousin Rebecca, who is a year younger than her, is a better singer than Cheryl and she seems to be constantly rubbing Cheryl’s face in that fact. Jared and Cheryl are both fed up.

When they feel they can’t take it anymore, Jared and Cheryl decide to start a secret club to vent their feelings–The Shadow Club. They invite Cheryl’s little brother Randall, who is the number two swimmer on his team. They invite the second best trumpeter, the second prettiest girl in the class, the second best basketball player, and the second best student to join.

All of the members of the club get together and at first aren’t sure what to do besides say bad things about those who are beating them all of the time. Then they decide that more needs to be done. Jared comes up with the idea of playing practical jokes on those students they detest. He thinks if no one knows about the club and no one plays a joke on his or her own enemy, all of the club members will escape being suspected of playing the jokes. So it starts.

Green slime shows up in a trumpet before a big solo. The best student’s pet tarantula is put in the hood of the best runner’s sweatshirt. The best swimmer has his toenails painted bright red while he’s asleep.

The members of the Shadow Club are thrilled with their accomplishments. But then things start getting out of control. Jokes are being played that no one seems to know about, and they are getting meaner and more destructive by the day. Could someone be trying to frame the members of the club?

I thought this book captured the attitude of many junior high school students–it highlighted the feelings of competition and the petty nastiness that occurs in students of this age. I thought Jared should have been able to see when things were getting out of control, though, and should have been able to stop the club before anything bad happened.Wow… You got to read this book!!! (2007-05-25)
The Shadow Club

By: Neal Shusterman

Review done by: A Mid-Prairie Teen Student

You would have no idea what you would be expecting if you got a book titled The Shadow Club, I sure didn’t. The Shadow Club is a great book having middle school to high schooled aged students making mistakes and seeing the consequences in the end.

Jared, a middle school aged kid, is the main kid in this story. He is the second best runner in his school and hates being second best. He absolutely hates Eric, the best runner in school, and would do absolutely anything he could to be better than Eric. This is where the trouble started.

Jared’s friend Cheryl, the second best singer, wanted to start a club called the Shadow Club. This means for people to come to this club if they’re second best in something. Like second best singer, second smartest person in school, and even second prettiest girl in school. All these second best kids formed this club and got themselves into trouble without even knowing it.

This is quite a story and it is written by Neal Shusterman a fantastic author. He is an American author of books for young readers, and also a screenwriter. He has won and award called the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for The Schwa Was Here, and he was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He now lives in Orange County, California with his four children. So as you have seen he has a busy life but he has certainly used some of his time to write great books.

This is an amazing book but I’m not going to tell you what happened in the end. Once you read it, it will shock you incredibly as you will see. I will tell you though that it teaches great things like making friends, the trouble you can get yourself into with just starting little things, and how much hate can really hurt someone else’s life.

I dare you to read this book even if you think you’re the best person in your school. Just go and read this book so that you can see the secrets some second best people may be thinking right now.

My favorite book to read aloud (2006-07-29)
I have been reading the Shadow Club to my 7th graders for more than 10 years. The humor, especially in the character of Ralphy Sherman, keeps the class listening. The suspense builds to the point that I have students begging me not to stop reading. Many students tried to buy the book because they just couldn’t wait for me to finish reading. I was happy for a few years that it was out of print, so they couldn’t find it to read ahead of me.

There are many lessons that apply directly to children of middle school age, and my favorite is looking at how the students laughed at Tyson McGaw at the beginning, but feel for him at the end of the book. Hopefully they will look closer at individuals and not make fun of them because they are different.

I have never had a student who didn’t like this book and it is the only one that I have read that when I finish, the students applaud.The Shadow Club (2006-07-19)
There are the winners, the people who are first all the time, never losing. Then there are the second bests, almost coming in first. That is what the book ‘The Shadow Club’ is all about, beating the best.

Jared Mercer is the second best runner, second best to Austin Pace. This Austin teases him everyday, until one day, it’s too much. That was the start of the Shadow Club.

Jared and Cheryl, best friends, decide on five other people to be in their club. Randall is the second best swimmer, Jason, the second best trumpet player, Abbie, second most popular girl, Karin “O.P.” Han, second smartest, and Darren, the second best basketball player. They play small, seemingly harmless pranks - painting the swimmer’s toenails, giving out pages of the most popular girl’s diary - but then someone listens in on a meeting, Tyson McGaw. Tyson is a foster child with no friends. Then when someone starts to frame hime, things go spiralling out of control Tyson is all to blame. But are things really how they seem?

Shusterman is a great writer. You can really relate to the book which has a ton of detail. It keeps you on the edge and so does the following book, ‘The Shadow Club Rising’.

~ADWhen Revenge Goes a Little Too Far… (2006-02-24)
Meet the second-bests: a group of kids who, although they have one thing they’re best at, still get beat daily by the “unbeatables.” Although these kids are good kids, well-behaved, smart, athletic, interesting, their lives are being ruined by those who always seem to be one step ahead, stealing the limelight and rubbing it in until you just wish they’d never been born.

Thus is the basis for THE SHADOW CLUB, a secret group of seven kids who decided to get back at those who make their lives miserable by playing harmless pranks on them–pranks that will embarass them before their admirers, and give the second-besters their just due.

Except revenge, as revenge always seems to do, comes back to bite you in the butt. Pranks start getting out of control, even though they’re not being comitted by the Shadow Club members. Someone’s out to sabotage their club, and one of the “unbeatables” could wind up getting seriously hurt–even killed. As the Club seeks to get the biggest loser in school, Tyson McGaw, to confess to the pranks, the Shadow Club comes to realize that they might not be the all-around good kids that they thought they were.

What started out as fun is turning into something darker, and no one seems to know how to make it stop.

THE SHADOW CLUB is a great read by Neal Shusterman. Dealing with human nature, the fact that kids can traumatize each other more than anyone else can, and the fact that we all have anger inside of us is forefront in the story. A great read!

 

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The Shadow Club

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