Editorial Review

Fighting off a pack of starving wolves, wrestling alligators in theswamp, romping with bear cubs, drawing off the venom of a giant rattlesnake bite with the heart of a fresh-killed deer--it's all in a day's work for the Baxter family of the Florida scrublands. But young Jody Baxter is not content with these electrifying escapades, or even with the cozy comfort of home with Pa and Ma. He wants a pet, a friend with whom he can share his quiet cogitations and his corn pone. Jody gets his pet, a frisky fawn he calls Flag, but that's not all. With Flag comes a year of life lessons, frolicking times, and achingly hard decisions. This powerful book is as compelling now as when it was written over 60 years ago. Read simply as a naturalist study of the Florida interior, it fascinates and entices. Add the heart-stopping adventure and heart-wrenching human elements, and this is a classic well worth its Pulitzer Prize. Earthy dialect and homespun wisdom season the story, giving it a unique and unforgettable flavor, and N.C. Wyeth's warm, soft illustrations capture an era of rough subsistence and sweet survival. (Ages 12 and older) Read more

Reviews (89)

I Feel Sorry for the So-Called "Kids" and Teens of the 1 Star
I originally wasn't planning to write another review for amazon.com, but the movie of "The Yearling" was on TV last night. Remembering how it touched me, especially the sorrowful end, I decided to take a look at the reviews posted here.
The Yearling
I remember checking The Yearling out of the library when I was 10 or 11. I read the first few pages and was so intimidated by the length of the novel that I returned it to the library two weeks later...unread. My loss. I just finished reading this book and it is a beautiful, poignant, rich story that I will hold in my heart forever. I appreciated Rawlings' detailed descriptions and her extensive character development. I felt like I was really there in the Florida scrub experiencing everything that Jody experienced. Jody's love for Flag is so lovely, touching, beautiful...and familiar. Have you ever had a pet whom you loved more than anyone else in the world and would do anything for? There is no other love like it...it is true devotion. The scene where Jody meets Flag is so enthralling that I wanted to read it over and over. I felt like I knew each character and I became so attached to Jody and Flag and their devoted friendship that I wept in more places than one.
Surviving and Thriving in the Wilderness by Rawlings
This book is a classic. It opens with Jody leaving a log
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Subjects:  1. Animals - Pets    2. Children's 12-Up - Literature - Classics    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Deer    6. Farm life    7. Florida    8. Juvenile fiction    9. Parent and child    10. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (12)

Weak in the middle
Robinson Crusoe lives an unsettled life, until Fate settles it for him by leaving him shipwrecked on a tropical island.The island has an abundance of resources, and Crusoe is a resourceful survivor-type, so survival is never really an issue.Sanity is more an issue, although Dafoe writes Crusoe as a bit too adaptable to be credible.The beginning of the book, and the very end, are well-paced and well-written, but the large middle is slow and overly detailed.An undercooked loaf of bread might be good around the edges, but disappointingly doughy inside; this description fits this book as well.Nonetheless, it is a classic, and one of the earliest adventures written.There are many issues in the book that now seem archaic, but they did fit their historical time-period.The story was recently retold in the film "Cast Away."

Never Dry, Always Satisfying.
Yes, I know that title sounds like a beer commercial. I figured a three-hundred-year-old book needed an updating in the promotions department and except for sex, booze sells the best when it comes to advertising. Seriously, though, Robinson Crusoe is a rich character study that sheds light on the outlook of the human mind of the period, on the world, on civilization's merits, on basic behavior when confronted with extraordinary circumstances for which nothing in life has prepared you. Its tale of one Englishman shipwrecked on an uncharted island greets something wistful inside us all, some part of us that longs to "get away from it all" and escape. Yet at the same time, this novel also provokes a fear reaction from within, as Crusoe lives out his and our own terror of abandonment, of total loss, of being forgotten. This is a classic novel that addresses ageless themes and wraps them in a story that's actually quite good forits age and all location-imposed limitations.

More than just a man on an island
It's one of the classic man-alone surviver adventure stories. The bit on the island is actually only a small portion of the overall narrative. The bulk of the book follows Crusoe's attempts to reassimilate in English society after his time on the island living as a savage. Of course the movie versions only cover the time on the island, leaving the ending to assume that Crusoe will live happily ever after once he's rescued. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - General    6. Fiction    7. Islands    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Shipwrecks    10. Survival    11. Sale Books    12. Sale Children - Children's Books - Ages 9-12   

Reviews (3)

Fun, but problematic
My five-year old and I love the Wyeth illustrations and the stories which surround them. She is a big Robin Hood fan and we're always trying out 'new versions' (her words) of the classic tales. This is one of the winners, for accessible prose, short chapters and, of course, the beautiful paintings.
The Definitive Edition
In your youth , this was the edition that send you to another time and place . N.C.Wyeth's art is without equal . Each plate pulls the reader deeper into the text. What more could one ask of a book ; a fun read, classic literature, and fine art. I am most thankful that it is again available for my grandkids .

The great and merry adventures of England's greatest hero.
It is a time of crisis in England.With the good King Henry dead and the rightful ruler, unknowing Richard, fighting in the Crusades, the evil Prince John seizes the throne.Interested only in making himself richer,and having no consideration for the poor and middle class people, hebecomes a tyrant respected by the haughty rich (few), and hated by thecommoners (many).Young Robin of Locksley, son of the Ranger of Locksley,has his lands taken from him by force after the Ranger dies.Robin, castout with no home, joins an outlaw gang dedicated to helping the poor.HowRobin - who laters becomes head of the gang - defends the gang, helps thepoor, and wins a name for himself throughout England as "RobinHood", makes this book the magical story it is. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Classics    4. England    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - European    6. Folklore    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Legends    9. Robin Hood (Legendary characte    10. Robin Hood (Legendary character)    11. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (69)

Castaways in the Pacific
The book opens with two prisoners of the Cofederate army along with three other men escaping in a hot air balloon.Contrary to their plans, a storm arises that blows them all the way to an uncharted volcanic island in the southern Pacific.Cyrus Harding is the natural leader of the group, and apparently very well informed in matters of science, proceeds to guide the men into establishing a colony, and providing for their every need.They use the resources found on the island, as well as their education.The book is in the genre of "The Swiss Family Robinson", except that as one of the men said, "they quite took the wind out of the sails of the Robinsons, for whom everything was done by a miracle."The first half of the book details how they were able to provide for their needs, and build a home on the island.The reading can become tedious unless the science of the way they performed each action is considered very interesting.I enjoyed it for a while, but not being too scientific myself, near the end of the second half of the book, I just wanted to get through it.It is very detailed, and if I was interested in it all, it truly would have been captivating.
Mysteries abound
After reading The Mysterious Island, I wonder how much Jules Verne's current reputation is based on 1950s and '60s movies loosely--very loosely--adapted from his novels. In this book, there are no giant crabs or bees, or aliens, or even women. There are five men and a dog seeking to escape besieged Richmond during the Civil War who are carried off in a balloon by hurricane winds to an uncharted island in the Pacific, where they find and make what they need to survive.
"All great actions redound to God, for it is from Him that they come!": Faith and Science
Jules Verne's _The Mysterious Island_ (1874 - 1875) is a massive work in terms of its scope and development.Verne spends over six hundred pages describing the lives of five castaways on a deserted island over a three year period.The men--Cyrus Smith, Gideon Spilett, Nebuchadnezzar (Neb), Pencroff, and Harbert Brown--have escaped captivity from Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War.Taking to flight on an unguarded Confederate hot air balloon (an "aerostat") during a storm, the five men find themselves blown wildly off course-- providentially, though, to a hitherto undiscovered island in the middle of the wastes of the Pacific Ocean.
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Subjects:  1. Adventure and adventurers    2. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    5. Classics    6. Fiction    7. French Prose    8. Islands of the Pacific    9. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    10. Adventure stories    11. French    12. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Editorial Review

Climb aboard for the swashbuckling adventure of a lifetime. Read more

Reviews (233)

Let us dance the dance of life
I had to read this book when I was in 7th grade and I really didn't care for itand after I read through it I forgot all about it. Luckily I accidentally kept it and didn't return it because years later I came across it and I decided to give it another chance. I'm glad I did because it's a good adventure book that will keep you interested the whole time. This book has everything from buried treasure, pirates, fighting, sailing on the open seas anddrinking rum. This is a book for both children and adults looking for adventure and a way to escape their everyday life.

A Must Read!
Excellent. A fantastic tale of greed, heroics, and courage. The hero, Jim Hawkins, is swept into a perilous adventure when an old pirate wanders into his home and dies, leaving behind a legendary treasure map. Creative, fun, and exciting, Treasure Island is a must read for people of all ages!

Great piece of pirate myth!
The book is a classy reproduction of the original with all of the wonderful N.C. Wyeth illustrations.A great addition to any library with a piratical bent of mind. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th Century English Novel And Short Story    2. Action & Adventure    3. Action & Adventure - General    4. Adventure and adventurers    5. Buried treasure    6. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    7. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    8. Children: Grades 4-6    9. Classics    10. Fiction    11. Pirates    12. 19th century fiction    13. English    14. Juvenile Fiction / Classics    15. Novels, other prose & writers: 19th century   

Reviews (3)

A good glimpse of history for children
I thought that this book was a really good book.The best part about it was that it had to do with history.I think it will still keep the interest of kids while teaching them about what happened back then.It also had great pictures.While I was reading it, the pictures jumped out at me.It wasn't too lengthy either.I found that to be quite nice.I would recommend it to children if they are looking for an interesting and educational book.With this book, you can not only enjoy it, but you can also learn.That is why I gave it 5 stars.

Wyeth's glorious Pilgrim murals for Metropolitan Life
N.C. Wyeth studied under Howard Pyle, the father of American illustration, and it clearly shows in this book about the Pilgrims. In 1940 Wyeth was commissioned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York to paint the murals used to illustrate this book, completing fourteen murals in five years before dying in a car accident. Wyeth proposed a historical series entitled "The Ballad of America" that would begin with the Pilgrims and continue through the California gold rush, but Met Life decided to limit the series to the Plymouth colony. Wyeth challenging the prevailing belief of Pilgrim society as unremittingly grim by painting scenes that reflected his romantic and lyrical style. He expanded his original vision to include scenes of wildlife, trying to give an idea of the beautiful land the Pilgrims found in the New World. An Attractive and Readable Book on the Pilgrims!
The lush, romanticized illustrations--in the same tradition as Norman Rockwell--by renowned American artist N.C. Wyeth, are what first draws young readers to this book. While the paintings taken from Wyeth's murals may not always line up with the clear, concise writing of Robert San Souci, it doesn't detract from the narrative.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Historical - United States - Colonial    4. History    5. Juvenile literature    6. Massachusetts    7. New Plymouth, 1620-1691    8. Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony)    9. Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) in art    10. American history    11. Illustration    12. Juvenile Fiction / Historical / United States / Colonial & Revolutionary Periods    13. USA   

Reviews (27)

Great Stuff!
I loved this book as a kid, and found new depths to it when I came back to it as an adult.A must-read!The breadth of imagination and the color and vividness of the descriptions are hard to match, and the characters are memorable -- Samkin Aylward the master-archer is my favorite.

Thank you Louis Lamour
I discovered the White Company while reading Louis Lamour's "Education of A Wondering Man".It was included in Lamours reading list from the 1930's.On a lark i checked it out.
Never drags-lots of excitement- great YA or even older book
I can't remember how I happened on this book- probably Amazon herded me to it- but I'm quite glad. I'm more of a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories, but I found this as enjoyable as The Black Arrow or Robin Hood or any other medieval book that I've read, and I'd never even heard of it before. The protagonist is a young man raised at the monastery who joins a band of rough but good hearted archers and follows their exploits as they head to war in France and Spain. The old agnostic (Doyle) weaves in more respect for the Catholic church than one usually sees from so-called church leaders today,combined with some common sense insights of true morality. For Doyle chivalry not only is not dead, it'll cut off the head of anyone who says otherwise. In other words, a man's word was worth something, and a man's actions were worth even more. Lots of swordplay, a little (very little) romance, some interesting and well developed characters, and an undercurrent of humor. Not as clever as the Holmes books, but a lot more action, and one learns a little English history at the same time. I'd highly, highly recommend it for kids, or anyone really, and I am amazed that it's fallen through the cracks to this point- at least for me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Archers    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Fiction    6. Historical - Medieval    7. Hundred Years' War, 1339-1453    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Knights and knighthood    10. Middle Ages    11. Royalty (kingsqueensprincesprincessesknightsetc.)    12. Juvenile Fiction / General    13. Modern fiction   

Reviews (103)

The Best of the Robinson Crusoe readings.
Everyone knows the story...so the issue is who can read the
An Affirmation of the Times
The century in which Robinson Crusoe had his adventures was a time of exploration and colonialism.Daniel Defoe's story is famous for many reasons.For one thing, it is one of the first books to be written in modern English.Secondly, the adventuristic appeal has won the hearts and interests of generations of readers.And thirdly, it is an affirmation of the culture and society of the times (in comparison with Gulliver's Travels, a book that was more a satire of the times).
legendary story seems not to have aged very well..
Most everyone in the English-speaking world has heard of 'Robinson Crusoe' and know roughly what the story is about (Englishman gets marooned on a island and runs into fellow castaway sidekick he calls Friday).And upon reading the book there are no surprises.It reads like a book written 300 years ago: it's language is a bit stiff, lots of preaching of Christianity and Christian values, absolutely no sex.There is some violence but it is not belabored nor is it graphic.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Adventure stories    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Classics    6. Crusoe, Robinson (Fictitious c    7. Crusoe, Robinson (Fictitious character)    8. Fiction    9. Shipwrecks    10. Survival after airplane accide    11. Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc.    12. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (1)

Ripped Off
This book is an abridged version of the classic.However, this was not known to us until we received it.Since this was not what we wanted we had to return it and Amazon charged us for the shipping.Rip Off!We've lost faith in Amazon. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Adventure and adventurers    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Classics    7. Fiction    8. History    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Scotland    11. Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894    12. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (2)

Whoa that was Awesome!
In the book The Last of the Mohicans, I could not believe the amount of Old Literature there was inside.Many times I found though that the descriptions (although long) were helpful and gave me a precise image of the story.The main characters are pretty cool and have a thrilling adventure in many intense battles and journeys in the area north of present day New York during the French Indian War.I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure and likes stories that stretch your mind with a good literate workout.Oh and by the way Galloway, this was actually pretty darn cool.I liked this book a lot. See ya in class!

pretty good!
"The Last of Mohicans" bu James Cooper was an interesting novel, about French-Indian war. It kind of reminded me of Pocahontas, but yet this is much more interesting. One of the parts that kept me on reading were when Duncan, a major in the English army who had to guard the daughters of his enemies, goes on to save Alice, who was kidnapped. He finally manages to escape and still has to fight. Eventually there is more conflict going with a suprising ending. Kind of made me sad, 'cause I didn't want it to end like that. Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Fiction    6. French and Indian War, 1755-17    7. History    8. Indians of North America    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Mohegan Indians    11. Social Issues - Friendship    12. Social Situations - Friendship    13. United States    14. Juvenile Nonfiction / Adventure & Adventurers   

Reviews (6)

If you loved kidnapped
"David Balfour" by Robert Louis Stevenson continues the coming of age story begun in "Kidanapped".In "Kidnapped" we saw a young man stuggle to live up to the high standards instilled in him by his parents despite hardships.This theme is continued in the sequel in regards to his testifying in court and in his personal life. His conduct towards his bride-to-be should especially be noted and followed by young men of today.
Quite a Good Book
An excellent book, less because of the plot (limited compared with Kidnapped) but more because of the bits of wisdom so typical of RLS.He had a dry sense of humor and a very sharp eye (much like Dickens) and his writings are filled with his take on the local color.And with the much bigger picture of life itself.
Not as good as Kidnapped, but ties up the story
Those who have read only Kidnapped might agree with me in saying the ending is rather abrupt. This is because Stevenson intended to write a sequel, and did 6 years after writing Kidnapped. Read more

Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Adventure and adventurers    4. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    5. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    6. Classics    7. Fiction    8. History    9. Juvenile fiction    10. Scotland    11. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (7)

English people use fancy words that are out dated
Arthurian Supremacy King Arthur and his Most Noble Knights
King Arthur's Noble knights The Story Of King Arthur and His Knights
N.C. Wyeth illustrated the book of "The Boy's King Arthur"in 1917. The Boy's King Arthur, is avout the top main knights such as, Lancelot, and how they become a knight. This story exists as part of the original King Arthur stories, but it becomes shorter than the original. Also in The Boys King Arthur, you will encounter how knights acted back in the fourth century.Read more

Subjects:  1. Adaptations    2. Arthurian romances    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. England    6. Folklore    7. Historical - Medieval    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Knights and knighthood    10. Classic fiction    11. Historical fiction    12. Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Medieval   

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 3-4    2. Finland    3. Folklore    4. Folklore & Mythology - Folklore    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Legends, Myths, & Fables - Norse    7. Sociology    8. Tales    9. Juvenile Fiction / Legends, Myths, Fables / Norse   

Reviews (11)

-----"YO--HO--HO, AND A BOTTLE OF RUM"-----
In an effort to add a few classics to our reading list, one of the members of my book club chose TREASURE ISLAND for us to read. Coincidently, I had recently visited a cottage, turned museum near Saranack Lake in New York, where Robert Louis Stevenson spent some time right before he wrote TREASURE ISLAND. It was a timely read for me!
pirate
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Best Abridged Edition
I compared this large-format abridged edition (retelling by Timothy Mies, original Wyeth illustrations) to another large-format abridged edition, A Young Reader's Edition of the Classic Adventure, published by Running Press in 2002 (retelling by Steven Zorn, original Wyeth illustrations) and I chose this one.For storytelling I preferred the Zorn version in the other edition because the language was a bit more salty and closer to the flavor of the original, although the Mies retelling in this edition is perfectly acceptable.When it came to the illustrations, however, the quality of reproduction in this edition outshined the other to such a degree that this edition won out.The Wyeth illustrations in this edition are simply electric -- large, colorful and very crisp, while in the other edition the same illustrations are dark and blurry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Buried treasure    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Classics    7. Fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Pirates    10. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (18)

Cooper Knew America
Race relations, environmental concerns, independent womanhood, the importance of personal character, survivalism, heroism, religion, cultural relativism, nature v. nurture, independence v. inter-dependency--sound like the latest hot topics in American TV, movies, and magazines?Actually, these constitute the bevy of themes that James Fenimore Cooper explored as foundational to the American experience when he wrote *Deerslayer* in 1841, setting it even farther back at the time of the French and Indian War, 1754-63.Some readers, not surprisingly, are put off by the ornate writing style of the early nineteenth century, but it doesn't hurt us post-moderns to turn off the TV and take a slower pace, interacting slowly with the writer and his thoughts.In Natty Bumppo, we find the first--and definitive--delineation of the American hero: selfless, dependable, restrained, tolerant, cagey, and moral.A generation raised on anti-heroes sometimes has a bit of a problem with the morality of Bumppo, but since 9/11, we have seen a revival of the American ideal that Cooper first defined in his Leatherstocking Tales.Don't give up on this one because of the language.Sit a bit and mull it over.You'll find Cooper will deliver remarkably well.

Holds Your Interest!
"The Deerslayer" is the sequentially first in the Leatherstocking series of America's first, great, professional novelist, James Fenimore Cooper.I read it in preparation for a trip to Cooperstown, New York and I am glad that I did.Set in upstate New York in the 1740s, it provides the reader with an idolized introduction to the society of white and red of this colonial frontier.
Pretty good novel, if you
Can get past all the verbage.I found myself skipping sentences or paragraphs because of the way the auther keeps going on and on about the same thing without a puase or even carrying through with the same thought in the same sentence (kind of like I'm doing now!).
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Bumppo, Natty (Fictitious char    4. Bumppo, Natty (Fictitious character)    5. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    6. Children: Grades 4-6    7. Classics    8. Fiction    9. French and Indian War, 1755-17    10. Frontier and pioneer life    11. History    12. New York (State)    13. Scouts and scouting    14. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (24)

The Black Arrow
Book review-Black arrow
The Best!
This book has problems. I can count two. The first is the dialogue, which is a little too self-consciously archaic, and the second is the fact that the second half of the book isn't quite as good as the first.
Two giants:R.L.Stevenson&N.C.Wyeth
This gorgeousedition of "THE BLACK ARROW" is a reissue of the book first published by CharlesScribner's Sons ,with N.C. Wyeth illustrations ,in 1916.Now,it is one of the splendid Scribner Illustrated Classics reissued by the Simon&Shuster Children's Publishing Division through its imprint ATHENEUM BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS.Originally published in 1888,"THE BLACK ARROW" is a wonderful reading for people of all ages,not just for adolescents.This story was first serialised in YOUNG FOLKS(a popular british magazine for boys where "TREASURE ISLAND" also appeared for the first time) in seventeenth weekly instalments and was a success.Set in the reign of Henry VI during the troubled years of the War of the Roses,this Stevenson's novel was, at the time,a popular adventure story.Colorful characters grace this book.The hero,Richard Shelton, was imagined by Stevenson.But there is a historical personage described in the novel:the Duke of Gloucester(later Richard III).This edition's beautiful endpapers,frontspiece, and other fourteenth illustrations were painted by one of the greatestamerican illustrators of all time:NEWEL CONVERS WYETH(1882-1945).A giant as big as Robert Louis Stevenson(1850-94). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    2. Children: Babies & Toddlers    3. Classics    4. Fiction    5. Great Britain    6. Guardian and ward    7. Historical - Europe    8. Historical - Military & Wars    9. History    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Knights and knighthood    12. Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485    13. Young men    14. Baby books    15. Classic fiction    16. Juvenile Fiction / Classics    17. Richard   

Reviews (21)

"God Armeth the Patriot"
This classic should be read by all.It is a story of great courage and conviction, a story in which good brave men fight the scoundrels, and sweet strong ladies stand by their men.There is so much to be drawn from a book like this.I intend to read it several more times before my life is over and make it required reading for my children one day.We need more men as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, boys such as the faithful Edwin, wives and daughters such as Isabelle and Helen.If Scottish Patriots filled the pews of our churches, the Church would rise up in a great way.

Great Book
I so enjoyed reading this book. It was beautifully written, although it took a little while to get used to the way they spoke then. It can not really be compared to the movie Braveheart, because although both the book and the movie are about William Wallace, the story line is different. This book is not just a quick way to learn the story line. You have to appreciate the old dialect, and the talent with which Jane Porter incorporated so much detail. This is truly a classic story and has become one of my favorite books.

A good book, but very long
I enjoyed Scottish Chiefs. The plot was interesting, and it certainly helped me really get to know William Wallace, the main character. The book was exciting and well-written. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about William Wallace, the Bruces, and Edward I of England. But Jane Porter, the author, was not perfectly historically accurate. She added in some new characters that probably never existed--like Helen Mar, for example. This turned out okay, but readers should not assume that this is a perfect biography of Wallace. One thing I really did not like was the way all the women in the book were constantly fainting for no reason. I'm not sure if this was really the way people were than, but it annoys me. also, Porter portrayed Wallace as an extremely perfect person, more like an angel that a human, which was certainly wrong. The book is also very long, and sometimes hard to follw. But it was good overall. Also, my mother, who read it to me, my brother, and my sister as a part of our home education this past year,said thast it was a difficult book to read out loud, aned that it was not as accurate historically as it could have been.
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Subjects:  1. 1274-1329    2. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Fiction    6. Historical - Europe    7. History    8. King of Scots,    9. Robert    10. Scotland    11. Sir,    12. Wallace, William,    13. War of Independence, 1285-1371    14. d. 1305    15. Juvenile Fiction / Classics    16. Wallace, William   

Reviews (8)