Customer Reviews

More Than Anything Else

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well, 53 Five Star reviews pretty much says it all.

This is a beautiful book. Not only is the artwork superb (see the cover and Amazon's "Search Inside This Book" feature) but the story is glorious. A triumph of the human spirit when everything in the immediate environment says 'give up' and 'don't dare to dream'.

In this fictionalized story of Booker T. Washington, a young boy ignores the difficult world around him -- where newly freed slaves struggle to find their place in the changing American economy, where 9 year old boys work alongside grown men doing hard labor, where families are short of food -- and dreams of something better.

He says in the book:
"I see a man reading a newspaper aloud and all doubt falls away. I have found hope, and it is as brown as me.

"I see myself the man. And as I watch his eyes move across the paper, it is as if I know what the black marks mean, as if I am reading. As if everyone is listening to *me*. And I hold that thought in my hands.

"I will work until I am the best reader in the county. Children will crowd around me, and I will teach *them* to read."

A love for books and the importance of the written word comes through in this book. A great book to include in any home library.

Five Stars. Beautiful art and story. Amazon has the age range as 4 to 8, but as a mom I think 4 is too young to fully absorb the implications of this story. Likewise, I think the message is one that children older than 8 could come to love.

This book is so special I just checked it out from the Library for my two sons. I can't to read it to them. I read it while I was at the library. The feeling I received after reading this was overwhelming...to have that desire to read and overcoming any obstacle to do it! How much our young people today take for granted! Reading is such a wonderful gift that all should be able to experience! buy it or check it out...you and your family will love it!

This is a "must have" for any teacher grades K-3. The illustrations are beautifully done. The text is perfect for a read aloud. It makes a great gift for the end of the year to a teacher who taught your child to read. It would be perfect to use in a workshop on reading and literacy.

This is the story of a young boy who works in the salt mines with his father and brother. More than anything in life he wishes that he could read. In the end, due to his determination, despite the fact that no one in his family can read, he seeks out the help of a man and he ultimately achieves his goal. The illustrations in this book are absolutely wonderful. While the story has merit, it seems to be missing something. This would be a great book to read in a classroom setting to open up conversation among young children, but I don't know that I'd recommend this for a home library.

~DeeDee Fox, Author and Illustrator, The Ruby Red Slippers

This beautifully illustrated book follows the story of a young black boy who wants - more than anything else - to be able to read. He works with his father in the salt mines and listens at night to the wonder of the man in the camp who reads aloud from the newspaper to the others who cannot read it for themselves. The identity of the young boy is revealed on the last page. I use this book in the fall in a unit on the importance of reading. I follow with the challenge of avoiding TV and video games from Sunday through Friday. Quite a challenge today.

"More Than Anything Else," I exclaim! What's more than anything else to you? Just be thankful you can read!

A few weeks ago, I read a book that changed the way I felt! It made me want to teach everybody everything there is to know. This book made me feel better than a leprechaun finding 800lbs. of gold! But on some occasions, it made me feel sad. It talked about how the little boy was so hungry and how he ached from working all day long. The jubalint part about it was that a generous man helped him with reading. My loving heart went faster than me saying, "Hi".

This book taught me history that was easy to understand. But hard for my sad, loving heart. It taught me how slaves worked so hard and they ached. I would never treat a loving heart like that!

Bailey
DME

To want something more than anything else is a powerful beginning to a writing assignment. Whether it is reading, or another desire, when combined with voice and word choice and organized in the same manner as this book, it becomes a springboard to the future, for ourselves and our students. Read it to your children and help them look to and find their future. Write your own story...What do you want....more than anything else?

I give this book 5 stars . This story is filled with wonderful pictures and great descriptions. A boy named Booker T. Washington wants to learn how to read. There is a guy who reads the newspaper to everyone and Booker would like to read like him. The guy teaches him how.

I love Chris Soentpiet's excellent illustrations. I loved the book More Than Anything Else because I love the shadowing in his drawings. It reminds me of the old days. My favorite part was when he wrote in the sand with the stick. My favorite character is Booker T. Washington. My favorite picture is on page 4 when he was working in the salt mines. This book is a five star book and should be read by everyone!

"More Than Anything Else" is a fictionalized presentation of the young life of a famous African-American male, but more importantly, communicates well the character's intense desire to learn to read. It is a touching story that sends a powerful message about determination, perseverance, and the importance of reading. Through a few simple explanations about the circumstances of his life, the reader understands the type of person the character truly is and what drives him. Unexpectedly, and in a subtle way, the identity of the main character is revealed during the final scene of the story. The beautifully detailed watercolor illustrations accurately depict the ideas presented in the text. The gentle text conveys the character's thoughts and desires, and when coupled with illuminated lanterns and candles, the soft orange glow of the setting sun, and precise facial expressions, the reader feels transported into the story. Children at the K-2 level and above can relate to the character and his desire to reach a goal, as well as the frustration he feels when progress toward the goal is slow.