Ned Ventures: Teenage Life in the 1950s [Paperback]

Edward Allan Faine (Author)

Book Description

Engaging stories based on the author's experiences growing up on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio in the 1950s--a time when Junior High students staged safety plays and exchanged Christmas gifts; when boys eagerly followed the Charles Atlas dynamic tension method of bodybuilding, and had after-school jobs to help with room and board; and when girls kept slam books on all the boys.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...stories reminds us that, even though times have changed and grown more complex, life's most fundamental lessons endure. -- Kate Waites, Professor, English/Gender Studies, Southeastern University

"Edward Allan Faine superbly captures the rites of passage in these wondefully written stories." -- Marjan Glavac, The Busy Educator's Guide To The World Wide Web' Guide t

From the Publisher

Parents, teachers, general readers, lend me you ears. For greater enjoyment before, during, or after reading Ned Ventures, check out the discussion questions listed on the Reading Group Guide on this site. Teachers, in particular, will find this guide useful in discussing codes of conduct, ethics and reality with teens. Parents and general readers may wish to scan the list of recommended movies.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Im Pr (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965465179
• ISBN-13: 978-0965465175
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,997,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ned and His Friends During the Early Years, March 4, 2001

By 

Martena B.Taliaferro (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ned Ventures: Teenage Life in the 1950s (Paperback)

The cover of this book takes you back immediately to the 50s when coca cola was searved in a real glass at a soda fountain after school; where pretty girls and anxious boys laughed and used their straws to stir the crushed ice. A time where there were stools to sit on and booths to stretch and slide in. A time of more formalities. Those "good ole 50s". The days that a previous television champiom, Archie Bunker, would lament in the 60s. Of course there are many of Archie's holdovers who even today lament those days. But, it "ain't gonna happen". We have run too far toward the center of acceptable behavior that our perspective is in the mushy zone of maybe yes or maybe no. And we float in the dreamland of anything goes. The most intriguing thing about this small paperback is that it reminds one of the recently published William J. Bennett's book "The Book of Virtues-A Treasury of Great Moral Stories". Of course, Bennett's book is more than 800 pages; while "Ned Ventures" barely makes 64 pages. But the same ten themes discussed by Bennett run through out the seven short story topics in Ned's adventures for they are used to describe a way of life for a group of teens that would be difficult to find or duplicate today anywhere in the United States. This book would probably be viewed as a collection of short, rather interesting fairy tales that could be classified as fiction on a reading list.Many teenagers might not believe that a life such as this ever existed. Yet, an older parent or a grandparent could enlighten us all. Most young people would read this in utter shock for it's almost unbelievable that a half century ago kids really lived this way-and enjoyed it. Example, when did you last see a fourteen year older working on his bike in order to get ready for the race through town? When have you seen a teenager on a bike throwing papers on a paper route? Are there any curly hair blonde girls around or is it all straight and long? Do you know any kid who knows anything about Charles Atlas-Who? Yes, Charles Atlas! If you can get a teenager to open this paperback, they will not stop after the first page. They will find it enjoyable and fascinating.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good glimpse, August 28, 2001

By 

kay poiro (Waipahu, HI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ned Ventures: Teenage Life in the 1950s (Paperback)

I couldn't believe people actually lived like that. So I bought this book and I'd recommend this book to anyone who doesn't want to wade through thousands of pages of heavily biased [stuff] disguised as non-fiction. Note to Mr. Faine- when are you coming out with the next book??(thanks for signing my copy.)