Bette A. StevensRezensionen

DOG BONE SOUP: A Boomer's Journey by Bette Stevens is about a dysfunctional family trying to survive in the 50's and 60's. The father, a self-appointed "King of the castle" is an abusive drunk, the mother tries her best to keep the family clothed and fed, Shawn and Willie are the oldest two boys who along with their two sisters do whatever it takes to etch out a living. They are also a proud bunch, refusing food donations from the Church or handouts.

The story is told from Shawn's POV, he is bullied and teased all through school because they are poor and their father is a known drunk. The ramshackle home they live in has no running water, cooking and heating the home also requires firewood. Shawn learned early in life how to fish, chop wood, and bring in water from the stream for washing and cooking. He also witnessed his father striking and beating their mother but was too afraid to get involved. To escape the wrath, the kids would run off and seek out new adventures to entertain themselves. Shawn is a hard worker who takes on odd jobs to help put food on the table. The title of this book is the name of a soup the family eats for days on end (boiled dog bones, onions, carrots and potatoes).

During his senior year in high school, Shawn finally stands up to his father and the school bullies for the first time. His mother gets a divorce and the family is finally free of the abusive father and husband who only sat around drank beer, and watched TV after work. That is, of course, if he wasn't in the local bar getting drunk.

Shawn wants to make a life for himself and pursues joining the military...this is just as the war in Vietnam is beginning. His uncle tries to talk him out of it because of the horrors he'll witness, confidentially sharing why his father drinks - to forget about the horrors of war that he fought in.

It's a tale of a mother's love & sacrifice and the coming of age story of a young boy in a small town. The story flowed well but I did encounter typos and missing words throughout the book. If you think you have it bad, you should read this story to see how those who do have it bad are able to cope, dream, and hope for a better life.

PURE TRASH (Ages 11-adult) In this short story adventure set in New England in the 1950s, two young boys set out on a Saturday adventure you won't want to miss! Experience the joy of a carefree Saturday and the blistering pain of feeling not quite good enough as you hop on a bike and ride into town with two delightful young boys who find adventure at every turn. Shawn and Willie Daniels live in the woods with no indoor water or plumbing. Dad spends most of his hard earned money on beer. Prejudice, class division, alcoholism, poverty, injustice, and bullying are cleverly woven into this 1950s adventure short. PURE TRASH is the short story prequel to DOG BONE SOUP, Stevens's debut novel DOG BONE SOUP.

TRASH- noun, something worthless, rubbish. Got that from my dictionary. Can a human being ever be considered trash? A question for the ages. A child however, is never trash....no way, no how and it doesn't matter what day and age it is. So ok, in Stevens book it is 1955 and yes, times were slower and simpler. And the same issues that we have now were present then.
How deeply lodged does name calling become? Is inbred insecurity a reason to bully, physically OR verbally? Nah....

Two young brothers with not much going on for them at home, yet in there eyes the whole world is their oyster. And their oyster is new england country.. rural..dirt roads. They have their bikes and 24cents each to spend. Saturday and they're going exploring and searching for treasure. A thrilling day for Shawn and Willie. It starts out that way anyway....

SO. Does money or the lack of money HAVE to relegate us to where we belong in the social stratus? I think this book should be a quickie must read, with a required essay to be written for every graduating senior. Eighth grader whatever. Required reading that leads to required thinking.

Amazing Matilda by Betty Stevens is a thoughtful and sweet story for young children and early readers. The telling of how Matilda grows and changes can help introduce children to concepts of persistence and patience as they face challenges in life and physical changes as they grow and learn.

I received this copy from the author in exchange for a review and found it both entertaining and educational, this story is sure to become a favorite.

This is my second Children's Picture Book, just published (July 2012). It incorporates the factual process of Monarch metamorphais with an adventurous story during which Matilda continues to pursue her dream of being able to fly. Whenever Matilda becomes tired or discouraged her meadowland friends inspire her with their own tales of how they learned to do all of the things they really wanted to do. AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch's Tale will inspire readers and listeners alike, not only to follow their own dreams, but to encourage others to do the same.

My love of children, of literature and of learning inspired me to write this book for my classroom, initially. The first edition was published in 1996 by Windswept House Publishing in Mt. Desert, ME. The second edition of The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too! ( CreateSpace 2012) integrates math and language arts and encourages readers to create their own tangram creatures and then to write their own rhyming riddles after they solve the 18 puzzles included in the book. It also contains some cool historical facts about tangrams and has instructions and ideas for tangram projects. A great resource for home or classroom.

“Amazing Matilda – A Monarch’s Tale” is a brilliant book by author Bette A. Stevens. While this is the first book that I have read from this author, I sincerely hope it won’t be my last. I began the read wondering where it would take me and found my thoughts moving faster and faster as I was eagerly waiting to see what would happen next. I can say without hesitation that it was a well written book that was filled with excitement and adventure.

I enjoyed how Matilda, a tiny caterpillar, begins her journey from the size of an egg and eagerly wonders when she would be able to fly. While she verbalized this, the Sparrow requested that she have patience and follow her instincts and one day she would be able to fly. Soon she met a Toad who shared about how he learned to leap and move about, but Matilda didn’t want to leap she wanted to fly. In the story we see Matilda changing colors many times, each one reflecting who she is currently while becoming something totally different as well. She then meets a Rabbit who shared how they learned to hop, but Matilda didn’t want to hop she wanted to fly. She continued to eat day after day and soon realized how tired she was and that she needed a nap. Soon Matilda seemed to be covered by a soft green blanket surrounding her and she continued to change inside. When she awoke from her nap the other friends noticed something different. Matilda now had wings, wings that she had longed for to help her fly. At first she didn’t succeed but her friends kept encouraging her to try, to spread her wings, to flap them until she could take off. With enough effort and courage soon Matilda began to lift herself from the earth and soar high above the others. They cheered her on and she waved goodbye to them as she soared away.

I believe most any child would enjoy this book as well as adults. I enjoyed how the author shared support and encouragement from the other animals. How they prepared Matilda to believe in herself, to have patience and rely on her instincts. We must believe in ourselves and others as well. When we begin to do that, we will be able to soar as Matilda above the circumstances that we encounter as well as help others to do the same.
I would highly recommend this book to others who desire a challenge to become a better person.