The method and reason behind the madness...

The selections: Mainly, I have chosen books that were recommended during my "Transacting with Literature" class taught by Dr. Wooten at the University of TN. Some of these books were recommended by Dr. Wooten and some were introduced to me by my fabulous classmates. Additionally, some of the books were added to my database because I just love the book. Many of my entries are formatted in the annotated bibliography format in order to meet the requirements for the aforementioned class. However, many of my entries were made and labeled purely for my own convenience. How this page works: You can search by searching keywords in the top left hand corner of the page. You type in words that might relate to something you are studying or reading about and the blog will spit out the books that are labeled with those keywords. For example, WWII, give it a try. Also, you can click on the labels on the right hand side of the page or the bottom of each blog to find similar or related books. My goal: I hope to be able to add to this electronic database every time a friend recommends a book. Eventually, I would love to be able to type a key word into my search and pull a list of books to meet my needs. My request: If you are visiting this site and you can think of some books I must read, please send me an email and let me know. I'll create an entry for the book and label it appropriately to work with my other entries.

My Brother Sam is Dead




The following review was taken from THIS site:
My Brother Sam is Dead tells the story of the Revolutionary war through the eyes of Tim Meeker, a young boy whose brother Sam has left the Yale and his family to fight with the Rebels. Tim can't decide if he's a Tory (sympathizer with the British) or wants to see America a free country. Ultimately the decision doesn't matter as life gets more difficult and the war continues on.

Growing up American, everything I've ever heard about the Revolutionary War has been through the eyes of brave, strong Patriots who fought tooth and limb for our freedom. This book has helped me see there is a whole other side to the story. There were towns of colonists who were just fine under British rule and didn't see a need for independence. Yet they had to make sacrifices too, for a country they didn't even believe in. I've always seen Tories as unpatriotic ignorant old people whose love for the Mother Country would never die. My opinion of them have changed as a result of this book. I think every student studying U.S. history should read this book. It will help them gain a deeper appreciation for their freedom, it will help them see there are two sides to every story, and hopefully it will help them see that war is not the best solution to a problem.