Platt, Randall

Average customer rating:

Four Arrows Fe-As-Ko
Randall Beth Platt
Manufacturer: Catbird Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Out of a Forest Clearing: An Environmental Fable

Average customer rating:

Out of a Forest Clearing: An Environmental Fable
Randall Beth Platt
Manufacturer: John Daniel & Company Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

The Likes of Me
The Likes of me
An Excelent choice for a reader
A great book
Pretty good book

The Likes of Me
Randall Platt
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0385326920
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Amazon.com

While most teens feel like a "freak" at some point during their adolescence, author Randall Beth Platt has taken that emotion to the extreme and created a character whose strangeness isn't just a feeling, but a physical fact. Fourteen-year-old Cordelia wears her freakiness all over her face--she's a half-Caucasian, half-Chinese albino. "I used to wonder if it was because my mother was yellow with black hair, and my father was white with red hair, that I came out albino--without any color at all..." It is 1918, and Cordy's family lives in an isolated logging camp in the Pacific Northwest where most of the lumberjacks are used to her odd coloring. But when handsome Squirl joins the crew, he is fascinated by Cordy, and she by him. When Squirl is fired and leaves for Seattle, Cordy, completely smitten, runs away to join him. Once there, she learns that her appearance can turn a profit, and, after much cajoling by Squirl, joins "Dr. Ridenour's Carnival of Mystic Delights." But even as she enjoys fame and fortune, Cordy is troubled by Squirl's waning affection, and learns a shocking secret about her family that could change her life forever.

The Likes of Me is a truly original teenage angst story. Cordelia's unusual exterior only emphasizes her adolescent insecurity, making her the perfect sympathetic heroine for most teenaged girls. Platt's fresh take on a young girl's coming of age will leave teen readers with the knowledge that being different is nothing to be ashamed of, and that it can even be a source of great personal pride. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Cordelia Lu Hankins is half Caucasian, half Chinese—and all albino. She's grown up isolated from the world, with her cold father and a giant stepmother named Babe (after Paul Bunyan's blue ox) in a remote lumber town in the Pacific Northwest. But in the summer of 1918, when she is 14, she meets the dashing Squirl. Squirl is charming, easygoing, and good-looking, and Cordy falls desperately in love with him. Her father forbids Cordy to go near Squirl—which only makes him more attractive. One day they meet on the mountain and Cordy receives her first kiss, as well as a wild ride down a log flume that gets Squirl fired.

Determined to follow Squirl, Cordy runs away and begins an exciting adventure that takes her to the sideshows of Seattle's Luna Park, where her unusual looks bring her fame. But her journey also brings tragedy, in this entertaining and thought-provoking coming-of-age novel.

Customer Reviews:

The Likes of Me.......2004-01-03

This was an excellent book and I suggest it to anyone who likes adventure. it is about a girl named Cordy who meets this boy named Squirl. She falls deeply and love with him and will do just about anything for him. That all changes one day in Luna Park. I never thought the end would turn out like that.

The Likes of me.......2002-05-13

this book was awesome! I couldn't put it down. One thing led to the next, and the end was surprising. I loved it.

An Excelent choice for a reader.......2002-02-22

the book was the best book i have read in months, it kept me wanting to read more, and not put it down!!!!! for anyone who has a thing for reading books about unique people, i STRONGLY recomend this book!

A great book.......2001-07-27

In this book Cordy, a unique half chinese, half caucasian, albino girl falls in love with Squirl a mischevios seventeen year old who is working as a logger at her father's mill. When Squirl gets fired, Cordy is determined to follow him, so she runs away to Seattle to live with Squirl and his wealthy sister at Luna park. It is a moving story, that ends in tragedy, but is overall a very good book.

Pretty good book.......2001-07-25

I think that "the likes of me" is an interesting book, but I think that the end is a total let down. Overall it is a very unique story.

Average customer rating:

Valliant effort, but falls way short
This story mesmerizes the reader and bridges generations.

The Cornerstone: A Novel
Randall Beth Platt
Manufacturer: Catbird Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0945774400

Customer Reviews:

Valliant effort, but falls way short.......1999-04-12

Sorry- I really found the writing style to be way short of literary quality. I'm uncomfortable about writing a negative review, but some sections were just too short of credible. They just lacked the authors insight into what I consider the natural way of things.. I guess we just don't see eye to eye. That's my opinion...

This story mesmerizes the reader and bridges generations........1998-11-23

I have never been to summer camp, never been a juvenile delinquent, and never been to war. But I have been young and confused, I have developed unlikely friendships, I have had mentors, and I have loved a dog. There are so many components to this story that reached to my heart and held my attention. I related to things I have never experienced. This is a book I took with me in the car to have available for stolen moments between appointments. The premise of this story is believable, the characters are engaging, the the message is hopeful, and the presentation is entertaining. I finished this book with great regret, wishing the story could continue. This book is about relationships, about events that shape our lives, and about the common, ordinary events we experience that turn out to be what matter most in life.

Average customer rating:

Great book!
Supprisingly good
This book must be the worst ever written!
A wonderful example of historical fiction
A Truly Adult Novel for the Young Adult.

Honor Bright (Laurel-Leaf Books)
Randall Platt
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Historical Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0440219876
Release Date: 1998-06-08

Book Description

In 1944, while much of the world is at war, 14-year-old Teddy wages her own war against herself, her brother, and her perfect, and perfectly despised, mother. Forced to spend the summer at the beach with a grandmother she'd never met, Teddy faces her enemies with arrogance and anger. But as the summer unfolds, she begins learning the answers to some painful questions about the past that destroyed her family and left her mother and grandmother bitterly divided.

Customer Reviews:

Great book!.......1999-12-13

Wow! This book was fantastic. I won't summarize the plot since the professional reviewers above have already done so (although a word of advice -- don't read Kirkus Reviews, on this book or EVER -- they have a tendency to casually give away plot twists and surprises). I'll just give it my seal of approval.

Supprisingly good.......1999-02-27

I had to read this book for school and I thought I wouldn't like it at first. Then, when I started reading I got sucked in. I somehow could identify with the characters in this book. All of the profanity and drinking in this story I think added to it rather than subtracted from it. I recomed you read this book.

This book must be the worst ever written!.......1998-11-11

When I chose this book to read for school, I thought that it would be good. I was very wrong. It has profanity and it encourages the drinking of alchohol. The plot and the charecters were not well devolped.

A wonderful example of historical fiction.......1998-10-29

This was a wonderful book, and I really enjoyed it. It has very real examples of mother-daughter differences. Honor Bright was very realistic from the 1940's point of view. It has a shocking suprise ending. I highly reccommend this book for young adults. This book is a must-buy!

A Truly Adult Novel for the Young Adult........1997-09-03

It's refreshing to find a fine author like Platt writing for young adults, and not down to them. Platt speaks the language of the 1944 adolescent, as it was actually spoken, and not as we like to remember it. A novel dripping with truth, not platitude. The reader can only hope that Platt writes more just like it

Average customer rating:

A book worth reading out loud.
hi. good book
Cowpokes and ballplayers mix it up for a home run!

The 1898 Baseball Fe-As-Ko
Randall Beth Platt
Manufacturer: Catbird Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Sports | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0945774478

Book Description

In the third Fe-As-Ko, cowboy Royal Leckner, his wife E. M., and Leviticus and Lou, the mentally out-of-sorts owners of the Four Arrows Ranch, have lassoed themselves a struggling baseball team. They are depending on the team to save the ranch, but getting them ready for the big time makes breaking a bronco look like child’s play. In the course of a long winter’s training the team and its owners encounter obstacles such as E.M.’s conniving half-sister, her jailbird father, a past baseball scandal, and the team’s ruthless opponents. The team is scheduled to play the pennant-winning Boston Beaneaters in a game that will decide everyone’s futures.

Customer Reviews:

A book worth reading out loud........2000-05-07

Right off the bat, I want you to know that this is a highly biased review.

First, Randi Platt is an old friend of mine, lost for years and then found again after her first Fe-As-Ko book hit the stands. We're such old friends that I know where "Leckner" and "Perrault" came from.

Second, I live in Walla Walla, Washington and if we didn't have a team like this in 1898, we sure did in 1973 when Kurt Russell (that's right - former Disney poster child, then the consummate cyber-soldier, Goldie's husband, etc.) played for the Walla Walla Padres. It was a third-rate farm club for the San Diego Padres, managed by a woman called Peppermint Patty - that alone tells you a lot about the team.

With that said, I loved the book. Problem is, I kept reading it aloud because its language is meant to be spoken. I have the same problem with Garrison Keilor's books.

It begs to be a movie and Russell should star in it. It would be a "Wild Wild West meets Major League".

Anyway, it's a very fun read and a story well-told. Thanks for it, Randi.

hi. good book.......2000-04-01

um. i think this book is good. um, im gonna use it for my next book to read in class. If is a good book to read. Um, i like baseball. GO METS!

Cowpokes and ballplayers mix it up for a home run!.......2000-03-27

It seems that the FDR writer is back wanting more Fe-As-Ko stories from cowpoke Royal Leckner.

This time it's 1897, Royal and E.M have been married about four years. And so have Leviticus and Lou(ella) Perrault, owners of the Four Arrows ranch. Royal is still foreman of the ranch and caretaker of its owner. As he reminds us, Leviticus and Lou(ella) Perrault are "short a hat size", but "nice and honest, which is better than smart and fox-like any day."

It's time to take the cattle to Portland for the annual sale, and Royal is bringing Leviticus along to teach him how "to sign on the dotted line". E.M. foresees trouble in Portland and decides she'd better go along as well. So the cattle get loaded and all are headed for the city. Except, Leviticus who has managed to walk onto the train, down the aisle and right back off - something's caught his eye. It shouldn't be a surprise that a long-time rock thrower like Leviticus would get fascinated by a base-ball. Once they get Levi back on the train, Lou(ella) says they are going to get themselves a base-ball in Portland.

As it turns out (and things do turn in Royal's life), the buyer isn't available when they go to sell the cattle, so it's declared a day off. E.M's off to buy hats and Royal goes shopping with Levi and Lou(ella). Innocently enough, Royal accepts baseball tickets for an expedition game from one of the local storekeepers. This probably wasn't the best place to take Leviticus for "he may only have a half mind, but the half he does have is damn hard to unset." Worse, Royal runs into E.M.'s half sister and full-time trouble, Augusta, who is also the owner of this Bowery Bulldogs. E.M. shows up and immediately takes exception to find Royal in the club house drinking champagne with Augusta. Knowing this isn't going anywhere right, Royal decides to take his new fishing pole and get out of town, leaving E.M. to sell the cattle.

Days later, E.M. shows up with a wagon overloaded with men passing the bottle, whooping, hollering and following out. These are not men Royal recognizes. Like Jack sent to town to sell a cow, but coming back with magical beans, it seems that Leviticus traded the herd of 1200 cattle for his very own baseball team, just as Lou(ella) said they'd have. Smart and fox-like Augusta had him "sign on the dotted line" when E.M. wasn't looking. And now it is up to the Leckner's to look for the giant beanstalk, despite winter coming, no cash, and ten extra mouths to feed. But E.M. is not without her resources; she has her father sitting in jail, the "seven vestal Burnbaums", daughters of Idlehours late banker, and Lou(ella's savant talent with numbers.

To give the benefit of hindsight to this rather nefarious situation, Platt has Royal Leckner tell his story years after the events while narrating to one of FDR's WPA depression writers. Platt dresses Royal's storytelling with a narration so colorful it's hard not to want to read every line out loud. It's a talented writer that can write a spellbinding story that hangs together right down to the funny bone. And Platt does this yet again in her third fe-as-ko, as she keep the plot moving, the bases loaded, and the pages turning until it all adds up to another home run for us, the readers of these fe-as-kos.

Average customer rating:

A "Silents Majority" review of "The Royalscope Fe-As-Ko"

A Great Comic Talent bursts from the Northwest.

The Royalscope Fe-As-Ko
Randall Beth Platt
Manufacturer: Catbird Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0945774354

Customer Reviews:

A "Silents Majority" review of "The Royalscope Fe-As-Ko".......1997-11-19

Randall Beth Platt, author of this brand spankin' new novel of silent era Hollywood, The Royalscope Fe-As-Ko, has captured the spirit of 1910s Hollywood and has displayed it like a glowbug in a mason jar for her to show off and for the reader to admire. While perusing this funny and entertainingly paced "Fe-As-Ko," one could easily begin casting all of these wily, early Hollywood characters for the movie version. Platt drops famous names of the era, like Mary Pickford, William S. Hart, Theda Bara, Mack Sennett, Thomas Ince, and D.W. Griffith, into her chuckwagon stew of fictional characters. I swear, if her fictional characters aren't composites of the real movie folks - they coulda been!

Cowpoke Royal C. Lectner has his hands full following his movie-struck wife and daughter all the way to Hollywood. While he has one eye on them, he has to keep his other eye on his two rambunctious sons, aged 8 and 10 - full of the devil and partners in pure mischief. Royal's wife, E.M., and their 16-year-old daughter, Elsie, have been bamboozled by one Marco Magellan into thinking that they will become the next Theda Bara and Mary Pickford (courtesy of Royal's bank account). As far as Royal is concerned, Magellan is a no-account, but what can he do? Royal, the confused cowboy, spends some time at Inceville and the lines blur between real life and the movies - real-life ranching becomes scenario material for the screen. With the help of Bill Hart himself, Royal will learn to love the movies he has no use for and have himself one helluva good time in the process. So will the reader.

This upbeat book will lead you right along the bridle path. Be prepared for tongue-in-cheek humor, wry cowboy philosophy and a heroic lump in your throat. That Platt woman has gone and done it. I'll be danged if she didn't pull off the whole danged shootin' match (shootin' a movie, Fe-As-Ko style, that is!). The Royalscope Fe-As-Ko is a highly recommended read for its funny foray into my favorite world - old Hollywood's silent gold rush.
- Copyright, 1997, Diane MacIntyre, "The Silents Majority"

A Great Comic Talent bursts from the Northwest........1997-08-29

Randall Platt's ROYAL ROYALSCOPE FE-AS-KO is a crazy, hilarious trip from the Northwest back to early-time Hollywood, and exactly the sort of tickle you'd expect from Ms. Platt, one of the funniest writers to romp through Hollywood's early history, and into her readers' hearts

Average customer rating:

THE LIKES OF ME
BETH PLATT RANDALL
Manufacturer: LAUREL LEAF
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PGRMAU

Authors:

Authors

Authors