Books with author Philip Smith

Around the turn of the twentieth century, thousands of Czechs left their homelands in Bohemia and Moravia and came to the United States. While many settled in major American cities, others headed to rural areas out west where they could claim their own land for farming. In From Praha to Prague, Philip D. Smith examines how the Czechs who founded and settled in Prague, Oklahoma, embraced the economic and cultural activities of their American hometown while maintaining their ethnic identity. According to Smith, the Czechs of Prague began as a clannish group of farmers who participated in the 1891 land run and settled in east-central Oklahoma. After the town’s incorporation in 1902, settlers from other ethnic backgrounds swiftly joined the fledgling community, and soon the original Czech immigrants found themselves in the minority. By 1930, the Prague Czechs had reached a unique cultural, social, and economic duality in their community. They strove to become reliable, patriotic citizens of their adopted country—joining churches, playing sports, and supporting the Allied effort in World War II—but they also maintained their identity as Czechs through local traditions such as participating in the Bohemian Hall society, burying their dead in the town’s Czech National Cemetery, and holding the annual Kolache Festival, a lively celebration that still draws visitors from around the world. As a result, Smith notes, succeeding generations of Prague Czechs have proudly considered themselves Czech Americans: firmly assimilated to mainstream American culture but holding to an equally strong sense of belonging to a singular ethnic group. As he analyzes the Czech experience in farm-town Oklahoma, Smith explores several intriguing questions: Was it easier or more difficult for Czechs living in a rural town to sustain their ethnic identity and culture than for Czechs living in large urban areas such as Chicago? How did the tactics used by Prague Czechs to preserve their group identity differ from those used in rural areas where immigrant populations were the majority? In addressing these and other questions, From Praha to Prague reveals the unique path that Prague Czechs took toward Americanization.

The group of stories known as The Arabian Nights or The Thousand and One Nights is believed to have originated in the East during the early Middle Ages. The tales first appeared in a Western translation in France in 1704. This selection of favorite Arabian Nights stories, with new illustrations by Thea Kliros, features a multitude of colorful characters — devious magicians, monstrous giants, lovely princesses, and steadfast suitors — caught up in exciting adventures that take them to faraway lands.The six classics included here are "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," "Abou Hassan, or, The Sleeper Awakened," "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," "Camaralzaman and Badoura," and "The Enchanted Horse." With this book as their guide, children can journey to the enchanted world of the Arabian Nights and enjoy the same time-honored tales that have enthralled readers and listeners for centuries.

Here is a treasury of charming tales brimming with the humor, whimsy and imagination characteristic of Native American folklore. Specially chosen from children, the stories include an Algonquin tale of how Glooskap conquered the Great Bull-Frog, and how pollywogs, crabs, leeches, and other water creatures were created; "The Meeting of the Wild Animals," a Tsimshian myth recounting how the four seasons came into being and why all animals are afraid of the porcupine; "The Bear Man," a Cherokee legend about a hunter who lived with her prey; and "The Man Who Married the Moon," a Pueblo tale of a great chief, his beautiful wife, and the treachery of two evil corn maidens.These and nine other authentic tales offer a wealth of reading entertainment as well as insight into American Indian life and culture. Six new full-page illustrations by Thea Kliros enhance the text, printed in large, easy-to-read type.

The age-old charm of Irish folklore gives special sparkle to this collection of eight tongue-in-cheek tales. Wicked old hags, clever leprechauns, courageous tailors, evil giants, and other characters come to life in such fanciful yarns as "Hudden and Dudden and Donald O'Neary," "Conal and Donal and Taig," "The Old Hag's Long Leather Bag," "The Field of Boliauns," "The Sprightly Tailor," “The Giant’s Stairs,” “The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-Clock,” and “The Black Horse.” Reset in large, easy-to-read type, with six illustrations, these beloved stories from the Emerald Isle will delight readers of any age with their warmth, whimsy, and sly humor.

The group of stories known as The Arabian Nights or The Thousand and One Nights is believed to have originated in the East during the early Middle Ages. The tales first appeared in a Western translation in France in 1704. This selection of favorite Arabian Nights stories, with new illustrations by Thea Kliros, features a multitude of colorful characters — devious magicians, monstrous giants, lovely princesses, and steadfast suitors — caught up in exciting adventures that take them to faraway lands.The six classics included here are "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," "Abou Hassan, or, The Sleeper Awakened," "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," "Camaralzaman and Badoura," and "The Enchanted Horse." With this book as their guide, children can journey to the enchanted world of the Arabian Nights and enjoy the same time-honored tales that have enthralled readers and listeners for centuries.

Here is a treasury of charming tales brimming with the humor, whimsy and imagination characteristic of Native American folklore. Specially chosen from children, the stories include an Algonquin tale of how Glooskap conquered the Great Bull-Frog, and how pollywogs, crabs, leeches, and other water creatures were created; "The Meeting of the Wild Animals," a Tsimshian myth recounting how the four seasons came into being and why all animals are afraid of the porcupine; "The Bear Man," a Cherokee legend about a hunter who lived with her prey; and "The Man Who Married the Moon," a Pueblo tale of a great chief, his beautiful wife, and the treachery of two evil corn maidens.These and nine other authentic tales offer a wealth of reading entertainment as well as insight into American Indian life and culture. Six new full-page illustrations by Thea Kliros enhance the text, printed in large, easy-to-read type.

The age-old charm of Irish folklore gives special sparkle to this collection of eight tongue-in-cheek tales. Wicked old hags, clever leprechauns, courageous tailors, evil giants, and other characters come to life in such fanciful yarns as "Hudden and Dudden and Donald O'Neary," "Conal and Donal and Taig," "The Old Hag's Long Leather Bag," "The Field of Boliauns," "The Sprightly Tailor," “The Giant’s Stairs,” “The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-Clock,” and “The Black Horse.” Reset in large, easy-to-read type, with six illustrations, these beloved stories from the Emerald Isle will delight readers of any age with their warmth, whimsy, and sly humor.

Around the turn of the twentieth century, thousands of Czechs left their homelands in Bohemia and Moravia and came to the United States. While many settled in major American cities, others headed to rural areas out west where they could claim their own land for farming. In From Praha to Prague, Philip D. Smith examines how the Czechs who founded and settled in Prague, Oklahoma, embraced the economic and cultural activities of their American hometown while maintaining their ethnic identity. According to Smith, the Czechs of Prague began as a clannish group of farmers who participated in the 1891 land run and settled in east-central Oklahoma. After the town’s incorporation in 1902, settlers from other ethnic backgrounds swiftly joined the fledgling community, and soon the original Czech immigrants found themselves in the minority. By 1930, the Prague Czechs had reached a unique cultural, social, and economic duality in their community. They strove to become reliable, patriotic citizens of their adopted country—joining churches, playing sports, and supporting the Allied effort in World War II—but they also maintained their identity as Czechs through local traditions such as participating in the Bohemian Hall society, burying their dead in the town’s Czech National Cemetery, and holding the annual Kolache Festival, a lively celebration that still draws visitors from around the world. As a result, Smith notes, succeeding generations of Prague Czechs have proudly considered themselves Czech Americans: firmly assimilated to mainstream American culture but holding to an equally strong sense of belonging to a singular ethnic group. As he analyzes the Czech experience in farm-town Oklahoma, Smith explores several intriguing questions: Was it easier or more difficult for Czechs living in a rural town to sustain their ethnic identity and culture than for Czechs living in large urban areas such as Chicago? How did the tactics used by Prague Czechs to preserve their group identity differ from those used in rural areas where immigrant populations were the majority? In addressing these and other questions, From Praha to Prague reveals the unique path that Prague Czechs took toward Americanization.

Her elvish mother’s heritage set her apart.Her father’s secret ripped her world apart. And her sister’s capture tore her apart.Paige’s life wasn’t perfect, but she was happy. But when her village is attacked, her people slaughtered, and her sister taken hostage, Paige soon learns that her parents harbored a deep, dangerous secret – a secret her sister, Olivian, may end up paying the ultimate price for. Running for her life, Paige stumbles into a small, but formidable ragtag Brotherhood of rogue warriors hiding in the forest. Her challenge now lies in convincing them to help her rescue her sister from the clutches of the same wicked prince who tore their lives apart, all while discovering the secret that destroyed her world in the first place. Filled with heroic tales, thrilling action, and non-stop adventure, this first installment of the 'Eirensgarth Chronicles' will take both young adults and old alike for the quest of a lifetime one page at a time!