Book Description

In a series of delightfully imaginary achievements, "nobody's mouse" transforms himself into the beloved hero of his mother, father, sister, and brand-new baby brother. In their very first collaboration, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Robert Kraus and Jose Aruego give charm and validity to one of childhood's more difficult experiences. Tender and catchy, Robert Kraus's rhyming text, combined with Jose Aruego's large, vibrantly clever illustrations, makes for a storytime classic. This happy picture book is brusting with wit, tenderness, and joyful ingenuity. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

My first and favorite book.
My parents read this book to me when I was young and when I was around three, I could reicte the whole thing from memory and then claimed that I could read it. It gave me the confidnce to really learn to read. It is an amazing book that every child should read. I'm seventeen now and it's still my favorite.

Made me thankful to be who and where I was
I can remember my mom reading this book to me when I was very young. I am 22 now, and I know that my Mom read many books to me when I was young, but this is one that I always remember. I can't even recall the exact subject matter, but I do remember that it made me seriously think about how I would feel if my parents and my sisters weren't with me every day. "Whose Mouse Are You?" made me consciously thankful to be a part of a loving family.

Precious memories
This was my daughters very very favorite book. She had all the words memorized by the time she was barely 3. I would ask the questions from the book and she would respond with the answers. I still ask her Whose Mouse Are You ? sometimes and her own baby will be born in October. By the way, until we find out the sex of the baby we are calling him/her mouse. Your kids will love this book too!

simple childhood favorite
A small grey mouse with enormous ears is asked by the narrator who he belongs to. Why, he's nobody's mouse!! Where's his mother? Inside the cat!! Where's his father?? Inside a trap!! What about his sister?? She's lost, far, far away... My goodness!! Well, what is he going to DO about it, then?? I'll let you read to find out his fun, creative answers to his life's problems!

Originally published in 1970, "Whose Mouse are You?" is as much fun for young children and beginning readers now as it was back then. The text is short and simple, it rhymes and repeats, so even very young children can get interested in the story and repeat it after a few tellings. The illustrations are wonderfully simple and uncluttered, drawn with only with black yellow and red (from which we can get pink, orange and grey, too!)

When I was a infant/toddler teacher in daycare, "Whose Mouse are You?" was one of the all time favorites. Children just learning how to speak would call out "mouse book!! Mouse book!" and then sit glued to the pages. I've even seen an elementary school art teacher use this book to show how one does NOT need a box of 2 bazillion crayons to make interesting and fun illustrations-"get creative with limited tools" she said, passing out only red, yellow and black markers to the class.

For lapsitting readers as well as beginning readers, "Whose Mouse..." is an excellent choice and a lot of fun!! Enjoy!!

What a Blessing to find this book!
When I was 7 years old living in LA(1976?) a sales man knocked on our door.He carried with him a huge box painted with three bold stripes in red,blue,and orange.The box was a free gift if you purchased a subscibtion to a "book of the month club"featuring childrens books.We wanted all the books he had with him that day and as luck would have it ,our parents found this to be a great deal.The first book that came in the mail was addressed to my brother and myself.We got mail!When we opened the brown package,the most wonderful book fell on to the floor.The book was so bright and the artwork was so beautiful;it transported my brother and I right into the very HEART of the book.I am a 31 year old women now,yet I can still remember EVERY line from that book.What a joy to know there are other people out there with the same feeling...This story is so wonderful and the ARTWORK is UNFORGETABLE! I hope anyone thinking of buying this book will.I also hope all of the special people who were 'lucky' enough to have this gift in there lives as children will pass it on! ... Read more

Book Description

Cam's got a whole new m-hisss!-tory to solve! First a snake is let loose on the steps of the city library, then Cam's mother's bag is stolen--with her video camera inside. Could the two events be related? It will take Cam's photographic memory to find out and to help catch the slippery criminal!

"Fans of the series will not be disappointed." --School Library Journal ... Read more

Reviews (2)

another great mystery book
We enjoyed this Cam Jansen book just as much as all the others we have read.

Cam Jansen and the Scary Snake Mystery
The title of this book is called "Cam Jansen and the Scary Snaky Mystery." I like this book because it solves mystery. The first mystery is about the loose dog.The second mystery is about the stolen yellow bag with a camera inside.I think the third graders should read this book if they like to slove mysteries.This book is a very good book. ... Read more

Book Description

When Cam surprises both of her parents with a fortieth birthday party, the last thing on her mind is solving mysteries. But then Granny and Gramps call from the airport to say they have been robbed.Mr. and Mrs. Jansen rush to the airport, and don't even notice that Cam and Eric have climbed into the backseat of the car.Cam can't let her parents go to the airport without her. There is a mystery to solve, and a thief to catch. . . .

"Series fans will enjoy seeing their heroine triumph once again!" (Booklist) ... Read more

Book Description

Tedd Arnold's previous books about Chip, Parts and More Parts, areraucous, creative knee-slappers that have become true kid favorites--perhaps because they so humorously express the worries all kids have as they getto know their bodies: worries about belly button fuzz and earwax and looseteeth.

Now here's the funniest Parts book yet--one that reintroduces our ner-vous herowhile also depicting more than 100 body-part idioms. I lost my head, my nose isrunning, I sang my heart out . . . You won't be able to keep a straight face asyou enjoy this clever, wacky, boldly illustrated book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. for young readers
This book will be enjoyed by all students. It really speaks from the heart and instead of continually writing on all the negative stuff that authors seem to write on, i really think that Adler focused on writing on all the positive things that King did for the nation. The book was beautifully written.

History in pictures
Filled with teachings of peacefully protesting fair laws for all people, David
Adler gives us a picture book of Martin Luther King, Jr. In it, he shares the
early life of MLK Jr, his young experiences with racism and segregation and on
to his dreams as well as highlights some of his well-known protests. In these
protests, he speaks of a world free of hate, prejudice and violence.

This book is a great lesson in history for our children and also covers a few
other events in the plight for civil rights. Casilla's illustrations do a
decent job of giving us a pictorial view of the events chronicling King's life.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
...

Excellent first biography
The entire "A picture book of..." biography series byDavid Adler is outstanding. Perfect for lower elementary studentsdoing their first real report. Makes a great read-aloud for non-readers as they are easily completed in one sitting. They are loaded with information including a timeline of important dates. The illustrations in this book are not cartoon-like as in his other biographies of Washington or Lincoln, but are appealing to young children. ... Read more

Book Description

When Tamar, the young king of Sundari, loses a dice game, he loses everything--his kingdom, its riches, and even the right to call his life his own. His bondage is symbolized by the iron ring that appears mysteriously on his finger. To Tamar, born to the warrior caste, honor is everything. So he sets out on a journey to make good on his debt--and even to give up his life if necessary. And that journey leads him into a world of magic, where animals can talk, the foolish are surprisingly wise, and danger awaits...

"At every turn, there is adventure, magic, and often treachery, but most of all the quest for honor...Alexander offers a tale that is thoughtful without being leaden and moral without being moralistic. Alexander's legion of fans will respond to the moments of high adventure as well as the many twists and turns, internal and external, that will make them think." --Booklist, starred review ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Another great book by Lloyd Alexander
I have read the book, The Iron Ring, by Lloyd Alexander. It is one of his greatest books besides his earlier Prydain Chronicles. This book is for people ages 10-17. This is not a challenging book for older people. Lloyd has written this book in a special way that I find very interesting. He used characterization and all the characters in the book felt like I known them personally. I was able to determine what they would do in a certain situation after a while. The setting is very nice. The story takes place in early India, when it was rules by the kings, before the British invasion of India. Lloyd has depicted a very well setting for the time of this story and I was not able to find any glitches of the story's setting. I had felt very eager to read some parts, but all the fights the characters were in were short and very non-explanatory. I hated some parts when random things happen. I overall liked this book over the others. I would recommend to many people who have interest in fantasy stories.
The story starts of as Jaya visited Tamar, King of Sundari, King of Mahapura. Jaya challenges Tamar to a game, and Tamar lost his life to Jaya and Jaya disappeared. Tama finds a ring on his finger and he told others about it, but they were asleep when this happened. Therefore, Tamar began a journey to Mahapura. He finds many people on the way, they get in many minor conflicts, and some parts are funny. Tamar found Mirri on the way and falls in love with her. Tamar, Mirri and Rajaswami meet up with Adi Kavi, Ashwara, Ashwara's brothers and many animals. Tamar was asked to save Ranapura from an evil king that took over the control of Ashwara's kingdom. Tamar and the others fight them and looses the first battle, but they fight another time and wins. Tamar learns a very good lesson from the journey and when he reached Mahapura, he was a different person than when he left. Read the book to found out how he changed.

A highly unique story, that draws deeply on Indian mythology
To say the least, this book is excellent, highly original, with fascinating characters. Though it's quite a long book, both times I've read it I've finished it in twenty-four hours or less. Lloyd Alexander has been one of my favorite authors for quite a while, so I was expecting quite a bit from this book, and I was not dissapointed. Combining the rich undertones of Indian mythology with usual fantasy flair, Lloyd Alexander really outdid himself here. In it, the young king Tamar sets out to find the mysterious King Jaya, to whom he inadvertantly pledged his life. Along the way, he gains a very colorful band of companions who include a bad tempered bird, a kind elephant, one of his old teachers, a mischevous monkey, plus a beautiful peasant girl Tamar falls instantly in love with. As they head on their journey it becomes apparant that it is largely a journey of self discovery as well, as each character has immense character development. One thing that annoyed me about this book was that it was not up to the authors usual standards of having plenty of strong female characters. (I will never forget Eilonwy, who made the intire Prydain chronicles for me) The only real main character who was even female was Mirri, and while she was clever and all, she wasn't that cool, and didn't even have a real part in the story except to be Tamar's love interest and sit and look pretty. I also felt that her relationship to Tamar was fairly groundless as well, especially at first. Sure, towards the end Tamar learns to love her for real reasons too, which is part of his development, but the intire basis of his feelings for her revolve around looks. Besides that though, this book was wonderful, and kept me rivited to it right to the end. (which isn't at all what you'd expect.) Also, this book is somewhat more gory than some of his other books, so I would recommend it more to the 12-15 age range than the 9-12 age range that most of Lloyd Alexander's books are written in. That's not to say that younger people wouldn't enjoy it also though, as long as they can handle the occational violence.

The lord and the ring
The great Lloyd Alexander shifts his focus momentarily away from his much beloved land of Wales to concentrate on writing an entirely different tale. Sort of. Fixing his attention wholly on India, the author has penned another fantastic series of adventures. The basis of this books are the classic fairy tales, folktales, animal fables, and teaching-stories found throughout Indian culture and history. As such, this story could have felt like a mad-cap gluing together of all these disparate stories. Instead, the book is a smoothly flowing, if naggingly familiar, epic for the young.

King Tamar is young for his station in life, but he rules his small kingdom with grace and skill. When a fellow king arrives one day and insists on an all-stakes gambling match with Tamar, the younger man finds himself having bet away his own life to the fellow. Soon thereafter no one else in his palace remembers the mysterious visitor, but Tamar finds himself wearing an iron ring, the very physical embodiment of his debt. To determine whether not his wager was real or just a dream, Tamar embarks on a quest to find the other king and to settle once and for all what he owes. Along the way he picks up a variety of traveling companions. Amongst them are his own tutor Rajaswami, the beautiful gopi Mirri, Hashkat who is king of the monkeys, the ever complaining eagle Garuda, king Ashwara, and a very odd fellow named Adi-Kavi. Have no fear. Their names, as well as the names of every other character in this book, are collected in an index for easy reference for the easily confused reader. Embarking on a series of adventures with his crazy crew, Tamar learns much about the world outside his kingdom and what it truly means to be a warrior and a king.

(...). This book was so similar to several of the "Prydain Chronicles" that it was all I could do to keep from noticing the fact on every other line. Consider. In the "Prydain Chronicles" a boy named Taran must learn to control his aggression in the face of hostility, discover what it truly means to be a warrior, and deserve the love of the fair Eilonwy. In "The Iron Ring" a king named Tamar must learn to control his aggression in the face of hostility, discover what it truly means to be a warrior, and deserve the love of the fair Mirri. In one, Taran is joined by the furry Gurgi, a speaking crow, and a noble prince. In the other, Tamar is joined by the furry Hashkat, a speaking eagle, and a noble king. The adventures are similar. The tone of the book is similar. Heck, even the beginning of the stories are similar. As a writer, Lloyd Alexander isn't one for weighing down a tale with loads of exposition and explanation. Nope, one chapter down and suddenly we're in the heart of the tale. It's a thrilling way to write a book. Just not an especially thoughtful one.

But don't judge my words too harshly. The book's a fine frolicsome ride. Fun for the whole family, and not a hint of profanity or innuendo to be uncovered. As an added plus, the battle scenes in this story are fabulous. You really do find yourself caught up in the action. And be sure to refer often to the map at the front of the story and the glossary of unfamiliar terms at the end. It's a well written, if sometimes overly familiar, story that deserves a reading by any adventure lover.

The Iron Ring
This book is great I am 11 years old I loved. Lloyd, I read Time cat, The book of Three and The Iron Ring out of them all this was the second best and then 1st was The Book of Three.
The book is about Tamar who thinks a gambling game was a dream but he still has an Iron Ring on his finger so on his journey to find out the answer he meets the love of his life and life long friends.

the abnormal journey
i know this book is really intresting really intresting.the main character has one adventure after another which makes it a non stop read book.it only gets complicated when you read about all the different characters and have to keep track of all them. Not only are the characters humans but most of them are royal.The wierd twist is that there is also animals that not only talk but some are royal and have their own kingdoms.It was really neat how the author lloyd alexander took you into another culture.the main character Tamar is a king and meets another king who visits his land and as courtesie tamar gambles with him. before he knows it tamar has gambled his life away. Now he must travel and meet up with this king who left a ring on his finger and vanished. along the way tamar meets wacky characters with problems of their own and he stops and helps them. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Young Cam Jansen
Cam is a woderful girl, helps people uncover mysteries and finding things.Cam's amazing memory clicks into action"Cam jansen can find mysteries everywhere even in the store, inside a classroom or in a house.In young Cam Jansen and the missing cookie Cam is finding out who stoled Jasons with what? if you know if you want to know who stoled Jason's cookie read this Cam Jansen book.Who do you think is going to be? I like this book so much that I didn't want to put it down because Cam Jansen are my favorite books.I love Cam Jansen books and I want to read them all beacause I only read 3 books so far.I recomend this book to everyone and anyone who likes to read Cam Jansen books and the people who likes mysteries.

Another great young Cam Jansen book
My 7 year old son just red this book aloud to me. He plans to read all of the books in this series very soon.

This is about a girl named Cam who has a great memory and is always finding a mystery. This time the mystery is in the lunchroom when her friends cookie is missing for his lunchbox. Read the book and find out how Cam solves the mystery.

Young Cam Jansen and the Missing Cookie
My son is a 1st grader and a more advanced beginner reader. He is past the one sentence per page books and needing more challenging books that have simple words but more of a story to hold his interest. Young Cam Jensen and the Missing Cookie does just that. The fact that it's a mystery held his attention and helped him to problem solve by deciding what happened to the cookie. It also taught him that if you don't look at all the evidence and jump to conclusions you can hurt someone's feelings. I thought it was an excellent book for him and I'm planning on buying him more in that series. ... Read more

Book Description

Cam Jansen and her friend Eric go to the mall and eat. They have the best pizza in the world. Afterward, they realize that Cam's jacket has disappeared. Could someone have taken it? Where could it be? Cam's amazing memory goes into action with a click! Can Cam find her jacket and solve the pizza shop mystery?

The Young Cam Jansen books are ". . . appealing mini-mysteries [that] will find a ready audience." (Booklist) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good book for 1st or 2nd graders
I like this book because it is a mystery. I like mysteries
and pizza too! This is a good book for kids who have learned how to read. I like trying to figure it out while I'm reading the book. Young Cam Jansen's books are a wonderful series.

Absolutely the best!
I credit Young Cam Jansen with getting my girls to read. Most other easy readers do not hold kids' attention effectively but Young Cam Jansen have believable stories with easy-to-read lines. What could be better! I highly recommend the entire series. We have each title. ... Read more

Book Description

It's the first day of fifth grade and Cam and Eric can't wait to meet their new teacher, Ms. Benson.But the school day is just beginning when two policemen come into their classroom and take Ms. Benson away! A teacher has been arrested? There must be some kind of mistake. . . . Will Cam be able to use her amazing photographic memory to solve this incredible first-day-of-school mystery? ... Read more

Book Description

A leaking roof? A window stuck? These are jobs for... Fix-It Duck!

He's got his tools. He's smart-he's strong. What can possibly go wrong?

But Duck is up to his old tricks. Now who'll end up in a fix?

Jez Alborough's inimitable Duck first appeared in Duck in the Truck.

Reviews (3)

My favorite, my childrens favorite.
This book is wonderful - it has my 3 and 4 year old girls rolling with laughter. They know all the rhymes and and sometimes say them before me.

We have had it almost a year and they still want to read it all the time. Fortunately it reads aloud so well that I am happy to oblige.

Fix-It Duck
A great read-aloud for preschool through 2nd grade (at least). I love the way Jez Alborough has used the pages so creatively by varying the drawing "frames" and the text "boxes." Kids will love how Duck fearlessly bumbles through trying to fix one thing and then another, making things worse and worse. The tension builds throughout the book until the surprise ending. Make sure you carefully examine the two-page spreads at the beginning and end of the book. The first sets the stage for what's to come, and the last one gives closure to the story. It reminds me of WATCH OUT, BIG BRO' IS COMING! by the perspective used in the pictures, and the surprise ending.

Watch Out...Here Comes Fix-It Duck.....
"Plop! goes the drip that drops in the cup. Duck looks down and Duck looks up. A leak in the roof. Oh, what bad luck! This is a job for...FIX-IT DUCK." Now, how to fix that roof. It's way too high to reach, so he drives over to his friend, Sheep's house to borrow a ladder. While there, he hears a "rattle, creak, and squeak." Sheep's window is stuck. Never fear...this is a job for Fix-It Duck. "He does what he can to close up the gap. He glues it, screws it, and gives it a tap." SMASH..... And so begins an entertaining chain of events story that will have little ones giggling as Fix-It Duck causes one mishap after another while trying to "help" his friends. Jez Alborough's lilting, rhyming text is engaging, and filled with energy, rhythm, and humor. Bold, bright, and busy cartoon artwork adds just the right touch to this hilarious misadventure, and sharp readers will notice the source of Duck's leaky roof trouble on the endpapers and title page (a running bathtub faucet), and will revel in the fact that they're in on the joke. Perfect for preschoolers, Fix-It Duck is a wonderful, manic romp that begs to be shared and read aloud, and a terrific sequel to Mr Alborough's Duck In The Truck. ... Read more

Book Description

SOMETHING UPSTAIRS

The house is very, very old-built in 1789. In the kitchen there's a door that opens to a narrow flight of stairs that corkscrew up to a tiny bedroom. If you're curious, you may want to find this place and sleep there some night-even if you know that strange noises may awaken you. But that's not all. In the dark of night, you'll see a white glow, almost shiny, and two hands will rise from a dark stain on the floor...followed by two arms...a head...then a neck. The humanlike shape, radiating a soft, pale, pulsing light, will reach out to you...beckoning. DO NOT FOLLOW...or you may be trapped forever in the unknown horror of this haunted room!

The house is very, very old-built in 1789. In the kitchen there's a door that opens to a narrow flight of stairs that corkscrew up to a tiny bedroom. If you're curious, you may want to find this place and sleep there some night-even if you know that strange noises may awaken you. But that's not all. In the dark of night, you'll see a white glow, almost shiny, and two hands will rise from a dark stain on the floor...followed by two arms...a head...then a neck. The humanlike shape, radiating a soft, pale, pulsing light, will reach out to you...beckoning. DO NOT FOLLOW...or you may be trapped forever in the unknown horror of this haunted room!

... Read more

Reviews (50)

Something Upstairs, by Avi
This book is a good read for kids just starting the young adult readers book. It is about a boy named Kenny Huldorf, who had just moved into a new house in Providence Rhode Island. He is living in a house that was owned by many different people, 12 families to be exact, dating back to 1636 the day it was built. His parents give him the attic for his room, though he does not know there is a little room at then end of his room. It was used for a slave living quarters. One night when kenny is asleep, he hears a noise comming from the room, he came to investigate and he saw some of his boxes moving across the floor, and under them was a little glowing stain, with two hands sticking out. Eventually a whole body had emerged and kenny was in shock. Kenny has seen the ghost that haunts his new home. He realizes that this boy was a black slave, and trys to talk with him, he only disapeers though. So the next day kenny went to the historian in the library and got information on his home. He finds out that there were slaves once living in his home. The next night he sees the ghost again, but this time when he goes back to go to his bed, its not his bed...or his room. He had traveled back in time to the time of the boy...Caleb. He ran outside saw the new world, and was amazed, nothing was the same, but yet everything was the same (if that makes any sense to you). He reaches in his pocket for his dodgers key chain closes his eyes and he is back in his time. Caleb finds out about this, and asks Kenny to help him find how he died...find his murderer!

Something Upstairs Review
Something Upstairs is a very enteresting book. If you like mysteries you will love this book. It's about a boy named
Kenny who just moved to Providence,Rhode Island. When he
moves ther he realizes the blood stain on the attic floor.
He goes to the libary to find information about who lived
ther before before him.At the libary he meet a guy named
Willinghast who tells him about a slave named Caleb who died in
his house. When Kenny comes home, that night he meet the ghost
named Caleb, and talked to him about his death. Kenny deicided
to help Caleb escape his past and in order to do this he has
to go to Caleb's time, will Kenny be able to find his way back
to his time,is the question.
The vocabulary in this book is easy to understand.
You'll love this book.

to go to C

The beginning will draw you in.
"Something Upstairs: A Tale of Ghosts" is more of a time travel adventure story, than a ghost story. If you're looking for supernatural frights, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a historical-adventure told with an interesting storytelling method, then you've come to the right book. The reader will be so caught up in the time-traveling ghost story, that they won't realize they've just read a historical fiction - the premise is slavery. This book redeemed my faith in author Avi, solely by the way he chose to begin the book. Although the ending is abrupt and opened-ended, it's a good book for young readers to read over the summer. A sequel would have been most appropriate. I recommend.

something upstairs
Ir you like muders you will like this book. Its about a boy named kenny who finds a ghost named caleb. He helps him find his murder by going back in time.

Something Upstairs
I thought this book, "Something Upstairs" was a great book for kids to read all over the nation. Avi knows how to write a mystery that catch people's hearts, and minds through the power of his words. He set the time of the book between the 1800's and the present with Caleb being a boy from the 1800's and haunting a house which Kenny lives in, in the present time. Kenny seeks to help Caleb escape his ghostly predicament only to find he is in danger of losing his life if they follow through with their joint plan. Their dilemna takes a dangerous twist and the reader will not know the outcome until the very end of the book.
"Something Upstairs" is a book that you will not want to put down. Enjoy reading! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gentle Humor About Children Emulating Daddy
This book will be most appealing to 2-4 year olds. Although it seems to portray a boy and his father, my younger daughter emulated me at those ages just as much as my sons did. This book describes her behavior just as well as it does the boys' emulations.

The book opens with images of big shoes that are not filled. The symbolism is obvious and rewarding.

The book features three bears, a Daddy and Mommy bear and a young bear. The book has a series of lines about what the young bear does, each of which ends with a refrain "Just like Daddy."

"When I got up this morning I yawned a big yawn . . . " "Just like Daddy."

"I washed my face, got doressed, and had a big breakfast . . ."

"Then I put on my coat and my boots . . ."

"I picked a flower and gave it to my mother . . ."

" . . . I put a big worm on my hook . . ."

Then the last line is:

"I caught a big fish . . ."

and you see a big fish being held by another hand on the side.

And the finish is: " . . . Just Like Mommy!" Mommy has caught a big fish, too, while Daddy has a minnow. In the final scene, each bear is cooking her or his own fish in a separate frying pan over a campfire.

The illustrations are unusually large, clear, and simple. This complements the book's simple humor. It is that combination that pegs this book for 2-4 year olds. The book can be a good basic reader, as well, for 3-5 year olds. On the other hand, if you child loves it at 6, that's great, too!

After you finish this story, think about how other people emulate you. What can you do to make that process easier and more successful for those doing the emulating?

Follow the best role model . . . always!

Just Like Daddy - review
What a fun book for children, especially if Daddy goes fishing! Though it seems to portray a boy who adores being just like his daddy, my two your old daughter loved the book and loved being able to predict the line "just like daddy." All three of us received a fun surprise with the ending. ... Read more

Book Description

Heartbroken over the death of her fiance, Ragweed, Poppy, a deer mouse, journeys west through the vast Dimwood Forest to bring the sad news to Ragweed's family. But Poppy and her prickly porcupine pal, Ereth, arrive only to discover that beavers have flooded the serene valley where Ragweed lived. Together Poppy and Ragweed's brother Rye brave kidnapping, imprisonment, and a daring rescue to fight the beavers. At the same time, Rye -- who has lived in Ragweed's shadow -- fights to prove himself worthy of Poppy's love. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

This sequel to Avi's Poppy is wonderful!
I have just finished reading Poppy and Rye and would like to encourage Avi fans to make sure they read this book. The story continues with Poppy and Ereth as they go to locate Ragweed's family to inform them of his death. Poppy, of course, meets Ragweed's brother, Rye. Rye feels inferior to Ragweed and struggles to find a "place in his family." You really get to know each character as the story progesses along with an interesting story. I hope there will be a continuation of the series of Poppy books. Wonderful!

wonderful book!
This is wonderful story!! If you haven't read this book, I suggest it. Poppy and Rye is a story about two mice. Poppy visited to Ragweed's house to inform them of his death. Poppy was very mournful but she met a young man mouse named Rye who looked like Ragweed. And she is falling to Rye.

ANOTHER ONE!!!
Well, Poppy and Erith are going to tell Ragweed's parents that he died, so on their way they meet Rye, who just so happens to be Ragweed's brother he is out seasrching for Ragweed, and then they break the news to him that Ragweed died, which actually might be a not so bad thing, because for Rye being second best in his family was a way of life they liked Ragweed better, but now would be a perfect chance for Rye to prove himself, I could tell you what happens, but you'll just have to read the book!.............!

cwel book!
this is a greeeeat book for people who like little stories that have great endings. here's how it goes: Rye's family's home is getting drowned cuz of an enlargement of a nearby lake. so the family of mice move under a large boulder on top of a hill. Mr. Canad is the leader of the family of beavers who are building a dam to make the lake larger and he wants that boulder to help build it. rye and his family work together to regain their land back.

poppy and rye
I didn't like this book because it didn't get me in to the story in till the very eng of the book. Its just a litte boring at the beging.
The best part of the book was when the beavers were sneaking up on the mice all the beavers jumped out and the mice ran for their lives and ereth jumped out and the beaver was thumping his and ereth hit him and scared him offand the wrost part of the story was when poppy ask ereth to go with him to ragweeds parents house and tell them the bad news.
Is when poppy and ereth and rye fight aginst each other and rye gets stuck in the lodge ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fantastic!
My whole family loves these books, and Amelia Earhart is my daughter's current favorite. We own about seven of the books in this series, and each one is as good as the next. We are planning to collect the whole series. They are a second or third grade reading level but the information is presented clearly enough that younger kids can grasp the essentials. At the same time, there is enough substance that older kids have plenty to think about. Adults can learn something too! I recommend this book, and the whole series, very highly.

Best Kids' Book About Amelia On The Market!
This easy to read biography is the best on the market aboutAmelia Earhart! Adler's series is outstanding and this is one of hisbest!From learning about her plucky attitude as a little girl (building a roller coaster in her backyard and pelting boys with mud balls!) to her mysterious disappearance, young readers will be captivated by Amelia Earhart! END ... Read more

Book Description

The prince of Upper Crestalia wants to get married, but his mother doesn't want him to, for selfish reasons.The queen makes up ridiculous tests that no aspiring bride can pass.Then the prince, convinced he is destined to remain single, meets Opal, heir to the throne of Lower Crestalia and the only princess ever known to drive a pickup truck.The prince soon discovers that not only is Opal handy, she is practical, beautiful, and genuinely nice.But can any of those qualities save her from the queen's trickery?You may think you know the story of "The Princess and the Pea," but you have never seen it as amusingly told and wittily illustrated as it is in this rollicking version of the classic tale. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bland illustrations, lackluster text
I bought this book in the hopes that the text would be simple enough for my four-year-old. It was simple enough, but at great cost.Details I remember from the tellings I heard as a child were missing. There was nothing in the text that would help a child even remotely empathize with the characters.Ugh.I wanted my son to like or at least remember the story, but hearing this retelling was like eating cardboard.The illustrations weren't that great either, with nothing to attract a child's eye.Get a different version!

A Real Princess
PLEASE NOTE! This review is for the version that is illustrated by Dorothee Duntze. Everyone knows this Hans Christian Andersen story about the bedraggled princess who shows up looking for shelter on a stormy night. She might be a good match for the prince who's been searching for a "real" princess so the queen mother runs a little test...the rest is the subject of fairy tales! This version is simply told and beautifully illustrated. The pictures, executed in soft pastel colors, have a quirky Art Deco feel to them that I thoroughly enjoyed. The gowns of all the ladies in the book are done in a collage style and are covered in intricate patterns and designs. Lovely...the real thing!

an amusing modern twist to an old tale!
In the beautiful land of Upper-Crestalia King Adolph, Queen Frieda, & their dear son Prince Ralph live & the queen is quite content until her son one day bursts into her chamber & declares that he wishes to marry.

The queen does not like this idea at all so she hatches a plan to prevent her son marrying & she makes sure that the few princesses who do audition for Prince Ralph's wife all fail.

Mad with grief, Prince Ralph tears off in his expensive car down to Lower-Crestalia & when smoke starts billowing out of his hood, poor Ralph is stranded.

To his great surprise & relief, an auto-mechanic pulls up next to him & a dirty young woman in overalls carrying a tool box, jumps out. They get to talking, & the Prince is smitten! Her name is Opal, & she is the princess of Lower-Crestalia.

On the spot Prince Ralph proposes & when her prince charming confesses that his mother has idiotic tasks in store for her, Opal only becomes more determined.

Opal passes the tests with flying colors & that's when the queen insists there be a third test which is the one from which the title of this hilarious book is taken.

Will Princess Opal pass the final test? Will the queen's crafty plan succeed? Read this enchanting book & find out! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A wonderfully poetic story
It's the bear is a frequent read in my home. All my children, ages 7 to 2, love the bear who is just as afraid of little Eddie as Eddie is of him. Infact, my (almost) 4 year old chose a teddy bear picnic theme for his birthday based on this book. A copy for each child attending made a wonderful gift.

YUM YUM!
"It's the Bear" is a fun book to read aloud to young children. It's simply written, in near-rhyme, with lots of opportunity for the reader to whimper, yell, growl, and sniff. My son loves to holler some of the lines along with me. The drawings are great, with an absolutely oversized bear grasping a huge teddy bear of his own, and eating a bite-sized picnic that he stumbles upon.

Very enjoyable, a great bedtime read. I'll be getting more by this author.

BEARS LOVE BLUEBERRY PIE FOR DESERT
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Eddy and Mum are off for a picnic in the forest, but Eddy's heard about the big bear that lives there. Mum assures him there's no bears around.

When all the picnic things are laid out Mum realises she's forgotten the blueberry pie and has to go home to get it.

Eddy is frightened and when he hears a voice say, "I can smell food" he decides to hide in the hamper.

Out of the woods came a big hungry bear (holding his own teddy!) and sits on the hamper to eat the picnic. After eating all the food he looks inside the hamper --- Eddy yells out for help.

Mum arrives and doesn't see the bear at first. Then he snatches the blueberry pie.

Of course our bear is harmless. A blueberry pie was the perfect desert after a picnic. It's just what he wanted. YUM YUM.

The illustrations in this book are fantastic. The large format works well, with each page varying in its layout. There's a mixture of frames; some laid out horizontally, others vertically on one page, or full panels on another. It's a very effective way to measure the pace and suspense of the story.

"It's the Bear!" is sure to become a classic. Look out for other Jez Alborough books.

Absolutely delightful!
Our kindergartener requests that we read this to him nightly, and we don't mind doing so! It is highly entertaining and it brings reading to life for my child. We own all of Jez Alborough's books and can't wait until he writes more about "The Bear!"

I LOVED IT!
The best part of 'It's A Bear' is on the last page when the big bear says "YUM YUM!" I also loved the beautiful pictures. You should read it!

By Allie Walsh (5 y.o.) ... Read more

Book Description

The South Orange River (S.O.R.) School is big on sports and famous for not losing a game all season. That all changes when the school insists that some seventh-grader non-jocks form a soccer team. The new team is sure that losing their first game 32-0 will put an end to their athletic adventure, but no such luck. their parents insist they try harder. The whole school cheers them on, and the finally score...for the other team. And only the eleven members of the S.O.R. Losers team know the secret of their outstanding "success."

Reviews (7)

S.O.R. LOSER REVIEW
This book S.O.R. Losers by Avi was about a school that is really big on sports and famous for not losing a single game all season. That all changes when some seventh grader non-jocks form a soccer team. Their new team is terrible. Their parents and the school cheer them on and insist that they do better. The crowd's cheers really helped them do a lot better than they were doing.
I would recommend this book because it shows how much people have confidence within themselves. Why I would also recommend this book is because it was written by Avi, he is a great guy and writes great books.

SOR Review
Title; S.O.R. Loser
By: Aaron
Have you ever been forced to playa sport? If so S.O. R Loser by Avi is the perfect book for you. A young man named Sitrow loves school but hates sports. he has to see his way through playing soccer. The kid named Sitrow was going to pick a sport for the school team but he missed baseball, basketball, tennis and football. The only thing is left is soccer. The only thing he hates about the school rules are that you must play one sport a year. His coach Mr. Lesster (also the social studies the teachers) push the team through their unlucky year.
Their parents are behind them all the way.
They had practice a couple days later. They really needed help. They could not even score on their own goal. When Sitrow gets home he starts complaining at dinner about how stupid that soccer is. The parents don't care they think that some exercise is good for the smart young man. The next day when he enters his 8th period which is Social Studies and which Mr. Lesster is the teacher. Mr. lesster announces that they are going out side to practice soccer.
They had a practice, a week from that day and their 1st game and it was bad 32-0. The coach was mad but he knew that it was only the first game. The next 4 games they lost. Now he whole school was cheering for them to win. The principal was telling them that the soccer team never lost. Will they keep losing or will the come back and be victorious.

S.O.R. Losers
This book is about 7th grade boys who were modern misfits. They went to a school where sports ruled, but they didn't like sports, knew they weren't good and didn't care. They were all forced to join the same soccer team and play other schools. Read about their losing streak and their battle with the school. Full of sardonic witticisms.

This is an exellent book!!!!!
I think you should read this book. This book is very humorous. The author does an exellent job with advetives. I reccomend this book and anything else by Betsy Byars!

Soccer Losers
I think that this book is a good book for the soccer players that aren't very good at soccer but actually plays soccer. I don't think people that are losers should get too worked up on how their playing. This is a good book, I really enjoyed reading this book. I think people who like sports but don't think that they are good should read this book and see how these soccer players act an how they play. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

I just love this book!! And Polly, too!!!
I love all Louisa May Alcott's books. I already read Little Women, Little Men, Jo's boys and I mean to read all the other books by Louisa May Alcott. Her books are so charming. An Old Fashioned Girl is about this girl named Polly who gives joy to everybody around her. She is so sensible and hopeful. It seems like the sun is fallowing her wherever she goes. Wherever she goes, she brightens up the place and brings joy, hope and love to everyone. I love Polly for it and I would like to be like her. Everybody knows Little Women, but not many people know Polly. But I think An Old Fashioned Girl is just as good and will bring happiness to everyone who reads it. I would recommend this book to every girls.

Hands down, Alcott's best
Polly, a poor, old-fashioned girl from the country, comes up tothe city for a long visit with her friend Fanny. Over the basicframework of country mouse/city mouse, Alcott embroiders extensively, adding the themes of peer pressure, societal pressure, riches and their relation to happiness, the rights and proper roles of women, love, 'proper' behaviour vs. right behaviour, and vice-versa. But the story reads like a story, not a dissertation on philosophy. Polly is very human, and her family, though less-well drawn, is collectively a very human family. Tom, Fanny's brother, is the star of the book. "An Old-Fashioned Girl" is filled with humourous incidents, the number of which increases as one grows older. I first read this book when I was seven. I loved it then, when I only got a small part of it. I love it even more now. Those readers who dislike Alcott's moralizing will not love this book, but they will find it better than, say, "Little Men." Ignore the character of Grandma, through whom Alcott voices most of her morals, and concentrate on Polly and Tom, and even the most cantankerous reader would surely, if grudgingly, admit that this book isn't half bad.

Old-fashioned but still good
Louisa May Alcott is best known for her classic coming-of-age novel "Little Women." But she tackles an entirely different part of growing up in "An Old Fashioned Girl," the story of a country mouse living with a wealthy urban family in late 19th-century America.

Polly Milton travels to stay with her aunt and uncle in the city, for the first time, but she immediately sticks out because of her outdated clothing and lack of fussiness. Her cousin Fan Shaw (also about fourteen) is already dressed like a young woman, and hangs out with a gang of shallow, trendy girls. Polly befriends old ladies, sings Scottish airs, and reads books on history. Can she fit in? What's more... does she really want to?

Fast forward about five or six years: The Shaw family learns that Polly is returning to the city, intending to give music lessons to help support her brother. Time hasn't really changed Polly -- she's still sweet-natured, moral and pleasant to everyone. But the Shaw family is in serious financial trouble -- and Polly will help out the only way she knows how.

In the late 1800s, "Girl" was written in two separate halves, which might explain why the second half is so much better than the first. The first isn't bad, but it suffers from a sort of prissiness. Virtually every story centers on Polly's moral struggles, with no break. Her story is far more engaging when she learns confidence and strength, not when she's wavering about peer pressure.

As in "Little Women," Alcott's writing is still pretty readable for modern readers, although most people will not know what a "pannier" is. She also writes a good understated love story, in Polly's gradual interest in her cousin Tom. You'll know that these two really need to get together, but it's going to take them awhile. So sit back and enjoy the ride.

Polly may put you off at first with her air of vague goody-two-shoes-ness, but she improves over the course of the book. Somewhat more realistic are the spoiled little brat Maud, the grumpy Tom, and the pretty but air-headed Fan. Grandmother isn't quite so engaging; she seems like an idealized older person who exists just to dispense wisdom. How about some personal quirks for the old lady?

Louisa May Alcott managed to wrap a lesson about peer pressure around a real story. Fans of her work will love "An Old Fashioned Girl," even with its few moralistic flaws.

Great!
This book is great for any Louisa May Alcott Fan. Even today, some of the situations that Polly goes through are valid and interesting. Though 130 years old, the characters and themes are still applicable with a slight stretch of the imagination and some thought. The plot is not thrilling, but bounces along at a steady pace and is enjoyable. As always with older books, the language is sometime a little difficult to decode when they talk about things from the period. I throughly enjoyed this book. It's another Louisa May Alcott great!

My Favorite of her work
I have owned all her works and this is my favorite. Even though it was written in the 1800's, it still has sound judgements. Riches can come and go, but how you live your life and how you influence others with your care, love and concern mean the most. Polly has her own struggles with life's lessons but with help from older women and remembering what her parents, especially her mother, taught her, she struggles through.
The beginning of the book finds her a young teenage friend of Fan Shaw who had come down to the country the year before visiting some friends of the family. There is Fan, 2yrs older, Tom who is Polly's age, Maude the little sister of about 6, Mrs. Shaw an invailid and Mr. Shaw a man of wealth, plus Madame who is Mr. Shaw's Mother. At the end, Polly and her friends are all adults except Maud who is a teenager. Fan learns a lot from Polly and Polly learns from all who come into her life. It is a Must read in my opinion for any girl or woman. ... Read more

Book Description

Ragweed is determined to see the world. He leaves his family and cozy country home and sets off by train for the big city. What wonders await him: music, excitement, new friends...and cunning, carnivorous cats! Silversides is the purring president of F.E.A.R. (Felines Enraged About Rodents), a group dedicated to keeping cats on top, people in the middle, and mice on the bottom. Can Ragweed and his motley yet musical crew of city nice--Clutch, Dipstick, Lugnut, and Blinker--band together to fight their feline foe? ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Ragweed
Ragweed by Avi is a great book about a country mouse. He travels to a city called Amperville where he finds new friends and enemies. He and his fellow city mice must avoid two cats (Silversides and Graybar) and their club F.E.A.R. Ragweed meets a band called the Be-Flat Tires and Blinker, who was originally an experimental mouse. I liked this book because it had great pictures so you knew what the mice and cats looked like. It was also good because it had a nice storyline and nice characters. Avi and Brian Floca did a great job.

The runaway mouse
In the story Ragweed is by the author Avi. It is about a mouse which decides to explore the New World. He wants to see the lights, people, and excitment. He ended up in a city called Amperville. He thought it was a nice town until he figured that many cats live there and are in search for mice. With Ragweed, Blinker, and Clutch they build a new club named Cafe Independent. Read the exciting and adventurous story of Ragweed on his suicide run for the city. If I was in confusing in reading a book, I would recommand this book. It is very well written and high vocabulary. The story was well planned out and I am sure it took a lot of time for the author to think of such a story. The illustrations are incredibly magnificent and helped in the understanding of the bood. This book will fill you with thrills and suspence.

A FANASTIC BOOK !!!!!!!!!!!
Courage, adventure, determination: If you like these qualities in a book, then you will definitely love Ragweed. By the time you stop reading, you'll be waist deep in the characters own problems.
Ragweed, the main character, is always in trouble. Imagine a run down town filled with mice. Pretty simple, but then put in a group of angry cats, who will take any chance to abolish all mice in the town. F.E.A.R. (Felines Enraged About Rodents). Then things start to get a little harder.
Ragweed, is a simple country mouse, wants to travel the world to see what's beyond his small brook home. So he says good bye to his family and starts his journey. He hops aboard the next train to wherever it goes. Little does he know what's ahead of him.

In this little run down town, he manages to have a little bit of luck on his side. The fist time he encounters F.E.A.R., deadliest worker, Silversides, the president of F.E.A.R., he is lucky enough to stumble onto a mouse's home, who pulls him in just in time. Later he finds out that the name of this mouse is Clutch. He also finds other friends: Dipstick, Lugnut and a timed little mouse called Blinker.

One funny thing that I have noticed from the beginning of Ragweed when he first comes to town is that most of the characters is that all the mice's names are car parts.
If I were to give this book a rating I would give it a ten out of ten. It has everything a book needs: friendship, bravery, determination, adventure, as well as some comedy. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes any kind of animal story at all.

betestes book ever!
This was a amazing book! I loved it! Iam 10 and I read "Erith's birthday" so I read "ragweed" It was Awsome! though i was very sad once i read "poppy"

really good!
this was the first book of the dimwood forest series that i read a few years ago. Ragweed was so good that i read it over and over without getting sick of it! it was my all-time favorite book for about 2 years. AVI writes really well and the plot of the story is a good one too. Oh and don't forget to look at the illustrations! they're sooooo cute! ... Read more

Book Description

There's a turtle named Jaws, a dinosaur canary, an alien playing Spaceball, and a no-show tooth fairy. A buffalo's in the library chomping on the books, and a princess has karate skills that rival her good looks. These characters and many more are found in this rambunctious and irresistible collection of poems that look at our world through a child's wide eyes.

Brod Bagert, a favorite in classrooms throughout the country, and Tedd Arnold, creator of the beloved Parts and More Parts, are friends who have happily teamed up-with hilarious, inspired results. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GREAT poems for EVERY child!
I picked up this book at a conference when I read the poem The Scratch. This poem fits my three year old perfectly. I had the idea to assign poems to my students who are very behind in reading. I am a the Special Education Coordinator for a very small school. My students LOVED the poems and are learning the poems to perform in front of parents and friends! The poems are easy to read and fun. I'm so glad that I found this book. It has been very motivating for my students. My daughter enjoys the funny poems as well.

Tedd Arnold's sweet illustrations with some poems tacked on
Tedd Arnold has forevermore immortalized himself through his Huggly series masterpieces, as well as jewels like Parts and More Parts, Inside The House That Is Haunted, Inside The Zoo In The City. If you don't know what I am talking about right now, please rush and do a search for these titles here at Amazon, and I guarantee you that your child and yourself will be delighted to no end with the charming stories and Mr.Arnold's trademark "watercolor and pencil wiggle" illustrations, original and visually delicious.
Having said that, let's return back to the subject of the book "Giant Children" by Brod Bagert. I would bottom line the value of this book this way: it's biggest quality comes from the fact that the illustrations were done by Tedd Arnold. If not for the elaborate and loving touch of the pictures he provides, the book itself would be a nothing-to-write-home-about collection of verses ranging from passable ("Giant Children", "Chocolate Maniac") to bland ("Buffalo In The Library"). Mr.Bagert seeks to make schoolchildren, a stable of his audience, to identify with the poems, and goes overboard with "Booger Love", which even my 2nd-grader son found gross.

The quality of the poems non-withstanding, the book still scores a major win with the kids due to the illustrations, like I said. If you and your children appreciate Tedd Arnold's style, this book is going to be a great value for you. He even sneaks Huggly into the illustration for "Spaceball"!! If you don't care about Mr.Arnold's works now and just want a new book for your kid, it will also do just nicely. Mostly all poems are written in an easy to follow syllable and straightforward vocabulary, and are approachable for most 6-7-year-olds. Click that "Add to cart" button! ... Read more