Book Description

In the heart of Brooklyn, New York, there is an alley that is the most beautiful place to live in the whole wide world. Or so Connie Ives believes. The alley is the perfect location to sharpen Connie's swinging skills, hold practices for the Alley Conservatory of Music, and convict a burglar by trial.
From the bestselling author of Ginger Pye comes the story of a little girl whose eyes are always open to the beauty of the world that surrounds her.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Quiet & Beautiful
This book is perhaps my favorite of all time--though I am no longer a child, I loved it when I was, and love it still.

It is a quiet little book--events happen, to be sure, but though there is a burglarly, there are no life-and-death situations. It concerns the thoughts and doings of one Connie and her friends and compatriots in the Brooklyn cul-de-sac where she lives.

A fascinating presentation of children as children and as people, dealing with life as it comes to them. Also, a wonderful portrayal of life in a 1940's/50's New York that is long past.

There is a sequel to this book, "The Tunnel of Hugsy Goode." I believe Hugsy appears first in "The Alley."

Truly a classic. A book which reflects and shapes me still, years after I've read it, and each time I reread it. ... Read more

Book Description

"Run run run as fast as you can. You can't catch me! I'm the gingerbread man."

In this modern retelling of a nursery classic, Caldecott-winning illustrator Richard Egielski adds an urban twist to a well-loved tale. This time, the gingerbread boy is on the loose in New York City, and he taunts everyone from construction workers to subway musicians, until his fateful chase through Central Park!

Reviews (1)

The urban Gingerbread Boy story
Set in New York City, Richard Egielski's version of The Gingerbread Boy is a treat for the eyes. The illustrations are richly detailed and colorful, and my 3 year old son loves this modern version. He and I talk about the characters and details, telling stories within the story. Our favorite illustration shows of a group of construction workers who pause in their work to chase that irresistible gingerbread boy. My son really loves the chase scenes, but the picture of the fox eating the gingerbread boy is a little scary. We highly recommend this version to readers 3 and up. ... Read more

Book Description

What's a Tub Child to think when his Grandfather hands him a metal hook and tells him to “stand guard” as a roly-poly man in a red suit with a very large sack and an even larger tree pops out of the chimney in the middle of the night? In this last of the Tub People trilogy, the beloved tub toys meet Santa, who rescues the Tub Child from the overly friendly family dog. After a thrill ride in the big bearded fellow's pocket, the Tub People are all placed gently on the Christmas tree where, wonder of wonders, the Tub Child, in the place of honor at the very top, gets to look down on his entire laughing family mixed merrily in with popcorn and candy canes and stars.

Author Pam Conrad is pictured at the beginning and end of the book as an angel, the Tub People's creator and guardian. All the Tub People become angels on the end papers and are reproduced in a sheet of beautiful Tub People Christmas ornaments that children can hang on their tree.

Book Description

When Uncle Dinkleschmidt buys three rubber balls for his toy store, it's up to Rudy to take very good care of them. But as soon as he is left alone in the shop, Rudy discovers that these are no ordinary balls, and that's when the magic begins. . . ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great book for preschoolers
This crazy combination of reality and fantasy mix to make a great story that my two preschoolers have loved since we've owned the book. My son and my daughter can easily relate to the balls that call to them to be "opened" and the mayhem that ensues.

The brightly colored pictures grabbed their attention right away, but the story is what truly steals the show. It was very easy for a 2 and 3 1/2 year old to understand the frustration of the balls and the frustration of the main character who's trying to think.

A quick and easy read that your children will enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description

The marching band is in the distance. Big as ants. Loud as crickets. Here it comes! Big as crickets. Loud as birds. Coming closer! Louder and louder, brighter and brighter. Hear the drums! Hear the horns! The band is here, marching by. Thump, Thump, Thump! Rat-a-tat-tat! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Toddlers love the words and colors
My 15 month old twins love this book. The rhythms of the text have them moving to the beat. They love the bright colors, and the sparse geometric drawings. They bring it to me at least once a day with claps and laughs. Be sure to read it aloud with dynamics! ... Read more

Amazon.com Reviews

As all the birds agree at the end of this pretty bilingual picture book, "You can't tell much about a bird by looking at its feathers." ("No se puede juzgar a un pájaro por su plumaje.")

The bird in question is a cuckoo bird with a golden voice. She may start out behaving pretty badly, leaving others to do her share of the work, but she sure pulls through in a pinch. After all, what's a full-throated bird to do when the fields are burning? Rescue the seeds, of course, so there will be food next year.Though the other birds assume she's far too frivolous to be any use, that's just what Cuckoo does.

In this bilingual retelling of an old Mexican tale, Cuckoo [Cucu] not only saves the seeds, but also loses her voice in all the smoke and soot. When it finally returns, her lovely singing voice has become a raspy bark, able only to "cuckoo," not to sing.

Beautifully illustrated with bright backgrounds and contrasting cutouts and collages, the book tells its story in both English and Spanish on each page. No doubt we'll be seeing more of such volumes in the future, as publishers work to meet the demand for Spanish-language works. This particular story is a great introduction to the mysteries of multiple languages; the colorful energy of the book's art should keep kids wandering through its pages for a good long time.

[Recommended for kids 3-8; might be good first-year Spanish practice for older kids.] ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Beautifully illustrated and told
My four-year-old daughter loves this book. She asks for it over and over. Tonight I even caught her looking at it under her night light. She doesn't want to return it to the public library tomorrow so I quess I'll be ordering our own copy soon. The story is beautifully illustrated with bold lines and attractive bright colors. And it is just as beautifully told in simple yet well wrought lines.

Cuckoo: A Multicultural Book
Cuckoo is a beautiful, but lazy bird. The owl, doves, and even the rooster get tired of Cuckoo flying around and singing beautiful songs all day. They complain she never does her share of the work! That is, until one day Cuckoo notices a field fire about to ruin the season's crop they had just worked so hard to plant. Cuckoo's apparent bravery is shown when she saves the seeds by carrying them to the mole's hole. This also demonstrates her willingness to put others' needs before her own beauty. Children of all ages will love the moral of this endearing story: "You can't tell much about a bird by looking at its feathers." This beautifully, brightly, authentically illustrated story is adapted from a Mayan Indian tale from Mexico. The bilingual text adds appeal to children of other cultures, or children wanting to learn the Spanish language. The front cover includes authentic drawings of ornaments with the Spanish/English vocabulary that is presented throughout the book. With the combination of bright illustrations that shine like the sun, a good moral ending showing bravery of the main character, and the bilingual text, young readers aren't likely to forget Cuckoo.

Beauty is Within
Cuckoo is a very beautiful bird with a gorgeous voice. The problem is she is extremely vain. Cuckoo does not help the other birds gather seeds for food. One day there is a fire, and Cuckoo is the only one awake. Cuckoo salvages all of the villages seeds by storing them in a mole hole. The soot from the fire has caused her feathers to turn black. When everyone recognizes Cuckoo and what she has done they are all very proud of her and forgiving for her selfish past.

Note to teachers: This book has beautiful, colorful illustrations. You should definetly follow any activity you do with this text with an art project on mosaics with extraordinary colors. This book could be used to prove a very good moral lesson. Beauty is only skin deep, and no one person is better than the rest of the group. Everyone must pitch in their part. You could also use this to introduce a unit on Africa, because this is an African folk tale. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There are far more than seven wonders in a child's world--award-winningillustrator Lois Ehlert's In My World reveals more than a dozen! Die-cutpages layer creature upon creature, each cutout giving glimpses of the next. Anadjective on each vividly colored page provides a hint of the almost abstractshape, while the flip side names the image: "wiggling worms," "leaping frogs,""shining sun," "growing fruit." The clutter of colors and shapes is almostoverwhelming at times, making it difficult to recognize the featured object. Onthe other hand, this jumbled quality beautifully suits the illustrations ofbutterflies and flowers and birds, for example. Young children will befascinated by the magically shifting outlines with their brilliant, bold colors,and by the rebus poem at the end, which features all the shapes in the book.

Ehlert is the bestselling illustrator of Waiting for Wings, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by JohnArchambault, and many others. (Ages 3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My son's favorite book!!!
I work at a library and I borrowed this book from the library. I now have to purchase it for him. When I told him that I was going to take it back to the library he threw a fit NO NO NO!!!!! This book is now in our home library collection. At the end of the book the author uses all of the symbols in the book in a short story. He is only 21 monthes and knows all of the symbols that appear on the that last page of the book. I don't especiall care for the choice of cut-out design chosen for the flower or the fruit but he seems to know what it is. ... Read more

Book Description

The legendary Emily Carr was primarily a painter, but she first gained recognition as an author, writing seven popular books that were also critically acclaimed about her journeys to remote Native communities and her life as a child in tumultuous Victoria, British Columbia at the start of the 20th century. A Book of Small collects 36 stories based on her frontier beginnings and stars a colorful cast of friends, family, neighbors, and strangers, from genteel socialites to saloon ruffians - all seen through the eyes of a curious, irrepressible girl. A constant throughout the book is Father, an unforgettable eccentric whom Carr portrays with telling humor. Carr's writing is as highly regarded today as when she was first published. In print continuously since its first publication in 1942, A Book of Small appears here with a fresh new design and an introduction by Sarah Ellis that offers historical and literary context for the book and its author. ... Read more

Book Description

John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales fullof adventure, attitude, and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gonebump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt,Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday. Now, the ten top-selling titles feature an updatedcover look. Loyal fans and enticed newcomers will love the series even more with thishaunting new look! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Smart and independent, 11-year-old Khyber lives with her mom, Tammy, a former stripper, and her autistic twin brothers in a poor Toronto neighborhood. Though she doesn't have a lot in common with her classmates, Khyber does have wonderfully eccentric friends: Valerie, Toronto's meanest waitress, and X, a homeless woman in hiding from the secret police. Despite having to deal with pompous social workers who make her mother cry and ignorant kids who make remarks about her brothers, Khyber manages to enjoy herself, poring over atlases, planning exotic journeys, and taking peanut butter sandwiches to X. But when Tammy decides to move her sons to a group home for proper care, Khyber's world starts to crumble. She fights with her mom and then gets expelled from school. To make matters worse, X suddenly disappears. Khyber sets out to find her in a wild all-night odyssey of self-discovery. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Looking For X
My friend decided to read looking for x, and loved it. so i decided t give it a try. i loved it! from the minutte i picked it up i was hooked! i remember when i started to finish the last few chapters i felt so sad because i would never find a better book. khyber is such a wonderfum independent, determaned girl. tammy is such a loving mother, and the twins were so interesting. all the characters were incredible and easy to relate to on different levels. the setting was quite different, and even though she did grow up in a rough place you would still want to be there just for the feeling. the story line is incredible, there are always twists and you never knew what to expect. i like how it always changes and when one thing happens the changes the whole plot.

Very Good, But Sad
Khyber is living in poverty in a poor part of Toronto with her family. Her father abandoned them when Khyber's two autistic brothers were born. I can tell you, having an autistic child is not easy. Autistic children cannot look at you in the eye or even talk. Plus, it costs money for treatment. And you can imagine, with the shortage of money that Khyber's mother has, it would be hard to pay for treatments for two autistic children. But Khyber loves her brothers dearly and would never let anything bad happen to them. But one thing Khyber looks forward to in life is her friend X, who lives in the park. X is a very mysterious old lady who is intensely afraid of the secret police and will not tell Khyber her real name. When X suddenly dissapears, Khyber is devastated. She just had to find X. Her journey would probably be one of the scariest things that would ever happen to her. read on... ... Read more

Book Description

An exciting new middle grade novel set during medieval times from the acclaimed author of The Breadwinner

"Before Micah came to St. Luc's, he knew how to beg, how to steal, and how to run from a beating. He did not know how to comb his hair, walk in line when he felt like running, or obey anyone's whim but his own. He was a stranger in a strange land. If it had been me, I would have found a way to disappear inside myself until the strangeness wore off.

Micah was not like me."

Henri has been living within abbey walls all his life, first in the care of nuns, then as a choirboy at St. Luc's, not far from Paris. He expects to spend the rest of his life there, copying books in the Scriptorium with the other brothers, and singing Mass in the great cathedral.

Then Micah arrives, a streetwise ragamuffin with the voice of an angel, saved from certain hanging to sing for God instead of coins. Micah comes like a fresh breeze into dead places, bringing exuberant joy at a time when Henri most needs it.

For the plague is coming, the grim reaper that will slash at the very roots of Henri's security. And neither Henri nor Micah nor anyone else in their world will ever be the same. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Company of Fools
I really loved this book. It takes place in Paris, in an Abbey, where all the monks and choirboys live. There's the teacher's pet, Henri, who is a goody-two shoes. He's 12, like me, and one day he meets Micah, a criminal of the same age who has the voice of an angel. They become friends, and they do things that Henri would never have dreamed of doing if he weren't with Micah: spying on the monks, mixing a horrible tasting powder in the communion wine, etc. They become the Company of Fools, to make people laugh and have joy with the Plague all around them. It's really a very good book. Recommended ages: 12 and up ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Reviews (8)

Great lesson & adorable!
I am a preschool teacher and my kids love this book. When I first read it I was reminded of my own two cats, and then I realized what a great lesson it would be for my class. The cats do some funny things in it as the older cat teaches the younger cat all the "tricks of the trade"...so it is humorous as well as teaching acceptance and love.

Clever book for siblings
I purchased Top Cat along with a book called Julius, The Baby of the World after reading a list of books that deal well with sibling rivalry issues. Although Top Cat is about cats rather than humans, I am far more impressed with this book than I am with Julius. There was so much negative behavior in Julius that I am afraid to read it to my 3 1/2 year old. Top Cat's strength here is the feline subjects. The book gives children an outlet for some of their own emotions without doing so in an overt way. Having four cats in my household and knowing exactly what they are capable of, I was not at all disturbed by the book's portrayal of cats.

Best Book Ever (according to my son)
My 10 month old son does not want to read any other book except Top Cat. He tries petting the cats on the pages. He is in love with this book. I have to order another copy as our first is almost destroyed.

As another reviewer said, Top Cat does include some violence (where one cat defends its territory), but ends with friendship and acceptance. If you've owned cats, its very realistic on how an established cat would treat a new cat.

Terribly disappointing!!
I have found Ehlert's books to be wonderful in the past, however, this book was really disappointing!! I couldn't believe that this was a book for young children. I would not read this book to my children!!

I was disappointed
I have some of Ehlert's other books and have found them to be wonderful, however, I found that this book was so very negative and had some very terrible concepts in it. Although the author portrayed activities that cats do, I was shocked to see them so boldly described in a children's book. I teach preschoolers and would not want to read this book to my class. ... Read more

Book Description

Poor Binky. He should be spending the summer playing with his friends. Instead, his parents send him to the big city, where Aunt Fran dresses him in itchy clothes and Uncle Julius teaches him about fractions. Things look pretty bleak until the night Binky spies some tiny figures hopping off of boxes and jars all over the kitchen: the trademarks have come to life! Together, Binky and his miniature friends-Sam the Banjo Man, the Paprika Twins, and Ike, who pilots a tiny propeller plane-transform a dreary summer into an extraordinary one. Rosemary Wells's endearing story about a lonely little boy is perfectly complemented in whimsical paintings by Richard Egielski. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Perfect story for a 6-7 year old camper...
Rosemary Wells is obviously gifted at remembering exactly what it feels like to be a child. Binky is sent to live with an aunt and uncle when a new sibling is eminent at home. His childless aunt and uncle are stern with him, but he finds little friends throughout their house that help him cope with his homesickness and loneliness. I particularly like the 'flashback' style beginning of the book, which the new 7 year old author in our family enjoyed as well. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a fantasy, a la C.S.Lewis, about twins (boy and girl) who find their way into a parallel world in which there are strange creatures, strange people, strange topography, and evil kings and warlocks trying to rule the entire land of Messmeria. The twins join the "good" forces to help overcome the evil ones. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Happily re-released
I first encountered this book about 15 years ago. After much searching in the past 5 I was overjoyed at it's re-release. The book is a wistful journey, fraught with the type of characters which abound in the Chronicles of Narnia, but without as many religious undertones. The creatures created by Eckert are reminiscent of the fantasy epics "Labyrinth" and "The Never Ending Story." The book is as fantastical now as it was waaaaaay back in grade school. My only regret is that it took so long to be re-published.

I LOVED this book!
This book was wonderful! It is the story of the twins Lara and Barnaby and their cousin William (I think that's what his name was, I haven't read the book for a while) who go into the world of Mesmeria one day by following an owl through the Everglades, only to find that they're destined to save this land.This book is an incredible fantasy (take it from a fanatic bookworm) that I completely loved, and the sequel "The Wand: Return to Mesmeria" is just as good...

An imaginative fantasy quest through a C.S. Lewis world!
This is the greatest book I have ever read...in other words, my most favorite of all books! It has absolutely everything I dream of in a fantasy novel: an entrance to another world; fantastic and outer-worldly creatures, characters and obstacles; an imaginative and original plot combining the elements of fantasy, fiction, adventure, mystery and suspense; and an almost perfect combination of surrealistic lands and characters. Even though this is the only book of Allan's that I have read, I believe that this is the most different from his others. No other novel I have read let me enter such an incredible world as this one or make my own imagination stronger than it had ever been before! To summarize this enchanted adventure, the two main adventurers-Laura and Barnaby-set off to a secret spot (known by their cousin and the third adventurer, William) in the Florida Everglades. As their small motorboat ventures further in, William's secret owl reveals a hidden passage trhough the side of the walls of the cavernous secret spot, just large enough for the boat. As they make their way through the dark green tunnel, a whole other world is discovered through these three children and an incredible adventure is about to begin! There is only one problem...Laura and Barnaby are twin brother and sister...and in this new world, twins are forbidden ... Read more

Book Description

The Amazing Jazper, as he prefers to be called, is pretty proud of himselfwhile house-sitting for some evil moths, he reads their books of magic spells, and learns how to transmorph. He is now his own side show, and charges the other bugs in bugtown money to see him change into a crayon, a bubble, even a sour a pickle, all to great applause. But the moths are NOT amused, and decide they must rid themselves of the competition. What follows is a morph war that moves at breakneck speed--Jazper does his famous sour pickle, and the moths show up as knives.He turns into a nut, and the moths become nutcrackers.Can Jazper outwit the evil moths? Will he give up magic forever? Does water put out fire?

... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cute, original, creative - my son Jasper will love it!
I saw it browsing in a book store, read it, and really enjoyed it. It's a refreshing new children's adventure story, which subtly hints at how it's nice to be yourself (in the end).

Don't overlook this!
This is a great book that's really being overlooked. After a young grasshopper's father gets into an accident at the Tomato Plant, he is forced to get a job. Working with some magic-working moths, he learns enough magic to change his shape. He quits working with them to go into business doing street perfomances. When the disgruntled moths come after him, the magical battle begins!!

With really cute pictures and lively prose, Jazper delivers the goods. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Plain old fun
Long after this story joined our vast family collection, our son especially took to the pranks of Milton and Morris, twins who accidentally blow up the ship carrying them from England to New York--and their parents, too.

"It was an accident at sea many years ago" the story begins, following illustrations of the boys sneaking into the ship's hold and lighting some fuses. (Devils!)

They wash up in New York, shuffle from orphanage to orphanage, and finally escape from Rotten's Home for Lost Boys to the circus. Then they, oops, try lifting a pocket watch from a clever old man. He catches them red-handed, and takes them home.

Nathan, it turns out, is a fine tailor. When he dies, they are bereft. But they know tailoring. Dressed as old men, they start selling suits to the fanciest of people.

One day, a delighted Mrs. Guggenheim declares, "You two simply must come with us to meet the Queen." Milton and Morris find themselves in England wowing the court--everyone, that is, except the Queen's gardener and his wife. Yup, you guessed it, their parents.

This story is just plain old fun. Alyssa A. Lappen ... Read more

Book Description

Drawing on her experience as a librarian and writer, Sarah Ellis has assembled a fun collection of anecdotes, tidbits, and activities to inspire and inform the young writer. She describes how Robert Louis Stevenson found inspiration for Treasure Island in a bowl of porridge, and encourages readers to plan their own island adventure. She shows how to put new life into correspondence (even thank-you notes) by studying the letters of the great writers of children’s literature. Keeping a dream journal, cutting out intriguing clippings, starting a story file, and rewriting a fairy tale are among the inventive activities in The Young Writer’s Companion. ... Read more