Reviews (1)

great, fun plot and easy to read
THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (5)

A Message for Everybody, Big People too!
I bought this book for my daughters because of the excellent illustrations by Stephen Gammell. Home, I sat on the sofa, girl on each side and read aloud. It didn't take long to finish this book that is written in verse. And it is a children's book, be assured of that. But, you know, the message here is one that would make this world a much better place if we adults would only open our eyes and see.

Sophie Cacique Gaul

Old Henry, I want to be like you!
It may not last forever, but this book has momentarily knocked Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio" into second place. "Old Henry" is now my favorite all time book, even after having owned it for about seven years. Oh, I used to read it all the time to the kids, but the moment I realized this book is now, for the time being, my all-time favorite book, is when I sat in the emergency room late one recent Saturday night.

My wife was in another room, discovering she had a broken foot from a slip earlier that day on a basement floor made wet by water leaking in through the walls.

I spend far too much time doing home maintenance these days, mopping up wet basement floors, calculating how the house will be sided or painted, deciding whether topaint or replace a garage door, trimming hedges and yanking weeds.

All of these ridiculous, no-win chores simply chip away at the time I want for reading, writing and drawing. It is not enough that parenthood justly requires so much time and energy -- we signed on for that -- but the treadmill that is home maintenance is a horror for anyone who likes to sit by the bird feeder and read magazines.

I envy, then, Old Henry, who wants only to move in, leave things be, and read and draw while his neighbors are concerned about the length of his grass.

My uncle once explained to me why he barely ever trims his bushes. "I want them to express themselves," he said, comparing his free-flowing shrubs to the neighbors' which were stiff and buzzcut as military sentries.

So I used to read "Old Henry" for my kids. Now it is at my bedside, along with the magazines and feng shui books, all reminders that if I want to nurture my mind, I'll have to give up the landscaping and such, and while the water in the basement must be mopped up lest anyone else break a bone, that we actually do have the freedom to surrendur to nature, let it grow and grow around us, and in that sweet surrendur, curl up defeatedly with a book.

Old Henry
I thought that this book was really good. I think that it will help kids understand how you should never judge people because that is what they did in the book. The neighbors judge Henry because he moved into a house and he did not fix it up so his neighbors cleaned his yard for him and was running him out. The neighbors did what they wanted but when he left the neighbors started to miss him. It shows that with him gone there was something special the people liked about him.

Old Henry
Old Henry is a great childrens book that also has a moral. The moral of the story is that you should not judge a person for how they look, dress, or live but how they are as a person. The neighbor's of Henry in the story do just this and drive Henry to move away. The neighbors end up missing him and feel guilty about how they treated him. A child can learn a lot from the book.

It is perfectly all right to be different, even eccentric!
A most unusual children's book, Old Henry can be enjoyed by adults as well as children. The illustrations are particularly lovely and subtle; this book can be looked at many times, for the pictures alone. Old Henry is especially suitable for a child with learning disabilities and/or a language problem, or any child he feels he "doesn't fit in." The text is in rhymed verse, making it easier to follow the rhythm of the spoken word, and especially suitable for reading out loud. Also, the message of the book is that it is all right to be different or eccentric, even a hermit (in fact, Old Henry is something of a "slob," who doesn't maintain the house he has moved into. He prefers to paint or read.) Henry knows who he is, and how he wishes to spend his time, and he isn't bothering anybody. In fact, when he moves away (the neighbors pester him mercilessly to conform to their ways), the people in the town discover that they really miss this rugged individualist! In a society where everyone is strongly encouraged to conform, Old Henry is a refreshing reminder that it is all right to be eccentric. Your child will love hearing that from you! ... Read more

Book Description

Celebrate the cycle of the day, as the earth turnes to and then away from the sun, and meet a wide array of animals from America's east coast to the west as they work and rest, eat and play, just as humans do.

Jean Craighead George's lyrical greeting to the day becomes a sweeping panorama of the American countryside with Wendell Minor's evocative, dramatic paintings.

Good morning, the dawn,
when the earth is turning from night to day
and waking begins.

00 Kansas Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award Masterlist

Reviews (4)

Not only do I love this book, but my babe does too
Sure the pictures don't exactly match the words, but the pictures are beautiful and the verse is lyrical. This is my near two-year-old's favorite book. She walks around the entire time saying, "Morning, Morning, Morning."

I also think that this would be a perfect book for a family interested in observing daily rhythms and routine, especially Waldorf-oriented families.

A Naturally Wonderful Children's Book
A great children's book with wonderful illustrations that will spark young children's interest into the animals they may send around them.

I have always loved George's work and now there is a book that even the youngest of children can enjoy, from this nature loving Newberry Medal-winning author.

To date I have bought four copies as gifts for friends and family members who just had newborn babies.

pictures don't match the words making it an annoying book
The illustrations are realistic and high quality. I have issus wth the organization of the verses and the verses not matching the illustrations.

One problem lies in that each verse cites up to five different animals and that not all the animals are pictured on the pages. This is very confusing for my four year old who asks me where a certain animal is pictured and it simply is not there. Other pages where the verse references time of day (afternoon) and no animals, show animals. Why not have pictured simple landscapes with skies that relate to that time of day instead? For example the picture for noon doesn't even show a sun, let alone a bright shining sun, it shows a close up of bison, and bison are not mentioned in that passage at all.

Sometimes the animals within one passage are not even related to each other by habitat. An example is mentioning a stork, killdeer and a cardinal in the same passage. Yes, they are all birds but they just aren't in the same habitat, preventing them from being depicted in an illustration together. I'd have prefered mentioning three ocean dwelling creatures within one passage, even if some were birds, some fish, and some ocean dwelling mammals.

I do love picture books that feature seasonal themes or time-of-day themes. I also love books that feature animals.

I have never seen such an annoying arrangement of verses and such a mismatch of words with illustrations in a picture book for young children. For this confusion and annoyance, I grant one star. I dislike it so much that I can't stand to read it to my children and am donating it to my local library.

A simple story for young readers with superb illustrations!
This is simply a wonderful book! I truly enjoyed using it while tutoring a fourth grade remedial reader because it was simple, yet beautifully worded and superbly illustrated. Each illustration is a marvelous nature portrait in itself. My fourth grade student (who happens to be very interested in science) savored each lovely portrait, as we talked about the animals and environments depicted in each one. Though the words are few and simple, the book avoids being overly childish. Rather, it respectfully presents the cycle of the day (morning, noon and night) and the beauty of various animals as they act in their natural environments throughout the day. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Pigs!
This is a wonderful book! Children love learning about these animals and it's good for them to know that there is more to a pig than just the thought of them being dirty animals! I love reading this book to my kindergarten class! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cool!
I read this book so many times. I loved it. I thimk you should read it too.

Will Always Remember
I read this book over ten years ago, when I was about nine, but the emotions I felt while reading it are still fresh in my mind. This is an excellent read, at any age. It's fun, sad, silly, and adventurous. I will never forget it. ... Read more

Book Description

"Billie Wind lives with her Seminole tribe. She follows their customs, but the dangers of pollution and nuclear war she's learned about in school seem much more real to her. How can she believe the Seminole legends about talking animals and earth spirits? She wants answers, not legends.

"You are a doubter,"say the men of the Seminole Council and so Billie goes out into the Everglades alone, to stay until she can believe. In the wilderness, she discovers that she must listen to the land and animals in order to survive. With an otter, a panther cub, and a turtle as companions and guides, she begins to understand that the world of her people can give her the answers she seeks. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The Talking Earth: Speaks Out Loud!
The Talking Earth
by Jean Craighead George

The Talking Earth is about a Seminole girl named Billy Wind who is very curious. When her tribal elder spoke of spirits everywhere there is, Billie said she did not believe in that. The religious leaders got very angry and asked what punishment she should give herself. In sarcasm, she said that she should go to the pay-hay-okee (the Everglades)and stay until she heard the spirits of the animals talk, see the magical serpent, and find the little people who lived under the ground. The people agreed while she wondered in shock because it was just a joke. She was still forced to enter the pay-hay-okee and hear the spirits herself. Therefore, she stayed there and lived with an otter, a panther, and a turtle. At the end, she endured a hurricane in a cavern and lived to tell the tale.
The reason I liked this book is because it had a lot to do with the flow of nature. It told about why the Seminoles said there were animal gods and magical things. It also said how nature has its own special type of flow and to disrupt it can result in disaster. It also had a lot of feeling into what happenned around her and why it happenned.
I also liked the book because it was very interesting. I couldn't stop reading it until I had no other choice. It grabbed me in the ears and pulled me into the book with all my senses so that I could feel everything around me. In the tense parts, I was scared for Billy Wind and I was also relieved when that part was over. It was like real life!
My favorite part was when Billy wind had just entered the pa-hay-okee. There was a great fire that burned down the whole forest that she was in. She found a strange pit that seemed to be inhabitted before. She found a baby otter inside a small tunnel and named him Petang. She also noticed there were small artifacts in the walls that were related to the Seminole's. She stayed and tried to reach home and get an archeologist to the site.

Good Imagery Makes It Confusing
The Talking Earth is a story about a young Seminole girl, Billie Wind, who is in disbelief of her tribe's beliefs on talking animals and spirits. Although she wants to believe in the culture, she does not think this makes any sense. In school she is learning the scientific reasons for things, such as pollution, and her ancestor's reasons for nature just don't match up. She goes to live in the Everglades until she hears the animals talk and sees the spirits. She does not believe it will ever happen. Throughout the story Billie grows and changes. She learns how to survive in the wilderness, and befriends animals, such as an otter, that help her. Through this experience she begins to understand her tribes beliefs, and gains a stronger bond with nature. The only problem is: is this bond strong enough to survive the challenges she meets?

The author, Jean Craighead George, does a great job at painting a picture of the Everglades through her imagery and detail. This story is also easy to relate to, as everyone has doubts about beliefs of other people sometime in his/her life. However, this detail often made the book difficult to understand. This book would be a good choice for multicultural studies in the classroom; however, the teacher would need to be reading and discussing with the students. If I had trouble with it children definitely would. Personally, I don't think I will ever read this book again, but after reading the review by a third grader, I see that it is possible to enjoy it. I believe the key to a child enjoying the book is the help of his/her teacher. So, from a future teacher's viewpoint, if you liked the book, read it to others, otherwise, stay away from it; and, if you haven't read it yet, I wouldn't recommend it.

The Talking Earth - Spouts Mud and Vomit!
Having read this book, I have made the conclusion that Ms. George likes to see just how far she can go, see if she really can kill with only words.

The book looks mildly harmless. Some transvestite on the cover with what looks like a rat. But, open it, and you shall come to find out that that little transvestite (called Billie Wind) is much more harmful than other fictional characters (see: Hannibal Lecter, Randall Flagg, Barney).

The writing style is awful. The whole book seems like an exercise in crapulence.

After reading this bundle-of-glued-pages, I am scared to death of Seminole Indian! I hope I never, ever see one!

In short: Ms. George, this is one of those Michael Moore moments that comes up all-too-rarely. In his words, Ms. George: shame on you!

J.R.'s review
I thought the book was very good. It had a lot of details and it was easy to picture what was happening in the book. Anyone who critisizes Jean Craighead George's "The Talking Earth," needs to get a taste in good books. I chose it to read in school as an Accelerated Reader Book and it was great. My teacher didn't choose it for me I chose to read it and if I had a chance to read it, I did. If you like reading about indians and stuff like that, than I suggest that you read this book. If you don't like it, than read one that you do like. Thankyou for reading my review.

Talking Earth (ZZZZzzzzz)
I thought this book was absoulutly awful. I had to read it for school, otherwise I would have stoped reading the book. I thought the book was really unrealistic and really boring. The animal gods, the little people under the earth, and petang were dumb. If I were you I would not read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

"The classic tale of the old couple, with no children of their own, who bake a gingerbread boy to keep them company. Just as the little old woman is about to take him from the oven, he slips away and runs out the door past a cow, a horse, a group of threshers, mowers, etc. All follow in hot pursuit until the gingerbread boy meets up with a wily fox, and "at last and at last he went the way of every single gingerbread boy that ever came out of an oven . . . He was all gone!" A wonderfully frenetic cross-country chase is depicted in Galdone"s broadly humorous color wash drawings. Of the eight editions of this well-known story now in print, this hilarious version is the most delectable."
—School Library Journal, starred

"Galdone has already proven many times over that he is perfectly at home with those traditional nursery tales that are still preschoolers" favorites, and his expressive, unassuming style just right for their very young audience. . . . Children will follow along breathlessly . . . right up to that last snip snap snip when the Gingerbread Boy goes "the way of every single gingerbread boy that ever came out of an oven.""—Kirkus Reviews ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Classic tale
An old woman and an old man have no kids, so the old woman makes a gingerbread boy. When she opens the oven, the gingerbread boy jumps out and runs away. He gets chased by the old woman and old man, a cow, a horse, and some farmers out threshing. Eventually, a fox manages to catch the gingerbread boy through cunning, and the fox eats him up. Some kids may find the story quite scary, and may find the unhappy ending a bit disconcerting. But it's a classic tale and quite engaging. The book has about 1300 words.

Terrific story for 3 year olds!
My three and a half year old son loves this story which is about a gingerbread boy who runs away from people and animals who want to eat him, only to wind up in a river, on the back of a sly fox, who pretends not to be interested in him. The fox eats the boy but this story is not scary. My son tells me it is "OK that the fox ate the gingerbread boy because he is really a cookie, and not a real boy". I would not recommend this book to kids who are three and younger as it might scare and confuse them. This is an older traditional story, a classic. Highly recommended.

Perfect for a thematic unit on Gingerbread.
I will be reading this book along with some other similar titles to my youngsters. The pictures are very vivid and the repeated patterns make it easy for children to follow! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (14)

Old Black Fly
Great book! This is one of my kinder's favorite books. The rhyming and chanting are so enjoyable for the kids. While the fly is being chased through the house and through the alphabet, the children are hearing the sounds of our language. It's an excellent book to help develop phonemic awareness and early literacy skills. More than anything, it's just plain fun!

We enjoyed the funny rhymes and ending.
We are a kindergarten class, and we loved this book. We especially liked when Old Black Fly gets swatted at the end of the story. We liked when we could read along with "shoo fly, shoo fly, shoo!" The pictures were funny too.

I know an old lady...
It's like the germs are flying off the page. If human eyes had the ability to see the diseases that flies spread, then this book is a fairly good indication of what the world would look like. This is, in essence, an alphabet book. On each and every page the naughty little fly (looking more like a Searle creation than anything else) bother and annoys every woman, child, and beast that crosses its path. This is not your sweet little baby alphabet book. No, this is an alphabet book of their nightmares. And it's pretty darn good.

Stephen Gemmell's illustrations look as if one hundred and fifty flies sneezed a rainbow of colors onto the pages. Kind of a colorized "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" for the toddler set. The best use of this book would probably be to those children that have somehow failed to learn their alphabet and feel that they are too old for the everyday humdrum "baby" abc books you so often see on the market. Don't get me wrong. There is a real beauty to these paintings. The splatters and messes filling each page are a messy child's fantasy realm. Who wouldn't want to do all the wonderful horrible things this fly is capable of? The fly itself is shockingly realistic. Hairy and gross to the extreme. He isn't given any human qualities or emotions. This is a very realistic old black fly, and because of this, the things he's going to do are going to be a little disgusting. Don't miss the second to last SWAT in a two-page spread of exploding pink and brown cake. Says the illustrator about this story, "This is the first book of the rest of the books I'll illustrate". I, for one, hope it isn't his last.

FUNNY
This was one of my kids favorite books. In fact, in our book club we always bring books to the expectant mother and this is always my first choice. It works for both genders and is VERY entertaining. Perfect addition to any kids library.

Gotta' have this book!
My young students enjoy this book every year. The antics of the fly are delightful. The "shoo fly" repetitious part encourages my kids to chant along. The color in the illustrations holds the attention of very young children. The author knows how to entertain 6-year olds as he taught first-graders for 25 years. If you really want to be able to get the full enjoyment of the story, invite Mr. Aylesworth to your school. He is an awesome speaker! He will "sing" Old Black Fly in a way that you will want to try to imitate! You'll hear "...sing it again, sing it again!" This book belongs in every elementary classroom. ... Read more

Book Description

Do you ever mail a letter and wonder what happens to it after you drop it in the box? Read all about the post office and learn how letters are weighed, sorted, transported, culled, canceled, coded, binned, boxed, and sorted once again. Find out how people and machines work together to deliver the letters you send.

Book Description

It starts out harmlessly enough, with a rabbit feeling rather pleased with

himself and his talent for hearing. A neighboring bear overhears the rabbit's

boasting and takes offense. The challenge is on, and the bickering begins as

the bear proclaims that his ability to smell is quite superior to the rabbit's

hearing. It's up to a wise earthworm to point out the winner--neither! A great

Seuss classic to give as a gift, with a story and a moral for our times.




... Read more

Reviews (2)

My favorite Seuss
One of the most entertaining Seuss Stories I have ever read, makes me glad I have kids or I may have missed this Gem. Story was so good I bought a copy for the day care center.

The Big Brag is NOT a Big Drag
The Big Brag is a delightful book for parents to read to their kids. When Seuss preaches and teaches to eaches of us, we smile all the while. And his warnings about self-blow-your-own- hornings message comes through loud and clear. If preachers could teach when they preach like Seuss on the loose, our churches would be packed every Saturday or Sunday. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lani, 10, tries the unicycle.
Right. Treehorn's Treasure is the best book EVER I have a cassette of the story and I have listened to it so many times I can recite it exactly as it is said on tape. Tabitha came round my house last night and asked to borrow my pink dress. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Marie-Louise Gay's squat, snub-nosed children with their frenzied locksare as familiar to under-fives as the wild things of Maurice Sendak. InStella, Star of the Sea (which won a Governor General's Award forillustration), the gifted picture-book artist introduces the irresistible duo ofSam and his spirited older sister, Stella. "Stella and Sam were spending a dayat the sea shore," Gay begins this playful celebration of summer, adding, "Itwas Sam's very first time." Stella is an adventurer, eager to dive to the oceanfloor, tame sea horses, and dig a hole to China, but her little brother, Sam, ismade of more cautious stuff. When Stella, looking out at the sea from the top ofa delightfully round sand dune, exclaims, "Isn't it beautiful, Sam?" he observeswith a characteristic deadpan, "It's very big... and noisy."

Gay humorously contrasts the children's impressions of the sea in pictures anddialogue that capture Sam's experience of its frightening enormity, as well asStella's joy in its secret treasures. To fend off the prospect of a swim, Samkeeps asking Stella anxious questions like "Does a sea horse gallop?" Stella'sreplies are as authoritative as they are imaginative: "'Yes!' cried Stella. 'Andyou can ride a sea horse bareback.'" Gay's whimsical watercolors show Stellaswimming alongside tropical fish and holding onto the back of a child-sized pinksea horse, while Sam hangs behind, a tiny speck in a water ring on the distantshore. Ultimately, of course, Stella's irrepressible enthusiasm wins over Sam'ssober hesitancy, and in the final image of this charming picture book the two ofthem float happily in a luminous blue green sea. (Baby to age 4)--Lisa Alward ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great illustrations!
This is one of my favorites! The artwork is gorgeous and little brother Sam's inquisitive nature is funny. Stella's answers are also quite creative. My daughters really enjoy this one.

FRESH, FUN, & ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE
I just discovered Stella and Sam this weekend and they are now officially my favorite children's characters ever! The brother and sister relationship has never been explored with such sweet simplicity. A worried Sam asks the truly stellar Stella question after question after question, and she answers with pizazz and panache, until Sam can't help but be influenced by her infectious enthusiasm. Their paunchy little-kid stomachs and Stella's flame-red hair are sooooo cute that the book would be worth the buy even for the pictures. Luckily you don't have to compromise - the dialogue makes it difficult to read without laughing aloud and the story flows with a fresh feeling that is completely enjoyable.

Adorable, funny book!
Stella aquaints her little brother, Sam, to "The Sea"--a world to which she is an expert and which adults do not seem to inhabit. He is testing the waters, obviously timid about his first ocean adventure. She is an avid explorer--unafraid to share her waters with fallen stars (starfish) and galloping sea horses. It's worth buying this book just to see the picture of the two fishing off of the pier. Absolutely Adorable!

This beach adventure is especially great for 3-4 yr. olds.
The illistrations are beautiful. The story with all of sams questions and stellas imagination are right out of a preschoolers mouth. Fun summer reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Citizens of Saddleboro are proud to say that theirs is the cleanest town around. So they can't ignore the mysterious death of their mascot, Cock Robin. Some people would like to blame the citizens themselves, but one boy-Tony Isidoro -- suspects there's more to the story.

Tony threads his way through a maze of clues: Among other things, the town park is overrun with trillions of ants; nights are quiet because there are no frogs singing; the nearby river contains a dangerous amount of an unknown chemical; and the town dump is emitting strange fumes. What does it all add UP to? It's an eco mystery all right, and it's up to Tony to figure out who really killed Cock Robin.

Reviews (2)

An Eco-Mystery
Environmentalist, ecologist, naturalist, and writer Jean Craighead George, the Rachel Carson for children, will win her audiences once again with this story. The plot revolves around Tony Isidoro, a young biologist who is bent on solving the mystery of the death of his hometown's feathered mascot, Cock Robin. As he uncovers assorted clues strung throughout the town--chemical activity, sudden loss of frogs and birds--Tony must try to convince his naive neighbors that not just one thing is responsible for the bird's death, but many imbalances in the town's ecosystem, which everyone is convinced is the cleanest around. Since it's an eco-mystery, the story is grippingly told in the style of a crime investigation. From the beginning you want to know Who Really Killed Cock Robin: "Cock Robin lay on his back with his feet in the air. . .It was seven minutes past six A.M. on the twenty-fourth day of May. He was dead." There are endless possiblities for the cause of the bird's death, and at times it's a bit unrealistic when Tony immediately dismisses some types of poisons and investigates others. Younger kids may have no idea what DDT, PCB, and 2,4,5-T are, though the author does try to explain them. However, the story, the dedication--"To sunshine, clear water, and sparkling skies and to the kids who are cleaning up the Earth"--and Ms. George's supportive Author's Note in the new paperback version will surely inspire kids to clean up their environment and veer away from the use of harmful, chemical-containing products. If one enjoys this Eco-Mystery, check out the others in the series--THE CASE OF THE MISSING CUTTHROATS; THE FIRE BUG CONNECTION; and THE MISSING 'GATOR OF GUMBO LIMBO. Don't forget Jean Craighead George's eighty or so other remarkable stories--the Julie of the Wolves books, the My Side of the Mountain trilogy, the One Day series. . .the list goes on and on. Each book will deepen readers' respect for nature and our beautiful but threatened planet.

Cock robin is a bird "killed" by something in the enviroment
Very well written, not so deep so that kids can't understand it. It is unique in that it doesn't lecture or preach, like many ecological books. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Must" reading for all youthful rabbit fanciers!
Rabbits, Rabbits & More Rabbits! looks like fiction but provides a whimsical nonfiction account of rabbits of all kinds, with drawings used to provide identification of various types of rabbits and their activities. Kids with a special attraction to bunnies will find this an easy introduction! ... Read more

Book Description

ALL ABOARD! This Seussian, train-shaped board book with big, bold flaps lets babies and toddlers engage in a rollicking game of "Lift the Flap." Sturdy board pages and an accordion binding lets the fun unfold and makes the perfect nursery room decoration. ... Read more

Book Description

Buck is a dog born to luxury, but his life changes dramatically when he is sold to be a sled dog in the Yukon Terrority. First published in 1903, this masterpiece of adventure and survival continues to enthrall readers almost a century later. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Call of the Wild
Buck, a half St. Bernard, half german sheperd dog, was stolen from his Californian home and taken to the Klondike. At his Californian home, Buck sees himself as the King. He could do whatever he wants. The Klondike is a whole new world for him. He has to get accustomed to the harsh weather, the other dogs, and the rules. Buck learns it all very fast.

Before taken to his new owners he had to be 'broken in'. He was put in a cage with a man in a red sweater, that is holding a club. When Buck sees this man, he immediately trys to attack him. Every jump that Buck takes at the man, he is knocked back by the club. Later, when he is just put with his new owners, a friendly dog named Curly walks up to one of the owners' Huskies, and the Husky attacks her right away. All the other dogs seem to circle the fight. When Curly is knocked to the ground, all of the Huskies attack her. When the dog owners clear the mess, all that is left of Curly is pieces in the snow. Jack London calls these the Laws of Club and Fang.

The Call of the Wild is a very good book. The first chapter hooks you to the story right away. With lots of action and adventure, this is a good book for anyone who can read it.

A Classic!
This tale is so beautiful and poignant it brought tears to my eyes, and I rarely cry over books or films. London displays a true understanding of the deeper reaches of nature. A parable of the civilized dog brought back to to his wild roots. Don't miss it!

The Call of the Wild...A great book that couldn't be better
The Call of the Wild is a very intense and noble book. Buck is a very good and loyal companion to any one human. It is very addicting. It is hard to put it down after you have started. The many furosious elements that Buck had to travel through and their descriptions make it more addicting. You just start to grow a love for Buck for all of the things that he went through through out his life. It is one of the best books ever published.

¡ÚThe Call of the Wild¡Ú
In the novel The Call of the Wild, Jack London describes snow-sledding dogs on a white snowfield. This novel talks about the dog, Buck, who lived in warm California and had an easy life but was sold by a gardener¡¯s helper to an auctioneer from Alaska. Buck suffered from hunger, was forced to do severe work, and poorly treated by most owners. After keen competition, Buck became the lead-dog of the snow-sledding team. At this time, we can not find the words to describe how moving the duel with Spitz was. After the duel, he met his new master, John Thornton, who saved Buck from danger, and Buck respected the master and loved him. Then the master was killed by Indians, and Buck got his wild instincts and his animalistic mind back. Buck wanted to go back to nature; therefore, he went back to the wilderness for the rest of his life.
Jack London expresses the agony and sorrow of human life into Buck¡¯s weary canine life. On the other hand, Jack London describes his own life by using the dog in this story. Through this novel, The Call of the Wild, readers can emotionally feel a sense of the author¡¯s life and trace his past. As we read the book, we can look at our own lives and feel emotions like guilt and sorrow. Consequently, I suggest reading The Call of the Wild because it is one of the most successful stories ever written.

Loyalty Goes a Long Way
I really enjoyed The Call of the Wild because although it was not a book I could relate to, London kept the plot running smoothly and lively. The book rarely became boring. London used so many metaphors in his writing I got a real feel for the scene. He made it very possible to see the characters almost beyond the third point of view. London's use of detail helped the scene come to life. He used such descriptive words that I could almost get into the scene alongside Buck. London seemed to be showing the different levels of loyalty of both men and dogs through his book. He showed the absolute extreme circumstances loyalty goes. I really enjoyed learning about the Alaskan culture. This book depicted a perfect image of what it would be like to be out on a trail on a sled with a team of dogs leading the way. It was very enriching and enlightening. ... Read more

Book Description

For nearly a century, steadfast friends Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad have enchanted and entertained readers around the world with their adventures-rowing on the river, delving into the sinister Wild Wood, and exploring the open road. Now Kenneth Grahame's time-honored work comes to life as never before in 30 of Mary Jane Begin's inspired full-color paintings. From the friends' first picnic on River Bank to their final rousing defense of Toad Hall, Begin's cheerful, sparkling art captures all the magic and merriment of this enduring classic. Here is a 208-page deluxe edition that belongs on every child's bookshelf. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great supplemental activities!
This wonderful book is a great addition to your study of Pioneer days!All of the activities can be used to reinforce the daily life of the Pioneer families.There are activities and instructions for hand sewing a doll and her clothing; making useful, everyday things such as punched tin lanterns from tin cans and votive candles; or even molded candles.This is a great book for those hands on activities you need for history.It would even be good for studying the lives of children throughout history. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The story
This book is actually based on a town. In fact its the one i live in. Their is an old opera house that is all run down and John Bellairs wrote a book about it. He also based "The House With the Clock in its Walls" off a Marshall house.

"The dead will rise..."
"Doom of the Haunted Opera" is one of my favorite books by John Bellairs/Brad Strickland, a good mix of spookiness, humor, supernatural megalomania, and a dash of real human fears. Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger are at their best here.

Jonathan Barnavelt receives the news that a friend -- another wizard -- has recently died, and posthumously asks that Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann take care of his old magical objects. The two leave New Zebedee, and Rose Rita and Lewis are left to their own devices. They explore an old opera house and find a crumbling old opera called "Day of Doom," by Immanuel Vanderhelm. As Lewis finds the opera, he sees a ghostly dead man who calls out "Beware the doom of the haunted opera! He means to be King of the Dead!"

Then a strange man appears in the town, claiming to Vanderhelm's grandson. He means to put on as performance of the opera, and at first everything appears to be all right. But soon all the adults in the town are enamored -- and enspelled -- by Henry Vanderhelm, communications with the outside world are cut off, wizards are locked in their houses, and Lewis sees a tomb statue come alive in the graveyard. With the help of a well-meaning ghost and a grandmotherly witch, can Rose Rita and Lewis hope to stop the raising of the dead?

Anyone who has suffered through a badly-performed opera will enjoy the idea of one being a necromancer's spell. The imaginative plot base is only one of the appealing things about "Doom." The incredibly grim and tense plot is leavened by humor, such as Jailbird the whistling cat and Finster, a ghost who inadvertantly freaks out Lewis with ghostly intonations, then makes himself sound more friendly. Aside from the usual fears of evil sorcerers, there is also the chilling fact that the capable adults are not present throughout much of the book -- we get to see how Lewis and Rose Rita can try to handle the situation on their own. Any kid who has had to deal with a crisis on their own can relate to the fear and frustration of the heroes in this book.

Lewis is, as always, a sweet timid boy who has more guts than he knows. Rose Rita is his equal friend (she can't really be classified as a sidekick) who has to take matters into her own hands when Lewis vanishes. Mrs. Jaeger is a little too vague to be entirely believable, but the idea of an absent-minded grandmotherly witch is a nice one. The deceased Finster is a good source for plot-related info, and mildly amusing as well. And Vanderhelm is an outstandingly sinister villain.

Full of the funny and the spooky, this is a first-rate thriller for fans of fantasy, horror, and John Bellairs. Excellent read.

A good book for those into mystery, and horror stories.
I felt that this book really drew me into its plot. The evil man trying to produce this opera made me realize how charming and innocent people sound when you don't have all the pieces of their life story. It was also exciting to see Rose Rita, and Mrs. Jaeger coming together to thicken and enrich the plot. The only criticism is that there's not much of an epilogue at the end of this story.

This was a pretty good book
I have reviewed this book as 8. It was a great book but it needed a better ending. Rose Rita and Lewis go searching through a sealed up opera house when Lewis finds a lost piece of Music. Little did he know he was bring a evil ghost back to life to try to take over the world.

Very smooth transition from author to author
Brad Strickland must have faced a considerable task when he began the completion of John Bellair's books. For years, John's heroes of Anthony Monday, Johnny Dixon, Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger kept the reader busy as they explored and fell into all sorts of settings and supernatural events. From the Windrow curse to the dark secret of Weatherend, the books that Bellairs wrote captivated me, and it certainly wasn't just because of the plot twists and ever-changing settings. Bellairs had a style of writing that made his books close to the reader, even with a setting in another time or even another dimension. Brad Strickland has proved that the transition from the now unfortunately late Bellairs to him is going smoothly. His Hand of the Necromancer did not fail as he went "solo", and neither does the Doom of the Haunted Opera, which was begun by Bellairs as a sketch and finished by Strickland.

Our Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita are stuck in cozy (But boring) little New Zebedee, waiting for excitement. Discovering an old opera score, the excitement quickly comes when all adults in the town are swept up in the music rush. The composer of the opera's grandson comes to town, and it is quickly revealed that he has more interests with New Zebedee's inhabitants than just performing a dusty old work and setting up shop at the local Four Seasons Hotel. But unfortunately, pending the performance of an aria from the opera called "The Sealing", a mysterious fog has descended upon New Zebedee and trapped everyone inside it. And the sinister machinations of our dear villain (posing as the willing opera conducter, and world famous singer as well) go deeper and deeper...

This book was very good; it provided the familiar characters fans of Bellairs' have grown to love yet produced a new predicament (the sealing off of the town, though this curiously resembles Lewis's imprisonment inside Barnavelt Manor in a previous Bellairs/Strickland novel, The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder) and a new villain. Certainly Brad Strickland has pulled it off; Doom of the Haunted Opera is true Bellairs, yet Strickland has also managed to add a little of his own flavor into the story without warping its style. Not as climactic and eerie as the Ghost in the Mirror (which I consider to be an incredible achievement) or as creepy as The Drum, the Doll, and the Zombie, but very good. With the new books out, Bellairs' series have not died. Brad Strickland has managed to continue the Bellairs spirit, but also with something new. ... Read more