Book Description

Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped -- right into a mystery that made headlines! ... Read more

Reviews (223)

An educational yet exciting book for readers of all ages.
Claudia and Jaime are two very intelligent characters that enlighten the reader as to the workings of a child's mind. Claudia, as the main character, always thinks of interesting ways for her and Jaime to live inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is a fantasy of everyone to be locked in a museum or store after all of the other people are gone. This book is a way for the reader to experience that feeling without the fear of being arrested! I believe that anyone who reads this story will become inspired by the Kincaids and find themselves wanting to learn more. The children have so much fun without hurting others or making fun of others as happens in some children's novels. Claudia is a definite role model for young girls and keeps the book interesting despite the academic undertones of Claudia and Jaime's reasons for visiting Mrs. Frankweiler. PARENTS-read this to your children to get them excited about reading.

This book is definately not 'mixed up'
I first heard about this book on a computer reading game, but I could only read bits and parts of it and when our computer crashed I completely forgot about it.
Then one day I was at the library and I saw this book for sale, but I wasn't sure if it was any good or not. I didn't want to waste my money, so I borrowed it instead. Now I wish I had bought it. This book is fantastic!

It's about a girl named Claudia who is fed up with her boring life, so she decided to run away with her bother Jamie to the Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York City. There she falls in love with an angel statue that is rumored to have been made by Michelangelo, but no one knows for sure. Claudia takes it upon herself to find out who made it before she goes home. Her quest takes her to the home of the strange Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, where the statues true maker is revealed.

At first I had been hesitant to read this book because I thought it would have magic or some other stuff and nonsense in it, but I was pleasantly surprised. This story is about Claudia and Jamie's search for the statues maker, and it is also pretty realistic. It's interesting to see how they improvise to make life livable in the great Museum.

I think this book is tops, and it is definitely a must-read.

A timeless entertaining adventure
I read this book almost 30 years ago and loved it, I've bought copies for my friend's children and it's always a hit. Great book for kids who can identify with Claudia, who are intelligent, love art, feel a little misunderstood and crave adventure. Big kids like this book as well!

Simply Excellent
I first read this book in fifth grade. The entire Literature class was assigned to it, so we read it bit by bit during the day, and I couldn't stand waiting to know what would happen next. After three days of the teacher reading the book to us, I ran to the library and bought it for myself.

The characters and their adventures are simply delightful.

A wonderful treat for wild imaginations
Claudia feels underappreciated in her suburban household - a thing all children have most likely felt during at least one time or another. Here, Konigsburgs writes of these feelings with brutal honesty and frankness. Because Claudia is not an only child, it almost seems as if to her, and to readers, that there isn't enough love and attention to go around. Unjustly so, the poor girl frequently gets caught up in chore after chore while her siblings are off the hook.

So she will run away and teach them all a lesson in "Claudia appreciation." The Metropolitan Musuem of Art will become her grandiose and excitingly fantastic home away from home, so to speak. And younger brother Jamie will accompany her, mainly because he has saved every single penny since birth and will have money, just what Claudia needs. Yet to say she's using her younger bro merely for financial purposes would be unjust. I believe Claudia truly wants and needs the companionship.

The highlight of their one-week vacation is a mysterious and ethereal statue of an angel, titled as such. It is oh-so mysterious because everyone is unsure of the statue's creator. Some believe it to be the renown Michelangelo - but it has yet to be confirmed and 12 year-old Claudia is incessantly in awe of thee angel's beauty. She knows she cannot go home until she uncovers the secret of the statue and that will mean having to get in contact with a total stranger, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, who is the statue's previous owner. And if she refuses to help Claudia solve the mystery on her mind, she and Jamie may never get home.

FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER, first published in 1967, has been capturing the attention of children everywhere. Konigsburg has skillfully woven a loveable masterpiece that seems magical, almost too wonderful to be realistic. Yet it is. Claudia feels what so many of society's children today feel. And like many children, she keeps her feelings to herself and deals with pent up frustrations the only way she knows how, hence her escape to The Metropolitan.

I first read this novel when I was 9. I found myself relating to feeling less love from seemingly uncaring parents, due to having a sister who had no responsibilities and extra TLC because of her young age. I found myself envious of Claudia's grand escape to the musuem and I contemplated a night away from home spent at The Philadelphia Musuem of Art. That, of course, never happened. In retrospect, I realize how wild of an imagination I had. My mind was constantly roaming. Children today are just as creative - or they can be - which is why they'll much enjoy this book. Despite now being seven years older, I still frequently pick it up off my bookshelf, worn and dog-eared, to read it again and again. ... Read more

Book Description

•Noah, who quite by accident was best man at the wedding of Ethan's grandmother and Nadia's grandfather

•Nadia, a hybrid with a halo of red hair, a dog that's a genius, and a fondness for baby turtles

•Ethan, the silent second son of one of Epiphany's oldest families, who discovers he likes halos

•Julian, the strangest person on the school bus, who starts everything by inviting the others to a tea party

How did Mrs. Olinski, returning to teaching ten years after being paralyzed in an automobile accident, choose these four to be her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? And how did this unlikely foursome become even unlikelier champions, in far more than just the state middle school competition? The View From Saturday is a rich and rewarding journey that answers these questions and raises many more. ... Read more

Reviews (217)

Great Book!
:

E.L. Konigsburg has come up with a great book again! The View From Saturday is a great book for middle-schoolers. Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Division published it in 1996. A View From Saturday is a great book because it teaches and is great to read. Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian are four sixth-graders each with a different story that changed their lives. Noah ends up being best man at Ethan's grandmother's and Nadia's grandfather's wedding. Nadia has the greatest time of her life saving turtles from strong winds and high waves. Ethan is on the bus and realizes that he must help Julian, a new kid, fit in at school. Julian is tortured by school bullies and realizes that something is in him and the other three. This is a great book. The point of view changes from one student to the other as they tell their stories. By simply reading the chapter titles you can see whose point of view it is. If there's no chapter title, then the point of view does not change. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read books that make sense in the end.

Book Review
Noah, Nadia, Ethan and Julian started out as sixth grade classmates, but evolved into The Souls. Each Year,Mrs. Olinsky, the sixth grade teacher chooses as four person academic bowl team. This team competes in the grade and if they win they go on to compete in other competitions. Together this team accomplished wonderful things, such as winning the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade competitions. Nobody knew why they were chosen, and Mrs. Olinsky, the teacher, doesnt exactly know why she chose them either. So, fate brought them together to create a wonderful friendship that will last a lifetime and this shows through an extraordinary story of sucess of a team, calss, school and friends. In my opinion Noah is the most interesting character in this story. He likes to write in calligraphy, and enjoys spending time with relatives. At times he also complains about his family. Noah tells the long story of how he was the best man at the wedding of his grandparents' friends. I enjoyed reading about each of the diverse characters. The View from Saturday can appeal to a wide spread of people because of the interesting plot and way it is written. Many people have loved reading this book as you can see because it has won many awards, and I think E.L. Knonigsburg is a fantastidc author.

Teaspoons and afternoons
As you may know, the Newbery Award is the highest honor a children's book can garner in the United States. Newbery winners are a touch and go lot, and a lot of kids avoid them like the plague. I've always been particularly interested in those award winning books that appeal to kids just as much as they appeal to the adults that shower them with praise, moolah, and awards. For instance, many adults felt that the book "A Single Shard" was well written, while a host of kids looked on it as dulldy dull dull. Both children and adults have agreed that "Holes" and "The Tale of Despereaux" are great books that are fun to read. Then you come to "The View From Saturday". Honestly, I thought this was a fabulous book. It was the rare children's novella that took the great risk of offering wisdom to its readers. It dares to make you think about life, the world, and how one interacts with other people. I can tell you a million reasons to love it, but I honestly haven't a clue if kids would enjoy it. Therein lies the mystery.

"The View From Saturday" follows the lives of four sixth grade quiz bowl champs and their paraplegic coach/teacher. Alternating their final quiz bowl championship match with short stories about the different journeys each kid has had to make, the book is adept at distinguishing between each individual in the group. We begin by listening to a story told by Noah. Noah reminded me of nothing so much as the spaz boy in the spelling bee documentary "Spellbound". A bit of a nerd, but pleased with his own inventive thoughts and ideas, Noah becomes the best man at a geriatric wedding. Then we hear Nadia's story about staying with her divorced father and newly remarried grandfather (hence the Noah connection) in Florida. This flows nicely into Ethan's story. His grandmother married Nadia's grandfather, and he overcomes his reluctance to interact easily with others with the help of his new friend Julian. Julian is the least troubled of the bunch, a boy of Indian heritage who is coming to America after living on a cruise ship. Together, the four band together into a group called The Souls. They are selected by Mrs. Olinski (though for a long time she doesn't know why) as her newest Quiz Bowl team and work effortlessly together in a group as friends and teammates.

A synopsis of this tale really doesn't do it justice. Konigsburg is an adept writer and she knows exactly how to balance a story with both emotion and humor. I was particularly taken with Nadia's tale about living in Florida. Somehow, the author was able to conjure up feelings of being ignored and abandoned perfectly. As Nadia feels an (in my opinion) entirely justified sense of self-pity, we as readers understand what she's going through perfectly. Little triumphs are measured with small defeats. One of the things this book dares to say, and says so well, is how awfully mean people can be. That's a pretty loaded idea. Books today enjoy showing a mean person and then revealing the back story to their crimes. Here, we understand that sometimes a person's just mean to be mean, and it makes them unsuitable as friends as a result.

Then there's Konigsburg's usual jabs at adults in positions of authority. In this particular case she's aimed her sights at people who naturally expect themselves to be smarter than children, yet constantly make mistakes regarding multiculturalism, grammar, pronunciation, etc. And she doesn't drill this idea home by ever putting the adults in situations where they spar with the kids. Instead, they tend to spar with Mrs. Olinski, assuming that because she is a) Just a teacher and b) Confined to a wheelchair she must therefore be less worthy of intelligent human discourse. The result is usually both funny and profound.

Funny and profound is a good way to describe this entire offering, actually. It has its oddities, that's for sure. You have kids in this book saying sentences like, "Oh, that is too bad. Dad is picking me up before supper, and he will be disappointed if I do not eat with him". Not a contraction in sight. Do sixth graders actually act like the ones in this book? Probably not. Will you be amused by them anyway? Probably so. Will actual living breathing sixth graders be amused, intrigued, and challenged by this book? I have absolutely no idea. Maybe yes, maybe no. Whether or not they will, the book is fabulous, fun, and wise beyond its years. It's like a little dose of Zen religion without hokey mysticism or flowery prose. This book respects you, it respects your opinions, and it respects your sense of self-worth. If you have any desire to read something that accomplishes all this and more, pick it up for a glance.

Quotables
E.L. Konigsburg uses descriptive nouns and vivid modifiers to paint a vivid picture of the characters in your head in The View from Saturday. First you get to know the charcter. She does this by painting the vivid picture and you feel like you know the character personally. You also feel like you are a "Soul." She does this by making you feel like you are there during their conversations, and there while they win the Champion Bowl. Also seeing the vivid picture makes you feel like you are watching them. You feel you are watching them because you really can picture the conflicts between the Noah and Nadia . So in conclusion, this book really shows that character desciption delivers an emotional message. You should definitly read this book.

unique and intriguing
First off, the book is about four SIXTH graders. I note this because some of the reviews on Amazon erroneously say the characters are in seventh grade. Anyway, these four sixth graders go onto defeat the seventh, then eighth graders in their schools, and eventually take the regional trivia bowl championship.

The four children "can spell and define puberty but have not yet gone through it." Given this, I can accept the tea parties and some of the other pastimes they engage in in "The View." Also, they are NOT presented as perfect without any character flaws or problems. The "Souls' as they call themselves are exceptionally intelligent and compassionate, but they - at least for Ethan and Nadia - do not make the "right" decisions instantly. Nadia, for example, wavers between helping some stranded baby turtles, or holding on to her grudge against her grandfather and father.

This book also has some wonderful imagery. For example, ELK compares painting Nadia without her freckles to brushing the cinnamon off cinnamon toast.

In summary, I would highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Twelve year old Margaret Rose Kane is incorrigible. Not only does she refuse to bend to the will of her manipulative cabin mates at Camp Talequa, she stands up to and inadvertently insults the camp director and Queen-in-residence, Mrs. Kaplan. The intimidating and cruel confrontations that threaten to break Margaret's spririt only serve to strengthen her resolve, and everyone is happy when Margaret is finally banished/rescued from Camp Talequa. Luckily for her, with her parents in Peru, this means she can spend the rest of the summer with her delightfully eccentric Hungarian great-uncles, Alexander and Morris Rose. Margaret adores her great-uncles, and loves the house at 19 Schuyler Place--especially the three peculiar clock towers (tall painted structures covered in pendants made from broken china, crystal, bottles, jars, and clock parts) that the Rose brothers have been building for as long as she can remember. For Margaret and the Rose brothers, the towers represent beauty for beauty's sake--they sparkle in the sun and sing in the wind--they exist only to spread joy. Not everyone loves the towers however, and forty-five years after the birth of the project, the city council declares the towers "unsafe," and demands that they be dismantled and destroyed. Filled with the same fiery resolve that helped her survive Camp Talequa, Margaret (with the help of a handyman named Jake, a loyal dog named Tartufo, and few other unexpected allies) launches a plan to save the towers in the name of art, history, and beauty.

A companion novel to the award-winning author's acclaimed Silent to the Bone, Outcasts is strikingly unique, incredibly interesting, and, with references to"Bartleby the Scrivener", and the rose windows of Notre Dame, exceptionally literary. In other words, The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place is vintage Konigsburg. This quirky masterpiece will be enjoyed by young fans of Konigsburg’s other erudite works, and Polly Horvath’s The Canning Season.. (Ages 10 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konisburg
The story is told from the point of view of twelve year old Margaret Rose. She is an unlikely heroine for preserving a "piece of history" in the form of Two Towers that her Uncles have been working on for the past 45 years. The two uncles that Margaret stays with every summer are delightfully eccentric characters that every reader will enjoy. In attempting to preserving not only her family history but that of the of the cityscape as well, Margaret takes on city hall as well as challenging what defines art. It is the story of not only of Margaret's ingenuity, but that of the cyclical nature of urban landscape as small towns undergo development changes with, suburbs and malls and their effects on neighborhoods and individuality of the people who live in them. The ultimate gentrification of the old neighborhood where her uncles have lived for a number of years that threatens the very identity of the neighborhood and the things which it seeks to preserve are at the heart of this book. This book is at once thought provoking and humorous and is sure to delight readers ages 12 & up.

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
The story is told from the point of view of twelve year old Margaret Rose. she is an unlikely heroine for preserving a "piece of history" in the form of the Two Towers that her uncles have been working on for the past 45 years. The two uncles that Margaret stays with every summer are delightfully ecentric chatacters that every reader will enjoy. In attempting to preserve not only her family history but that of the cityscape as well, Margaret takes on city hall as well as challenging what defines art. It is the story of not only Margaret's ingenuity, but that of the cyclical nature of urban landscape as small towns undergo developmental changes such as suburbs and malls, and there effects on neighborhoods and the individuality of the people who live in them. The ultimate gentrification of the old neighborhood where her uncles have lived for a number of years that threatens the very identity of the neighborhood and the things which it seeks to preserve are at the heart of this book. This book is at once both thought provoking and humorous and is sure to delight readers ages 12 & up.

AMAZING!
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler PLace is one book that everyone should read! It is a very good page-turner for any girl 10-99.

The Outcasts of Schuyler Place is abouta girl named Margaret Kane who, after an unsatisfying time at Camp Telequa, goes to spend her summer with her two uncles at 19 Schuyler Place. Her uncles have been building 3 very unique towers for over 45 years and Margaret loves them. When Margaret finds out they are to be demolished she acts to save the towers. Can she go against the Homeowners Association and save the towers or not? Read to find out!

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place is a very good book with a satisfying ending that I enjoyed reading very much!

The dynamics and consequences of civil disobedience.
THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE is the follow-up to SILENT TO THE BONE by two-time Newbery Medal-winning author E.L. Konigsburg. Margaret Rose Kane tells the story of the summer when she was twelve, the same year that Sally Ride became the first American woman in space and Cabbage Patch dolls were popular toys.

Margaret is sent to summer camp while her parents travel in Peru. Shunned by the other campers, she decides to stop participating in camp activities. When asked why she won't participate, she quotes Herman Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener, "I prefer not to." It is her uncles who must come to her rescue while her parents are away.

Margaret expects to have an idyllic summer with her uncles. She looks forward to helping them with the three scrap metal towers they have spent the past 45 years building in their backyard. It is only by chance that she discovers what her parents and her uncles have been hiding from her: the towers are scheduled for demolition.

Gathering a disparate group of adults who have an interest in the towers, Margaret organizes a campaign to save the towers and learns about the history of the neighborhood her uncles have inhabited throughout the years. While the outcome is not exactly what readers might expect, Konigsburg explores the dynamics and consequences of civil disobedience, and what happens when a girl decides to start participating in life again.

A summer crush and a well-planned revenge are the book's major highlights. THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE may not have the same whimsy as THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER or the spirited competition of THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY, but it does share a theme common in all of Konigsburg's books: the self-reliance and resilience of young people facing the difficult task of becoming adults.

--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

Multiple Shades of Passionate Rose
E.L. Koningsburg has written another beautiful book. Margaret Rose Kane is truly, as her despicable yet pitiable camp directer states, "incorrigable". In one never-to-be forgotten summer, Margaret Rose grows up. She learns, among other things, something about the changing nature of art and life and people themselves. While this is told in Ms. Koningsburg's trademark lovely prose, full of flashbacks and dialogue, I was a little disappointed in both the unsatisfactory ending and the overall story- which, though a great read, was not as pungent as Koningsburg's Newbery books ("The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" and "The View from Saturday"). My verdict: good, but not Great. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has been wildly popular with children and adults for over 50 years. Children adore her because she understands them--and because her upside-down house is always filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies, and her backyard with buried treasure. Grownups love her because her magical common sense solutions to children's problems succeed when their own cajoling and yelling don't. For the child who refuses to bathe, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle recommends letting her be. Wait until the dirt on her body has accumulated to half an inch, then scatter radish seeds on her arms and head. When the plants start sprouting, the nonbather is guaranteed to change her mind about that bath.

Hilary Knight's (Eloise, Sunday Morning) delightful pictures provide lively, droll accompaniment to Betty MacDonald's refreshing stories. Whether Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is curing Answer-Backers or Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Takers, her remedies always work like a charm. More than one parent over the years has surreptitiously turned to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle when Dr. Spock failed to come through. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (36)

This series inspired the love of reading in me.
My mother read these books to me as a child. Every night my brother and I would listen to fantastic tales of a woman who lived in an upsidedown house and taught naughty children lessons in genlte, understanding and creative ways. I can say without a doubt that my love for Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle fostered my love for books. Definately a book to share with the children you love.

This Book is Wonderful for all Ages!
Since I was in 3rd grade I read all of of the Mrs.Piggle Wiggle books and I think they are all wonderful for everybody to read. I have little cousins and siblings and I love to read them Mrs.Piggle Wiggle books, and they love them. I think her cures are very funny, cute, and some can be used in real-life if you would like! But all I can say is that I think and most people will agree with me that all Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books are the best!!!

My favorite book as a child
I wanted to live in Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's house as a child. This is one of the best children's books ever.

An Excellent Book for All Children
I first read these books when I was young. While some of the themes may at first seem outdated for todays generation, the lessons that these books teach span all ages and cultures. Every parent has had a situation with one of their children that resembles one of these stories. Children can get a laugh out of the lighthearted humor, and still learn valuable lessons about their behavior and about right etiquette.

If Only Problems Went Away This Easily
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is the neighbor everyone wishes they had. She's the widow of a pirate, lives in an upside down house, and is always ready for a tea party with freshly baked cookies. She's such an expert on kids that parents have started calling on her wisdom to cure their kids when they start misbehaving. And whether it's making chores into a game or getting kids to take a bath, she's sure to have the answer to make everyone happy again.

I loved these books as a kid, and this book is just as fun now. The stories fall into a predictable pattern, but that hardly diminishes their enjoyment. Each chapter is a self-contained story, so it's easy to read just a little bit at a time. Unlike other books in the series that feature magic cures, these stories feature what I recognize now as psychology to cure the kids. The humor comes from the exaggeration of the problem and what the child goes through to get "cured." For example, the parent's fighting in the "Fighter Quarrelers Cure" or the tiny dishes in the "Slow Eater Tiny Bite Taker Cure." Heck, by the time the "Never Want to go to Bedders" are cured, they are actually begging to go to bed at their normal bedtime.

Reading the book as an adult, I got a few good laughs out of the names of the parent's friends. I also found it interesting that very few of the adults have an identity apart from their kids. Then again, as a kid's novel, it presents a kid's eye view of the world. I hope these books continue to entertain for years to come. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The board book version of this popular recitation of animalcharacteristics is equally as delightful as other editions, with one keyimprovement: it's inedible. This robust reissue follows lovable Lloyd the llamaon his quest to find out what percentage of the baby animal population hasllamas for mamas. The rhymes are original and infectious, and the riddles aresure to have children shouting out the answers in anticipation of turning thepage.

Youngsters often exhibit an insatiable appetite for adorable baby animals,and Is Your Mama a Llama provides plenty of fodder for fawning.Illustrator Steven Kellogg, however, manages to keep the pictures sweet withoutbeing saccharine. And rest assured, no matter how often your little one iscompelled to kiss the critters, the sturdy board-book format will stand the testof time (and of course, slobber). (Ages 0 to 4) ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Great Pre-school Storytime Book
"Is your Mama a llama? I asked my friend Rhonda." "I think not, is how Rhonda responded." Little llama wants to know if his friend's mothers are llamas too. Superb, rich illustrations of the baby animals and mamas, including such exotics as bats and swans make this a Storytime favorite. My group has this one memorized and love to read along with the illustrations. Remember they are only three! New members to the group feel comfortable giving the correct responses with the rest of the tried and true. Treat your group to the bigger than life version. Fun to turn the huge pages and the illustrations translate well.

Kids Love It
Is Your Mama A Llama is a great book for early readers. I used it to entertain a crowd of 1st graders the other day and the children still ask me to read the book to them again. It is filled with colorful, eye-pleasing pictures. This book is a value that I think all parents should buy if they have young readers.

Very sweet book, makes you wish that your Mama was a Llama
My young daughters (now 3 and 7) dearly love this book. We have it memorized. It is sweet and the illustrations are beautiful. It is one of the few young books that I never get bored of reading. It is definitely a classic children's book.

I love the finale of this book!
This book is great-with a unique finale! At the end it says, "My mama's a-Llama! And this is...THE END!" In fact, whenever I watch a cartoon that ends with the words, "The End" onscreen, I recite this story in little bits and towards the end I say, "My mama's a llama! And this is..." and then the words, "The End" appear onscreen.

My Kids' FAVORITE Book!
It's so rare to find books that rhyme well, and this one is a gem! We never get tired of reading it. Great for kids and a pleasure for adults to read! Highly recommend! ... Read more

Book Description

No book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Snowy Day Review
"A Snowy Day," by Ezra Jack Keats is a true classic. The story is about a child named Peter. Peter was a city kid who woke up one morning to discover yhat the entire city was blanketed in snow. Seeing this Peter begins to engage in activities that any small child who grew up with a snowy climate would engage in such as: making footprints in the snow, striking a snow-covered tree in order to knock the clumps of snow off of the branches, making snowmen and snow angles, and sliding down a snowy hill. He ultimately sets it off when he stuffs a snowball in his coat pocket. This is a great book due to it's real like partrayal of a child and the significance of snow in his life.

Magic, Wonder, and Possibilities.....
"One winter morning Peter woke up and looked out the window. Snow had fallen during the night. It covered everthing as far as he could see..." Peter can't wait to jump into his snowsuit and run outside. There are footprints to make and watch as he walks along, snowmen to build, and angels to carve into the snow with his arms and legs. There are mountains of heaping snow to climb and then slide down, again and again, snowballs to pack, and snowball fights among the bigger kids to watch. And after a long cold, wonderful day outside, there are warm and cozy snow dreams to dream until he wakes the next morning to another fun-filled snowy day..... Originally published in 1963, Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day, is still as fresh and inviting today, as it was forty years ago. Mr Keats' gentle, engaging text captures the essence of the child in all of us on a snowy day, and is complemented by his simple, expressive and evocative, award winning illustrations. Together, word and art brings all the wonder, magic, and imaginative possibilities of a big snowfall to life on the page. Perfect for preschoolers, The Snowy Day is a captivating treasure, to read and share now with friends and family and future generations in the years to come. A MUST for all home libraries, this is a timeless classic that shouldn't be missed.

Very cute, and the illustrations are lovely
I agree with other reviewers that the story in this book isn't heart-stopping exciting and it does drag on a bit toward the end, but frankly, I'm not sure that's a bad thing. The slow, languid pace of this story makes it a very calming and relaxing bed time read. The chunky, colorful illustrations are adorable, and the fact that the little boy is not very detailed makes him sort of a child's "Everyman." The story is really about a little boy whose imagination is maybe a little too big for the fact that he's only 4 and not able to do everything he'd like, but it's cute and engaging and well worth reading.

Let it snow (y day)
When "The Snowy Day" first came out, it was considered groundbreaking. Unprecedented. Here, at last, was a picture book in which the protagonist is black. It's not an overtly political book, mind you. Just a nice story about a kid in the city playing in the snow. Having heard about this story for a long time, I decided now was the moment to see how well this book has stood up over time. Ezra Jack Keats has long passed from idle picture book author to a somewhat god-like figure of the children's book world, so does this early work stand out even today? If it was introduced for the first time now, would it be considered as good as it is? Yes and no. The book is both a fabulous creation, and a very simple, very normal, tale that everyone on one level or another is familiar with.

In this book, Peter wakes up to discover that snow has covered the city in the night. Delighted, he pulls on his bright red (and now world known) snowsuit and plunges into a day of exploring and playing. He makes fun tracks, and hits snow off the branches of trees. He constructs a smiling snowman and slides down steep mountains of snow. At the end of the day his mother gets him out of his wet clothes and gives him a nice hot bath. The next morning the snow is still there, and an ecstatic Peter calls up a friend to do the whole day over again.

When I was a child I loved (and still do) stories that took place in the big cities. Keats never draws an inordinate amount of attention to Peter's surroundings. So while you won't see skyscrapers or taxi cabs, there's a distinctly urban feel to the lay of the land. The text is nice and easy for the youngsters to understand. As for the cut-outs, they're a delight to look at. Picture books featuring cut-outs may be remembered best as belonging to such artists as Eric Carle or Leo Lionni, but I consider Mr. Keats to be the granddaddy of the art form. Aside from the beauty of the landscaping in this pictures, I loved the papers used in the book. The section in which Peter sits on the snow, a snowball embedded on his chest, the black sky is a-swirl in greens, blues, and browns. When Peter slides down a snow covered embankment, the sky is then a delightful twisty series of white smoke-like curlicues. And Peter's home itself is eloquently rendered. From the wrought iron bed frame to the multicolored wallpaper and tiles that enhance the setting, the book is the best possible combination of elegance and realism.

If it came out today, "Snowy Day" wouldn't garner an overly enthusiastic response from publishers and critics. Which isn't to say that it's unworthy of the praise already received. As I've tried to show, the book is a wonderful amalgamation of text, pattern, and emotion. One of the finest books written for children, and a great evocative story.

The Snowy Day
The Snowy Day is a great book for kids of the age 4-6 years old.
The book is about a little boy who has a great time out side. He plays in the snow making snow angles and snowmen and many more great things. He try's to have fun with older kids but he seemed to not fit in.
He soon learns that not all things are here to stay.
The book is not one of the best books out there but the pictures are pretty. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Simply the best.........
38 years ago, at a used book sale, my mother bought me my first Nancy Drew mystery. After reading it, I was hooked. I still have my entire collection. Recently, I had the pleasure of introducing Nancy and her friends to my 10 year-old niece. She read 3 books in 5 days!!! I think my old books have found a new home.

Who dosen't love Nancy, George, and Bess?
It's good to start out a Nancy Drew collection. The Nancy Drews' always have that innocent charm that there just isn't enough of these days. It is so much fun following Nancy, George, and Bess on there many adventures. If it's finding a hidden passage way, or catching counterfeiters in the act, it's always entertaining for girl of any ages. I would suggest Nancy Drews set to anyone, and having choices of what book to read next is always fun. You can get the old ones, but unless you're an old book collector, it easier to have the new ones, not having to worry about tearing the pages and stuff like that.

I love these books!
It was great reading the first set of Nancy Drew books. I love how they were written such a long time ago and they used old words. Their great books to read!

Nancy Drew Best Buy!
The Starter Set is a great way to hook new readers on the adventures of everyone's favorite girl sleuth, Nancy Drew.
Contained herein are the first six mysteries in the series which are among the best in the canon.
There is plenty of adventure and mystery in these stories as you follow along with Nancy and her best friends, Bess and George.
...

Photocopy on Top of Photocopy
All of the Nancy Drew books are exacly the same. Not one of them ever has a change in plot. I bet the author used the exact same format for all 56 books. Nancy Drew hears that there is a mystery, so she and her friends go to solve it. She finds some clues, gets into a tight situation with the "bad guys", and get out of it. Repeat about three times. Then...it doesn't change a bit...she solves the mystery and is about to turn in the criminals when they catch her and she is about to die. She escapes, the "bad guys" are put in jail, and she and her friends cheer. Every single book is exactly the same. Can't the author use any creativity to change the plot around? It is so unrealistic that she would get into "scary" situations, and get out so many times. In every story she solves the mystery and it always comes out good. There are almost no obstacles and what few there are are so lame, it is almost pointless to have them in the first place. There is absolutely no point in reading all 56 of them. I can understand reading one just to try something new, but after that why read more? They are all exact photocopies of the last one. Spend your money on something worthwhile. ... Read more

Book Description

When you are very young,
there are some things that you just know....

This treasured story of childhood faith
rewarded is now avaliable in a board book
edition for the youngest child.

Reviews (19)

simple book about perseverance
This simple, short book is about a boy who plants a carrot seed. Everyone tells him it will not grow, but he perseveres and in the end is vindicated. A nice (and important) lesson for children. Illustrations are by Crockett Johnson, the author's husband, who gave us the Harold and the Purple Crayon books.

The granddaddy of all picture books in America
In his essay "Ruth Krauss and Me," author Maurice Sendak says "that perfect picture book, The Carrot Seed, the granddaddy of all picture books in America, a small revolution of a book that permanently transformed the face of children's book publishing. The Carrot Seed, with not a word or a picture out of place, is dramatic, vivid, precise, concise in every detail. It springs fresh from the real world of children."

This is a timeless classic that has been known and loved by children and parents for years.

A young boy is told by his parents, competition and his big brother that his carrot will not grow. After a long time of pulling weeds, watering and patience the carrot finally grows, and it is huge.

The author Ruth Krauss was born in 1901 is also the author of A Hole Is To Dig; I'll Be You and You Be Me; Charlotte and the White Horse; and many other childrens classics.

Naysayers
I do not feel the important lesson from this book is simple perserverance (as others have said). Nor do I feel it is about blind faith. The lesson I take from it is perseverance in the face of all the naysayers in life who would bring you down with them. Dare to dream big, work hard, and have faith in oneself in the face of adversity. This is the only children's book I have seen with such a theme.

Sweet without being overwhelming
When the New York Public Library announced its "100 Children's Picture Books Everyone Should Know" for 2003, I had never heard of "The Carrot Seed". It isn't as if the author and illustrator are unknown. After all, illustrator Crockett Johnson welded the pen that created "Harold's Purple Crayon". Yet the book recommended on this list is certainly one of his lesser known titles.

"The Carrot Seed" is a simple story of a boy and his burgeoning carrot. Informed by his family members, one by one, that his carrot will not grow and that any actions to help it are useless, he ignores them bravely. Initially when I looked at this book I was certain that its protagonist sported a yarmulke. This is not the case. I believe it is more of a jaunty cap. The book itself is very straightforward, with accompanying pictures of relative simplicity. Additionally, the payoff at the end is sweet and funny, but not particularly unexpected. You're not going to find any real surprises in this book and, admittedly, I'm a little amazed that it's so well remembered. Much of its popularity stems, I'm sure, from the lesson learned. This is a book about the benefits of perseverance. If that's your cup of tea, so be it. But if you'd like to delve into some of Crockett's better works, check out "Harold's Purple Crayon" or his little known (but lovely) comic strip "Barnaby".

My favorite book then, my favorite book now
My parents gave me the paperback version of this book as a child many years ago (which I still have), and I recall reading it over and over and over during my formative years. My mom bought me the hardback version again when I graduated from high school. I am nearly 30 years old now, and I still gravitate toward the very simple yet profound message it teaches all of us: have a quiet childlike faith, trust, persist, persevere and you will be richly rewarded. Today, I run a $2.5 million a year professional organization, and we recently completed a large corporate visioning project for the next several years. I read Krauss' book at the close of the first phase of our vision meeting. My colleagues--with a cumulative total of nearly 75 years of professional business experience--spontaneously applauded at the end of the book, no joke! I also purchased several copies of the book to give to my team as a reminder of the core values it espouses--simple, yet profound values that will guide us and lead us to the next level. It is a book of timeless value that touches my heart each time I read it--and one that you, your child, your family, your peers, or your colleagues will treasure for years to come. Buy it and share it with others, if you haven't done so already. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Frankly, one can never have too much Eloise. For all those who love lovelove the irrepressible 6-year-old resident of New York City's haughty PlazaHotel, and shining star of Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's classic Eloise, the ultimate joy is tosee four favorite titles collected in one enormous volume: Eloise: TheUltimate Edition. Sit back and watch as our heroine braids Skipperdee theturtle's ears, brushes her teeth with pear lemonade in Moscow, absolutely goeswild in Paris, and jingles around her lobby at Christmastime, tying tassels onthe thermostat. This edition, with a lovely new dust jacket by Hilary Knight,includes our absolutely darling little sweetnik in Eloise in Moscow, thefantastique Eloise inParis, the rawther festive Eloise at Christmastime, andthe splendid scrapbook of memorabilia, photos, and drawings, The Absolutely EssentialEloise. It's all absolutely essential, if you ask us. (All ages)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (6)

great, except for some errors..............
The picures are wonderful, stories are great, but the part of The Story of Eloise, they miss judged the spacing and left out the 1st letter of the starting paragraph. Someone didn't proofread it right. You get all 4 book, one great buy with the extras! ( the scrapbook and the story of Eloise) Hopefully they caught the errors for the next printing. A book you can pass down from generation to generation!

Finally A Treasury
This is definitely one of the best treasuries I have ever bought. Eloise is such a fun and adorable character. I don't know who couldn't like her.

This treasury contains Eloise in Moscow, Eloise, Eloise in Paris, and Eloise at Christmastime. Not only that, there's a special scrapbook all about the author Kay Thompson featuring pictures and info about the author of this beloved character.

This is a must have book for the holidays, or anytime. So pick up a copy, and charge it please.

What am I missing?
A spoiled brat lives in a fancy hotel in New York: that's kind of what this series boils down to for me.

I read to my kids a lot, and this is the one series that I completely don't get: I don't see why it's funny or touching or...anything. Neither do my kids.

Her language can be quite fun and ingenious, but holy cow...I don't understand all the fuss.

It's about time we had all 4 at once
A few years ago, I was waiting with baited breath for all the Eloise books to be reprinted. It just could not happen fast enough for me. Finally, all 4 were out, and I was happy. Then they came out with this book that collects all four books in one volume for the first time, and I bought this too. Why did I buy this? Well, for one thing, the new Hilary Knight cover is rather fabulous. I am all for new Knight artwork whenever it appears, and this cover was obviously not dashed out but carefully drawn, and it shows. This is definitely worth having for the Eloise fan.

Oooooooooooooooo I Love This Edition of Eloise Best!
This is the book about Eloise that Eloise would buy. As you may remember, Eloise is the six-year-old who lives on the top floor of The Plaze Hotel in New York City with her English Nanny, pug (Weenie), and turtle (Skipperdee). Here are some of the ways that Eloise has been characterized: "Holden Caulfield for kindergarten girls"; "a mini-Auntie Mame -- a protofeminist"; and "independent and saucy."

Contained in this volume are the original Eloise story, the Scrapbook by Marie Brenner (containing the origins of Eloise and the story, and biographies of Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight, and how readers responded to the stories as they appeared), and the three sequels (Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmastime, and Eloise in Moscow). Each of the four stories contains the deluxe fold-out drawings from the original books, and the Scrapbook has many wonderful photographs and drawings that will delight those who would like to know more background about Eloise and her creators.

With one exception, the material is outstanding. The story, Eloise in Moscow, is very poor in its humor and plot line. But having the story in this collection will allow you to savor those parts of the story that happen to appeal to you.

The reproduction is also superb, except for the frontispieces of the four stories. These should simply have been omitted.

I usually avoid recommending expensive editions, but this one is a good value. It contains all the best material about Eloise, and you may have trouble finding the same versions by buying the books separately. Also, this edition is likely to be a hand-me-down item from one generation to another and another. The cost per reader is probably going to be quite small as a result.

To me, the best of the four stories is still the original. Reading the Scrapbook adds a lot to my enjoyment of that story. Of the sequels, I like Eloise in Paris best. Some people will not like Eloise at Christmastime because Kay Thompson's rhymes are not the best. I can enjoy fractured verse, so I found it appealing instead.

Space does not permit me to review each of these sections in detail here, but you can read my reviews of each story elsewhere on Amazon for the individual books. I gave five star reviews to all but Eloise in Moscow, to which I gave a two star review.

After you have enjoyed this book, I suggest that you grab a partner who also loves Eloise and write a new Eloise story that brings her into the 21st century in a locale and at a time of your choice. Then find a young person to read that story to, and draw some illustrations together. That will add to your enjoyment of this book and of your love of Eloise.

J'aime beaucoup Eloise . . . toujours! ... Read more

Book Description

How did the camel get his hump? How did the leopard get his spots? How did the elephant get his trunk?

These are questions that children around the world have asked for centuries, but it took Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling's lively, hilarious stories to give them answers. For one hundred years, these classic tales -- drawn from the oral storytelling traditions of India and Africa and filled with mischievously clever animals and people -- have entertained young and old alike.Intertwined within these delightful tales are little pearls of wisdom about the pitfalls of arrogance and pride and the importance of curiosity, imagination, and inventiveness. Kipling's rhythmic prose makes these tales perfect for sharing aloud with the whole family.

This deluxe edition contains all of Kiplin's unforgettable stories as well as ten stunning watercolors, along with numerous black-and-white drawings, from award-winning artist Barry Moser, bringing this timeless masterpiece brilliantly to life for a whole new generation of readers.

Reviews (20)

Elephant's child in particular
This book is the most valued in my family history. Now my children are asking after it to read to their children because of all of the beloved memories it brings back. The language is a delight. The way Kipling draws the reader and listener in to feel they are part of the story, it is story telling magic at its very best. I can't believe anyone who has this book in their home, once read, will ever be without it. As long as children and that child in all adults long for the gifted story teller's magic, this book is special.

Delightful Stories to Read Aloud
If you enjoy language and good story-telling this book belongs on your bookshelf. I've been reading the stories to my seven-year-old daughter who eats them up. Yes, the vocabulary is challenging - it isn't Berenstain Bears! But there is a time for "I Can Read" books and a time for "Read to Me" books. This will challenge kids and their imaginations, especially if they love animals like my kids do. And it's not just for kids - I love the stories too! Buy it!

Charming stories with a charming presentation.
I recently purchased this set on cd with a gift certificate for my young daughter. The price tag may have put me off at any other time, but since I was getting it with a certificate, I went for it. I read these stories cover to cover repeatedly as a little girl and took great delight in the hilarity of the answers to such questions as "how did the leopard get his spots?" or "how did the camel get his hump?" Kipling's stories are marvelously nonsensical - which makes them fit for a child's world. However, it was not until hearing them read aloud on this very set that I realized his rhyme and use of repetitive words or phrases is very similar to our modern master of children's literature: Dr. Seuss. It would not surprise me to find that Seuss took his inspiration from the works of Kipling. This is not striking to a reader, but as you listen to his words brought to life by the human voice it is hard to miss.

Geoffrey Palmer, of As Time Goes By, is one of my favorite actors. His voice and interpretation of these beautiful stories enhances the experience so much that I was laughing out loud listening to him in my car. His dry sense of humor is felt in his characterizations of the cast and the lulling of his voice lends a calming, gentle, and sophisticated quality to the text. I now can simply not imagine these stories being read by anybody else.

Finally, the classical musical selection is superb and adds an intelligent whimsiness to the piece. I would highly recommend this set as a lovely gift for any child you find "tenacious and full of segacity". What a delightful alternative to the screech of today's cartoons and children's "pop" albums full of Britney Spears remakes.

Just So Stories
The just so stories
By: Rudyard Kipling Published by: William Morrow and Company

This book O best beloved (meaning you, in the language that the author used) is a short story book that has many adventures to it and the one that I'm going to tell you about is the story called, The Beginning of the Armadillos. This plot takes us to the steamy jungles of the Amazon rain forest in South America in the Northern part of Brazil. Also in this plot there lives a painted jaguar, a stickly-prickly hedgehog, and slow and solid tortoise. Now O best beloved (meaning you) this particular jaguar isn't very bright so he goes to his mother for advice on how to eat the hedgehog and the tortoise. Well, as any mother would, she tells him ohhh, so many times graciously waving her tail, "Painted Jaguar to catch the hedgehog you must dip him the water so he will uncoil and you must scoop the tortoise out of it's shell with your paw, got it?!" So he goes to the river to find the hedgehog and the tortoise so he can eat them. The first time they barely got away by confusing him. The hedgehog and the tortoise confuse him by messing up what his mother told him. But the second time Painted Jaguar is confused just by looking at them. You'll have to read it to believe it.

As you know, in this particular story you are introduced to a hedgehog named Stickly-Prickly and a tortoise named Slow and Solid. As you might see these two unique animals are very close and have the same predators. In this story Stickly-Prickly hedgehog and Slow and Solid tortoise are being hunted by a creature named Painted Jaguar, as you know, who is not too smart and has spots. Now since Stickly-Prickly and Slow and Solid were able to fool the jaguar once they want to make him so confused that he won't know which is which just by looking at them. So day after day they teach one another how the other works, like Stickly-Prickly teaches Slow and Solid to curl up and Slow and Solid teaches Stickly-Prickly how to swim. After they have done that and are comfortable with their skills they wait for Painted Jaguar to come looking for them but they don't know that they will never be the same again. Stickly-Prickly hedgehog and Slow and Solid tortoise help this particular story because they are smart and they fool the jaguar and they surprise the reader with their cunning and hard work.

This book has been really fun in the fact that there is more than one story in the book and for me more than one story meant that it was a page turner. The story that I described in this book review was easy to concentrate on because I liked it so much. Some stories in this book were just plain old boring so it was harder to read them . The thing that caught my attention was the language that the author used in the book, I thought that the language was very unique and very funny. To tell the truth I thought that there weren't very many surprises at all, the only surprises would be all the purposes of the story that was being told, like how the camel got his hump or the beginning of the Armadillos. To me they make the language in the book fun, like Oh best beloved and stickly-prickly and slow and solid. The people who might like this book would have to have a sense of humor, so if they have that then the person reading this book will have a very fun time indeed.

Complete lack of worthy content
This book lacks substance and the qualities that make a read worth the while, especially since it's for children who may not read that much in the first place. You'd be MUCH better off with something like The Wind in the Willows, or the Berenstain Bear. ... Read more

Book Description

Kim, one of Kipling's masterpieces, is the story of Kimball O'Hara, the orphaned son of an officer in the Irish Regiment who spends his childhood as a vagabond in Lahore. The book is a carefully organized, powerful evocation of place and of a young man's quest for identity. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Vast in its simplicity
In all its complexity, this really is a simple book: it is simply an exuberant vision of India.

I wanted a book that would give me an English Colonialist view of India. It is a rather hard thing to find: few English Victorian writers of any consequence wrote about India. It wasn't until later, ie, Orwell and Forster, that it became a popular topic, and they wrote with a vastly different attitude. I just wanted to know what an Englishman thought of the "jewel in the English colonial crown".

What I found is exactly what I wanted: so exactly that it caught me off guard. Kipling offers no politics, neither "problems of England in India" or "The White Man's Burden". Kim is, quite simply, a vision of India. Exuberant, complex, vibrant, full of energy and life and change. This is Kipling's India. It is a beautiful, mysterious, dangerous, amazing place.

There is a hint of mass market fiction here -- the basic structure being a young boy, a prodigy, uniquely equipped to help the adults in important "adult" matters -- reminds me of Ender's Game or Dune (both books I loved, but not exactly "literature". But perhaps this isn't either. Such was the claim of critic after critic. But anyway.) Yet in reality it is only a device -- an excuse for Kipling to take his boy on adventures and to immerse us more fully in the pugnant waters of Indian culture -- or cultures.

As far as the English/Colonialism question goes, perhaps the real reason Kipling drew so much flak is because he deals his English critics the most cruel insult -- worse than calling them evil, or stupid, or wrong, he implies that they just don't matter that much. Kipling's India is a diverse place, with a plethora of people groups in it, divided by caste, religion, ethnicity, whatever. And the English, the "Sahibs"? Another people group. That's all. They don't dominate or corrupt or really change anything in any profound way; they just sort of become part of the broiling swirl of cultures and peoples that is India.
--
williekrischke@hotmail.com

A wonderfully told tale..........
Rudyard Kiplings' "Kim" is so utterly enchanting it, in some ways, defies description. It is a tale of personal growth, filial love, and the joy of life set amidst the Indian sub-continent in the time of the British Raj. Kim O'Hara, an orphaned Sahib, cunning and street-wise, and of India in all but blood, embarks upon a journey with a Tibetan lama in search of spiritual cleansing. Kim matures under the lama's patient guidance and, in turn, gives his heart to his mentor. The two support each other unconditionally through the passages they both must make.

In time, Kim's parentage and talents are "discovered" by the British and he is drafted and trained to be a participant within the Great Game; a political battle between Russia and Britain for control of Central Asia. Lama and student seek their disparate goals together as they traverse the plains of India, hike Himalayan foothills, and discourse along the way.

I found myself completely rapt by the book and longing to return to it. The characters are splendidly wrought and the descriptions of India and its' people enthralling. Though previous reviews tell of difficult reading, I found it nothing of the sort. One must orient themselves to the vernacular employed, but this isn't in any way trying for those attuned to historical reading. Some previous knowledge of the Great Game and the British Raj would also be helpful. Be that as it may, with remarkable ease the reader is absorbed and transported by this tale to wander India, late 19th century, with Kim and his Tibetan holy man amidst the intrigue of colonial rivalry and the mysticism of Eastern belief. Rudyard Kiplings' "Kim" has rightfully earned a place among my favorite novels of all time. There is no higher praise by which I might recommend it.

A Great Classic
So why am I writing a review of a book published in the early 1900s?
I hope some young people will read all the positive reviews and pick up the book and have a great time. No Stephen King or Dean Koontz wrote this. A wonderfully narrated book of a time that is not coming back. The language is smooth as flowing honey and the Indian words are used with the skill of one born and brought up there (Kipling was later sent to England to complete his schooling).
Enjoyable even after years and years.
I would recommend to buy the hardcover (Everyman Library) edition. A bargain at Amazon's prices

a mild but quite thorough story of initiation:
Kim is honestly a fun book. This is not to say that there aren't lapses, tedious mirings that swirl around the overall ebullient excitment, but these stem more from an excess of the author's wordplay than from anything else. The story is on the surface rather quaint: Orphaned British tyke grows up alone in India, has the internal wits and capacity to learn basic survival skills and has the ambition and sense of humor to make something of a name for himself. From there he meets a 'holy man'--not one in the traditional sense of Western (or even Eastern) literature, but here is more of a true seeker, someone not pulled down by the conventions of organized religiousosity, but one moreso looking for a one-on-one understanding of God. There is a great deal of subtle and transmogrified mythologizing--the traditional fables bowled over by reality, the high, idealistic hopes often stunted in birth by more rational and everyday life concerns. Kim, street-smart and wise before his time, is fascinated by the holy man's honesty and feels some compelling need to accompany the man on his random journies.

Kim is the story of two journies, certainly the holy man's as well as Kim's own, the reckoning with cultural identity and the east/west clash in a time of subterfuge and war. It is really a quite powerful story, dulled down at times by the author's seemingly ceaseless wonder, but for a tale marketed as being about a white European lost in the maze of turn-of-the-century India, there is a great deal that is very contemporary and an enormous amount of action and even betrayal.

Give it a go and read it to your kids. There are many valuable life lessons Kipling makes an attempt to teach and many wrong paths he explains to us all about taking.

Stunningly Overrated
Am I missing something here? Apparently. I found Kipling's writing extremely stilted and archaic, in a bad way (not in a say, Shakespeare way). The characters were one-dimensional, and the plot was heaped with deus-ex-machinas. I had to struggle to get through every page, and force myself to read a designated amount each night in order to finish it (it took me almost a week, and it's not a long book). The writing is filled with colloquialisms and foreign expressions, and I had to constantly flip to the Endnotes to decipher the code, which was extremely inconvenient. I did learn something about India and its history, and I can't wait to read a better novel on the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the greatest children's books of all time, Just So Stories is a collection of timeless classics, including "How the Whale Got His Throat," "How the Camel Got His Hump," and "How the Elephant Got His Trunk." Written in the tradition of Indian and African oral storytelling , this volume is beautifully illustrated in color by well-known artist, Safaya Salter. An English novelist and poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907, Kipling's popular stories have garnered attention for generations. This book is an ideal and inexpensive way to start building a classics library for any child, class set, or library. ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com

If you grew up with Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's Eloise books, someof her eccentricity probably rubbed off on you whether you realize it or not.Frankly, it's difficult to remain unaffected by a 6-year-old girl who lives inNew York City's Plaza Hotel, braids her turtle's ears, talks to Mars through apaper cup, and pours water down the mail chute. Eloise's Guide to Lifepieces together snippets from Eloise, Eloise in Paris, Eloise in Moscow, and Eloise at Christmastime in theinterest of instructing its readers on "how to eat, dress, travel, behave, andstay six forever." Of course, if everyone took this advice, people would putlarge cabbage leaves on their heads when they had headaches, throw occasionaltemper tantrums, comb their hair with forks, and pretend they were orphans toget food from strangers. Like the wee Seuss-isms, this whimsicalsampling of Eloise-isms is sure to renew a sense of rebellion and joie de vivrein nostalgic Eloise fans. This small book is perfect for new graduates or foranyone who has forgotten how much fun it can be to wear toe shoes on their ears.For adults who want absolutely everything Eloise, The Absolutely Essential Eloiseincludes the text and illustrations of the original title, along with ahistorical scrapbook detailing the making of Eloise. (Grownups) --KarinSnelson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

ELOISE!
I've been reading Eloise since I was 6 and I'm now 14! She represents freedom, and her wildness refreshes my mind. It's a great book for kids and it will expand their imagination.

Every child should grow up with Eloise!
Eloise rocked my world when I was little... now I'm 18 and bringing her books to college! She's an inspiration to six-year olds and adults alike. This book is just another great glimpse into the world of Eloise. I consider it a lesson on how to stay young through use of the imagination. It isn't as great as the original Eloise, but it's still wonderful! I read it to children I babysit for (who love her) and I plan on reading it to children of my own someday!

Not an Eloise fan...
My daughter received this as gift from her Aunt(an Eloise fan) for her 6th birthday. I found it to be confusing. I would not pick this for a child. Not my idea of a childrens book.

For Eloise fans only!
Let's face it-you are either an Eloise fan or not. There is no in-between. I happen to be a very loyal fan.

I ran across this by acciden