Book Description

These wonderful hardcover compilations of favorite stories include a mix of beloved classics as well as recent hits-sure to appeal to girls and boys alike!

Includes: Construction Trucks; Pirates; All Aboard Cars; All Aboard Airplanes; All Aboard Fire Trucks; and Cowboys. ... Read more

Book Description

Phebe Knight has always wanted to be a ballerina.But now, one year away from joiningthe Company, her mind begins to wander.To clear her head, she decides to visit herfather, who lives in Switzerland. There, she meets Nikolai Kotalev, a teenage chesschampion, who is looking for the legendary Stas Vlajnik, the teacher who will show himhow to be a grand master capable of both grace and speed.Phebe organizes a searchacross Europe to help Nikolai find the elusive Stas. And all the while, Phebe and Nikolaistudy each other’s obsessions to find the lives they want.What are they each willing topay for perfection and beauty? ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Chess boy meets ballet girl in a short but brilliant book
This book is unlike any YA novel I have read. It is incredibly well-written, very literary, and still accessible to a wide variety of readers because the main characters are a boy and a girl, and because it's so short.
Phebe Knight is training to be a ballerina. Normally she's very dedicated, but lately she has trouble concentrating. Her teachers and mother decide a change of scenery may help, and they send her to Geneva, Switzerland to stay with her father for three months. Phebe's father is a diplomat, and this is how Phebe meets Nikolai.

Nikolai is a fifteen year old chess genius who has recently become estranged from his father who pushed him to extremes to be able to win and make money. Nikolai left his father to pursue his freedom and to study chess with the legendary, elusive, unstable Stas Vlajnik. Phebe is unsuccessful in her desire to focus on ballet, but she becomes, possibly for the first time, genuinely caring towards others. She finally begins to accept things about her father, and spends all her time with Nikolai, studying chess, how he thinks, and trying to help him find Vlajnik.

The second half of the book is spent all over Europe as they travel from chess tournaments searching for Vlajnik. The developments in the characters are nuanced and beautifully and truthfully written. When I finished this book I wanted to read everything by the author, and read up more on chess.

The Kings Are Already Asleep
After reading My Heartbeat, a quick and enjoyable, though easy, read, I was expecting a similar quality out of The Kings Are Already Here. I wanted to like the characters; I wanted to feel for their situations. Yet they seemed so two-dimensional: Phebe questioning her ballet, Nikolai searching for a lost chess master. They didn't seem to have any other qualities, and I couldn't feel any sympathy for them. In other words, I guess they just seemed bland. Pencilled outlines on paper.

The story itself was equally uncompelling, although perhaps I just wasn't the right reader for the book's story line. I found myself finding excuses not to pick up the book and keep reading, always a bad sign. I never finished it.

When Ms. Freymann-Weyr's next book comes out, I hope to find myself drawn to it as I was to My Heartbeat. Yet there are different books for different people, and perhaps I simply wasn't the right person for The Kings Are Already Here.

This is the BEST!
I was afraid I wouldn't like this as much as Freymann-Weyr's other books, MY HEARTBEAT and WHEN I WAS OLDER... but I was totally hooked. Even before I got to college I knew that the choices I make mean something else has to be given up -- and this is the first novel I've read that deals with that: the cost of being committed to something. I like that there are no simple "right" answers in this book ... that it's thoughtful and yet also suspenseful and funny. I hope she'll write another book soon...

thought provoking
I've always been a sucker for books about gifted teens, but usually they are gifted in music. I found the combination and comparison of chess and ballet fascinating. The author doesn't fall for any of the easy traps like trying to make a love story here - though it is not that her teens are uninterested in sex or that they don't sense the possiblity of each other. She shows that becoming the best at anything involves a price and only we can decide if that price is worth it. Sometimes the alternating first person narrative, was a little hard to follow, but ultimately this was a satisfying book

Elegant and Sophisticated
I adored this book. Both the characters and the places they go to are beautifully and intricately described. I loved being taken from the dance studio in New York to Switzerland and then all over on a European odyssey to find the chess Grandmaster. I knew almost nothing about chess or ballet before I read Kings and I learned so much. I could feel the tension at the barre and the chess table even though I am neither a dancer nor a chess player. The relationship between Phebe and Kolya is so complicated and fragile. I really wanted there to be romance between the two of them, but somehow it's all the more interesting that there isn't. The only thing I am sincerely hoping for is that the author will write a sequel. I am too in love with the characters not to know what happens next. Both young and old will find this a wonderful story. I highly recommend it for anyone. As a p.s., I think this would make a gorgeous movie... ... Read more

Book Description

When Parker Pettengill and Matt Armentrout find a dead man at the edge of Indian Creek, their camping trip comes to a close -- and a detective hunt begins. Evans, the creepy new boyfriend of Parker's mom, Pam, was seen at -- the place of the crime -- but there's no solid evidence that he committed the murder. Parker is convinced that Pam's boyfriend is to blame, and he will not rest until he has proof. And when Parker and Armentrout hide out in Pam's antique store and spy on Pam and Evans, they find out more than they bargained for....

Reviews (14)

Dead Man in Indian Creek
This murder mystery book of only 130 pages, would seem to be a sound choice for 3rd to 5th graders,but it does have an adult nature to it. The two boys in the story are 12 years old, one is being raised in a single parent family (mother). She is involved with a man, the boys believe to be involved in the murder. She leaves him alone, repeatedly. There also is reference to teenage drug and alcohol parties at the quarry where the boys have a fort built. The murder is connected to cocaine drug dealing of which the mother is involved in. While these are themes we see every day on TV and in movies, probably best read with a parent or as a pre-adult.

This is definitly a five star book!!!
The story Dead Man On Indian Creek was a great book for people ages 10-14. I thought this was both funny and scary. And it actually shows what a son would actually do for his single, hard-working mother. This story was about two boys who love to go hiking and are best ffriend's. But Peter's mom goes out with a guy who looks and acts very supicious and when they find a guy dead on indian creek they think they know who did it.And when they go and tell Peter's mother she thinks there crazy. The setting was beautiful and perfect. It's great for a children's book. When you are reading to the description of the place you can paint a picture in your head of what they are doing. It also makes the story seem mmore realistic. I thinkthis is one of the best settings in a book I have ever read.

Dead Man in Indian Creek
Dead Man in Indian Creek is a short mysterious mysery that will keep you reading! I just read this book and enjoyed the characters and the entertainment! I reccomed this book to big fans of myserys! I hope you take my advice and reed this book.

Nice Book, but...
This is an excellent book. It may be considered a kids' book, but it deals with many adult themes such as drug use, child abuse, murder, etc. The book is thrilling and should be made into a movie (if it hasn't already). I would recommend this book for people ages 11-14.

The Dead Man In Indian Creek
The Book ,The Dead Man In Indian Creek . The Author of my book is Mary Downing Hahn .The date this book was published in 1990. I like this book because you want to see what happens next example while there camp,and you stop rate there, it make you wonder what is going to happen next. My short summary was wile camping near Indian Creek. Matt and his best friend going to see a blue heron . Instead,they found a dead man floating. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

I've Walked Where Balsar Walked
The book "The Bears of Blue River" was a very interesting book for me to read. The content of the book was very simple and quite easy to follow. Children of all ages, along with adults, will find this book hard to put down after they start to read it. This story takes place in Shelby County. One of the main reasons I chose to read this book was because I live in Shelby County.
My grandmother read this book to me when I was in pre-school. I have always remembered about how Balsar, the main character in the book, loved his gun and the outdoors. In this book it talks about how there is a "blowout hole" where the Conns Creek and the Flatrock River flow together. We (Hinkles, my family) actually own property that is on the banks next to the blowout hole. So this was very interesting for me. I too have also explored the many little caves and such that are on the Flatrock River.
I believe this is a wonderful book that boys and girls, even men and women, will be able to enjoy very much. The book has absolutely amazing descriptions of various places in Shelby County. I have found these descriptions to be very accurate, as I have hiked, camped, fished, or hunted on the exact same land the author, Charles Major, described so very well.

Bears of Blue River is the Best book ever
When I was younger my father read this book to me every night over and over again. After many years of reading it to me the book finally fell apart and to this day I still haven't fixed it.

The Amazing Story of The Bears of Blue River
The Bears of Blue River was written by Charles Major a native of Indiana. The story takes place in the early nineteenth century in rural Indiana. Indiana was just a baby state during the time of the story.
The characters of this story are very significant. Balser Brent and his wife moved their family including three children, Little Balser, a younger brother Jim and a one year old sister, to Indiana. The family moved from North Carolina. When they moved to Indiana the family purchased 80 acres of land. The land was located on the east bank of the Big Blue River.
Little Balser is the main character of the book. He was a very brave young man. He was brave because he always had encounters with bears and wildlife. One day Little Balsers mother told him to go fishing and take his fathers gun incase he ran into some bears. As he was on his way back home with the fish he had caught, he ran into a bear. It was standing in front of Balser. Balser fed the bear one of the fish and then Balser shot the bear with his father's gun.
Little Balser had a big dream to own his own gun someday. Balser helped a young couple to escape to be married. The couple wanted to repay Balser, but they didn't know how. So they asked Balser if there was something they could bring him. Balser told them he really wanted his own gun. A few weeks later the couple brought Balser back his very own gun from Indianapolis.
There are many other exciting adventures with Balser. One significant part is when Balser and his father found two cubs in a cave close to Conns Creek. They had killed the momma and papa bears, so Balser took the cubs home to raise. Balser named the cubs Tom and Jerry. This is significant because the statue on the north end of the circle in Shelbyville, Indiana is Balser holding up the two cubs. Every summer Shelbyville holds a celebration "The Bears of Blue River." The celebration consists of a parade and entertainment to remember Shelbyville, Indiana and how it once was in the past

Childhood memories
Growing up in the small town of Shelbyville, IN, The Bears of Blue River is a must read book. Everyday in the town of Shelbyville, one can be reminded of little Balsar and his adventures. Located around the circle in Shelbyville, stands a statue of Balsar holding the two bear cubs, Tom and Jerry. The statue is part of the history behind Shelbyville.
The Bears of Blue River brings back many wonderful childhood memories. After recess everyday in the fourth grade, my class would gather in the front of the room to hear what exciting adventures were in store for Balsar. The Bears of Blue River puts youngsters on the edge of their seat. I know that I could not wait to see what dangers Balsar would overcome next; I believe this is why I love the book. The pages of this book cannot be turned fast enough. The Bears of Blue River was the book that opened my eyes to the wonderful world of reading. Children are not the only ones who love to read the book, adults enjoy the book as well.
The book depicts what real life was like back in the twenties, something no reality show can duplicate. Harsh winters and fierce animals were only a part of what the Brent family had to encounter, sometimes on a daily basis. The book allows children to relive the life of Balsar and his friends. I think the book could really give children a deeper appreciation of today's way of living.
I am a first year college student, who still to this day thinks that The Bears of Blue River is the most fun and action packed book one can buy. Children and adults of all ages are sure to fall in love with the brave little Balsar and all of his friends.

A family keepsake
In 2001 my father age 82 mentioned this book as the only one he remembered his father reading to him as a young boy. I'm his son at age 59 and decided to get a library copy for us to read again. Dad doesn't read much anymore but he devoured the book which brought good memories back. I liked it as well because it gave me a family "connection" over 3 generations, and the book is also easy to read and good reading to boot. Our ancestors settled in Indiana in the 1830's and they lived next to the Flatrock River(in the book)Had to buy a copy for family keepsake ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com

Sam's big sister Anastasia (Anastasia Krupnik, Anastasia at Your Service) thinks he's, well, there's no other word for it, weird. Their parents say he's precocious. But Sam knows, even on the morning of his birth, when there are bright lights, and he's cold, and someone is messing around with his belly button, that he's just Sam. And as the younger brother of the original drama queen herself, Anastasia, Sam deserves a book all to himself. From those early moments at the hospital, to his first steps and words, to his lively days of nursery school, Sam escorts the reader through his mischief-filled life. His highly developed--and hilarious--verbal skills allow readers to get behind the fascinating logic of a toddler: Why won't it rain lipsticks and plastic pretzels if he flushes them down the toilet? And the King of Worms most certainly does deserve a prize at the pet show. Award-winning Lois Lowry has an uncanny ability to understand children of any age. Without ever patronizing, she manages to make their foibles wildly funny and unerringly true. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Book Description

There's a whole lot more to a cowboy's life than just ropin' and ridin'. A day on the range begins when the rooster crows and the cowboys saddle up their horses. At the end of a long day of work, they kick up their heels, square dancing and spending their pay, until it's time for bed and dreams of riding rodeo someday. The book's lively text and vivid tableaux bring a cowboy's day to life for young readers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Engagingly written and distinctively illustrated
Engagingly written and distinctively illustrated with photography utilizing authentic folk art and handcrafted props in make-believe scenarios, by Stefan Czernecki, Ride'Em Cowboy takes young readers ages 4 to 7 seven through a day's work on the range. Beginning with the crow of a rooster in the morning and the cowboys saddling up their horses for a days work of roping, riding; and a whole lot more, to the end ofa long day's work and time to kick up a little fun square dancing, singing, and spending their pay, to bedtime and dreams of riding the rodeo, this colorful, lively, wonderfully entertaining picturebook story is a welcome and recommended addition to any child's reading list -- especially if they have cowboy dreams of their own!
... Read more

Book Description

Simon is BIG. And Simon is NOISY. In fact, Simon is as noisy as he is big. And that makes him very, very noisy indeed. No matter how much is parents ask, and no matter how hard Simon tries, he can never manage to be small and quiet. Hilariously illustrated and gently told, this sympathetic story offers the perfect solution to the big and noisy blues. ... Read more

Book Description

Something is amiss in quiet little Blootinville. Someone has replaced all the food with Chef Nibble's disgusting ultrachemical Snoodles and Cheaze. To make matters worse, a roving band of second graders calling themselves the Nibblettes have immobilized the town with their goopy gravy snack cup bombs. This looks like a job for the Cupcaked Crusader! But Horace is out of his little sister Melody's superpower cupcakes, and she's nowhere to be found! Can Horace whip up a batch in time, or will the rampaging second graders gravy-nate all of Blootinville. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Food for a Child's Imagination!
My third grade son received this book along with the first one, "Horace Splattly, The Cupcaked Crusader" when he was entering 2nd grade. We shared these first 2 as "read aloud" books at bedtime. He was constantly asking for "just one more chapter". After finishing both books he anxiously awaited the next book in the series, and then the 4th, which he just received for Christmas. He now chooses to read these on his own.

These are simple, silly, feel-good books for kids. Kids definitely relate to the segments where Horace is picked on by some bully-type...as well relating to the sibling relationship and the relationship with his two best friends that takes place in these books. But I think my son's favorite thing about these books is the fact that some ordinary kid...in fact, the shortest kid in school, is able to help others with the temporary powers he gets from his sister's cupcakes. So even though Horace has to eat disgusting cupcakes, and keep his powers secret (mostly), he really gets to do some of the things real superheroes get to do - and maybe even feel like the big guy for a change - even if things don't always work out perfectly. ... Read more

Book Description

‘At last, a science fiction story for younger readers!’ —BL. ‘On Jack Jameson’s 10th birthday, his family gives him a robot that can do everything Jack can do—and more.’ —Publishers Weekly. ‘The fun lies mostly in Slote’s easygoing depiction of parents discomfited by the arrival of a perfect son." —K.

1981 Nene Award (Hawaii) ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Slightly Outdated Sci-Fi Still Fun
All Jack wants for his birthday is a robot. When his parents give in, he's thrilled. Feeling only a little guilty, he orders exactly what he wants in a friend in Danny One. But what will happen when trouble follows them home?

This is a simple, straight forward book. In fact, it's a little two simple. The book is more the pilot for a series then a story all its own since it sets up the characters for future books. Still, it's a fun, fast read that kids will enjoy. I know I sure did.

Originally written in 1975, there were a few things about this future world that made me laugh, especially the conflict over getting a mobile phone because of how expensive they are.

I spent about a year obsessed with these characters growing up. I even took every opportunity I could to walk stiff in the knees myself. Rereading this book, I easily found the fun again. It's a shame the others aren't still in print so everyone can enjoy the adventures of Jack and Danny One.

Blast Off Into Fiction
The book that I read was My Robot Buddy by Alfred Slote. It takes place in Jack's home. Jack wanted a robot for his birthday. So his parents took him to the robot factory to pick one out. When Jack and Danny got home they were playing outside and then a robot napper came and almost robot napped Jack by mistake. Read more to find out if Jack got saved or not!

Blast Off Into This Book
The book I read was, My Robot Buddy by Alfred Slote. It takes place in Jacks home. Jack wanted a robot for his birthday. He got one and they almost got robot napped. Read this book to find out if they got saved or not. I disliked the story because it didn't catch my interest

It's the Best Book in History!
My Robot Buddy

Jack wanted a robot. Jack got a robot. A robot-napper almost robot-napped Jack. Read the book to find out what happens.

Blast Off Into This Book
The book I read was, My Robot Buddy by Alfred Slote. It takes place in Jacks home. Jack wanted a robot for his birthday. He got one and they almost got robot napped. Read this book to find out if they got saved or not. I disliked the story because it didn't catch my interest ... Read more

Book Description

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's the Cupcaked Crusader! Otherwise known as the smallest ten-year-old with the biggest ideas in town-Horace Splattly. Horace, victim of his brilliant little sister's experiments, empowered by her chemically altered cupcakes and mortified by the purple costume she makes him wear, flies through the skies of Blootinville, breathing fire and foiling evil.But not much goes on in Horace's notoriously quiet town.Until one fateful day, when a gigantic, man-eating, furry monster appears on the playground at sunset! Can the Cupcaked Crusader save the town, or will Horace become monster chow? ... Read more

Reviews (3)

the coolest book in the universe
this is the best book you will ever read. it is about a kid who eats her sisters cupcakes and turns into a superheroe.he has to fight a giant monster and an evil scientist.this book is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!i hope you read it!

Awesome
My son received this book and the second in the series "When Second Graders Attack" as a gift just before he started second grade. He adored these books. Now, over a year later, we just recently purchased the fourth in the series as soon as it came available. My son looks forward to these books and can't put them down once he starts reading them.

Buy this book, it's very exciting
My mommy bought me this book. I liked this book very much. It was very funny. I liked that the cupcaked crusader had superpowers because he ate cupcakes, that was exciting. The powers only last for a few hours and it was sad when he lost them. I like that this book is about a boy, there are many books about girls already. The pictures very neat too.
I am now reading the second book and hope it is as good as the first one. Maybe it will be even better. ... Read more

Book Description

In Bones and the Big Yellow Mystery, Mr. Green has lost his schoolbus. "A bus is a big thing to lose," Jeffrey says. But sometimes, big things arehard to find. Maybe Mr. Green's bus was stolen. Detective Bones gets out hispad, notes the clues, and the search begins. . . . ... Read more

Book Description

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

Reviews (1)

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

Book Description

Stanley, Heston, Julius, and Floyd don't have anywhere to hang out this summer. They need a place to perform science experiments, play superheroes, paint pictures, and camp out without being bothered by parents and little sisters. A clubhouse would be perfect. They all pitch in to build one. But the four friends soon realize that each has a different idea of what the perfect clubhouse should be-which threatens both the project and their friendship.

Mahoney's playful illustrations highlight this humorous tale of four individuals who find out that having fun together is what really makes something perfect. ... Read more

Book Description

Charley is an athlete. He wants to be painted crossing the finish line,in his racing silks, with a medal around his neck. But Charley isn't arunner. He is a human mount, the property of one of the alien invaderscalled Hoots. Charley hasn't seen his mother in years, and his fatheris hiding out in the mountains with the other Free Humans. The Hootsown the world, but the humans want it back. Charley knows how to be agood mount-now he's going to have to learn how to be a human being.This remarkable novel, winner of the 2002 Philip K. DickAward, should be read by every fan of speculative fiction, teenagersand adults alike. ... Read more

Book Description

Sam Krupnik, mad at his mother because she won't let him wear his newly acquired plastic fangs in the house, decides to run away. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Isolating
This is the Story of Grady West, a teen who is dealing with severe issues after he was brutally raped by two men. These issues include post-traumatic stress (symptoms of social phobia), and anorexia.
The author makes Grady's self-imposed isolation seem so real, that I found myself feeling isolated from the outside world while I was reading it. Normally this is a good thing, but I felt depressed while reading the book, despite the fact that I loved the story. I would definately suggest reading this book, but maybe read it outside on a sunny day.

Terrific
Target hits hard from the beginning and won't let go. Grady West has a problem. And he doesn't want to talk about it. To anyone. So he changes schools, stops eating, speaks only when necessary and keeps himself to himself. And if he fades away into nothing--that's good. But Jess comes along. Dreadlocked, fast-mouthed, furiously living Jess who can't stand to see this curious white guy refusing to get with the program. The program of recognizing that Jess is cool.

Kathleen Johnson hits it out of the park with this wonderfully realized novel of friendship, suffering, and the fear of reaching out. Grady is circling the drain and the reader feels the pull with him, the knowledge that any moment he's going down and knowing it might be sweet relief. The reader feels how hard it is for Grady to reach out and hold on.

It's been a long, long while since a book made me feel that much so vividly.

A winner. ... Read more