Book Description

Saturday is Leo's favorite day of the week. It's the day he goes to the movies. The only problem is Morty, the neighborhood bully and troublemaker, who gets Leo thrown out of the movie one afternoon -- for something Morty has done! Leo dreams of getting even with Morty, but how?

Soon Leo is chosen to play his violin in a concert at City Hall -- an event covered by a newsreel cameraman -- and he actually shakes hands with the Mayor! But when Leo tells his friends about the concert, Morty just jeers at him and tries to pick a fight. The way in which Morty finally gets his comeuppance makes a totally satisfying ending for Leo and for readers.

In a lively text with glorious, masterfully conceived and painted pictures, Edward Sorel, a distinguished artist, gives a splendid sense of New York in the 1930s and a boy's dreams of glory come true. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Violent
I thought this book was extremely violent for young children. I don't think it teaches children at the targeted age appropriate ways to fight anger. Although it does clearly illustrate the past, violence in schools has been on the rise and this book is not suitable for young kids.

A Blast From The Past.
Kids enjoy looking at pictures and contrary to popular opinion, usually enjoy learning about the past. THE SATURDAY KID is a book they are sure to love.

The story revolves around a young boy named Leo. Leo spends his Saturdays at the movies and often spends his free time imagining he's a part of the adventures he has seen. Leo also plays the violin really, really well. One Saturday Leo gets kicked out of the movie house because of a brat named Morty. Leo doesn't seek revenge, but in the end Morty gets his due and comes to respect Leo (we hope).

The story is a good one and has lessons of tolerance and good triumphing over evil. However, the real star of the book are the illustrations. Sorels delightful watercolors of 1930's New York are playful and nosalgic, bringing to life a world that has long since passed away. Saturdays used to be dominated by play and days spent watching movies in theatres more grand than any modern Broadway stage. Ushers used to ush at movies and films were cheaper to watch than a pack of bubble gum. Those days are gone, but are brought to life once more in THE SATURDAY KID.

Overall, a delightful book that children will love and one that adults may enjoy even more.

Beautiful, nostalgic and very, very fun!!
The hero of "The Saturday Kid" is Leo. He's a young man with a gift for playing violin, a WWI pilot's hat, and a taste for movies at the Luxor Theater in New York. He's also got a problem: a bully named Morty is always picking on him.

One Saturday, when Leo is engrossed in watching "G-Men" on the big screen, Morty sits down next to him and starts causing trouble of the worst kind-the kind where LEO gets in trouble and is kicked out of the theater! With his vivid imagination, Leo can envision all sorts of ways to get even with Morty; they play out in his mind like the giants of the silver screen.

Life goes on, Leo practices his violin and even gets a chance to play for the mayor of New York while a newsreel records the whole event! Proud of his accomplishments, Leo tells his friends all about it, only to have Morty dash his feelings to pieces when he says that Leo is full of baloney. But, sometimes the good guys DO win, and in the end, Leo gets his revenge in a wonderfully satisfying way...

"The Saturday Kid" is both beautifully detailed and nostalgic. The book harkens back to the 1930's of New York where the El trains ran high and between the rows of apartments, you could buy a slice of pie at the Automat for 15 cents, and movie theaters were palatial palaces where a Saturday at the pictures was the high point of the week. It's a small bit of American history with a story as old as childhood: the careful, kind child dealing with the unfair abuses of the bully.

The illustrations are large and intricate. Loew's Paradise Theater, with it's footmen, ushers, doormen and elevator operators, it's twinkling chandeliers and 4-story tall screen will astonish children used to today's teeny-weeny multiplexes and VCR's. To think that such a place once existed just to show movies!!

"The Saturday Kid" is truly a wonderful little slice of history, and teachers could easily form a whole social studies thematic unit around this one book alone. It strikes me as the perfect sort of book for grandparents and grandchildren to share with each other. A triumph of a book, and highly recommended!!

A good story and marvelous artwork
Leo is a young man with a violin, a love of the movies, and a punk nemesis named Morty.

This is the perfect book for sharing between adult and child. Have a child read it to you -- slowly, please, so you can study and enjoy Sorel's rich artwork. Sorel is gifted in his ability to create faces full of life, and his renderings of 1930s New York are atmospheric and vibrant. You'll find yourself looking at the pictures again and again.

Also recommended: Sorel's "Unauthorized Portraits," a well-printed survey of Sorel's cartoons, covers, and career. ... Read more

Book Description

"You used to be a mouse," said Mickey to his ex-friend Jack. "And now you've turned into a great big rat."

Maybe Jack wasn't a rat, but he certainly was a bully. And he made life very uncomfortable for Mickey.

Mickey's parents had some helpful ideas, but Mickey found that it was easier to talk about loving your enemies than actually to do it, and brave words were often just words.

But then something happened that surprised Mickey as much as Jack. And the unexpected result was that the ex-bully was once more a friend, and Mickey had good reason to be proud of his problem-solving technique.

Book Description

This is an all-new story featuring the Little Critter!, , When abig bully starts to pick on Little Sister, Little Critter decides he betterstick up for her. The bully stops picking on Little Sister--and starts pickingon LIttle Critter. With a little help from Little Sister, Little Critter finallylearns to stand up to the bully. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

I'm so glad I bought this book
This book changed the way I read books to my 3 year old. I'm so happy people took the time to condemn the message in the book as well as those who praised it.
When I read this book, I ask my son, "What do you think he should do now? Do you think it is good that he was hitting? Why didn't he tell his parents? What would you do if someone was teasing you and taking your things at school?"
By fully exploring the content of this book, I was better able to help my son realize just what a bully is. My son got to learn one way to handle things.
I disagree that children need to be older to learn about bullies. Kids get bullied in 2 year old playgroups all the time.
Buy this book and disagree with the actions of Little Critter and EXPLAIN your thoughts to your child. Ask your child questions about the book, and explore the feelings of the different people involved. Books are only educational if we USE them to teach.

Very necessary message for young boys
Sadly in this world, at this time, bullies are still a reality in our schools. Many women I speak with on the issue fail to realize this, including my mother who is a public educator herself. And, sadly, there is only one effective way that a male child can deal with this problem and that is through direct physical confrontation. This book presents the alternatives to physical confrontation, and the usual outcome from these alternatives which are rarely positive. The book concludes with a physical confrontation which resolves the protagonists bully problem. I was thrilled to find this message in a childs book. If you never lived in fear of physical harm from a bully at school, then I feel you have no right or basis to judge this book.

Horrible Message for Target Age Group
I have to say that I agree with the reviews that condemn the message in this book -- it is completely inappropriate and contrary to what we should be teaching our young children. In response to ...it is certainly the case that we sometimes have to stand up for ourselves and in theory it is not bad for books to address this, but the lower end of the age group that these Little Critter books target would NOT be at the age when bullies would enter into their lives. These are not the type of conflict resolution methods that we should be teaching our toddlers and preschool children.

How the real world can be
Reading the previous reviews I had to my $.02 . When I read this with my son was a bit surprised at the delivery. But I remembered my childhood and I had these same kinds of things happen to me. Not all situations get resolved by the rules and sometimes kids have deal with problems on there own. I wish it weren't so, but sometimes you get backed into a corner and a grown-up isn't there to rescue you and the "bully" won't get talked out of being a bully. This book shows this very well.

Just A Bit of Garbage! (*ZERO STARS*)
I purchased a set of 8 "Little Cirtter" books for my son at Christmas. The first one my husband and I read to him was this book. It is a book that addresses the issue of bullies. It encourages fist-fighting to resolve a problem. I am now reluctant to read the other 7, and actually have no desire. I think I will just return them all. I am just amazed at what "Golden Books" will publish these days. Are they hurting for books or something! Shame on Golden Books and shame on Mercer Mayer! ... Read more

Book Description

Book 3 of WATCH OUT FOR JOEL! Joel is frightened of the old camp outhouse, but even he can’t put off a visit forever. When Tom plans a cruel surprise for Joel, his fears quickly go from bad to worse. Can Joel and his brother, Ricky, stop Tom without giving in to revenge? Theme: Proverbs 14:22—Mercy ... Read more

Book Description

In author M. LaVora Perry's Taneesha's Treasures of the Heart, the story's main character, Taneesha Bey-Ross, learns about children with diabetes at the hospital where her mother works as a nurse. When Taneesha's best friend, Carli, is taunted by a bullying older girl because of her physical disability, Taneesha defends Carli and becomes the bullying girl's target. With faith, hope, courage and friendship, Taneesha helps the bullying girl uncover kindness inside her own heart.Chris Seaman, the illustrator for Taneesha's Treasures of the Heart also designed the Harry Potter collectible card game for Wizards of the Coast® in association with Warner Brothers Studios®. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A story of kindness and tolerance for all ages!
Taneesha's Treasures of the Heart is a sincere story that centers on a problem many school age children face from time to time - bullies! I found the Buddhist perspectives presented by Ms. Perry in this book to be a very good introduction into the religion and, one that will give young readers another perspective on dealing with social conflicts. This story filled with kindness and tolerance is an excellent read for all ages!

An excellent example of Buddhist compassion and frienship
Taneesha's Treasures of the heart is a fantastic example of true friendship, heart and compassionate understanding! It shows that through a compassionate and understanding spirit, one can maintain good friendship and achieve the best of happiness regardless of race or religion. Ms. Perry's Buddhist perspective on happiness via friendship and compassion is an excellent example on how kids should treat situations of bullying and harassment from their peers. I loved this great book, and its a delightful gift to give a kid in any day. Kudos.

Presents a Buddhist approach to friendship issues
Taneesha's Treasures Of The Heart is a young adult novella by M. LaVora Perry and sparsely illustrated in black-and-white by Chris R. Seaman. Taneesha is a young girl who stands up to bullies for the sake of her best friend. The power of understanding to unlock kindness in the human heart is a core theme of this inspirational and highly recommended story, which will also admirably serve to present a Buddhist approach to such friendship issues as faith, hope, and courage.

Something from the Heart...
TANEESHA'S TREASURES OF THE HEART resonates with messages of kindness, friendship, and the social conflicts that children sometimes encounter while growing up. Our protaganist, Taneesha Bey-Ross, has been taught by her parents to treasure her friendship with her best friend Carli Flanagan because it is something special...something from the heart. Though they are different races and practice different religions, the girls are inseparable and hold tight to the strength of their friendship.

M. Lavora Perry has presented a wonderful story with loving characters that will inspire while teaching children the importance of hope, faith, and friendship. This book is a much needed treat that should be placed in every classroom across the country. ...

No Bullying Around
M. LaVora Perry has written a book that truly reads from the heart. The character descriptions are fresh, honest and open -- not the standard way of describing physical features. For educators -- a great story to initiate a discussion about bullies. Children were very responsive and involved during the telling of the story (especially the end of Chapter 2) and had lots to say regarding bullies and how to handle situations peacefully. This is a story to treasure! ... Read more

Book Description

"Camp stinks! Dad, come get me!"

Michelle is off to sleep-over camp. And she's sure she is going to have the best summer ever!

Wrong! By the second day, she hates camp! A big bully named Brenda won't leave Michelle alone. Brenda kicks Michelle out of her bunk. She sneaks salt into her cereal. She even steals Michelle's teddy bear!

Michelle is furious. She want to get even! Does Michelle have what it takes to put Brenda in her place? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another great book!
I have about the entire Full House Michelle series but this one one of the books I needed. After reading it, its probably one of my favorite! It's really a cute book! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Junebug is a sweet book
Junebug's life is changing from the old world he used to know.He, his mother and sister Tasha have left the projects and onto a better way of life.But the change is not as happy as he first expects it to be. Hisclose family seems to be going their own way and he fears that they aredrifting apart.Tasha makes friends easily, while Junebug is tormented bybullies (worse his mother insists he play soccar with them!).His motherfinds a new romance which is hard for him to cope with, and as if thatwasn't enough, Junebug must now spend some time everday walking with acranky elderly"Reverand" as part of his new responsibilites. His hopes of having a lazy summer squashed, Junebug tries to adjust to hisnew surroundings.In the process he learns a great deal about family ties,and himself.

This book is a sequel to JUNEBUG but you needn't have readthe first to enjoy JUNEBUG AND THE REVERAND.I immediately liked the sweetcharacter of Junebug the moment he appears on the page...probably because Iknow a kid just like him and I so seldom see such boys portrayed asrealistically in print.He is thoughtful, kindhearted and resilient -- youcan't help but take him into your heart.It is refreshing to see such anhonest portrayel of children and community and I look forward to readingmore about Junebug's growing up years.This is a book to be shared withyour children. ... Read more

Book Description

For as long as she can remember, Bridget has been able to do things other people can't-read minds, move objects without touching them, hear the songs and stories the wind and rain tell.She has pushed her powers down for years, trying to be like her "normal" classmates.Then baffling, fragile Althea Peale comes to town, and Bridget is forced to choose.She is the only one who has the power to help Althea, or to hurt her . . . ."A quiet and thought-provoking coming-of-age story, delightfully flavored with touches of humor, romance, and teenage angst."
-VOYA ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Excellent!
This is by far my favorite book. The words are lyrical and almost like poetry. While it may not be completely developed, for fantasy lovers, this doesn't matter. I laughed aloud numerous times, it has comedic parts. Most of all- I could relate to the character and that is very important. A must read for all fantasy lovers.

Cool
This book is a magical, mystical ride through the adventure of a young adolescent girl named, Bridget. This is a must have.

omg!!!!!!!!
wow!!a great book for anyone!
the ending is a bit confusing but i'll read it again to clarafy it!!
please read this, and other work by jean, she is wonderfull, and i am going to be a life time reader!!
i loooovvvvvvveeeeeeee her work, and so will you, start with this book and youll be hooked!!

The Other Ones
This is one of the worst YA novels I have ever read. It suffers from extraneous plotlines and mediocre writing. Bridget, the main character, is weak and unsympathetic. She is so worried about the troubled boy, Jordan, not liking her anymore, that she barely attempts to seek help for him through regular channels and then makes huge decisions about his life without even consulting him. Additionally, the author seems to be comepletely unfamiliar with the Wiccan faith that she is attempting to portray. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

review from the other one
I thought that all of the characters in the book were potentially intresting and might have had ok personalities, but potential was all they had. Only the main character was really defined, and she in a predicatble way. The relationship between her and Greg should have been carried on. It was basically, she freaked and that was it. You'd think that might have some impact on her desision to accept herself, but it was just dropped. Also, the way she and Althea acted. While I can understand them being a little weird, considering one is a witch and the other a hawk, I'd say that it could be better developed. Great description though and the paralell between the way characters look and how they are is cool. ... Read more

Book Description

It's April Fools! Over and over and over again...That's right, some evildoer is playing pranks across the entire country!There are whoopee cushions on school buses.Silly glasses on the faces of Mount Rushmore.This prankster is pulling off some pretty peculiar plots!But who better to put a stop to these childish stunts than our eleven-year old superhero?In fact, he's already got some suspects.Like Super Sid -- the all-too-perfect superhero that everyone loves to hate.Or could there be a new bully at the heart of all this mischief and mayhem?Maximum Boy is on the case! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

OK
This book was pretty good,but I liked the all new Amelia better.I like all Amelia books. When I was reading it, I wanted to know if there was a real space camp that Marissa was talking about....

I LOVE AMELIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was my first AMELIA BOOK.And what FUN it was.I read parts over and over.And especially her drawings in the margins and white spaces.THIS IS THE BEST DIARY BOOK.I wish all diaries were so much fun.And it made me want to go to space camp.I think there's one in FL and AL.I'll have to see.Two other diary books I liked was The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo and The Journal of Leroy Jones, a Fugtive Slave.They don't have drawings, but they have neat photos of slaves and PIRATES!

I read it again and again!
This was one of my favorites. I laughed when I saw:gemini capsule, apollo capsule, and medicine capsule.

Great book for people of all ages.
I like this book because she uses lot of interesting words and all the pages have pictures. It is about Amelia going to space camp where she sees her best friend. She got lucky and they got to work together. Amelia wantedto be leader in the spaceship but two boys in her group wanted to leader,too.But she got the job! The two boys didn't want to listen to heranymore. It was eye-popping when they were flying in the spaceship. ThisAmelia book is really fresh!

outrageously cool
Amelia Takes Command by Marissa Moss is the best book I ever read. The greatest part in Amelia Takes Command is when Amelia got to go to Space Camp and see Nadia. Another part that I like is when Nadia and Amelia getto be the head leaders for a mission when they pretend to go out to space.But they have a little problem when they are out in space, they have towork together as a group because if they don't, they will erupt. This bookis way better than Amelia's Notebook, Amelia Writes Again and Amelia HitsThe Road. This book is enchanting because it has action, excitement,sportsmanship and cooperation. This book is an awesome and a fine book, andthere are lots of pictures on the sides of each page. When I read thisbook, it was outrageously cool and a BLAST! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Monster Mamma
This book Monster Mamma is about a boy named Edward Patrick who has a monster for a mom. Dispite her being a monster she loves her son very much. Whenever he's in trouble his momma always comes to help him.This book is great because it shows kids that no matter who your mamma is she will always love you.

an all-time favorite!
Not sure I understand the parents who are worried about their kids reading about bullies or maybe eating too much cake. What would they say about Maurice Sendak's Wild Things? Maybe he should rename it Tame Things? I think kids know the world is a wild and wooly place-- but if you have a loving mama -- even if she is a monster, as she points out to her son-- it's got to help. Great lines of dialogue, wild illustrations, what's not to love? Probably all this controversy proves it's a great book.

Have no fear...Mama is here!
A beautiful story about the all too familiar bully theme. My son and I could really relate to the bond of trust and protection between Patrick and his Mama.It's easy to pick on someone small in size, but the boys were cowards when confronted by Monster Mama.Mama's response gave Patrick the braveness and confidence he needed to stand up to the bullies, and stick up for her in turn.My son's reply at the end of the story was, "yeah,...nobody messes with Mama!"It made me laugh!

mixed feelings
The illustrations caught my eye, but the pictures can be confusing (one page appears to be a severed head, but is not).I still enjoy the story and I do read it to my two year old, but i leave out words like evil and death.The last page is a picture of a big monster giving a little boy a kiss.I think the book illustrates visually the way my son feels about me. lol.

Strawberries are my favorite
I like how Patrick stands up for his mama, and how his mama is not really a monster. ... Read more

Book Description

A humorous, heartwarming adventure of two young boys who encounter a mythical snow monster.They befriend it by helping the snow monster rescue its baby.Written for toddlers and preschoolers, each page includes an amusing and colorful scene illustrating the story, along with a variety of charming mini-themes that take place in the background, and accompanied by a few sentences of dialog. ... Read more

Book Description

With her friends and familia by her side, Gab¡ is ready for anything...sort of. Gab¡'s getting new neighbors...and they are a big mystery. After a little investigating, Gab¡ discovers a pink and purple bike just like hers in the moving van---and that can only mean one thing:a new friend!Now Gab¡, her BFFs (Best Friends Forever), and Abuelita (her grandma) are doing a little snooping to find out:?qu‚ pasa?What's up with the mystery neighbors? ... Read more

Book Description

If you open almost any of award-winning author/illustrator Mercer Mayer’s 250+ children’s books you’ll see dragons, cuddly monsters, wonderful creatures, and endearing critters.Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mr. Mayer spent his childhood hunting lizards and snakes in the swamps by his home.During his teenage years, he lived in Hawaii where he attended the Honolulu Academy of Arts.He later received additional training at the Art Students League in New York City.Upon completion of his studies he set out with pen and ink to write and illustrate adventures he experienced as a child.

Reviews (1)

Great predictable book for young readers
I had this book in my classroom for years and it was a favorite of emergent readers. The story was one that young children related to well as it tapped into their imagination and desires to be in control in scary situations. The predictable text was also great for my students who needed a scaffold to be successful readers. Why is it out of print? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This book is misleading, but good
I read the book Hit Squad by James Heneghan for a school project. It is an adventure book. It is also fiction. This book is very misleading. It has many surprises. I enjoyed this book because this book has mysteries to it that are not solved until the end.
I'd give this book about 3 stars. You can make connections in this book with real world affairs. An example of this is the quote "The ski masks gave the kidnappers an even more menacing and scary look." This can relate to real world affairs by terrorists are doing the exact same thing every day all over the world.
The book Hit Squad was intresting. You don't know what is going to happen next. The ending is very surprising. You'll never guess what is going to happen. ... Read more

Book Description

Agnes Parker isn't the class outcast or its queen bee-which is okay except that sometimes the middle just seems . . . really . . . ordinary. So Agnes sets out to be a different version of the girl she's always been.Someone who won't always get clobbered by bullies, who can some-times be cool and confident-and maybe catch the eye of that new boy in class?

New author Kathleen O'Dell offers a wise and funny story for all immersed in the thrilling and treacherous process of becoming. Kids will find a new friend, and plenty of reflections of their own thoughts and feelings, within the pages of this refreshing and insightful tale. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fabulous!
Agnes Parker Girl in Progress, is one of the most sensational books I have read this year The story has an unique power to clasp and wrench it's readers into the realistic and charming life of the witty Agnes Parker. I related in depth with the story... Kathleen O' Dell has created a deep, and fascinating masterpiece. Agnes's emotions, life, friends and family are so alive. Their words and activity are like those of yours: we, as well as the cast of charcters in this story, face descions every day, it is our responsibilty to choose the right path KathleenO' Dell makes that possible with a fabulous novel suh as this.

Brought Back Many 6th Grade Memories
Kathleen O'Dell has hit the jackpot for "tweens" with her wonderful book, Agnes Parker...Girl in Progress. O'Dell's writing is superb, though the present-tense narration takes a few pages to get used to.

Agnes's character will jump out at anyone (girl or boy) going into 6th grade, and will cause those of us who remember our 6th grade year to alternately laugh, cry, giggle, or want to scream "That's not fair!" In describing Agnes's reactions from everything from enduring bullying at the hands of Peggy Neidermeyer, to needing glasses, to breaking her arm (and having to deal with a cast), to the ins-and-outs of friendship with her best friend Prejean and Joe, the new boy in school, O'Dell helps readers to understand the range of emotions and experiences a 6th grade girl feels.

The book begins the week before Agnes enters sixth grade, and should be a hit among 5th, 6th, and 7th graders, as well as any older "kids" who want to look back on the final year of elementary school. Highly recommended.

I love this wonderful book!!
I love Agnes Parker, I feel like she could be my best friend!! There are so many favorite parts in this book, I don't think I could even list them all. Agnes is going through changes in her life now that she is in sixth grade, and is not sure how things are going to be with her best friend Prejean. And then the new boy comes to town with a sad, sad secret, and Agnes is the perfect person to help him through the hard times. I also love the bully Neidermeyer, even though she can be so mean, I've known girls just like her, and the competition that happens between her and Agnes is so real, I couldn't believe how good this book is! Read it for yourself and see. ... Read more