Book Description

Once there were seven Chinese sisters who lived together and took care of each other. Each one had a special talent. When baby Seventh Sister is snatched by a hungry dragon, her loving sisters race to save her.

In Kathy Tucker's delightful update of a classic Chinese folk tale, each sister uses her talent in a surprising way to rescue baby Seventh Sister—and even Seventh Sister turns out to have an unexpected skill! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful encouragement
Dinner at Aunt Connie's House tells of a african-american family gathering where paintings of *great women* come to life. This is a wonderful book that encourages young children that all dreams are possible, no matter what the obsticles. The only draw back is that the flow of the book is sometimes hard to follow. I would strongly encourage this book for any child, expecially girls, to let them know that anything is possible as long as they have a dream.

A VERY SLOW READ.
It was very difficult for my students to sit through this book. It was PACKED full of useful information on many different women, but didn't have much of an overall story to keep the listeners interested. It went from woman to woman to woman, teling about each life story and accomplishment. It caused the children to think divergently. The storyline was touched upon briefly, mostly at the beginning and at the end. Personally, I liked this book because I enjoy black history. However, I do not advise reading this book to a large group of small children.

This was an inspirational and motivating story!
My name is also Connie so I found this book quite interesting and so did my neice and nephew! The story was a great way to introduce several different African-Americans and their accomplishments in a very novel way. I found it to be quite an inspiring story. I am also a teacher. My class really enjoyed the book. The suspense built by the author kept my students actively engaged. They enjoyed painting their own portraits after hearing the story! ... Read more

Reviews (51)

.... from Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary
I love Chris Soentpiet's excellent illustrations. I loved the book More Than Anything Else because I love the shadowing in his drawings. It reminds me of the old days. My favorite part was when he wrote in the sand with the stick. My favorite character is Booker T. Washington. My favorite picture is on page 4 when he was working in the salt mines. This book is a five star book and should be read by everyone!

Roger from Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary
The book More Then Anything Else is about a very special boy. You should see Chris Soentpiet nice books. He has nice creative colorful excellent pictures.Remind people of along time ago.In fackt he is great.He is a kind person.My favrite part is when the boy lerns how to read from the guy.It is a very happy ending.

More Than Anything else
To want something more than anything else is a powerful beginning to a writing assignment. Whether it is reading, or another desire, when combined with voice and word choice and organized in the same manner as this book, it becomes a springboard to the future, for ourselves and our students. Read it to your children and help them look to and find their future. Write your own story...What do you want....more than anything else?

Good read for Black History Month or Reading Month
This beautifully illustrated book follows the story of a young black boy who wants - more than anything else - to be able to read. He works with his father in the salt mines and listens at night to the wonder of the man in the camp who reads aloud from the newspaper to the others who cannot read it for themselves. The identity of the young boy is revealed on the last page. I use this book in the fall in a unit on the importance of reading. I follow with the challenge of avoiding TV and video games from Sunday through Friday. Quite a challenge today.

Chandler at Ashley River Creative Arts El.
I give this book 5 stars . This story is filled with wonderful pictures and great descriptions. A boy named Booker T. Washington wants to learn how to read. There is a guy who reads the newspaper to everyone and Booker would like to read like him. The guy teaches him how. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

WISH I WERE GOING TO PAREE ALSO
The appeal to me was simple. The group (farmer and his animals)
were in the countryside of France and they were going to Paris.
Ms. Stock, as illustrator, does a fine job of giving a sense of
place in her illustrations. I have been to Paris and I think she
captures its essence. And like me, the animals are "already planning their next trip."

A child of picture-book age, would have to have some pretty serious wanderlust to love this book for the same reasons that I do. But my 3 year old granddaughter loves the illustrations of the animals, particularly when they are doing very human-like things, such as visiting a museum and eating in a restaurant. "They are so silly" she exclaims, and then chuckles.

That is a four-star recommendation in my book!

AN UPROARIOUS ADVENTURE
"How are you gonna' keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?" The answer to that question is you're not, at least in the case of Monsieur Monmouton's live stock.

Monsieur Monmouton is a farmer, and the proud owner of almost a dozen silly sheep, five inquiring geese, three avaricious goats, four almost contented cows, numerous pigeons, two plus size pigs, nine clucking chickens, a proud rooster, and one very put upon dog.

During the summer people would often flee Paris to picnic or camp in the farmer's pleasant fields. During the evenings some of his visitors would tell him about life in Paris, and when they left they invited him to visit them.

Much as Monsieur Monmouton wanted to visit that beautiful city and as much as he thought he needed a vacation, he had no one to look after his animals. The solution? He piled all of them into his old truck and took them with him.

What an adventure that was! The sheep couldn't wait to go to the Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honore to see the latest fashions, while the geese trotted off to the Seine for a boat ride. The Luxembourg Gardens were in peril when the goats arrived, and the cows strolled the Louvre.

Author/illustrator Stock pairs her story with glowing watercolor illustrations that fill the pages of this unlikely, uproarious adventure.

- Gail Cooke ... Read more

Book Description

Celebrate the colors of children and the colors of love--not black or white or yellow or red, but roaring brown, whispering gold, tinkling pink, and more.

... Read more

Reviews (4)

All the Colors Is Right!
I loved this book. Between the beautiful illistrations and the great message, it is a 5 star book. Kids will have fun looking at the pictures and seeing all the kids of different colors. I love a book with a good message.

My favorite children's book EVER (and that's no small task)
I was told about this masterpiece by a dear friend of mine - it is one of her young son's very favorite stories and hers as well. I purchased this book from amazon about 18 months ago (right before my daughter was born) and have kept it on my nightstand ever since. I cannot bear to put this book anywhere else as I love to flip through the pages when the mood suits me - I absolutely adore the illustrations (which are based upon breath-taking canvas oil paintings) and the lyircal verse is abolutely perfect.

My favorite verses: "The tinkling pinks of tiny seashells by the rumbling sea" and "Love is amber and ivory and ginger ans sweet". My favorite illustrations: "roaring bear" & "soaring eagle" and "amber, ivory, ginger" (it looks exactly like my family!).

While this book is perfect for multicultural families (many images of "mixed " families) like my own, it most definitely is a book for EVERYONE!

Everything about this book is wonderful: the message, the verse, the illustrations - the stunning simplicity of it all : "children come in all the colors of love, in endless shades of you and me".

All the colors of the earth
I had the priviledge to read this exceptional book in December 2000. Well, I should say I had a second grader who read it to me. I am a volunteer at our elementary for a reading program that has children read to me out loud twice a week for 20 to 30 minutes. This child has read this particular book to me on 3 different occassions. It has great use in language, it is flowing and it has great use in its pictures with the children and colors. I'm 48 yrs old and everytime I hear or read this book it puts a tear in my eye and makes my heart swell. The simplistic meaning has a tremendous effect on me. And I'm purchasing atleast 5 copies for my extended family. How anyone sould have a negative thought about the book never got the message in the first place. Thank you Shelia Hamanaka for helping to open my eyes again!

Great for affirming the beauty of all children
I am a first grade teacher and I use this book in my clasroom every year. It celebrates the beauty of all skin colors, hair colors and eye colors. This book teaches children that they are beautiful and that the people around them (even those who look very different from them) are beautiful as well! The small amount of text makes it short and easy to read, so the focus of a child's attention can be on the message of the book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Delaware might be a little state, but it is the First State
I was thinking that when the first of the new state quarters were produced in 1999 that a lot of Americans would be surprised to learn that Delaware was the First State.Indeed, in "Big Names for a Small State," the first chapter in Jean F. Blashfield's look at "Delaware" for the America the Beautiful series, those Delaware quarters featuring Caesar Rodney, an American patriot that most Americans have probably never heard about unless they have seen "1776."As me, I learned that there never really was a Delaware colony prior to that point in American history.Originally called New Sweden and then New Amstel when the Dutch took over, the counties that make up Delaware were three little counties along Delaware Bay given to Pennsylvania so it could have some seacoast.

The history of Delaware is detailed in the next three chapters of the book.Chapter Two explores the strange notion of "Colonial Delaware" up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Rodney's famous ride.Chapter Three, "Building the First State," covers how Delaware became the first state, through the Civil War, and the end of the 19th-century."Twentieth-Century Delaware" is the subject of Chapter Four, which tells of the impact of the influential du Pont family.The geographical characteristics of the state and the pollution threats to Delaware Bay are found in Chapter Five, " A Great Bit of Coast." For such a little state, it is amazing the geographical diversity that Blashfield covers in this chapter.

Chapter Six, "The Little State with a Big Story," explains how Delaware has no large cities but still lots of points of interest. The politics of the state are covered in Chapter Seven, "Government Old and New," where we find out about the Whipping Post (an officially recognized form of punishment up to 1952), and the state bird (Blue hen, of course). Chapter Eight, "Chemistry, Corporations, and Chickens" explains the state's unique economy, while "Delaware's People" are the subject of Chapter Nine.Chapter Ten is all about "Leisure Time in Delaware," starts with writers and ends on the beaches.

In the back of the book you will find a Timeline that parallels U.S. and Delaware state history, several pages of Fast Facts, and a whole bunch of places To Find Out More about Delaware.The book is filled with full-color photographs and original maps that detail topography, natural resources and the like.But one of the key parts of these books are the informative sidebars that work in all sorts of great details that do not fit into the main text.Here is where young readers will find out about the Battle that Never Was, favorite son Bull Halsey, the strange Horseshoe Crab, and this time around the recipe we come to expect in every volume of this series is for Delaware Chicken Divan (which I intend to try).These are informative volumes for young readers who will find them extremely helpful when they have to do a report on the state, whether they live in it or not. ... Read more

Book Description

**Chosen as an American Booksellers Association autumn 2004 Book SenseChildren’s Pick!** A Musical Journey is a new children's book thattakes young readers on a musical tour that celebrates the diversityof China’s land and its people. This beautifully illustrated book isboth educational and entertaining. The CD of folk songs that comeswith the book includes 12 musical themes that correspond to the factfilled text. A Musical Journey is a trip the reader/listener willenjoy taking many times over. The musical selections are fun for all;the text is suggested for children age 6 and over. -- Nanci Carlson,President FCC-AZ Chapter & Newsletter Co-editor ... Read more

Book Description

The Scholastic Atlas Of The United States is an essential up-to-date resource that offers students a detailed map of each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This important reference also features an information page about each state that uses photos, graphics, fun facts, and a brief essay to explain what makes each state unique. ... Read more

Book Description

Third Sister in the Tao family, Ailin has watched her two older sisters go through the painful process of having their feet bound. In China in 1911, all the women of good families follow this ancient tradition. But Ailin loves to run away from her governess and play games with her male cousins. Knowing she will never run again once her feet are bound, Ailin rebels and refuses to follow this torturous tradition.

As a result, however, the family of her intended husband breaks their marriage agreement. And as she enters adolescence, Ailin finds that her family is no longer willing to support her. Chinese society leaves few options for a single woman of good family, but with a bold conviction and an indomitable spirit, Ailin is determined to forge her own destiny. Her story is a tribute to all those women whose courage created new options for the generations who came after them.
... Read more

Reviews (35)

Ties that Bind, Ties that Break.
The book took place in China back in 1911. Most of the story took place in Nanjing and in Shanghai, China. Ailin was born in a compound in Nanjing, China. At the time of the story she was only four years old and did not have her feet bound. You see back then if a girl did not have her feet bound then she could not be married. Ailin was to marry a boy by the name Hanwei liu. The marriage was called off because she refused to have her feet bound. As time went on Ailin got older and found out that not everyone was going to show her respect like her father did. Ailin had lost her grandmother and then about five years after she lost her father. Her Uncle was in control of the compound now, even though she did not want to admit to herself. She had to follow his rules and that meant no more public schooling. Once she stopped school, her English teacher gave her private lessons. She was forced by her uncle to take up a job, so she worked as a nanny for the Warners. The Warners had two children; a girl, age six at the time and a boy age five. Ailin worked for the Warners for three years and that's when she was asked to go to America. At the age of sixteen Ailin left China on a boat with the Warners. You see the Warners were missionaries who had a home in San Francisco, California. While on the boat she meets a guy by the name James Chew. His father owns a restaurant in San Francisco. The Warners decided to move back to Nanjing but this time Ailin wanted to stay. She was getting married to James and they were going to open their own restaurant.

A Great Read!!!
The Ties That Bind, The Ties That break is a tale set in China, the year is 1911 and it focuses on a playful little girl named Ailin. Ailin's marriage has already been arranged, but nothing is finalized until she has her feet bounded. An aged old tradition that has been done to her grandmother, her mother and even her sister. How will it feel? Does it hurt? Ailin wonders. One night she watches her sister unwrap her feet. She can't get over the smell. She decides she will not have her feet bound. With her father's support, Ailin has broken society's tradition. But, there are many consquences for this defiant act. There are many challenges Ailin will have to face. The Ties That Bind, The Ties That Break depicts how one young girl's determination alienated her from her family and changed her life forever. This book is good insight into the history of Chinese culture and is told is such a way that it is very hard to put down. The style of writing is very easy to read and the story flows naturally. The reader will definitely get a sense of having an insider's perspective to this aged old Chinese tradition. This book will surely be enjoyed by many readers including young people and adults. This book is also a great way to introduce mulitcultural issues to the young reader.

Strong female chinese heroine
Namioka creates a strong female character in Ailin, who must fight social and cultural stereotypes in early 20th century China. Ailin a young girl fights to change her future and destiny by not having her feet bound, a tradition that goes back centuries in China. By doing so she must find strength in herself as she explores a new culture, language and world.

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break: A Review
The practice of foot binding has a long and contentious history. For centuries, Chinese women were purposely crippled by having their feet forced into tight little balls. This was done when the women were very young, and it began by pushing their toes toward the ball of their foot, and tightly binding them into place. Over time their feet were permanently deformed. Ostensibly, the reason for this practice was that tiny feet were prized in China as a sign of beauty. Only peasants left the feet of their daughters unbound.
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break takes place in China at the beginning of the twentieth century. The author, Lensey Namioka, tells about a young girl, Tao Ailin, who refuses to get her feet bound when her family tries to bind them at age five. The story goes along and follows Tao as she struggles to succeed in life at her own terms. The book shows how a simple action can effect and dictate someone's life.
The book is a wonderful representation of what middle-class life is like in the early twentieth century. Although written for a young adult audience, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break is suitable for all ages. It was a great and well-written book. It was short and sort of left you out on a limb at the end. I was hoping that the story would continue, it almost seemed like a part of the story was cut off. The characters seemed to be very well-thought out. Each person affected Tao in different ways and it was great how carefully Namioka shows that. It's also great how she shows a change in society. How even though when she was little, foot binding was how to show you were a proper young woman, by the end of the book, a character from Tao's childhood meets up with her and explains how China had changed.
Overall, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break is a a great historical novel. This story is written with amazing detail, emotion, and sense of reality. It brings to life the hardships of the thousands of women that had bound feet, and the few who resisted the cruel practice. As you get caught up in the story, you will forget all else. I highly reccommend this book to anyone looking for a realistic fiction novel.

Good book, disturbing subject
I enjoyed this look into a different time and world. The heroine was very brave and resisted having her feet bound. She paid a price for this as her family rejected her. Her strength of character saw her through. My only criticism is that the author didn't say in an afterword whether the book was true. ... Read more

Book Description

Selections from a classic of world literature present a picture of life in the town of Moguer, in Andalusia, Spain. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Complete Platero
This translation of Platero and I is the only "complete" translation into English of the Spanish Classic. It is also the most Spanish! This refers to the paperback edition.

The Return to Simplicity
This is a beautiful little book by a Nobel Prize Winner of Literature that is too often neglected, Juan Ramon Jimenez.

Only Jimenez could make the blood of a leach in a stream of water into beautiful imagery. Children read this book as part of their curriculum in Argentina, however, this book can be equally enjoyed and appreciated by adults.

The story is a simple one: it is a first person (semi-autobiographical) account of a poet and his donkey in the mountains of Spain, appreciating, almost Zen-like, the simple beauties of life. The elements, children playing, leaches bleeding in a pool, everything seems beautiful in this book, and the descriptions are exquisite.

This is probably the best introduction to Jimenez, a book not to be missed!

sencillez y belleza
Platero y yo es un libro tierno y sencillo que cuenta la relacion de un borrico y su amo. Yo lo recomiendo a todo aquel que quiera aprender espanol con esta pequena historia llena de poesia.

A classic for any age!!!!!
Having first read this book while I was in elementary school, it has been the book that I have rated as one of my favorites all my life (in my 40's). Simple words convey volumes of meaning - very little is written to say so much about peace, love and death. Focus is on what is meaningful in life. Whenever I pick up my volume and read a couple of passages, I realize where my priorities are. Would love to find the complete volume with all the passages. The age limit should be removed - it may keep older readers from experiencing life with Platero.

Sweet, captivating! A beautiful story about friendship!
A sweet story about Platero (the donkey) and his owner. The descriptive language is so rich and beautiful that this book is used in Argentina's Grammar schools to teach about 'descriptive writing style'. ... Read more

Book Description

Fourteen-year-old Liyana Abboud would rather not have to change her life...especially now that she has been kissed, for the very first time and quite by surprise, by a boy named Jackson.

But when her parents announce that Liyana's family is moving from St. Louis, Missouri, to Jerusalem -- to the land where her father was born -- Liyana's whole world shifts.

What does Jerusalem hold for Liyana? A grandmother, a Sitti, she has never met, for one. A history much bigger than she is. Visits to the West Bank village where her aunts and uncles live. Mischief. Old stone streets that wind through time and trouble. Opening doors, dark jail cells, a new feeling for peace, and Omer...the intriguing stranger whose kisses replace the one she lost when she moved across the ocean. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

Habibi Book Review
Bombs exploding, violence breaking out in the streets: This is a stereotypical setting for how foreigners view Israel and Jerusalem. The majority of books written about the Palestinian and Israeli conflict only focus on the violence of the Middle Eastern country. Habibi, written by Naomi Shihab Nye, portrays a side of living in Jerusalem that many people neglect. The novel tells the tale about Liyanna, a fourteen-year-old girl from St. Louis, Minnesota, whose family decides to pack up and move to Jerusalem, her father's native city. Liyanna struggles to fit in with her large Arabic family, understand the cultural differences in the torn country, and deal with growing up and adolescence in general.
Habibi portrays life in Israel from a Palestinian's point of view. The stereotyped characters in the story still have to deal with the violence and strict laws that exist in Jerusalem. Habibi portrays mildly how difficult simple tasks are for Arabs in the West Bank, such as passing through hours of checkpoints just to get to work on time. However Nye fulfills her goal in presenting moving and at some points comedic writing about the difference between traditional Arab culture and United States more "modern" culture.
Nye provides the reader with the classic tales and torments of growing up with a twist. Habibi presents the troubles and confusion of love, hate, trying to fit in, and self-discovery that every teenager, mainly girls, go through. The story's setting in Israel adds a little pizzazz to the commonly heard story about the trials and tales of growing up and being a teenager, but the author does not delve deeply into how difficult life is in the country. At certain points the plot tends to drag on as Nye goes into unnecessary detail, however at certain times the story, seems rushed and very vague. Instead of boring the readers with details completely irrelevant to the plot, Nye should have helped the readers of Habibi understand the differences between cultures in Israel, delve deeper into different opinions about the conflict, and paint a clearer picture about life as a Palestinian in Israel.
Habibi is a great tale about the decisions and confusions about growing up and dealing with change. However the book does not delve very deeply into Palestinian culture and the Arab views of the conflict, which was one of the goals of the book. Nye barely skims the surface of the conflict in the region and the difficulty of living in the land torn in two. The story is inconsistent in the speed the author takes the reader through the book. It is however the classic tale of dealing with change and the troubles of teenage life. Readers who want a timeless tale about growing up and the changes that life brings should pick up Habibi and flip through it. However, those curious about the difficult lives of Palestinians in Israel and the traditional Arab culture should pick something else.

A Fun Quick Read
She really didn't want to move. How could she move to a new country, culture, language, and continent, while leaving her normal American life behind? Written by Naomi Nye, Habibi portrays the life of Liyana Abboud, a teenaged Arab-American, who moves to Palestine when her father wants to work in his hometown. Liyana has to adjust her own ideas and traditions to fit in a very different life of a Palestinian. While learning a new language, and going to a new school, Liyana becomes very close to her odd grandmother, Sitti. Breaking several Muslim laws, Liyana also comes to love a Jewish boy, Omer, which she has to keep secret. She always wonders if she can finally adjust to the strange traditions of her Muslim family and culture, but in the end, Liyana's life turns out just right. The overall theme of this book is subtly informing readers of Muslim/Palestinian culture, while captivating them with adventure, suspense, and romance. Readers will also be pleased in the variety of distinctiveness in the characters. While smaller parts tend to become dry, the main characters always liven up the chapters.
Overall, the book is very informative, and usually remaining interesting to the reader. The novel is also sprinkled with facts about Islamic culture, while also explaining the importance of keeping an open mind. Aimed towards teenagers, this book will also help learning about different cultures, including those not as common in the United States. Just like the audience, Liyana is not used to Muslim tradition. The plot of the book flows straight from one idea to another, so it creates a quick read. However, this novel is not as deep as one would hope. Just barely touching topics like Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and only describing the effects, creates a shallow explanation. One example is how a Palestinian house is raided by Israeli soldiers, but the book hardly explains why this happens. This read is very pro-Palestinian, and even though there is a Jewish character, Israeli view is not often presented. As Liyana is a Palestinian, along with most of her family and friends, their ideas and experiences are mostly the only ones told. This includes their religion and their bias against the Israelis. Throughout the book, however, tolerance of the other religions and cultures mature and grow.
Because of the easy to understand and colorful language, plot, and characters, it is easy to see why Habibi is such a great read for young adults everywhere. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy current events, as well as teen novels. However, readers above the age of sixteen may not like this book as much, as emotional issues involving the Middle East and experiences are not very detailed or deep. Habibi is a wonderful choice for middle school classrooms, as it sparks ideas and questions about the conflict abiding in the Middle East, while still remaining understandable. Habibi is a fun and quick read about the Middle East, that almost anybody could understand

Habibi is Not a Grabber
Moving to live among people and languages that you or your friends have never seen or heard of; you never know it could happen to you. Liyana, the main character, moves with her family to Palestine. Her father grew up there and had always wanted to move back and visit his family. To the Abbouds their family is everything to them, they know everything and they support each other with all they do. Before moving to Palestine, they had to get rid of most of their belongings such as clothes, toys, and furniture. Moving to Palestine was scary for Liyana and her brother because they did not even know the language of the place they were going to move. First arriving in Palestine; meeting the rest of their cousins and grandparents was hard for them because to even understand what they were saying there had to be a translator around,(Liyana's dad). Liyana slowly grows and matures throughout the book, although she goes through many struggles, she seems to always come out a winner.

Between Liyana, her immediate family, and her extended family a great bond tied them collectively in love. At first she and her brother didn't desire to get close to their extended family because they didn't comprehend what they were saying or even their diverse views. Liyana and her brother Rafik did not keep an open mind; instead they decided what they thought of the people and they kept those views until further in the book. They should not have shaped those thoughts; that way they could have made more friends quicker. Unlike their parents they didn't accept what was going on in there knew lives, they should have tried harder to fit in. Moving is hard but is not unbearable if you try harder to make friends.

Although the book had a great theme, some parts of the book could have had more detail and there were some characters that didn't always seem correct. When the author started to write the book she should have added more detail and told more about the history of where Liyana and her family moved. Also the book jumps right into Liyana her family moving, and doesn't give enough detail about what all their friends were like and why they would miss them so much. Also when the book said that Liyana had gotten kissed, it didn't seem like something that would normally happen. Books always have there up and downs, parts of this book could have been written over again.

When reading a book, an opinion is normally made about how the book is written and if you should have started reading the book. I would not recommend this book to people who like exciting plots; Liyana is always going to different places and meeting knew people. This book didn't keep me interested through the whole thing. People who like slower and more "soap opera" like books would like this book better; it goes slower.

An interesting and time-well-spent book
Most Americans have no clue about poorer countries outside the United States. Habibi, by Naomi Shihab Nye, is a teen fiction piece that goes into the life, and inside the mind, of a Palestinian teenager who learns that she is moving from her calm life in St. Louis to the bustling city of Palestine half way around the world. When Liyanna Abboud arrives in Tel Aviv, she immediately encounters the new environment. As the story goes along, we see change in Liyanna's normal way of life, just so she can fit into her new environment.

The book is biased in favor of the Palestinians. Views from Jews and Christians are left out. The book does a good job of always keeping the reader interested by bringing in new and interesting events in almost every chapter. Liyanna goes through more hard times in her first few months in Palestine then most Americans do in half a lifetime. I think that the book goes into too much detail, too fast about her new environment. It would be better if we would be able to know after a several years about how she has finally adapted to her new lifestyle, even if it was only during a chapter or two. In some parts of the book Naomi Nye explains about significant parts of the book without the usage of strong language. The book could have had a lot more power and could have been a lot more interesting if she used stronger words to describe significant parts of the book. For example, when Liyanna's grandmother's house is destroyed by Israelis to pave the way for more Jewish houses, Nye gives the reader the idea that it wasn't a real big deal. After only a few pages we lose track of what is going on with Liyanna's grandmother Sitti. When Sitti comes back later in the book Nye doesn't even talk about what's been going on since the tragedy.

Habibi is a fun and well-written book that kept me interested during the whole time I read it. I would recommend this book to the kind of person who wants to have more knowledge about biases and war in the Middle East. This would be a good book for classes studying the Middle East. I thought one of the most important parts that helped me really be able to understand the book was that I had the time to go into depth about the details.

Sappy, boring love story, with bad setting
Naomi Shihab Nye's book Habibi is the tale of a young American girl named Liyana Abboud, who is uprooted and moved to Palestine. Although bombs, death, and explosions normally portray this area, in this book it is portrayed an almost peaceful place that has segregation and racism problems, and is populated by normal people. The story begins when Liyana and her family are in St. Louis living a very happy life, and Liyana gets her first "real" kiss. That same night her father announces that his family is moving to his homeland, Palestine. When they get there, the Abbouds see only the scary things about Palestine; the Israeli guards searching them a lot, desolate grounds, and a very different kind of family than they are used to. As time goes on, most of the negative feelings about the strange land leave, replaced by hopes and a determination to make the best of their current situation.
Habibi has a very promising start, with a lot of emotion, and plot twists. There are also many flashbacks that keep the story interesting. These flashbacks introduce you to almost all the main characters and shows their inner struggles as they handle the news of the sudden move. But as the story progresses, it begins to get confusing. For example; when the Abbouds arrive in Palestine and are confronted by their family, I didn't understand what was happening and whom it was happening to. Later in the story Liyana meets a Jewish boy and falls in love. This is a taboo in Palestinian culture because of an ancient rivalry. This causes some inner conflict within Liyana whether to tell people or not, and whether to continue to see him or not. The scenes with Omer, the boy Liyana likes, are cheesy and boring. On the other hand, this book was pretty good with bias issues. Although the story is told from the perspective of a Palestinian teen, it doesn't cast a really bad image on either the Palestinian group of people, or the Israeli group of people. This is because of the love between Liyana and Omer.
I would not recommend this book to anyone who is not a strong reader. This is because many of the parts you have to think about for a while to understand and it takes a long time to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sappy love stories. I do this because of the many scenes between Liyana and Omer and how they overcome diversities and find a way to be together. Except for the start the book was confusing and sappy, which, without any action whatsoever, and isn't a very good book. I would have rather seen some action in this book between the Israelis and Palestinians to show how difficult the relationship between Liyana and Omer would actually be now. ... Read more

Book Description

Following the best-selling Family Pictures, In My Family/En mi familia is Carmen Lomas Garza's continuing tribute to the family and community that shaped her childhood and her life. Lomas Garza's vibrant paintings and warm personal stories depict memories of growing up in the traditional Mexican-American community of her hometown of Kingsville, Texas. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great book by a great artist
This is a great book, and Carmen Lomas Garza is a great artist. Everything is so detailed, and she tells you exactly who's who. All her pictures are real memories. There is something going on in every corner ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Jewel of a story
I bought Sitti's Secret about 10 years ago in D.C. I have read it to every one of my four children's kindergarten classes, crying each time. It shows the love of family and the misunderstanding of the world. The art work and the deepness of words are outstanding. I just read it to my youngest child's class and the emotions swelled again.

More than just a childrens book
This is an amazing book. While superficially it is a gentle childrens tale about a girl living in two cultures, it is, on another level, tremendously emotive. I am not given to being affected emotionally by poetry or films, but when reading this book to my daughter for the first time, I choked up halfway through and was unable to finish it until after I took a break. It is not sad,but really works at a deep level to evoke long dormant emotions. A truly 'magical' book-great illustrations, too.We have bought twenty or more copies of this book for family, friends, libraries... ... Read more

Book Description

Was Columbus the first European in the Americas?

What sport became more popular after the Civil War?

Were the Little Rock Nine a rock-and-roll band?

As best-selling author Kenneth C. Davis knows, history can be fun, fascinating, and memorable. When his don't know much about® history was published in 1990, it was a sensation. The book delivered a fresh take on history with its wit and unusual detail. Davis now does for young people what his earlier book did for adults. In his trademark question-and-answer style -- peppered with surprising facts, historic reproductions, and Matt Faulkner's lively illustrations -- Davis introduces our ancestors who settled the East and expanded the West, as well as those who had been living here all along. His sure touch brings the drama and excitement of the American story vividly to life.

Reviews (1)

Setting the story straight
This is a concise history of the United States, told from a decidedly liberal point of view. Davis begins his story with the various discoveries of America, informing us of Columbus' motivations, Erickson's settlements, and the Native American migrations of 35,000 years ago. He continues with stories of the French and Indian Wars, the founding of the United States, the Civil War, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Twentieth Century events through the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

Each chapter begins with a list of questions on a given period of history. Then Davis begins describing what happened during this period, taking up and answering each question in turn. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt, Davis' own political persuasion starts to come through more and more clearly. While I myself agree with Davis' comments about FDR and Ronald Reagan, I think conservative readers might find some of them a bit objectionable. In general, I found this a very readable concise history of the United States, but it's not for everyone. ... Read more

Book Description

Felix is back in a brand new adventure! If Sophie hadn't bought the old book of fairy tales with the story of the flying suitcase, this never would have ahppended!Because that story gave Felix the idea of flying off in his suitcase in the middle of the night on another amazing adventure.Felix's flying suitcase adventure takes him from Dracula's castle in deepest Romania to the Taj Mahal in India, to the Great Wall of China and even to the pyramids of Mexico!Like all the books in the bestselling innovative series, Felix's stories are told in letters, tucked into real envelopes, that tell funny, informative stories and teach children all sorts of interesting things about the world they live in. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Felix and The Flying Suitcase - Great Book
My 6 yr old daughter recieved this book as a Christmas present. This has to be one of the most wonderful children's books I have read. The book is about a little girl who's rabbit(Felix)travels all over the world and then returns home on her birthday. My daughter and I have had great fun reading about the many places Felix has visited. She has also written her own letters back to Felix and is now keeping track of when the letters should arrive(by the date on the envelope). It has taught her many new things. She mostly enjoys opening the letters that Felix sent home.I would reccomend this book to anyone. We can't wait to find the other Felix books. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

INCREDIBLE
thats the word that discribes the illustration in this book.it's a must buy! ... Read more

Product Description

A modern photographic recreation of an Indian boy in Pilgrim times. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful!
I am continually amazed at how children's books offer detail and insight into daily life that no stout history book can provide.

Writing the same review for the other two in this trilogy. Excellent all!

A GREAT BOOK!
Another great book by Kate Waters. This book shows the daily life of a Native American child during the time of the Pilgrims. This book goes great with Sarah Morton's Day and Samuel Eaton's Day. Also, check out On the Mayflower also by Kate Waters.

This is a wonderful book !
We are big fans of Kate Waters' books about the Pilgrims (Samuel Eaton's Day, Sarah Morton's Day and On the Mayflower). When we discovered "Tapenum's Day", we were thrilled ! I found the 'point of view' from a young Native American boy to be both fascinating and educational, as did my children. We enjoyed seeing this historically accuate slice of life, written from a balanced perspective. I think this wonderful book rounds out the collection, including the other four, that no study of the Pilgrims should be without. ... Read more