Reviews (2)

Doesn't go far enough
This book doesn't go into enough detail and is very vague about many etiquette situations and manners. We were hoping for some practical advice and ideas, couldn't find much here.

A Little Book of Manners for Boys
Thank you Mr. Barnes for this wonderful and well written book. Boys are shorted when it comes to social graces. This book fills that gap. It is well written with a boy's attitude and is not all sweet and mushy like little girl books. The graphics are wonderful. Teaching children manners is important yet often forgotten unless a large social event comes along. Telling a child how to act 5 mintues before you get there is a accident waiting to happen. By teaching our children manners we are giving them control and empowering them. With out that control the child feels lost and with act up out of frustation. This wonderful book helps boys understand manners for just about every social occasion. Be it on the playground, classroom, telephone, or wedding. Children also learn about kindness to other. ... Read more

Book Description

The first in our alphabet series, "M is for Mitten" explores the wonders of Michigan by using each letter of the alphabet-from "A is for Apple Blossom" to "Z is for (Detroit) Zoo."Get to know some of the Great Lakes State's geography, history, events, people, and accomplishments.Whether you are a Michigander or a guest, discover what makes the Great Lakes State such an enchanting place to be. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

M is for Mitten
Like all of the Sleeping Bear Press books this one is also fabulous! I used this book for a literature lesson with a Michigan unit. The kids love the poems and I like the facts that go along with them. This is a delightful story that any child (especially a Michigan child) will enjoy.

Not Just for Children!
"M is for Michigan" makes a wonderful coffee table book, in my opinion. I don't have young children in the home anymore, but someday hope to have grandchildren and will greatly enjoy reading this lovely book to them. While we were in Whitehall, Michigan my mother bought a copy for herself as she loves well-written children's books. Later I went back to the same store and bought one of my own. I do refer to it from time to time and although I don't have a coffee table I keep it on display on my living room bookshelf!

Triple Threat!
Amazing illustrations...great poetry...interesting facts. You'll find all three in this alphabet book about Michigan. Great to read aloud and great to read alone (again and again)....I highly recommend this book (and future books in the series) to all elementary school teachers. My second graders hurried to grab this book after I read it aloud. Unique and such a high-quality book! BUY IT!

A great resource for teacher
I am a teacher education student and I read this book to a class of 1st graders and they loved it. It teaches all of the wonders of Michigan. It also has a wonderful vocabulary. I would highly recomend this book to anyone that loves the state of Michigan.

Sing-a-long Poems for the very young!
I love this book! As a teacher, this book has been such a great tool - the kids, especially preschool and kindergarten, will even sit still during the lively little poems that Ms. Wargin wrote for each letter - they even learn a few facts along the way, too. Some of my little ones even have memorized some poems! Neat book. ... Read more

Book Description

Follow the story of the Incredibles, a family of undercover superheroes, in the Essential Guide to Disney/Pixar's newest collaboration. This insider's guide gives readers all the background information on the characters and places seen in the movie - a must for CG animation fans. ... Read more

Book Description

In his final quest, Gilgamesh, still mourning the death of his dear friend Enkidu, sets out to find the key to immortality. His journey is perilous. He must fight ferocious serpents and wild lions. He travels through bitterly cold caves, across scorching deserts, and over the fatal waters of the Sea of Death. Finally he arrives at the palace of Utnapishtim, the only human who knows the secret of immortality. Utnapishtim sets Gilgamesh a test to stay away for six days and seven nights, but Gilgamesh fails. His last hope, a flower of eternal youth, is eaten by the goddess Ishtar, who exacts her revenge. Finally, Enkidu comes from the underworld to show Gilgamesh true immortality: the king will be remembered for his good deeds, courage, and love for his people. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Buy all three
My children and I are beginning a study of ancient civilizations and I bought the three Gilgamesh books to expand our coverage of ancient Sumer. These books are just amazing! The story itself is powerful but I wondered how the author was going to tone down some of the violence; not to mention the fact that Shamat was a prostitute in other versions. Ludmilla Zeman has brought this story to children with intensity and grace that comes as a complete surprise. I especially liked her painting of the chaste kiss between Shamat and Enkidu with the explanation that Shamat taught Enkidu to speak and together they explored the ways of love. Very tender.

In her illustrations, Ludmilla Zeman has made an attempt to incorporate actual historical artifacts. These are all high-quality books in every sense and I cannot recommend them highly enough. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the fascinating history of submarines and submersibles, from the first workable designs of the 16th century to Cold War vessels armed with nuclear missiles. This guide, created in association with the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum, illustrates the technology used to build and navigate submarines and the many ways they are used today. ... Read more

Book Description

It's Stanley's Great Big Book of Everything-the handy-dandy reference book that Stanley uses to explore the animal world on his hit Disney Channel show. With 96 pages of fun and fascinating animal facts, colorful photos, and brilliant artwork, this book is both comprehensive and refreshingly entertaining. Kids will have fun discovering the captivating world of animals for themselves-just like their animal-mad friend Stanley! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great book!
my 2 year old has been obsessed with Stanley and animals for a long time now. Ordered the book last week and he has yet to put it down. He eats with it, even sleeps with it. I can't even count how many times we've read it or he's gone thru it on his own. Definitely a keeper.

Great but not Absolutely Everything
My three-year old son is obsessed with Stanley books and the TV series. It's the best show on television for kids. He knows a ton about all things zoological, thanks to Stanley, Dennis, Elsie and Harry. We've been waiting months for the GBBOE to come out. He's thrilled. The book is wonderful, but would be even better if it had a section were the animals are alphabetized, like in the television series, where they all sing out the letters until they get to the first letter of the animal in question. This would reinforce learning the alphabet. I also had hoped that there would be blank pages or sections where he could draw or paste in his own pictures -- again, as in the TV series, where the book is a kind of scrap book. It'd also be fun for the book to come with stick-on tabs to mark favorite pages. ... Read more

Book Description

The original and still the best, the IRA Children's Choice Book Incredible Cross-Sections is available again--now at a lower price! Spread after spread of amazing, original cross-section drawings take readers inside 18 of the world's most fascinating structures--from the Empire State Building to the Hale Observatory. And two of the remarkable illustrations--the Queen Mary and the Flying Scotsman
steam train--fold out to a length of nearly three feet! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

One of a Great Series
Illustrator Stephen Biesty carved out his own niche in books by grabbing a concept and doing it well, over and over again. The concept was to take well-known but complex things, like locomotives, ocean liners, airliners, castles, churches, and the space shuttle, and make them more understandable by giving a series of drawings, for each object, showing what that object would look like if it were sliced in sections. Kind of sounds like an MRI in medicine! The drawings are bright, colorful, and extremely detailed. With each item, there is a short, clearly-written description of the object and some of its aspects. These books make great gifts for older kids, who will get a kick out of the fact that most items show the bathrooms in use, and don't be surprised if an adult or two peeks at the book several times.

Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross Sections
Wow! This book is really great! From opera houses to medieval cathedrals and castles, this incredible book of cross sections pinpoints every last detail! It shows all the different parts, what they are used for, and tons more! Buy this book today. You won't be disappointed.

incredible book a bit dated
Who of us can't remember the excitement of looking at some wonderful building or structure and wondering *what was going on in there*? Stephen Biesty deserves an entry in Who's Who for thinking of this wonderful format for readers who wonder. This is a wonderful and exciting book for older kids and adults who are curious about how things work behind-the-scenes. While it can be tricky for younger children to envision how the objects go back together, there will ample material for others to enjoy. Eighteen human-made objects are cross-sectioned: a castle, an observatory, a galleon, ocean liner and submarine, a coal mine, military tank, oil rig, cathedral, jumbo jet and car factory, a helicopter, an opera house, a steam train and a subway station, a fishing trawler, the Empire State Building and the space shuttle. The sections are filled with defining activity, and Richard Platt's accompanying text is informative and amusing.

First published in 1992, this book is also a fascinating testament to the breathtaking pace of change we experience. Many of the objects have changed a great deal in the past decade, so this is more a snapshot of one era's mechanisms than a blueprint of state-of-the-art technology. For that reason the book succeeds spectacularly with historic objects such as the castle and galleon, and only slightly less so with outdated items like the tank and helicopter.

If you are interested in how things work, these unique views of engineering marvels in operation will thrill you.

This is a great book.
This is a great book. Its full good info, great drawings and over all fun for all ages. Younger kids might have trouble seeing how the draws go back together on a few.

A must have for the learning child in your family.
I must say that this is one of the most interesting books to look at. Not only does it give interesting facts it gives you great pirctures. This book takes structures and cross-sects them so you can see everything inside. A midevil castle shown to you from all angles, the rooms and infromation on it. Everything you can think of from a castle, cathedral, and opera house to a observatory, car factory, and space shuttle. This is definatly a must have. ... 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

Reviews (1)

Simply Must Have
This book is well written so that the parents or the Children can read it and do what needs to be done. A brownie simply must have this book to be the best Girl Scout she can be. It is also well written so that parents can understand what is going on and what the girls will do when they are no longer brownies. There is a newer version out now so if this is your childs last year in brownies, then it is something you must get, but if your child has two years to go in brownies then I reccommend waiting for the newer version which will be out very soon. ... Read more

Book Description

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

Here is a spectacular and informative guide to the fascinating world of aircraft. Superb color photographs offer a unique "eyewitness" exploration of the historyof flight, as well as provide a close-up view of the many different kinds of aircraft in use today, from helicopters to hot-air balloons.See a Victorian steam-powered airplane, a World War I biplane, a jetliner in cross section, what the first pilots wore, how wings provide lift, and what's inside a "black box."Learn how a jet engine works, why early wings needed "doping", how to keep an airplane flying straight and level, and why modern airliners need pressurized cabins.Discover how wooden planes are constructed, what it was like to fly a biplane, how a plane lands and takes off, how a glider works, which plane could be carried on a car, how a helicopter flies, and much, much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Terrific pictures, concise mini history of aviation.
This book covers aviation from it's earliest beginnings. There are many books on this subject, but this one stands out.

The book is amazingly concise, and yet it covers all of the important developments in aviation. My experience as a lifelong aviation enthusiast and private pilot makes me a good judge of this material. This book is intended for kids, but it has something even and old "fly boy" like me can enjoy.

The pictures in this book are striking in detail. Along with many other fantastic pictures, this book has the finest picture of a Bleriot XI that I have ever seen. The detail is unparalleled.

This is a book intended for children, but anyone would learn a great deal from it. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the event that brings together the world's finest athletes in a spirit of peace and internationalism.

Here is an original and exciting new guide to the heroic world of the Olympic games -- from its ancient beginnings to the Sydney Games in 2000. Stunning full-color photographs of famous athletes, gold medals, colorful mascots and flaming torches provide a unique look at the greatest sports festival in the world. See: the ancient Greek site of Olympia, what an athlete wore in 1896, how a sports shoe is made, and the first Fosbuty flop. Learn: what an athlete in training needs to eat, what the Olympic symbol represents, how Smoky became the 1932 Olympic mascot, and what sports make up a modern pentathlon. Discover: how athlete are timed within fractions of a second, what special materials are used to make a modern swimsuit, what sports were included in the ancient Olympic Games, who has won the most Olympic medals, and much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Super Spy
This is a good spy book for biginners, but has some stuff that you may not allready know! Of course, this book says make sure you have a parenet around to do everything with you. I reccomend ages 7-12. ... Read more

Book Description

Practice tying knots using the nylon cord that is color-coded to the illustrations and tied through the holes on each page.A unique gift, intriguing puzzle, practical tool and entertaining book...all tied up together. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Good for kids, probably
This book has rather few knots, and instead of making every one of the few knots count and making sure to hit all the basics, it wastes space on some knots most people won't ever need. ...

On the other hand, with the built-in cords, it would make an appealing-looking gift for kids. But, the gimmick of having little cut-outs for the ropes to go through when practicing knots fails, because the cardboard readily tears with an ordinary kind of pull.

But, the average person will learn a useful knot or two from this book... if nothing else, your kid will be pleased to find out how to tie his sneakers just as securely as doubleknotted, but untying with a single pull, and looking very similar to a regular knot but kind of cool. That knot could be worth the price of admission... but overall something like Morrow's Guide to knots is far superior and not much more money.

Overall, I felt the book was a gimmicky semi-ripoff, but that's not being quite fair, because the average person will pick up a few useful knots from it, whereas they might just be intimidated or confused by a more comprehensive book.

Most user-friendly knot book
For learning basic knots, this book is a great resource. Author prioritizes knots, indicating the three most useful. Diagrams are great. Ropes included with book are helpful.

Nearly satisfying...
The aim of this book is to tie simple knots. As an introduction for children, this book may serve its purpose, but even at that, it tries too hard. The format and illustrations, though good, do not provide the necessary support for children to achieve the goal of tying these knots by themselves. If you are a parent, you'll have to learn how yourself, then teach your kids how to do it - which is fine.

This is a fun and "cute" book for kids that provides more entertainment than learning value. Once viewed, however, I suspect that the fluffy content will not attract a second look. Hopefully, the book does provide an outlet for curiosity that may develop into long-term interest in acquiring useful skills.

The book comes with rope, ready to be tied through holes in the covers. However, kids will NOT follow the attractive illustrations intuitively. Other books in the same price range are better for learning how to tie knots using more and clearer diagrams and descriptive text - though less attractively. For diehard enthusiasts, the most authoritative (and difficult!) book on knot tying is the venerable Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford Ashley. ...

As an alternative to deciphering diagrams on a page, you could search ... for "Beutner Multimedia" to find a series of multimedia software CD-ROMs on knot tying adopted by the Boy Scouts of America. The CD-ROMs use video to show any kid or adult how to tie, splice, and knot at various skill levels using high quality video instruction performed by an expert. (Remarkably, the software runs entirely off the CD-ROM, without installation, on a PC.)

The best solution? Find a senior citizen to teach you how to tie the knots! In a relaxing afternoon, you can learn all of the knots you'll ever need without the frustration of following confusing diagrams.

Because this book does spark interest in acquiring an important skill, it earns a conditional recommendation of 3 stars.

Great for learning all the basic knots, great reference
I knew nothing about knots besides tying my shoelaces (and the book showed me a better way to do even THAT). This book is great because it gives you 24 of the most basic knots to tie (out of supposedly 4000 in existence) and gives you step-by-step instructions alongside thick-cardboard die-cut pages with a couple long strings to practice with. I've used it as a reference many many times since buying it.

Super cool & super fun!
Hey -- this book is great fun!

You get to learn a little bit about knots and you get to tie them with strings and holes nicely cut into the book!

The book won't show you anything too complex or fancy but will have you passing basic seamanship by the end of the day. ... Read more

Book Description

This colorful guide to the world of Scooby-Doo is packed with fantastic facts about Scooby-Doo and the gang, including their scariest adventures, creepiest moments, and deepest secrets. Find out what is inside a haunted house, who's in the Doo family tree, and what exactly the gang keeps in the Mystery Machine. Specially commissioned artworks, stills from all 25 original episodes and the live-action movies, and classic images of the gang and their ghostliest villains make this a unique insight into the spooky world of Scooby-Doo. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the intriguing world of reptiles -- their natural history, habits and lifestyles.

Here is an original and exciting new look at the fascinating world of reptiles. Stunning real-life photographs of snakes, crocodiles, lizards and turtles offer a unique "eyewitness" view of some of the world's most curious living creatures, their intriguing characteristics and unusual behavior. See a snake eating a rat, a lizard in mating display, a crocodile's pantry, a baby snake hatching from its egg, and a turtle defending itself. Learn how crocodiles look after their young, how snakes measure the size of their prey, how lizards store fat in their tails, and how chameleons swivel their eyes. Discover how baby reptiles are independent from birth, how snakes are charmed, how geckos walk upside down, how crocodiles swallow stones so they sink under water, how a snake is milked of its venom, and much, much more. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great for toddlers/preschool
My 3 year old son loves these books,and they have really helped get him excited about animals and nature. Now when we go for walks he can name every bug, bird, snake etc. that we see and tell me a little about them.

A very intresting book with every type of reptile.
This is a very good book and is my second favorite Eyewitness book coming after Eyewitness SHARK. This book tells about every reptile: Snakes, Allogators and Crocidiles, Lizards, Turtles and Tuateras.I love this book because it tells you very intresting facts about reptiles. You should buy this book because it is awsome! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Any young student should find this intuitive, well-designed thesaurusquite helpful, as well as useful, practical, handy, beneficial, andversatile.

If you have an aspiring wordsmith on your hands--or just a kid who's renownedfor his prolific deployment of the words nice and okay--this204-page thesaurus offers well over 1,000 primary entries and more than 10,000supplementary entries using a clever on-the-page index. Instead of a traditionalindex, the Scholastic Student Thesaurus lists supplemental entriesalphabetically on every single page. For example, helpful doesn't appearbetween helper and herb as a primary entry, but the index below onthe same page refers young synonym-searchers to the main entry foruseful. Each entry also contains part-of-speech labels, and many includeusage notes and other synonym and antonym cross-references.

With its clean look, thoughtful introduction, and kid-friendly accessibility,the Scholastic Student Thesaurus makes a fine introduction to what mayquickly become an indispensable, essential, fundamental writing tool. (Ages 10and older) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Kids can hit the ground running as storytellers with this!
This book is an excellent companion to the authors' book "Children Tell Stories." That book helps adults set up and develop kids' storytelling programs in a very comprehensive manner. This book provides stories with which to do this.

The stories are arranged by difficulty, with excellent telling suggestions alongside the text of the story. Some are even set up for tandem telling, which I find kids often want to try, but struggle to find a way to make it work.

The stories come from a variety of sources, and they are all guaranteed to please at least one of the kids in your class or group who wish to tell. As one who has coached many middle-school kids to tell their first story, I find these stories to be excellent in helping those kids who are just not sure how they should proceed. I highly recommend it for kids who want to tell and the adults who nurture this desire in them!

great for the classroom
As an elemntary teacher, I love this book. The book contains 30 stories representing different cultures with clever plots and defined characters. This versatile book is written for beginning storytellers but can be used in the classroom in several ways. The delightful stories are great read alouds that teach students how to develope characters and build experience for their own writing. The easy to use stories encourage the natural storytelling talent of childres who love to perform. The guide along the side helps with expressions and voice inflections allowing the students the confidence to develope their own style. Another benefit of this book, although probably not the intention of the authors, is that it builds the skills reguired for the NYS 4th grade ELA exam. Students learn techniques of using storyboards, listening for details and identifying major events and seguences of a story. This is a classroom must.

from: Territorial Tattler
If you teach storytelling to children, you'll want a copy of this book. The first 18 pages, addressed to the kids, explain how to choose, learn, and perform a story. Then follow 30 tales laid out in mouth-sized pieces, with parallel columns suggesting gestures and vocal intonations to use. Ranging from fables and folktales to short literary gems, all are appealing and accessible to the beginner. At the end of the book is a section for adults, giving both pedagogical arguments and practical suggestions for ensuring success for young tellers. Detailed source notes and additional story suggestions round out the grown up section. Hamilton & Weiss have distilled excellent advice from their 16+ years experience working with young tellers. I think self-motivated students could use this book on their own; but an adult, using the content and tone of the authors' sections addressed to children, will be equipped to start a youth storytelling group with confidence. ... Read more