Book Description

When Ms. Frizzle, the strangest teacher in school, takes her class on a field trip to the waterworks, everyone ends up experiencing the water purification system from the inside. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Splashing Debut
"The Magic School Bus: At the Waterworks" is the first in a series of science picture books geared towards young ones. Written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen, it marks the debut of one of the most successful concepts in the history of children's literature.

Cole and Degen successfully blend fun and learning into their stories, striking a resonant chord with kids and parents alike. Because, let's face it, education - no matter what subject you're delving into - can be a tad boring at times. But anyone who's ever worked with children knows that adding a pinch of excitement and a smidgeon of enjoyment into the knowledge pot takes an otherwise bland topic and transforms it into something delectable.

"At the Waterworks" introduces us to Ms. Frizzle, a one-of-a-kind instructor who knows how to take seemingly uninspiring themes and metamorphose them into action-packed adventures. The kids in her class consider Ms. Frizzle "the strangest teacher in school." And they are less than enthused when they find out their first class trip is the local waterworks; it seems to pale in comparison to field trips other classes are taking, such as to the circus or to the zoo. But these students have obviously never gone on a class trip with Ms. Frizzle; nor have they ever taken a ride in her magic school bus.

Before they know it, Ms. Frizzle has sent them on a splashing journey. They learn all about the wonders of water; how it is the only substance in nature that can form into a solid, liquid or gas. They come to understand the water cycle; how water evaporates into a gas to form clouds and liquefies as it falls to the ground as rain. They even take a tour of the local waterworks; how water is filtered and purified for people to drink, and how it is distributed throughout the city in underground pipes to businesses and homes.

Needless to say, the children in Ms. Frizzle's class experience a once-in-a-lifetime voyage, one they won't ever forget! And for those "serious students who do not like any kidding around when it comes to science facts," the final pages distinguish what things were true in the story and what things were made up.

Cole and Degen hit the children's literacy jackpot with this series, and it all started with "At the Waterworks." This book was written in 1986, and the "Magic School Bus" is still riding strong - it has spawned numerous picture books, chapter books, a cartoon show, television tie-in books, computer games, etc. The key to its success lies in the fact that it mixes education with a hearty dose of humor and fun. And when you stir those ingredients together, you have a winning formula.

You cannot go wrong with Ms. Frizzle and her magic school bus. These books are so enjoyable, children and parents alike delight in them. I don't know why it took me so long to discover this series, but I'm glad it happened! I cannot say enough great things about it! Do yourself a favor and read a few of these stories; you will not regret it.

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "It's time to take chances! Make mistakes! And get messy!"

Many layers of detail
This is one of the older Magic School Bus books which has layers of detail in it. You can chose how many layers to read, depending on the child's interest and on the time you have available for reading.

The obvious layer is the text. There is plenty of information from just reading the text. If you want to add more, read the dialogue between the characters, written cartoon style in balloons. The most detail would come from the children's sketches and notes that are in the (very wide) margins.

I like the scheme of taking the children through the system and coming out the other end. Children usually find the fantasy of changing size to be fascinating as well. To my knowledge, the book is factual and fairly well up to date.

As a seamstress, I love Ms Frizzle's clothing and accessories.

The Magic School Bus: At the Waterworks
I taught a unit on water to three second grade classes this year and this book helped the students understand where our city drinking water comes from, how it is treated for impurities and how it gets moved through the system and into our homes. The pictures and text are informative as well as humorous and entertaining. This book kept the students' attention and promoted discussiom. I highly reccommend it! ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in color. "An exquisite picture book. A little fish, the lone survivor of a school of fish swallowed by a tuna, devises a plan to camouflage himself and his new companions."--(starred) School Library Journal. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Review of Swimmy
Who couldn't love the adorable fish that devises the perfect plan. At first this tiny little black fish is the only survivor of his large group of red fish. All alone he sets off to explore the ocean I love how Leo Lionni describes the sea animals Swimmy meets along the way. "The sea anemones, who look like pink palm trees swaying in the wind" and "an eel whose tail was almost too far away remember." Finally Swimmy meets up with another group of friends but they are afraid to explore the ocean like Swimmy does. So Swimmy devises a plan where all the fish group together in the shape of a large fish with Swimmy as the eye. All together they are safe from danger. This book teaches children do many great lessons. It shows them how when you work together you can do anything! This is an excellent book to use in classrooms with young children!

Swimmy is a fantastic, inspiring fish for all ages!
This book is a must for every child's library. There are so many topics of discussion that can be brought out with just this one book. Friendship, courage, cooperation, and the ocean life are just a few. If you are a teacher, or have young children, this book is a must.

Note to teachers: I use this during my ocean unit in kindergarten. We then make an ocean mural. Every child makes a red fish and I make a black fish, which is Swimmy. We then work together to make all of our fish look like one big fish. The children love it!

I didn't like how the fish are eaten at the beginning.
I bought this book because the author is famous and it is award-winning. I don't like it at all, however, because at the beginning of the book all the little fish (except Swimmy) are eaten by a big fish. Basically they are all killed, which I thought was heavy stuff for a kid's book.
I am not against the concept of death in a kid's book, but I think it should be handled very carefully. Swimmy is similar to the movie Little Nemo--the death scene is unnecessary and disturbing.
I wish I hadn't bought this book.

It's like Rainbow Fish. Only good.
Ah, Swimmy. You charming little guppy. This books wins the award for Subtlest-Book-About-Diversity for 1963. It is wholly and entirely charming. Swimmy is the only little fish amongst his brothers and sisters who was born black instead of red. A faster fish than all of them, Swimmy has the mixed blessing of being able to out swim a big fish that has come to devour his family. Poor Swimmy is left all alone in the world, but his sadness doesn't last for very long. The undersea world is full of wonders, including medusas made of rainbow jelly, a forest of seaweeds growing from sugar candy rocks, and sea anemones that look like, "pink palm trees swaying in the wind". When Swimmy stumbles across another group of small red fish, his quick thinking helps them to band together to fight the larger fish in the sea.

For any kid that loved "Finding Nemo", I think this book would be an excellent companion. The lesson is twofold. One is that when people band together they can fight the unnaturally large problems facing them. Another is that being different, like Swimmy, can be a wonderful thing. I'm sure you're going to read reviews from people decrying this book as Communist propaganda (after all, it's a bunch of red fish finding strength in numbers to defeat the more powerful members of society that were previously eating them), and that's fine. It could definitely be read that way, and there's nothing wrong with that. But for those of you who feel that the book was probably meant to be read as a story for children and that's that, you're undoubtedly more correct.

Leo Lionni is a magnificent artist, by the way. No one draws jellyfish with as much light and airy oomph as he does. The sea's wonders are all alight here, with little black Swimmy eyeing each and every one. There's a beauty to these watercolors that is difficult to find anywhere else. Even today, with our high tech picture book wizardry and computer generated images, nothing looks as pleasing to the eye as Lionni's tendrils of swaying anemones. Originally published in 1963, the book has not aged. Looking at it today, it never will.

Terrific for all ages
Here is the perfect primer for teaching young people about the importance of organizing! Grassroots politics at its best! ... Read more

Book Description

If you had a giraffe
and he stretched another half …
you would have a giraffe and a half.

And if you glued a rose
to the tip of his nose …

And … if he put on a shoe
and then stepped in some glue …

And if he used a chair
to comb his hair …

Shel Silverstein’s incomparable line drawings add to the hilarity of his wildly funny rhymes. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An Amazing Book
"A giraffe and a Half" By Shel Silverstein is an amazing book, especially for kids. I loved when my mom read it to me as a child or when I read it becuase it was always fun to see what came next. Sometimes I would even guess what was comming next. Both the pictures and the sayings made me laugh or smile. I would have to say it was one of my favorite books as a kid.

A Book My Mom Read To Me As A Child
I think this is a very good book for childeren becuase it is funny and also has alot of funny pictures. This book makes you laugh, and it also has many tounge twisters which, i think, makes it funnier.
This book is about a giraffe and a little boy and he keeps making the giraffe do things or adds things to him. Everytime he adds something to him you read what the giaffe has on or did all over again. The giraffe ends up taking off everthing of giving it away. In the end he is just a normal giraffe again.

Delightful
One of the best children's books I've read. The rhymes are contagious. The story slides off your tongue as you read it. Children are taken with it. And then we create the game of adding new verses and rhymes for the giraffe, and a half.

Giraffe & a Half :()
Giraffe and a half is great for kids that love repetition. Your child could learn to memorize better with this book. I really love this book and I would recommend getting other Shel Silverstein books because I have the whole collection.

Hilarious
I read it to my own kids when they were small, read it until they and I had it memorized. I then took it to school where I read it to my eighth--yes, eighth-graders who laughed and got sing-songy and guessed the next line and who chanted along as soon as they figured out the pattern. We next wrote our own versions and read them to the elementary kids. Good stuff for all ages. One of my favorite books! ... Read more

Book Description

This storybook is a collection of entertaining stories and poemsinvolving celebrated children's book artist Richard Scarry's lovable cast ofanimal characters.These happy tales and lively illustrations make thistreasury of the very best of Scarry's work the best storybook ever. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Oodles of Richard Scarry and I Am a Bunny, Too!
Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever was one of her picks.

This book was my daughter's choice night after night during the years from ages 3-6. The stories are all vividly colored, humorous, and reasonably short. They just suited her perfectly.

She would plead after each one, "Just one more story, Dad." (This was after her mother had read to her, as well.) I would read until I had almost no voice left. Eventually, we negotiated that she could pick two stories from this book, and if I was in the mood (and in good voice) we could go up from there. Otherwise, bedtime would have been delayed for hours!

If you don't know Richard Scarry, he has a wonderful, light sense of humor. He usually features intelligent animals, but in human-like contexts. This makes the moral of the story easier for the youngster to swallow, while making the story more interesting. For example, A Castle in Denmark is about the rules that you should follow in a castle (or a house) such as not leaving things on the floor where people can trip on them. Who else would have come up with such a wonderful way to help establish household rules?

The stories in the book contain all the elements needed in a preschool book, with lots of alphabet, numbers, socialization, and charming stories with important lessons attached. The book includes one of my daughter's all time favorite stories, I Am a Bunny by Ole Rison. This story was repeated like a mantra around our house by all four children. It is a great beginning reader story.

The stories vary in sophistication from simple ones to mini-mysteries involving detectives. My daughter especially loved the mini-mysteries.

Here are her favorite stories in the book (in the order they appear):

The Rabbit Family's Home

I Am a Bunny

Work Machines

Pip Pip Goes to London

A Castle in Denmark

Couscous, the Algerian Detective

Officer Montey of Monaco

Pierre, the Paris Policeman

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse by Patricia Scarry

Schtoompah, the Funny Austrian

From a value perspective, it is much less expensive to buy these stories in this form than to get them in the various Richard Scarry books. Of all the story books we bought for our children, this one was definitely the best value. I suspect it only cost about a penny per hour used. Running the television costs more than that!

Some readers have complained about the binding. Ours is a little loose in back after four years of hard use. For such a thick book, that's about par for the course. If your child is a hard user of books, you may want to get a new copy at some point.

After you have finished enjoying this book for the 4,317th evening in a row (if you have a large family), I suggest that you think about how these stories could be made even funnier by changing the context. For example, a castle in Denmark could become Cinderella's castle after she married the prince. What rules do you suppose Cinderella would have wanted to have? In this way, you and your child can exercise your imagination to have even more fun.

Take great stories and build on them . . . together with your child!

An excellent choice for young readers!
Like many of the other customer reviewers, I loved this book when I was a child. This book has it all: classic nursery rhymes, stories that don't tax little ones' attention spans, and enchanting illustrations. Names of everyday objects, shapes, colors, numbers, etc. are presented in an entertaining manner - your child won't realize (s)he's being educated!

This book is great for getting your toddler interested in books. My two year old daughter loves reading her "Lellow Book" at bedtime every night, and I look forward to it as much as she does. (If I had the proverbial dime for every time I've read "Chipmunk's Birthday" I'd be richer than Jeff Bezos!)

The only complaint I have is that we've had to glue the spine to the pages several times. I suppose frequent use is a contributing factor, but other reviewers have noted similar binding problems from this publisher. If not for this one drawback, I would have rated this book 6 out of 5.

Best book ever!
This book was given to my sister when she was very young. It became the standard reading book in my family. Try as my mother did we always requested a story from this book. My favourite was "Egg in the hole". I loved this story and requested it night after night. After a while i knew it off by heart and would tell my parents off if they changes a word. Many years ago we discovered this book in a local bookshop and bought it for friends who had just had a baby - it became a sucess in their family as well. A friend of mine has a 1 year old and i was trying to think of a present for her. The daughter has enough cloths and toys when i thought of giving her a book and remembered how much my family had loved this book. I couldn't find it in any shops in Australia and am very excited to find that it is still in print and available. Although the child is only 1 this book will cover her all the way to school and i hope it becomes as much of a favourite with her as it did with me. Thanks Richard Scarry for some of the best stories ever.

Still have my copy from 1977
And I'm glad I do. Although much of the content is from previous Richard Scarry books -- it provides an excellent way to remember the funniest bits of those other books and has helped me decide which Richard Scarry books to get for my son.

A Wonderful Book
My two year old son loves this book. He asks for it every night before bed. We call it "The Lion Book." His vocabulary has increased ten-fold since we started reading it. He's learned about shapes, sizes, colors, numbers, animals, farms, planes, cars, trucks; just about everything that could attract a little one's attention. The stories are interesting and gentle and fun. A great book! ... Read more

Book Description

Where do rocks come from? When Ms. Frizzle asks her students to bring rocks to class, almost everyone forgets. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Rocks, Rocks, Everywhere!
"The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth" immediately picks up where its predecessor, "At the Waterworks", left off. At the end of each book, Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen provide a subtle clue as to the nature and content of their next collaboration - a sly wink to those of us who catch such details.

"At the Waterworks" concludes with Ms. Frizzle looking at a map of a volcano, which tells us the next book in the series will probably be about our world's physical structures. And that's where "Inside the Earth" steps into the spotlight. Written in 1987, Cole and Degen prove in their second effort that there is no such thing as the dreaded sophomore jinx. This story is just as, if not more, educating and entertaining than "At the Waterworks."

The book starts out with the kids in Ms. Frizzle's class appearing restless over their current learning topic, animal homes. They've been researching the subject for almost a month and "were pretty tired of it." So the class jumps for joy when the Friz announces they're starting something new. "We are going to study about our earth!" she exclaims.

However, things don't go exactly as planned. Only four kids actually bring their homework to class the next day - "Each person must find a rock and bring it to school," said Ms. Frizzle. So she decides to take them on a field trip to collect rock specimens . . . and that's when the fun begins!

Ms. Frizzle lives up to the expectations she set in "At the Waterworks." By the time this field trip is done, her class has learned all about the physical features of the earth. The kids discover how rocks are made of minerals. They delve deep into the ground, getting up close and personal with Earth's crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. Ms. Frizzle educates them on the three classes of rocks - igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. She relates to the kids how processes inside the earth take millions of years. She even takes them on a tour through a volcano! All throughout the field trip, the class receives hands-on experience with various rocks - basalt, granite, limestone, obsidian, pumice, sandstone, shale, etc.

And these details are only scratching the surface of what Cole and Degen, not to mention Ms. Frizzle, have lined up for readers in this book. Blending comedy with truth, this is a welcome addition to any children's bookshelf, either in the classroom or at home. And just as they did with their first story, Cole and Degen use the final pages to distinguish what things were accurate in the story and what things were made up.

As is her fashion, Ms. Frizzle leaves readers a hint at what is to come in her next adventure. My guess is that it has something to do with the human body. Talk about an inside-job!

Cole and Degen surpass the benchmark they set in "At the Waterworks" with "Inside the Earth." There are facts and figures, hilarity and humor, bursting from every page. Don't miss out on a chance to ride the magic school bus.

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "This way, class!"

Inside The Earth
This storyis about a class of students that is bord then one day they all go on a journey inside the earth and the kids have all these questions that all get answered. the reason I like this book so much is because it tells so much about the earth in a way that is fun for the students.

Awesome Book
This book is a great book to teach kids about the inside of the earth, and other scientific stuff. It gets your imagination flowing! Its fun and interesting; I always loved the Magic School Bus series! Ms. Frizzle is so funny!

Review
This book was about Miss Frizzle's class. Miss Frizzle's classes are always taking wild journeys everyone. On minute they are in the classroom like a normal class, the next they are somewhere very unusual. In this book they traveled inside the earth to study about it. The book talks about all the things inside the Earth and there are great explanations to many questions that children might have about the earth.
I like this book because it teaches children a lot about what the earth is made up of and it does it in such a way that children will stay interested and amused. A lot of children are really fond of science and things and this book teaches them about science in a fun way. Even children that don't really enjoy science would like this book because it's a fun book. Things happen that wouldn't really happen in real life so in a way it is fantasy like and a lot of children would like that.
I think the author was trying to teach children something and do it in such a way that it is fun. They will enjoy the story of the class traveling into the middle of the earth but there is a lot of science in there for the children to learn also.

The Frizz Does a Jules Verne
This best-selling children`s science series is excellent for reading aloud, while older kids (and parents) will appreciate the range and depth of information, as well. The story-text of the original series is at once humorous, engaging, and packed with facts. Lively and amusing illustrations include cartoon bubbles, as well as "reports" by the students in the story. Ms Frizzle is a Mary Poppins-like teacher with oomph, and a wardrobe to match, who challenges and leads her students, recurring characters who reflect the multicultural nature of the US, on amazing fieldtrips.

In INSIDE THE EARTH, the fabled bus turns into a steam shovel, provides the kids and the Frizz with workclothes and digging equipment, to explore to the earth`s core, Jules Verne-style. Along the way, they learn geology, but with the Frizzle spin. ... Read more

Book Description

A Prince
and a Pauper

Jemmy, once a poor boy living on the streets, now lives in a castle. As the whipping boy, he bears the punishment when Prince Brat misbehaves, for it is forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like one another. But when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other.

Reviews (101)

AWESOME BOOK -MUST READ IT !
This story is about a prince who is bored out of his mind and thinks he should run away from home. This is book is good for people who like funny and short books in grades 4 and up.
Some of the main characters are Hold Your Nose Billy, Jemmy, Prince Brat, Petunia, and Cutwater. Hold Your Nose Billy and Capiton Nips are really mean people who like garlic. They kidnapp Prince Brat and Jemmy. Prince Brat is a boy who you think has a perfect life but he does not think so. He thinks he has a boring life. Petunia is a bear who saves Jemmy and Prince Brats lives.
The main part of the story begins when Prince Brat and Jemmy run away from home and get kidnapped. It is set in a forest and in a palace in an imaginary time long ago.
I think the theme is never run away. Just stay home with your family. Sometimes you don't realize how good you have it. Also, learning to read is very important.

A book about two boys that eventually beome friends.
Hi!I read a book called "The Whipping Boy," by Sid Fleishchman.Do you like a book with humor and suspense,well than this is a book for you!This is a book for 3rd to 4th graders to read and enjoy.This book is about Prince Horace better known as Prince Brat and his own whipping boy named Jemmy.In this book they encounter close calls when they runaway from the castle.I can't tell you what happens at the end,so you will have to read the book to find out.I liked this book because it deals with some real problems and makes you think more about people who are poorer than you are.So the next time you want to read a good novel,go and get "The Whipping Boys!"

Whipping boy
Sid Fleischman's book, "The Whipping Boy" is about a king who will not punish his son so he has another child who gets whipped and punished instead of the prince. The prince deiced one day that he could not take getting in trouble and having the whipping boy get punished for his wrong doings. One night the prince deiced to run away with the whipping boy. On there journey they get captured by "Hold-Your-Nose-Billy," and Cutwater. The criminals deiced that they are going to keep them hostage. Jemmy did not like the prince to much because he had to take all of the punishment for all of those bad things that he did. Since they both got captured they had to become friends with each other, even though jimmy was from the lower class of people and the prince was from the upper class of people they had to get along. The whipping boy thinks of a plan, his plan is to escape to the sewers. The prince on the other hand does not think that it would be a good idea because he has never been in the sewers. The whipping boy has been in the sewers his life before becoming a whipping boy. Jemmy used to trap and sell rats that were in the sewer that does how he now all of the turns and different things. The prince and the whipping boy are trying to get along, become friends, and break though the barriers that are between them. The prince is finding out how Jemmy used to live, also the prince is coming immune to Jemmys life. The prince and the whipping boy are starting to take responsibility for there own actions. The prince does not like how Jemmy used to live. They find interest in each other. The prince is getting used to how Jemmy had to live.
They finally deiced that they have had enough of the kidnapper. Jemmy told the prince to follow me and they went though the tunnels. They finally get away though the tunnel because of how well Jemmy knew the tunnels. The prince did not want to go though the tunnels because he did not think that Jemmy did not know them until Jemmy showed him that he could get through them.
I thought that is was a very good idea for the prince and "The Whipping Boy" finally deiced to run away. I would have not liked being the whipping boy. I liked this book very much and I really do not like to read. I thought that it was easy for younger kids to understand to. I really liked this book.

The Whipping Boy
Sid Fleischman's book The Whipping Boy is a really good book. It is about a prince who got the nick name "Prince Brat" because he is a mischiouf maker because his pranks aren't funny. He has a whipping boy named Jemmy who is smart and clever. One day prince brat runs away and takes Jemmy with him. They don't get far before two cutthroats stop them. One of their names is hold-your-nose-Billy and the other is cutwater. They take Jemmy and "Prince Brat" into their cabin. Jemmy and "Prince Brat" must outwit the two and become friends, except prince brat keeps betraying Jemmy. The adventure will take them through alot of adventure. I recomend buying it.

Enjoyable while including major Social Issues
Sid Fleischman's book, "The Whipping Boy," is about a runaway prince and his whipping boy, who discover adventure on their journey, and surprisingly find friendship in one another. The boys' adventures include them being abducted by two criminals, "Hold-Your-Nose-Billy," and Cutwater. The criminals kidnap the boys and plan to hold them for ransom from the King.
"The Whipping Boy," focuses on the distinctions and differences of social classes throughout the book. These differences are vividly illustrated through Prince Brat (Horace) and Jemmy, the whipping boy. Prince Horace, who is from a high social class and is considered very important, is never whipped. However, Jemmy, who is from a lower class, serves as a, "whipping boy," and takes the punishments for Prince Brat.
However, "The Whipping Boy," also looks at the overcoming of these class barriers. At the beginning of the story, there was a definite difference between the upper class and the lower class. This difference is intensified in the description of the boys escape into the city's sewer. Jemmy, a member of the working class, is well-informed of the tunnels of the sewer because he has spent the early years of his life there, trapping rats and selling them for money. Jemmy seems at ease in the sewer, knowing what direction to take and where to hide. On the other hand, the Prince is very frightened in the tunnels below the city and clings desperately to Jemmy for security. The Prince has never been to the sewers. His life has always been spent in the luxury of the palace walls with everyone at his beck and call.
As the two boys spend more and more time together the Prince slowly begins to become a part of Jemmy's world. The same can be said for Jemmy's whose quick thinking while dealing with the two men helps the boys escape. When Jemmy is mistaken for the prince, he really takes over the role, and the two classes seemed meshed.
During their journey, Prince Horace and Jemmy both become responsible for their own actions. Jemmy, who has been away from his family and on his own for awhile, is prepared when he gets chased and tormented by the two men in the forest. The Prince, on the other hand, has to learn responsibility since he has never had to rely on himself before. At first, the Prince is stubborn and foolish in his actions, but, as time passes and he sees Jemmy for who he really is. It is when the Prince realizes this, that he learns a very important lesson, and the moral of the book. The Prince learns to break down the barriers that hold the two boys apart. The Prince shows a very big step in growth that even some adults have not taken yet. With his maturation, he is able to become true friends with Jemmy, and earn the name Prince Horace.

I really enjoyed how Fleischman is able to take a very serious and real topic, such as class discrimination, and simplify it for a young reader. The author does not make light of the topic, yet he addresses it in such a way that the reader understands and can relate the story to his/her own life. Children that would read or hear this book have most likely already read or heard fairytales that include royalty. However, I think it is rare that a child is given the opportunity to hear the story of the lower class. "The Whipping Boy," gives a vivid explanation and description of the class differences.
This main theme in this book is that friendship should be free of prejudices. "The Whipping Boy," would be an excellent choice in encouraging students to get along with one another no matter what their differences may be. It lays a very good framework for young students who have been or one day will be on the giving or receiving end of discrimination or prejudices without being preachy. The theme is a powerful one, yet the story includes enough adventure to keep the reader interested and engaged. ... Read more

Book Description

This new book addresses the number one concern of millions of parents and athletes, age 9-19 in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, rugby, field hockey and tennis: "How can I improve speed in short sprints for my sport?" Step-by-step instructions show you how to first locate your weaknesses, then eliminate them by completing just 30 specific easy-to-follow workouts. This must read and must do book produces amazing results with a program that will also work for you. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

From a parent and age group coach
Eleven of my age group soccer kids completed the 30 workouts in this book in ten weeks. After seeing the improvement in acceleration and speed, the other 8 team members and their parents are sorry they didn't join in. The 30 workouts alone are worth the price of the book. You don't need a sports science background. If you are looking for a "just do-it" approach that improves speed in short sprints, this book is for you. The book cuts to the chase. There is no need to dig out anything. Everything that is included is important and the program works.

Univ Prof., Track Coach, Author, Former NFL Speed Consultant
March 3, 2004

Reviewer: George R. Colfer, PhD.


After reading two mixed reviews from 2002 and 2004, I decided to read and review this book. Considering who the book was written for (i.e., young athletes), I would recommend it as a Resource and Guide for Speed Improvement. No book is ever perfect for all audiences regardless of size, length or type. When I see a title for "young athletes," I usually hold my breath as most imitate what works only for highly skilled athletes. The first thing I liked about the book was the introduction including "How to use the book" (pg. 11) and Chapter 1, which offers assessment to determine readiness for certain components of the workouts. Another example was regarding Plyometrics (pg. 90) where the author states a leg strength requirement and who by age level should avoid plyometrics, although I would rather see this at the beginning of the section as many youngsters "do" and don't read. Dr. Dintiman is very knowledgeable and also proven in the area of speed and running improvement. He has a much higher level book now in it's 3rd or 4th printing. Speed Improvement for Young Athletes is readable and follows a "how to do it" approach without a lot of "hype." My experience with speed is that it first requires self-motivation. There is a lot of material and equipment necessary which is why I think a youngster following this program would need the guidance of a coach, very knowledgeable parent or as part of a camp or clinic-type setting. The information and programs are proven to be effective with no doubt. Implementing them from reading about them may require some assistance as Dr. Dintiman mentions in the introduction (pg. 11-#1). Speed endurance is a relatively new term and is well covered in Chapter 7, but a more complete definition may be helpful. In the next edition, I would recommend updating some of the strength training photographs and I would find an index at the end to be very helpful. However, these do not detract from the content and program construction of the book (i.e., the 30 workouts), which achieves the author's purpose.

Clinical Exercise Physiologist
Dr. Dintiman, an international authority on speed improvement, has produced a much needed text which offers excellent instruction on how to improve sport specific sprinting speed. What makes this book unique is that it is the first text specifically geared to the young athlete. The concepts in the text are based on internationally accepted research and proven instructional methods. The assessment program offered by the author is finely tuned to specifically uncover the young athlete's strengths and weaknesses. This allows valuable training time to be focused on specific points of identified weaknesses. Speed Improvement For Young Athletes: How To Sprint Faster In Your Sport In 30 Workouts, is a must purchase for any coach, parent, or individual who desires to produce a faster and quicker young athlete.

Value
The book is very simple and tertiary. Lightly discusses a number of topics. Details related to form and execution are lacking for someone who claims to have their Doctorate. The illustration is worse than what I can create on my home computer. The real issue I have is that the author and the publisher are both deceptive in their practices. Although the book appears to be a significant volume...in fact, it is triple spaced text with 20-26 font all to increase the number of pages to appear as if the book is a significant volume. In addition, the basics for any book such as an Index are missing entirely. This book is a joke even if it was priced at $3-$4 it would not be worth the shipping & handling.

A Parent, Coach, and University Professor's Review
While focusing on several insignificant items, the reviewer for the "School Library Journal" missed an opportunity to fully appreciate an excellent book, concisely written with a practical approach, by the leading expert in the world. The favored work of the above reviewer,for the "School Library Journal," consists only of illustrated exercises with no workouts to follow, no specific information on training programs and little help to anyone, including young athletes, coaches, or parents. "Speed Improvement for Young Athletes" has more useful information on previously tested and proven techniques than anything ever written. It is a book that "gets to the point" and prescribes 30 specific workouts for age group athletes for all sports. This is not a research book and there is good reason to keep it clearly organized and understandable for the young athlete. "Speed Improvement for Young Athletes: How to Sprint Faster in Your Sport in 30 Workouts" is by far the best book on the market, and I highly recommend it for the young athlete who wants to move from the theory to actual practice and conditioning with effective gains in foot speed for their sport. ... Read more

Book Description

Including 12 New Poems!

If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer,
A wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er,
A magic bean buyer . . .

Come in . . . for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.

Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound.

Reviews (2)

A classic made even better
This book is wonderful.. I had the original version as a child (I am now 32) and can still recite the words to many of the poems (I cannot go to school today, said little Peggy Ann McKay...)! Someone just gave this new edition to our 4 month old daughter, and I know she will enjoy the poems as much as I did. Right now, she may not understand the words, but the rhyming sounds make her smile. A must for kids of all ages.

Genius
I had this book when I was little and did a project on one of the poems in the 3rd grade (I'm 34 yrs old now). The poem was about a sharp toothed snail who lives in your nose. I can recite it still, line for line. I just bought a copy for my nephew (4yrs old) so that he can enjoy it also. Buy it and you won't regret it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"When I was quite young and quite small for my size, I met an old man in the Desert of Drize." The old man looks like a cross between a cartoon granddad and a swami; he sits on top of a cactus, and tells his young listener that the best way to get over any sadness is to imagine all the ways you could be worse off. "Suppose, just suppose, you were poor Herbie Hart, who has taken his Throm-dim-bu-lator apart!"This has a more hurried, formulaic feel than the best Seuss, and it seems to showcase a less acute grasp of child psychology than usual. (Does it really make a child feel better to think of poor Harry Haddow, who, "try as he will, can't make a shadow," or Gucky Gown, "who lives by himself ninety miles out of town"?) But the illustrations alone make this morality tale a minor classic. (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Everyone Should own This!
Adults as well as children appreciate this book. The message that we should all consider how lucky we are is delivered in classical Seuss style with rhymes and nonsensical words - but is still a powerful message that most of us need to hear now and then. I consider this one of his best works because it not only delivers a good message, reading it is delightful entertainment. Read it aloud to both young and old.

One of my favorite Seuss books.
When one mentions 'Dr. Seuss' the cat in the hat, Green Eggs and Ham and of course, the Grinch who Stole Christmas come to mind, yet this has always been considered a classic. Why you are asking, just why is that? Is it because it is good, or bombastic? Why is this book considered a classic? Could it be it's marvelous jokes, or it's enjoyable little mischevious pokes, at the world around. Is it because it is so implausible, in fact applausible, in it's own right? Could it be that it is more fun to read at night? Why isn't it here or there? Why isn't it anywhere? The content of the book at charge, is amazingly hysterical, the enjoyment was large. If I had to choose one book by Seuss, this would be the only one to NOT say, vamous. It is philisophical, optical, practical, and factual. It can be enjoyable for 3-year-old Sally or 30-year-old Sam! After reading such a great book, I personally took a second look, at how lucky I really am.

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are
This was, by far, my favorite book growing up. I loved trying to figure out how to say the strange words and eventually, I could almost recite the entire book from memory. I still can the first few pages. I don't know that I was helped psycologically, but it sure was and is a fun book!

and you think YOU have it bad...!!
Theodore Seuss Guisel is, of course, one of the best known children's authors today. Though he left us in 1994, his legacy lives on and his books are still produced, bought and loved as much now as anytime in the past. When we think of him, we immediately think of "The Cat in the Hat" or "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", but we can easily forget some of his wonderful, lesser-known works. "When I was quite young and quite small for my size I met an old man in the Desert of Drize..." So begins "Did I Ever Tell You..." where the narrator finds an old man sitting atop a prickly cactus in the middle of the desert. The man tells the boy narrator that whenever HE feels like his life isn't going well, he reminds himself how lucky he really IS. He could be, for example, a construction worker on the impossibly rickety Bunglebung Bridge, where workers are toiling over the water to finish the impossibly crooked structure. Yes, things could be far worse!! You could be a Poogle-Horn Player who has to honk away on your complex, tuba-like Poogle-Horn while descending a flight of stairs... on a two story unicycle, no less!! The absurdness of people less fortunate splash across each page, Seuss-like, as Mr. Bix wakes up at 6 in the morning to find that his Borfin has schlumpped over, or Mr. Potter who has to dot i's and cross t's on endless, miles-long spools of paper! Yes, things could be far worse than they are, Ducky, so count yourself lucky! Published in 1973, "Have I Ever Told You..." is a wonderfully funny book with some subtle messages. Written during a period of time when parents were still forever admonishing their children, "you're so lucky to be able to eat those Brussels sprouts!! Why, there's children starving in Africa..." the book can be seen as a lesson in morality and thankfulness OR as satire of those very parents who encourage children to think of those less fortunate than them when they crank about life's inequities. Satire or morality play, "Have I Ever Told You..." is classical Seuss at his best. The illustrations are properly absurd and colorful, splashing across the page in Seuss's perennial style. There's humans assembling bridges as well as odd creatures getting stuck in 4-way traffic jams. The illustrations are uncluttered and the text is easy to read, making it an excellent choice for beginning to intermediate readers. A wonderfully fun book, and highly recommended!!

Stick to the book and don't bother with this one...
What is the point of the "video of the book" if all it does is repeat the pictures in the book? What passes as animation here is practically non existent -- a slow succession of static images in which only the occasional detail is animated (and only in the most basic of fashions at that). John Cleese's narration is fine, but the rest is inexcusably cheap and pointless. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in color. "The Great Birthday Bird guides us on a birthday trip. The multicolored excursion is a festive one."--School Library Journal. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An Awesome Book about Birthdays for kids of all ages!!!!!
I have loved this book since I was old enough to look at the pictures. It brings back great memories of my childhood and my family and all the birthdays we have celebrated together. This book is a classic and an excellent, different present for anyone who's having a birthday!! I have been searching for this book to give to my children for years.....now I have finally found it. Classic in all the Seuss ways, exciting, fun and thought inspiring, I recommend it for all of your friends and loved ones having a birthday! Start a tradition!!!!!! They will thank you, if not now, later in life!!!!! Just imagine celebrating your birthday the way they do in the book!!!!!! What a blast!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

Truly a classic
There was a rule in my family: you didn't officially turn a year older until "The Birthday Bird" (as we called it) was read to you. This tradition continued with my brother and me, even in college. This is a great feel-good book. As usual, Dr Seuss chooses an important, serious "theme" - having kids understand that they are important just because they "are" - and adorns it with tongue-twisters, great characters, and the outrageous celebrations of the Katroo Happy Birthday Associ-i-ation. Start a tradition in your family and have the Birthday Bird come to YOUR house each year.

Worlds Best Affirmation!
I remember this book vividly from my childhood, and made sure to buy it and read it to my children. There is enough positive, personal affirmation power in this book to give a kid a dearly needed boost of importance and remind them that they have a right to be here, a purpose, and that the world is glad that they are here.
I also recommend If I Ran the Circus -and- If I Ran the Family !

Forget Birthday Cards
After one reads and delights in Dr. Seuss' book, Happy Birthday to You!, one will see the giving of birthday cards in a much colder and more sterile light. This book should be given to anyone celebrating a birthday who could use a snack from a Hippo-Heimers back (and, quite frankly, who could not). It is a book for all ages through the ages, entirely timeless in its zany approach to that special day. It will have you shouting "I am I" which is the purpose of birthdays and even better is having someone with whom to share one's birthday to shout "We are we". A delightful book which should replace birthday cards and be attached to any gift or even be the gift itself.

Best Children's book ever
I have loved this book ever since I can remember. It has positively ruined me for my birthday every year, I do absolutely nothing I don't want to do. I eat cake for breakfast if I want, and I never go to work that day. What a positive and creative book this is, it totally convinced me that everyone is worth spoiling rotten at least one day a year. And the pictures are so emotive and beautiful - that last image of the child bundled up safely on the flying platter is so comforting. Both my sons love the book and request it read often. The copy from my childhood is missing both covers now and some of the pages are separated, but we still love it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Three time Newbery honor author Nancy Farmer's epic fantasy, The Sea of Trolls, is gigantic in every way. There are big Vikings and bigger trolls. There are big themes--hope, despair, life and death. At a substantial 450+ pages, the sheer size of this hefty tome is impressive. But, like all of Farmer's fine work, the large scale has room for enormous quantities of heart and humor. At the center of this massive adventure is a small Saxon boy named Jack, who's never been much good at anything until the Bard of his medieval village makes him an apprentice. Then, just as Jack is learning to tap into and control his power, he is kidnapped (along with his little sister, Lucy) and taken to the court of King Ivar the Boneless and his half troll queen Frith. When one of Jack's amateur spells causes the evil queen's beautiful hair to fall out, he is forced to undertake a dangerous quest across the Sea of Trolls to make things right, or suffer the consequences--the sacrifice of his beloved sister to Frith's patron goddess, Freya. Along the way Jack faces everything from giant golden troll-bears to man-eating spiders, yet each frightening encounter brings wisdom and understanding to the budding young Bard. No quester who enters these pages with Jack will go away unsatisfied. Farmer's skillful melding of history, mythology, and humor, is reminiscent of both Tamora Pierce and Terry Pratchett's medieval fantasies, and will no doubt be HUGELY enjoyed by fantasy readers of all ages. --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Amazon.com

Surely among the most lovable of all Dr. Seuss creations, Horton the Elephant represents kindness, trustworthiness, and perseverance--all wrapped up, thank goodness, in a comical and even absurd package. Horton hears a cry for help from a speck of dust, and spends much of the book trying to protect the infinitesimal creatures who live on it from the derision and trickery of other animals, who think their elephant friend has gone quite nutty. But worse is in store: an eagle carries away the clover in which Horton has placed the life-bearing speck, and "let that small clover drop somewhere inside / of a great patch of clovers a hundred miles wide!" Horton wins in the end, after persuading the "Who's" to make as much noise as possible and prove their existence. This classic is not only fun, but a great way to introduce thoughtful children to essentially philosophical questions.How, after all, are we so sure there aren't invisible civilizations floating by on every mote? (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (34)

On the 15th of May, in the Jungle of Nool...
My favorite Dr Seuss book as a child, and now a favorite of my kids.

There are so many messages in this book, but they are never forced upon the reader. You are free to read it as a gentle story, a discussion of politics, a moral tale about the role of the individual in a community, or simply some of the catchiest poetry ever written. And who couldn't love Horton, hate Vlad, and cheer at the young kangaroo's last "me too"?

The fabulous story deserves to be in the center of any family's children's collection...and should be in with the grown-up books too.

Even one little voice can tip the scale
A great book with a lot of positive lessons.

Horton, an elephant, is the only animal who can hear sounds of life on a little speck of dust. Other animals think he is crazy and want to destroy the speck. But Horton sticks up for the inhabitants of the little village on the dust speck. He urges them to scream as loud as possible to prove their existence.

There are a lot of lessons in the story. It teaches kindness and determination; it teaches to care about others, even if they are as small as creatures on a speck of dust. But for me, the most important lesson is that EVEN ONE LITTLE VOICE CAN TIP THE SCALE! Upon Horton's request, all the inhabitants on the dust speck start crying out as loud as they can. But Horton's friends still cannot hear their little voices. The inhabitants of the dust speck were all screaming together ... all but one. Only when that one little voice was added to the "chorus", animals were finally able to hear them crying out. And so is in our lives: each voice, each good deed, counts, and each good deed can finally tip the scale for good in the world. The book teaches that if you want the world to be a better place, as small as you may be (just one person out of millions?), YOUR "VOICE" COUNTS!!!

Perhaps his best one
People are valuable no matter how small. No matter how powerless and no matter how little influence they have.

A good message and written as a moving story that even little kids can follow along with even if they can't grasp the entirety of the message.

I don't know if Dr. Suess meant this story to be a pro life message, but it certainly works for that cause. He makes a compelling arguement for one, in this case Horton, to fight against the odds and disfavor of the group for the cause of a single insignificant and unknown person.

I highly recommend this book.

Seuss at the top of his game
The best (in my opinion, of course) Dr. Seuss book. It has all of the music of his other writings, but (unlike some of his books) a compelling story as well. And what better message for your child to learn than "People are people, no matter how small."?

"Big" enough for kids to understand!
If you've never read this story, you and any children you read it to, are really in for a treat!

This is one of those children's stories that introduce really huge concepts and really important things to think about - wrapped in a wonderful tale.

It's a "big" story - an elephant with a big heart and his willingness to sacrifice for others.

We learn that size of one's body doesn't matter - it's the size of one's heart that really counts. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Mary Anne make quite a team. Theinseparable duo digs the great canals for the big boats to travel through, cuts through thelarge mountains so trains can pass, and hollows out the deep cellars for the greatskyscrapers in the city. But the introduction of gasoline, electric, and diesel shovelsmeans big trouble for Mike and Mary Anne. No one wants an old-fashioned steam shovellike Mary Anne when a modern shovel can do the digging in half the time! Forced totravel far out of the city to look for work, Mike and Mary Anne find themselves in thelittle town of Popperville. Mike and Mary Anne make a bid to dig the cellar for the newtown hall, promising the town that if they can't dig the cellar in just one day they'll acceptno payment for the job. Will Mike and Mary Anne be able to complete the job? Thewhole town of Popperville turns out to watch. Virginia Lee Burton, author of such classicchildren's books as The LittleHouse and Katy and theBig Snow, offers a touching portrait of love and dedication while commentingon the modernization that continuously shapes our lives. Hamilton's wonderful crayondrawings bring Mike and the indomitable Mary Anne to life. (Ages 3 to 6) ... Read more

Reviews (53)

I Loved This Book!
Like so many other reviewers I have fond memories of reading this book as a child. I fondly recall being a child in the 1970's and of having had this book read to me and when I got older and could read on my own I read it myself and I enjoyed the story of Mike Mulligan and his beloved steam shovel Mary Anne and recall this book having positive messages as well as being an entertaining book for children. Mike Mulligan is a steam shovel operator who has named his machine Mary Anne and they have worked very hard for many years digging canels, etc but times have changed and with steam shovels being replaced by electric, gasoline and diesel shovels Mary Anne is thought of as being obsolete but Mike is a very positive and determined man who knows that he and Mary Anne still have what it takes and to prove that he agrees to dig the foundation for a new building but has to do it in one day but he knows that they are up for the challenge. Mike Mulligan And His Steam Shovel is a wonderful book for children and I think it's good for both boys and girls and I very highly recommend it.

A classic story with warm, active pictures
The cover of this book is the same as my old, dog-eared copy from my childhood 30 years ago. A Caldecott Award winner, the pictures drive the tale as much as the plot. An excellent book from cover-to-cover.

Re-reading it now brings back great memories and fascination of how Mike Mulligan and his beloved steam shovel worked hard to accomplish a fantastic task. Whenever people watched them dig, they always worked a little better and a little faster.

A modern John Henry, Mike faces the challenge of new technology. Undaunted, like the famous hammer-driving tall tale hero, he struggles to meet the task. Can he dig a hole faster than the new machine? Can he and his mighty red-metal friend do it by the end of the day?

A great story of perseverence and hard work, I fully recommend "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel." Place it on your shelf next to "Make Way for Dcklings" and "Where the Wild Things Are."

Anthony Trendl

I loved it as a child, my childern love it too.
I couldn't wait until my twins were old enough for Mike. They're now 2 1/2 and love hearing about Mike and Mary Anne. A great story of friendship, taking pride in one's work and problem solving. Never mind the 1939 date, this story works forever. I now get to read it at least twice a day and it never gets old.

A Tale of Two Friends
Just thinking about this delightful book makes me smile. I remember Captain Kangaroo reading it on his television show, and I checked it out from the Bookmobile with my own library card.
Mike Mulligan and Mary Ann are best friends and co-workers. They might be running out of work soon, though, since Mary Ann runs on steam--not as efficient as the diesel shovels. A bargain with the town of Popperville gives the twosome one last shot to strut their stuff, and as the town gathers, a few residents at a time, Mike and Mary Ann prove that friendship lasts, even when diesel shovels take over.
This book is equally appealing to boys and girls, and it will forever occupy a favored place in my memories. It's as wonderful a story today as it was when published in 1939. God bless Mike and Mary Ann.

Nobody can do it like a steam shovel
I tend to bring a lot of picture books into my home. My husband doesn't mind, but neither does he show an inordinate amount of interest in them. Enter "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel". Suddenly my husband was elated by the appearance of this book. "This was the only book we had in my Kindergarten class!", quoth he. After he'd picked through it once more, I had my chance to glance through the story. Admittedly, I did not know of the adventures of Mike Mulligan or trusty Mary Ann until rather late in life. But looking at my hubby's gleeful expression on seeing it again, I know that this is one of those classics that sits in the back of the memory for years and years and years.

Mike Mulligan (Irish, according to the book flap) runs a delightful steam shovel named Mary Ann. The opening spread shows Mike waving at the viewer, while meticulous arrows indicate every lever, cog, and line in Mary Ann's hull. In a rather John Henryish turn of events, Mary Ann is eventually determined to be obsolete in the face of the fancier gasoline, electric and Diesel shovels. Mike refuses to give up his precious steam shovel, however, and a race to prove that Mary Ann can dig as much in a day as a hundred men can dig in a week explodes in a riveting (ho ho) finish.

Books about trucks, construction equipment, and planes is commonplace today. But such modern day classics as "I Stink" owe a great debt to the path that "Mike Mulligan" paved. Here we have a beautifully illustrated (in color at that!) story about two of the best friends in the world. Those kids interested in the technical aspects of steam shovels will be in heaven. And those that just like a rip-roaring yarn about a race against the clock will have a ball as well. Interestingly, author/illustrator Virginia Lee Burton chooses not to close up on Mike Mulligan's face at any point. When we do see him, he's usually viewed at a distance, waving, weeping, and smoking to his heart's content. It's Mary Ann that get the full frontal treatment, and she's a joy. Who could have thought a steam shovel to be so eloquent and emotional? That's the joy of this story and the genius of Virginia Lee Burton's masterwork. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Greatbook
This book was one of the best books i have ever read. It has a lot of action and mystery.

An Amazing Read
I loved The Last Shot. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I read it. I also really admire the character, Susan Carol Anderson,she was just so outgoing. She also didn't care about what other people thought. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read it.

Middle School Adventure
As a middle school teacher with 18 years of experience, I found Last Shot to be a solid, if somewhat old-fashioned, mystery that should be recommended to all middle school students, most definitely adolescent sports fans, who may be reluctant readers. The plot includes enough suspense and suspicion to captivate the reader, yet is free of harsh profanity and other objectionable material that is so abundant in today's young adult fiction.
Especially refreshing are the two main characters, who will stop at nothing to 'right the wrongs' they've encountered on their unique adventure. They demonstrate intelligence,motivation,and resourcefulness in their mission to out-wit a few loathsome characters in the NCAA arena. Last Shot is an easy read and worth the time.

excellent sports book for teens
This book is full of factual background on the Final Four from the author's experience, which makes it really interesting.I'm buying copies for several teens I know.It's the kind of book that when the teen leaves it lying on the coffee table, dad or mom will wind up engrossed in it.

There are, at this date, two reviews of this book with attacks on the author but no comments on the book.I have no idea what theman is like, but this book is really good either way.The author he could be a total jerk or an angel for all I know -- he's probably just some guy who annoys other people.There are a lot of those.

However, I can say that this book is most likely NOT derived from another author's book on blackmail in the Final Four; both books would be derived from real life scandals of the 50's and 80's.The idea that blackmail or other unethical/illegal techniques would be used in the highly lucrative field of professional sports is not a recent one nor one which need be derived from fiction.One can find both fictional and real-life cases of this going back a lot farther than the past decade.

Great read by Feinstein
As an adult drawn to this book by Fienstein's 'non-fiction' name, I was incredibly surprised how much of a page-turner this was. Mr. Feinstein has performed the difficult task of creating two highly likeable and lifelike characters, while at the same time building a suspenful plot that contains numerous twists and turns the average reader won't be able to predict.

Anyone with teens and pre-teens should be buying this great book as a favor to their young readers.

And by the way, adults will enjoy it too! I certainly did. ... Read more

Book Description

The three-time Caldecott medalist tells the tale of two ants who decide to leave the safety of the others to venture into a danger-laden kitchen. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

"Two Bad Ants" learn a valuable life-lesson.
"Two Bad Ants" was first published over ten years ago, but I somehow overlooked it. This gem is worth adding to your collection of children's books, and it's one that children enjoy hearing over and over again. Best of all, "Two Bad Ants" is a book that YOU won't tire of READING aloud to your kids!! What I love about this book is that Van Allsburg isn't afraid to use big words in a book for children; simplistic books are great for kids who are trying to learn to read, but they need books with more complicated vocabulary in order to increase their understanding of language. Van Allsburg really delivers with this well-written, suspenseful, entertaining tale of two ants who discover a scary world they'd never dreamed existed: a modern kitchen, replete with electrical appliances and the inherent dangers thereof. Van Allsburg delivers the story's message simply and directly on the last page of the book: the ants learn that they belong at home and that will be happiest in their familiar surroundings. The easy life they'd envisioned could be theirs in the strange new indoor world of the house was more dangerous than they could have imagined, and wasn't worth the trouble.

The drawings are simple and clean, and the color-pallette is limited, which makes for fewer distractions. The artwork is really fantastic, but the vivid pictures Van Allsburg draws with his rich, descriptive complex sentences are even more satisfying. This is a book that my children and I will enjoy for years to come.

"Two Bad Ants"
If you are looking for a great kids book, I recommend the book by Chris Van Allsburg, Two Bad Ants. This book captivates the reader with its descriptive text as well as its exciting story line. The book is about two ants who, instead of helping t