Book Description

LaVaughn is fifteen now, and she's still fiercely determined to go to college. But that's the only thing she's sure about. Loyalty to her father bubbles up as her mother grows closer to a new man. The two girls she used to do everything with have chosen a path LaVaughn wants no part of. And then there's Jody. LaVaughn can't believe how gorgeous he is...or how confusing. He acts like he's in love with her, but is he? ... Read more

Reviews (32)

True Believer
Not only by seeing that this book won the 2001 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, it also looks and is a favorite to me. I haven't read any book like this ever before. It was amazing and most interesting book before. True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff just blew my heart away! Wolff has such vivid thoughts and such a writing ability to tell everyone how it really is to be a teenager. This book would be recommended to the ages of 13 and to adult; however some people might think that this is unnecessary because they talk about some futures about kid's personalities, such as the group called, "Cross Your Legs for Jesus." The young girl who is put through boys, school and just plain life is named Verna LaVaughn. Some of her friends joined an organization that is met together a lot and can hardly hang out with people of their own religion. Which is very disturbing but it shows how this stereotype can cause such a disturbance in a relationship with friends and even family.
Throughout this book LaVaughn has to deal with conflicts such as moving, love, and school. LaVaughn and her mother are moving because her mother fell in love, or should I say hatred. When her mother found out about what this man was doing to her she felt uncomfortable and she thought that he was irresponsible and just plain wrong. The most important detail is love. LaVaughn falls in love with a young gentleman she knew since she was a little girl and she also has a boy that falls in love with her. Jody on the other hand my be cute and smell like chlorine (he's a swimmer) but he may no be the right kind of guy for LaVaughn.Why is that? Well one day Jody was at the house, "sick", and LaVaughn wanted to bake some cookies and bring them over to make him feel better. Well as soon as she got in there she saw someone kissing him! Was it a guy or was it a girl? This book helps teenagers and even adults/parents realize how life may be in a different world or way. True Believer also shows school. A child's necessity to live and to grow up with is knowledge. LaVaughn goes to a school where you can get the knowledge by going to the Grammar build up you might have missed in 6th, 7th or 8th grade. This you will definitely need for college/ school. There is even a science class that is higher then normal level (these days called AP classes).
The cover of the book looked strange to me before I read it because it had a fish and two people looking as if they were getting ready to kiss, but now that I read it shows what she experienced from her life. By reading this book is shows me how lucky I am to have all the family, friends, teachers and other grown men and women I have around me. Thinking of the title True Believer, Virginia Euwer Wolff makes such excellent point of views and has great "imagination" as if she was the one girl who got all of this treatment and experienced of the exciting things that might happen in our life. LaVaughn feels as if she was real and she was one of my friends who needed help in her life. I will always be there for my friends and family by reading what happened to people in this amazing five star book!

A Great Read!
I didn't much care for "Make Lemonade", but "True Believer" is one heck of a great read! I could not put it down! There is just so much about this book that reads true-to-life, it's hard for me to site examples. LaVaughn is now a real person to me, a complex young woman struggling to find herself in a very confusing time and place. Her waxing and waning relationship with her two best friends, and her (hopeful) beginning of romance with Jody, the handsome boy-next-door are perfectly tragic-comedic! And I just love the name of the religious group LaVaughn's friends join to maintain their virginity---Cross Your Legs for Jesus. Such warmth and humor and heartbreakingly realistic writing make this a book teens and young adults can easily relate to. And congratulations to Wolff for winning the National Book Award---this book deserves the honor.

True Believer by A True Believer
"This is the way it has turned out.
I feast my eyes on this amazing birthday
and I think I can live with the way life is.
I say in my heart,
Guy, your daughter is sixteen.
How do you feel about that."-Virginia Euwer Wolff, True Believer, pg.264

Verna LaVaughn(goes by LaVaughn) starts another year of high school. Her old neighbor moves back to her apartment, the last time they saw each other was in 4th grade and now he's totally gorgeous. She is moved up to an advanced biology, with a partner who is a really good friend but he is definitely not the boyfriend type. What will LaVaugn do when she sees her neighbor doing something shocking and her lab partner tells her something she would never dream of hearing?

I would give this novel by Virginia Euwer Wolff five stars because it is a wonderful novel. It is written in an unique format so it seems very different and interesting. The format is poetry. The whole novel is written in poems by LaVaughn. It's really cool. It's also a real page turner. I read this book ever chance I got, I never wanted to put it down. This is a great book to read when you want to sit down and relax. It has such great, warm characters. I felt like I actually knew LaVaughn. I really liked the par when she was fantasizing about the dance. It seemed very real.

Verna LaVaughn is a very realistic teenage high school student that goes through many normal problems and events throughout her school year. Sometimes she can be a little too full of herself. She sometimes thinks she knows everything, which can and does cause problems with her friends and mother. LaVaughn and her mother really want her to go to college. It is pretty rare for people from her dangerous town to go to college. LaVaughn and her two best friends don't agree about their beliefs and it causes LaVaughn to question her personality quite a bit. Throughout the novel you see signs of LaVaughn's insecurity.

An important scene in True Believer is when LaVaughn gets moved to an advanced biology class and has a new lab partner. Being in the advanced Biology class helps LaVaughn decide her career path. This class also causes some problems in her life. Like when someone declares their love for her and when she might flunk out of it. Without this advanced class the story would not have developed. Another key scene in the novel is when LaVaughn and Jody go to the dance together it causes LaVaughn to change her feelings about him and it also causes a little heartbreak. The dance is LaVaughn and Jody's first date, it is very important to the novel.

I loved True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff. She did an awesome job developing characters and conflicts. Anyone who likes books written in a unique format would love this book. It is also great for people who like their books with a hint of romance and suspense. It is a wonderfully written young adult novel.

Amazing and astounding
True Believer is a really great book that all teens will enjoy. I recommend it to anyone that likes a book that you can never put down.This book is one of those books that anyone can relate to. This book talks about trouble that most teens go through or will go through. The main character is a very funny, normal teenage girl. She will go through hard times in school, at home, with friends, ect. but make it into a joke. Anyone who picks this book up will enjoy a wonderful book.

I am now a True Believer!
This is an amazing story about how a girl is tring to over come obsticals in life that face her now.She is having trouble in school, trouble with her mom,and trouble with boys. This is a great book that people of all ages would enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description

What do you do without
your best friend?

Jamie isn't afraid of anything. Always ready to get into trouble, then right back out of it, he's a fun and exasperating best friend.

But when something terrible happens to Jamie, his best friend has to face the tragedy alone. Without Jamie, there are so many impossible questions to answer -- how can your best friend be gone forever? How can some things, like playing games in the sun or the taste of the blackberries that Jamie loved, go on without him?

Reviews (36)

Touching, A Good Conversation Starter
I read A Taste of Blackberries as required reading in a Children's Literature class in college. It's the story of a young boy and how he deals with the sudden death of his best friend due to an allergic reaction to a bee sting. My mother had died unexpectedly of a heart attack only weeks before I read it. I'm so glad our instructor chose to include this book in our curriculum! It gave me the opportunity I needed to participate in class discussions of the fears and pain associated with death. And I found I was not alone. Many among us had already lost someone dear to them. Death is a univeral experience, and yet one for which I, and many of my classmates had been totally unprepared. I wish I had been exposed more to that particular reality of life as a child and believe that A Taste of Blackberries opens the door for just such discussions between parent and child or between children and their friends. I find, because it is fiction, that it can be an easy way to broach a difficult and frightening subject with children, then encourage a sharing of feelings.

I'd like also to say that this is a fairly short book, written for children. It does not deal with all of the more complex, dark issues and feelings that can be associated with death, nor should it. As I said it's written for kids. I personally found the ending of the book to be realistic, yet uplifting and hopeful.

A Taste Of Blackberries
I came across this book in my sister's bedroom. She's only 7 and i think one of her teachers recommended it to her. Anyways, i picked it up and began reading it for no particular reason. This is a fantastic book. This will become my 2nd favorite book. I'm only in high school but this book moved me deeply. I'm not ashamed to say that i cried while i was reading it. This is such a touching story and i'm sad that jamie had to die but i liked the way that the book ending. It didn't end up really sad. ( i hate sad endings) Normally i don't like books where people die but in this book it was so pure and simple that i don't mind it. I would recommend this book to anyone it is a wonderful book that everyone needs to read. The most heartwarming part of this book is where the main character offered (silently) to be Jamie's mom's "substitue son." That part made me cry too. The most interesting part of this book is that the name of the character is never revealed. It makes the story seem so much more personal, as if the reader is actually the main character and is experiencing everything along with him. I can't tell you how many times i love this book, but i love this book! Read it or else you are missing out on one of the best books ever written! :-)

Trouble at The Blackberries
What would you do if your best freind died? In A Taste of Blackberries By Doris Buchanan Smith the narrator's best freind dies. Jaime and the narrator are best freind. They go to the blackberry patch together. One day the ambulance came and something happened to someone. If you want to now what happened read this book. If you like sad books thi is the book you want to read. I recommend this book to everybody.

A 31 year old taken back to simpler times...
As I was researching a recipe for blackberry cobbler, I was reminded of this book that I read over 20 years ago. By reading reviews from 10-12 yrs. olds, I was swept back to my childhood and was suddenly 10 again!
Even though I haven't read the book since I was a child, the memory of it is still as crisp as ever! I remember this was the first book that gripped me and made me feel something. All others before it were jouvenile and emotionless.
"The Taste of Blackberries" made me fall in love with reading. As I purchase it again today, I will make sure it's a story read over and over again to my children, and by my children! I HIGHLY recommend this!!

Sad but Uplifting
I also read this book over 20 years ago for the first time. I still have my own copy and every couple of years I re-read it. It deals with the friendship between 2 boys and also about how the surviving boy deals with the "too early" death of a friend due to an allergic reaction to a bee sting. It is a fantastic book and one of the few that I have kept from my child hood. I highly recommend it for readers. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

and beautiful illustrations
Mem Fox's _Tough Boris_ is a picture book about Boris Von Der Borch and his gang of pirates. The text is very simple. Basically, it simply states "Boris was greedy." for one pair of pages, and then "All pirates are greedy." on the next pair, and then substitutes other words for greedy, like "massive," and "scruffy," etc.

The pictures tell the story, though. Boris and his group find a treasure chest, filled with treasure and a violin. The crew drags the treasure chest aboard the ship, and divvies up the loot. A boy steals the violin from Boris's room, and Boris seeks the boy out for punishment. The boy plays the violin so well, however, that Boris has him spared. Next, Boris' pet parrot dies, and gets a solemn and appropriate burial at sea, in the violin case. Boris and all the pirates are very sad, and, as the text states, "all pirates cry."

This book required repeated readings with my 3-year old to get the whole story. The simple text says so little, but in the end the text complements the illustrations well.

Kathryn Brown's illustrations are wonderful. The colors are bright, and the renderings of the pirates are fantastic. They are the best pirates I've seen in over a dozen pirate picture books. While I'm at it, I'll salute the author and illustrator together for creating a pirate picture book which doesn't include any battles, swordplay, cannons, or gunplay.

I give _Tough Boris_ 5 stars.

ken32

More Than Just A Book About A Pirate
All of the other reviews focus on this book describing a pirate who has feelings besides just being tough. But this book is MUCH more! It lets children know that death/saddness happens to everyone and it is ok to be sad and cry about it, that crying is a good way to express yourself. It is a good book to prep children for the inevitable things that happen in life...it should be read often...before something inevitable happens. I read this book often in my preschool class and found that the girls enjoyed the story just as much as the boys.

See Both Sides
This is a simple but sweet story about a pirate who is many things in addition to being tough. My three year old loves this book.

An eye-opener for a tough little pirate
We found this book just when my 3-year old was going through his "tough pirate" phase, so the timing was perfect. It showed him that pirates are rough and tough, but they cry, too (like all of us). The illustrations tell a story not told in words that's very touching.

This book teaches a great lesson to the children
Tough Boris is a book I would recommend reading to children. The writer and illustrator do a good job working together and portraying how Tough Boris is tough but not heartless. This book would also teaches a good lesson to the readers, that is not all people that look tough, fearless, scary, and greedy are heartless. ... Read more

Book Description

Clover has always wondered why a fence separates the black side of town from the white side. But this summer when Annie, a white girl from the other side, begins to sit on the fence, Clover grows more curious about the reason why the fence is there and about the daring girl who sits on it, rain or shine. And one day, feeling very brave, Clover approaches Annie. After all, why should a fence stand in the way of friendship?

Beautifully rendered in Earl B. Lewis's striking, lifelike watercolor illustrations, Jacqueline Woodson gives us a moving, lyrical narrative told in the hopeful voice of a child confused about the fence someone else has built in her yard and the racial tension that divides her world. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A must have for the 3-5 grade classroom
This is a touching story about how children don't see black and white, but see potential friendship and possibilities. Two little girls learn how to work around "the fence" that adults have constructed and find a friend. For teachers, this is a fabulous book for teaching questioning strategies in reading. The illustrations are wonderful.

A Poignant tale reflecting America's "Apartheid"
What baby boomer cannot relate to a book that portrays the "dividing line" that separated blacks and whites in this country prior to the Civil Rights Movement!!!

This story shows two youngsters, one black and one white, that come to bridge the gap by making a simple gesture of sitting on the fence that comes between their two homes.

Such a simple act has great power and the book is perfect for primary and elementary learners, thought-provoking and beautifully illustrated.

On the Fence
This picture book is an excellent book. It helps explain in simple terms what life was like during the civil war. The story involves two girls, one is white, the other is African American. They live on either side of a fence. Their mothers tell them that they can not cross the fence, the girls listen to their mothers for a while and sit on the fence but never crossing it. After a while the girls eventually cross the fence, and suprisingly no one seems to mind, so they continue their friendship.

Top Choice
Moving, simple, perfect. It needs to be in every library, and dare I say every home. It is one of those rare read alouds that will hold children ages 5-12 spellbound. A great choice for literature circles, it's especially strong for questioning.

The Fence.....
"That summer the fence that stretched through our town seemed bigger. We lived in a yellow house on one side of it. White people lived on the other. And Mama said, "Don't climb over that fence when you play." She said it wasn't safe..." Soon our narrator, Clover, sees a little white girl, Annie, hanging on the fence and staring into their yard, day after day. She was always alone. Finally, one day Clover gets close enough to the fence to talk to the little girl. They exchange names, and smiles, and pretty soon the two are sitting together on top of the fence. "My mama says I shouldn't go on the other side," I said. "My mama says the same thing. But she never said nothing about sitting on it." "Neither did mine," I said. That summer me and Annie sat on that fence and watched the whole wide world around us..." Jacqueline Woodson's eloquent and understated prose captures the feel of the old South in the 1950's, before integration, and is both poignant and uplifting. E B Lewis's elegant watercolors complement the text with expressive heartwarming and lifelike illustrations in soft summer tones. Together, word and art paint an engaging portrait of times gone by with a gentle message that won't be lost on young readers. Perfect for youngsters 7-10, or as a read aloud for younger children, The Other Side is a sensitive and evocative story, told with great insight, wisdom, and truth. "Someday somebody's going to come along and knock this old fence down," Annie said. And I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "Someday." ... Read more

Reviews (25)

A light and glamorous comedy
Did you like THE A-LIST? How about the Gossip Girl series? GIRLS ON FILM is another light and glamorous read about the lives of rich and beautiful teens. If this series were on TV, it would be on the WB.

GIRLS ON FILM continues the story of Anna Percy, a New York transplant in Beverly Hills. Anna is still trying to avoid Ben and his lies, but now she has bigger problems when her sister Susan leaves rehab and comes to L.A. The other girls in school who were rejected by Ben also continue to try and make her life miserable.

Nice guy Adam has possibilities, but he can't make her forget Ben. A new internship is harder than she thought, and a family emergency may cut that opportunity short.

THE A-LIST plot loses some steam in this book. Readers will cringe at Anna's choices and possibly at the surprising ending. While she was determined to stand on her own feet in L.A. during THE A-LIST, here she is bogged down with guy concerns. Cammie is a bit of a revenging female catty stereotype here, and Anna's tentative new friendship with Sam seems untrustworthy as well.

The setting and family issues keep this one above water, though, as readers will fantasize about having refreshments at the Beverly Hills Hotel and making movies for school assignments at a posh spa. Anna's new interest in writing should give her refreshing new goals and plots in future books, too. Anna, her family and the sparkling atmosphere will keep readers interested.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

BEST BEACH READ EVER!!!
If you want the best book you can pack to take along on vacation, this is it. I'd call it pop fiction for girls with a functional brain. Anna, the heroine of this series is smart and literate -- definitely not an airhead. But since she's arrived in Beverly Hills from her rich New York prep school life, things haven't gone smoothly. She is determined to break out of her "good girl" box, which means, guys, adventures and did I mention guys? There's a great combo of reality (the kids having sex, doing drugs, being dysfunctional) and fantasy (the kids having great sex with hot guys, money to burn and every top label everything of your dreams). I like GOSSIP GIRL, but in my opinion this is a vastly superior series. Not only is it hilarious, you can actually root for Anna, and you won't regret it the morning. I heard Zoey Dean is a grad student at UCLA who actually lived a lot of what is in this series. It certainly reads like an inside job!! This is the best!!!!

I appluad Zoey Dean for single-handidly lowering the bar.
And I completely promise, no spoilers.

A-List sucked, plain and simple. First you have your Anna Percy, aka WTF?-girl. She has no real personality. Sure, she's tall, lithe, blond, and you're reminded of this every paragraph, but it seems Ms. Dean has used this as some sort of excuse for having no real character personality, unless you can call "boring-as-all-hell" an attribute. You make the call.

Then you have the proverbial bitch-on-wheels trio, Cammie, Sam, and Dee. As if their names and their one-syllable genericness wasn't enough to piss you off just by reading them, I have more bad news: they suck. In the first book, Zoey Dean made them out to be some sort of unbreakable trio, with Dee and Sam being Cammie's bitches. Well, here's the reality: Dee just kind of gives a bad name for blond people, as if Dee wasn't a bad enough name to begin with, and Sam sort of befriends Anna and has sexual urges towards her. Oops, as it turns out, the clique is actually not-so tight after all! Turns out nobody's afraid of Cammie either!

Speaking of, I hate Cammie. She's not mean, and her dialogue just doesn't flow right. Not that anyone else's dialogue flows right, but hers is just plain annoying. Oh yeah, then there's some girl named Susan who has a big ass. She's Anna's sister with an alcohol-addled mind and trust me, you won't like her.

Next, we have Ben. Oh God, he totally rescues the whole book from a fiery death. Just kidding--you'll find no personality here either! After macking it with his underaged cousin and becoming a freaky freak who stalks Anna "So-Not-Worth-It" Percy and at random points starts acting all gay and "OMG I WANT YOU BACK LOL I WANT TO BONE YOU ANNA!!", he finally gets his girl back and then they allegedly have kinky hotel-room sex. ALLEGEDLY.

Oh yeah, and as for his ditching Anna excuse on New Year's Eve? Nope, it wasn't a drugged up movie star--it was his dad gambling away the family fortune! Oh yeah, and about those no-spoiler warnings? Tee-hee, I was just messing with your mind.

So that's the big surprise of the book. He couldn't tell Anna the truth, even though the truth was still a lot more better than his actual lie. It like that at that point, Dean expects us to go, "Oh my goodness! What a complete plot twist! I wonder if Anna will get back with Ben? Let's go host an orgy!"

But this review isn't entirely bitter. There is one good attribute to this book. His name is Adam. He is the only character who might even be interesting, but of course we don't want to see any interesting characters! We want the rich and bland good-looking ones, not the only character that might actually have a well-developed personality. Heavens no.

This book sucks. Anna bitches the whole time about how much Ben hurt her. Darling, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you're smart then you should know that bad boys are bad for a reason. If you want to have someone love you for your personality and not just for what's beneath your belt, date a Carebear.

Wow!
I loved this book! It's the perfect book to read this summer, and it's really popular with a lot of my friends! I gave it to my best friend and i got it back a month later and like 10 people read it! It's the 2nd a-list novel by Zoey Dean. It continues on from the first one when she goes back to high school. The ending was a little cut off, but other than that it was a great book and I really enjoyed it!

great book!
This book is great! Though it seems like a gossip girl wannabe, (it is) it actually is a pretty good book. This book really shows you how high school really is. How your best friend can be your worse enemy, how there's always a bitchy girl (like cammie)in your school. no matter what you do. I actually liked the first one better. The ending to this book ruined it. The author dosen't give enough personality to the characters. The plot is pretty good, better than the characters at least. What i liked about the first book is that you can't put it down. This book? At some parts i could barely finish it! I wanted to chuck this book out the window with the ending! Hopefully there will be a thrid one and it will fix the ending. There better be... Well, if you liked the first one, i'm sure you'll like this one! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

No son, the bum in the park is _not_ a suitable playmate!
A child loses his teddy; it is found by a park derelict; who meets and becomes friends with the boy despite the obvious discomfort of the boy's parents. BZZZTTT!!! David McPhail picked the wrong year to write a book about warm, fuzzy homeless people. Why didn't he make the other character a poor child, or a lonely soldier on station far from home, or something like that? In this year of appalling, highly-publicized child abductions, the lesson couldn't be any clearer: children should be instructed to view street people as dangerous until proven otherwise. If McPhail wants to join the ranks of those who make mascots of these people, that's his business. But it is the height of irresponsibility to teach unsuspecting children to do the same.

heart felt and compassion
This book is wonderful. The boy loses his teddy bear and a homeless man finds it. I have used this book to try to explain to my son that there are alot of people who have nothing. He is starting to understand that the boy gave up the bear to the homeless man at the end because the boy realized he had so much more than the man. Now my son wants to give his bear to someone who has less.

A Heartwarming Tale
After reading THE TEDDY BEAR aloud to groups of second graders, I felt compelled to share this wonderful book with others. It's a heartwarming tale of friendship and compassion that children can easily relate to. It brought tears to many eyes. Children and adults will both benefit from reading this book. David McPhail's illustrations are brilliant.

Warmly brought to life with soft color illustrations
Charmingly written and illustrated by David McPhail, The Teddy Bear is the story of a young boy who loves his plush stuffed toy... but when he outgrows it and throws it away, a homeless man takes it for comfort. One day, the homeless man loses his beloved bear, and the boy finds and returns it to him. The Teddy Bear is a highly recommended tale of compassion, warmly brought to life with soft color illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

Badger's friends are sad when he dies but treasure the memories he left them. "The gentle message holds particular validity for children and is conveyed in a tenderhearted. ..manner."-- Book1ist. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Too abstract for young children
I am the parent of a 2 and 4 year old, and bought this book because I needed to explain to them about death. I was looking for a book to explain the death of someone who wasn't old or sick for very long and who didn't get to say goodby to his friends. This book was not the right one for my purposes.

I found it to be too abstract. Badger doesn't die, he goes down a "long tunnel." Also, he appears to either have been sick for a while or simply coming to the end of a long full life.

If you have older children, ages 8 to 10, and they already understand about death, then perhaps this book could be comforting. Then again, it might just make them afraid of long tunnels.

Barder's Parting Gifts
Badger's Paring Gifts is a sad yet happy story. Badger was someone who everyone loved and could talk to. He helped them in many ways. The greatest gift Badger left them was the one of memories.

Even though this is a sad, also happy story, I would definatley recommend this book. This story teaches that no matter what you will always have the memories you shared between you and your loved ones.

Lynsi

Badger was too brief.
I did like this book a lot. It deals with death in a non-threatening and simple way. However, I thought the book was too brief and I did not empathize well enough with the characters. The illustrations are wonderfully drawn and the creatures are very humanistic. I would recommend this book for young children.

A touching, deft treatment of a painful subject.
From the wonderful artwork to the marvelous characters, this book is a touching look at death, and how life goes on. Badger's friends are saddened by his passing, but they come to realize that everyone lives on through their gifts of kindness and the happy memories that remain. Only one caution: if you've experienced the loss of a "Badger" in your own life, this book can reduce you to tears in about five minutes (said from experience!) Cleansing, ultimately uplifting, but may be harder on adults than kids... Highly recommended.

A book for anyone who has lost someone they love
Susan Varley is amazing. I've read everything I can find written for children about death, and this is by far the best. And it's not just for kids. I bought this book to share with my children after my brother's death five years ago. They seemed to connect with it, but I think it spoke even more to me than it did to them. We've since experienced other losses, and this is always the first book that comes off the shelves. I'm now buying copies for an adult friend who lost his father, and elementary school classmates of my sons' whose mother just died from cancer. If you or someone you care about are grieving, try this book. You may find some smiles amidst the tears. ... Read more

Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author Maria Shriver comes a poignant and compassionate story about one family coping with Alzheimer's disease and memory loss. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

ANOTHER GREAT RESOURCE ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S FOR CHILDREN
Contrary to popular belief, Ms. Shriver's book wasn't actually the first book that was geared toward children in an attempt to help them have a better understanding about Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Ann Frantti wrote a book entitled "Grandma's Cobwebs" several years ago on this same topic. Not only does her book explain the workings of this dreadful disease, it also has a supplementary booklet that has FAQs to help parents with any questions their children may have.

Unfortunately, Dr. Frantti doesn't have the benefit of Ms. Shriver's "star power" in terms of getting publicity about "Grandma's Cobwebs," but her book is excellent.

Excellent For Children -1st Lady Shriver WINS!!!
Well written with warmth, Maria Shriver does an excellent job of helping grandchildren understand-what even some adults may not fully know- about the battlefield of the aged minds.
The Knowledge we as Authors share, produces a well informed future generation.

Lovely Resource
It is hard enough for an adult to understand what it all means when a loved one is stricken with Alzheimer's, let alone a child. Maria has done a marvelous job of explaining it all in terms that will help your children, as well as yourself, understand, accept and cope with one of the hardest times a family can face.
Jacqueline Marcell, Edlercare Advocate, and author of Elder Rage.

very helpful
It is good to have a book to read to children that will help them cope with a grandparent with Altzheimer's! I especially liked the expression of the many feelings that the book characters had. It made talking about feelings that we have easier. I think we will be reading this from time to time to keep in touch with each other through the process of this disease and how it relates to our family. Thank you for carrying it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Cute but incomplete book about saying goodbye
The little bear says goodbye to his old house. But the book is about an ENDING in life, and doesn't talk about the BEGINNING of what's to come. This book is sad, I think.

Fantastic!
When we planned our cross country move I purchased several children's books that dealt with the subject to read to my two children. This was our favorite. It is a heart warming story about saying goodbye to the house but not to the happy memories. We even walked around our empty house after the moving van had left to say goodbye just as the bear family does in Goodbye House. I am filled with happy memories of our old home every time I read it.

simple plot, but it hooked my 2-year old
The plot of _Goodbye House_: Baby Bear and his parents have packed up the moving van. Baby Bear realizes he has forgotten something, so Baby Bear, Mama Bear, and Papa Bear venture back inside.

But the house is empty! Father bear then says, "But what about the memories?" Papa then carries baby bear around the house, and they say goodbye to each room, to the walls and ceilings, and in the back yard they say goodbye to the fence, and other objects.

After they leave the house and lock the front door, they get back in the moving van and drive away. Baby bear exclaims that he realizes he forgot to say 'goodbye.'

It's a touching book, and it's easy to animate your voice a little bit to make the book funny and playful.

I know you're thinking there's not much to the plot, but my 2 year old son (he was 20 months when we first started reading this book) just LOVES it. When I tell it, I give papa bear's voice a really rough edge, a deep sound, and a New York accent. My son now joins in with me when I bust out with "What about the memories" like an actor in a gangster film. He roars with laughter. And when we're done reading the book, he usually wants me to read it one more time.

I heartily recommend _Goodbye House_ to any families with toddlers, 18 months to 3 years. I also recommend it to any families with children aged 18 months to 5 years who are moving to a new house.

The paperback version is SO inexpensive. For a few dollars more you can add this to your amazon book order. You won't be disappointed.

ken32. ... Read more

Book Description

Don’t Laugh at Me

Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin / Illustrations by Glin Dibley

Afterword by Peter Yarrow

I’m fat, I’m thin. I’m short, I’m tall. I’m deaf, I’m blind.

Hey, aren’t we all?

With these words the chart-topping song of the samename has percolated through schools and camps across North America with its unforgettable message of acceptance and pride. The Don’t Laugh at Me Project, inspired by the text of this book, asks kids to raise their voices to create ridicule-free environments. Those voices are now brought into full-color harmony through rich, emotionally engaging illustrations.

Legions of children are eager to learn a new language and stop the cycle of teasing. Hey, aren’t we all? ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Must-Read for children and adults
I recently bought this book for my three grandchildren. It was an instant hit as it taught them about the pain caused by laughing at people. It is a must read for children as well as adults. We all forget how hard it is to be the square peg in the round hole and little reminders like this book keep us compassionate, tolerant, and kinder.
The CD that came with the book was an added surprise that I found to be heartwarming.
I highly recommend this book, especially when used in a classroom.

A Must Have for the Elementary School Classroom
I used the accompanying CD to read-aloud the book and my first grade students were immediately drawn in and enthralled with both the book and the music. The least sensitive child in my class who is the first to call other students names was listening with a peaceful and loving expression of compassion and serenity on his face. Listening to the song launched some wonderful discussions when I asked students to recall and share about their feelings when someone called them names, and then to recall and share about their feelings when they called someone else names. I was overwhelmed when one of my students realized and shared that the reason that she called people names was because she was angry with them. We were able to use this as a springboard for conflict resolution and ways to share our feelings without hurting someone else's.

Kids are counting on us, and this book will help
I first heard the song "Don't laugh at me" through Challenge Day, and the impact of the song on the young people present was huge. I was delighted to find that there was a book version of this uplifting message. The fact that the lyric-writer uses words that stereotype in his message is not an indictment of those who may [or may not] fit that category - it's an indictment of those who name-call and stereotype. My 5 year old understands the deeper meaning of the song/book in a way that, sadly, many adults fail to. If we listen to our children, they will tell us what we need to know, that teasing and name calling is wrong and they are counting on us to intervene. That's the true intention of this darling book. As a "secular" parent, I am not at all turned off by the suggestion that "in God's eyes we're all the same/someday we'll all have perfect wings." It can simply be an analogy that each of us perfect in the eyes of any loving parent or friend.

Well...they tried...
What caught my eye was the picture of the red-headed kid on the cover... I study stereotypes and I rolled my eyes, just great, another kids book with nerds. Then I read the title and my hopes lifted. And with the first verse, those hopes went splat. While it might appear to be nice, to show kindness to the nerd and not have people laugh at him, the fact that they use the word geek and enforce the stereotype with the accompanying picture negates any effect. They should have take out the sci-fi poster, calculator watch, etc. and just showed a kid reading refering to him as "the smart kid" or "the shy kid", after all the book doesn't call the "slow kid" the "dumb kid". Poor little nerd.
The book wraps up with some religious stuff and how they'll all have wings "in the end" which will probably turn of secular parents and anyone detecting some morbidness in there.

All in all, corny, strange and anti-nerd.

Well, I'll give them credit for trying...

A Book Everyone Needs To Read
This book is recomended for all ages. I think that this book teaches everyone a vauble lesson. Laughing and making fun of someone is not nice to do. but, some people do it anyway. It makes you think twice about your words and actions toward other people who are different than you. Nobody would like it if it happened to them. So i think that this is a great book that everyone needs to read. Everyone who does read this book will enjoy it a lot. So i hope you will read and enjoy this book Don't Laugh At Me!!! ... Read more

Book Description

DON'T BE A MENACE ON SUNDAYS! is the seventh book in the successful EMOTIONAL IMPACT SERIES.In this timely book, Dr. Adolph Moser discusses the kinds of violence that threaten the lives of children and the overwhelming influences that can move them to become violent themselves.He offers young readers important information and positive suggestions that can help them stay out of harm's way and keep out of trouble. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great
This 60-page picture book contains simple language easily read by first and second graders (on a par with Dr. Suess), to teach children why people are violent, and how they can avoid trouble. It is best suited for children up to about 10 or 11.

Much as we might like to, it's a mistake to teach children that no one ever hurts others, and Moser doesn't try. He starts by telling kids the truth--every day someone hits, kicks or shoots someone.

Why do people behave so violently? Sometimes, they do so because they want things that belong to others, or want to tell them what to do. Sometimes they are so angry they can't control themselves or they want attention.

Sometimes they have seen too much violence on TV, in movies or in video games, which can all make violence look and sound exciting. Children may think, "Wow, those things look like fun." They want to drive fast cars and smash them, learn how to fight and knock people down or get a gun and shoot it. They may even want to learn to make bombs and blow up buildings.

This book, published in 2001, may well have been written after September 11. The simple illustrations definitely suggest the terrible pain of that trauma, albeit in as non-threatening a way as possible. The story also explains that while it may be fun to watch people do violent things in movies, games and on TV, they are pretend. When the shows and games end, the actors go home.

But in real life, it is not fun to be threatened. People can be hurt by violence. They can really die. It's not fun to be in a car wreck, knocked around by a school yard bully or to have a gun aimed at you. Getting shot is not fun.

Violence is not new to the world, Moser explains. For thousands of years, people fought, using their fists, and their teeth, and later on, rocks, clubs, knives, spears, bows and arrows and finally guns.

None of these things are good or bad, the author explains. "They are simply tools." Guns and spears, bows and arrows can be good for hunting and knives may be used to cut meat and vegetables.

But sometimes people use tools as weapons. Robbers carry guns to steal from others, and sometimes kill.

People who do these things are a menace to themselves and others. Why would anyone want to be a menace? They shoot and kill other people, hurting the friends and families of their victims. Sometimes their victims are little children.

About 2/3 through, the author turns to 10 methods kids can use to deal with these problems. Some will help children shape their own attitudes towards violent individuals who can hurt themselves and others. Others concern how kids should consider violent games and TV and things they can do instead of watching or playing such things.

The tools offered here are sensible and should help children understand the dangers around them, how they can react responsibly to others' violent actions and how they might channel their own anger. Alyssa A. Lappen ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Even when Roberto was little, he went against the grain. Like mosttermites, he melted over maple, and pined for pine. Oak was okay, too. ButRoberto didn't eat his food. He played with it."

Young Roberto has a burning desire to become an architect. Even when the othertermites mock his ambition, Roberto is never derailed from his dream. So, likeso many career-minded youth, this mite with a mission sets off for the big,buggy city. Here, sadly, he is thwarted by his heroes, Hank Floyd Mite and FleasVan Der Rohe. But this inspired insect decides not to wallow in his sorrows butto help out other bugs with even greater problems. Soon, a fantastic, eclectichousing development is in the works. The mysterious architect chooses to remainanonymous, but ultimately can't avoid the grateful adulation of the carpenterants, ladybugs, and house flies he has helped.

Nina Laden's fantastic collages use old catalog and magazine images, blueprints,cork veneer, and lots more, to create buildings, cities, and buggy creatures thelikes of which you've never seen. The Leaning Tower of Pisa tilts away from theEmpire State Building, with Gaudi's quirky sculptural edifices looming nearby.Some of the hilarious wordplay may fly over the heads of non-architects, but theoverall humorous effect--and the go-for-your-goals message--will not be lost onanyone. For more charming and artistic pun-ishment, try Laden's When Pigasso Met Mootisse.(Ages 6 to 11) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

My architect husband loves this book!
My husband just recently purchased this book. We both love it! I love the story line and how Roberto does not quite fit in with the other termites. He follows his dreams, and eventually, parent termites want their kids to be just like him! The illustrations in this book are also great!

A Terrific Little Termite!
From the beginning, Roberto was different. He loved his wood, but he'd always rather play with his food than eat it. More than anything he wanted to become a famous architect like his heroes, Hank Floyd Mite and Fleas Van Der Rohe. Belittled at home by the other termites and never taken seriously, Roberto sets off for the big city to "build his dreams." Life in the city is hard, and not just for Roberto. He meets all kinds of bugs with housing problems, including roaches chased from a diner, a housefly with no place to go and a poor ladybug whose house is on fire and children are gone. Marshalling all his determination, Roberto decides to build a new community, that will meet the needs of these out-of-luck bugs and maybe make his architect dreams come true at the same time..... Nina Laden has written and illustrated a delightful and amusing story with a most improbable hero and youngsters will be rooting for Roberto as he chases and finally realizes his heart's desire, in his bug eat bug world. Ms Laden's witty text, full of creative wordplay, will charm adults as well as children and her outstanding collage artwork, so full of wonderful detail, really brings this story to life. A terrific picture book for youngsters 4-8, Roberto the Insect Architect lets everyone know that with hard work, your dreams can come true.

Fantastically fun and ingeniously imaginative
A delightful story about a termite who overcomes all opposition to become a world renowned architect. The message that you can be anything you want to be is very obvious but the unusual characters and clever word play keep the book from sounding preachy. The illustrations are an integral part of this tale and greatly enhance the overall effect. My only reservation about this book is that while the length and format are ideal for younger children, many of the plays on words that make the story so enjoyable will only be understood by an older audience.

A Howard Roark for the termite set
Insect architects! This is an inspired little story with theunlikely prospect of a termite who dreams of building with wood instead of eating it.... Roberto sets off for the big buggy city in search of his dream.

The story is encouraging, and the wordplay witty but it's the fantastically funky collages that win you over. Laden uses all sorts of images... to create unreal insect edifaces. You'll find yourself staring at the quirky seussian architecture and chuckling at all the in-jokes.

A treat for the eyes and very fun! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Indispensible Resource For Those Dealing with AD(H)D Student
This book is an invaluable aide for parents, educators, and professionals dealing with the challenges faced by AD(H)D students in school. It is a book that can be given directly to students as well. Written in a clear, visually appealing format, it presents worksheets and quick exercises that guide the late grade school, middle school or high school student to an understanding of how this disorder affects their ability to learn. It provides information such as how to choose and adopt various study techniques that will help children with AD(H)D become successful students. It coaches students in using active study techniques to remember what they read, or to develop written reports. Students are not resistant to using the concepts because of how they are presented and is a book that has application to non ADHD students as well. I highly recommend this workbook and have found it much more much more useful that the "Putting on the Brakes" book by the same authors. Of all the self help books I have lent out to people, this is one that people use so much they forget to return it! I just keep buying more copies because I don't want to be without the book.

It makes sense to my students!
"Putting on the Break" has helped several of my students/clients understand what is really happening when they can not stop. One student's mom said, "This is the first time I see Laura interested in a book, any book. She explained why she has trouble paying attention like a pro. Thanks." The book gives the children a perspective they can relate to. Adults can be too wordy, the books helps them "see" and "feel" about ADHD. Thanks for making the book available in Spanish. We need more for the Spanish- speaking population. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (63)

AWESOME AWSOME AWSOME BOOK
I tend to read quite a few books in my spare time. Out of all of the books I have read I would say Whirligig is one of the best. It has a bit of tragedy, excitement, and friendship. Over all, it is a great book to read.
The book Whirligig is about a teenage boy named Brent. In the beginning he goes to a party that he wasn't invited to. Every thing seems to wrong for him and to top it all off he gets rejected by a girl he really likes. That's what happens at the beginning of the book.
At this point Brent, who is so drunk, tries to kill himself in a car crash. The only problem is, instead of killing himself he kills a young woman named Lea. he is charged with drunk driving and a fine from court. He also has to meet with Lea's mother.
The only thing Lea's mother requests of Brent, is for him to build four whirligigs in Washington, California, Florida, and Maine, the four corners of the United States. Lea's mother wants him to do this because Lea had a whirligig that brought her so much joy and Lea's mother wants to spread that joy.
Brent accepts this quest and sets out immediately. He goes to Washington first and can't find anywhere to stay at the campground. He asks a man who just arrived if he can stay in the same site as him. The man agrees and Brent stays in the tent next to him. Brent has trouble with his first whirligig but once he builds it he moves on.
Brent then travels to California. When he tries to check in at the hotel someone tries to steal his backpack but Brent notices. The clerk says they only take people not from the US so Brent answers some questions about Canada and the clerk lets him stay. Brent does much better when he builds his second whirligig. He then leaves the whirligig at the hotel.
He proceeds to his third destination, Florida. Here he gets a room and gets right to work on his whirligig. Some kids bother him and they make friends. The kids tell him a strong storm will destroy the whirligig. Brent thinks it is ok because he showed the kids who to make whirligigs and knows they will make more. Brent is nearing his final stop, Maine.
When Brent arrives in Maine he discovers that he left his whirligig book on the train. He begins to work on his best and final whirligig. He meets a young woman and makes a new friend. His last whirligig is three times as big as the other three. He is carrying the whirligig down the beach on his back looking for a good place to put it. He then comes across the woman's house. They walk through her garden and find a good place to put it.
I would suggest this book if you're looking for a good book to read. I give it a five star. I have read quite a few books and this is one if the best.

Whirligig
When I read the book Whirligig, I realized how precious life is. Before I read it, I had a very narrow mind when it came to seeing the beauty of life. The author, Paul Fleischman, did a great job with his style of writing. He wrote the book so that you could easily pull one of the many lessons out. In the beginning of the story, you meet Brent. He seems to be an average teenager, but he has a lot of emotional issues. Because of the fact that his family is always moving, he has a hard time fitting in, so he is always trying to be cool. When Brent goes to a party dressed wrong, and gets put down by a girl he likes, he attempts suicide. However, Brent does not succeed in his quest. Instead, he does something much worse. His actions cause someone that he hurt to ask him of one request; he has to build a whirligig in each in each corner of the United States. Though the task seemed unusual, Brent set off to keep the memory of all that he had taken, alive. As you read on, you follow Brent on his journey across the country as he meets new friends, makes new whirligigs, and discovers the meaning of life. In a way, the author wrote this book as if it were a whirligig itself. Like a whirligig, it has many different parts to it. It is colorful, sad, and beautiful. It will, and has touched many lives, and like a whirligig, I am sure that it will never cease to live.

Whirligig-One of those books
Whirligig is one of those books that is a interesting, unique story in a confusing content. I would definately reccommend this book, to a good reader!

5 stars for a great book!
WOW! I am a 14 year old male who loves to read. This book really sticks out when I think of all the books I've read, and trust me, I've read a lot. Although it is short (I read it in 3 3-4 hour incrimants) it still has a great plot and ends with no loose strings. Some other books I recommend are: Any book by Jack Weyland, Zel, Storyteller's Beads, Harry Potter series, The Hobbit, Holes, My Brother Sam is Dead, Small Steps, Shadow Spinner, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Lyddie.

Whirligig's
Whirligig is one of the best books I've read! In the beginning of the book, there is this new kid there (his name is Brent). One night he went with his new friend to a party (he had only been there for a few days). When he got there he saw this girl he liked. Brent went up to her and started to talk to her; she got very annoyed by him. So she yelled at him for him to leave her alone! Before Brent started to talk to her he got a little drunk. Then he left the party and got to his car and drove away. On the way home he got in a car accident and killed someone named Lea. All he wanted to do is get to know her. Lea's mom gave him the punnishment to go to California, Maine, Florida, and Washigton to build whirligigs. If you want to find out what whirligigs are and how he survives by himself traveling over the United States read this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The loveable, disaster-prone hero of Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key isback, this time in charge of his attention deficit disorder and ready to greetthe world as a normal kid--with the help of his new and improved meds, ofcourse. Now that Joey has a handle on his actions, he feels prepared to face themost mysterious member of his family--his estranged father, Carter Pigza. Heconvinces his skeptical mom to let him spend part of his summer vacation gettingto know his dad again. The only problem is that Joey's dad is just as wired asJoey used to be: "I looked over at his mouth, which never seemed to close--noteven the lips touched together--and it made me dizzy to listen to him." Carterbelieves that Joey can kick his ADD the way he himself kicked alcoholism--coldturkey. But when Carter flushes his meds, Joey has to decide if being friendswith his dad is worth losing his hard-won self-control. "That old Joey wascoming to get me and I couldn't do anything about it... I closed my eyes andtold myself to sleep while I could."

Jack Gantos's second book about Joey Pigza is just as delightful and soulful ashis first. Joey's attempts to keep the fragile peace in his life intact aretouching, and his intense longing to just be normal will mirror the feelings ofmost preteens, whether they have ADD or not. Joey Pigza may sometimes losecontrol, but he never loses his heart. This is an exceptional sequel. (Ages 10and older) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Reviews (102)

Summer Reading
Joey's dad convinces Joey's mom to let Joey stay with him for the summer. Things go haywire when Joey's dad gets rid of his medicine. This causes many problems. So, will he get his medicine back?

JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTEL is a great book for a
Gross and funny laugh.

Think about reading it.
Joey Pigza is a kid who is on medicine for his hyperactivity. He meets his dad.His dad doesn't like the fact that he is on meds for his hyperactivity, so he flushes his meds down the toilet. After that day, Joey starts to lose control. Will Joey ever get back on his meds? Read this book to find out. This book is for anyone who wants a good laugh and loves a crazy story. It is a great story; I would read it over and over again.

Six Star Review
The good news, Joey's got 6 weeks with his dad.
The bad news, He's a Maniac!

Yes, Pigza's in for a bumpy ride down crazy town.He's playing hooky, turning himself into the abominable snowman and other crazy things.Can Joey ever pull himself together long enough to escape a madman of his father?

Prepare to bust a gut laughing cause this book is 101%gauranteed to have your family laugh so hard, they'll barf.

The Best Book Ever
Joey Pigza Loses Control
Joey Pigza is not so normal, but when he goes and lives with his dad we find out that Joeys' dad (Carter) isn't normal either. After Carter flushes Joeys' patches down the toilet, Joey does many strange things, from eating 1,000,000 jelly packets to trying to get back to his mom in his dad's car. After a while,Joey figures out that he needs his patches. What do you think will happen? Will he get his medicine or will he loses control?


Joey Pigza Loses Control is a funny book to read, but it teaches you that adults aren't always right about things.

Joey Pigza Loses Control


I kind of liked the story because, it sounded interesting. I wanted to find out if Joey's visit was worth it. I also think that Jack Gantos is a good author.

This book is about a boy named Joey who goes to visit his dad for the first time. His mom always said bad things about Carter, Joey's dad, but Joey was determined to find out the truth and prove she was wrong. So can they forget about the past or will it always be there? Joey has a problem, he can't sit still, and sometimes he can get a little carried away or, he just loses it all together. Carter's problem is he doesn't know how to treat his son and he drinks a lot of alcohol. They both take medicine patches to keep themselves in control but when Joey's dad takes the patches away, do you think the visit will still be the same so-so summer together or will it be a memory to last a lifetime...

In my opinion, I think that kids with similar disorder like A.D.D can relate to Joey and understand things from his point of view. This book is also kind of funny, so it can be fun just to read for school or in your spare time.
... Read more

Book Description

My cat Barney died this Friday. I was very sad. My mother said we could have a funeral for him, and I should think of ten good things about Barney so I could tell them...

But the small boy who loved Barney can only think of nine. Later, while talking with his father, he discovers the tenth -- and begins to understand. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

An educational tool for the coping skills dealing with loss
This has been one of my favorite books, for myself, my friends, and for use in my work with children. The story is simple, touching, and gives a beautifully positive way to cope with any loss--remembering the good things. The story specifically deals with the death of a young boy's cat and the funeral that follows, as well as the concept of the circle of life. The mother in the story asks her son to think of ten good things about the cat. This task helps him remember the things he liked about his cat and takes his mind off the pain he feels. The concept of concentrating on good memories about someone who is gone is excellent, and an easy way to begin the healing process and encourage a child to talk about his feelings. I've even used the idea when I've had to separate from the children I've worked with. I tell them the ten good things I will remember about them. Outstanding book--timeless!!

A Book About Death from the Point of View of a Little Boy
The little boy who is the narrator of this book has just had his pet cat Barney die. He can only think of nine good things about Barney, until the day after the funeral, when he spends the day in the garden with his father. The plot is extremely simple and spare, but the book depicts grief very well, and so we understand just how broken-hearted the little boy is, and how much he loved his cat. The Tenth Good Thing About Barney is an excellent springboard for families of every religious persuasion (including agnostics and atheists) to discuss what they feel happens after we die. My bright, perceptive and sensitive four-year-old has been asking a lot of questions lately -- about birth and death -- and I used this book to explain death to him. The book was extremely powerful for him, and helped him to put into words many questions that he had, and helped me to answer them for him as best I could. The writing is excellent, and perfectly captures the voice of a young boy, and the