Book Description

Enjoy hours of coloring and activity fun!

This super-special book is packed with pictures of all your favorite ponies.

Reviews (1)

ALL THREE BOOKS!!!!!!!
In this coloring book, it's all three other books in one! It even has new ponies, some of them are Butterscotch and Strawberry Swirl. It even has the Christmas Ponies, Mittens, Candy Cane, and Snowflake in it! It is really fun to color in! ... Read more

Book Description

52 playful and easy to understand activites to hhelp parents teach children moral lessons that they won't forget

A child says, "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand." 10-Minute Life Lessons for Kids is a book about seeing and doing--a book that gives parents the ability to teach the powerful principles of honesty, trust, generosity, love, and other values. Children will discover the objectives themselves as they actively participate in fun games and activities.

The games can be done in any order, with very little planning and with very few supplies--just common objects most people have around the house like toothpicks, string, pennies, or an apple. Some can be done while riding in the car, and others can be expanded to fill a whole evening with family fun. The activities in 10-Minute Life Lessons for Kids will not only create cozy and enjoyable moments of family togetherness, they will have a lasting impact on your growing child. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Extremely valuable!
Jamie Miller provides detailed instructions on how to teach the lessons in the book. Not only is it quick and easy to follow but the lessons I teach my kids, will stick with them for a long time and hopefully pass on to their kids. I am thankful for a book like this to help me raise my child in a positive and fun way.

Great Idea
We use the games in this book as the basis for discussions about character at the supper table with our 11 and 15 year olds. Jamie C. Miller had a great idea with this book. I think our kids will take away valuable lessons on values for their whole lives, and maybe do the same for their own kids someday.
Also recommended: Norman Thomas Remick's book of character called "West Point: Character Leadership Education..", which is an education in and of itself, and which my husband and I constantly refer to.

Geared towards kids under 10
I purchased this book after reading the glowing reviews from other parents. The concepts are great, the games and activities - truly ten minutes or less - are creative and effectively teach the lessons they set out to teach. However, I disagreed with previous reviewers who found this book helpful for opening up lines of communication with their pre-teen and teenage children. These are sound lessons, but I don't see how any parent could get their older children to participate without a lot of eye-rolling and protests of "I am SO too old for this." More interesting for older kids are "201 Questions to Ask Your Parents" by Pepper Schwartz or "201 Great Questions for Kids and Parents" by Jerry Jones. Both books allow older kids to ask parents about their feelings and life experiences in a way that makes them recognize parents as regular people, just like them, who grew up just like they did, learning and making mistakes along the way - not infallible, inaccessible, or larger-than-life as we sometimes seem.

Wonderful Fun
I start our weekly family meetings with a lesson from this book. All three of my boys (ages 8, 13, & 17), have gotten lots of fun and value from the books lessons. Mom & Dad Too!

A must for school counselors
I am an elementary school counselor and found several activities in this book to use in my classes. The students cheer when I walk in the room. They expect to learn through the fun activities I used from this book. If you like to have creative lessons you'll love this book! ... Read more

Book Description

My Friend with Autism is a coloring book to help peers and siblings understand autism and Asperger's Syndrome. It is the exceptional result of a parent's determination to help her special needs son fit in with his peers, and to foster tolerance and understanding among her son's friends and schoolmates. Author Beverly Bishop teaches high school computer classes and is the technology coordinator for a private K-12 school. She wrote My Friend with Autism for the teachers and students in her son's elementary school class. By helping others understand autism, she is able to encourage tolerance and a positive approach to classroom integration for special needs children. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Perfect for Children and Adults
This is a wonderful book for explaining what a child with Autism is like and how it might effect their behavior.

The children's coloring book section is really good and perfect even for the pre-school level.

The parent section is awesome. It is a wondeful section explaining to the parent how to discuss each page with their child and gives a wonderful understanding for the parent at their level as well.

We orginally bought to give to a couple of parents in our son's play group whose children were starting to ask questions about their friend and why his behavior was different.

We are now buying for all our friends and family (even the grandparents) to have for their own.

A must have book.

Great first resource for children and adults
My five-year-old daughter was recently diagnosed with high functioning autism. It was no surprise to my wife and I as we had been dealing with the effects of autism for several years and had done much research on our own. The formal diagnosis made us realize it was time to try and explain to friends and relatives what autism is and why our daughter acts the way she does. This book has been extremely helpful. It was the first book we read with our eight year old who has been struggling with the fact her little sister is different. The adult section is also very well written and was also the first resource we used for grand parents and other adults in our daughters life. We plan to purchase many more copies. Thank You Beverly Bishop!

HATS OFF TO THIS BOOK!
This book does a wonderful service in describing autism and its related spectrum condition, Asperger's. The gently written text; the clear explanations and the child friendly form of coloring in the pictures provides a safe ground in exploring spectrum behaviors from a child's point of view. How I wish I had owned this book when I was a child!

This is a must-have for educators, parents and persons in related fields who work with people who are on the spectrum. This book is really for everybody because it opens new doors and provides a fresh approach in discussing spectrum behaviors.

A "Must Have" For Every Educational Library
"My Friend with Autism" is a wonderful educational tool for teachers, peers of autistic children, and other family members. This book is highly informative, yet simple to understand, and short enough to keep the younger readers' attention. I have bought 4 of these books for my autistic son's teachers, and plan to buy more for my extended family. I will also be using this book next fall to educate my son's first grade class at the beginning of the school year.

Thank you, Ms. Bishop, for creating a brilliant tool!

Buy one for every student in your child's class!
This is the best book ever for the peers of students with autism. The author recommends buying one for every student in the class, and I agree!! The teacher can easily use this book as a lesson plan for helping kids understand an autistic peer. Then, the students take it home for their parents to read, and many new doors are opened for the autistic student! This is a must read for adults and children!! ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Pokemon Book Phenomenon
A great guide to everything you need to know about Tijiri's monsters! If you are into the fad and you gotta catch em' all I suggest reading the info on the Trainers and Elite Four. While you read this book don't read just one page because you "gotta read em'all"!

It has everything EXCEPT about 100 Pokemon!!!
The Official Pokemon Handbook is an excellent guide to Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow, but if you own Pokemon Gold, Silver, or Crystal, this book is absolutely no help at all. In the Togepi entry, they don't even list its number for crying out loud! Aside from that ... error, this book is nigh flawless. The descriptions are helpful, evolutionary data is critical, and the learned move lists help to determine how to raise your team. All in all, a good buy.
-Pokemon Obsessive

It's a wonderful book!
If you need to ever know what kind of Pokemon is that, when does it evolve, and things like that, buy this book. It's got over 100 pages of information in it so I think it's definately worth the price. Plus, it's got little reviews of Togepi and Mew that are fun to read and show off to your friends. I definately recommend this book to everyone who's a Pokemon fan.

A great book!!
I love this book!! If you want to brush up on your Pokemon skills, or you want to read it to tell your mom that you've read a book tonight this has great reading value. It's a good book that should be made into a sorta sequel so that all of the Pokemon discovered are in one book!!

Excellant, informative and funny -- wish #4 was as good
The Official Pokemon Handbook was more than I could have hoped for. It not only contained descriptions of the Original 150 Pokemon plus Mew and Togepi, as well as their moves and what level or how they evolved (if they did). Handbook #4, however, merely contained the name of the Pokemon, what moves they had, and how big they were -- it was complete, describing only the new Pokemon in Ruby and Sapphire but not including the old ones who stayed on the the current versions. #4 is only available for distribution through the school market. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When Judy and Peter find a board game in the park, they take it home, hoping to alleviate their boredom. One live lion, an erupting volcano, and a dozen destructive monkeys later, the children are no longer bored. Their jungle adventure game has come to life! Chris Van Allsburg is a master at walking the line between fantasy and reality. His unusually sculptured drawings (familiar to the many devoted fans of the Caldecott-winning The Polar Express and The Garden of Abdul Gasazi) convey the magical transition of a normal house to an exotic jungle. Readers will tremble along with Judy and Peter, urging them to roll the dice that will plunge them from one perilous predicament into another. Jumanji, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and winner of the 1982 Caldecott Medal, is sure to amaze and thrill even the most jaded young reader. (Ages 9 to 12) ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Jumanji
Have there ever been monkeys jumping around in your kitchen, or a lion destroying your bedroom, with a huge volcano irrupting in your house? Was there ever a large stampede of rhinos running crazy in your living room? Well that is what happens to Judy and Peter in the sensational book, Jamanji. When they were both left home alone, Judy and Peter got really bored. They decide to take a stroll in the park. On their way to the park, they discover a game named "Jamanji" sitting under a tree. They take it home and immediately start to play. All of the sudden, the creatures from the game came to life, in their very own house! How will Peter and Judy get this jungle cleaned up before their parents come home? Will they clean up in time? This book is a great mystery for kids' ages 4 to12. It has a great plot and brings wonderful excitement to the reader. Each topic makes you eager to read more and find out the result of the mystery.

LIONS, MONKEYS, AND, RHINOS, OH MY!
In Jumangi, Chris Van Allsburg details the story of Peter and Judy's afternoon. Through his words and pictures, he describes their eventful afternoon. On a boring afternoon, these two siblings are left alone. Before their parents leave, the two children are warned not to disorganize the house. However, once the children find an interesting board game, their once boring and uneventful afternoon becomes full of action and a bit of chaos. In this picture book, the author, who is also the illustrator uses black and white illustrations that are full of depth. Through his descriptive words and pictures, one can clearly witness the children's afternoon. The simple, yet detailed illustrations add to the characters, sets the setting, and mood. Jumanji's award winning illustrations are unique and add to the concept of fantasy in the book. Many children will enjoy this story or anyone who has experienced a boring afternoon or played an imaginative board game. The book may be slightly scary for younger children, but will encompass the attention of older readers. This book takes the reader along with the children on a wonderful adventure. JUMANJI!

Jungle fever
Chris Van Allsburg used to be my favorite picture book artist, and in many ways he remains so to this day. And it's books like, "Jumanji" that remind me why I love his work as strongly as I do. For some reason, Van Allsburg's picture books are so popular and so evocative that they are continually adapted into full screen motion pictures. "Polar Express" has just been turned into a computer animated extravaganza, and "Jumanji" was a Robin Williams vehicle once. Just the same, nothing compares to the original tale. Using his uber-realistic illustrations to highlight how incredibly bizarre the storyline is, this book is fully worthy of the 1982 Caldecott Medal it was awarded.

Peter and Judy have been left home alone by their opera going parents and boy are they boredy bored bored. After playing with their toys and making a mess they decide to take a run to the park. Once there, they discover an abandoned board game called Jumanji sitting beneath a tree. On a note taped to the bottom of the box read the words, "Free game, fun for some but not for all. P.S. Read instructions carefully". The kids don't know what to expect but they take the game with them anyway. After reading the instructions they find that once a person begins Jumanji they cannot stop until someone has won the game. The first roll of the die leads to a space that reads, "Lion attacks, move back two spaces". Suddenly there's a real live lion in the room, and it's regarding Peter hungrily. The kids realize, to their horror, that whatever happens on the board happens in real life. If they want to finish the game (and remain alive) they're going to have to continue.

The book really plays on the old idea of "when the parents are out the kids will get up to all kinds of unwitting mischief". There's a lot in this story that's similar to "The Cat in the Hat". Two bored kids. The magical entity that destroys their home but (undeniably) occupies their time. Getting everything cleaned up before mom and dad walk in the door. You get the idea. The story is surreal and skirts the edges of the disturbing. With illustrations created with Conte dust and Conte pencils, Van Allsburg makes the pictures especially realistic. You can make out every strand on Peter's head or observe the rubber bands holding together Judy's braids. As a child, I was always fascinated with realistic images of fantastical situations. Van Allsburg fits this bill perfectly.

"Jumanji" was later given a sequel of sorts entitled, "Zathura". I haven't read it myself, but I think my loyalties will always lie with the original. There's something about Van Allsburg's clean lines and startled expressions that really chill the reader to the bone. If you have a child that likes to be ever so slightly freaked out from time to time, I can't think of any picture book artist that does a better job of this than the master of the pencil drawing: Chris Van Allsburg. And "Jumanji" is his masterpiece.

Scary
I am a Van Allsburg fan but this book, though very good, is not one of my favorites. Some young children may be frightened by the illustrations. It is a good was to expose children to the fantasy genre if you feel they will not be upset by the illustrations or plot. (...)

Jumanji
I am a student of West Virginia State College, currently taking a class on Children's Literature. Mr. Samples (A Wonderful Teacher) has instructed us to review a Caldecott winner and write our thoughts on it. I read this book after seeing the movie and, of course, it is quite different. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of the differences and its speedy nature. I believe that children of various ages would enjoy this book because of the quick adventure and excellent illustrations. I would recommend this book to anyone for a classic family reading time, classroom reading, or bedtime story! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

WOW!
I just bought this recently, and it is much better than I even expected. I have a bunch of camping books in my library, and this one is better than many more expensive adult books. It has great advice even for adults, but is indespensible for camping with kids. It teaches you how to build a fire safely, cooking on the fire, (great kid favorites recipes), dealing with bugs, how to pick a camp site, what kind of Lots of safety tips too. The fun drawings make this a pleasure as well.

The authors show you how to make a reflector oven. The main feature if this book is the fun activities for around the fire such as stories songs, games, etc. Teaches kids how to identify the stars easily and even identify features on the face of the moon. I plan to use this with our Cub Scouts.

Great for Novice and Experienced Campers Alike
This book flows like the campfire. From gathering the supplies, to lighting the fire, to the blaze, to the dieing fire, to the embers it's an enjoyable experience.

It has lots of activities: stories, songs, skits, etc. to make your campfire an enjoyable experience.

I wish I had owned this book when I taught a Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation for teaching Cub Scout Adults about making a successful overnight campout.

This book has been added to my library and will be suggested at all future BALOO trainings.

Excellent source for camping with children
I am a girl scout leader and was looking for a book to help me on my first trip with young children (grades 2-4). It provided me with useful recipes for cooking on coals, cooking in a pit, or even a reflector oven. This book has many good suggestions for campfire games and even activities that can be used for achieving try-its or even junior level badges. Summer stargazing and moonwatching are covered in detail. This is a great book for beginners or experienced campers. You must have this book if you enjoy the outdoor overnight experience.

A fun book
"The Kids Campfire Book" is a wonderful collection of all sorts of things kids want to know and do with campfires: building a fire, songs, star gazing, stories, recipes and lots more. The illustrations are clear and charming! I've used it with Cub Scouts and at a lake cabin, and it adapts to any similar situation. A good resource for anyone camping or enjoying a campfire with kids. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"This book is not a book about a toy. It is a book about an idea, a set of values, and a long-term commitment to empowering children to use their creativity and build their imagination."

The visual wizards at Dorling Kindersley have labored together with the staff at Lego to assemble a hefty, photo-rich book essential to the library of any maniac (or maniac emeritus). The Ultimate Lego Book recounts the company's early history as a one-man operation back in the 1930s and subsequent creation of its first plastic "automatic binding brick," to the contemporary construction of myriad Legoland theme parks.

Trivia buffs will appreciate the playful but detailed graphic time line (first Lego window, 1957; first wheel, 1962; first dolphin, 1995). Everyone will love the pages of imagination-stretching constructions, from the small but clever (an unmistakable Elvis, complete with pompadour) to the overwhelmingly detailed (a meticulous model of Grand Central Station) to the downright strange (a life-size space helmet with visor and gas mask). The Lego universe includes a Mona Lisa replica, a 10,500-piece pelican, and even a yellow submarine. Enjoy! (Ages 6 to 106) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (19)

LEGO is the best toy ever!
I must admit, I don't own this book. I haven't read all of it either. It's my little brothers, he's read most of it. When I was somewhere around 2 (that was almost 13 years ago) my uncles bought me a a bunch of huge containers of LEGO bricks. I have been endlessly amused by the stuff ever since (for the record, I'm the only girl my age I know of who still likes to build with it). Anyway, I was flipping through this book soon after my brother got it thinking "Hey! This is pretty cool!" Believe it or not I really didn't think there were people who's job it was to make huge LEGO models out of any peices they want. This is one of the many interesting things I picked up just from leafing through it in abouit five minutes. On top of that the pictures are great. So, if you like LEGO at all or know someone who does you should pick it up. It's got tons of stuff any LEGO maniac would find fascinating.

P-r-e-t-t-y Amazing
My brothers and I spend hours playing with LEGO as children. I remember the LEGO people ended up out in the sand box and who knows what ever happened to all those LEGO pieces that were "very" painful to step on by accident!

Anyway, this book shows some amazing things you can build with LEGO. We are talking the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House. Now you can even play with LEGO while wearing LEGO brand clothing.

"This book is not about a toy. It is a book about an idea, a set of values, and a long-term commitment to empowering children to use their creativity and build their imagination. "
-Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen

This book documents the story of LEGO and tells how a master carpenter in a small town of Billund, in Jutland, Denmark started making wooden toys. It then shows the evolution of the LEGO bricks through the years.

One of the most intricate constructions is a model of Grand Central Station. It contains 600,000 bricks and took four model makers six months to build.

The LEGO brick art is pretty amazing. They even have the Mona Lisa in a LEGO frame.

Captivating!

Great Book!
This book had great details about all the Lego sites and the history of Lego, but it didn't really refer to exactly how things were made or whether they were still there. Since I have never been to a Lego site it's a great way to beg my mom to let me go!
Read this book!

Great for Kids and Adults...
We purchased this book for my oldest son (10) for X-mas. He really enjoyed looking at the pictures and seeing how Lego engineers their different lands and how they make different pieces.

As an adult it brought back fond memories of childhood with the time lines and examples of how and when different lego pieces came to be.

We enjoyed sitting down with our kids and paging through this large volume. We hope you do too!!!

the little block that could...
I bought this book for a 4 year old Lego nut. He hasn't put it down in about 2 years and has given him tons of building ideas. He has been a Lego enthusiast since 2 years old and couldn't even believe that people actually played with lego and got paid for it. This is a great book for little and big block builders. he loved the mindstorms part also. Lego-it's not just for kids anymore. ... Read more

Book Description

The Williams sisters have captured the attention of the tennis crowd like no one has in recent years. Taken alone, each is a force to be reckoned with on the court. Each has the skills, the determination, and the strength to make it to the very top of her sport. Yet through all the competition-even times when they face each other on opposite sides of the net-they remain true to each other.

Serena has just won the Wimbledon 2002 singles title by defeating her sister and is currently ranked #1 in the world.Playing as partners, Venus and Serena won the Wimbledon 2002 doubles championship as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Disney/Pixar’s latest collaboration, The Incredibles, is chock-full of cool retro-inspired images that are true works of art—perfect for the tons of tattoos included in this book. The back cover features an optical illusion for kids to make. ... Read more

Book Description

Betty Crocker’s classic cookbook for children is back–in an authentic reproduction of the original 1957 edition

A whole generation of Baby Boomers grew up with Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls, and they have helped to make it the one of the most requested titles in the Betty Crocker archives. Now back by popular demand, this timeless favorite stands ready to capture the hearts of a new generation of budding cooks. Packed with recipes that are just as popular with kids today as they were 45 years ago, it shows how to make everything from Ice Cream Cone Cakes and Pigs in Blankets to Cheese Dreams and Sloppy Joes. The small format, easy recipes, charming color illustrations and photographs, and even the cover, are all the same as they were in the 1957 edition–and just as delightful as ever. The only innovation is the concealed wire binding that lies flat for easy cooking while being sturdy enough to withstand energetic handling by kids in the kitchen. It’s the ideal book to give or to keep, for retro appeal, and for getting today’s kids started in the kitchen. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Not An Authentic Reproduction
I have several copies of the original Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls and have found deletions of some of the old recipes in the new reproduction. There is no Easy Orange Cake and Clear Orange Sauce in the new. I noted several other changes too! On p.62 in the old is the recipe for Chocolate Fudge Milk Shake and in the new is Cake and Frosting Mix.

I was very excited about hearing that they were going to reprint this recipe book as my original copy was completely falling apart. I had bought several on an auction site to hand down to my kids that were not in good shape. I was going to buy the new one until I went through it and found that it is a revised reproduction and not a genuine reproduction. I would have liked them to have revised it by giving the exact old recipes and writing what changes were to be made if items were no longer available.

Great Cookbook for Kids
I had this book when I was young and enjoyed the recipes. These are not for the true beginner but for children that have had a little experience with cooking. Not only are these easy and fun recipes but they actually taste great. Highly recommend the "Big Fat Cookies" "Banana Boats" But the "Pink Elephants" are not very good at all. Different recipes for the different holidays, full menus in the back and cooking instructions in the front. A great gift for your little cook for lots of fun. It sure worked on me, I still love to cook!

My First Cookbook
This was my first cookbook; and, although its condition is worn and the cover is duct taped together, I still planned to pass it on to my daugthers. What fun, what memories, what an excellent first cookbook. With the reissue, I have purchased two, one for each of my kids! A memory and an heirloom!

Yay! It's back!
I have a dilapidated copy of this book that a friend bought for me. I really enjoy it for the copy, illustrations, and the garish color inserts. But most of all, the recipes are fun, quick, easy, and generally delicious. My kids and I enjoy them and my husband begs me to make the drop biscuits about once a week.

Of course, some of the copy is hokey, some of the illustrations are corny, and some of the recipe names are goofy, something that some people might take offense to now. However, it would be a mistake to not own this cookbook because of a line drawing and text that appear on one quarter of a page. One hopes that a person who purchases a retro cookbook reproduction can understand that times have changed, and our ideas about racism, as well as nutrition, have evolved since the original publication date.

It's only a cookbook....
I just checked my copy of this book...NOT the reproduction but the original thing from the very early 60's (I'm 43), and I was young enough to have scribbled with a red marker in it. The recipe everyone is worried about being politically correct, at least in my old book, is "Old Hobo Joe," not "Old Black Joe," and yes, it's a prune on cereal. I guess you can infer from the color of a prune that the hobo on the cereal is a prune-of-color, wearing a banana and cherry hat. I'm more offended by his neighbor on this page whose name is "Fatso," who is a half a peach on Cheerios. There is also a "Little Man Who Wasn't There," who is a half a banana on Kix cereal, and the orange slice for his hat makes it appear to be a sombrero. Do you suppose he's from Mexico?

Anyway....I'm just having fun here! The name is "Old Hobo Joe," at least in my old cookbook, and I loved that cookbook & used the heck out of it, along with my mom! This is a wonderful classic, & if you're looking at this page, you really should buy a copy!!! ... Read more

Book Description

There’s bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that they don’t have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. A group of misfits brought together by T. J. Jones (the J is redundant), the Cutter All Night Mermen struggle to find their places in a school that has no place for them. T.J. is convinced that a varsity letter jacket–exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T.J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at Cutter High–will also be an effective tool. He’s right. He’s also wrong. Still, it’s always the quest that counts. And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets soon becomes the space where they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to grow. Together they’ll fight for dignity in a world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment’s inattention can bring lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Whale Talk
Chris Crutcher builds a story about challenging the status quo and finding the common humanity that unites those who believe they are alone in the world. The Tao, or T.J., grows up in Washington where racism dominates the town. T.J. attends Cutter High School where they are known for their respectable athletic program. One of the prize symbols to wear is an athletic jacket earned in a sport. Mike Baubour, a known enemy of T.J., tries to prevent Chris, less fortunate than many, from wearing his dead brother's letter jacket. T.J. fights to organize a male swim team. After he finds his teammates, including Chris, he sets up the criteria for earning a letter. This stirs up controversy among the Athletic Council, and finally come to a conclusion: each swimmer must better there time every meet to earn a letter. T.J.'s determination throughout the novel sets him above the pride of Cutter's athletic program and sets him in each teammates pride. T.J. is determined to achieve success for each one of his teammates, which would equal success to him. This book shows great teamwork, pride, and success when not everything comes easy.

Whale Talk
The book Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher is a wonderful book for all religions and races. That is because in the book T.J. is black, Japanese, and white, but in school he is mostly considered black. One day T.J. spots all-school jock Mike Barbour picking on Chris Coughlin, a retard whose dead brother is the best athlete in the school ever, for wearing his brother Brian's letter jacket. So, T.J. decides that he will get Chris a jacket of his own. He does that be creating a swim team. Meanwhile T.J. is visiting a woman who helps kids with family problems. T.J has become more of a teacher than a student. He gets involved with a father that really dislikes T.J. The daughter adores T.J. so the family, minus the father moves in with them. T.J.'s family continues to get a lot of hang up calls which they know is the father. In the swimming world, T.J. gets 6 unique guys to go out for the team. T.J. is by far the best swimmer. The team gets a practice facility and an interim coach, Icko who lives at the workout place, until the teacher Simet can get permission. Practices are hard, but usefull as the team improves greatly. The team does horrible in the season, except for T.J. who wins the 50 meter and the 100 meter at regoinals. The team keeps on getting questions on weather swimming is a sport which might deny their privilege to a Cutter jacket. The book ends with many controversial decisions made by both sides. I believe the author, Chris Crutcher wrote about the book to teach the world about racism. He wants to show how it is tearing the modern world apart. Whale Talk is a wonderful book for teens and adults. Children should not be allowed to read the book because of some profane language and sexual harasment. They also will not get the idea about racism and prejudice. Teens, on the other hand, will understand the book and it will teach them about modern conflicts. Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher is a wonderful for teens and adults.

Got a whale of a tale to tell you friends...
A good book rises above its own premise. Reading a short synopsis of this story without knowing anything about it beyond its plot could easily suggest to the average viewer that it's going to be awful. Think about it. A multi-racial protagonist and his motley crew of rag tag misfits puts together an unlikely swim team and everybody learns a little bit about what it's like to walk in another person's shoes. Bleaugh! That's the kind of After School Special plotting that can get a book seriously ignored by its intended audience. Now I had never read a Chris Crutcher book coming into this. Frankly, I know the man has a reputation for producing darned good books. Then I read "Whale Talk" and found, to my incredible relief, that this was not really a book about a swim team. It's about the circle of abuse and the amount of control an individual has over his or her own actions. It's about hurting other people and what the cost of that can be. In short, the book takes amazingly gigantic themes, renders them bite size, and gives them humanity and humor. It's the humor part that really impressed me.

T.J. Jones (actual name The Tao Jones... pronounce it, I dare you) is probably one of three people of color in his small Washington town. Adopted by his parents when he was a seriously abused toddler, T.J.'s a pretty well put together kid. That's probably in no small part due to his amazing mom and dad and his fantastic (some might say godlike) child therapist, Georgia. Which isn't to say that T.J.'s life is bereft of odd problems. His favorite teacher, Simet, is trying to lure T.J. into helping him start a school swim team. There are a couple problems with this plan. For one thing, T.J. refuses to join any organized sports. Cutter High School is run by and for its jocks. These jocks have been trying for years (unsuccessfully) to get T.J. onto one of their teams. Also, the school has no swimming pool. So T.J. isn't exactly thrilled about the idea of getting roped into this situation until he sees some of the local heavies beating up a mentally handicapped kid because he refuses to stop wearing his dead jock brother's letter jacket. Suddenly our hero has a mission, and the mission is clear. To create a swim team comprised of the kind of guys who otherwise could never be able to get involved in an organized sport. Even better, he's going to get each and every one of them a letter jacket.

This is just the barest of outlines describing this book. T.J. has a lot going on in his life and this includes his father's guilt about accidentally killing a toddler some thirty years before, a girl who tries continually to wash her skin clean of pigment, her psychotic father who is both a wife abuser and T.J.'s enemy, and a team that becomes closer as their problems become clearer. This is truly a book written about a man for men. Which isn't to say that girls won't love this tale, or that it's bereft of strong female characters. In fact, Crutcher is especially good at balancing women who've been abused in the past with their far stronger counterparts. No, when I say that this is a boy book, I'm referring to the fact that the central focus of this story rests squarely on the male swimming team. Sure, T.J. has a girlfriend but her presence in this story is probably just to prove to the viewer that he's a well adjusted guy with a well adjusted gal. Honestly, his relationship is not the focus of this tale. And that's kinda refreshing.

I think what I liked best about this book was that it recognized that behind every crazed idiot, there's a reason they act the way they do. Crutcher isn't the best young adult writer that knows about abuse (that honor belongs squarely to Alex Flinn) but he comes close. A person could learn more from reading this book about the cyclical nature of violence than they would from almost any other source. I'm praising the book beautifully, but it's not without the occasional flaw. Consider, for example, the character of Tay-Roy. This is a bodybuilder that joins the team and has, basically, no real personality. As far as I could determine, everything Tay-Roy does could have been accomplished by T.J. They're similar in every respect, except that Tay-Roy's slightly better looking. It's odd that Crutcher would have kept himself from omitting extraneous characters like this one, but as flaws go, this one's pretty minimal. The worst I can say is that it slightly derails the flow of the text. Big whoop.

What Crutcher has as a writer that puts him heads and tails above and beyond his peers (some, at any rate) is his sense of humor. You cannot dislike a book where the main character is named The Tao Jones. You just can't. I mentioned that I think that Alex Flinn is the all-powerful guru of abused teens, but what Crutcher doesn't have in superior knowledge he makes up for in funnies. I'm sick and tired of all the deadly depressing books out there. If every writer could fill their texts with half as much pleasurable writing as Mr. C, I'd have a heckuva harder time figuring out which book to read next. In the end, "Whale Talk" accomplishes that mighty difficult task of being a good book about a near impossible subject. Abuse. Whether or not you agree that Crutcher wrote about this topic with the correct amount of respect, you have to admit he wrote about it well. I tip my hat to the man who's books I will now have to devour one by one to satiate my now uncontrollable young adult literature craving. Such is life.

english project
Picture your high school's outcasts, the kids no one talks to and no one really knows. Now imagine if you heard that this motley crew was about to become your high school's new varsity swim team. The same kids who are picked last for every team in gym, who has never been seen near the weight room or the track, who are the last people you would imagine wearing your high school letter jackets. Despite his natural athletic ability, the main character T. J. has always shunned Cutter High School's sports teams because, as he says, "something inside me recoils at being told what to do, and that doesn't sit well with most coaches, who are paid to do exactly that." However, when a favorite teacher asks him to help start a swim team at Cutter, T. J. sees an opportunity to turn the school's narrow idea of what an athlete is, privileged, good-looking, white, and male on its head.
Chris Crutcher is an excellent writer that keeps you reading. I could not put the book down. The reason why I liked the book so much is that it is dramatic, had a good conflict and kept me reading. Whale Talk is an awesome book that I would recommend to anyone.

GRIPPING!!!
I recently read Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. It's about a boy, T.J. Jones, who gets together a group of misfits and outcasts to join a swimming team. As usual in Chris Crutcher's books, there's another story behind the sport.
When I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. Crutcher grabs you in this story with ways that sometimes you wouldn't think possible or interesting. He puts together real problems, not just he said-she said stuff, but things much more realistic. This book is definitly worth reading!!! ... Read more

Book Description

A full-color book of car-appropriate activities, plus a 100-page write-right-in-it game pad, and a vinyl pouch full of everything you need to do everything described. The only backseat survival kit endorsed by the Save the Parents' Sanity Foundation. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Don't leave home without it!
I can't speak highly enough of this book. We got one for each of our daughters for a 15-hour car trip and they were completely entertained. There was something for everyone in this book, and we were surprised to see license plates for almost all 50 states (and some for Canada) on our journey from PA to FL. The variety of activities kept our 9-year-old and 11-year-old busy (and quiet) with plenty of activities left for future trips. Worth every cent!

Interesting and Fun
I bought this for my 10 and 13 year old daughters. It kept their interest by providing lots of fun activities - even at their age!

21 and I still use it
I got this many years ago, and used it a lot. Somewhere in between now and then I lost it. I was going a trip that would require me sitting on an airplane and in the airport for a grand total of 11 hours. I bought this book. It not only kept me, but the 11 other college agepeople I was with entertained. We read each others palms and I was busy on the red-eye and not bothering people, quit the big feat for me. In addition a friend and I went on a week long car trip. We palyed many of the car games, found 42 state liscense plates (and 3 provinces), it kept us from attacking each other after four days in a car. I totally recomend this for anyone going on a trip of any length, regardless of the age.

Not just for travelling, but a boredom survival kit
This book has a lot of games and fun things to do. They have so many things in one book, one hour seems to fly by to one minute. It has great techniques on how to wrap hair, and to make easy bracelets. It also has fun hand games that my brother and I like to play.

Great for long car rides
My 8-year-old daughter used this book on a recent 12-hour car trip. She became obsessed with finding license plates and marking them off in the book. When we returned home she brought the book to school for "share time" to show her class how many license plates she spotted (over 30). The activity pad also kept her very occupied. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Eric Carle first published The Very Hungry Caterpillar in 1969, fully intending to create a series of interactive creature books for children. The beloved busy spider, quiet cricket, and lonely firefly books followed, but the artist's quest was not truly complete until The Very Clumsy Click Beetle was born. Carle, who says he'd rather watch a bug attempt to climb over a pebble than join an expedition to Mount Everest, appreciates the small things in life: the Eyed Elator (Alaus oculatus), to be exact--unremarkable except for that when this beetle falls on its back, it can't roll over to get up. Instead, it will stretch and release a snap mechanism that clicks and flips the beetle through the air, and ideally, back onto its feet.

The very clumsy click beetle has no trouble with the clicking and flipping part, but it does have trouble landing on its feet. The young beetle tries and tries again, encouraged by an ambling turtle, a slithering snail, and a scurrying mouse. Finally, when a curious boy approaches, the beetle takes coaching from a wise old click beetle ("QUICK, CLICK and FLIP!") and succeeds. Children will love the bright, bold, tissue-paper illustrations that tell this story of perseverance, as wellas--of course--the unusual clicking sound (emanating from an electronic chipwith built-in battery and light sensor) that accompanies this playful book. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by Eric Carle. Permission of Philomel Books.) (Preschool and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very Clumsy Click Beetle
I'm a Branch Manager of a Public Library and we have found that this book is very good for the children that comes over for school visits. It is so funny to be reading them the book and they start hearing the Beetle make it's sound they start looking around the room trying to find out where it is coming from then they cant believe that it came from the book. Every year when school starts back this is the book that i read to my Kindergarden classes. I suggest that everyone should get this book and watch the look on your childs face when you read this book to them.

Library Users say thumbs down
I'm a children's librarian. I bought this book for my library. I've read it to two groups and showed it to some of the children who come to the library everyday. I thought they would like it since Carle's other book The Very Quiet Cricket is so enormously popular. Their reaction has been thumbs down. The children like the chirping sound from the cricket book, but the click sound from this beetle book doesn't impress them. The dull "click, click" really pales in comparison to the lilting cricket chirp. We've had our copy of the beetle book for almost three months, and it's only been checked out once.

I think a teacher or parent might be able to encourage a child to enjoy the click beetle book by incorporating it into a discussion about bugs. Also, a child who is fascinated with bugs might enjoy it. However, for the average child, I recommend buying The Very Quiet Cricket instead of the Beetle book. For a child who already has and loves the cricket book, I recommend buying Carle's The Very Lonely Firefly, which has fireflies that light up. My library kids like to crawl under desks to enjoy that book in the dark.

Great Book to Teach Kids to Keep Trying!
This book is well-liked by my class of four and five year olds. The story is clear and engaging. My students especially enjoy opening to the back page to hear the beetle's CLICK!

The little click beetle repeatedly strives in the story to CLICK and flip over onto his feet, a feat shown to him by an older, wiser click beetle. He tries to show this new trick to a variety of other critters with no success. The critters encourage him to keep trying.

We used this story in class to discuss the importance of persistence and practice to learn something new. This book also sparked a discussion about being kind and respectful, as we talked about how things might have been different if the critters in the story had ridiculed the click beetle for his failure instead of encouraging him. You could challenge children to tell how the ending would have been different if the little click beetle hadn't mastered his CLICK at the right time at the end.

Definitely a classroom staple, along with most of Eric Carle's other titles.

My 4 year old loved this book!
My 4 year old came home from preschool and talked about this book for 2 weeks! He drew click beetles over and over again, and told me how the story goes. He was one impressed 4 year old and any mom knows when their child mentions a book over and over again, it must be good! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (8)

Excellent Children's Book!
I first read about this book in one of my parenting magazines and decided to give it a try.It has quickly become my 9 1/2 month old daughter's favorite book - she actually squeals with joy when I turn the pages and she sees the little boy and his teddy bear.I enjoy reading this book to her as it truly captures the unconditional love a parent has for their child.I bought several copies for baby shower gifts for my friends.I think this will definitely become a true children's book classic.

Wonderful Book
I bought this book for my 2 years old daughter. Whenever I read this book to her, she will follow what the child does in the book. When I read 'I love your topside', she shows me her topside, 'I love your bottomside', she shows me her bottomside, and we have good laugh together until I finish the whole book. The illustrations are so cute that even I enjoy reading it. Simply wonderful book! Highly recommended.

Perfect lesson on love
I bought this for my 17-month old daughter for Valentine's Day and she loves to have me read it to her. The illustrations of the little boy (great also for object lessons on fingers, toes, ears, nose, hair, eyes) and his teddy bear are charming and the story reinforces a message of the unconditional love parents have for their children. Overall just a wonderful book. Friends and family will be receiving copies along with their baby shower gifts.

SIMPLY WONDERFUL BOOK FOR TODDLERS
Not sure why [...] has this one listed in the 4 - 8 years old category as this one is clearly aimed at pre-schoolers and toddlers.It's just a beautifully written and illustrated book.A toddlers love from head to toe, teddy bear in hand.The illustrations magically capture the expression of this little boy.A loving book!And a great gift idea for kids or grandparents with Valentine's Day right around the corner.A sure to be classic!

I Love this book through and through
This book is very cute and the pictures are really good as well as the words that guide the pictures. Good Job Mom! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

More and more kids are in the kitchen, and they want to have fun. What to do? Turn to Betty Crocker, who makes cooking fun as well as delicious and dependable. With Betty, learning the basics was never so painless, and never so tasty. Not only do kids want fun foods such as Squeeze and Scribble Pancakes, Caramel Corn Commotion, Flying Saucer Chicken Quesadillas, Whatever Pizza and Dalmatian Cupcakes-they want to have fun reading the recipes. Every page is lavishly illustrated with characters and icons that appeal to the hip 8-12 set. Great colors and a photo of every recipe make this book jump off the shelf -- it practically boogies through the kitchen. Not only do the recipes look great -- they really work. Why? Because every recipe has been kid-tested. Say good-bye to lead-balloon cakes, cookies that only crumble, or main dishes that are mainly disappointing-any kid can tackle these recipes with confidence. In addition to the fifty terrific recipes, there are great party ideas complete with tempting treats. Try indoor camping or a spooky Halloween party-everything you'll need is right here. And, formatted in a sturdy, concealed spiral binding, this book takes it lying down-on the counter, on the table-wherever it's easiest for busy cooks. If your kids are ready to go wild in the kitchen, take Betty Crocker along! The results will be fantastic, and your kids will have a blast. Best of all, you can feel confident that the recipes will work, that your kids will enjoy themselves, and that your kitchen will still be one piece when the cooking is done! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A sure recipe for fun!
This cookbook contains many good and simple recipes for young beginning cooks, using prepared ingredients - but also includes more involved from-scratch recipes for kids with cooking experience. The illustrations and photos are fun, and the book includes input and testing by real kids! They even include party ideas, and a few recipes for craft items. The gooey caramel rolls (made from refrigerated bread stick dough) are amazing!

Crazy Kid Cooking
This is a good basic children's cookbook. It is attractivly set up in a way that really appeals to kids. My child has already made dinner and dessert for the whole family the first night we got the book! Some of the recipes don't seem to really appeal to children because of ingredients, but most are really cute and not bad to eat either! I would recommend this book as it is a great, fun, and educational first step to learning how to cook!

Nutririon Information Included
I appreciated the nutrition information at the end of each recipe, but after reading each, I was reluctant to make too many of the recipes. Also, kids can develop more sophisticated palettes than this book offers. It's better suited to kindergarteners than middle school chefs-in-training.

Great Kids Book
This is a wonderful book for kids of all ages - easy reading and very useful.
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Delicious recipes and truly fun & easy for kids
My 8-year-old daughter & I have tried many recipes from this books and they have been delicious! She once brought the macaroni & cheese to a school party & her classmates ate it all up! The design is really attractive to kids, and the spiral binding makes it so much easier to read the recipes. The reason for only one star is I feel there are not very healthy -- too many recipes with meat and cheese. ... Read more

Book Description

These original mandala designs by wholistic therapist MoniqueMandali appeal to both children and adults.Mandalas have beentraditionally used as a source of wisdom and meditation. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Engaging the Center
I purchased the whole series and look forward to coloring or painting them all. They are deeply engaging, neither too simple nor too complex; calling me into a calm center where hope and healing not only feel possible but just seem to happen. A very thoughtful and creative bonus from the author that I've not seen in other Mandala books is the wide perforated margin at the center binding in every book so you can actually remove and display your favorite mandalas afterwards. This rare feature also makes it especially friendly to those of us who are left-handers!!!

EVERYONE¿S MANDALA COLORING BOOK SERIES
Author, artist, transpersonal psychotherapist and business person all describe what Monique Mandali is, but do not tell you who she is. I've been privileged to meet Monique and I know that she is a seeker traveling her path. Her walking stick is her love for all, especially children. Ms. Mandali offers a series of four coloring books for children and adults. There are three different delights in the original Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book series, each consisting of 22 designs. While the original three books in the series contain designs by the author, the latest (and perhaps greatest) has 25 peace mandalas from children all around the world. The Peace Mandala Coloring Book is very special because the mandalas are designed by children unencumbered by the pressure of adult living. Further, they bring a variety of spiritual as well as geographical cultures to bear.

Monique Mandali has given us something special. Not only do we find drawings to color that can aid in health and serenity...Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book Series is additionally special because they represent the best part of Monique Mandali, her love!

Awesome designs; inspiring and peaceful to color and see.
All three volumes of these mandala coloring books are works of art, and at the same time simple invitations to create your own expressions of color and self. I have used them, given them to children and adults, used them in the work I do, and enjoyed seeing the finished products displayed. Monique's designs allow you to explore deeply what lies within, and also allows you to play with her designs. These books are truly what you make them, yet stand as a statement of Monique's unique artistic and spiritual beauty. Once you have seen and used them, you'll want to explore all of them, and share them with friends. A real "don't miss" for this time in our spiritual unfolding.

The ultimate in relaxation!
What a wonderful way to relax ... and to get the creativity within flowing! To be able to sit and feel the energy that has been created with coloring one of Monique's mandalas is a wonderful way to spend an evening ... by yourself or sharing it with friends!

My Favorite Coloring Book
I have been coloring the designs in this book since I was 5 years old and have never grown tired of them! (And trust me, I have a short attention span). Now, 20 years later, this book remains a favorite of mine, and I still occasionally have coloring parties with my friends. Everyone finds a design that speaks to them, and the results are very unique. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Learning means fun with the curriculum-linked, classroom-provenworkbook series from Scholastic and JumpStart, creators of the populareducational software for children. Playful animal characters guideprekindergarten-age kids through the exciting new world of letters, numbers,shapes, colors, and sizes. The 320-page workbook contains an entire year's worthof exercises, with three different skill levels for "jumping" ahead. Every pagehas a new, sequenced challenge for the young learner, from tracing and writinguppercase letters to completing nursery rhymes to matching shapes and colors.Full-color art and lively games and activities make education an adventure,while reward stickers and Certificates of Completion reinforce children's senseof accomplishment as they complete each section. Helpful Eleanor the elephant ison hand to provide learning tips and offer support (and stickers!) to students.What could be more important than giving kids a jump-start in learning? The bookincludes answer keys and 120 full-color reward stickers. (Ages 3 to 5)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (8)

All Gimmick
My daughter recently received this book for her 4th birthday. Not to brag, but she has very advanced verbal and math skills for her age, so I consider her to be appropriately classified as Pre-K. That being said, this book is way over her head. She doesn't know how to read. She is trying to learn the alphabet, for which purpose this book is ill-suited. The first three pages instruct the child to trace the letters of the alphabet. From there, the child is expected to do a number of exercises requiring mastery of the alphabet. The directions make little sense if one doesn't already know how to read, which is unreasonable for anyone to expect as background knowledge for the Pre-K level. Often, it is not even obvious to me what the creators of the curriculum intend by some of the exercises.
Furthermore, the colorful cats, etcetera are distracting. I ripped out the "reward" stickers and gave those to her right away, after I noticed that she was rushing through the page, doing unacceptable work, in order to hurry up and get the sticker. I think the stickers are damaging to my attempts to instill in her the intrinsic value of learning.
This book may be useful for children who already know how to read somewhat as a review of the alphabet and numbers, but I do not recommend it for even the most advanced 4-year-olds.

Wonderful
I've been aware of this line of products for some time. Recently while cruising one of the large area booksellers I purchased this for my 3 1/2 year old son. -- I liked the format of hav