Reviews (1)

one of my daughter's favorite Maisy's books
Since my daughter's grandma introduced her first Maisy book to her when she was just one month old, Maisy has become her favorite book character. Thirteen months now, she has lots of books that she loves to read but Maisy books are her all-time favorites. When I went to the bookstore to buy books for her, I always want to see if there is any new Maisy book. Honestly speaking, I don't think every Maisy book is equally good. I saw this book a couple of months ago and liked it right away. My daughter loves it too. I like it that the book shows different objects on one page and then it shows on the other page the context--what Maisy is doing. This way, it teaches kids names of individual objects and also lets them understand these objects under certain circumstances.The flapbook format also gives kids surprise, which I think is always helpful. It's really both informative and entertaining. Another book "Where is Maisy going" is similar to this one and my daughter likes it too. ... Read more

Book Description

Look for additional Blue's Clues books -- board books, sticker books, and more! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

treasure
I went on a treasure hunt.And I found a crystal ball.
It was red, it was ruby,it was a slipper, it was dorothy's.
dorothy gale from the wizard of oz she follow's the yellow brick road.

Get Set to Draw!
A neat little board book. Basically, each page has 3 clues drawn on it, and you draw the answers to the clues. Not too much reading involved. ... Read more

Book Description

Early Bird looks and looks, but he can't seem to find a worm to play with. A jumping frog and a tiny field mouse try to help out, but there just aren't any worms to be found. Early Bird is about to give up when he meets a friendly fellow in a funny hat--it's Wiggly Worm! Long out of print, this Richard Scarry classic will delight a whole new audience of readers! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A favorite of mother and son
When my son was born, I immediately began to look for Early Bird, but it seemed to be out of print. Luckily, my mother found my copy and it has become a favorite for a new generation! The simple humor captures the imagination of my son as much as it did mine. Typical of Scarry, there are so many different images to spark discussion. The illustration (pictured in the Amazon entry) of the family eating dinner alone provides endless opportunity to discuss foods, health, nutrition, etc. I HIGHLY recommend this book and I am so happy that it is back in print!

revisiting own childhood
This was one of my favourite books as a young child and I am really pleased to be able to find a copy to give to my own daughter for her 2nd birthday. I think the pictures are great and the book has a good message about making friends. I still get a warm feeling when I think of this book.

Glad It's Back
"Early Bird" by Richard Scarey was my 25 year old son's favorite book as an infant. He delighted in learning the names of the different animals and in the story itself. Now that he's going to be a father I can think of no other book that he would like to treasure and share with his new baby. I am glad that it's back in print so I can send it to him as soon as possible so another generation can enjoy the delights that Early Bird brought him. ... Read more

Book Description

This Sesame Street read-along takes babies and toddlers to the moon and more in this lovely board book version of the classic song. Sturdy pages, beautifully illustrated in glowing color, make this celebration of the imagination the perfect gift. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

One of my Personal Favorites
If your heart melted when this song appeared on "Sesame Street," then you'll love this book. If you are not already familiar with it, Ernie dreams about the amazing places he'd like to go. He learns that it's great to have an imagination, but there's no better place than being at home with loved ones. This is a short book that would make a great bedtime story for any preschool child.

Fun song, great illustrations
My 18 month loved the Sesame Street song that is sung by Ernie so she was hooked from the start. Additionally, the illustrations are really beautiful. When I am reading it to her, I catch my 4 year old peaking over listening in. This book is a hit in my house.

Mark's all time Favorite
This book is wonderful. It is my 20 month old son's favorite book from the moment he saw it the first time. I wish there were more of these Seasame Song books. The illustration is beautiful (I don't care what the paid review says!). Anyone who enjoys singing and/or reading with their child will love this book. Now when my son sees the song being song on Seasame Street he runs to his cabinet and pulls out the book. Its the first book he gets out in the morning and I have to make him leave it down stairs on his way to bed.

Great bedtime book
My son and husband loved this song from Sesame Street so I was so excited they had a book of it. The illustrations are beautiful and my one year old loves the funny pictures of Ernie. We sing the song as a lullabye and it works like a charm!

One of those not-so-babyish Sesame Street songs
"I Don't Want to Live on The Moon" has been one of my mother's favorite songs. The song is mostly in Sesame Street episodes about space, but the main theme of this soothing song is really about having wishes rather than about going to the moon. It tells how when one has wishes, it is hard to decide whether or not he or she really wants them to come true because of the changes that might happen if they did. I sing the song when I think of my wishes and at nighttime when I see the moon. They really ought to make more books of those not-so-babyish Sesame Street songs such as, "We are all Earthlings". Buy this book for somebody who's always got wishes on their mind about which they have tough decisions. ... Read more

Book Description

Everyone thought Visser Three and Ax were the only Andalites on Earth... until now. The Animorphs have discovered two other warriors who have escaped from Ax's Dome ship, and they may be able to help fight the Yeerks! But are they really Andalites, or is this just a cunning trap? ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Marco's humor is missing, and KA gave him a depressing book?
The book is really sad, I must admit. Here we have two surviving Andalites from the great Dome ship battle at the start of the series, and one is dying and the other is being held hostage by Visser Three. The two are very best friends, like Ax and Tobias are, but the problem is that they are trying to avoid the Animorphs' help and that only causes problems. But what I want to know is why Marco has to tell the story. This is a little too heavy for his type of character, and there is very little humor in it. But I guess it's because he has just come off from the re-marriage of his father that KA thinks this is okay. It's excusable, though, but a little unnatural.

I don't feel that this book is among the worst of Applegate because it has nothing to do with the main goal of the series, but because the story is really touching and a little depressing that you have to like it. But I agree that KA should not forget about Mertil, the Andalite who will be alone when his friend dies, because she is adding so many branches into the series now it's going to be pointless for even putting them there is she isn't going to bring them back up in the future. Other than that, this book is good.

Could be better
kaa has written better animorphs but this was not that bad. there could have been a little more action and gafinilan probably would have acted a little more proud and arrogant if this was ever to happen. I would recommend buying this book even though it is not the best animorphs written. this is an excellent series to collect if you are in to sci-fi books. this book actually should be 3 1/2 stars.

Interesting...
In this book, the Animorphs discover other Andalites on earth. One is a vecol (an Andalite with his/her tailblade cut off) and has been captured by the Yeerks. The other has a desiese, so Visser Three doesn't infest them, but he wants in return for returning the vecol, to give him one of the "Andalite Bandits" so he can make another Andalite-Controller. The Animorphs and the Andalite thats not captured go to try to rescue the vecol. Will the Animorphs suceed, or will they fail? Read the book to find out!

A very excellent read
I have been reading the Animorphs series for about four years now, and the writing has started to get a bit boring and mundane (I think it's the ghostwriters). However, this book was, by far, like a red rose shining out of a winter garden. It has been a long time since I enjoyed a book like this one. I can agree with the fact that K.A. cannot let Mertil hanging. She added him to the books, and now the readers want to find out his fate. He, along with Arbron, Melissa Chapman, and Aftran, should play a larger part in the final battle. If any of the Animorphs books should be picked up and read again, this is definately one of them.

It wasn't the best...
This definitely wasn't the best Animorphs book done by Marco. Or anyone, for that matter. It was a little bit interesting, and vaguely humorous at times, but it wasn't as good as it could have been, and definitely not as good as #45-50 have been. ... Read more

Book Description

The strongest magick ever distilled, and the deadliest butcher England has ever known...

Buffy Summers is on the trail of a killer demon in Sunnydale, and reluctantly accepts the help of Spike. Anything's better than his moping around. But Spike -- as usual -- has his own agenda, and it involves something the demon is carrying: a vial of pure magickal power. Spike knows plenty of peopleand demons who will pay top dollar for this vial: Doc, Rack...and an ancient evil known as The First.

Spike has encountered The First before. In the good old days in Victorian London, when Spike, Drusilla, Angelus, and Darla ran through the night in pursuit of dark fun, another evil being was stalking the streets, dispatching young women with brutal efficiency. But when the so-called "Jack the Ripper" struck too close to their twisted "family," the vampires found themselves on the same side as the Slayer of that time. Working to bring down Jack, and running afoul of The First, Spike and the Slayer formed an uneasy alliance, which followed Spike all through the twentieth century to present day Sunnydale, now blanketed in a mysterious fog.... ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Much better than I expected
I've been a Buffy/Spike shipper since the end of season two and have suffered through the highs and lows of their relationship. I'm also a redemptionista and have been driven to despair at times with the trials Spike was put through before he gained his soul. So, I was prepared to hate Blood And Fog because advance word was very negative about the way Nancy Holder portrayed Spike.

I was very pleasantly surprised. Yes, there are a oouple of things that maddened me and Holder makes one big whopper of a mistake (completely ignoring something very important that happened in Smashed)but overall, Spike is written with depth and perception. He's by far the most complex character in the book. I love how it's made clear Spike truly cares about Dawn, that he has real feelings for her.

The best thing is it's the most "erotic" and adult book the series has ever produced. It's very apparent Buffy is deeply attracted to Spike and longs for his physical presence. Holder makes the book very sexy, all things considered.

So, I recommend it to all Spike and Spuffy fans. It's a much friendlier book to Spike than any ...Christopher Golden has produced (which I advise all Spikelovers to avoid like SARS).

This Is Spike!!!!
I have to say that most of the negative reviews for this book are way, way off course. They pretty much say that Spike isn't Spike as he was in season six, as when this book was placed, and that author Nancy Holder doesn't know what she is doing. Ms. Holder is the premiere Buffy book author. You better believe she knows what she is doing. The awkwardness that existed between Buffy and Spike, the confusion that Buffy felt for him, and the making love aspect of it, is all there. What book were those people reading?. What season did they see?. Obviously, they are not well tuned Buffy fanatics. If they were, they would of seen that season six Spike was there. And the story that went on with him and Buffy is definitley here. The negative bashing saying otherwise is beyond ridiculous with no solid proof to back it up. Anyways, this is a real nice, dandy of a book. When I first heard that it would be of Jack The Ripper and Spike and Buffy, excitement grew. There are flashbacks galore as we go back to the 1880's London with Spike, Angelus, Dru, and Darla, and a creepy monstrosity that is Jack The Ripper. I won't say who or what he is. I will save that for you. A mysterious fog has come and enveloped Sunnydale. Unlike any fog anyone has ever seen. It brings a strange presence, known only as Jack, to the town. He is looking to open the hellmouth and destroy mankind. The descriptions of old London and the time is very good. The accents and language are spot on. Present day Buffy parts are very well done. Then again, it's Holder. She knows what to do and how to do it. It is a very entertaining read, and it feels like Buffy. Most of all, all of the season six traits are there and done appropriatley. This is one of the better adult Buffy books in a while. All fans should enjoy this.

This book has it all!
This book has it all: action-mystery-flash backs and more! It's about Jack the Ripper wanting to get back to this dimension, and maybe it will work! Spike has a big role in this book. When you begin reading, you don't wanna stop till the last page!

Great book!!
This if by far Nancy's best book. I liked the flashbacks and it's always fun to see the Angel/Darla and Spike/Dru. Plus, as a fan of Buffy/Spike I liked their scenes. It's obvious there is a lot of passion between them.

Excellent!!!
"Blood and Fog" is the best Nancy Holder book that I have read. I think "Blood and Fog" does an excellent job of dealing with the very complex issues of Season Six.

All of the characters in this book were written very well. I loved the flashbacks to Spike and Dru, but I am very glad that the majority of the story was current day. The Spike/Buffy relationship was written very well.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Blood and Fog." I loved Jack the Ripper's story.

I strongly recommend this book to all fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I hope to read more books by Nancy Holder in the future. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Excellent chronicle of Sesame Street's first 30 years
In this, the first Sesame Street book for adults, We can see a history of the show from it's begining to its 30th birthday.

I have fond memories of this show and am distressed that this fine book has become out of print so quickly.

It has a history of the many characters on the show, including ones who were nixed for various reasons. Anybody remember Don Music or Gladys the Cow?

How about the day Mr. Hoopers's death was announced. I missed that part and probably would not have remembered it as I would have only been 3 at the time.

As I look back to my childhood years, I have many fond memories of the show and would want to see this book reissued.

Great Sesame Street Book for Kids at Heart
What a wonderfully fun and informative book detailing 30 years of the best children's television show ever. I bought this book when my son started watching Sesame Street, and reading this book is like going through a scrapbook of my own childhood. It's all here: the old characters, the songs, the rhymes, and the magic of Jim Henson.

Great book! Entertaining read!
Published in 1999 for Sesame Street's 30th anniversary, it is chuck-full of facts, trivia, pictures, lyrics... This is the second-best thing to a DVD best-of release, and is a great companion to the Songs from the Street CD box set.

This book is a great trip down memory lane. This is why it's more interesting for us people born before 1980 than for the Elmo generation. Still, if you want to grasp what the early years were like, this is the book to read! And if you remember Mr. Hooper, I dare you not to cry when reading the transcript of Big Bird learning of his passing away.

Hopefully, there will be a updated and expanded reprint of this book for this year's Sesame Street 35th anniversary, so that people who missed it when it came out 5 years ago can still enjoy it.

Great for teenagers who are into Sesame Street
I found out about this book from a website. It shows a lot of secret facts about the origins of such characters and their names, and describes some old clips, most of which are still used on the show.
But the show has changed a little since the book was published and some details are slightly outdated or not included, for instance the producer's name changed in 2000, Mr. Handford no longer runs Hooper's Store(what happened to him?), Gina became a vet in 2001, and the Fix-it Shop became the Mail-it Shop in 2002.
Buy it and you'll have plenty of flashbacks of the show!

Get a copy while you can!
Reading Sesame Street Unpaved was like taking a joyful walk down memory lane. A fan of the show since I was a toddler, I savored each and every page of this lovingly crafted retrospective. I really appreciated how the book managed to be sweet, sentimental, and witty all at the same time. It is obvious that the folks behind Sesame Street are not only geniuses, but also endowed with a keen sense of humor. ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Earth is a tough neigborhood, especially if you're Ax
Aximili, the brother of Prince Elfangor is an andalite (a morphing alien that looks like a deer, human and scorpion), was discovered by the animorphs (five kids that are the only humans that can use the power to turn into any animal they touch)at the bottom of the sea. Since then he has worked side-by-side with them. But there are certain things he cannot explain. It would be breaking andalite law. Yet there is a law he has not fufilled: to kill Visser Three, the only yeerk to infest an andalite and the murderer of his brother. But since the animorphs know he's been keeping secrets from them, it seems like he has to go it alone. This is the first Aimorphs book to be narrated completely by Ax and is the funniest one.

4 HOOVES UP! (LOTS OF FINGERS, TOO!)
I think that anyone who has ever wanted to know more about Andalites should DEFINITELY read this book!! It answers many questions about Andalites and Yeerks, like: 1.How Andalites eat without a mouth, 2.Why Ax plays with sounds, 3. Why Andalites must fight the Yeerks, 4.When and why the Yeerks start to lose it because of events in #7 The Stranger, and more! In conclusion, I'm saying if you liked the other Animorphs books, you'll absolutely LOVE this one!

An Very good book
This book is very good, he makes contact with the Andalite home world and he *almost* kills Visser Three

Reader over 25
As always, I'm obviously way over the target age group. I'm taking the time to review each Animorphs book as I reread the entire series. My hope is to give parents, teachers, and anyone else the point of view of an adult who's outside the usual reading age for the series. Other reviewers have already given the overall plot, so I'm here with a few other thoughts. As other reviewers have commented, this book is very much about choices, and has a large dose of good humor involved. This is the first of the series which doesn't have heart pounding action and battles throughout the story, yet it remains just as entertaining. Ax is very amusing, and the story imaginative, giving readers a peek into Andalite culture and their people. Ax's race is one which holds rituals which are much different than our own, and honor is held in very high regard. It's a story about a young boy who is far, far away from his home, with his culture's heavy burdens which he must bear. The choices are huge to him, because someone once broke a law they now call Seerow's Kindness, and released a chain reaction which has made billions suffer for it. Should he, then, break that same law, even if he thinks its for the best -- even vital to the Animorphs winning the war? If he does, what repercussions will it have, because he ultimately doesn't understand who he's dealing with? The humans are as alien to him as Ax is to them. In an accident, he reprograms software for Marco's father. Ax thought it was nothing but a child's game to find all the errors, and fixed them in a few minutes. Not realizing what he did, he hands the ability for Zero Space travel to humanity. What if the Yeerks find out, for surely they will know it was an Andalite and not a human? In undoing that, he could also use it to call his parents, so far away. The book is about loneliness, too, in a way that everyone can relate to in some way. True to Animorphs style, however, its told through a young alien to make it new and interesting. There is also friendship, trust of utter outsiders on both sides, dealing with fears both huge (when Ax has to face Visser Three and doubts he'll survive) or small. Ax has to decide if he'll use the technology to call his people, another decision which goes against everything he'd been taught about Seerow's Kindness and his people's laws. There's laughter in this, a good story, and a whole lot more as the reader learns about Andalites first hand, and for the first time. A very excellent read and addition to the series.

Resident Alien...........................
Ax,is stranded on the human world,the only Andalite for billions of earth miles....Well,there is one.His name is Visser 3,the only Yeerk to get and Andalite Host,he is also the one Ax must kill to avenge the death of his brother,Elfangor........But,While he's here Ax wants to learn about the Human Culture,but he can't give away the secret,No Andalite can give it away,he can't tell them who let the Yeerks Loose........................... ... Read more

Book Description

Look for additional Blue's Clues books -- board books, sticker books, and more! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

ok
I'm not a big fan of these books, but my daughter really enjoyed this book, if not for the story, for the lift the flaps and my improvisation of the story. I don't think this will ever be a classic, nor a story that has any content. But it definitely has that 'Blue' appeal that infants and toddlers love.

Definitely a Toddler Book, Not a Baby Book
The artwork in this book is excellent! Just as good as the TV show. My 13-month-old son loves to look at the pictures in this book, and open the flaps, but tends to lose patience with the words. I think he might enjoy it more in 5 or 6 months, when he can identify shapes better.

A Must Have Book !
What a great book to add to a toddler's collection. This is a must have. Having fun, learning shapes and colors, and an easy read for a tired dad in the evening. Another 'must have' we've found are two in a series called WHAT IS ROUND? and WHAT IS SQUARE?....maybe even better because the images are real photographs and WOW talk about color. We pack ALL of these with us when we go anywhere. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

This book is the best I've read in a long time.
In The Vistor Rachel is the narator. She tells about her adventures as an Animorph. In the first Chapter or so everything is kinda slow (I don't want to say boring but). After that everything really gets action packed. They want to spy on Mr.Chapman (the assistant principal at the school all the Animorphs go to except Tobias who got stuck in a morph as a hawk because he stayed in morph for too long). They know that Chapman is a big part in the Yeerks plan to take over the world. Chapman has a daughter named Melissa. She has a cat named Fluffer Mckitty. To get into Chapmans house Rachel has to become Fluffer. It is hard to catch Fluffer because he is a tomcat (A male cat). When they find him he gets scared and runs up a tree. To get Fluffer down Rachel has to become a shrew. Finally they get Fluffer down. After they acquire Fluffer's DNA.The next night they all went to Chapmans house. Rachel was the last one to arrive. She was already Fluffer. There was a kitty door going into the Chapman's house. When Rachel gets to the living room, Chapman is just sitting there. He walks to the basement and Rachel follows. Chapman turns on a machine and a Hologram of Visser Three appears. Visser Three is the Yeerk King. Chapman doesn't mind that the cat is there. When Visser Three notices the cat, he tells Chapman to kill it because it could be an Andalite Warrior. Rachel returns to visit Chapman again while he is talking to Visser Three. Rachel tries to hide, but Chapman finds her and catches her. He takes her to a construction site that is unfinished. Visser Three comes down in person. He puts Rachel in one of the space ships. Will this be the end of Rachel? I guess you will have to read the book to find out what happens next

Cool!
The Vistitor is REALLY COOL!I love the books about Rachel and Tobias!So,this is the story....

Rachel used to be best friends with Melissa Chapman,but that was before the Yeerks,before the Andalite,and before the power to morph... Now Rachel seems to notice a chage in Melissa,She's not herself.Jake and the other Animorphs think they should spy on Melissa and her father,Principal Chapman,a known Controller.They only have one problem:How can they get inside the house?Rachel soon discovers the ideal morph:Melissa's cat,Fluffer Mckitty.Well inside the house Rachel makes some surprising discoveries,like why Chapman became a Controller,and other things..........

This is a Fabulous book!!!!!If you like the animorph books you need to read this!!!!

Nine lives are better than one...
Rachel is beginning to notice something strange about her old friend, Melissa. And that's bad because Melissa is the daughter of Principal Chapman who has been invaded by a Yeerk. So Rachel comes up with the perfect plan. Morph into Melissa's cat, Fluffer McKitty, to spy on what's going on. But the plan starts to go bad when Principal Chapman discovers that Rachel isn't really Fluffer McKitty. Will this be the end for Rachel?

I love the Animorphs books, but I just wasn't feeling this one. It seemed like a good one, although it just ended up being an average one. I really couldn't figure out what to feel about this book. Some parts were funny, some parts tried to be funny, but weren't, and some parts were sad. So overall, this was just an okay Animorphs book but far from one of the best.

Fantastic Addition!
Along the same vein of the debut of this series, this addition adds the same humor and action as its predecessor. I particularly enjoyed this book because we finally are given the opportunity to see one of the characters a little bit closer, and Rachel is an interesting one. Although she follows the typical, beauty queen-warrior archetype, she's nonetheless likable. The plot in this story is something we can all relate to: How do you help a friend when doing so might hurt them even more? Definitely check this one out.

GREAT BOOK!!!!!!!!!
This is one of the best animorphs books.You see, Rachel morphs into a cat and checks out Chapmans house. Everyone should read this book! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

"WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF."
FRANKLIN AND THE THUNDERSTORM is a colorful, entertaining, imaginative young reader book dealing with a relevant issue--FEAR. We all have them so this young reader book is sure to grab the child's attention. There is conflict and character growth, the formula for a great story a child will remember and ask for again.

Franklin's mother sends a reluctant and nervous turtle dressed in galoshes and a rain hat, carrying an umbrella, over to his friend, Fox's house as a storm begins to brew. When he arrives, there are three other animals there sharing their opinions about the approaching thunderstorm such as: "My fur feels funny," says Fox. "My feathers get all ruffled," says Hawk. "I can smell a storm coming," says Beaver sniffing. No one seems to be scared but Franklin. But he is scared enough for all four of his buddies! The storm hits full force and they all run inside. When the power goes out Franklin is so terrified he retreats inside his shell and no kind of coaxing on anyone's part, even treats from Mrs. Fox, will get him out. So Franklin's friends use their imaginations and begin talking about the CLOUD GIANTS. Whether the Cloud Giants are bowling or playing drums in the sky (thunder,) swinging from chandeliers or turning their lights on and off (lightning,) the illustrations are what make the story so great. Beaver quotes Mr. Owl's factual definition of thunder and Franklin, by this time, is out of his shell and smiling. Fox and his friends go back outside and Franklin discovers a rainbow. What Franklin say at the ending rounds out this very special story.

*You should buy this for the funny illustrations of the Cloud giants and what Franklin says about rainbows alone. Wonderful short story for ages 4-8. I got a set of 4 Franklins in a book club for my young daughter and this is her favorite.

Afraid
It helps children to deal with fears. In this book Franklin is afraid of thunderstorms. His friends help him thru it when they find out and are supported. This is an excellent book for any child that has a fear.

Children Will Enjoy It
Franklin is leary about journeying to his friend Fox's house as an eminent thunderstorm is brewing in the skies above. Through understanding and encouragement from his friends, Franklin learns to deal with the inevitable storm and gains comfort from his friends.

It really helps deal with the fear of thunderstorms.
This book is very well written. It makes it easy for children of any age to relate to the story. It also shows children that its okay to be afraid and shows ways to deal with that fear. (for parents too)! ... Read more

Book Description

This revised edition of the official biography of Mary-Kate and Ashley contains new, never-before-seen photos from the Olsen family album, info on behind-the-scenes action from their movie sets, updated fun facts, personal anecdotes and much, much more. There's a whole new chapter devoted to fashion describing what it's like for Mary-Kate and Ashley to design and own their own fashion line. They have also added insights on being executive producers and what it's like to have fashion dolls made in their image, as well as personal information about what kind of clothes they like to wear, what kind of guys they like, where they'd like to go to college, and what their plans are after college. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

MKA, teen millionaires maybe, but won't get 1 million starz
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen grew up on TV and still are on TV to this day. This is the biography written about their lives.

First time I read this, I just thought B-O-R-I-N-G cos it wasn't exactly interesting enough to hold my near-to-zero attention span. I paid about the equivalent of $6 for this book in hard back, but personally I thought that I'd put this book in the trash and read the Harry Potter books I bought in that same day.

However, then maybe I thought that I'd just give it 1 last chance. I read it again, trying to pick it up and make it as interesting as possible. No result - my brain found it boring. I DID put it back of the pile, and I DID read the Order of the Phoenix. When I finished that book and started re-reading the Goblet of Fire, but I had an overdose of Potter Magic, and I needed to get down-to-earth. I was rummanging through my book case for a factual book to help me, and my only choice was "Our Story."

I read it, reading slowly, I only planned to read it for 10 minutes, but i got hooked and read it for 1 hour. It just made me think, but it was short, so I got back to The Goblet of Fire.

Then, I read it through the day AGAIN and I found it fascinating and sooo good, I was shocked how down-to-earth they were. However then I read it again a few weeks later, and I hated the book again. So I gave it to MY twin sister Ryoko "Dark Willow" Kravaya and she h8ed it and reviewed it too. I had to do the same.

Though I enjoyed the book, I got bored of it, and probably won't read it for a while. I liked the photos, but it was not only short, but hard to make interesting...really. So I had to be patient. My sister gave it 2 stars, I gave it 3. But personally, I liked the book (after ages) but now it got boring.

Just Olsen, Just that
Mary-Kate and Ashley olsen are twins. They are actresses. So what? Tons of girls are!
This book reflects the lives of these girls. How they made it big. How they live their lives. And it explains all their endorsements. Big whoop.
This book (on the whole) is quite boring. Unless you have young girls (age 5-11) then buy it. I personally am 11, but I don't act like bubblegum pop, I listen to Good Charlotte and admire Emily Strange. That's what a real pre-teen should be doing, not some pink twins.
The Olsens are 17 years of age. I thought they would have grown up from the "Miss Popular" routine. Though they said in OUR LIPS ARE SEALED: "Life's not about being popular, it's about being yourself," does anyone actually believe them? They're actresses, they're supposed to say that! But I think that beneath all that, they're just saying to girls to be stuck-up and popular, like the Olsen twins.
These girls are Barbie Dolls, and it shows in their movies with yucky smooches and poor acting.
This book explains a lot about their lives, but I really don't think there's much truth in it.
okay, 3 or 4 years ago, I was a die-hard MKA fan. But now I've said "Bye-bye" to the movies, books and clothes, and made way for Emily Strange books and accesories.
I BEG YOUNG GIRLS TO STAY AWAY FROM THESE BUBBLEGUM SUGARY TWINS. IF YOU DON'T, YOU'LL BE ON THE RIDE TO NOWHERE! THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY ...! GET A HOLD ON YOURSELF, THE OLSEN TWINS WERE HISTORY EVER SINCE WINNING LONDON. AND THEY WILL BE 4EVA.

DARK WILLOW/RYOKO816
Emily Strange and Tenchi Universe/Tenchi In Tokyo fan. (Not Ayeka, just Ryoko/Tenchi)

Mary-Kate and Ashley: Our Story
Before I first ordered this book, I was skeptical as to if it would actualy be interesting. It sure is interesting! Evreybody loves The Olsen Twins, right? In this biography, many facts are revealed, some ones that you would never even know! For instance, Mary-Kate and Ashley lead somewhat normal lives. They have squables between their siblings, as well as homework trouble, just like any other teen. The book tells secret crushes, favorites, and their big break into showbiz. It is also packed with quotes straight from the girls. I recommend this book to any Olsen Twins fan!!!

Very Interesting
When you look at famous celebrities like Mary-Kate and Ashley, you'd expect them to go to the coolest parties ever and have very different lives because they always seem to be in the industry.But you'd be surprised what you'll REALLY find out when you read this novel.
Even said by themselves, MK & A lead very normal lives. Though it may be very hard to believe, it is true and when you read this interesting book you'll realise that being famous IS alot of fun, but it isn't all its cracked up to be!
Everyone leads normal live, including MK & A and other famous people, when they are off screen.
There are many interesting facts and funny and memorable moments that you can read over and over again. Celebrities are just like us, remember that!

The Olsen sisters sure have grown up!
Mary-kate and ashley are sixteen now and have grown up from their " Full House" days to being teen stars. This book has photos of them from cute, little michelle to where they are now. It tells how they grew up on TV, video, and movies. Today, they are teen millionares. ... Read more

Book Description

Quetzal plans a big surprise for the dragons and the children to work on. He tells everyone ways they can help, but no one remembers what he says! The results are comical, and, with good humor, Quetzal asks the gang to listen again more carefully and to remember. This time it all goes smoothly and everyone ends up with a beautiful new Listening Garden. ... Read more

Book Description

Illustrated in full color. Whose face is that on the cover? That's

right--it's red-hot Elmo! Toddlers will learn to link facial expressions to

emotions as they take a close-up look at some of the funniest, fuzziest monster

faces on Sesame Street! Look at Zoe's happy face, she has a yummy lollipop.

Elmo has a sad face, he's just dropped his ice cream cone. Poor Elmo! Can

you make a "sorry Elmo" face?




... Read more

Reviews (6)

Monster faces make happy faces
My one-year old daughter loves this book so much that she has completely worn it out. It is quite durable but she carries it everywhere. It is her favorite. She enjoys making 'monster voices' to go with the monster faces. She has taken to reading it to herself at times. We love this book and are buying it for a friend's newborn - along with another copy for my daughter!

One of our very favorites
Our 2 two year olds love Monster Faces. The wonderful part of this little book is the way it promotes interaction and playfulness between reader and child! Our son & daughter get so excited when I start reading the book -- they dance around and giggle. We have a ball making our own faces along with the friendly monsters in the book. Some of the muppet monster faces are "shy face", "happy face", "silly face", "scary face", "grumpy face", "surprise face", "silly face", ending with "my face". What a great book!! I highly recommend it. Get ready to jump in and be silly!

One of our favorites
My son loves this book! He's only 3 months old, but he likes to look at the pictures and hear me act out the faces with my voice. I'm sure this little book will continue to be one of his favorites. I agree that Amazon's age group seems off.

Great carseat/diaper bag book
Our 1 year old LOVES this book. She gets all excited whenever she just sees the cover.

Great for the diaper bag!
My one year old loves this book! I don't believe that Amazon's age group is right; this book is perfect for babies. Very colorful, lots of pages, and small enough for little hands to hold. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A funny look at sibling rivalry
Arthur gets the chickenpox just before the circus comes to town. So he gets all the attention and care ~~ leaving his sister, D.W. out in the cold with jealousy. She fakes getting chickenpox and learns a lesson the hard way.

It's a cute look at sibling rivalry and envy. The story is readable and fun.

Once again the illustrations are fun to look at ~~ bright and colorful and cheerful. My boys can't read yet but they really enjoy the illustrations and I enjoy reading the stories.

1-12-04

Primarily focusing on enviousy
Well, now that a hopefully working vaccine for chicken pox has been developed, this story is still great for teaching one about being careful what he or she wishes for.
The circus is in town-everybody's excited to go, but when Arthur is sick with chicken pox, D.W. comes home from play group to find Arthur lying on the couch so wishes she was sick so pretends to think Arthur is just pretending to be sick. And as the story continues, D.W. shows how she wishes she was the sick one-and in the end, Arthur is better, but D.W. gets the chicken pox.
This will be a great book to teach about being careful what you wish for even when chicken pox no longer exists.

Great--but Beware!
My kids thought this book was very funny. I did too, but not solely for the reasons they did. Chicken pox that only lasts a week? Come on! But the main problem this created in my home was that when my kids came down with chicken pox, they pulled this book out. Uh-oh! They wanted crazy straws, and a back rub, and every other special treatment that Arthur received. But it was reassuring for them to see that chicken pox is very common, and even Arthur survived. At least I got them to try the oatmeal bath!

Arthur's Chicken Pox
I found this book to be very humorous and fun to read. I loved watching Arthur receiving special treatment for being sick and D.W. pretending that she also had chicken pox. This book is also great because many young children can identify with Arthur and D.W. . As a future teacher, this book is a must for any book collection.

One of the best Arthur books
My 4-year old son loves to go to the library because he can't wait to see which Arthur books will be available. We've read almost all of them, and this is our favorite. (Arthur's Halloween is a close second.) I'm buying buying a copy from Amazon.com as a gift to his nursery school class. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. "Two feet high, this board book is as tall as a toddler. Scarry packs countless pictures of his characters on the wide pages, each perky creature identified by a short word or phrase. Strongly constructed, it's a can't-fail item for small boys and girls."--Publishers Weekly. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great gift!
I first found this book at the library, then had to have it for home. My children love to look at it-even the littlest would crawl over to sit on it. I've bought it as a gift for more children than I can count!!

Outstanding for all ages!
This is the greatest book! I have taught 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade and have always had this book in my classroom. It is great for vocabulary building and just a fun way to get kids interested in books. My students of all ages gave it lots of wear, and it is still in good shape for my son to enjoy. He is now 18 months and ever since he was about 9 months has loved to sit on it and pat the pictures and now he is starting to name different things. It's really unique because of it's giant size (about 1.5'X2') and thick cardboard pages. I think it is well worth the price for the amout of enjoyment and wear you will get out of it! What a great gift too.

A great gift!
My husband has 7 godchildren, and this book is one of the "standard" gifts that we send to them. They love the BIG size--the book is usually bigger than them, and the size makes it an extra-fun gift to receive. Naturally, the kids also love all of the Richard Scarry details on each page!

best first book.....ever
my son got this book when he was about 9 monthes old and spent hours sitting inside it looking at the pictures and by a year old could point to everything in every picture when asked to identify them. all of the richard scarry books were the greatest books for building an extensive vocabulary in him. now, at nine years, he never stops talking.

When he says big, he means BIG!
This is a great book for toddlers and preschoolers, it's as big as they are and chock full of Scarry's signature illustrations. Even though this book is tall, it is very thin and slides behind a toychest or headboard easily. ... Read more

Book Description

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME

Buffy and Dawn are having difficulty settling into their new roles, now that their mother is gone. Buffy herself is reluctant to cross over to the role of parent, and the two are bickering more than usual.

In fact, Buffy's distraction prevents her from noticing strange behavior among the video-game crowd. One of Xander's friends goes medieval outside the Sunnydale movie theatre, laughing and babbling that he can't be stopped -- he's only in town on a temporary visa. Puzzled, Anya and Xander investigate. It seems that people who've been testing a new video game have been demonstrating creepy tics.

As the Slayer attempts to put all of the pieces together, Anya is abducted into an alternate demon universe. Buffy had better figure out how to get her friend back to Sunnydale, before the game is over, for good... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Gamer's Paradise
This story takes place shortly after Season Five BTVS episode "The Body". Buffy finds herself in the most frightening role of her life, trying to be a good mother to Dawn, while still finding time to battle the forces of evil.

Meanwhile Xander treats Anya to a Star Trek movie marathon, but when one of Xander's friends busts in, intent on killing everyone, it seems that the hell mouth has opened again. But Xander discovers that instead he is dealing with a new Virtual Reality system most of his friends are testing, and the virtual reality is far too real.

Shortly after Tara and Giles attend a taping of Tara's favorite TV psychic, and can only watch helplessly as he's attacked by supernatural forces.

Over all this is a very well written addition to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. Mel Odom continues to be my favorite author. It's fun to see how all his diverse plots will intermingle at the end.

For all you MANY Spike fans out there, while he doesn't get as much 'screen time' as Xander in this particular novel, he is strong, compassionate towards Buffy, and riding around on a motorcycle. Yum.

Lastly, for those of us that are comic book fans as well as Buffy fans there are more comic book and RPG references in here than you can shake an adamantium claw at. :>

Highly recommended for fans not only of Buffy, but of Xander, Spike, and gaming!

Joystick Free Demon Chasing
When a Craulathar demon begins to collect people parts, the outcome is always bad. Buffy and Willow are following a trail of discards in an effort to track the demon down before it works some awful spell. Faced with a demon in the process of opening a gateway to some particularly malignant dimension, they are going to need help to shut the door. Whom do you call when you need an expert on serious badness...? Spike!

Meanwhile... Xander and Anya are engrossed in a sci-fi film festival, popcorn in hand, when Robby Healdton, a gaming friend, plucks a fire axe of the walk and threatens to chop the audience into geek cutlets. Xander to the rescue (barely). Later, at the hospital, Xander discovers Robby isn't just acting as if he wasn't himself; he really isn't Robby at all!

Even more meanwhile... Giles and Tara are in the studio audience watching Derek Traynor, a popular medium and spiritualist perform. Suddenly Traynor makes contact with the dead spirit of another friend of Xander's who is lost in another dimension. However, the boy still appears to in this world, alive and well!

The Scooby gang realize that these tangled problems are the visible loose ends of a magic that has somehow managed to convert virtual reality into a tool to subjugate the world. Xander has disappeared, Dawn is giving Buffy a major headache, and a guitar playing New Orleans demon slayer shows up in Sunnydale with an agenda of his own. Soon Buffy is wishing she could go back to the old 'See it, put a stake in it' days.

Mel Odom does a good job with this plot, but there is a lot of complex action in a very short novel. This is his forte, but sometimes the plot is a little hard to follow in the space allotted. Certainly, the book could easily have been longer, or there should have been one or two plot arcs less. To be honest, I find the Buffy/Dawn conflict is a bit overworked lately. The potential relationship between Bobby Lee Tooker (the Cajun demon duster) and Buffy never has a chance to develop with everything else going on, and he is a very interesting character.

I hope that this is not a trend. What makes BTVS something else besides a monster kill-a-thon is the focus the show puts on its characters. Books like this that are heavily action focused are in danger of drifting away from a successful formula. All this criticism aside, the story is an active, upbeat book with some unusual twists to the use of magic. I enjoyed reading it, and would have enjoyed another fifty pages even more.

It isn't a game anymore...
Crossings is Buffy at its best.

Someone arrives in Sunnydale and he's recruiting video gamers to test a new virtual reality game. All the gamers know is that he calls himself Dredfahl and that the game is the greatest and most realistic they've ever played. Xander finds out what's going on one night when a friend of his goes insane at a movie theater. Turns out he's being possessed by a demon, and Dredfahl isn't quite who he seems...

In Crossings, every character gets something to do, even the smaller characters. Buffy, Xander, Anya, Willow, Giles, Dawn, Spike and Tara all have things to do, as well as some new characters. One of the things that I liked best about this book is that pivotal information comes from everyone, not just one or two characters like usual (i.e. - usually Giles and/or Willow come up with a lot of the info). Everyone gets in on the action, and it actually works. The plot is pretty easy to follow, yet I don't ever remember being bored while reading.

If you want a great Buffy book, go with Crossings. It's a major step up, especially following the dreadful Sweet Sixteen. I highly recommend Crossings to any fan of the Buffy series.

A Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel with TWO good endings
WARNING: Once again, we begin with a sincere warning not to read the copy that appears on the back cover and above describing the content of this novel. Apparently they write such things before the books are really written, which certainly explains why some of the recent BtVS one have been so off base.

"Crossings" is Mel Odom's second "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" novel after last year's "Revenant," although his contribution to the "Tales of the Slayer, Volume 1" was the best of that rather uneven collection. This latest effort takes place in the wake of Joyce Summer's death during Season 5 and while at first it seems that Buffy's problems with Dawn is but a major subplot it becomes a critical part of the novel's payoff. But because the Slayer's sibling does not show up until well into the story you are distracted by the problem at hand, which involves a demon who wants to ascend character level (I am beginning to get the hang of the Buffy CCG). However, "Crossings" is one of those novels were everything comes together in the end for the big payoff. So while Buffy and Willow are tracking a Craulathar demon who collects body parts from corpses, Xander and Anya are trying to enjoy a "Star Trek" film festival, and Giles and Tara are attending a taping of the television program "Othersyde," they are all just picking up threads of Odom's narrative.

Odom does an excellent job of maintaining the pace of this story, which takes place in the course of one night. Even as he adds more characters into the mix he keeps all of his balls in the air and you are never left wondering what is happening with anybody at any given moment. "Crossings" comes close to the actual pace of a television episode (it could not be because diversions and lavender eyes will cost big time special effects bucks).

However, the main strength of this effort is Odom's characterization. The picture of Xander and Anya on the cover might be somewhat arbitrary (they just used Buffy and Dawn on the cover of "Sweet Sixteen"), but they are probably the two characters that Odom captures best, mainly because in both cases he reigns in their senses of humor; most BtVS novel writers give Anya way too much free reign, but Odom keeps her from going off the deep end. There is also a scene between Buffy and Dawn that is actually better than anything we have seen on television between the two, which really makes me realize that they need to do more with Dawn than making her the damsel in distress. Odom even has her actually do something constructive in the course of the adventure.

I also like Odom's attention to detail, which is also reflected in the careful construction of his story. There is a point in the story where a pair of binoculars pops up. Admittedly, this is a small thing, but pay attention to how much sense it makes and why there should be more such things in the BtVS universe. He also has a hysterical scene when a TV medium has a more ghostly encounter, a guy who insists on calling the Slayer "ma'am," a pretty good pay off line for the Slayer's big kill, and not one but two good endings to his novel. Given the limitations that are placed on the writers of BtVS novels (e.g., do not write about the season's main villain, do not have anything really important happen, etc.), "Crossings" is a more than solid effort. Odom is really hitting stride and the auspices are pretty good that his next BtVS novel could be something pretty special.

dont play the video games or else
while xander and anya are at the movies, a young man they both
know comes in and starts threatening to kill everyone. a big fight ensues and eventually he is taken to the hospital. everyone thinks that he has lost it but upon further research
it is discovered that he was recruited to try out for a new
virtual reality game that causes it's participant's essence to be
sent to an alternate dimension while demons' essensences are
stored in their bodies. this book is fast paced and actually let's the whole scooby gang have a part in rescuing the poor guys
trapped in the demon universe. dawn even gets in the action and
it is nice to see that some writers are keeping up to date with
the show. i highly reccommend this one and i can't wait to 'wisdom of war' comes out. that looks like they are going to
take the story line into uncharted territory which will be
refreshing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Barney Says Please and Thank You
Engaging story line. Lots of good examples of proper please and thank you use. My daughter enjoys it every time. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Arthur's Eyes
This book was about a boy named Arthur who has to get glasses. The next day at school his classmates and friends for wearing glasses tease him. He starts telling his teacher that he forgot his glasses at home. The lesson this book teaches that it's okay to be different and not to care about what others think of you. The age level of this book is about from ages 5-8. I thought this book was good because all children need to learn that it's okay to be different.

A good book for young children
Arthur's Eyes is a tale about a Arthur getting his first pair of glasses, and
learning to be proud to wear them. Arthur is teased by his fellow
classmates and is embarrassed of having to wear glasses. He soon
learns that wearing glasses improves his school performance, and
eventually leads to his acceptance by his classmates. Arthur's Eyes
captured our attention with the colorful artwork, although at times the drawings were of low quality. The cover picture of Arthur is not the same picture portrayed in the actual book, and this maybe disappointing for children who are used to the PBS television show. However, the message the pictures convey are appropiate for the intended age group. The story is short enough for a young child to read in one sitting, which would be good for a bedtime story. Young children who read this book will learn to be proud of their personal image if they get eyeglasses. They will also learn to accept other children who wear glasses. We would recommend this book for classroom reading and as leisure reading.

Arthur's Eyes
Overall we thought that this book was a good book for children. It was aimed for children at about the kindergarten to first grade level. A good aspect of this book is it is directed at boys and girls, something that would work well in a classroom. The moral of Arthur's Eyes is good for children because it will help them get over a fear of needing glasses at a young age. This is shown through ways that children can relate to such as doing well on a quiz, being able to see in class, and making baskets in a basketball game. This book also included humor that young children could relate to such as the incident when Arthur walked into the girl's bathroom and Francine was in there. This is something that children at this age would find hilarious.
The only thing in this book that we found to be unappealing to anyone is that Arthur looks nothing like he does in the well-known cartoon. Besides none of the characters looking like they should, all of the illustrations were terrible. Without knowing that this is supposed to be an Arthur story, children wouldn't recognize the characters by looking at the pictures and this could confuse a young mind.

Misleading graphics
If you look at the cover, it shows the current Arthur. INSIDE the book is the, I am guessing, first generation arthur that really looks like an aardvark. The crude pictures inside are confusing to the child. Avoid this arthur book and move on the the next one.

Disappointed
This book has absolutely horrible artwork in it. I bought my copy through the school system, and on the cover, they had a picture of Arthur like he looks on the TV show. However, inside the book, Arthur and his family look like rats, not like teddy bears. My kid couldn't even recognize the characters. He kept saying that this wasn't Arthur. I hope all the Arthur books aren't this shoddy, but I hestitate to buy another without flipping through it at a store. It literally looks like a child drew the pictures. ... Read more