Book Description

Illus. in full color. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Beginnings and Endings.
This wonderful children's book explains the history of the ill-fated ship, from the beginning of its maiden voyage in England to the discovery of the boat at the bottom of the ocean depths by Dr. Robert Ballard. The illustrations are lively and vibrant, giving depth to the easy to understand, yet enchanting text. I have read several children's books about the Titanic and this one seems to have the best of everything.

Well Written and Educational
This fabulous children's book recounts with wonderful illustrations and simple language the tragic and familiar story of the Titanic. When the movie came out my children (then 5 and 8) were not allowed to watch it (why ask for nightmares? ). This book, carefully written with attention to detail, was sufficient to satisfy their need to know about this event in a manner that was sensitive, appropriate and accurate. There is even a picture in the first chapter that shows a cut-away style picture of how the ship was set-up: "Fancy rooms" on the top decks, swimming pool and squash courts at the bottom, and all kinds of rooms in between. Someday my children will be old enough to handle the feelings that the movie evokes, but until then, (since we live in Washington State) I want to be able to use a ferry once in a while! I'm very thankful for this well written, historical children's book!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!
When I was in the 3rd grade, this was my favorite book of all time. I literally must have read it 100 times. I can't believe that I found it on Amazon.com! I am so excited to read it again. I would recommend anyone to get this book- especially Titanic enthuiastes like me(this book made me one).

As good as it gets
Ever since the movie came out, my 2nd grade students have had a fascination with Titanic. You couldn't ask for a better book than this to describe the ship, the passengers and the human pride and frailties that led to the sinking. This book is well-written enough that it is easy for young minds to understand and complex enough to keep them entranced. Even adults will find it interesting and, between you and your kids, your copy will probably be read to shreds in no time!

I could not even breathe when I finished the book!
I was sad when the men died and it was not fair for the poor people when they tried to get saved. The Titanic couldn't get past the iceberg because there was a wall of icebergs. There was another ship nearby, but they didn't understand that the Titanic was sinking. I am eight years old. ... Read more

Book Description

The authoritative expert of the Little House series ‘chronicles the life of author Wilder in a readable biography that is easily accessible to [readers of] the Little House books. Particularly interesting are the sections that fill in the gaps in Wilder's stories'including the time spent in Burr Oak, Iowa, and the years following her marriage to Almanzo Wilder.' 'BL.

1990 Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Nonfiction

Reviews (7)

Easy To Love Easy to Read
The Best Way to learn about Laura Ingalls is of course, to read The Little House on the Prarie Series of books. Next, read her diaries and then biographies. I found this book a well rounded out, over-all review of her life with greatly investigated details that capture a Laura Ingalls FANs heart. Well put together and very easy to absorb, made me love Laura all the more.

Become a Little House Expert!
Historian William Anderson did a great job with this little book in rounding out the life and times of the Ingalls family. He fills in the gaps with historic details for those parts of her life that Laura ommitted, for reasons of her own. The final chapters of the book are especially fascinating as we travel to Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri to see how Laura, Almanzo and Rose lived after "West From Home." Also included is the fascinating story of how the "Little House" books came to be. Anderson also provides some embellishment from Laura herself on stories told in the "Little House" series. It's heartwarming to hear another version from Laura of Almanzo's surprise Christmas visit. This book is full of little tidbits just like that - which are irresistible to Little House fans!

Very informative, full of surprises
If you've read the "Little House" books, you'll find that some things in the stories weren't quite the same in real life - for example, the Ingalls family's time spent in Burr Oak, Iowa, isn't mentioned in any of Laura's stories, nor the fact that they actually lived in the Big Woods twice in Laura's lifetime - the events of "Little House on the Prairie" actually took place when Laura was too young to remember, so of course she relied on her parents'memories of Indian Territory. Also of note are a couple of name changes - the "Oleson" family was actually the Owens family, and the quarrelsome people she stayed with on her first teaching job were named Bouchie, not Brewster. Many more surprises await you when you read the story, but I don't want to give everything away!

INCREDIBLE!
Anderson writes a wonderful and incredible book about Laura Ingalls Wilder. She is a fascinating person and this is a wonderful tribute to her and her life.

Anderson fills his book with facts about Laura's life that I have never read before. Laura chose not to write about every year in her life... this book covers some of them.

Excellent, terrific and informative book... wonderful addition to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House series. You will absolutely enjoy it!

Laura's life painted rosy
After reading through the entire LITTLE HOUSE series (again), I became interesting in learning more about Laura Ingalls Wilder. I began with this book, and read some additional books as well. I found that LAURA INGALLS WILDER: A BIOGRAPHY was very informative, but that it was written in a very positive light. It glossed over some traumatic moments in Laura's life, and made her look like a perfect person instead of a normal person with some faults.

This book is designed to fit in with the current LITTLE HOUSE paperback design, which is handy. It is an easy read (written for the 9-12 set), but will interest those who want to know more about "the real Laura." I would recommend it over the other biographies I have read about Laura Ingalls Wilder because it is written to be interesting, not to be historically detailed. However, Laura's life was painted a lot rosier than it was in real life. ... Read more

Book Description

Catch a glimpse of all the wonders Wyoming has to offer in "C is for Cowboy: A Wyoming Alphabet."This alphabet journey begins "A is for Altitude of mountains that soar, the Grand Tetons rise straight from the floor."Written in a two-tier format with rhyming text for younger readers and detailed expository text for older readers, "C is for Cowboy" showcases the many natural wonders of this expansive state.Susan Guy's dramatic, true-to-life artwork provides a stunning backdrop to the printed words. ... Read more

Book Description

After tumbling off the back of a wagon, Jip was brought to live at the town poor farm. He has been content to do chores and tend animals -- until the day the lunatic arrives. Put seems terrifying and less than human, but as the weeks pass, Jip sees the man he truly is. So, when a menacing stranger comes to town, claiming to have been sent by Jip's grieving father, Jip turns to his new friend to make sense of his past. Jip is another triumph from Katherine Paterson -- and fans of her Lyddie are in for a special surprise." Like Paterson's Newbery-winning Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, this historically accurate story is full of revelations and surprise...The taut, extremely readable narrative and its tender depictions of friendship and loyalty provide first-rate entertainment."-- Publishers Weekly, starred review" Maintains its riveting pace from the opening chapter to the final moment when the protagonist triumphs over adversity...Evokes the attitudes and social conditions of the times [1855-1856] in lucent prose."-- The Horn Book, starred review ... Read more

Book Description

Exploring the wonders of Indiana by using each letter of the alphabet, "H is for Hoosier" is a delight for readers of all ages.From the "musical" dunes along Lake Michigan to the Grissom Air Museum in Peru, from the natives who gave the state its name to James Whitcomb Riley, "H is for Hoosier" gives students a chance to learn fascinating facts about their state through poems and explanatory text for each letter. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Multi-Cultural Teacher
I was very excited when I purchased this book. I thought it was a great idea to teach children about the state. However, I do not feel that the author spent anytime researching the state of Indiana. Also, there is not any racial diversity in this book. If one was to look at this book, they would think Indiana only has caucasion americans living in the state.

A must for those with Hoosier roots...
We lived in Indiana for a year with our small children and we have tried to remind them of all the fun things we did and learned while we lived there. This book is adorable. It covers all the highlights of Indiana. My boys LOVE reading and remembering our year as temporary Hoosiers.

Making Indiana even more interesting!
I received this book as a Christmas gift from a co-worker. I teach fourth grade and we study Indiana History, so this is an awesome and appropriate book. The wording Mrs. Reynolds uses, and the illustrations from Mr. Langton, hook the students in and keep them interested until the very end. The facts and information on the sidebar of each page is an excellent way to tie everything in together. I read it to my students immediately upon receiving it, and they have already made references to it just in the short time since I've had it. It is a perfect gift for any teacher (especially one who teaches fourth grade) or for any Hoosier. I would recommend this book to anyone! ... Read more

Book Description

Hunter Scott, an 11-year-old boy in Pensacola, Florida, was watching the movie Jaws, listening to Captain Quint tell the story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis at the end of World War II. “Eleven hundred men went into the water. Very first light, the sharks come cruising. . . .” Hunter had a simple question: Was this a true story?

The story of the USS Indianapolis, the worst naval disaster in American history, is indeed true. So is the story of the shameful court-martial of the ship’s captain, shameful because the loss of the ship was not his fault, and the Navy knew it. Hunter Scott became the catalyst for the survivors’ efforts to clear their captain’s name and set the record straight. This is the story of the ship, her brave sailors, their wronged captain, and a young man’s crusade to right an old injustice. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Left for Dead- A must read
The USS Indianapolis. If this name doesn't sound familiar to you...then you might want to consider reading Left for Dead.
Left for Dead is a Book based on a true story about Hunter Scott, a Florida Schoolboy who did a History Fair project on the USS Indianapolis. This doesn't really sound significant at first, but the book tells you the history of the ship.
The ship was piloted by Captain Charles Mcvay III. It was a cruiser ship, and one of the fastest in the navy. The Ship was always considered lucky, until it was severely damaged by a kamikaze plane. The ship luck ran out, it got torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sank. The captain was court-martialed (brought to military court) and he was the one held responsible for the ship sinking.
There were quite a few injustices. It was not the captain's fault the ship sunk, and the navy ignored the SOS signal. The navy also even had the audacity to bring in the sub captain that sank the ship, and purposely translated incorrectly what he said to defend the navy.
Hunter Scott then found out all about this. His project got National attention and him along with the survivors cleared Mcvay's good name.
That is only a very brief summary of the book. The book has lots of neat things in it that kept my attention while I read this incredible story. It gave explicit detail of the sinking, trials etc. Form some of the survivors' points of view. In the book was also the story of how and why Hunter Scott chose the Indianapolis as his History Fair project. The book also has some pages (about 20) of Hunter Scott with the survivors with the survivors, pictures of the survivors during WWII, a picture of the Japanese submarine captain, a map of the area near where it sunk and even a picture of the ship.
History isn't the only thing in this book that caught my eye. There was a lot of interesting scientific information that really wowed me (this is coming from a kid not too interested in science.) All sorts of stuff was in the book about trauma, the nervous system and psychic injury. It was very interesting stuff, and it explained to me a lot of things about flashbacks. The Stuff about the dreams relating to reality fascinated me to. These along with other scientific facts explained why the sailors had flashbacks and bad dreams about the sinking, there was also some very interesting stuff about how things like Sun damage and exposure killed sailors who weren't killed by sharks.
This book incorporated all of this stuff and makes it Interesting and entertaining. If I read about stuff like this in a history textbook, or if it were like stuff you'd find in a history book, I would probably be so bored to death I'd fall asleep and when I woke up I'd want to burn it. The science stuff was also made very interesting as well, and was also explained in a way that didn't boggle my mind or keep me up all night with my eyes wide open trying to figure out what all of it meant. I know I'm only 14, but I know unless you are a scientist any adult would get confused if the scientific knowledge wasn't explained the way it was.
This is a great book. Pick it up and start reading it.

Left for Dead(An amazing story of men aboard the U.S.S Indy)
Left for Dead was the best historical book I have ever read. Men aboard the U.S.S Indionapolis died in numbers for many days. 350 men survived a wreck of an enemy sub's torpedo out of 1400. Men were starneded in the middle of the Ocean for days. The U.S. Navy found them after 5 days and needed to blame this devastation on somebody. They chose the captain, Captain McVay of the Indy. The surviving crew tried to clear his name from his court-martial but never got through th Navy. They know it's not their captain's fault. A boy comes along named Hunter Scott. Would a boy be able to clear McVay's name? Will His history fair project lead a wrong in Navy history to a right? This is a book that you'll read for hours at night without puting it down about the men's history aboard the Indy and Hunter Scott's epic tale of how he cleared McVay's name.

Superb book, especially for youth
Not as graphic as "In Harm's Way" by Doug Stanton, this book is perfect (and written for) youth 12 and older. The best part is the detailed description of Hunter Scott's fight to help the survivors exonerate Captain McVay, six decades later. You feel as if you are right there when the Navy official is struggling to explain and make sense of a senseless verdict. Wonderful color pictures of Hunter's journey to find out the truth and eventual victory. These men and this boy are to be remembered as heroes.

A true story
Left for Dead is a very well written book, one of the better ones done by Pete Nelson. This book takes place around the time of Pearl Harbor and tells how it came to be. The Indianapolis is the main ship and on a secret mission. After being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, several hundred sailors survive the attack as sharks pick them off one by one. After not finding the ship for at least a week, the U.S. Navy needed to blame someone. They choose Capt. McVay of the Indianapolis. The crew knows it's not his fault, so they must clear his name. This book was based on true events. Pete Nelson does a great job in making it feel like you're actually there. Will McVay's crew clear his name? If you want to find out what happens read the book for yourself and hear about the significant memories of the crew and Hunter Scott.

Left for dead the USS. Indianapolis story.
Left for dead the USS. Indianapolis story. The book I read was called ?Left for Dead?. Pete Nelson wrote it with a preface by hunter Scott. This book is a true story about one of the biggest mistakes made in the NAVY. Lets start from the beginning; this story is about the boat the USS. Indianapolis called the indi for short. The indi was a proud flagship for the U.S. pacific fleet it had been through many important battles and won many medals for her crew. The indis next mission was so secret that even the captain of the vessel did not know what it was only what he was supposed to do the captains name was captain Macvay. What the indi was caring was the A-bomb it was to take it to the U.S. airstrip were it would be flown to drop on Japan. On the way pack to pearl harbor the India was hit by an I-58 sub torpedo well the indi sank after that and out of her 800 crew only 350 made it off the ship. The surviving crew survived in the shark-infested waters for 7 days with out food and water. When they were finally rescued there were only 50 people left. The captain was wrongly curt marceled because the NAVY wanted to hide the mistake it made even though the crow tried to clear his name they couldn?t Intel a boy named Hunter Scout did the India story for a history project did he find something to clear the captains name. You will have to read to find out what. I didn?t like the book because it was to slow for me.
NICK LAKE ... Read more

Book Description

Thirteen-year-old Remembrance “Mem” Nye has had much more than her share of responsibility since her mother died. It’s too hard caring for her younger brother and baby sister, and Mem looks forward to returning to the family fold at her grandmother’s house. But their journey back home is delayed when they reach Rome, New York, and Mem’s father joins the crew that is digging the Erie Canal. Mem soon realizes her father isn’t up to providing for them and won’t take them to their grandmother’s. Mem feels her only choice is to pick up and walk with the children all the way to Connecticut. She has faced many challenges. This journey will be the greatest challenge of all.
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Reviews (2)

A historical drama that reels you into the depths of love
During the 19th century, many American families were packing up their belongings and headed westward in search of land, prosperity and a fresh start. In, "The Road to Home," we meet Jeremiah, a father taking his children, Remembrance, Joshua and Lily back to their home in Hartford, Connecticut. The sudden loss of their mother after the birth of Lily has forced the eldest child, Remembrance to take the mother's role for the younger siblings. On the journey back to Hartford, the construction of the Erie Canal sidetracks Jeremiah. The canal gave hope to people wanting to move towards the west. The family retreats in Rome, New York in a tavern headed by an aggressive woman named Maude Tucker. Jeremiah decides to earn extra money by joining the workers of the Erie Canal. Mem is infuriated with her father's decision to stop because she is anxious to relinquish her duties to her grandmother, aunt and cousins back home. Jeremiah promises his children he will only work for one full week and then they can continue on down the road, but the weeks rapidly pass and they remain trapped at the tavern. Mem realizes that her father has succumbed to the allure of money and cheap whiskey. He has betrayed his promise. She quickly packs up her brother and sister to embark on a treacherous journey home. On the way home, they encounter a myriad of interesting strangers. This book is truly a twisting adventure that deals with the challenges of growing up too quickly as an adolescent. "The Road to Home" would be an excellent tool for fifth and sixth grade classrooms. A teacher could easily incorporate language arts, history, music, art and math with this story.

An inspiring story about a girl's love for her siblings.
Since her mother's descent into madness and eventual death,thirteen-year-old Mem Nye has been the one to care for her two younger siblings, seven-year-old Joshua and one-year-old Lily. When her father finally admits defeat and sells their New York frontier homestead, with the intention of returning to their old home in Connecticut, Mem believes things will finally get easier. But they only get worse. Her father, a reckless dreamer, halts their journey when it has barely started, so that he can take a job working on the Erie Canal. All week long he leaves Mem and her siblings at a tavern; on his one day home, he spends the time drunk. Finally, Mem has had enough. Determined that Joshua and Lily have a better home, she decides to take them back to the relatives in Connecticut on her own. But their journey through the wilderness will be filled with hardship and peril, and will test the limits of Mem's courage, endurance, and love. This was excellant as a historical novel, but also as a tale of a girl who is determined to make a better life for her family. I highly reccomend it. It is especially good if you read the other two books about Mem, Journey to Nowhere and Frozen Summer, but it stands on its own as well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Follow Your Dreams
This is a story about a little girl how overcame obstacles by following her dreams and the advice of her mother. ... Read more

Book Description

Free people,
Free landThe Muldie boys and their father have come a long way to Kansas. But when Daddy moves on, the three boys must begin their own journey. They must learn to care for one another and face the dangers of the wilderness alone.

Reviews (4)

Wagon Wheels
In this book Johnny is telling the story of how his family moved to Kansas. He and his two younger brothers are left alone while their father finds a place to live. They must travel 150 miles to find their daddy. Along the way they face many dangers. I liked this book because the boys were on a quest to find their daddy.

Great Historical Fiction Book
There aren't many stories written about African-Americanpioneers. This story tells how the Muldie family traveled West fromKentucky to Kansas after hearing about the Homestead Act. That is what makes Wagon Wheels so special. This historical fiction story was written with the help of memoirs from the town's teacher who decided to keep a history log on the town. On the last page of the book, it explains to the reader that most of all the events really took place in the Muldie family's travels West. This is an excellent example of historical fiction that could be used in the classroom.

It is really extreme!
You will love the part when the boys are alone because they found friends that helped them. The main character is Little Willy. I liked him. You should read it. I am eight years old.

Glad I bought audiobook
This made a long commute pass enjoyably the first time, and we have listened to it again and again. Well done and not insulting to my 7-year old daughters intelligence or my own. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Heartwarming, Inspiring Story
Boxes for Katje is an excellent story that illustrates the idea that sometimes all it takes is one person to bring about changes - something we should strive to remember.

An inspirational story grounded in history
Written by award-winning picture book author Candace Fleming, and based on the real experiences of her mother, Boxes For Katje is an uplifting picture book whose story is set in Holland after World War II. The war has left behind immense devastation, yet Katje's pen-pal from America has sent a package that is part of a goodwill effort to help the people of Europe. An inspirational story grounded in history, Boxes For Katje is wonderfully enhanced for young readers with the artwork of Stacey Dressen-McQueen. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Must Have Iditarod Book
Debbie Miller's masterful retelling of the Serum Run, which saved the children of Nome, Alaska from a deadly diphtheria epidemic in 1925, goes well beyond the facts of this heroic team effort. The Great Serum Run: Blazing the Iditarod Trail includes well-researched factual information, reference tables, maps, and photographs. Miller's narrative comes alive as she skillfully interweaves many little known fascinating details of how the mushers and their dog sled teams endured their individual treks from Nenana to Nome in such deadly weather conditions. The story behind this famous dog sled team relay was inspiration for the world famous "Last Great Race," the Iditarod. Jon Van Zyle, the official Iditarod artist, complements Miller's text with vivid, captivating illustrations. Readers of this book will gain a sense of the unbelievable accomplishment of these dog sled teams. People of all ages will treasure this book. The Great Serum Run: Blazing the Iditarod Trail should be included as a first resource for teachers interested in providing thought provoking discussions about the Iditarod, teamwork, and man's interaction and dependence on animals.

About the Reviewer: Ann Morgan has taught lessons about the Iditarod in grades 2- 6 for the last 18 years, and is currently teaching at Chatham Middle School, Chatham, Massachusetts. In 2000, she was in Alaska at the Iditarod and acquired first hand knowledge of the race by following the mushers and dog sled teams with her own bush pilot from Anchorage to Nome.

A book worth reading for children & adults
Debbie Miller did a great deal of research before writing this book, so though it is written for children, it is a great account for all to read. I would highly recommend it to readers of all ages who are interested in dog teams and their important role in Alaska. This is the best and most acurate telling of the story of the serum run to Nome in 1925 which I have ever seen. It is a children's book in that it explains what happened from the viewpoint of children. Beyond the story, there are facts presented in the back of the book. Jon Van Zyle is a popular artist, but I did not feel that his oil paintings for this book were all that great. ... Read more

Book Description

A funny, entertaining introduction to Ben Franklin and his many inventions, including the story of how he created the "magic square." A magic square is a box of nine numbers arranged so that any line of three numbers adds up to the same number, including on the diagonal! Teachers and kids will love finding out about this popular teaching tool that is still used in elementary schools today!
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Reviews (7)

A Great Book!!
I would recomend this book for all readers. This book teaches you about Ben Franklin and how he invented magic squares. It also tell you about some of the other things that Ben Franklin invented. Some things are stoves, a special rocking chair, the first library, and much more. Then it explains how Ben Franklin became a clerk of the Pennsylvania Colonial assembly. For many days Ben listened to the other members argus. Then one day Bean started doodling. Ben doodled people, new inventions, and his pet squirrel. The other members were still arguing so Ben decided to do a math puzzle. The math puzzle had turned into magic squares. This is how we have magic squares today.

Great Book!!
I came to find that this book can make history fun to learn about and that young kids should read this great book about Ben Franklin. Ben Franklin was always busy. He was a writer, a scientist, an a inventer. in this book you will learn some of Ben Frankiln's inventions. The main idea of this book is to tell you how Ben came up with magic squares. How do you think he came up with magic squares. Find out what some of Ben Franklin's inventions and how and why he came up magic squares when you read this great book Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares!!
Katie

It was my teacher!
Mr.Murphy , My teacher was the Author of this book! I just know that last month. I think it was a great book, there were a lot of stuff about Ben Franklin. But if you want to study Ben Franklin, don't read it, because there were not much informnation in it, it will just raise you time. But if you want to read something for fun, read it, there were some funny picture in it.

What a wonderful Book!!!
Wow! that book is such a great book!It is Fun for little kiuds to read and for older too!It is filled with interesting facts about Ben Franklin!Did you know that Ben Fraklin Made up the saying "an apple a day keeps the docter away". Buy this from Amazon.comtoday!!!!!!...

Reading and Math Together
This is a whimsical book that still adheres fairly close to facts about the muti-talented Benjamin Franklin. (Frank Murphy notes on the last page that Franklin really did have a pet squirrel, something that I thought was the author's invention). The book highlights Franklin's lifelong knack for inventions and chronicles his achievements as a publisher, sciencist, writer, and patriot. The book also introduces magic squares, showing how Frankinn invented one as he sat, bored, waiting to take notes for the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly. There's a good explanation of magic squares (a nine-cell table in which 3 numbers counted vertically, horizontally, or diagonally add to the same number), and instructions on how to make your own magic square. With 48 pages and colorful, evocative pictures, this book will appeal to the young reader, historian, and scientist. ... Read more

Book Description

There are lots of children on Hill Street, but no little girls Betsy's age. So when a new family moves into the house across the street, Betsy hopes they will have a little girl she can play with. Sure enough, they do--a little girl named Tacy. And from the moment they meet at Betsy's fifth birthday party, Betsy and Tacy becoms such good friends that everyone starts to think of them as one person--Betsy-Tacy.

Betsy and Tacy have lots of fun together. They make a playhouse from a piano box, have a sand store, and dress up and go calling. And one day, they come home to a wonderful surprise--a new friend named Tib.

Ever since their first publication in the 1940's, the Betsy-Tacy stories have been loved by each generation of young readers.

Reviews (21)

The wonderful first book of an enchanting children's series.
Hooray!!! I am so thrilled these books are in print again. I read them all (several times!) as a child growing up in the 1960's in a town 30 miles from "Deep Valley", (aka Mankato) Minnesota. I inherited them from my mother's childhood collection. But when I moved to California in 1969 no one had heard of them. My, now 14 year old daughter, read, and re-read the 3-generations-old books and loved them as well! She and I both rejoice to see these timeless stories enjoying a national rebirth. They've even made the movies...Meg Ryan's book store owning character in the 1999 movie "You've Got Mail" refers to Betsy, Tacy and Tib. Maud Hart Lovelace would be pleased and proud!!!

Charming!!!
Somebody said: It is never too late to have a happy childhood. Well, reading Betsy-Tacy will give anyone a good idea about what a nice childhood is about. This is the first book in a series of books about Betsy. The reader follows her from age five, as she is in this book. It is absolutely delightful! Betsy's life changes much to the better as a new girl her age, Tacy, becomes her neighbour and her best friend. Together, they play and explore the world around them. Reading this book is so enjoyable ... it leaves the reader with a nice feeling of satisfaction.

Fabulous Books...Buy a Set for Yourself & For Young Readers!
When I first discovered these books, I had to order them on inter-library loans...all over the state of California!! Then in about 1994 the books were reprinted!! What joy. I own all 10 of them and Carney's House Party (which I love) and the Horse Cart one (can't think of the name!!) Thanks to Harper-Collins for republishing them. So my advice buy a set for yourself and all the young readers in your life!! Buy them so they won't go out of print again! I love them for the warm homey life they portray and the friendship between the girls. I love the talking about food and picnicing and the family relationships. I am 44, but when I have a sick day, these are the perfect books to reread!

Wonderful stories
Girls just want to have fun. Betsy and Tacy know how. This series takes them from age 5 through high school. Any girl would enjoy reading it, and in the process she'd learn a great deal about friendship, family, school, and boys.

A difficult book to love today
It is not as if I wasn't primed for this book at an early age. As a child I was quite obsessed with any books that had the name "Betsy" in them. The excellent and little known, "Understood Betsy" by Dorothy Canfield was written in 1917 and remains one of the sweetest unsentimental children's stories today. Yet even young I consciously avoided the Betsy-Tacy books like the plague. I was aware from an off-hand flipping through them that these were not stories I would enjoy. They were about little girls who had rather wimpy (in my opinion then) adventures. Where were the exciting city scenes of the "All-of-a-Kind-Family" books? Or the beautiful descriptive passages of the "Little House" books? I was disappointed by these books as a child, and I am afraid my opinion has changed little since growing up. The books are maudlin and lacking in spunk. The most gripping scene in the book is found on page five when Tacy flees from Betsy. Spunk is not unknown to little girls in books from this time period. Girls in the books already mentioned had it. My beloved "Caddie Woodlawn" had it. Heck, "Anne of Green Gables" was fairly overflowing with it. Is this to say that every little girl in every book from the past should be spunky and wild? Not at all. But there must be some interest there. Something that a girl today can read and latch onto. Friendship is the overarching theme of this book, and it carries the story as far as it can. Just the same, I have my doubts that any child uninitiated into this series by an earnest parent would naturally gravitate to it in the library today. It would also not read aloud well to boys, I suspect. I may be incorrect and as I write millions of little girls are falling in love with these stories on their own daily, but it seems a little unlikely. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Best AP History Prep Book
This was the only thing I used to study for the AP exam and it helped me ace the exam. It also has additional material that is not supplied in the regular history book, which got me some right answers on the exam! THIS IS ALL YOU NEED FOR A 5!

Excellent
If you're taking the AP exam make sure you know this book by heart. You can't help but get a 5. Better than all (and I mean ALL) the other AP U.S. History Books out there.

Great, Great Book
I loved this book! It helped me earn a 5 on the exam. It had comprehensive summaries and practice questions after each chapter, It also had practice DBQs and I even like the color! 10 stars!!!!BUY THIS BOOK!

Wow! What a book!
I'm sorry but the textbook we were using in class just didn't cut it.It was overlong and, frankly, boring.It used a ton of figurative language and never got to the point.The readings in my textbook were difficult to understand because the book assumed you had already taken a class in US History.This book, saved me! It presented all of the information logically and simply.After each chapter it provided sample documants and quizzes.This book is fantastic to read as you go along in your textbook in class, or to just simply review for the AP exam.I felt well prepared for the exam and definitely recommend this book.

very helpful
this is a great book if u r looking to get ahead in the ap class. if gives a lot of infoabout everything and i mean everything that happened in the history of the united states ... Read more

Book Description

Understanding how the government of the United States works can sometimes be a daunting task for adults, so imagine how challenging it can be to children. Now, with this easy-to-follow, simplified, fully illustrated book, written by one of the directors of the Judicial Center in Washington, D.C., children will have a guide that untangles the web of complexity behind the workings of our democratic government.

Having someone who works in the judicial branch of our government lay out how our government works in book form brings an unprecedented clarity to the subject for children.

In addition to explaining the three distinct branches of our federal government, the book discusses the extension of the judicial branch throughout the country by our federal court system. How government officials are elected and appointed is also explained, as is the unique concept that government employees work for the people.

The book is not overwhelming in size or scope and the layout, featuring Pam Tanzey's illustrations, creates a visual presentation that will not intimidate children and is easy to digest. The book also includes a map of the capital area to further help familiarize students with Washington, D.C.. Useful as a shorthand guide to our government, or as a supporting text, How The U. S. Government Works, which also contains an illustrated glossary, is an informed and engaging overview for children of the miracle and makeup of the day-to-day mechanism of our democracy, told by a government insider. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good reference book for social studies lessons!
I bought this as a reference book for my middle school-aged children. It does not get bogged down with lengthy discussions. Rather, it is written for the younger crowd and does exactly what I wanted it to do. I would recommend this book to parents looking for a simplified explanation for their children of how the U.S. government is set up.

This book was the best educational book i've ever read!
Syl Sobel is my nextdoor neighbor. This book is a wonderful resource for the whole family. It is illustrated, has a glossary for those hard to know terms and an index! Buy this book today!! ... Read more

Book Description

Long, long ago, a little girl named Laura Ingalls headed west toward the prairie with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters, Mary and Carrie, and their good old bulldog, Jack. They traveled far each day in their covered wagon, driving through tall grass until they found just the right spot for their new home. With the help of their kind neighbor, Mr. Edwards, Pa built a snug little house for the family in the middle of the wide-open prairie.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers. Now for the first time, the youngest readers can share her adventure in these very special picture books adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story-books. Renee Graef's warm paintings, inspired by Garth Williams' classic Little House illustrations, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life.

Renée Graef recieved her bachelor's degree in art from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She is the illustrator of teh paper dolls and the Kirsten books in the American Girls Collection. She is also an avid hat collector, with over 150 hats at last count. She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her huisband, Tim, and thier children, Maggie and Maxfeild.Join the Ingalls family as they pick a special spot on the prairie and build their snug log cabin home. Their new neighbor, Mr. Edwards, comes by to help, and after the hard work is through, everyone sings and dances to the joyful music of Pa's fiddle. Renee Graef's enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth William's classic artwork, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life in this eleventh title in the My First Little House Books series, adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved storybooks.

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Reviews (3)

Adaptive book versions for "Little House".
The Series "My First Little House Books" is a great tool for Special Education adaptations of the Core Literature "Little House in the Big Woods". I've used this series in general education classrooms, too, to supplement the Core Lit text. The children's positive responses to the beautiful illustrations made my day! The beautifully portrayed color illustrations capture essential details from the book chapters and make the stories come alive for all of the students. Two thumbs up for this series!

A Little Prairie House (my first little house books)
I bought this book for my 1st grade daughter, hoping she would love the Laura Ingalls Wilder tradition as I had as a child. She did and I was excited because she could read this book herself and she was empowered! I only wish that you could buy the other 13 titles of the "first books" in a collection or gift set like you can the original series.

An Exceptional Series!
I ordered the whole series for my soon to be 4 year old for Christmas. She is absolutely delighted with the stories. The illustrations are beautiful. A must have for younger children. ... Read more

Book Description

Photobiography of early twentieth-century photographer and schoolteacher Lewis Hine, using his own work as illustrations. Hines's photographs of children at work were so devastating that they convinced the American people that Congress must pass child labor laws. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hate school? Your life could be so much worse...
Freedman has collected dozens of black and white photographs taken by Lewis Hine during the first decades of the twentieth century. Hine worked as an investigational photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC). The NCLC wanted the United States government to pass laws concerning child labor, and thought that photos of the work children did would be more effective persuaders than mere speeches and statistics. Hine traveled the nation with his camera taking photographs, sometimes despite risk to his person.

The text of the book serves partly as a brief biography of Lewis Hine, and partly as explanatory backdrop for the scenes in the photographs. Freeman gives enough background information to put the images in their context, but not so much data as to overwhelm the reader. The machines, tools and environments are so strange to the modern eye that without clarification, many pictures would be meaningless.

The most shocking photographs in the collection are of the young boys involved in the coalmines. The filth on their faces, hands and clothing is astonishing. By comparison, the dangers and deplorable conditions of working in a cotton mill are not as readily apparent as those of working in a coal mine. However, reading Freeman's text exposes the dangers of moving machinery and smothering lint and humidity not so clear in the photos.

The book concludes by sharing the changes in child labor laws that Hine's photographs helped bring about, as well as information on the child labor situation of today.

This book is full of eye opening and shocking information for the unaware. School may be hard, but without child labor laws things could be so much worse.

The meaning of tough
...

This book weaves Hine's story together with his photographs of kids working in Maine's sardine canneries, Texas cotton fields, New York laundries, Tennessee and Georgia cotton mills and in textile mills all over the U.S. south. He took some of the most haunting photos of dark tunnels and grimy breaker rooms in Pennsylvania coalmines. He went inside glass factories, to farms, and onto city streets at 1 a.m. to photograph children distributing newspapers and 1 p.m. to watch them shining boots.

...

If your kids occasionally gripe that they have it tough, get them this book and show them what the word means. Alyssa A. Lappen

an powerful book full of visual and written imagery
Children and adults are both intrigued by this wonderful photo documentation of the history of immigrant children working in the United States. Lewis Hine's pictures tell the story and Russell Freedman's words add a greater depth to this sometimes sad yet beautiful celebration of children at work during the early 20th century.

Convincing and exciting yet sad and true
"Kids At Work" is a great book to tell and show the children of today how hard it was back then. Lewis Hine takes most of the credit. Thanks to his great photos The Declaration Of Dependence was passed. It stated that kids would be dependent and should live a normal kids life. Which concisted of going to school, being able to play freely with other kids ect.. We the children of today thank Lewis Hine for giving us a free life. I also give Ressell Freedman credit for following Mr. Hine and writing this spectacular and amizing book. As far as I am concerned Hine and Freedman greatest authors of all time!!

The "lows' and "Highs" of a courageous photographer
Every year when I take books to schools I always include this one. First, it shows today's children what their life may have been like if Hine and other courageous people hadn't worked to get child labor laws passed. I also like to introduce students to biographies of people who made a difference but were not big names like A. Lincoln and M. Jordan. Though the tone of the book is somber- and the faces in his photographs haunting. I always end on a "high" note- the courage of Hines to climb with a heavy load up to the top of the Empire State building as it was being built. ... Read more