Book Description

A little girl longs to see beyond the scary sights on the sidewalk and the angry scribbling in the halls of her building. When her teacher writes the word beautiful on the blackboard, the girl decides to look for something beautiful in her neighborhood. Her neighbors tell her about their own beautiful things. Miss Delphine serves her a “beautiful” fried fish sandwich at her diner. At Mr. Lee’s “beautiful” fruit store, he offers her an apple. Old Mr. Sims invites her to touch a smooth stone he always carries. Beautiful means “something that when you have it, your heart is happy,” the girl thinks. Her search for “something beautiful” leaves her feeling much happier. She has experienced the beauty of friendship and the power of hope.
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Reviews (8)

Superb in every respect, with a great lesson to teach
Sharon Dennis Wyeth's 1998 book "Something Beautiful" was inspired by her own memories of growing up in a place which was, perhaps, not as beautiful as she would have liked. We follow an unnamed little girl through her neighborhood as she looks for something beautiful as a teacher has instructed her to do. What we see is litter, broken windows, scary graffiti, homeless people, and more. But the little girl manages to find out from everyone she asks what they find beautiful around them. She is variously given the examples of a fish sandwich, a jump rope, some apples at a fruit market, and even a smooth, heavy stone a neighbor carries for good luck. The best and most beautiful example, though, comes from the little girl's mother--and her reply ends the book on a lovely note.

Chris Soentpiet's watercolor illustrations are nothing short of remarkable. They are nearly photographic in their detail and lifelike aspect, and they give a visual rhythm to the text. He is to be commended for his ability to combine both an unflinching look at a downtrodden neighborhood and examples of how we all can find beauty everyday, if we look hard enough.

Jetae' from Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary
I love the illustrations in Something Beautiful because it shows how the girl feels. My favorite part is when she goes looking for something beautiful. Then she finds out that she is beautiful. The illustrations are bright and colorful.

Emily from Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary
I think Something Beautiful was excellent because of Chris Soenpiet's illustrations. I think they were wonderful, marvelous, and interesting. My favorite part was when the little girl found out she was something beautiful. I give this book 5 stars because of the way Chris drew the pictures. I recommend this book to kids of all ages. He made me feel like I was right in the little girl's neighborhood.

Whitney from Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary
I think that Chris Soenpiet's illustrations are definitely awesome. He adds very good details and I like how he paints real things that are in our lifetime. But my favorite story is Something Beautiful. It's about this little girl who is trying to find something that is beautiful in her neighborhood that is covered with graffiti. She finds out that she is the beautiful person and that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, but it matters on the inside and that her momma loves her anyway. For all children who think that they aren't beautiful that would love to read this book.

Aubrie from Ashley River Creative Art EL.C SC
My favorite part in the story was when the girl washed her front door clean because the door was pretty. I love the Illustrations. This is my favorite book in the world. The illustrations brought the story to life. I actually thought I was one of the characters. This book is one of the best books! I give this book five stars!! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (12)

So you're life feels out of control?
This joint effort between organization guru Julie Morgenstern and her daughter, Jessi, is really a valuable read for teens. So many teenage boys and girls feel like their life is out of control and for many of them this manifests itself in the feeling that they can't find things, they don't have enough time in the day, that "stuff" is taking over. "Organizing from the Inside Out for Teenagers" accomplishes what the adult version does - it takes you through steps in order to evaluate what's important in your life and then helps you develop a system that works for you (giving you some non-binding advice about what has often worked for other people).

I think my only criticism of this book is that it really assumes that readers come from comfortable economic backgrounds where parents with ready cash can go out and buy containers or certain items to help teens organize themselves. While I'm sure any parent with the money will cheerfully buy anything their teen feels will help organize them, many young men and women do not have the financial means to accomplish these goals and will have to stick to the less expensive suggestions. Overall though, an excellent book that will have positive impact in multiple areas of your life should you implement the suggestions and get control over your stuff rather than it having control over you.

Feel you're never in control over your life? Buy this!
"Organizing from the Inside Out For Teens" is a wonderful book that teaches teenagers how to organize their life. It features sections on how to organize your personal space (locker,room,study area), and how to organize your time and life. Its very detailed, complete with illustrations, print out scheduales and item lists that would be good for organizing.
When I first was givin this book, I had no intention of reading it...but soon my curiosity got the better of me and I began to read it. My life has since greatly improved, I am able to keep my belongings organized and I have control over my life! From this book, Teens can learn great skills that will prove them succesfull in their adult years! I would reccomend this book to anyone is having trouble with organization. 4 Stars!

Best Reading Ever
I like this book because it helps teenagers like me, to be organized. It teaches you how to organized your life better. It tells you how we can balance our time with friends, school work and fix your own space. If you are organized, you could find things faster and you could spend more time with your friends and family. I really recommend this book to all those teenagers and adults that are disorganized; they should really read this book. I am sure that by reading this book, the possibility of been an organized person is one hundred percent.

Abracadabra!
I'm 13 years old, and a former mess addict. People would tell me that it looked like a tornado had just passed through, and they were right- you couldn't see the floor and the mess was literally a foot high. It was so disgusting, and I could never invite my friends over because there was actually a stench to my room and no place to hang out in.

I'd been trying to clean my room for the longest time but nothing seemed to work- I wasn't motivated enough and I just couldn't figure it out. Things never seemed to be in the right place and even if something worked initially, after a while the system grew old and I couldn't keep it up anymore. I tried all kinds of books and systems and was even considering hypnotherapy (!!!), but none of them seemed to last or even appeal to me, until I found this book.

I read the organizational part straight through and I got so inspired to organize that I just started cleaning the minute I finished reading the first part to the book (the second is time management). I finished in three days and have been able to keep it spick and span clean ever since (over three months). If there was ever a magical cure, this is it.

I think the magic to this book is that the systems aren't limiting- it's written as a guideline so you know where to get started and how to do it. This enables you to incorporate your personality and lifestyle so that you can actually keep up with the system that you yourself design. The time management part is excellent too- it really helps you cut down on wasted time. It is written in the same manner as the organizational part, as a guideline so you can tailor it to suit yourself.

This may be more directed to teens than adults because teens, like me, live mostly outside, in school, and in their bedrooms, and worry about different aspects of life than adults. While adults may deal with bills and their kid's important papers and that kind of complicated mish-mash, we're dealing with homework and social lives and our own kind of complicated mish-mash. Since we're living in separate worlds with separate concerns, I think it's only right that we have separate systems. I'm not saying that adults wouldn't appreciate this book- it gives lots of great ideas, but I think that the organizational and time management problems being dealt with in this book are directed more to a teen's world than an adults.

Something is Missing...
Okay, so this book isn't THAT bad, but there are better organization books that take a little longer to implelement but work much better in the long run. I recommend that teenagers should instead read the FlyLady cleaning book and use the control journal idea in conjunction with this book to keep their room clean. They must devise their own system and that takes a lot of time and trial and error, but this book won't solve all of the organization problems, it needs more. Trust me, I am 15, I spend about 10 minutes a day keeping my room neat, and it is always perfect. I also have tons of time for everything I want to do. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (11)

Confessions of an insider
This book is basically about a group of rich NY guys: Jonathan, Arno, Micheal, David and Patch. More like a Gossip Girl in a Boy's point of view. I was excited in starting this book. I found myself laughing in no time. It was hilarious. But later in the middle, i was rather disappointed. The character build-up was slow and the plot's a bit shallow. But near the ending, things were heating up and the characters were explained. So in conclusion... it's not a must-read but a great book if you're in your bikini, sunbathing in the beach.

Different in a good way
I've never read any of the Gossip Girl books, but I do plan to, so I can compare. I thought this was totally different from anything I had ever read. I like the way it goes from First person to third person. That was really different. It was a little confusing at first but it really turned out to be good.

Great for GG novels
This is a must read book if you loved Gossip Girl and/or The
A-list. I love Gossip Girl so much, I have all the books. I picked this book up because I saw it in a magazine, and I don't regret it. It is more the boy's point of view, but girls will love it to. I recommend it.

Slows down to a lackluster debut without heart and soul
Minter, a Columbia U grad, debuts with a piece of teenage fluff semi-reminiscent of Cecily Von Ziegesar's light and frothy Gossip Girl series. Still, this is not up to par with Von Ziegesar's line, which chronicles lives of wealthy Mahattanites. With Minter's story, the attention is all on rich, overprivileged, goregous New York boys who could practically be Blair Waldorf's neighbors.

Jonathon is the so-called "glue" of the group, what holds all the "friends" together. Backstabbing, lies, and partying ensue. Kelly, Jonathon's seemingly innocent cousin who resembles actress Brittany Murphy, is anything but what she first appears to be. She catches the attention of everybody, including Arno, Jonathon's slutty friend who could practically be another Chuck Bass - he is the epitome of a male slut. Although parallels can be drawn between the GG series and this, GG has a far more appealing plot and more likeable characters. The characters here are shallower than a wading pool and the weak insight just made me dislike this book even more. The boys' thoughts and feelings are trivial, this story is unreal, and you'll be bored to death - plus these guys fall in "love" quicker than Arno can drop his pants. By the end, all is well. The fact that Arno cheated with his buddy's girlfriend is forgotten and Jonathon has a new girl - some chic named Fernanda who he knew for all of 15 minutes.

THE INSIDERS is the ideal bedtime remedy - you'll be asleep in a matter of minutes. Blair may be bitchy but she's far deeper than any of these naive teenage lads - amazing they stayed "friends" for this long. Proceed with my warning before you dive into this light read, whether you be in the YA section at your local library or browsing through your bookstore.

good, but not as good as the a-list
i thought that this book was pretty good. there were some suspensful moments in the story. but, after reading the A-List, nothing seems as good. but over all, this was a must read book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Frankly, one can never have too much Eloise. For all those who love lovelove the irrepressible 6-year-old resident of New York City's haughty PlazaHotel, and shining star of Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's classic Eloise, the ultimate joy is tosee four favorite titles collected in one enormous volume: Eloise: TheUltimate Edition. Sit back and watch as our heroine braids Skipperdee theturtle's ears, brushes her teeth with pear lemonade in Moscow, absolutely goeswild in Paris, and jingles around her lobby at Christmastime, tying tassels onthe thermostat. This edition, with a lovely new dust jacket by Hilary Knight,includes our absolutely darling little sweetnik in Eloise in Moscow, thefantastique Eloise inParis, the rawther festive Eloise at Christmastime, andthe splendid scrapbook of memorabilia, photos, and drawings, The Absolutely EssentialEloise. It's all absolutely essential, if you ask us. (All ages)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (6)

great, except for some errors..............
The picures are wonderful, stories are great, but the part of The Story of Eloise, they miss judged the spacing and left out the 1st letter of the starting paragraph. Someone didn't proofread it right. You get all 4 book, one great buy with the extras! ( the scrapbook and the story of Eloise) Hopefully they caught the errors for the next printing. A book you can pass down from generation to generation!

Finally A Treasury
This is definitely one of the best treasuries I have ever bought. Eloise is such a fun and adorable character. I don't know who couldn't like her.

This treasury contains Eloise in Moscow, Eloise, Eloise in Paris, and Eloise at Christmastime. Not only that, there's a special scrapbook all about the author Kay Thompson featuring pictures and info about the author of this beloved character.

This is a must have book for the holidays, or anytime. So pick up a copy, and charge it please.

What am I missing?
A spoiled brat lives in a fancy hotel in New York: that's kind of what this series boils down to for me.

I read to my kids a lot, and this is the one series that I completely don't get: I don't see why it's funny or touching or...anything. Neither do my kids.

Her language can be quite fun and ingenious, but holy cow...I don't understand all the fuss.

It's about time we had all 4 at once
A few years ago, I was waiting with baited breath for all the Eloise books to be reprinted. It just could not happen fast enough for me. Finally, all 4 were out, and I was happy. Then they came out with this book that collects all four books in one volume for the first time, and I bought this too. Why did I buy this? Well, for one thing, the new Hilary Knight cover is rather fabulous. I am all for new Knight artwork whenever it appears, and this cover was obviously not dashed out but carefully drawn, and it shows. This is definitely worth having for the Eloise fan.

Oooooooooooooooo I Love This Edition of Eloise Best!
This is the book about Eloise that Eloise would buy. As you may remember, Eloise is the six-year-old who lives on the top floor of The Plaze Hotel in New York City with her English Nanny, pug (Weenie), and turtle (Skipperdee). Here are some of the ways that Eloise has been characterized: "Holden Caulfield for kindergarten girls"; "a mini-Auntie Mame -- a protofeminist"; and "independent and saucy."

Contained in this volume are the original Eloise story, the Scrapbook by Marie Brenner (containing the origins of Eloise and the story, and biographies of Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight, and how readers responded to the stories as they appeared), and the three sequels (Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmastime, and Eloise in Moscow). Each of the four stories contains the deluxe fold-out drawings from the original books, and the Scrapbook has many wonderful photographs and drawings that will delight those who would like to know more background about Eloise and her creators.

With one exception, the material is outstanding. The story, Eloise in Moscow, is very poor in its humor and plot line. But having the story in this collection will allow you to savor those parts of the story that happen to appeal to you.

The reproduction is also superb, except for the frontispieces of the four stories. These should simply have been omitted.

I usually avoid recommending expensive editions, but this one is a good value. It contains all the best material about Eloise, and you may have trouble finding the same versions by buying the books separately. Also, this edition is likely to be a hand-me-down item from one generation to another and another. The cost per reader is probably going to be quite small as a result.

To me, the best of the four stories is still the original. Reading the Scrapbook adds a lot to my enjoyment of that story. Of the sequels, I like Eloise in Paris best. Some people will not like Eloise at Christmastime because Kay Thompson's rhymes are not the best. I can enjoy fractured verse, so I found it appealing instead.

Space does not permit me to review each of these sections in detail here, but you can read my reviews of each story elsewhere on Amazon for the individual books. I gave five star reviews to all but Eloise in Moscow, to which I gave a two star review.

After you have enjoyed this book, I suggest that you grab a partner who also loves Eloise and write a new Eloise story that brings her into the 21st century in a locale and at a time of your choice. Then find a young person to read that story to, and draw some illustrations together. That will add to your enjoyment of this book and of your love of Eloise.

J'aime beaucoup Eloise . . . toujours! ... Read more

Book Description

Galdone's dynamic, amusing pictures add much humor to the familiar tale of the industrious hen and lazy cat, dog, and mouse. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great book!
The little red hen does all the work. She cuts the grass. She baked the bread. She planted the grass. She takes the grass to the miller. My favorite part was when the cat sat down and crossed his arms.

Work Ethic
The Little Red Hen is a wonderful introduction to work ethic and the value of helping and doing things from scratch. It has nice repetitive elements which younger kids love and the step by step story telling much like "The House that Jack Built."

The Little Red Hen
This book teaches kids how they should not be greedy and they should help someone if they want something in return. This book is about a hen who plants, cuts, beats, takes the wheat to the mill all by herself and bakes some bread. Then her friends want some when it is done but since they didnt help the hen eats it all by her self. This book is a really good book i think it can teach kids a lot.

Excellent version of a classic.
I have this exact book from when I was little and now I am reading it to my 2 year old. The relatively simple text and repetition makes it a hit with budding readers. My son especially likes the "Not I" Said the Cat, "Not I" Said the Dog parts because the book incorporates different pics of each animal into the text each time this is repeated. (Making goofy voices for the cat, dog and mouse is a big hit too.) A nice lesson in the pay-back for working hard vs. laziness.

A Great Book
Teaches a valuable lesson about teamwork and helping out. Great illustrations. Easy to read for beginning readers. Paul Gladone has another winner! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I am Eloise/I am six." So begins the well-loved story of Eloise, the garrulous little girl who lives at New York's Plaza Hotel. Eyebrow raised defiantly, arm propped on one jutting hip, Eloise is a study in self-confidence. Eloise's personal mandate is "Getting bored is not allowed," so she fills her days to the brim with wild adventures and self-imposed responsibilities. An average Eloise afternoon includes braiding her pet turtle's ears, ordering "one roast-beef bone, one raisin and seven spoons" from room service, and devising innovative methods of torture for her guardians.

Eloise's exploits are non-stop, and--accordingly--the text uses nary a period. Kay Thompson perfectly captures the way children speak: in endless sentences elongated with "and then ... and then ... and then... " Hilary Knight's drawings illustrate Eloise's braggadocio and amusement as well as the bewilderment of harassed hotel guests. Eloise's taunts are terrible, her imagination inimitable, her pace positively perilous. Her impertinence will delight readers of all ages. (Ages 5 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (98)

I rawther love love love this book!
As we all know, Eloise is six and she lives at the Plaza Hotel with her Nanny who says things three times, her dog Weenie, her turtle Skipperdee and two dolls. When I was a child, I adored this book and wanted to be just like Eloise. She does whatever she wants and gets away with it.

As an adult, I feel so sorry for Eloise because her mother only sends for her when it's sunny and otherwise isn't present. What a poor little girl to grow up so alone!

However, this is a tremendously humorous and beautifully illustrated classic that can always make me grin from ear to ear. I looooovve room service too! Oh, and charge it please. Thank you very much.

Childlike and Literary
A few weeks ago, I took a friend and her two 5 year old twin girls to dinner. There was a 45 minute wait, and we went to the bookstore next door. I was dreading the prospect of entertaining two 5 year olds for 45 minutes until I saw a copy of Eloise, which has been out of print for many years. I sat down and started reading to them. The time flew by. A few older women walked by and smiled. I like to think that they had read the book when they were little girls. The 45 minutes went by all too soon for me.

What can I say about Eloise? We named our DOG Eloise when I was a boy. It is both literary and true to children. It is one of the books (like Charlotte's Web or Black Beauty) that stays in your heart from childhood.

Give it to your children.

Informed Parents
This is a very fun book. The story is imaginative and witty and the illustrations wonderfully whimsical. I bought this book for my little girl, remembering how much I loved it as a child when my first grade teacher read it to our class. Though I truly love this book, I can only give it 4 stars. This is because I must edit it as I read it to my daughter because I find some of the language used by the precocious Miss Eloise a bit offensive. By my count(done quickly), Eloise uses the phrase "for Lord's sake" six times and "Oh my Lord" five. In my home this is called "taking the name of the Lord in vain" and it's something your not suppoesed to do. It reduces the name of our Lord and Savior to a mere exclamation. I will still read this book with my child. When my daughter (now only 19 months)is old enough to understand, we will talk about how much we love Eloise but how it's not okay to take the name of the Lord in vain or terrorize one's tutor.

ELOISE IS THE BOMB!!!
Eloise is so funny,
she is a free spirt, and very accurate. She's here, She's there, She's everywhere. Recently, they made Eloise at the Plaza,(Rated 5 stars) And she's great.
Though I'm 10, and the age group is 6 and over, I LOVE IT. I have that and Eloise in Paris, and Eloise in Moscow (First Prinitng)

If you read this, you'll always be glad you did...

The absolutely essential book!
I have always loved children's books and at seventeen, I am still quite a child myself. One of my dearest friends, whose name is Eloise and I swap children's books and so she leant me the Absolutely Essential Eloise. I do not care what others say about her being a 'brat' or whatnot, I love this book and the others! Eloise is exactly how anyone would want to live, having everything and doing anything. I would highgly recommend it to any adult who wants to capture their 'inner child' again. :D I love Weenie too because I love pug dogs.
My mother knows Coco Chanel. ... Read more

Book Description

Rascal is only a baby when young Sterling brings him home. He and the mischievousraccoon are best friends for a perfect year of adventure—until the spring day wheneverything suddenly changes.

A Newbery Honor Book ... Read more

Reviews (42)

A beautiful adventure
It could have been anyone, the person who found Rascal. But it was our good fortune that it was Sterling North, a writer-to-be who could give us all the wonderful details of Rascal's magnetic personality. The insight into North's childhood was a delight -- his father's instinctive (or was it neglectful?) way of giving the boy responsibilities. The canoe in the living room, kept there unfinished due to the expenses of reining in the pesky little critter. I sensed the coming of a dark ending. But, no, it was simply perfect. I can't imagine a reader not loving this book.

Rascal
Rascal is a very good book. It's about a boy named Sterling. He goes out in the woods with his friend Oscar and his dog Wowser. The dog starts digging at a rotting stump and all of a sudden a mother racoon pops out and starts running up a tree. Sterlig finds a baby racoon and takes it home as a pet. And thats how the friendship begins. I recommend that you read Rascal.

"Rascal" and "Rascal, der Waschbär"
This is a lovely book about a boy and his pet raccoon which does not lose anything in the translation into German as far as I am concerned. I think that this book, along with his later book "Raccoons Are The Brightest People" as well as "Frosty: A Raccoon To Remember" by Harriet E. Weaver, and "Raccoons, A Natural History" by Samuel I. Zevelhoff are the big four books about the wonderful critters.

Rascal
This is a story about a boy with a pet raccoon. His mother has passed away and his dad lets him have all kinds of pets and even build a canoe in the living room. Rascal is a racoon living a happy life with his family, until Sterling catches him, then it gets happier. He went everywhere with Sterling. Seeing new sights, smelling new smells, it's all a daily routine, until it is messed with by other people who weren't so fond of him. He was caged, and put on a leash. That is no life for a racoon. Sterling decides to let Rascal decide, eternal freedom, or life with Sterling? This was a refreshing change to read after "Where the Red Fern Grows" which is about a boy
whose passion is killing raccoons. There aren't many books out there for older boys that don't concentrate on violence. This is one.

Rascal
Rascal is a very good book,because it was very extciting.I think people woulld realy enjoy reading the book.Some of the charaters are Sterling, and Rascal.It was very good book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not just for children
This book is for anyone - of any age - who has lost anything of beauty or anything they love. Children will love it, but don't keep it from the adults. I still can't read it without crying.

Deep book about dealing with loss
The best thing about this book is its refusal to play games with your child's mind. Rejecting the shameless tear-jerking of so much media aimed at children, this book embraces the grand tradition of children's books that takes children seriously. This is a book about dealing with loss about about letting go, but also a book that makes the reader reflect on what is good about life. Warts and all, life is sweet. As a historian, I really appreciate that Yolen tries hard to show what her valley was like AND what it is like after the dam is built. Kids are frightened when they see orchards being ripped out for suburbs; this is a book about dealing with that kind of loss.

Should have packed an emotional whallop
"Drowing towns" I had never heard of such a thing and was highly interested in reading this book about a remarkable event in history.
(Though apparently it has happened worldwide)

To be honest .. I was disappointed. What should have been an emotional, impactful story turned out to be rather bland.

The writing was choppy, (difficult to read out loud) pictures ho-hum (even though I love Barbara Cooney!) and the overall intensity was not there as I thought it should be. Afterall we are talking about people leaving the homes and their way of life that had been in their families for generations.

I was expecting better. I think Patricia MacLachlan and Illustrator Ted Rand or Susan Jeffers could have made a real triumph out of this.

That said, _DO_ read this book. It is a remarkable event in history and this book is still worth reading.

moving & important -- a great place to bring your kid's mind
The concept of water -- where does it come from, how do we use it, where does it go when we are done with it -- is a big topic in our busy household. Both of my kids are interested in the environment and conservation, and I think a lot of that interest can be attributed to a small set of books -- Letting Swift River Go among them -- that were a part of their bedtime often throughout the beginnings of their childhood. My youngest son, in fact, is eleven now, but still pulls this book out and reads it to himself and to others on occasion.

You'll find the great writing here that you expect from Jane Yolen, along with a plot that serves as a vehicle for commentary that allows children to look at the cost of progress when it comes to building towns and cities.

Amazingly touching...great for kids and adults
This is one of the best children's books I've read in a long time. The story of the building of the Quabbin Resevoir in western MA is not a wide told story, but it should be. This book is clearly written so children can understand what was happeneing. The illustrations are also wonderful and will keep the children engaged. If you're the grown up reader, don't count on getting through this with a dry eye. It's definatly a book for ALL ages. ~Sarah Aziz Mount Holyoke College Sophomore (age 19) ... Read more

Book Description

This summer will be different. That's for sure. When an eleven-year-old city boy is dropped off to stay on a farm with relatives, he doesn't know what to expect. His cousin Harris soon takes care of that. Harris is rude and crude and finds trouble at every turn. He leads his city cousin into everything from wrestling slippery pigs to catching mice to a daredevil jump out of a barn loft. And that's not all. There are swimming and cowboy movies and enough good food to fill the boys up for days.

Farm life is hard but never lonely. Before long, Harris's cousin has found a place where he belongs. If only summer could last forever. ... Read more

Reviews (135)

HARRIS AND ME
This is my favorite book because it reminds me of when I go to my cousins house. This book is about a boy who goes to his cousin Harris's house for the summer.They play lots of games and meet the farm animals. The animals are very different from normal animals. They dare eachother to do stuff that would be very painfull. Those parts are very funny. They have lot of adventures and Harris is always trying to teach his cousin about life on a farm. I think it's a great book.

Harris and Me
Harris is a boy that lives on the farm that me went to. Me is a city boy that has to go live with relatives because his parents are drunks and he move to the country. Harris and Me were smoking after breakfast behind the barn and Me threw up on Harris. Then Harris and Me were getting the cows to the barn and me got kicked by a cow and he was knocked out. Harris has bad language. Harris pranks like blowing up frogs. I recommend this book because it is a funny book.

Harris and Me
Harris and Me takes place in the south on Harris's cousin's farm. The main character is Harris and the narrator, "me", is telling the story. We never know his name in the book. The main character is Harris he is a young boy that is about nine years old. He likes to get in to trouble a lot. This book is very entertaining because you never know what is going to happen next. Like when Harris took a frog and shoved a straw up the frog's butt and blew it up. I recommend this book to everyone becuase it is such a funny book. It will keep you entertained the whole time you are reading it. There is never a dull moment in this book.

Harris and Me
The book I am reading is Harris and Me. The book is by Gary Paulsen. It was published in 1993. The setting is on a farm in about the early 50's. The main characters are Harris and Me. Some important points are Me's parents are wino's. And Harris gets smacked a lot for swearing. A shocking point is when the hired hand puts a whole stack of pancakes in his mouth and swalows them without chewing. I recommend this book to others because it is hilarous.

Harris and Me book review
Do you like risky ideas and getting into trouble? If you do, have I got a book for you! Harris and Me is a book written by Gary Paulson, who also wrote... Hatchet, The Voyage of the Frog, Dog Song and others. This is a book about a boy who gets sent away from his home because he doesn't have good parents. He gets sent to a farm out in the middle of nowhere-or so it seems- where his risky cousin Harris lives with his unusual family. The boy and his cousin have to work hard on the farm, but when the work is finished, the "fun" begins. The "fun" goes from riding on the backs of nervous pigs, to taking an engine off the back of a washing machine and putting it on a bike to make it go faster! Will Harris and the boy survive all of these dangerous ideas? You'll have to read it and find out. ... Read more

Book Description

Just after Caroline Quiner starts teaching at the Concord School, she runs into her fiddle-playing neighbor Charles Ingalls, who's full of plans to head out west. As their friendship turns to courtship, Caroline realizes that she has a difficult decision ahead of her -- and a choice that may mean leaving behind her family and everything she's ever known.

A Little House of Their Own is the seventh and final book in the Caroline Years series, and brings the story right up to where Little House began -- to Laura.

Book Description

Reviews (27)

A Beautiful Collection of Letters
Lydia Grace is not only a gardener, but a writer of letters. This lovely book is a collection of her precious letters to beloved family members, and through them her story unfolds. David Small's simple but powerful illustrations bring Sarah Stewart's story of this brave little girl to life. What a great combination of author and illustrator. Be sure to read "The Library", as well.

A delightful story thay wiil grow in your heart
Lydia Grace Finch has been sent to to the city to live with her Uncle Jim while her family struggles with hard times. Uncle Jim does not smile and Lydia Grace finds the big city very, very big. Soon she is able to make friends with the workers at her uncle's bakery and the neiighbors in her building. With a child's enthusiasm and optimism, Lydia works to bring a little bit of the farm back home to her new city home. She also hopes to see a smile cross her Uncle Jim's face one day. Slowly, she is able to transform the roof of her apartment into a magical place and win that coveted smile. Sarah Stewart has written a delightful story of a child's optimism and the power of a smile. Davis Small's illustrations are garenteed to bring a smile to your face. A wonderful book to read aloud.

Grow for me
There are good David Small books and there are bad David Small books. Good David Small books are usually (though by no means always) written AND illustrated by David Small himself. Bad or poorly created David Small books are usually written by someone else, using Mr. Small's talents as a kind of afterthought. The exception to this rule (and all rules, as you well know, must have exceptions) is the pairing of David Small and his wife Sarah Stewart. After creating the fabulous "Money Tree" and the bibliophilic, but somewhat disturbing, "The Library", the two combined their talents yet again to write a gentle story of love, gardening, and family.

The year: 1935, and Lydia Grace Finch is being sent from the country to go live with her Uncle Jim in the city. Lydia Grace faces this challenge with resolve and a little sadness. After all, she is leaving her family behind, the effects of the Great Depression having taken their toll. The city is a gray dirty place and Uncle Jim is kind but he never smiles. Soon, it's Spring again and Lydia has found a place to call her own (the building's abandoned roof). Her number one goal is to get Uncle Jim to smile, and she's fairly certain that the answer to this goal is just around the corner.

What Stewart and Small have accomplished here is an evocative sense of metropolitan dank and pastoral greenery. The pictures are deeply moving sometimes, and gently humorous others. One picture that particularly took by breath away was the shot of Lydia Grace standing in the train station alone. She is singled out, a blue dress wearing, green hat donning, red-haired little girl. The rest of the scene is all gray slashes of people walking in the distance and filthy light streaming through huge windows overhead. It's a gorgeous picture. Uncle Jim is just the right companion for the spunky little heroine too, looking like nothing so much as a 1930s version of Gene Shalit (sans the hair). What I appreciated most about this story was that it accepted the fact that some people in this world express their emotions and feelings differently from others. Not to give anything away, but Uncle Jim never smiles. And you wouldn't want him to either. Human beings can place importance in other things, like hard work and discipline. Uncle Jim is one such person.

If I have any objections to this book at all, it comes at the expense of Lydia Grace herself. This is a wonderful character and a great gal, this is not a child. David Small has, for reasons best known to himself, drawn a girl that looks like nothing so much as a shrunken adult. I've never had this objection to any of Mr. Small's characters before, so it was a bit of a shock to me to have such an objection now. Just the same, the eloquent story and excellent evocative scenes more than make up for a flaw that, let's admit it, probably only I could see.

Gardeners get short shrift in books, especially books for kids (unless you count stories like, "The Carrot Seed"). In this particular case, I think anyone,regardless of whether or not they can tell a petunia from a tulip, will enjoy this book. Its pace is a little slower and quieter than that found in other picture books, but for some kids it's just the right combination of simplicity and sweetness.

A Delight for children and grown-ups alike!
This wonderful book is at the upper scale of the "picture book" variety, aimed at good beginning readers. The vibrant illustrations earned the author/illustrator the prestigeous Caldecot Honor Medal. Any child slightly beyond the "Dr. Seus" series will be delighted with "The Gardener". A story that will make readers and listeners smile,laugh and filled with joy. A rare treat in the overwhelming market of childrens books.*****

This is a CLASSIC!
This book has such an unexpected gut-level impact on everyone who reads it! I have read it aloud to people of all ages and there is never a dry eye in the room! Each of the short letters begins with a date which will be meaningful to anyone who lived through the depression. Oddly enough, disasters and hard times seem to bring out the best in people and this book sets out to show just how that is true. Lydia Grace Finch is such a universally loveable little character - she is unforgettable! The text and the illustrations are so perfectly suited to each other - they seem to have been created by the same person -but they aren't! (Just a "marriage of true minds" I guess.)The book gets at the heart of what a family can give a child even without money - what it means to be poor and what it means to be rich.
This is a lovely gift book for children or adults and I hope it stays in print for a long, long time! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This old-fashioned tale about one little snowplow's determination inthe face of a small-town blizzard has all the charm and moral grit of TheLittle Engine That Could. This isn't surprising, considering that CaldecottMedal-winning author Virginia Lee Burton (The Little House) specializes inbringing the inanimate to life with endearing illustrations and stories offortitude and vulnerability. Katy, a red crawler tractor, "could do a lot of things," Burton explains early on. In the summer she is a bulldozer, helping to build and repair roads in the city of Geoppolis. In the winter, she turns into a snowplow,waiting and waiting for her chance to be useful. Most of the winters, though,the snowfalls are mild and the town doesn't need Katy. But when the big one finally hits, the town is buried in page after page of powder. The power linesare down. The doctor can't get his patient to the hospital. The fire department can't reach a burning house! "Everyone and everything was stopped but... KATY!" Suddenly, the entire community is dependent on one little snowplow. Children love witnessing Katy's shining moment of glory and will inevitably admire her "chug, chug, chug" endurance. (Ages 4 and older) --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Hard to believe, I still remember
At 51 years of age and very recently a first time grandfather with the aid of Amazon.com I started searching for my favorite stories from decades ago. All of Dr.Suess and the Little Engine That Could to Thorton Burgess's many publications that make me smile so many years later. Of all my past memories Katy and the Big Snow was one that I checked out of our local Library at least 3 times a month. It taught me that determination is most important in acheiving goals and that good things come to those who wait and endure. These are the types of books our younger generation should be reading instead of what is available on television these days. I hope someday my Grandchildren will come to enjoy this book as I have.

My son loves Virginia Burton's books
I ordered this book for my son for his 7th b'day. He loves anything to do with transportation, and discovered Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel first. He checked that book out of the school library every week for more than a month, then I helped him find Katy and the Big Snow, and he loved it just as much. I remember enjoying these books when I was a child, and I think it is wonderful that books like these still bring enjoyment to the children today.

Perserverance
Wonderful childrens book, enjoyable machinery come to life displaying a snow truck as a child. Lovely illustrations although remincent of the 50's.

Not up to par
My 4-year-old and I both adore Virginia Lee Burton's books. Neither of us can get enough of "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel," and "The Little House." So we were excited when we ordered this from Amazon. But it lacks the magic of the aforementioned books. There is no "human element" as in the other two books and it lacks the drama. The plot is relatively mundane - you can only get so much mileage out of snow plowing city streets. Having said that, the illustrations, as in her other books, are beautiful. I particularly like touches such as little vignettes around the border of the pages, and a great map of the town. Against other children books, it's still very good, if only for the artwork. In fairness, Burton set the bar pretty high for herself with her other books.
(This review pertains to the Library Binding version of the book)

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
Purchased this book from Amazon.com and in short order it has become my 3 year old son's favorite bed-time book. Brady, a tractor fanatic, has the pages worn on this one already. ... Read more

Book Description

Summer is here!

The warm days of summer have arrived, and that means Laura gets to spend fun-filled days outdoors!

Book Description

Go Wild in New York City is the brainchild of author Brad Matsen and philanthropist Ted Kheel. Its mission is to open kids' eyes to the hidden natural wonders of the urban environment-in this case, New York City. This book will help children understand and celebrate city life, while also sparking interest in science topics and promoting ways of caring for the earth. This book seeks to answer children's most basic questions such as, "Where does water come from?" or "Why is the sky blue?"It also serves up page after page of fascinating trivia and fun facts about the Big Apple.For instance:" New York City's hottest day ever?(July 9, 1936 when the thermometer climbed to 115 degrees Fahrenheit!)" The amount of sewage generated in an average day? (1.4 billion gallons)" Did you know that at the end of the 19th Century, Manhattan alone had 150,000 horses living in it? (And no public street-cleaning works?)" Oh, and about those alligators in the sewer system� Chapters include:1. Water City -water, sewage 2. NYC Rocks! -rocks, earth, and ice age of NYC3. Take a Deep Breath - weather, atmosphere, and climate4. Hey, Nice Plants!- plants, air, flowers, pollution5. Rulers of New York - bugs, bugs, bugs!6. Fur, Fins, Fangs, & Feathers- everything that walks, crawls, slithers, or flies in NYC7. Food In, Garbage Out - the incredible story of NYC's garbage, peee-youuu!All chapters discuss pollution issues and environmental concerns. Each chapter features activities for the reader, as well as websites to go to for further research. The back matter includes resources, an index, additional information and websites, a complete map of New York City, and information on the missions of the organizations involved.Go Wild is supported by the non-profit organization Nurture New York's Nature (NNYN) headed by a legendary mediator in the labor industry and the extremely philanthropic Ted Kheel. NNYN's mission is to bring attention to the need for sustainable development in urban environments. Mr. Kheel's passion for his work has initiated an assortment of projects supporting resource-friendly development and awareness throughout New York City. By inspiring this book, Mr. Kheel hopes to reach out to the children of the city and incite their environmental awareness at an early age.Mr. Kheel's extensive personal connections, including the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Mikhail Baryshnikov, will certainly help to promote this book and make it a sales success. Mr. Kheel's Go Wild "team" will be working in and out of the City to get the word out. Mr. Kheel is very committed to this project and appears to have an endless supply of resources, both socially and monetarily, to help support the project. To find out more about NNYN and their extensive list of other projects, go to http://www.nnyn.org/about.html. For a biography on Ted Kheel, take a look at www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/kheel/generalInfo/tedKheelBio.html. This book is also tied to the extraordinary art exhibition that is slated to begin in the city in February 2005-The Gates Project for Central Park. This project, supported by NNYN and paid for by the artists themselves, will feature the artwork of famed artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. This exhibition, which has already been receiving an enormous amount of attention in NYC, marks the first time these artists are granting full license to anyone to use their intellectual property. All proceeds from this will be used to create awareness of the importance of nurturing New York's nature to the health and well being of the City's inhabitants, and to support the Arts for their power to advance that goal.

Book Description

Reviews (7)

Loads of Fun
Memories of my childhood flooded back as I read this wonderful book. Lance Marcum has written a book that kids of all ages can enjoy.His main character's(Mitch Valentine) first person account of his summertime adventures is pure kid fun from start to finish!Although "The Cottonmouth Club" is a real "page turner", it took me longer than expected to read due to my LOL fits, which erupted with nearly every page!Girls and boys, men and women, this book has something for everyone, and to top it offteaches some valuable life lessons.Read it, you'll love it.

Best book I've ever read
I was also blessed to have Mr. Marcum as a 6th grade teacher back in 2002. For a couple weeks, he read his book to us for an hour each day. After he was done, I was absolutely amazed by the time and effort he had put into it; and it shows. He even brought in his drafts to show us how much time and effort was involved...it consisted of 4 boxes stacked to the top filled with pages marked with red writing. This book is a piece of art. A kids book, a teenagers book, an adult book, this book is entertaining and humerous for anyone who reads it. Honestly the best book I have ever read... would make a very good movie.

The book

Being a kid back in 64 what else could you expect in a summer? This is what happens hen a kid with big summer plans is dragged off to the middle of nowhere to vist some cousins he has never met before. A enjoyable easy read for everyone.

Wonderful

To me Lance Marcum is probably one of the greatest kids writers since E.B. White. The Cottonmouth Club is worthy of many awards. Consisting of a very witty cast of charactors Marcum could put together a two thumbs up movie! To conclude the cottonmouth club is the best kids book I have read in along time.

from a special talker

Years of Work Equals Perfection
I've seen this book from the beginning stages back during my fourth grade years in 1992.Mr. Marcum took great care and pride in reading the working progress during class so he could get useful feedback.My teacher again in 1994, Lance repeatedly sought improvement on writing this novel he held so passionately.Now, over 12 years later, I'm confident that this is, indeed, a perfected project and will be enjoyed by everyone throughout its release! ... Read more

Book Description

Cowboy Small takes good care of his horse, Cactus. In return, Cactus helps Cowboy Small get work done on the range. Together they round up cattle for branding and live the good life. At night, Cowboy Small eats at the chuck wagon, sings with his friends, and sleeps under the stars.

... Read more

Reviews (5)

Wonderful first story book
My 2-year old son and I just checked "Cowboy Small" out of the library. Couldn't believe my luck in finding this book! This is the first story book that's held my son's interest past the first few pages and all the way to the end and back again, and I mean backwards through every page.

My son is into horses in a big way right now and one of his favorite movies is "The Cowboys" with John Wayne and Bruce Dern. (A few bad parts we skip through.) Amazingly, the book and movie are very similar is many aspects: chuck wagon, sleeping out, campfire, cattle drive/roundup, playing guitar, and breaking a horse in a round pen with the cowboys sitting on the top rail -- right out of the movie!

Lois Lenski's a national treasure. Why didn't I know about him before? And where are the greeting cards and window valances and sheets? Half joking here, but I wouldn't mind getting my son some Cowboy Small sheets when he moves to a big-boy bed. ;)

An old favorite
My son is now 15 years old, but I still remember the many times that I had to borrow Cowboy Small from the local library so we could read about his adventures. We would act out the things that Cowboy Small would do over and over. I am trying to find an original version for Christmas, but maybe this will do.

Yippee! Yippee! Yippee!
I read this book to my two year old, and we both love it! I think he loves it because hearing about a cowboy doing adventurous things probably appeals to the little boy in him, and I love it for the nostalgia (you don't see cowboy cartoons or serials these days), for the beginner education about who cowboys are and what they do, and the simple, clear illustrations.

One word of caution: don't expect to glean any character lessons or underlying meanings from this book. This Lenski book is mostly just factual and fun!

A favorite of a 3 year old cowgirl
This is a classic book that our almost 3 year old daughter loves to look at again and again. She has learned many new words (curry, saddle, spurs, saddlehorn, etc.), has memorized most of the text, and is very attached to anything related to horses. The text is simple, the illustrations are wonderful, and the story is charming. Our daughter has lots of books and this is one that she seeks out from among all the others in her bookshelf. You'll love it too.

My Buckeroo Loves Cowboy Small
My 3-year old got this book for Christmas. He was so taken with it that (of course) we had to read it four times in a row before bed. Then he had to take his stick horse to bed with him in a sleeping bag (or his bedroll, as Cowboy Small would say)and lie on the floor to "look at the stars." The words are simple and the pictures are wonderful. A great book for any little cowboy or cowgirl. ... Read more

Book Description

Illustrated in full color. All aboard!Kids can tour with Thomas the Tank

Engine as he travels through the countryside.They'll open the station door

and wave to Sir Topham Hatt, swing open the barn door and visit the animals,

lift the drawbridge and say "ahoy" to the bargeman, and more, in this

lift-the-flaps rail adventure.




... Read more

Reviews (2)

My Thomas loves it!
My little Thomas loves this book! He loves all the flaps and has nearly read the book to pieces. Bright colors, animals, children, so many things for him to enjoy. He's only 2, and he has enjoyed this book since he was old enough to listen to Mommy reading. I highly recommend this book!

Great fun for children!
My son absolutely loves this book! We started reading it together when he was just a year old, and he still loves it. Several months ago our original was ruined while on a trip (juice cup leaked and stuck the board-pages together). Since it was a shower gift, I had no idea where to find it. On a whim (since it's now the holiday season) I looked here on Amazon.com and am ecstatic to find it! I can't wait to see my son's face on Christmas when he sees his beloved Thomas book. The story is very simple, following Thomas through his day, and the pictures allow for many imagination-side-trips. All in all, I'm happy to add this (again!) to our library. ... Read more

Book Description

On the mean streets of southeast Fresno, nineteen-year-old Eddie is just trying to get by. All he wants is to forget his violent past, hold down a job, and walk a straight line. But after his cousins murder, Eddie finds himselfslowly but inexorablydrawn back into the cycle of violence. . . . Set against the backdrop of a city sweltering in the grip of poverty, crime, and unfulfilled dreams, this is the unforgettable story of a young man struggling to survive in a world spiraling out of control.Unrelenting ... unsparing ... A valuable tale, its one that makes no concessions. Kirkus ReviewsSotos clear, finely honed poets voice shines in this tale of barrio life in Fresno, California ... wholly believable. ALA Booklist

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Reviews (30)

Brown is a favorite target
I think the book Buried Onions is a good one. I recommend this book to all teeagers. Gary Soto tells you what a Mexicano or Chicano have to live just because our skin is brown. I was raised in the town of Cicero and I know how living in the street is, I know that any day my life could be taken away. But, that is the risk I have to take when I am out there with my home boys. I also have to look out for the police because brown is one of their favorite targets to arrest or beat up. Life in my town is like Fresno. Some of the gangs are small, but there are some crazy home boys that just don't care if they take a life or two. Life is nothing easy, but you have to learn how to live it. Some times you have to throw down to get your respect, and sometimes you have to steal to survive, but that is life. Most of my home boys are drop outs and some didn't even start high school, but everybody chooses their own way of living. Some have jobs, but not careers. Some are professional thieves. I liked the way this book mixed Spanish and English together, that is the way I was raised and my homeboys, too. I liked that the book is written in realistic language. I liked the way the book ended. Sometimes that is the best thing to do, fly away with the wind.

You gotta read it
The book i read is Buried Onions. Buried Onions is a very great book that everyone would like to read. It's a book that you would get into and wanna go back and read it over and over. This was my frist time reading Buried Onions. I'm very happy that i did read it if i had another chance to read it i will. So anyone out there that wants to read a very good book you gotta read Buried Onions cause it's a book that you'll like. let me tell you a little something about it. It's about these young boys living in Fresno Califorina and that are in a gang. we'll Eddie wants to get out and better himself. He's asking God to come into his life. He was attening Fresno City College but things weren't going as good as he wanted to. So Mr. Stiles asked him if he wanted a job and was willing to dug holes and plant tress. He was going through a lot because his cuz had passed away and he wanted to find out who killed him and why? Did he ever find out? Yes he did ? But now its time for you to read it and find out who and why? So go and buy the book and read it!!!!!!!!