Book Description

A perfect introduction to the authentic sights and sounds of life on a farm. Hands-on learning: - Farm animal identification, with photographs and sounds - Facts about each farm animal's food, habitat and babies ... Read more

Book Description

The Cajun people have a long history of having to leave their homes: first in France, then later in Canada, and even in America, families were broken apart by exile and were scattered across the continent. They were pushed farther and farther south, finally into the swamps and marshes of southern Louisiana. Here, deep in the bayous and backwaters, they have created a home for themselves that is unlike any other place on earth. In beautifully composed photographs and lucid text, Bial illuminates the spirit, resiliency, and warmth of the Cajun people. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent overview of the culture
I thought this book would be about the houses in Cajun Country. I was wrong. This book was about being a cajun. It explained many of the 'cajun words' mean (Boucherri for example) and with pictures and easy to read text gives a very good overview of the culture. The pictures are pretty and compliment the text well.
This is a bit simple for adults familiar with the cajun culture. However, it is a great book for children and a lovely book for a 'coffee table' book.

Enjoy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A farm is a very busy place. Good thing Maisy is around to keep things shipshape!This industrious little mouse collects eggs from the hens, feeds the baby lambs, picks apples, anddrives the tractor. (We already knew she could operate heavy machinery from Maisy Drives the Bus.) Equallyindustrious readers can help Maisy by pulling the tabs and lifting the flaps in this interactiveaddition to the well-loved Maisy series by Lucy Cousins. Fans will recognize the vibrant colors,big print, and boldly outlined pictures that characterize these appealing books for very youngreaders (and readers-to-be). Don't miss Maisy and her friends on Nickelodeon as well asin her many other endearing books, including Maisy Goes Swimming and Happy Birthday, Maisy. (Baby toPreschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Can't get enough of this one!
My eighteen month old son loves this book! He goes to bed with it at night and wants to read it more than any other book. He can maneuver the flaps and pull- tabs without ripping them to shreds (like some others he's managed to destroy.) We highly recommend this one!

Bought a second when the first was worn out!
This book has been fantastic, and has introduced our daughter to all the farm animals in such a way that they've really become her friends - there are eggs under the laying hen, and then a chick appears too, there is a bird sweeping out from the corn as the tractor chugs by; the geese need water from the yellow watering can, and a very young child can add to the story by activating the animals at different points - magic. We started our daughter on this at 3 months, as a reading book, and now, 13 months later, the second copy is a wreck - she can do each step again, and again, and again.......a worthwhile buy anyday, and a marvellous present (needless to say, for adults too!)

My son loves this book!
My 14-month-old has just learned how to express a preference for some books over others, and this book is the big winner. He loves it more and more as he figures out how to pull all the tabs.

Definitely a Must-Have for Maisy Fans
This is my two-year old's favorite Maisy book. Again, the colors are bold and the drawings simple, as of typical Lucy Cousin. This is a great book for toddlers to learn the names of various farm animals and their youngs. Like all flap and pull-tab books, it is not too sturdy. So this book is best saved for parent and child reading together.

Wonderful book for toddlers!
This is one of my two year old's favorite books! He returns to it again and again (along with most other Lucy Cousins books!). He absolutely loves the brightly colored pictures combined with the pull-tabs. If you have a toddler, this is a sure winner! ... Read more

Book Description

By the big red barn
In the great green field,
There was a pink pig
Who was learning to squeal.

There were horses and sheep and goats and geese--and a jaunty old scarecrow leaning on his hoe. And they all lived together by the big red barn. In joyous and exuberant

Pictures, Felicia Bond lovingly evokes Margaret Wise Brown's simple, rhythmic text about the cycle of a day on a farm, where a family of animals peacefully plays and sleeps.

There were horses and sheep and goats and geese--and a jaunty old scarecrow leaning on his hoe. And they all lived together by the big red barn.
In joyous and exuberant pictures, Felicia Bond lovingly evokes Margarett Wise Brown's simple, rhythmic text about the cycle of a day on a farm, where a family of animals peacefully plays and sleeps.

"Brown's melodic text is beguiling, while its subject'the big red barn that houses a menagerie of animals and their offspring'will have instant appeal to young children. Bond's newly added drawings have a simplicity that suits the story [about the cycle of a day on a farm]. A welcome reprise." 'BL.

Children's Books of 1989 (Library of Congress) ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Soothing words & Simple illustration
These are the things that the little ones, like my 21 month old son, should appreciate in a book.
MWB is widely known for the books "Goodnight moon" and "The Runaway Bunny". I didn't even know about this book until I saw that my husband had picked it up at the bookstore. This book is illustrated by a different artist, Felicia Bond, and her work is sweet and uncomplicated. The story has that same rhythm and beat you follow when reading poetry, but it is also gives a peaceful feeling to it's readers(and the ones being read to).
It's a day in the life of kind of story about animals on a farm, while the children are gone. It is a perfect addition to any child's book shelf and makes for a perfect bedtime story with it's calming effect.
I highly recommend buying this for toddlers! If you already have any of Brown's other books, this one will be a welcome addition.

Wonderful story for children and adults alike
This is one of Margaret Wise Browns best books, Children of any age will love it. The text flows beautifully without being too silly and the illustrations are great for children learning their animals. We've had this book since my son was ten months old and it is still one of his most favorite books, and even after reading this a million times it is still one of my most favorite childrens stories. How did I miss this one as a child?

Un libro bueno por leyendo en voz alta
This translation is not the best one I've used but works well for younger crowds. It rhymes on some pages but not all which makes for a somewhat awkward read the first time around. With a little practice, though, the book is wonderful to use in a Spanish language storytime. The story is very simple as are the pictures so it could be used for toddler and preschool age groups. The book would also be good for those just starting to read in Spanish since many of the words are basic and the text is somewhat sparse.

Doesn't do it for us
Just a basic farm book like many others. Doesn't really do it for my kids. We own a lot of board books and none of mine ever attached to this one. They prefer Boynton books.

Very gentle and calming
If your child enjoys Goodnight Moon, then they should enjoy this book - it has a similar rhythm and very appealing illustrations. Like the mouse that you can look for in Goodnight Moon, this book has a butterfly that appears on many of the pages. It also shows beautifully the change in the light as the sun sets and day turns to night, and the animals going from active to asleep.

I did find it quite difficult to get a good reading rhythm until I had read through it several times. The rhymes are not exact (not like Dr Seuss, say) - it is more subtle and textured than that. I found some of the lines that work well together require turning over to the next page, and personally I think it sounds better when 3 of the lines are left out completely ("meow meow", "yeow yeow" and "bow wow").

My son (21 months) really enjoys it, and it's a book that you can read every day without going too crazy. ... Read more

Book Description

It was a day when Max didn't feel like talking to anyone. He just sat on his front steps and watched the clouds gather in the sky.

A strong breeze shook the tree in front of his house, and Max saw two heavy twigs fall to the ground.

So begins this story of a young boy's introduction to the joys of making music.

Max picks up the sticks and begins tapping out the rhythms of everything he sees and hears around him...the sound of pigeons startled into flight, of rain against the windows, of distant church bells and the rumble of a subway. And then, when a marching band rounds Max's corner, something wonderful happens.

Brian Pinkney's rhythmic text and lively pictures are certain to get many a child's foot tapping, many a youngster drumming. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Max Got Two Fingers
Pinkney returns with a somewhat hackneyed attempt to draw a veil over the real problems facing a child growing up in the inner city with his latest effort - "Max Found Two Sticks". At no point does he elaborate on the fact that Max had to root around in a pile of used needles, empty glue tins and worn rubbers before he found said sticks. Sure, the tap-a-long rhythms are fun, for a while, but that's missing the point somewhat, as 15 minutes beating the bassline to House of Pain's seminal classic - "Jump Around" on the violin case of a sleeping busker does not a happy childhood make. Get with the program - buy your child a real drumkit instead. It'll keep them off the streets.

Wonderfully Rhythmic!
I have used this book for several years in my music classroom. I've used it to introduce percussion family, marching band,self-expression and creative compositions. The story itself is wonderfully done, but the illustrations make the book a treasure. My students ask to read this one during Read Aloud Week.

You can hear the music in this book.
This beautifully illustrated book has a fun story pattern which makes it a great read aloud. Children enjoy predicting what will happen next. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the real-life world of working cowboys -- from longhorns and lariats to chuckwagons, chaps, rodeos and ranches.

Here is a spectacular and informative look at the fascinating lives of cowboys from around the world. Stunning real-life photographs of horses and cattle and branding irons and lariats offer a unique "eyewitness" view of life on the range. See what an authentic chuckwagon looks like, how an expert ropes a calf, a rodeo rider in action on a wild steer, how a saddle is made and a Mongolian herdsman lassoing a wild horse. Learn where wild horses and bulls live in France, why cowboys wear Long Johns, how to tame a bucking bronco and why a gaucho decorates his belt with silver coins. Discover how Annie Oakley got her nickname, why an Australian saddle has no horn and how the cowboy's romantic image influenced music and films, and much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The best cowboy book ever!!!!!!!!!
I like this book on Cowboy (Eyewitness Books) & I think it's a cool book & in this book you can see why what an athentic chuckwagon looks like, how an expert ropes a calf, a rodeo rider in action on a wild steer, how a saddle is made & a Mongolian lassoing a wild horse.

Also learn about where wild horses and bulls live in France, why cowboys wear Long Johns, how to tame a bucking bronco, why a gaucho decorates his belt with silver coins.

You can always discover how the cowboy's romantic image influenced music & films & even much, much more ever!!!!

This book reminds me of a video called "Big Comfy Couch: You Can Do it Molly, Black Beauty book illustrated by Susan Jeffers.

This is the best cowboy book ever!!!!!!!!!!!

This is like a new favorite of eyewitness books ever!!!!

I loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!

Yee-haw for your eyes
DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other cowboy picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful photos of historically cowboy/cowgirl things, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about American cowboys in the old west (along with cowboys from a few other cultures). See photos of real cowboy paraphernelia, clothing, weapons, etc.!

If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated by all things cowboy, then you must introduce them to this book! It's a visual crash course in cowboys, and it's excellent! ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Dreams in the Golden Country
I have read all the Dear America books and Dreams in the Golden Country was one of the ones I enjoyed the most. Zippy Feldman and her family are immigrating to America. They arrive in New York and Zippy is feeling quite homesick. She wishes to learn to read and speak English, and starts school and soon is at the top of her class. She also takes quite an intrest in the Jewish theatre in New York. When her sister elopes with a Catholic boy Zippy's family doesn't approve of, Zippy finds herself torn. Will she ever see her sister again? Will she ever get a part in a play? And can she find her place in America? Read this good book to find out.

Excellent!
Zipporah is another excellent Dear America book. Zippy, 12 years old, has just arrived at Ellis Island from Russia, where the pogroms (attacks on the Jews) chased them away. Traveling with her mother, her sisters, Miriam (15), and Tovah (17) her family goes to meet her Father who has been in America for 2 years. There they find a small tenement room. Everyone is disapointed. Zippy's mother is worried about her father loosing his Jewish faith. Zippy gets put in an early grade because she isn't very talented in English, but she moves up. Zippy learns about things and writes letters to the famous Marie Curie and Wright Brothers (never gets a reply back). Then she sees the theater and knows acting will forever control her destiny. Filled with hardships and triumphs, Zippy's diary is one of the best. It really isn't very exciting with a lot of stuff happening, but the emotional factor is so great and really makes me think. I was also happy that Zippy had the same birthday as me.

outstanding book
I found this book to be outstanding, especially in terms of the historical glimpses that were inadvertently revealed throughout, in bittersweet fashion, from the innocent perspective of a little Jewish girl Zipporah who, with her mother and 2 sisters, came to America by ship in 1903. Right from the start, the book catches the reader with her harrowing experience of nearly getting rejected at the port of entry on Ellis Island due to a suspected eye infection. The story continues on to the dark (both physically and moodwise) tenements of the Lower East Side of New York city where the Jewish community faces a daily struggle to survive. Through family unity and neighbors helping neighbors, Zipporah and her family was able to, not only to survive, but eventually flourish into self sufficiency. Along the way though, there were much heartwrenching sadness like the deaths of loved ones and the eloping of Zipporah's sister due to undue disapproval from her family. Even though the ending was happy, I felt a lump in my throat as I neared the end of the book, for I felt I was a part of this wonderful family, and I didn't want to leave!

For those of you out there who love family, history, nostalgia, and culture, this book is for you. For those who is seeking action pack adventure, romance, or thrills, try another book. This book gets 5 stars out of 5 from me.

Blessings! TLam

Has got to be one of my favorite Dear America books
12 year-old Zipporah (Zippy) Feldman is immigrating to America from Poland to join her father in New York. With her is her mother and her sisters Tovah and Miriam. Zippy is nearly detained at Ellis Island because of a red eye, but thanks to Tovah she gets safely through.
But America is nothing like she imagined, and she has many troubles. She is in 3rd grade at school, her parents fight on occasion, and Zippy' best friend Blu is sadly lagging behind in school.
Zippy finds that the theatre is the thing that she loves. But terrible things happen just days after Zippy gets her dream part in a play. Her new baby brother dies just days after he was born, and Miriam runs off and gets married to a non-Jew named Sean O'Malley. Will Miriam ever return, and will Zippy ever become the actress of her dreams? Find out in this wonderful book!

This has got to be one of my favorite Dear America books of all time. It's so well written, and there are absolutely no boring parts at all! I guess one of the reasons I love this book so much is because both Zippy and I are so alike, especially in loving to act.
I promise you, if you read this book, you will not be sorry. The only mistake you could make is not buying this book.

My Secret Diary
In the beginning of my book, The Golden Country, it starts with a Yiddish family whose father and husband is working in the u.s. for many years. When the come he has changed which starts the real story. They are a Jewish family and the husband and father has shaved his side locks. Her mother is really mad. They have a lot of problems here are some: they can't speak English and if any not much, they are really poor, father has stopped playing his music and a lot more! In the middle things start to shape up. The girl who rights it has been going to school. Miriam, her sister, is in love with a non Jewish boy and no one knows. Her other sister, Trovan, starts to march for women's rights. Her father is now a musician, and very good. But something else happens. Her sister Miriam has now ran off and is now missing. But the girl who rights it knows where she is. She went a married her "boyfriend" who is non Jewish. Now the end is very good a lot of things become right!

I really liked this book for it showed how it really was, and is from someone who had no say in anything. She tells about how life is in America. And how it might be, in modern days, for many people. She tells her life in this book. How it was a culture shock how people where happy and sad. How it shapes over years and how much better it becomes.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in different cultures and life in many ways. Other books I would say would that are good are the diary collections.

It was a very good book and I encourage you to read it!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A book that will blow you away
Hank the Cow Dog #25 is a good book to read. It is set on a ranch in the present. Hank is trying to sleep when the Charlie Monsters attack (a storm). So Hank & Drover have to run into Sally May's kitchen, where no dog has returned from. Can Hank live through the case? They get out of the kitchen alive but come face-to-face with the Swirling Killer Tornado and get sucked into it. I would recommend this book to 3rd-5th grade, because of how mature and funny it is.

The best Hank yet???
I have purchased approximately 12-14 Hank the Cowdog Audio Tapes/CDs for...ahem...the kids. Yeah, totally for the kids. Anyway, this one is my favorite. If you are considering any Hank Audio Books, this should be your first.

We hear of Hank and Drover's adventures battling the terrible green Charlie Monsters and what happens when they come face to face with the most dreadful of realities...trapped in Sally May's KITCHEN.

All the Hank audio books have classic lines that our family is often repeating (while laughing hysterically), but this one has some of the best:
"I don't want to be a cat"
"You STOLE my BACON!"
"That will be 15 Shame-On-You's Drover"
etc.

Buy it...you'll thank me!

Sheila McCarn
We have listened to this audio book several times. The first time we heard it was driving in the car and I had to pull over because I was laughing so hard I was afraid we'd have a wreck. Hank is not just for kids. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

angels in the dust
This is a wonderfully written book. The story is touching. The language is expressive and descriptive. The illustrations are vivid and add much to the story. This was a great book to read aloud. It can give students a taste of life in a different time and place. Wonderful!

A Beautifully Written Book
Angels in the Dust is a beautifully written book about life during the Dust Bowl. The story is touching and Margot Theis Raven has a true talent of writing. The illustrations are breathtaking!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Young Fu is bound for seven years to be an apprentice to Tang the coppersmith, and his new life in the Chinese city Chungking is both exciting and terrifying. Young Fu endures the taunts of his coworkers, and must live by his wits on the streets, where restless soldiers will shoot a man if he does not carry a load for them, and beggars steal from those who pass them by.

Yet for Young Fu, the pleasures of the bustling Chungking of the 1920s far outweigh its dangers. Little by little he learns the ways of the big city and plunges into adventure after adventure. Young Fu's eagerness to help others and his acts of courage earn him many friends, and finally, more good fortune than he ever thought possible. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Life in China in the 1920s.
This book won the 1933 Newbery Medal for best contribution to American children's literature. It is the story of five years in the life of a young Chinese boy, begining at age thirteen. He and his mother, following the death of his father, travel to the city of Chungking (now, Chongqing) where he is to be an apprentice to Tang the coppersmith. This book is a vivid and well-presented account of life in central China in the 1920s and young students can use the book as a starting point to the study of twentieth-century China. The author (1892-1958) lived in China for several years, holding a number of teaching posts. An interesting approach was used at a local school. After reading this book, the following school year (6th grade!), the students read Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth."

1920's China, a boy grows up amid struggles
This book is the story of a thirteen year old boy from the farms of central China who, with his widowed mother, moves to the big city, Chungking (now spelled Chongqing). Because life on the farm is so uncertain, and, in fact, rather dangerous because of banditry, Fu will be apprenticed to Tang, a master coppersmith. The book portrays a turbulent time, after the fall of Imperial government, and before a new order could arise, a time of war and disunity.

I often read this book with my sixth grade class. The author is Western (she left America for a career as a teacher and missionary in Shanghai, Chungking, and Nanking) and sometimes this bias shows through, as does her distaste for rabble-rousing young revolutionaries (early communists?), though perhaps her sentiments would be shared by many modern Chinese.

Still, the book makes fascinating reading. It introduces the reader to a China that has passed into history (thank goodness - it was such a violent time), yet many authentic cultural ideas and customs that are presented in the book persist, such as payment of debts on New Years, crooked streets catching ghosts, etc. There are even a few Chinese expressions. Some are translated into English (like FangXin - let down your heart) and others are kept in Chinese, such as Tuchun (a military governor).

The book is well-written, though quite episodic. This episodic nature can be an advantage, though, since it may be possible to shorten the book when presenting it to a class by skipping some chapters.

Also, in the back of the book is an appendix, keyed to the chapters, that explains some differences between the China of today and the China of the 1920's.

The characters are well drawn. Although there is little character development outside the main character, Young Fu does have to deal with a lot of the issues confronting a young man growing up. His adventurous spirit and willingness to embrace new ideas are contrasted with the attitudes of others around him. This openness to change (and to Western ideas, such as Western medicine)usually lead to his successes.

Some of the main issues dealt with in this book are: superstitions, the value of education, the roles of foreigners in the China of that time, the value of education, the effect of war and politics on a large, though backwater, town, as well as friendship and family.

This book is probably appropriate for very high fifth grade through ninth grade. It makes excellent material for a sixth grade class, but they may some guidance or orientation, because the life depicted is so different from our own.

The illustrations help when explaining ideas such as "Wedding Chair" or "Load-pole."

Just My Opinion
I had to read this book for school. Personally, I thought that it was pretty good, but it is kind of hard to start. Also, I noticed quite a few generalizations about Chinese people in the book. I myself would recommend this for people who are 12 years old or above, because younger children may get tired of it.

Very good, but hard to start
This is a very good book, but the style is very different. It sounds a bit like Yoda the whole time. The story is about a 13 year old boy who has to leave his home in the country and go to the city to be an apprentice with the copper and brass master, Tang.

Great Book For Readers
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze is a wonderful book that I could continue reading a long time. The literature provided by Elizabeth Foreman is rich with interesting characters and a lush background. It seems like you want to get inside of the book and find out what's going on in their heads. The story is set in 1920's China after the Empress dies. There is turmoil and mayhem. Looting and theivery is expected every day. Corrupt soldiers wander the streets looking for an unexpected peasant to push around. Fu is a young boy from the countryside who has come to the city after his father dies. Fu Be Be is Young Fu's mother and she is wary about moving to the dangerous and exhilarating life of the city. Fu is an apprentice to a craftsman named Tang. Immediately Fu is thrust into a whirlwind of responsibility and he shows his soft side. Many obstacles are thrown his way, but he always keeps his humanity intact. When an American woman needs help from a burning building, Fu pushes aside the tales of them and how they can inflict evil upon contact. To see an Chinese book being written by an American is refreshing for the mind. ... Read more

Book Description

It's a book...it's a toy...it's Lego Masterbuilders!

Introducing LEGO Masterbuilders, an interactive series of building inspiration books containing everything you need to make 15 cool LEGO models.

Box contains:

- 48 page, full-color paperback book
- Over 50 LEGO bricks
- Fun stickers to customize your models
- Reusable plastic box to store your LEGO bricks

Fasten your seat belt as Busy City speeds you through the city streets. You'll visit the harbor, airport and a building site, learning how to make terrific trucks, boats and planes along the way! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great book/toy!
My 5 year old loves this book and the lego blocks that came with it. It's easy for her to follow the picture instructions to make her own vehicles without any help. Awesome for anytime she needs to stay quiet and self-occupied (car trips, waiting rooms, etc.). It comes in a cool box to keep it all together too. We highly recommend it!

Best Lego in town
... Easy to follow, age appropriate directions. It comes with 50 interchangable pieces and a book with 44 different things to make. Each and every friend that shares the fun with him, asks us for one for their birthdays. I am impressed. This is a great toy, you will not be dissapointed.

A Favorite!
This set keeps our son entertained for hours! Even on long road trips. He enjoys building each one and then plays along as well. It's great for a slow afternoon!

Our son loves it!
Terrific for learning to follow instructions. Our son felt great pride when he had completed building vehicles. An unusually successful toy for a little guy who does not usually like fine motor skill, detail-oriented projects. ... Read more

Book Description

The cabin door crashes open-and in a few minutes Regina's life changes forever. Allegheny Indians murder her father and brother, burn their Pennsylvania home to the ground, and take Regina captive. Only her mother, who is away from home, is safe. Torn from her family, Regina longs for the past, but she must begin a new life. She becomes Tskinnak, who learns to catch fish, dance the Indian dance, and speak the Indian tongue.As the years go by, her new people become her family . . . but she never stops wondering about her mother. Will they ever meet again?

"A first-person narrative based on the true story of a young woman held by Indians from 1755-1763, related with all the impact of a hard-hitting documentary . . .Wonderful reading." (School Library Journal)

"I Am Regina is an enthralling and profoundly stirring story, historical fiction for young people at its very finest." (Elizabeth George Speare, Newbery Award-winning author of The Witch of Blackbird Pond) ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Wonderful,must read
I Am Regina is a must read for anyone who loves historical fiction.I first read this book when I was twelve years old.Now that I am fully grown,there is still not a year that goes by that I don't open it up and read it.It's about a ten year old girl named Regina who's family is attacked by Indians.Her father and brother are killed and Regina and her sister,Barbara are taken.Regina befriends a small girl,another captive,that she names Sarah.The sisters are seperated and Regina is forced on a long journey to a Lenape village.At the village she must face cold and hunger.As time goes by she loses almost all memory of her white family and accepts her new life.This book is based an actual incident that occured during the French And Indian Wars. The story allows the reader to see what it might have like,on either side.This is a book that cannot be put down.

"A Great Indian Story!"
We give this book five stars because when our teacher passed this book out to us and we started reading it...we just couldn't stop reading the book ! "I am Regina" is based on a true story about a girl named Regina Leininger. One day in the fall of 1755 in Pennsylvania, Regina and her sister, Barbara,get captured by the Allegheny Indians. Their father and older brother are killed. Her mother and her other brother are away at the time of the capture. Barbara and Regina are separated soon after they are captured. To find out if Regina will ever see her sister, mother or brother again... read the book!

I am Regina
Imagine you were living in the late 1700's and your white man's name was changed, would you want that name? How would you feel if you and your sister were kidnapped? That's exactly what happens to Regina Leininger and her sister Barbara in the novel I am Regina by Sally M.Keehn. Regina's life is perfect that is until her father and brother are killed and she is forced to live with a Native American tribe. Regina must learn how to survive in this new way of life. Regina repeats her name throughout the book so she doesn't forget her past. Regina's name was changed to Tskinnak which means blackbird. She was only ten years old when she was captured. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about Native Americans and their lifestyles.

A Book That Makes You Want To Keep Readng
On the first day of school my teacher(The best teacher in the world)told us she was going to read us a historical fiction book. She reads to us because she thinks you should learn using all of your senses so she reads to us. Well like most 7th graders we usualy can't stay still for long. So she reads to us and we color while we listen. We are at the end. Everyday when she stops we ask her if she has to stop because we just can't to find out what happends next. But she dosen't. She always says no that way all of us will come back the next day to find out what happends. It actualy teaches us a lot about english and all kinds of things because while shes reading she stops sometimes or at the end to do context clues and figure out words we don't know. I recomend this book to any young adult. IT IS GREAT.

Alone...yet not alone am I!
When I was in 7th grade, for my reading class, I had to read a Texas Blue Bonnet book (it is a list of books that children read and then are tested on over the computer) every six weeks. The last 6 weeks of the year I picked up I am Regina I only had one week to read it before all books had to be turned in to the library...I got half way there the book then it was due...I never got to finish it. I would ask the library if they had this book they would say there is not book by that name...one day i asked, "Do you have any blue bonnet books?", "Yes, they are over there." Still no luck. To my surprise as I did a key word search I was calling the book i longed to finish by an incorrect name (My name is Rebecca; don't ask I have no clue where I came up with that one!) I checked out the book and finally read all of it... IT IS AS WONDERFUL AS I REMEMBERED IT TO BE...all i can say is...READ IT READ IT READ IT! ... Read more

Book Description

It's New Year's Day in Apple Harbor, and all the villagers are celebrating at Farmer Barnes' annual Open House, including Charlie, Pop-Up, and Dumpy the Dump Truck. But when the fire bell sounds, everyone's help is suddenly needed in town. Discovering that Pharaoh's General Store is ablaze, the firefighters bravely work to fight the flames and save the village.

As always, Dumpy proves invaluable -- demonstrating that everyone has something to contribute.

Book Description

Generations of children have read, re-read, and loved Ezra Jack Keats's award-winning, classic stories about Peter and his neighborhood friends. Now, for the first time, Peter's Chair, A Letter to Amy, and Goggles! are available in paperback exclusively from Puffin.A well-loved character, a familiar childhood situation, and an urban setting are the components of this winning picture book, one of Keats's best. -- BooklistEzra Jack Keats (19161983) was the beloved author and/or illustrator of over eighty-five books for children. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Grew up with this book!
As a tyke in the 70's, I remember reading "Goggles!" many times and always finding myself emerced in the story. I now have twin boys that I can read it to and show them what their dad grew up with. Great book.

Goggles
This is a very good book. It is about two boys who live in the ghetto. When they were in a junkyard playing around, Henry stumbled upon a pair of motorcycle goggles. They looked great on him. One the walk home two bullies want to take the goggles. The punk pushes henry down and the goggles fall out. Everyone looks at them, Then the dog runs off with them. The boys split up and go to the secret hideout. The dog gos slowly after. They run though a pipe and give the goggles to henry.

Well hope you enjoy reading this book. It is written by Ezra Jack Keats. It is one of the many books she has written, hope you get a chance to read them all.

Goggles!
I enjoyed reading the book Rich Cat, Poor Cat! It was about these two cats one is a street cat and is poor, scubby, dirty, no one pays attention to him, and he has to find his own way to live, his own shelter, food, and the other cat is a indoor cat that lives with a very rich family that cleans, feeds, give shelter, and takes care of him! Yes, I think this book is great for kids because it makes you think about all the cats out there that don't have homes! I think children would like to read this book because it teaches you things about cats and you should take care of every pet you own!

more good stuff from Willie's creator
My two year old loves _Whistle for Willie_, so I showed him a copy of _Goggles_.

The plot: Our friends Peter and Willie, with Peter's younger, bespectacled friend Archie, find a pair of motorcycle goggles. Peter and Willie are spotted by some rather dangerous looking "older boys." One of the older boys demands the goggles. After some uncertain and rather scary moments, the boys and dog outwit the older boys and escape to the safety of Archie's front porch.

The story has dark, gritty illustrations. I didn't live in an American ghetto in the 1960's, so I can only guess that Keats is accurately evoking the scene with his trademark colorful semi-abstract imagery. He uses collages and all the devices from Whistle for Willie to create a book that, for all the simplicity, looks like a movie. It reminds me of TV shows like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

The book might be a bit "old" for the 2-year olds, considering the implied threat of violence in the plot, but my son just loves it.

If you're looking for another title by the author of Whistle for Willie, this is a good one!

...

Goggles is great and has beautiful, dark-color illustrations
Goggles teaches a lesson that anyone can win at any given time. It's a true story about the author running away. All the big boys were trying to get Peter, the character in the book. They were fighting over goggles. It's one of my favorite books by this author, Ezra Jack Keats. ... Read more

Book Description

A 1996 Caldecott Honor book

The urban landscape will never look the same again. As Stephen T. Johnson demonstrates in a series of strikingly realistic pastels and watercolors, a simple sawhorse can contain the letter "A"--while lampposts alongside a highway can form a row of elegant, soaring Ys. A 1996 Caldecott Honor book, this sophisticated, wordless alphabet book is sure to appeal to young and old alike.

"Imaginative, stimulating, and striking." --The Horn Book

"Sure to intrigue." --Booklist

* A Picture Puffin
* Full-color illustrations
* 32 pages
* All ages ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Beautiful art -- good for all ages
My son received a copy for Christmas and the adults enjoyed the carefully crafted illustrations as much as he did. Not all the letters are obvious at first making the book all the more fun.

Older Kids, Also!
My 5th graders enjoy this book. After "reading" this wordless book, we tour our school and observe the "alphabet school." It is amazing how many letters they find in the most obscure locations. The search continues for weeks. This is a great way to hone observational skills and attention to detail. Wonderful book.

The alphabet is all around us.
In this book for children (no words except for the introduction), the artist finds settings throughout a typical city in which the letters of the alphabet can be seen in the buildings, streets, etc: a very fresh look at the alphabet that children will enjoy. The book was a 1996 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a children's book.

A perspective changing book
My second grade class loves this book even though they are way beyond learning the alphabet. It presents a new way to look at surroundings. I've seen children transfer this way of thinking by finding letters, patterns, and shapes in their world. Creative and fresh.

Great images
My kindergarten classes love to look at this title again and again. Some of the letters are less obvious making it a challenge for some to see the letter. ... Read more

Book Description

The Little House books tell the story of a little pioneer girl and her family as they traveled by covered wagon across the Midwest. Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic books, illustrated with Garth Williams' timeless artwork, have been cherished by millions of readers ever since they were first published over sixty years ago.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Winter on the farm- Little House series
Great series of books. Good wholesome reading for children. Great book for younger children with interest in animals. ... Read more

Book Description

A story of frontier love and courage...

Newlyweds Molly and David are only sixteen and eighteen years old when they pack up their wagon and head west across the plains in search of a new homestead. At first their new life is full of promise: The wheat is high, the dugout is warm and cozy, and a new baby is born to share in their happiness. Then disaster strikes, and David must go east for the winter to find work. Molly is left alone with the baby -- with nothing but her own courage to face the dangers of the harsh prairie winter.

Reviews (5)

The Little House Book Improved
This book is a tad more exciting then Laura's books, it gets to the point, I suppose. A reccomended read for those who enjoy adventure and historic fiction as well.

The best parts of the Little House books all rolled into one
The best parts of "Plum Creek", Little Town on the Prarie", "The Long Winter" and "Happy Golden Years" all rolled into one. Very exciting. I could not put it down. She gets right to the action, and leaves out all of the uneventful chapters on weaving, needlework and churning butter, etc., that her mother put into the Little House books. You can see that the best parts of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books were a direct result of Rose Wilder Lane's input. Her writing is vivid and exciting.

Very good
Wonderful story, but much harsher and bleaker than her mother's own writings about settling in the West. A stunning work about a struggle for independence I couldn't even imagine.

Young Pioneers is a book you can not put down.
Young Pioneers is a good book if you love reading about how our country became seltled in the west by the young, brave people like Molly and David. Rose Wilder Lane is a great author just like her mother Laura Ingalls Wilder. If you enjoy Laura's books, you will enjoy Rose's also. Young Pioneers is a great story about how life was like in the 1800s. I really enjoyed this book.

I couldn't put it down.
I went into reading this book not sure what to expect. It was reflective of the Little House books, but I was instantly hooked by the suspense of the plot and the events. Although this was meant for children, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a huge fan of all the Little House books, and this one just earned a spot on my bookshelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Who--or what--has been killing Sally May's chickens? Everyone on the ranch is a suspect--even Hank! Can he solve the crime and prove his innocence before he's relieved of his command...and condemned?

USA Today calls the hilarious Hank the Cowdog series "...the best family entertainment in years."

Hank is a scruffy, smart-alecky supersleuth with a nose for danger and an eye for the ladies. And as Head of Ranch Security on a West Texas ranch, he's usually up to his ears in all kinds of amusing trouble. Whether he's called upon to bark up the sun, investigate suspicious goings-on, or defend the ranch against marauders, Hank's hilarious, hair-raising adventures will delight readers young and old alike.

"Rip-roaring fun...[a] marvelous situation comedy." --School Library Journal ... Read more

Book Description

In this handsome book, you will meet the Hendersons, who live on a Southern plantation with their children in 1853. You'll also meet Daddy Major, Rosena, Scipio, and Cicero, slaves who work in the Big House and in the cotton fields. Full-color photographs of interiors, clothing, and objects, plus artwork and oral history, document a typical day on a plantation. You will see the stately bedrooms and dining room of the plantation house, as well as the simple slave quarters and cabins. Inside the Big House, morning chores are done and the children readied for school (or play); in the kitchen house, food is cooked and bread is baked; and in the sugar house, cane is crushed. Readers will learn about mealtimes, leisure hours, doctors and disease, and bedtimes. They'll also learn about attitudes toward slavery, slave meetings in the woods, and much more in this unique visit to a restored Southern plantation in New Iberia, Louisiana. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautifully Done!
Picked up this book at Frogmore Plantation in Louisiana (A living history and modern cotton plantation--check out frogmoreplantation. com!) for some young friends. It's a fascinating peek into plantation life in the 1850's. Highly recommended for children and adults alike.

Excellent, interesting and accurate!
This book really makes history interesting. We recognized many of the photos from a former plantation in our home town. I'd recommend it to both adults and children - it's well written (and researched) and has good photos. ... Read more

Book Description

Rodeo camp is a tough way to spend a summer, but John is having the time of his life. No girlfriends, no moms, no sisters. Just him and the guys and the biggest bulls he's ever seen. All he has to do is stay on a bull for eight seconds. It may feel like an eternity to his aching body, but for once John feels in control of his own fate. Then he learns his new rodeo buddy Kit is gay. Shaken by the news, he tries to deal with the other guys' reactions and his own self-doubts. Suddenly, riding a bull seems easy.

"Compassionately shares the challenges of gay teens, both those comfortable with who they are, and those just discovering their true feelings, [and] explores quite eloquently what it means to really accept oneself and one's friends. One of the best novels on this theme." (Booklist, starred review) ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Deaing with issues
John went to a rodeo school to learn to ride bulls. John learns His new best friend, Kit is gay. Now John has to deal with riding bulls and pressure from his friends and family because they think being gay is indecent . Now riding bulls is easy compared to dealing with reality. He has to deal with his own sexuality and find out what is more important to him. What his friends and family think,or his friendship with Kit.

I liked this book because I am interested in rodeo,and suggest anyone else who is interested in a rodeo drama to read this book.

A Whole New World
The world of bull riding is not anything that I'm familiar with. Growing up in the suburbs, my life was skateboarding and walking down to the U-Totem to pick up the latest Archie comic book. But one great thing about dating is that you constantly and endlessly exposed to the new. My boyfriend, a rodeo fan, picked up this book on a recent trip and devoured it, and handing it to me saying "Read this". I did, and found a beautiful, intriguing coming out tale.

John Ritchie is the main character, a normal teenage boy whose life on the ranch is seemingly idyllic. He has a family that loves him, chores to do, and a vision for his future, well as strong a vision that a teenage boy could have. His father suggests that he attend a rodeo school, which John cannot wait to attend. Going with his best friend Bobby, he meets Kit, a tall, strong cowboy with whom he feels an immediate attachment. Kit and John become friends, and spend their time at rodeo camp discussing how they've always felt different from others. Upon returning home from camp, John learns his new friend, challenging him to the core, both about his beliefs about homosexuality and his own internal struggling with it.

Ferris does something wonderful with this story. She allows John's eventual discovery of who he is to come slowly and naturally. It's both sweet and without much fanfare, but powerful enough to launch John on the rocky and uneven path of acceptance we've all walked. For anyone just coming out, this book shows that path, a small section of it, as a positive step forward.

Set in the world of rodeos, this book also serves as a primer for those of us city folk uninitiated with that world. The rodeo scenes were authentic and honest, and why anyone would want to sit on a bull for eight seconds is beyond me, but you appreciate the characters desires to do so.

Eight Seconds is a powerful, simple coming out story, with an interesting, unexpected ending, that left me thinking for days, as I'm sure it would you.

Great Book
This book was one of the most brilliant stories I ever read. It wasnt the fact that it was set in a rodeo, or that there were fights througout the story, it was the fact that this story is about the friendship between 2 gay guys that both end up in very diffrent situations. I think its an inspiring, exciting, romantic, and sad book all mixed into one.

ok book
The book Eight Seconds was a good book about some kids the for there high school graduation present they got to go to bull riding school. They went to the school and learned a lot about how to be a good bull rider. But while they were at the school they learned that one of their friends was gay. At first only one of them knew but eventually the others found out. Not everyone agreed with that kids decision on being gay. That caused a lot of problems throughout the book.
In this books there was a lot of imagery you really thought that you where there watching the kids ride the bulls. At one point one of the kids fell off a bull and the bull was running after him and you really thought that you were there watching it.
This books had some emotions that were stirred up because of the conflict of one of the kids being gay. Not all of the other kids thought that it was ok for him to be gay because of this there were some fights that started.
I think that this book would be good for kids to read who are around 8 - 12. It was a good book and there was a lot that you could get out of it. It also was interesting to lean some about bull riding.
In all I thought that this was a good book. But a lot of the book you could guess what was going to happen. Also a lot of the book had the same things happening over and over again.

Very Good, Cute, Easy Read.. GREAT Story!
I was very impressed with this relatively short story. This is the story of John and Kit. John is a year behind in school due to heart surgery when he was a baby. He is eighteen. Kit is a college student who is going to become a veterinarian.

The Plot to this story is: John feels he is out of step with the world in Montana. He often finds himself in fights with bullies, where he holds his own, but he is generally viewed by everyone as "Gentleman John," a nice guy. John loves his family, but his older sisters are either married or in college, and his younger sister, Clemmie, who adores him, is a pest. John still plays with her, however. He gets along with his parents, but his mother expects too much from him. ... his father has arranged for him to attend Rodeo School so that he can more successfully compete in rodeos at local fairs. He goes to this camp with his best friend, Bobby, and Russ, a bully with whom he often fights, also is attending. ... .

This was a very good, quick read. The story is one that keeps you engaged! It also allowed me to learn a great deal about the rodeo circuit, and how the guys train to ride the bulls. ... Read more