Clubs Books

This is one of my favorite childhood books, so I was thrilled to share it with my daughter. We have both CDB and CDC now, and she loves them (and thinks it's pretty cool that Steig also wrote Shrek!) Besides the fun of sounding out the phrases and the laughs it provides, I think the books are mentally challenging and verbally stimulating for children of all ages. Educational maybe, but so much fun. Who doesn't love the illustrations?

Having enjoyed Steig's first such book as an adult, we sent a copy to a budding linguist at college. Upon ordering I was delighted to find this second enjoyable book available. Steig has such delightful images and twists of humor that I could not pass it up. Great fun in drawings and puzzling out the meanings.

I have always chuckled at this book, ever since I helped in my children's school library 20 years ago. William Steig has such a clever way of putting letters together and illustrating what he is trying to say. It is interesting to children of all ages.

I ordered this since my sister received it and thought it was a great book. Unfortunately, this copy does not come with the answers. Look for the hard cover version, that has the answers in the back.

CDB! (Stories to Go!)

I was very excited to find this book for my grandbaby. We had great fun with it when her aunts were small. Who would have thought back then that William Stieg invented 'text speak'. I even stumped my youngest daughter with NQ!

I bought the hardcover version of this book for our 4 1/2 year old after we heard the story told at our local library by a professional storyteller. It is such a delightful story and our whole family just loves it! We have fun with the repetition that is in the story and have various gestures, voices and movements for them. The illustrations are well done and overall, it is just a really fun book to read!

This book is amazing. I found it a couple of years ago and we read it ALL the time. My kids love it. We even have hand/body motions to go with each article of clothing that the Little Old Lady comes upon. Your kids will love this story. I have kid from 1 to 9 and they all love it. My older ones even quote it while I read or read it to the younger ones. This book is for all ages. I love reading this story and you will too.

Youngsters eight and younger will love this spooky children's tale about a little old lady who refuses to be afraid of "things" following her through the woods on her way home. "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything" is simple, fun, and excellent for kindergarten and first grade kids to practice their reading skills on. It works even better as a tale read to a child. My daughter loves it when I read this story to her and put emphasis on the noises that each of the old ladies' followers makes. From "Clomp, Clomp" to "Boo, Boo," my daughter giggled her way through this story. There's just enough spookiness to the story to keep kids a tad antsy, but the resolution eventually makes everything okay.

I highly recommend this tale to anybody who has a child eight years of age or younger and stress that this story works best if it's read to the children instead of having them read it. Author Linda Williams has done a nice job of making a lightly spooky tale for youngsters and Megan Lloyd's dark and moody (though somehow amazingly fun) illustrations only add to the tale's atmosphere. It's a fun Halloween tale that works on any night of the year.

We pull this one out in the fall. The story is great for standing up and moving around -- clomp, clomp - wiggle,wiggle - shake, shake - clap, clap - nod, nod... plus, there's a great surprise (which we shout out VIGOROUSLY!) and a happy ending. It's one of our best fall books.

I found this book last year at the library and read it to my daughter when she was three- Within a few pages, she was saying most of the entertainingly repetitive dialogue on her own. It's the best Halloween book for preschoolers out there, in my opinion. This year, we bought a copy of our own and she loved it just as much as the first time around.

This picture book is my favorite for Valentine's Day. Mr. Hatch is a lonely, friendless man, until he receives a present from a secret admirer. Then, he blooms, contributing greatly to his community. The people in his neighborhood in turn support him as well, showing him how much he means to them. It is a lovely story about being a good friend, especially on Valentine's Day.

The book is wonderful. I used it in a classroom lesson about Valentine's Day. It has a lot of good lessons on feelings and emotions too.

All 4 of my grandchildren, especially the 4 yr olds, loved the story and illustrations kept their attention. Eileen is the best author for children, she really relates to what they appreciate.

This beautiful book is perfect for young and old! Although not religious it would be a great asset to any church library for Sunday school or even adult collections. I fell in love with this book!

This book has such a wonderful message. Everytime I read it to my first graders I cry. It is what love is supposed to be about! Thank you Eileen Spinelli for this fantastic story.

I use this book as part of my 100th day of school celebration. It helps my k students to have empathy for the elderly. We also discuss what they may look like when they are 100. Wonderful illustrations - typical Mem Fox style - perfect! Love it!

I discovered this book when my roommate told me it was one of her favorite children's book. Both my roommate and I are currently pursuing our Master's Degree in Elementary Education and are always looking for great books for our future classrooms. She informed me that this book is one she had to have immediately after reading it! Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a young boy who lives next door to an "old people's home" and he describes each of the elderly people he has become friends with. His favorite is Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she has four names just like he does. When Wilford overhears family members discussing the sadness of Miss Nancy losing her memory he sets out to find out what a memory is by asking all his elderly friends. He takes all the things he thinks are a memory and gives them to Miss Nancy. She begins to reminisce about the memories that the items remind her of and she is so happy that Wilford has given her back her memory. This book is incredibly sweet and will have you "awwwww"ing on each and every page. The illustrations are hilarious and depict abstract pictures of the elderly people and Wilford. As a 21 year old I found the book touching and think that children of any age will also be able to relate to it. It is a wonderful book to read to children who have grandparents or family members who have Alzheimer's and can make a little sense about the aspect of losing a memory. This book will most definitely be in my classroom no matter what grade I teach. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age!
-Andrea W.

This book was a favorite of mine when I was young and now I love reading it to my girls. It is so sweet and wonderfully illustrated. My absolute favorite from the spectacular body of work of Mem Fox.

This is a beautiful story. It's perfect for reading to children who have grandparents with major memory loss. The illustrations by Julie Vivas are equally beautiful.

All I can say is I have had this book for many years and it is one of my FAVORITE children's books. Cutely written and the message is wonderful.

Writing The Right Word by writer, editor, and educator Dave Dowling (President of Write On Course, LLC, a company specializing in business and technical writing seminars...) is an excellent practical resource for writers of all skill and experience levels and backgrounds. Featuring entries in a lexicographic order, Writing The Right Word teaches aspiring writers the proper definitions of easily misused or confused words, such as levee versus levy, lightening versus lightning, spoor versus spore, and much, much more. A useful 235-page reference tool for avoiding common errors that computerized spelling-checkers will not detect, Writing The Right Word is a highly recommended and much appreciated addition to any personal or professional writing reference collection.

This is one reference book that won't languish on your shelf. Once one starts using it, it becomes second nature to double check your accuracy. My initial thought was that it was a bit slim (230+ pages), with largish type, but this is only a plus. Access becomes very quick and straightforward. The examples are clear and concise...it obviously de-fogs the memory banks (re proper word usage). ANY writer will use it and the book should be mandatory for any high school freshman (and your college student would thank you forever for the gift). Indeed, Dowling has presented us with a book that makes it much easier for writers--at the very least--to appear to be smarter...and that's a bargain. No regrets on this purchase. ((On second thought, it will help you with spoken english as well...ever use the wrong word at a meeting and feel like a schmuck?))

As a college-level instructor, I am often struck by how poorly most students use the English language. 'Writing the Right Word' is a unique and indispensible tool that can help anyone, from high school student to professional writer, learn how to write what he (or she) really means. In today's complex world, the importance of using the correct word cannot be overemphasized. This book explains the most common word confusions in a clear, concise, and 'user-friendly' format, complete with thought-provoking quotes at the beginning of each section. I found myself reading it for the sheer pleasure. Personally, I think this book should be required reading in the schools, and is definitely a 'must have' for anyone who makes his or her living as a writer. Dowling's descriptions are clear and understandable, his examples vivid and sometimes amusing. The sections on 'affect versus effect', 'that versus which' and 'who versus whom', words that rank among the most notorious for confounding the average writer, are themselves worth the price of the book.

The book is very useful and to the point. It is an excellent
resource for my business correspondence. Since people still
judge you on your ability to communicate in writing, it will
be very helpful. Will be using it frequently.

This concise guide is an excellent reference tool for any writer: published, aspiring to publish, business professional, or student. It contains most of the common word pairs that are likely to cause confusion, and provides clear definitions and examples for each. Equally importantly, this guide fills a gap that other reference texts fail to address. No writer should be without a copy!

I love this book, it has to be my favorite book of all time. Abby is the new girl in town and she moved her from Long Island with her mom and twin sis, Anna.

Anyways Abby is made to write a bio about her life for English. I seriously think this is the best one out of the Portrait Collection. Abby is so down to earth, humorous, and down right honest it's hard not to like her.

There are painful siturations in the book such as the details of her father's death, and the way she and her family handled it. It was with such honestly, you felt for Abby really bad espeically if you lost someone you truly and honestly love.

The hightlights of the book were whenever her family decided to go to Florida for Winter Break, and they althrough started out in seperate ways, but ended up retelling their favorite holiday stories, and creating new ways to celebrate the holidays together as a new family.

If you haven't read this book you should have. You will not be dissappointed. The way the book was written you find it hard not to like Abby especially after all the tragic situration her and her family had to endure, makes her a winner in all levels.

The book has some parts which are funny and sad. Abby tells us how she was born and how she lived on Long Island.

This book was so sad, it went into alot of detail about Abby's dad's death and how her mum never really gets over it (well, thats my impression) and how and how she went through everything. You really start to feel bad for Abby in the end! Read it if you like serious books, but not if you dont!

This book is the best, since Abby's the best baby-sitter! I really miss her in the new series, Friends Forever! I wish that there was a real person like Abby, so I could meet her! Please write some more regular BSC books, Ann, I really miss Abby!

Abby is, without question, my favorite member of the BSC series. (Yes, folks, the BSC has a following of ALL ages). Abby is smart, funny, wonderfully clever and gifted with natural expression. She's great! I like the way she tells her story in a tone of unflinching honesty and the part about the deep bond she and her dad have is classic. I also loved the way Abby's twin, Anna used musical terms to name the chapters of her version of their lives together. The sisters balance one another well. Abby is a very distinct personality and she is sorely missed in the new series. I wish Ann M. Martin would bring her back. Abby rocks!

Oh! This was a fun book! I loved the characters and how Connealy let us see each of their points of view. Mixing romantic tension with some suspense and adversity made for a real page-turner.

In this story we follow Grace who was adopted so that she could be forced into child labor, then escaped so she could earn enough money to send for her sister. When her step dad finds her in Texas she runs for her life only to wonder if where she ended up was worth it. She ends up married to the father of five rambunctious boys, who got her fired from her school teaching job, because of his rowdy boys.

She doesn't want to be there, and they don't want her there. But there is nothing they can do about it when they get snowed in for the winter. I won't spoil it, so you'll have to read and find out if they survive the winter together or not. And if her step dad ever finds her.

I have to say, though, one of my favorite parts is when Daniel is trying to handle his "frustration" with Grace by staying busy. His train of thought cracked me up.

This is the second book in the Lassoed in Texas series. I haven't read the first book, Petticoat Ranch, but it's now on my list. And I cant wait for book #3 to come out.

Mary Connealy has mastered the art of comedy in a Christian romance. Grace Calhoun is trying to teach her class when she is terrorized by five students--the Reeves brothers. They are rowdy and like to pull pranks, such as slipping a tack on her chair and hiding a snake in her drawer. This is how the book begins and it leads to her being fired and the boys thrown out of school. As if her day hadn't been bad enough, her abusive adopted father is in pursuit, so she runs and hides under a tarp in the wagon of guess who? You got it, Daniel Reeves, the father of the five little terrors.

A snowstorm prevents him from returning her and a parson comes to marry them (since he kept her in their cave overnight because she was too cold to go back right away). This leads to the hillarious set-up between Grace versus the Reeves men. As the winter progresses, she begins to fit in with the boys, but Daniel keeps her at arm's length, fighting his attraction for her in fear of getting her pregnant. His first wife died in childbirth, so he worries the same will happen to her. The tension between them because of this was very well done.

Mary Connealy did a masterful job of blending in humor, romance and suspense in a realistic Texas setting in 1867. I felt as if I was there and laughed at the boys' antics. You can't help but love them. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light and delightful read.

I adored Connealy's first book, Petticoat Ranch. If possible, I think I loved Calico Canyon even more. Connealy has a great sense of humor and just the right touch when it comes to comedic timing. I also love the blend of genres--how the book is historical, romantic, suspenseful and humorous. Connealy manages to pull all of those genres together and create a delightful story.

Mary Connealy has done it again. Another fun yet touching romp with kids, bad guys and romance. I loved this book even better than the first!

I won't try to summarize the story since others have done a great job of that. I just wanted to add how much I enjoyed Calico Canyon. I laughed, I cried, I sighed, my heart raced. Connealy does it all. A great read you won't want to miss. I can't wait for book 3!

I absolutely loved Petticoat Ranch so I had very high expectations for Calico Canyon. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I found this book to be even stronger than the first, which is saying something.

Mary Connealy knows her way around emotions. She can make you laugh out loud one minute and tug on your heart the next. In Grace and Daniel she's created two characters you love and root for, even while they are contemplating knocking each other silly. It's a match reminiscent of classic movie pairings like Tracy and Hepburn or Gable and Lombard. Grace and Daniel are just as much fun... and romantic.

She also has some interesting secondary story lines which will almost certainly pop up in her next book in the series, Gingham Mountain. While this book can stand alone, I think you'll enjoy it more if you read Petticoat Ranch first. Not only will you have a proper introduction to Grace, but you'll get to read another fast-paced and fun romance.

Another rare SADDLE CLUB great. When the girls draw names for Secret Santa's, Max tells them they have to DO something, not give something! Lisa and Carole are fine with who they draw, but Stevie draws...Veronica! Also, the girls are shocked when toys are stolen from Carole's dad's Marine Corps toy drive and they invent an exciting, equine way to raise money for more toys. But will they finish in time? And what will Stevie do for--not TO--Veronica? This is harder than anyone imagined. I loved this SUPER EDITION and I think everyone who loves horses and has friends should read it.

this book is great it brings the special and giving side out of any person. what Caroles " secret santa " does for her is remarkably special! I love this book and I think you will too!

I got really frustrated with this book because it did'nt say who had Stevie for secret santa! I liked it when they went caroling, but I wish Carol or Lisa would ride the Prancer rather than lead it. I think that would draw more attention. Over all. I would recomend all saddle Clubs to any one! There great!!!

Hey everyone! I really liked this book, but I had a question for the people who've read it. What happened to the Starlight Ride this year? Why don't the Saddle Club girls go on it? That part really confused me. Thanx.

First of all I want to say that Bonnie Bryant is a really good author, I think the Saddle Club and Pine Hollow Books are brilliant! This book was very good, so much happened in it. At Pine Hollow Max held a secret santa but instead of buying something for the person you got you had to do something for them. Stevie got Veronica, Carole got Lisa and Lisa got Max. What Caroles secret santa does for her is really something special! Lisa's realatives, the Rosses from Scotland are over spending Christmas with the Atwoods, although she thinks there great she feels like shes no space to breath, this inspires what she is going to do for Max as his secret santa! Stevie is busy getting voice lessons to prepare for an audition for a solo part in her schools Christmas play..................While all this is happening Carole is busy helping her Dad and the marines collect toys as Christmas presents for needy children...Until!?! I would really recoment this book. It was very enjoyable to read!

this book was amazing.Because"claudia and the terrible truth"is about when claudia is baby-sitting Nate and Joey Nicholls and she found out that Mr.Nicholls has been abusing them.This book touched really my heart and I recommend it to all of you out there!

When Claudia baby sits for the new clients, Nate and Joey are nice, well behaved boys but Mr. Nicholls yells at his two childrens and also yells at Mr. Nicholls. Then later, Mr. Nicholls will tell a story to why he's been like that it's so sad!

I really liked CLAUIDA AND THE TERRIBLE TRUTH. I felt really sorry for Nate and Joey because they get abused by their father. It is a very good book so defenetely read it! I gave it 5 stars because it dealt with a very big issue in the world and not many books do that.
Keep up the good work Ann and you will have even more readers in the UK!!!

Hi! My name is Sadira Jewelsten! I�ve read BSC books since I was eight until I was seventeen. I really enjoyed �Claudia and the Terrible Truth�. It brought about a very sensitive subject in a way that kids and teens alike would be able to understand it.

It all begins when the BSC receives a new client who isn�t all he seems.
Claudia finds this out when she is assigned to baby-sit Joey and Nate and discovers a horrible secret about their home life-Nate and Joey are being abused by their father.
The boys first lie to Claudia about where they�ve gotten some of the bruises that Claudia is able to see, but later, Claudia-unseen by the father-witnesses it from a hiding place on the stairs. She doesn�t� know what to do at first, but then she does the right thing and tells her mother.
Ann m. Martin definitely has a way of bringing her readers into the story. I felt like I was right there with Claudia, feeling exactly as nervous and confused as she stood on the stairs and heard the loud slap of the boys being hit. That�s how powerful it was.
For anyone who is looking for a book that brings up a the subject of abusie in a way that really opens your eyes to it, I highly recommend �Claudia and the Terrible Truth�.

I enjoyed Claudia and the Terrible Truth. She starts sitting for new clients, the Nicholls. Nate and Joey are nice, well behaved boys, but they seem too jumpy and nervous. Claudia doesn't like the way Mr. Nicholls yell at the boys and his wife. He seems to have harsh rules like no talking at the dinnertable and no stuffed animals and bedtime stories. He says stuffed animals are childish and the boys are 8 and 5. Nate admitted to Claudia that their father threw away their stuffed animals given by their mother! He even threw a huge fit over a peanut butter jar left by Claudia on the counter. BIG DEAL! It's nothing to make war about, it's not like Claudia and the boys trashed the kitchen. Claudia notices that he verbally abuses Nate, Joey, and Mrs. Nicholls. The boys got all nervous about grass stains and paint stains at a parade meeting. I mean, they're kids and they deserve to play. Your childhood is short and that's what washing machines are for! The boys even got severly punished because Joey touched his father's briefcase! He didn't break it or mess up the stuff in it. Even though Nate didn't do anything, he was punished along with Joey and they had to scrub down the house while Claudia supervised and were banned from the parade meeting, tv, snack, and friends. Then Claudia heard Mr. Nicholls holler about his paper being in the recycle bin and smacked Joey hard. She decided to tell her mom about it and the boys and mother were removed from the house and went to live with relatives. At least they were safe from that evil jerk. I disagree with the reader from Maryland. Claudia never mentioned about never being smacked by her parents. She mentioned that she and her sister were never raised hell at by their parents like Mr. Nicholls did with his boys. It's okay to be firm with your kids and discipline them when they do something wrong, but abuse is not okay. Mr. Nicholls was very dominating and abusive. He reminded me of a Nazi. He took inventory of every crumb of food in the house and wanted everything obsessively neat and perfect in the house. Only robots could be perfectly neat.Anyways, I give this book a 10.

I wanted my grandchildren to understand why they needed to have good manners. This book is fun for them and easy to read.

I bought Manners Can Be Fun for my 2 year old granddaughter. She is too young to understand a lot of it but is enthralled with the pictures. Reading this book to her reminds me that I should always, always teach with actions rather than words because little eyes are watching and a slip in manners, even at home, will have an impact.

This book is as wonderful today as it was years ago! I agree about the missing Burpers - I want them back! But still a wonderful and fun way to instill principles of courtesy in the reader. A wonderful reminder of years gone by and if we are lucky a promise of what we can be in the years ahead. Just be nice to one another! Ann Clarke, author of People Are So Different! based on tolerance and understanding.

Two boys, 5 & 7 can often forget the importance of manners. Being tired of preaching and threatening, I saw this book and thought I'd try it. While they sipped hot chocolate, I read this to them. Neither of them said a word, but were paying complete attention! I couldn't believe it! I wasn't sure my kids would be able to enjoy and/or process this. They did, and I am very pleased with this book. Looking forward to buying all the other editions.

I had Munro Leaf books when I was achild (I am 61 now) and loved them. This is a fabulous book. All kindergarten and first grade classrooms should have this book. It explains why manners are important in a way that children will understand that their life will be better if they use good manners.