Television Books

I am amazed with the art department for Superman Returns. The designs for The Daily Planet and Lex Luthor's yacht are simply beautiful. Absolutely pick this up and see just how much went into the design of Superman Returns. It's super!

Fans of the film SUPERMAN RETURNS must have this film book: it covers all the concepts and developmental art which served as the movie's foundation, pairing over two hundred works of art - costumes, locations, sets - with interviews with the director, screenwriters, artists and costume designers involved. Sketches and color stills accompany reviews of the plot's progression and choices in production. THE ART OF SUPERMAN RETURNS packs in the color and the depth and is the perfect accompaniment to the movie.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I really liked this book because it gave you a behind the scenes look into the film through Pre-Production artwork. I especially enjoyed all the artwork where Superman gets into a spaceship on krypton, this scene was cut out of the movie. Over all the Artists did a good job in recreating the Superman Univerise, the book supports there efforts! A must have for your (art of) Collection:)

Matt

This is a magnificent book. If you were swept away by the artistry of the movie "Superman Returns" like I was, this book is a MUST. Big photographs from the film, sketches, paintings, and storyboards galore abound in this excellent coffeetable edition.

Among my favorites are:
*A full page painting of Superman lying unconscious in a crater in Metropolis Park after falling from space
**An almost 2-page painting of Superman lifting New Krypton out of the ocean, complete with tidal waves and green Kryptonite-laced lightening
***Photos and details about the new Superman uniform - like that it is actually fit for a 9-year old boy, then stretches onto a 6-foot-three Brandon Routh so that there will be absolutely no wrinkles
****Great explanation about Superman's story-opening trip to Krypton and his starship, complete with awesome paintings and photos from deleted scenes
*****Insight about the art deco design of Metropolis - why we just can't take our eyes off of that COOL Daily Planet Building

Superman fans will be happily consumed by the book's artwork and text that will broaden their knowledge and scope of the film. It is a nice size, probably worth more than you'll pay for it, and will definitely become a collector's item! To be re-read often!

One of the best cross-promotional items I've seen based on the new Superman Returns film is "The Art of superman Returns" from Chronicle Books. This 160 page, hardcover book with dust jacket is simply breathtaking as it takes readers behind the cameras of the recent blockbuster film with hundreds of pieces of concept art, storyboards, models and miniatures, paintings, sketches, costumes and photography. It serves to show in vivid depth the amount of detail and planning that goes into making a big budget film like Superman Returns.

The Foreward by director Bryan Singer brings this home right off the bat as Singer is shown standing in the midst of a miniature version of Metropolis, surrounded by buildings taller than he as train tracks and weave all around him. It's a fascinating photo. Full color paintings show Superman's rescue of the stricken jet. Storyboards bring the rooftop standoff sequence to near life as the machine gun pours bullets at the Man of Steel to no avail.

Moving to Smallville, we see the Kent farm recreated in perfect miniature and you can't help but marvel at the skill of the model and miniature artists as no detail is too small for them to include in their work. Once painted, you'd be hard pressed to guess that you were looking at a model, and not a real farmhouse and barn.

One of my favorite parts of the book was a look at Krypton. The Krypton of this film, while similar to the earlier Superman films, is a bit darker and edgier. Superman's Fortress of Solitude gleams compared to earlier films where it was sort of a dull white.

Throughout the book, author Daniel Wallace provides even more detail about the creative process behind the various creations of settings, scenes, and costumes. Metropolis, with all its art-deco accents is truly a sight to behold. Wallace is aided by comments from the film's screenwriters, production and costume designers, not to mention Bryan Singer himself. This is one of those books designed for the avid fan or collector, or even those who might be interested in getting into film work themselves.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

This book is a well-written, exhaustively researched biography of a musical legend. It takes 586 pages to do justice to the 101-year-old icon, and will take a while to finish, however, AS THOUSANDS CHEER gives an honest, objective history of arguably the greatest American songwriter ever.

Have you ever wondered why "White Christmas", one of the best selling songs of all time was written by a Jewish man? "Easter Parade" was also written by the same man. He came to be known as the king of ragtime because of his first published song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band". Musically the songs could not have been different which makes Irving Berlin's career so impressive.
This book not only talks about Berlin's seemingly unending catalogue but also talks about the man. His contemporaries included George M. Cohan, Florence Zeigfield and George Gershwin. Berlin was not only the most prolific of all time but was a true gentleman. Even though he was never accepted by his father-in-law, he ended up supporting him in his final days.
At the end of this book I was more in love with his music and completely impressed with the man. This is a important look at a true American treasure.

This is a terrific show-biz bio that focuses on Berlin's career and tells enough about his personal life to satisfy those of us who remember how complex he was. There are many details of his projects on Broadway and in Hollywood, his publishing company, his early career as a singing waiter, and his tormented retirement. Anyone who likes the kind of anecdotes Moss Hart recounts in "Act One," anyone who is interested in the process of putting on shows and developing movies, will be fascinated by this. The book overflows with the larger-than-life personalities you expect from show business, and there are choice revelations (to me, at least), like his first encounter with George Gershwin, who as a very young man wanted to be Berlin's musical secretary but was rejected for being too talented (i.e., threatening).

The psychology (or psychosis?) of Berlin's genius is presented in a straightforward, non-babbling way. His complexity comes through in his ambivalence towards colleagues, with examples of generosity (an anecdote about the young Burton Lane), avuncularity (Harold Arlen), and rivalry (Richard Rodgers), all contrasted with the almost comical hostility he showed towards some "civilians," especially the scholarly types ("f***ing longhairs") who wanted to dissect him late in his career. His most famous paradox -- the fact that without being able to read music or play an instrument well or even sing decently, he was able to create works of matchless intricacy and depth -- is discussed thoroughly, although it will forever remain mysterious.

There are two dimensions I would like to have seen more fully explored. First, his relations with his original family are almost non-existent after his childhood. While this must be a reflection of reality, I was left curious about what went on between him and his sisters, nephews, and nieces. It's obvious that a major part of his assimilation was to reject all vestiges of his childhood, but it would have been nice to have more detail about encounters with those inconvenient relations. One of the few stories Bergreen includes -- about a sister dying of cancer -- is so painful that maybe he couldn't bring himself to pile on more.

Another aspect that could have been more developed was Berlin's technique. Although no one will ever be able to explain exactly why he's the greatest American songwriter, I would have liked more analysis about how he was able to achieve his unique combination of simplicity and sophistication. There is a total absence of musical examples, which might have two reasons: that publishers of musical bios tell their authors to leave notation out the same way authors of popular science books are prohibited from using equations, or that Berlin's estate forbids the quoting of even the smallest snippets of his songs. Or maybe the author isn't as much of a "longhair" as he seems to be from the precision and insight of his observations.

But even though I would have enjoyed reading more of the above, the book is totally splendid as is. The best compliment I can think of is that it does justice to one of the great artists of the 20th century.

I enjoyed Bergreen's book about Irving Berlin as I did his book on Al Capone. To think that all these great songs came from one man simply boggles the mind.

LAURENCE BERGREEN has done a terrific job in all departments. When you finish the book, you have a good idea of who IRVING BERLIN was, and what a life he had from singing waiter to AMERICAN's first great composer with JEROME KERN. Anyone interested in the story of AMERICAN music should read that book.

El libro habla de una dicotomia de las personas que aunque son de un lugar las circunstancias y la vida misma las ha llevado a estar en otro lugar como en el caso del autor. Es bien grafico en sus comentarios y a las personas como Yo, latinos que vivimos en el mismo lugar que nacimos nos da una perspectivas de las vicisitudes que pueden enfrentar en muchas areas de sus vidas nuestros hermanos residentes en los Estados Unidos continentales. Lo recomiendo especialmente a los puertorriquenos como Yo para que se identifiquen con los problemas de nuestros hermanos latinos.

This book is an amazing account of a man who has gone through a very distinct childhood which has shaped his current status as arguably the world's most influential latino reporter. This is a must read for everyone, whether you read it in spanish or its english version "No boarders," everyone will get something out of this book.

Parece que este libro no ha llamado la atencion de los estadounidenses, aparte de los latinos que vean las noticias en espanol. Eso representa una falta de interes total, francamente, porque el libro fue traducido en ingles. Han dicho ultimamente que pasamos los afroamericanos como la menoria mas grande de los EEUU. Creo que ya es la hora para establecer un dialogo entre la mayoria (o sea, los anglos) y nosotros, porque llegara el dia en que seremos la mayoria en muchos estados.

Jorge demuestra una sensabilidad enorme aqui. A traves de sus cuentos, podemos compartir la tristeza de un joven "exile" que no se comprometiera para nada, un esposo que lucha para balancear la matrimonia con su individualismo, un padre melancolico que duda del futuro de sus hijos, etc. Hay momentos en que podemos sentir la nostalgia que provoca en ciertos momentos, como cuando habla de las canciones que representan los momentos importantes de su vida. Siempre recordare "Africa" y los ochenta. Y creo que el momento en que escucho "Music" despues de 9/11 fue un momento poetico.

Hay mucho que admirar en este libro. La unica critica que tengo es que como periodista cuenta las cosas de una manera muy chronologica a veces.

Gracias, Jorge Ramos, por ser una persona tan honesta con si mismo. Eres una inspiracion.

Hopefully anyone who speaks spanish has a chance to read this book, it allows you to share into some of his extraordinary experiences, it also allows you to see a glimpse of what it's like to be one of many latinos that hopefully will create a certain level of tolerance on anyone who reads it.

Yo recomiendo este libro a cualquiera que este buscando un buen libro que hace mas que entretener.

Leer a Ramos es ameno, un libro lleno de anectodas y vivencias que solo un inmigrante lo puede entender a cabalidad, empezar desde cero como lo hizo el y como lo hacen a diario los miles de inmigrantes en el mundo es sin duda un paso muy importante de cualqier ciudadano que emigra. Algo muy interesante de este libro es la claridad de sentimiento descrito en sus paginas, es muy facil identificarse con el, precisamente por que dice lo que siente. Ya entrando en detalles sobre el libro, te ensena sin presion lo que un periodista es capaz de construir con su profesion y personalidad y mas que todo sus principios inquebrantables. Es un excelente libro que delinea el futuro de la minoria mas importante de los EEUU y de la creciente influencia de la misma en todos sus aspectos. Muy bueno por nosotros, muy bueno por Jorge.
Comprar este libro es una excelente eleccion

This book is a must for any Batmobile fan. It has lots of information and photographs about all the cars that George Barris has designed for famous people and for well known TV shows and films.

If you love cars like the 60's batmobile,fireball 500,munster's coach just to name a few then this book is for you.George Barris known for his modified cars and rods has put together a collection of photos and details of several cars.Not a comprehensive of all his cars but enough to please most people.

I had the opertunity to meet george barris at the Houston Autorama. He not only took time to autograph his book but to visit about custom cars. We visited for quite some time and he went to look at my custom car. I was impressed by his down to earth genuine interest in my projects. Movie cars built by Pegasus Motorcars he liked my designs and the wild wing on the back was his favorite. Thank you George Barris you are my Hero. Charlie Van Natter. .

I had the opertunity to meet george barris at the Houston Autorama. He not only took time to autograph his book but to visit about custom cars. We visited for quite some time and he went to look at my custom car. I was impressed by his down to earth genuine interest in my projects. Movie cars built by Pegasus Motorcars he liked my designs and the wild wing on the back was his favorite. Thank you George Barris you are my Hero. Charlie Van Natter. .

Great coverage of TV's Batmobile and the Munter's cars. Authors also remind you about cars you didn't know Barris did: The Beverly Hillbillies truck, the Flintstones (film of course) cars, updates of the Knight Rider Firebird, the Jurassic Park Explorers, and the infamous sitcom "My Mother the Car" (the butt of many Johnny Carson jokes). But also taking up space are forgotten cars from forgotton projects...the Bugaloos dune buggy and a TV special "Romp". Cars I would have liked to have seen but didn't make the cut include the Monkee Mobile, the Green Hornet's "Black Beauty" and the Stutz replicas made for the TV adventure series "Bearcats!". Overall a good book, but I have a hunch that only the surface of Barris' career has been scratched. How about a large format book with lots of color and details on the surviving movie cars and "Kustoms" that made Barris the legend he is?

I'm a screenwriter, and I bought this book because I wanted to see Nolan's revisions after Goyer had written the first draft. The script isn't formatted as neatly or aesthetically as the "Dark Knight" script (here it's in regular book format, TDK has it in sleek PDF) but it's still a solid script.

It has interviews (Goyer's is really short but Nolan's is substantial and informative) and artwork. The artwork is good if you wanna see how people in the industry do shot-by-shot scenes. Buy this book if you like reading scripts. Otherwise pass.

This is a legit, professional product. If you're purchasing this for either leisure or for study, you'll definitely be getting your money's worth. There's nothing wrong with those screenplays that they sell for a movie that is chock full of glossy, full-color photographs, but those publications change the layout of the script, which is another aspect of scriptwriting a student of that particular art needs to learn. The screenplay for "Batman Begins" has the complete script, a full storyboard collection, and interviews with the director and screenwriter of the film. Black and white. No frills. Professional. I highly recommend this product. You'll love it!

I've always found it fascinating on how they make movies nowadays. I've taken film classes, but it wanted to see the scripts that they use. This is the complete screenplay to the movie " Batman Begins." You not only can read the linings, but you can see how they decided to put together these scenes through the storyboards. This is an excellent item for any movie buff, or any butting filmmaker. It will give you an idea on how to start writing a screenplay, and you can go behind the scenes in see how they put together this blockbuster.

Batman begins is a awesome movie. Sweet special effects, very,very,very,very good actors, great storyline, some good princibles....ect. Don't even worry about rent'n it first, because if you like action, suspense, sweet special effects, and all that comes with a action movie, you might as well buy the dang thing!!! And you won't regret it!!! HIGHLY recommend this movie.

Being a huge Batman fan, I waited in anticipation for this movie to be released. I wasn't disappointed. After seeing it, David Goyer and Christopher Nolan have really "got" the whole idea of the myth that is the Batman.
They have stayed true to the Batman history, and have delivered what many believe to be the "ultimate comic book movie".
While probably not for the kids, this version of Batman is definately what this Bat-fan has been waiting for - tough, dark and intimidating.
This screenplay seems to reveal the original script that Goyer/Nolan pitched to Warner Bros. I say "seems to" because there are a few notable changes from the film version as released. I can only assume that Warner Bros changed certain areas to ensure that the film recevied a PG13+ rating in the US, while here in Australia it received a M15+.
Without giving too much away, the script as presented in this book has a darker edge to certain scenes, and in my opinion, is exactly how the movie should have been done.
I rate this as 5 stars based on the way Goyer and Nolan have finally portrayed the Batman as he was meant to be.
I only hope that Warner Bros can secure both Nolan and Goyer for the sequel.

Any XENA fan should just buy it ! Is just mildly irreverent, cuz the author really seems to have a warm spot in his heart for this show. The episode reviews are thought inspiring; however, the book needs an index & comprehensive TOC. The next volume or two, for the more recent seasons, are sorely overdue.

This is the ultimate Xena guide. Extremely well written! Greg Cox does an excellent job reviewing each episode with accurate facts and humerous observations. The first three seasons (I wish he would write one for seasons 4-6!) episodes are discussed along with their (possible) Mythological basis, subtex, highlights, and even an episode rating. There is also information on both Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. If you are going to buy an episode guide this in the one to buy!

If you want a perfect reference for every Xena episode of the first three seasons that is enjoyable to read and very informational, this is the book for you. It makes up for its lack of pictures with great wit and an amazing style of writing. You learn a great deal about the origins of myths and the like. You even learn some ideas about possible symbolism in some of the episodes. This is a show that can always be read on many levels, and when this author peels away the top layer you do find much deeper ideas in many cases. Although I do not always agree with the "rating" he puts on every episode and I do not agree with every comment he makes, all in all it is a wonderful book that makes you think. And you can't agree with someone all of the time. I do respect him though for taking the time to make such a wonderful compendium to the greatest fantasy show in television history. Hopefully he'll create an updated version at the end of this year, to include the fourth and fifth seasons. I always reach for his book after I watch an old episode to read his ideas and I'm dying to be able to do that for the newer episodes also. Please, please write a sequel! In my opinion, the fifth season so far is the greatest Xena has ever had. It deserves a book from him, as does the fourth.

Although completely unauthorized, this is the finest book on Xena Warrior Princess. It contains reviews and insightful remark about the first three seasons of the show. Greg Cox also gives us a "reality check" in which discusses the actual historical/mythological context that the elements of each episode contain. He discusses continuity matters and character motives. He also included reviews of all the Hercules episodes that Xena and Gabrielle appear in. This is a book for fans written by a fan. Read, enjoy and Battle On! YiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYiYi!

This book is a great companion when watching the reruns on the USA network. Unlike "official" books on Xena, the author is not afraid to question a bad episode, but fortunately that's seldom required. He does a great job cross referencing recurring actors, characters, scenery(!) and related Hercules episodes, and his remarks on historical tie-ins are really illuminating for a non-history buff like me. I bought this a year ago and I reference it almost daily. The writing is clear and clever, and obviously done with love for the show. Please, Greg, we need a volume 2! I recommend this over all other Xena books I've read.

For a change, we have here a most outstanding gay story which doesn't mention AIDS every three paragraphs - in fact, I believe it only comes up once. What a relief! It's the most moving love story, where those who fall in love just happen to be two boys. This really has to be read to be believed - no review could do it justice, so my advice to you is simply to get hold of a copy! You will also fall in love - with Jamie & Ste, Leah, her Mum and Sandra - Jamie's Mum. You will laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. A modern masterpiece. Some further advice to you, when you've finished reading, find a Mama Cass/The Mamas And The Papas CD and lap up the atmosphere. You'll notice how many songs could have been written especially for "Beautiful Thing". By the way, Mama Cass didn't die choking on a sandwich - she had a heart attack.

Who better to adapt a stage play for the screen than the playwright? Jonathan Harvey's jewel of a love story glistens in the eyes of Jamie and Ste, two lads from London who discover love in the arms of each other, and glows in the hearts of all who are fortunate enough to read Harvey's words or see the movie that he scripted. BEAUTIFUL THING is just that - a wonderously beautiful thing!

I BELIEVE, THAT BEAUTIFUL THING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FILM OF GAY GENRE THAT I'D HAS SEE, IS A FRESH FILM, THAT TELL US A STORY VERY COMMON IN OUR SOCIETY. I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE HOMOSEXUALITY WAS SOMETHING BAD, BUT WITH THIS FILM I CHANGED MY POSITION IN FRONT THIS CONCEPT. THE ACTORS SCOTT NEAL AND GLEN BERRY BETWEEN OTHERS MAKED AN ESPECTACULAR ROLL AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SCREENWRITER AND THE DIRECTOR, THE SCREENPLAY IS VERY GRATEFUL.

Beautiful Thing is one of the warmest, most positive stories about gay love I have ever read. More importantly, it is about love in general, and all the fears, hopes, dreams, etc. that go with first love, not just gay love. I can't recommend it more highly for anyone, gay or straight.

It is about two school boys who fall in love.

A long hot summer on a housing estate in South London. James is bunking off school, whilst his Mother Sandra juggles job promotion and her relationship with hippy-dippy boyfriend Tony.

Next door lives Sassy Leah, who spends her day listening to Mama Cass records. In the same block, Jamie's class mate Steve, although sporty and popular at school, Is bullied by his drunken father. One day Steve, seeks refuge in Sandra's flat and ends up sleeping head to toe with Jamie...

Author says "The only images I really had of gay people when I was growing up were those public boys in cricket jumpers taking each other punting on the river, or the working class boys who got kicked out and ended up working as rent boys. This play in which somebody can be working class and still have their sexuality accepted. That was my agenda. It's not about what you get up to after lights out, it's about falling in love."

The feel good book of the summer film 96

We love the book and the film

gayteens.org

Two people came together with nothing at all to offer each other except the probable opportunity to cause themselves pain and they didn't fear to love. (To love without the promise that there would be a tomorrow for them.) This is a good script and an incredible movie...Nice soundtrack unfortunately it is unavailable. Linklater is groovy!!

I was delighted by the movie, and immediately looked out for the book or anything related with it.

It's a subtle book, it shows in a very poetic way how communication can connect everyone. You can perceive it in every frame of the movie, is not casual that a location as Vienna has been choosen to develop the story.

Time, life, freedom, love, poetry, signs are important issues.

Before Sunrise is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I can't imagine a better book to accompany it. What makes this book so great is that it does not contain the actual script, because I think the shots and technical description would just ruin the magic of the dialogue, which is the best thing about the movie. The pictures are brilliant (for they're not only copies of the film's shots), and the poem at the end of the book is simply a touch of genius. I lost the book, though. So I was wondering if anyone could help me find a copy. All expenses will be paid. Thanks!

It is a great movie that we just can't miss it in our life. When a man meets a woman in the way like the movie goes, something is expected to happen. It is amazing that everything is so natual, so romantic.

The story makes me desiring a romantic love everytime I am in a journey...

It is pity that I miss the opening of the movie. I've tried to get the VCD of the picture but I can't make it in Hongkong. I can't find the book neither...

Anyone who was a fan of the movie "Before Sunrise" will want to have this book, which does *not* contain the actual script for the film, but does feature most of the wonderful dialogue along with a number of photos of Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke and a forward by Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan.

Any parent can relate on some level to the struggles and insecurities that Currey - Wilson weathers in order to give her son the best life she can. Especially for those of us who choose alternative parenting styles, the self-doubt that the author has as she tries to make her way in the world is easily understood - What if my family doesn't understand or support my decisions? Will my child be an outcast because he has nothing in common with his peers? Where can I find friends who, though they may not necessarily share my views, at least support my choices? How far is too far? Reading Currey - Wilson's brave disclosure of her most intimate thoughts and embarassing confessions will help any parent to be kinder to herself as she works to parent from the heart no matter what everyone thinks.

What a great memoir and social "experiment" she conducted. What makes the book so great is she is a nut-case, but a lovable one. I wish she'd been in MY playgroup, wish she'd shared with me her plan. My son has autism and while I do not believe tv caused his autism, I see how it made it worse. But it's never too late to do the right thing and her book was such a gift to me at this moment. I WAS lamenting that he could not "enjoy" all the disney movies my daughter and I enjoyed together. "Will he never be able to follow the plots?" I worried...well, now I can give them all away, gladly, knowing that I can teach him far better than television can. I had restricted their watching to just PBS and videos, but, just like Ellen points out, PBS is the one that gave us teletubbies baby talk, authur/D.W.'s sibling bickering, buster's excessive tv watching of bionic bunny, etc etc. I just feel she shed so much sunshine on our dirty little secret that we're making tv addicts of our kids just so we can get some respite. I'm even questioning my own tv watching habits, limited as they are to PBS Newshour, frontline, bill moyers...all educational, fantastic shows. But when I'm trying to watch pbs in kitchen as I multitask, i snap at my kids when the interrupt... now that I've seen the light, I know that kitchen tv has got to go... but like the author, I'll do my best, set a goal for myself and work toward a plan to get down to 2 hrs a week. I'm going to do the same for my daughter who learned about the disney channel last spring break on vacation at her cousins and has grown addicted. cold turkey isn't an option as my husband loves his cable tv downstairs. But I'm getting me/ my daughter on a plan today! What an inspiration this book is, without preaching! I love it, highly recommend all parents, pre-parents read it. It will change their lives and that of their kids for the better. I wish my daughter could play chess, yahtzee etc. with her son. Ellen if you're in DC area, you look me up, I'll show you and your kid all the sights (we DO go on lots of field trips and know best places to go) and thank you in person for sharing you "confessions"! You're just the sort of comic relief we all need, yet you point out important truths. Thank you. Thank you.
Sincerely, Susan Goewey Carey

Currey-Wilson writes with humor and the topic is very important. The books is a quick read. The style is easy and the content is interesting and insightful. I am not a parent, but I found this book highly entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone.

A clever title for a book generally grabs my attention. As curious as this one made me, I was also nervous to open it. Would it be another one of those preachy books by a zealous mother that seem to be flooding the library shelves these days? Not even close! I highly recommend this entertaining book, which almost resembles a memoir. It's so much more than the story of a mother determined to shield her child (even before he was born!) from the perils of television. Currey-Wilson frequently reflects on her own childhood where television became a surrogate parent. She struggles to forgive the mother who was too busy standing up for women's rights to properly take care of her own children's needs. She desperately tackles her own addiction to television while she worries about the effect it will have on her son. Then the opposite happens when he starts school - at times he's ostracized because he doesn't watch TV. Through all this, however, my sympathy for the author's various dilemmas never lasted long, because she writes about her experiences in such a humorous way. It really was a great, great book. I hope to see more of her writing in the future.

I picked up this book expecting it to be a lot like other books I've read about the evils of television---sort of fanatic and with lots of studies about brain waves and comparisons to drugs and so on. I wanted to read it regardless as I am really trying to reduce the screen time in my house (although it's more my husband than my kids who keep turning it on!). I was so thrilled to find this book was a great read as well as an inspiration! The author instantly made me feel at home. She is honest about herself, hilarious to read and really understands how it feels to be a new mother finding your way in the complicated social circles you have never before travelled. She comes from a family that is wacky, not always in a lovable way, but she loves them anyway. She is however determined to raise her son Casey differently, and she succeeds, to some extent even more than she wants to, as she then has the worries about him fitting in, and how she deals with that is great to read, too. In many ways, this is a book about accepting yourself and being honest with yourself and others. I can really relate to her reluctance to tell everyone at first about her TV views, and how she gradually is about to do so in a way that helps others.

I hope Currey-Wilson writes much more. I would love to read a memoir of her childhood, and perhaps a book about her educational journey with her son, and what it's like to raise a gifted child. I hope potential readers of this book will realize it's about more than watching TV or not, it's about parenting and doing so with humor and love.

When I was in the 5th grade (way back in 1976-77), our teacher used to read to us after recess each day. He turned us onto several great books with fun and compelling stories. Of these, three books (Freaky Friday, A Billion For Boris and The Phantom Tollbooth)have become some of my all time favorite books. Books that I've read and re-read several times.

A Billion For Boris is by far the best and my personal favorite from the entire 'Andrews Family' series. I loved Freaky Friday and love A Billion For Boris even more. I couldn't get through Summer Switch. It just seemed like a complete retread of Freaky Friday but not nearly as engaging.

Who can forget when Anabell made her catastrophic, cataclismic boo-boo? Great line.

The story is just as described. Ape Face fixes an old TV of Boris's and then suddenly it shows programs from one day in the future. Anabell wants to use it to help mankind. Boris just wants to make money to improve his and his mother's life. So, they compromise. Then things start to get out of hand. The ending is charming, funny and quite sweet.

All in all, a really great book with lots of hilarious moments. I highly recomend it to everyone who loves just a good story.

This is a book that everyone ages 9-99 will enjoy. Its exploration of what happens when a couple of kids get ahold of a TV that plays tommorow's news is hillarious. Its a book that can be read over and over again and not lose its appeal. This is deffinitely a book that will stay on your shelf for the whole family to read. A winner!

A Billion for Boris' attention-span is good. It's a page-turner for ages 8-88. Ape Face tinkers with an old TV set so it shows tomorrow's news. Boris manages to get it back, and he and Ape Face's sister, Annabel, decide to us etheir new knowledge to help Boris' writer-mother get more money and refinish Boris' apartment. How? By betting on horses. A book which kept me reading until the last page. The sequel to Freaky Friday and the book before Summer Switch, it is ultimately one of Mary Rodgers' masterpieces.

I agree w/ the review below--this book is better than Freaky Friday. I've never forgotten how I wanted my own TV set that broadcast tomorrow's news today. This story has such charm, magic, and realism in it. Every child should read this book.

Since that Freaky Friday when Annabel Andrews switched bodies with her Mother, things have gotten much better. At least, in her opinion. I mean, at least she's not a kid in an adult's body anymore. But, now something new is going on. Annabel is still in love with Boris, and her younger brother, Ape Face, is still being a pest, but who planned for this? When Ape Face fixes a broken TV that Boris sells to him, something VERY strange happens. Suddenly, Ape Face is watching tomorrow's TV shows, today. Not only that, he's watching the news a day early. Annabel wants to use the TV for good, to help humanity, and Ape Face just wants to watch tomorrow's movies today, but Boris has some different plans of his own.

This is the sequel to the book FREAKY FRIDAY. In my opinion, I found this book to be even better than the previous. Rodgers has come up with a brilliant and entertaining plot, that all kids will enjoy reading about. Boris is a funny, and mischevious character, as is Ape Face, and Annabel is a fun, and kind character, who has matured greatly since FREAKY FRIDAY. A must-have book for all fans of the weird and unexpected.

Erika Sorocco