Z Books

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

You've Got Manners is a delightful, creative book which makes learning manners a fun and interesting "game" for children of all ages. It can be used as a learning tool whether at the dinner table, eating out or traveling, and all family members can participate. I love the author's use of illustrations and vivid primary colors which are instrumental in keeping a child's attention. The author also cleverly incorporated another learning tool, the alphabet. I can unequivocally recommend You've Got Manners for every family's library.

The charming characters, bright colors, and friendly verse make this book a delightful learning experience into the world of manners, for children young and old. I recommend it highly.

This book is an excellent way to introduce children to table manners. It's fun style and examples make learning fun!

I ordered this book for my young granddaughter who, at nearly 3 years of age, is ready to consider simple discussion of table manners. I am generally delighted with the book and believe it is one that can grow with a child, having applications even into adulthood.

I was startled, however, to find lie-lay errors on pp. 7 and 55. I also note numerous other small changes that would greatly improve a future edition. For example, some pages are written in the imperative, some are written in the declarative....some are in the third person, some are in the second person, and at least one (p. 44) slips into the first person plural. In addition, frequent use of unnecessary quotation marks is distracting.

The book fills an important niche in a child's library, but it is limited by the above weaknesses. I do not mean to be critical....I have corrected pp. 7 and 55 in my edition and will enjoy this charmingly illustrated book with my granddaughter. You could do the same.

Ever since childhood, my favorite comics were Franco-Belgian. Tintin, Asterix, Lucky Luke and last but not least Spirou. As a kid, I read all the Spirou books in French and I thought they were amazing.
This book was written by Andre Franquin, the first artist to turn spirou into a major success. This book was drawn in the 60's, and shows the battle between Spirou and Fantasio against a maniacal inventor named Zorglub. This book is considered as one of Franquin's finest by most Spirou fans. It is a must read. I hope that someday more Spirou books will be available to the English reading public, especially those drawn by Franquin and by Tome and Janry.

I've read all Spirou's books 15 years ago and definitely Franquin's ones are unbeatable. Unfortunately you won't find the same imagination and humour inside the other authors'books. Nowadays, you only find Franquin's books in french. Why, if they have the other not so cool books print in english and portuguese, and probably spanish, italian..? I used to find those books in portuguese in Portugal's bookstores back then. Kim Thompson, please do us a favor. Translate all the other Franquin's books to english.I wish my kids will have the same joy of reading Spirou as I had...and Tintin, Asterix, and Blake & Mortimer. Real, flesh and bone heroes, full of humour and wit.

Z is for Zorglub was the 15th Spirou book Franquin made. He then left the comic to focus on his own character Gaston la Gaffe. In Z is for zorglub we'll meet the mad scientist zorglub who wants to dominate the world. However, there is one spirou book even better than this one: Le dictateur et le champignon: In which Spirou and Fantasio must battle Fantasios evil cousin Zantafio (whom is the archvillain of the series)

I have around thirty of the hardcover Spirou and Fantasio graphic novels, in Spanish, from when I vacationed in Spain as a boy. As a college student now, I look back on those days fondly, and these graphic novels have aged extremely well. This French comic series are adventure stories similar to those found in the more famous Tintin books by Herge. However, in my opinion, Spirou and Fantasio are far superior...more whimsical and imaginative (the character Marsupilami originated in the series' pages before being bought by Disney). Spirou and Fantasio travel the world, toppling dictatorships, fighting mad scientists, traveling to the future and the past, and stopping organized crime rings. A few years back, a series called El Pequeno Spirou (or Little Spirou), spinned off of the Spirou and Fantasio comics. Little Spirou stories are one page comic strips (like those that appear in the Sunday paper) full of hilarious lowbrow (and award-winning) humor. The main character is Spirou as a child, and Fantasio, unfortunately, doesn't appear in the stories. These too are worth getting. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have stated, it's hard finding these graphic novels outside of France (and Spain). Hopefully, as with Asterix and Tintin, these books will someday reach avid young readers everywhere.

I read all the Spirou stories as a child when we lived in Belgium, and then afterward when we had moved back to the US. In the 60s, they were serious rivals of Herge's Tintin for the hearts of European kids. For some reason (undoubtedly some financial or distribution reason I'm unaware of) they have yet to catch on in America. Hopefully, the American printing of Z Is For Zorglub, one of the more fantastical, even outlandish, of the Spirou & Fantasio adventures, will kindle an interest. My daughter is a convert and I'm beginning to teach her French so she can read my old Spirous, which I've kept all these years.

The book I bought was just as it was explained. The book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner. I would not hesitate ordering from this company again. I would feel very comfident of a similar experience. Thank you for your service.

This is very well done. Even a seasoned quilter can pick up tips or revist information they learned years ago and find useful information. I like the books format, the pictures and illustrations are helpful and clear. I'd consider this to be along the lines of a quilter's encyclopedia.

I use the internet a great deal and it's really nice to come across a 'book' that is so well done & have it on hand in my art room. Nicely done. CJ

I had borrowed this book from the local library and could tell straight away that this would tell me everything I needed to know about quilting. I also checked out all the positive reviews on the Amazon website. Just read the contents, and everything is categorized with lots of images. I am sure this will be a well-used reference book for both new and experienced quilters.

I found this book to have more information than I expected. It reminds me of looking in an encyclopedia. There are plenty of great pictures,line drawings and explanations. I found this book to either give me much of the information I needed on a subject, or at times, at least enough to get me started. I would say it covers a whole lot of information in a nice hardcover book that is thin enough to take from workroom to couch for a good read.

This was the first quilting book that I checked out from the library when I started thinking about quilting. I liked it so much, that I ended up buying it. I just couldn't imagine not having it by my side when I had questions (and as a beginning quilter, I have a LOT of questions!!). This is a great book with a lot of information in it. There is only one other book that I think is just as good and that is _The Quilters' Ultimate Visual Guide._ Both books have many color pictures and explain things very clearly. If I could only have two books on basic quilting information, I would pick these two. Enjoy!

This has been an amazing book. It describes both prescription and OTC drugs in detail without being overly technical. For years it has been an excellent reference that I have relied on. In the past few years, though, more and more of the drugs prescribed for my family have not been in the book. I really wish that the AMA would put out a fresh edition of this excellent work, which is now not nearly so useful as it once was.

Excellent book. My wife is 69 years old has SLE "Lupus" and she has been on many different drugs. The newer drugs are not listed in the 1988 edition. Would be very happy if a new additon would be published.

I have used this book frequently however I believe with all the newer medications since 1988, we desperately need an up date. This is a very easy book to use. I have used others but prefer this one. A newer book for 2004 would be nice.

I have found this book to be of immense help in not only fully describing the medications in sufficient detail, but also how each medication functions within the body. Dosages, referrals to other drugs in a particular drug family, and the ability to cross-reference medications within the same book, makes it a wonderful book for reference. My current copy is very worn, and I really would like to see this same book revised from the AMA VERY VERY soon. Thanks!!

This book is awesome and certainly has paid for itself as it has saved many a call to the Pharmacist and/or the Doctor. We are however, desperately in need of a update. It seems as though, everyday, there are new drugs that are not listed. We have found some newer, similar books on the market, however, the way they are structured cannot hold a candle to this one. So.....we "patiently" await a new edition. Please---

This book is not for the recreational reader, indeed it is one of the most depressing and distressing documents I have ever read. Nevertheless, I urge all readers concerned with issues that impact on the survival of humanity to read it thoroughly and absorb the lessons which it so graphically presents. In terms of an indictment of our government and various vested interests, it compares favorably with J'accuse written in 1898 by Emile Zola in response to the corrupt behaivor of the French nation, government and army during the Dreyfus affair. The most horrifying event in the book, and there are many to choice from, is the description of how the Health Physics Division was subdivided after Dr. Morgan's retirement in 1972 and distributed among "other laboratory divisions where radiation protection is not a primary objective". When I read this my immediate thought was of the dismemberment of Lemuel Pitkin so brilliantly described by Nathanael West. One can only be appaled by the many destructive acts which occurred when the Angry Genie left the bottle. It is frightening that those responsible for them have, to my knowledge, never been cited for criminal irresponsibility.

This charming memoir starts in 1943, when Dr. Morgan was recruited away from his happy research on cosmic-ray physics to join the atomic-bomb project. He was one of the four or five persons assigned to figure out how to prevent bomb-workers from irradiating themselves to death. In 1943, it was barely known how to measure doses from the various types of radiation, so Dr. Morgan had to invent many a metering device. Additionally, no one knew how to store the radioactive waste which would accumulate at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where Dr. Morgan detected its escape-routes and tried to plug them. He became an internationally honored expert and author on radiation health-effects and protection measures. This is the story of a man of great integrity, who made enormous contributions to protecting health, and yet by his own standards, failed to succeed well enough. His "walk" through the nuclear age helps to illuminate the suppression of scientific dissent in the nuclear enterprises --- and presents an interesting contrast to books by Dr. Glenn Seaborg (Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission) covering many of the same years. The ninth chapter covers Dr. Morgan's expert testimony for the plaintiffs in two landmark trials (the Karen Silkwood Case 1979, and the Utah Bomb-Fallout Case 1982). The memoir provides not only an important record of moral, legal, public health, environmental, and scientific history --- but it also provides a highly engaging personal story of coping with the unexpected.

I really enjoyed this story about a good human being who descended from a long line of Lutheran ministers going back to Martin Luther. It required considerable courage for Dr. Karl Morgan to publically detail the "biggest mistake" of his life when he reluctantly agreed to censorship by his superiors. This book was clearly written from Morgan's soul and provides valuable perspective from a 91-year-old legend who started the entire field of health physics. This autobiography should be required reading for all Americans.

I was captivated by Karl Z. Morgan's 50 year battle with powerful elements in the nuclear industrial complex for common sense safety measures. I was appalled to discover the extent of the damage the government inflicted upon our citizens through the abuse of nuclear power and and careless weapons' tests. Even more disturbing is Morgan's summary of numerous radiation experiments our government secretly conducted on innocent Americans. Morgan stands out as a pillar of truth in a desert of deceit. No one can read this without thinking "I had no idea this was going on."

It is commonly understood that only the best books are made into audio tapes. On a whim my family and I put the Angry Genie to the test. We read the book aloud on our annual cross country car trip without one complaint from any family member. The surprize attraction of the Angry Genie is its real appeal to the non scientific person. By just glancing through the book one might assume that he or she could be overwhelmed with scientific material, however, by no means is that the case. In the 180 pages of story, from the amazing experiments under Chicago University Stadium to the many photos of actual players in our history, I was drawn to the personalities and inside details of the developments of a powerful scientific discovery. In fact I most recommend this book because if the surprizing revelations on several fronts. First, the power and importance of science and scientists in this centuary is no more dramatically illustrated than in this story of nuclear power. Not even the terror of 'Outbreak" or the suspence of 'Apallo 13" are equal to the reawakening we get in the Angry Genie. Second, Dr. Morgan was able to input all of the required technical information and formulas in the book without interupting the book's flow. Third, the historical, medical and sociological impact is compelling. There is the letter from Einstein to FDR about the potential of the bomb and the fascinating information about the effects of all the different types of rays on humans. I plan on telling my book club about this wonderful book as well as all my friends who love historical books.

I read all sorts of books to my brother. Grandma bought this one for him. He loves the colors and the poetry and always brings it to me so that I can read it to him. He's only 19 months old. Casey Hoffman

THIS IS THE BOOK I WAS LOOKING FOR. A EASY AND ENJOYABLE WAY TO INTRODUCE MY CHILDREN TO FOOD AND WHAT FOOD REALLY IS. THE KIDS TOOK IT ALL IN WITH A REAL POSITIVE ATTITUDE. BELIEVE ME THIS HAS MADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS EASY. ALL MY BROTHER'S AND SISTER'S KIDS ARE GOING TO GET THIS. MS. O'DONNELL HAS A RARE GIFT AND I HOPE SHE TURNS OUT MANY MORE SIMILAR BOOKS.

I liked the animals and what they did. my daddy read me the story and it was fun. I specially liked the long dog he looks like my dog he doesn't wear hats

This little book is a delightful Ogden Nash - Aesop romp through our alphabet; the children will love the wonderful illustrations. Well done - just in time for Christmas.

Tom Scott, M.D. Orlando, Florida.

Sallie O'Donnell's delightful book deserves a worldwide audience. Chuckles will echo from continent to continent as adults and children savour the amusing rhymes - then slowly absorb the good advice contained in them. Sallie is a standard-bearer in the fight against the 21st Century's greatest scourge: obesity.

Peter Hinchliffe, Yorkshire, England.

I've been doing aromatheraputic work for over 8 years. I have my own reference materials, I also have a huge library of texts. I love this book. It is such a reliable basic. If you want a great place to start, this is it.

Roberta Wilson has created a very useful, friendly, fun book. I have several books on aromatherapy and essential oils, and this is the one I refer to the most often. Ms. Wilson has included a reference section, which provides the folklore & herbal heritage, medicinal uses, emotional effects, primary actions, and cautions of each oil. There are many recipies to try and follow, along with suggestions for creating my own formulas, as well as ways to use the blends, such as in a diffuser, straight from the mixture bottle, etc. A resource guide, recommended reading, and bibliography are in the back of the book. I have other books on aromatherapy, but this one is the cornerstone of my collection, and the one I use most often.

This book is easy to follow and undertand. It made sense and I was able to make some very nice beauty products. I'm very happy I bought this book.

Very comprehensible and helpful for those using natural products such as aromatherapy.

The author also gives specific guidelines for those who wish to eliminate chemicals from the bath and beauty products..

Very intersting reading and a library must have!

This is the book that started it all for me. Roberta Wilson puts aromatherapy into laymans terms. This book is facinating and revealing. She gives you the folklore & herbal heritage, medicinal uses, beauty benefits, emotional effects and primary actions as well as many formulas for common ailments. This book is my primary reference guide to date.

After reading some glowing published reviews of this book, I got the idea that the story focuses on participants in the HUAC hearings of the 1950s. The first third or so of the book does just that, exploring how the heroine, Dinah, is affected by a lie. However, the plot doesn't end there--Frank is so skilled at creating believable, complex characters that she seemed unable to stop them from continuing to tell their stories even after her points about HUAC were made. By the time I got to the end, I was wondering what exactly was the main purpose of the book. The author apparently could have followed the characters until each of their deaths, and the novel ends up as a sprawling portrait of a disturbed family, rather than the meditation on integrity and political ideas that it starts out to be.

The characters are generally well-rounded and believable, and Frank includes memorable personal details in even the minor figures. Characters who might have come across as merely villainous are more thoughtfully explored here. For example, Jake Lasker, a Hollywood writer and grossly philandering husband, might have been portrayed as the standard piggish cheater. But Frank makes him by turns horrible and sympathetic: brutal to his son, yet endearing in his aspiration to write Clifford-Odets-style plays that glorify his working-class roots.

A weaker character, in my opinion, is Veevie, the heroine's sister. Because Veevie is incredibly beautiful, she is loved by all who meet her, leaving her sister feeling in the shadows. But Veevie is never in the least likable to the reader, who cannot see her; she is pathologically self-involved. It seemed implausible to me that other characters in the story wouldn't eventually realize this, as well. Yet much of the book is concerned with the relative status of the two women, with Veevie usually coming out on top in the eyes of the other characters, but never in the eyes of the reader. Frank seems overly concerned that the reader too might disloyally prefer the better-looking woman, so she rarely lets Veevie appear sympathetic. And the meditation on beauty and status feels undeveloped--the reader just has to sit by in frustration as Dinah is treated unfairly by most people around her, and rarely fights back.

Despite all these issues, I am in awe of Frank's writing talent. I just hope her next book has a tighter focus.

This is possibly the best book I've read in many years. It carried me into the lives of Dinah and Jake to the point that I felt like I was living with them and feeling their laughter and pain. Elizabeth Frank may well be one of the best writers of our time. Although it took place in the 50' it is truly a timeless work of art. Bravo and Encore!!!

Elizabeth Frank is a superb writer. Yes, the plot lines are a little soap opera like, as other reviewers mentioned, but that only highlights Frank's ability to turn predictable events into fascinating commentary on adult life. Her insights are fresh and her details delicious. I was so sad to see this novel end. It took twenty five years to write - I'll be too old to read her next novel! I'm tired of Hollywood stories and yet I found Cheat and Charmer to be a true star.

I bought this book because the cover looked intriguing -- very F. Scott Fitzgerald. As with The Great Gatsby, I was not disappointed, though for very different reasons. I immediately was drawn into this world of secret Communist gatherings and flashy Hollywood soirees. The characters were definitely memorable, though not always likable. In fact, I found myself wanting to learn more about them, even those I believed them to be morally repugnant. Elizabeth Frank is a wonderful storyteller. I'd read anything else she'd write! I highly recommend this book!

with deeply nuanced characters who are not espcially likeable. The thing I loved about this book is that there are no easy answers. All of these characters make choices that have long reaching results. If you believe that ethics are situational; that choices are neither morally good or bad (in and of themselves), this book will make you pause. The author does an outstanding job of showing the emotional consequences of seemingly simple choices. The history of LA in the 50s (I lived it), the blacklist and the movie business all ring true. This is one of the best books I have read this year. I literally read it in a 24 hour period and was sad to see it end.

Jim Kouzes en Barry Posner schreven in 2002 de bestseller The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition , waarin ze 5 practices beschreven voor voorbeelding leiderschap:
1. model the way
2. inspire a shared vision
3. challenge the process
4. enable others to act
5. encourage the heart
In Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge graaft het duo, maar ook een aantal andere bekende christelijke schrijvers over leiderschap een spade dieper en reflecteren hun eigen geloof en observaties aan de practices. Het initiatief hiervoor kwam van John C. Maxwell (INJOY), gevolgd door Ken Blanchard (o.m. The One Minute Manager), Bill Bright, Kevin Myers, Nancy Ortberg en Andy Stanley. Na een introductie van de vijf practices door Kouzes en Posner pakken de anderen een practice bij de kop, diepen die uit met bijbelteksten, voorbeelden uit de christelijke praxis van kerk, gemeente, liefdadigheidsinstelling en bedrijfsleven. Vele mensen werden geïnterviewd, zodat een field guide for leaders ontstond. Christian Reflections ontnuchtert menig ingesleten paradigma van seculiere leiderschap-auteurs en brengt leiderschap terug naar haar joods/christelijke wortels.

I had to read this book for a class. I am glad that I did since it has been an amazing book. Great stories and a real easy read to help you understand the ways of being a leader.

Thanks for your great service. The book was delivered quickly and in excellent condition. I enjoyed doing business with you.

Having read and reread dozens of books on leadership, I've always found The Leadership Challenge to be among the best. I was certainly intrigued to see Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge and my curiosity paid off in a delightful read that contains both inspiring stories and introspective challenges.

As I read about the Willow Creek Axis group donating hundreds of pairs of shoes to the homeless in Chicago, I wept.

As I read about John Maxwell writing out his "I am what" so "I do what" which results in "what", I was challenged and did the same myself.

Having just read the book, 7 Triggers to Yes, I was inspired to read that, "Leaders keep hope alive... Hope is attitude in action." As 7 Triggers showed that inspiring hope is a powerful trigger used to influence and presuade and isn't that what leaders do.

The book is a quick read (one night for me), but I do believe that the reminders of the principles in The Leadership Challenge are excellent and the inspiration coming from these varied individuals is uplifting. I think you'll enjoy this book.

James Kouzes and Barry Posner are business professors at Santa Clara University, but are better known for authoring what has become a cornerstone in business and leadership theory: "The Leadership Challenge." The book has enjoyed numerous printings, leading to "Leadership Challenge" seminars, "Leadership Challenge" based consulting, and spin-off books on "the Leadership Challenge." "Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge" is a book that revisits the time-tested leadership paradigm, and features prominent practitioners of the Christian faith musing on what the five dimensions of leadership look like in a Christian context.

The book is divided into seven chapters. The first--and lengthiest--of the chapters is authored by Kouzes and Posner and is an introduction to "The Leadership Challenge" for those who have not read it. Yet, even thought the basics of the leadership paradigm are introduced, the faith component of leadership is heavily interwoven throughout this chapter. The examples of people who have successfully displayed a characteristic of successful leadership were all active in parish ministry, faith-based charities, or secular business-people whose faith influenced workplace decisions. This chapter was well-written and served as a valuable introduction to the remaining chapters.

Each of the following chapters is authored by a prominent Christian and gives his/her reflections on how a leadership skill and faith interplay. John Maxwell (former pastor and author of numerous leadership books) reflects on "Model the Way," the habit of (a) determining your own personal values and (b) aligning your actions to reflect those values. Maxwell provides a very well-structured chapter in which he demonstrates not only a thorough understanding of aligning values and action, but lays it out in such a way that it is clear that he has made the concept his own. Showing pastoral concern for the reader, Maxwell organizes his chapter around five objectives that will aid the reader in exploring his intrinsic values and how to allow these values to surface in the workplace.

The next chapter is authored by David McAllister-Wilson (president of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC) and concerns "Inspire a Shared Vision," the habit of (a) discovering your vision for the future and (b) communicating that vision in an inspiring way. For a well-respected academic, this reader was surprised at the abstract and emotional the chapter was written. Granted, the subject matter deals prominently with relationships and inspiration, but there was surprising little in the chapter that was concrete. Amidst musings on the personality of Jesus and anecdotes that went for the "you-had-me-at-hello-effect" were genuine gems of practical wisdom I wish McAllister-Wilson would've fleshed out more. Reading this chapter felt like a wasted opportunity to learn from one of the best; instead this reader felt "talked down to."

Next, Patrick Lencioni (businessman and author) illustrates what it means to "Challenge the Process," that is to (a) embrace changes to internal functioning and external opportunities and (b) experiment, risk failing, and learn from these events. Lencioni provides the best-written, most concise chapter of the book as he out-right challenges the reader to examine his motivations for leading, challenging processes, and intrinsic determination. He is not abusive toward the reader at all, but makes it clear that leadership is often sought out for the wrong reasons; the reader is advised to first see to it that pride is sufficiently restrained. Once it is, challenging the process is a natural by-product of passion and courage. Helpful illustrations of Lencioni's successes and failures in challenging the process illustrate larger points and make the author more relatable.

Following Lencioni, Nancy Ortberg (member of the pastoral staff at Willow Creek, suburban Chicago's most prominent mega-church) shows how "Enabling Others to Act" has played out in her life. This is the habit of (a) building coalitions and teams and (b) giving power away to trusted team-members. This reader felt it necessary to read Ortberg's chapter multiple times. At first, abstract emotion and pointless (yet heart-warming) anecdotes appeared to prevail; after several readings, the chapter proved to have more depth than originally thought. Like McAllister-Wilson, Ortberg provides helpful advice on leadership through team-building, but finding these gems requires a lot of digging.

Finally, Ken Blanchard (businessman and author) reflects on "Encouraging the Heart," that is, the habit of (a) showing genuine appreciation for good work and (b) strengthening bonds by celebrating achievements. While the subject matter lends itself well to emotional sentimentalism, Blanchard resists that temptation and provides a nice balance between inspiration and practicality. Structuring his chapter to argue that leadership is an "inside-out" art, Blanchard provides practical day-to-day tips while holding up Jesus as the ultimate "One-Minute Manager" (what would such a book be without a cheap plug?).

Finally, Kouzes and Posner close out the book recapping leadership and the importance of credibility. This final chapter whets the appetite for more wisdom and practical advice.

As with any anthology, "Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge" contains the good, the bad, and the ugly. Fortunately, the reader will find a great deal of the former and not so much of the latter two elements. This book is recommended for those who find themselves working in a church/faith-based not-for profit, but is also applicable for those who hold to the Christian faith and desire insights on how that faith can manifest itself in the secular workplace. Also, those who would like a taste of "The Leadership Challenge" in under 130 pages will also find this book beneficial. In all, recommended.

In every BSC book I've read so far, Martin has always tended to write the main story with a secondary story that runs somewhat parallel and ties in at the end. This book doesn't seem to have that secondary story, which was too bad - I thought there were several chances for it, especially with Cathy, Claudia's hospital roommate. It didn't detract from the story, though.

When a call comes in to the BSC from a new client, the girls voice some suspicion - the Sobak's live in an area where people usually use other sitters - so Claudia, who has taken the job, asks around. Told by other sitters that Betsy's a handful, and a practical joker, Claudia believes she's prepared. She has no idea! A practical joke goes badly and Claudia ends up with a badly broken leg.

Missing a lot of school is not a good thing for a student like Claudia, who has to work hard just to keep up. With little to do, Claudia's mind dwells on her accident and she begins to wonder if babysitting is too dangerous. What if she had broken her arm or hand and couldn't do her art anymore? Prepared to quit the BSC if necessary, Claudia turns to her grandmother Mimi, who believes that her fear is really of not being in control.

The girls set out to teach Betsy that practical jokes are not always funny - and they go a few rounds with the girl before she finally gets it. Betsy does learn, and Claudia does heal but will Claudia really quit the BSC?

The practical jokes battles were amusing, and it was good that the girls were aware that they probably shouldn't be engaging Betsy in them. It was also nice that Stacey hasn't been forgotten. Martin always seems to do a very good job with those details.

Ann M. Martin brings together books that only a imaginitive person could. The book, CLAUDIA AND THE BAD JOKE, brings forth problems in everyday, human life. Practical jokes, babysitting, and the common teenager problem:study-or-fail are combined in this fabulous book. So read read read it!!!!!!

I liked this book. Claudia was my favorite of the original quartet, so naturally I enjoyed this book. I love the descriptions of Claudia's cleverly put together ensembles and her appreciation for art. That speaks to sensitivity and creativity.

Betsy Sobak, Claudia's young charge is a virtuoso in the fine art of practical jokes. Her jokes are hostile and are always at the expense of another person. During Claudia's first sitting stint with Betsy, she falls from a tire swing and breaks her leg. Luckily for Claudia, her trio of sitting pals come through like the Cavalry by out-joking Betsy (in a safe way, of course) to teach her an object lesson in how to treat people in a humane fashion. Lesson: It is only kidding or funny if all sides are enjoying it, but if one side is not having fun, it is no longer kidding, it is mean.

I liked Betsy. The description given of her sounds like a cute kid with a vivid imagination. Ann Martin has a real gift for descriptions, dialogs, character development and I like the way the charges have a parallel plot running to the central plot the sitters are contending with. Ms. Martin has a real gift for the voices and feelings of kids.

Claudia's not worried when she hears her newest baby-sitting charge, Betsy Sobak, is a great practical joker.After all, how much harm can one little girl do? Plenty. Claudia breaks her leg as a result of one of Betsy's mean jokes...and now she's talking about quitting the club. "Baby-Sitting," she says, "is too dangerous." Kristy thinks Betsy needs to be taught a lesson. She also thinks the Baby-Sitters are just the ones to do it. Wath out, Betsy Sobak! The joke war is on!

When Claudia has to baby sit for a practicaljoker nemed, Betsy, Claudia has nothing to worry about. Until it becomes bad...