Distributors Books

It is only a single London day in June, 1923, after World War I, and Mrs. Dalloway is out shopping for flowers for her big party to be given that evening. Even the Prime Minister will be coming because Clarissa Dalloway's husband, Richard, is a minor cog in the government. Virginia Woolf was originally going to call her breakthrough novel The Hours, a title Michael Cunningham used in his tribute novel to Mrs. Dalloway. The pealing of Big Ben and other chimes striking the hours segue this chapterless novel into different character spheres, different memories or thoughts. Big Ben's leaden circles of sound move out, widen, and wrap other characters into the narrative.
Using James Joyce's then-new technique of stream of consciousness, Woolf explores the minds of a number of her characters. Clarissa's character is probed in great detail, not only as she sees herself but also as many other characters see her.
Septimus Smith is wandering around London that June day, a veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, what was then called being shell-shocked. Though they pass close by each other, Septimus and Clarissa never meet. When she hears word of this stranger's suicide through a famous doctor at the party, it has a profound effect upon her. Septimus is probably closer in his mental state to Virginia Woolf herself than to Clarissa Dalloway, but the ripples of meaning, like the reverberations of the chiming, caused by his death make her neglect her party. Clarissa, who seemed so unfeeling and superficial, turns out to have too much feeling.
This is not easy reading. Woolf wrote many essays and portions of this book are more essayistic than fictional narrative.
The story has a fluidity as one character's life and mind blends and segues into another. One character after another takes center stage in the narrative. Peter Walsh, Clarissa's old beau, passes Septimus in Regents Park, and the narrative passes from Septimus to Peter in the way that a baton would be passed in a relay race.
In the party scene I was reminded of Joyce's "The Dead" in Dubliners. Mrs. Dalloway is a richly textured book that can be reread many times. At different stages of the reader's life it will take on new meanings. Clarissa Dalloway is like a chameleon that you can never truly pin down.

Nine Lives Too Many
The Daemon in Our Dreams
The Rice Queen Spy
Clawed Back from the Dead

For the longest time, I thought I disliked Virginia Woolf's work. Typically, I am not a fan of "stream of consciousness," and being that "To the Lighthouse" was my first read, Woolf left me not wanting for more. However, in a Queer Theory course in my graduate studies, "Mrs. Dalloway" was assigned and I absolutely loved it. In fact, upon finishing this work, I ordered all of Woolf's works.
Not only is the work hauntingly beautiful and melancholy, but also rather daring. The book takes place in the course of one day in London, yet somehow, the reader becomes familiar with lifetimes of relationships, some of them homosexual relationships. Woolf's work here is gorgeously poetic.
The book generated a lot of discussion because it has so much to offer to many different kinds of readers. I once swore I would never read Woolf again, but this book has made me recant the error of my ways.
If you are a fan of poetic prose, read this book. I intend to read it again and again.

This book reminded me of the 1988 presidential debate between Walter Mondale and George Herbert Walker Bush when a frustrated Mondale finally asked Bush, "Where's the beef?" after a famous Wendy's commercial. That is the first thing that popped into my head when I finished this book. I didn't have a clue what it was about nor did I care. It was only because I was in a book club that I persevered.

In my opinion, this is a perfect book. Woolf captures the characters flawlessly and depicts their relationships with pitch-perfect accuracy. The plot centers around a day in the life of Mrs. Dalloway, who is preparing for a party. However, the overall scope of the novel is much broader.

This was the first Woolf novel that I read and i am glad that it was. I was a college freshman who had just seen The Hours. I was immediately drawn to this author. After reading it the first time, it is possible to know what the basic story is about: a woman giving a party and wondering about the choices she has made in the past. But each reading helps bring out so many details that are easy to miss. People may claim this is a hard read, but Mrs. Woolf's books were NEVER meant to be read quickly. The word usage and details are so precise that is should be read slowly to appreciate it more. A great book to start getting into Woolf.

This is a very short book, around 85 pages, but that doesn't mean it is a light or easy read.
Two boys aged about twelve are friends trying to figure out how to spend a summer day together. Neither one of them is able to be honest with the other, or their parents, about what they want to do. This leads to resentment, dares, bravado and ultimately tragedy. It is in how the tragedy is handled rather than the tragedy itself, that gives the book its weight and complexity. I would imagine that this is a perfect class discussion novel. There are many meaty themes to explore and could produce hours of lively thought provoking topics. However, my son is 10 years old and while he reads at a high level, I believe this book is too complex for 5th to 8th grade readers to fully appreciate without an involved adult ( parent or teacher ) to discuss it with. I believe this is borne out by the reviews written here by children. Additionally, I thought the ending of this book read more like a short story ending rather than a novel ending and would have liked to see one more chapter. I felt there was more to say about the aftermath of the boy finally telling the truth about what happened to his friend.

I think that On My Honor is a really great story. The author is from our area and her descriptions about the river and setting are very accurate. I felt really bad that Joel had to go through so much before he finally told the truth. This story shows why it is important to be honest when something happens. It might not change the outcome, but it sure makes things easier to deal with in the end. The story is sad, but in the end Joel does the right thing. I think any middle school kid would enjoy this story and connect with Tony and Joel.

Okay, I think I see why this particular little book won a Newberry Honor. However, despite all its artistic merit, including some incredible writing and poweful storytelling, it's a very dark and depressing tale. This is absolutely necessary to get across the message and the heartbreak; however, it should still be a valid warning. I still cry every time I think about this book. So, no, it's not a feel-good story. But it is powerful.

This book was a choice for my son's required summer reading. He would recommend it. The book wasn't too long and he read it quickly. It was a different genre than he typically reads, but he liked it.

Throughout my school career, I have come upon a common thread in celebrated children's literature that seems inexplicably, yet permanently woven into almost every novel that is introduced in the classroom, especially those works adorned with the cherished "Newbery Medal." Although it took me a few years to make this connection, I came to associate the shiny, circular accolade with death, destruction, depression, and more importantly, a book I was going to hate. Granted, the authors of these novels are very talented. Their writing skills are ones that I can only hope to possess, yet apparently the most important criteria for such recognition is an ending that leaves the reader's face glistened with tears. Huh. I wonder why more kids don't enjoy reading?

On My Honor is a perfect example of such a work. Although powerfully and poignantly written, I do NOT believe that it is a novel that should be classified in the genre of children's literature. I, and everyone else in my English class who read this novel many moons ago, passionately despised it. Not only was I left feeling very sad and upset over the ending, but I also felt angry and resentful towards the teacher who made the selection. Because the novel was assigned as a summer reading book, there was no classroom discussion of the disturbing topics, and frankly, a large number of students neglected to continue to their assignment, simply choosing not to read the other novels.

There are two types of novels that I remember: Those that I cherish, and those that I hate. Almost a decade after reading this book, I can recall the sour taste in my mouth that I experienced moments after shutting its cover and I can recollect the horrifically detailed description of Tony's drowning.

How to eat Fried Worms

Do you want to hear about the world's best book? Well, I will tell you about the book if you read. I read the book 'How to Eat Fried Worms'. I will tell you about the book, my favorite character, why I like it and why you should read it.

A boy named Billy and his friends had a bet that Billy cannot eat 15 worms in 15 days. If Billy wins the bet he gets $50. But if his friends win, Billy has to pay $50. Billy has to eat fried, boiled and mashed worms. One time Billy's friends treid to trick Billy, but her did not get tricked. My favorite character is Billy, because he is a person who tries new stuff, like he is eating worms. Plus, I like how he acts. He acts like he could do it becuase he said, " It is going to be easy".
The reason I liked this book is because it was disgusting and cool. It will make you curious about what will happen next. you should read book because it is differnt and interesting. If you are a person who likes gross stuff you should really read the book. I told you all I know about the book. I hope you read it. I know you will like it.

Shruth vennapusala

How to eat Fried Worms

Do you want to hear about the world's best book? Well, I will tell you about the book if you read. I read the book 'How to Eat Fried Worms'. I will tell you about the book, my favorite character, why I like it and why you should read it.

A boy named Billy and his friends had a bet that Billy cannot eat 15 worms in 15 days. If Billy wins the bet he gets $50. But if his friends win, Billy has to pay $50. Billy has to eat fried, boiled and mashed worms. One time Billy's friends treid to trick Billy, but her did not get tricked. My favorite character is Billy, because he is a person who tries new stuff, like he is eating worms. Plus, I like how he acts. He acts like he could do it becuase he said, " It is going to be easy".
The reason I liked this book is because it was disgusting and cool. It will make you curious about what will happen next. you should read book because it is differnt and interesting. If you are a person who likes gross stuff you should really read the book. I told you all I know about the book. I hope you read it. I know you will like it.

Shruth vennapusala

Because of the bet ,Billy is in a uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are supplied by the owner who's motto is " the bigger the better". At first Billy didn't know that the boy was going to make a bet saying, I bet you can't even eat your mom's casserole; so then the boy said I bet you fifthly dollars that you fifteen worms in fifteen days" and so then billy said; yes I can". So that's how all this mess came about . so now the fun and games begins. Will billy be able to eat"fried worms".... Read it and see.

Because of the bet ,Billy is in a uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are supplied by the owner who's motto is " the bigger the better". At first Billy didn't know that the boy was going to make a bet saying, I bet you can't even eat your mom's casserole; so then the boy said I bet you fifthly dollars that you fifteen worms in fifteen days" and so then billy said; yes I can". So that's how all this mess came about . so now the fun and games begins. Will billy be able to eat"fried worms".... Read it and see.

They are 7 and 9 and loved the movie so i got this for a car trip. Great idea!

I read this book early into my year as an American military advisor in Afghanistan. I found that the picutre of Afghan family life that it painted was very helpful in understanding the lives of the Afghans I dealt with every day. Because of the insight, I felt better able to communicate and build rapport with my Afghan friends. The book discusses frankly the disadvantages of women in a cultural context. If the Global War on Terror is a campaign to win hearts and minds, then this book is a must read in order to understand the hearts and minds of the people on the front lines.

Seierstad begins the book with a foreword in praise of Sultan Khan, the bookseller she meets in Kabul. I (or the reader) is maybe expecting a warm account of family life amongst the unsettled times in Kabul during 2002, and after the terrorist attacks in America. Alongside that, a little history of Afghanistan and the political environment that saw soldiers burning his books in the street.

However...what we get is a disturbing account of everyday life for that particular family and others who are mentioned. The author tells us that this is not necessarily a picture of all Afghani families but a picture she gleaned from her stay with the Khans. It is clear however that there are many families that the women gossiped about who have a similar way of life.

It's sociologically interesting because Sultan's sons are a different generation and don't necessarily have the views of their father. They are are scared to go against him because he will disown them...and no matter what culture you are from it would hurt to be disowned by your family. Yet unlike more western cultures where you would remain in contact with some members of your family, the women in this account are so suppressed that they follow their husbands no matter what their own views.
It was sadly ironic to read of Leila's hard and unfair life to which she wakes every day "...to the sound of 'Allahu akhbar' - 'God is great'. A new day which smells and tastes like every other day: of dust."

How awful it must be to worry about things (the sex of an unborn baby, or an attraction to someone from the opposite sex) that are out of your control, for fear of how you or your children will be treated.

Although written in novel form, you are always aware that the people in the story, albeit with changed names, are very real.

This is the depiction of a real Afghani family written by a journalist that wound up in bookstore and developed a "friendship" with the store's owner. The journalist decided that it would be interesting to live with a family in Afghanistan and this bookseller opened his home to her. Previously, I used the word "friendship" lightly because as the depiction progresses, the reader gains insight into that traditional role of the male head of the family, and the journalist does not portray the bookseller in the best light.

The bookseller, Sultan, is the ruler of his family and also reigns over his siblings as well. His wife, Sharifa, is a good wife, but has gotten on in years, so Sultan decides to take a young 2nd wife. I found that most of the book underscores the struggle and surrender of women in this culture. As told by the author, women could not leave their homes except to visit relatives. Women hide when company comes over because they cannot be seen by any man who is not within the family. Girls are raped, powerless. If they scream, then the act would be seen and the girl would be ruined, a disgrace. One woman tries to seek freedom by enrolling in school, only to find that she must ask for permission, which she will never receive, so she remains a slave to her family.

The book is written during the transition after Taliban control. The Taliban destroyed Sultan's books time and time again and even through him in jail because of his illegal books. (Any book with pictures of living creatures was considered a violation.) One admirable trait in Sultan I must say is that although he may not have agreed with the message in many of his books, he thought that people should have access to others' ideas.

I found this book very insightful, an eye-opener. It is a book that I am very glad to have experienced. It gave me a glimpse of a life much different than my own.

This book provides an excellent portrait of Afghanistan. Very well written, easy to read. Great choice for book clubs; full of material for great discussions.

Asne Seirstadt writes an honest and candid account of her four months of life with an Afghan family, following the fall of the Taliban and the end of the reign of terror they subjected the Afghan people to.

She spent these months with the family of Sultan Khan who- for twenty years-defied the tyranny of the Communists and then the Taliban by selling books on the black market because the tyrants did not allow books except those which subscribed to their narrow minded and sick ideas.

Afghanistan was a great, progressive and vibrant country during the reign of King Zahir Shah who was overthrown by Mohammed Daoud Khan in 1973 after which followed 5 years of instability and then the sheer hell of Communist repression followed shortly thereafter by the Taliban's reign of terror.

During the 70s already underdressed women risked being shot in the legs or having acid sprayed in their faces by the fundamentalists.
After the civil war broke out more and more women had to cover up. After the Taliban seized power all female faces disappeared from the streets of Kabul.

My heart really hurts for these women and girls who suffered so under the Islamists and had to be hidden away and obey through fear.
And I point an accusing finger at all those leftists who claim to believe in feminism but defend excesses Should women in these countries got less rights than what you people take for granted?

Even after the Taliban were overthrown women and girls feared going out alone or dressing as they pleased, because of the residue of terror that the Taliban had left behind.

During the Taliban era one of the most hated buildings in Kabul was the "Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Extermination of Sin". Here women who had walked unescorted by a male relative, or who wore makeup under their burkas, and men who cut their beards, languished under torture and many died.
Before that these had once bee the headquarters of the equally brutal Soviets.
No wonder Leftists and Islamo-Fascists love each other so much. They both have the mania for cruelty and destruction and the death impulse.



Asne Seirstadt witnessed the destruction and death left behind by the Taliban.
The Taliban engaged in ethnic cleansing of the Tajiks and other minorities in northern Afghanistan, raising entire villages to the ground and poisoning water wells and blowing water pipes and dams (vital for survival in these dry plains) before they withdrew.

Seirstadt masterfully covers the sights, sounds and smells of Afghanistan from the cramped life in people's houses where extended families lived together to the bazaars and the 'hamman', the massive communal bath, where thousands of women cleaned themselves and their children on certain days of the week.

Seirstadt captures much of Afghanistan's history and life and culture in these pages.
It is an excellent book for those who want to learn about this country.

When I read, I tried instead of condemning Silas Marner, to see the book through his eyes. And as the book went on, I almost felt myself getting dimmer,more cut off from society. It was rather sad.

The book isn't the best representative of what life in 19th century England would have been like, but it is a very good picture of how uncultured people treat other people from other lands. It's only when misfortune falls upon that person, do they accept them.

I absolutely loved the fact that Silas found a "golden-haired replacement". That was the sweetest thing I've read in my life, how he instantly wanted to protect her and give her the best things in life. Godfrey seemed nice at first, but as the book uncovered his past, I started to like him less and less. He needed to act like a man, buck up and take control of his life, and not be constantly cowed by his father. I can understand due to the time period why he thought Eppie would come with him and Nancy, but still, the way he kept asking even after she said no the first time was rude.

The book was very uninteresting in the beginning. I had to force myself to read it. It was only after Dunsey stole Silas's money that it began to be interesting. Still, it was a sweet book and I liked it a lot.

This book is required reading for freshman in our high school. This version is very hard to read due to the Old English style of writing.

Silas Marner / 0-553-21229-X

Silas Marner always invariably compares in my mind to Dicken's Scrooge. In the height of his youth, healthy, happy, and in love, he is betrayed, cast down, and taught the 'lesson' that only the criminal and avaricious get ahead in life. Banished to a new town, he abandons all attempts to connect with the society around him and instead focuses on hoarding his wealth carefully, counting his money lovingly in the evenings. When the money simply disappears one day, stolen by a burglar, Silas is crushed. Only the arrival of an "angel" - a little orphan girl with golden curls on her head - saves him, and starts him down the long road to redemption. Given something to love, Silas flourishes and learns to join the society of people.

The local nobility, Cass, serves as a perfect counterpoint to Silas' lessons. Cass is rescued in one fell swoop from all his burdens - his inconvenient lower class wife dies suddenly clearing the way for his 'true love' and noble girlfriend, his illegitimate child is adopted by Silas, and his blackmailing brother disappears into the snow for good - and yet, Cass is doomed to a life of disappointment. His perfect upper class wife Nancy cannot bear children, and their perfect home is turned into a silent as the two simply age (they do not grow) and they find that they never really loved each other after all. When Cass realizes, too late, what a treasure his daughter would have been in his life, he finds himself rejected as the girl prefers her adoptive father to the natural one who would not claim her. And though the girl marries below her father's level of nobility, she marries a good man who loves and appreciates her, and her future seems much more rosy than that of her upper class 'parents'.

George Eliot is the best woman author I've ever read. She had God-given talent that you or I, no matter how much we read, no matter how much we write, could not consciously replicate. She had something which can't be taught, a kernel of genius hidden somewhere in the brain, which was allowed to express itself...to our collective benefit.

Silas Marner, while not perfect, is something recognizably special--a book with lingering phrases, a book with extraordinary insight, a book that instates the reader with the feeling that the author knows what the hell she is doing. It's a book that matters.

I know what you are afraid of: you are afraid this book will be a bloated succession of tea parties and persiflage with mutton-chopped vicars. No fear: the plot is credibly organic, and moves along briskly, wrapping itself up in just over two-hundred pages. It should hold your interest so that you can discover the ten or so gem-sentences dispersed throughout. Sentences that are not just airtight, but that meld with your mind, and cause an "Aha!" reaction. You know what I'm talking about.

Perhaps the most convincing signal I can offer of my sincere regard for her abilities is the fact that I'll now seek out her other works...something I can't say about Virginia Woolf, for instance, whose literary inferiority to Eliot I would take as axiomatic. (Ironic, isn't it--or maybe not--that feminists seem to esteem Woolf more highly than Eliot?)

Silas Marner is a skillfully crafted novel to be enjoyed by readers with varied tastes. It was written by a woman, who found it necessary to use a man's name because of attitudes in England in the nineteenth century. It is built around problems that all of us face in our lives, such as, "How important is money?" As in all great novels, the characters change as the plot develops.

SILAS MARNER is a realistic novel because it portrays life in a real and believable fashion. The author, Mary Ann Evans, who used the pen name, George Eliot, pays careful attention to a few distinguishing details about here characters and settings.

For example, we can see Silas Marner, the central character of the novel, with his pale skin and undersized body. We know how he looks with his large, near-sighted, bulging eyes. We can see the important-looking village of Raveloe, which lives peacefully in opulent neglect.

When I was a teacher, I directed many high school sophomores to read SILAS MARNER. Most students dreaded reading the novel included in their literature textbooks. Once they met Silas and spent enough time with him to become acquainted with his unique personality, they became eager readers of this well-crafted classic.

It has some of the same qualities that made Pride and Prejudice (Vintage Classics) an endearing and enduring novel. In both works, the idyllic English countryside is an enjoyable escape from everyday life. There is romantic courtship in both, but the romance of SILAS MARNER is not the central theme; therefore it is not as compelling as that in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Since the readers are not required to become obsessed with yearning for romantic fulfillment, young guys who were in my class felt free to enjoy it. (Sixteen year old young men are still self-conscious about these matters.) Both books contain the same kind of satire buffered with compassion. In both novels we laugh with the local rural and village people. Because the language in SILAS MARNER is less complex, adolescent readers enjoy it more than they do PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

When as a student I first read SILAS MARNER in high school and when I read it with my students, I considered the coincidences plot weaknesses. Life doesn't work that way, I thought. Now that I have experienced a life of incredible coincidences, I no longer find anything in the book unbelievable. Events caused by Silas Marner's catalepsy seemed unlikely, but now they represent no problem.

Theft with its resulting bitterness provides conflict with which the readers can identify. Earlier I found it difficult to believe that the lightning of theft could strike twice, but that part of the plot is one more realistic element now. Other twists and turns with their ironic mysteries are typical of human life as I have lived it.

All the parts of the novel that seemed to be a contrived fairy tale are now a vignette of life. Even if I could not believe it all, the book would still break my heart the way Forrest Gump does with its twists and turns of satirical accounts.

When I enjoyed SILAS MARNER in my twenties with thirty teenagers at a time, I did not notice the shaping of Silas' religious beliefs as much as I do now. I remember that the students and I were indignant about the way Silas was duped by the evil church members at Lantern Yard. Now I have compassion for them, especially William, as well as for Silas.

Mary Ann Evans showed the futility of idolatry. All my students understood the disaster of worshiping money. If I could return to my students, I would like to ask them what they thought of the villagers who seemed to rely on the habits of their church to bring them close to God. Could we discuss that in the 21st century? I feel sure we would discuss the addiction to narcotics as it is realistically portrayed.

SILAS MARNER is a great English novel not difficult to read, but rich in insights. It shows what is evil and what is good in human hearts.

This book is sooooo bad. LET THAT BE THE REASON you don't waste your money. Predictable. Boring, not believable....I could go on.

I bought this book as a gift for someone else because I had read it and I liked it

THIS IS A MUST READ. THE BOOK WAS SO GOOD I DIDN'T EVEN FEEL AS THOUGH I WAS READING IT BUT WATCHING A MOVIE.

Some reviews mentioned a comparison to "The Coldest Winter Ever". There is absolutely no comparison to be made, "Winter" was incredibly well written and this author is still fine tuning her skills. This book didn't develop the characters enough, and left me with an empty feeling at the end. I would read the next book by Ms. Stringer only to see if her writing has advanced, because I see potential for a good book.

This was the first book I read of Vickie and I must say I enjoyed it. It started me saying Let That Be The Reason all time and then some of my friends followed so needless to say she will have you doing the same! However it starts a little slow but picks up quickly. I would pick up this author again!

This publication has long since been public domain and unless you are purrchasing this for a good cause, you are wasting your money. If you want this publication FOR FREE, kindleclassics.org is a good place to get it. The formating is very easy to read (unlike this particular copy, as it doesn't have any quotation marks at all). The only disadvantage with using kindleclassics.org is you have to connect your kindle to your computer in order to get them on your kindle, but it's a very easy plug and play operation.

Mr. Hyde is a known murderer. Dr Jekyll is an honorable doctor in the scientific community. These people's lives should never cross, but why is Hyde the heir of Jekyll. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Luis Stevenson is set in Edinburgh, Scotland. The plot focuses on the duality of man and our capability to do both good and evil. The book does not take long to read and can probably be read in under 2 hours depending on your reading speed. This book is not hard to understand, it is written in prose. This book is not a murder fest and is probably better off for that. The book is written as a mystery. It would be better to compare it to a Hitchcock horror film than to Saw. I like it because it was a chance for me to read a classic, but not spend a month reading it. The plot was interesting and raised some interesting questions. All in all it is an interesting, but not time-consuming book.

Mr. Hyde is a known murderer. Dr. Jekyll is a honorable doctor in the scientific community. These people's lives should never cross, but why is Hyde the heir of Dr. Jekyll. This book by Robert Luis Stevenson "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", focuses on the duality of man and Jekyll's beleif that the evil in a man can be seperated from the good. This classic book can be read in as little as an hour and is a peice of literature that can surprise you in many ways. This book is not wriiten as poetry and as hard to read as The Odessy or Shakespeare. This book will make you think

A scientist invents a formula that can bring out man's dual nature. His opposite number, in this case, is somewhat of super-powered wanton, who does whatever he likes. Free of the social restraint of his other half, he happily commits any crime that comes to mind as he feels like it.

Eventually, investigators begin to suspect something, and a hunt is on for who is behind it.

This book was very interesting. It had its ups and downs and at time was hard to understand. I like the suspence and the mystery. For example I liked the part when out of no were Mr.Hyde lashed out and killed another man. I also liked the part were the lawyer went to go see Dr.Jekyll and there was a letter that the Doctor gave to the lawyer which was from Mr.Hyde the scary part was that there was no retern address and the door worker said that no one had hand delivered it. That is why i liked the book.

This book started out in similar fashion to the original Cat in the Hat book, but then it turned ugly and a little disturbing.

Once again, the children are left alone, this time responsible for shoveling snow while the mother goes into town. The Cat in the Hat shows up and invites himself in the house, where he makes himself at home by eating cake in the bathtub. When he exits the tub, there is a pink ring that needs to be cleaned up. The cat uses various objects and surfaces in the house to clean the ring, but it eventually winds up outside in the snow.

The Cat enlists the help of other cats that are under his hat to "kill the mess", using pop guns. The more the cats shoot, the more the spots spread. There's an illustration of pink-tinged snow covering the ground, the house, and even a snowman. This picture, coupled with the words "Kill those spots! Kill the mess!", just comes across as a little violent and gory to me.

Just plain weird story. Not a favorite of mine, by any means.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

As a child, I liked The Cat in the Hat Comes Back better than the original. Now my 4-year-old son agrees. He can't get enough of this absurd tale of a bathtub ring that ends up all over the house and yard. The story's imagination is breathtaking, as the cat in the hat reveals 26 more cats in hats atop his head. There's educational value, too, because the 26 little cats are named each letter of the alphabet. The final solution at the end of the story is a bit vague and abrupt, but otherwise it's a fun-filled romp both kids and parents enjoy.

The feline in the big long red and white striped top hat is back again, with his subversive, mischievous ways.

The two kids are bored and doing the crappy yardwork thiing, and with the parental units away, the cat wants to play. Crazy snow stunts, games and fights and dodgy bathroom antics are more fun than works.

This book deserves 5 stars.It is the best Dr.Seuss book I have ever read!It has lots of odd and fun things and uses lots of ryhming.It takes you beyond imagination.I really recomend this book to you.

The Cat In The Hat Comes Back (beginner books) is a great book for children just learning to read. The child is introduced to words that rhyme and the letters of the alphabet. The focus is clearly on children since the entire short story takes place while two young children are left at home while their mother goes "to the town." Moreover, the illustrations are wonderful.

The action begins when the two kids, one boy and one girl, are shoveling snow while their mother runs errands. Naturally, The Cat In The Hat returns to do more mischief and, quite conveniently, set up a story that teaches children the alphabet and rhyming words. After the cat makes a mess in the bathtub we are introduced to all his little helpers who are named from A to Z--great alphabet lesson! The story is made amusing for small children because the pink mess in the tub goes to their mother's dress, the wall and eventually all the snow outside! It's a silly premise; but it'll work for young children just learning to read. They'll like the humor of this.

Of course, Seuss also inserts plenty of words to teach children more vocabulary. Children are introduced to words like cold and warm, fun and done, dig and pig, news and shoes, whose and news--and more! Excellent!

I cannot help but notice that some people felt that the use of guns in the story (they help take away the pink snow mess) might lead children to conclude that guns are "OK." Unfortunately, these people have a good point. Dr. Seuss could have and should have used another method instead of guns to clean away the pink snow mess. I will take off one star for this: I would take off more but the rest of the book is so thoughtfully done that I can't go lower on my rating.

Overall, I recommend The Cat In The Hat Comes Back for parents to use as a tool to help very young children learn to read. The kids will love it; and hopefully some fond memories will be made when you sit down and read this with your children. I also recommend that you mention that guns are bad and maybe add that the guns in this book were special in that they couldn't hurt anybody.

All in all, great job, Dr. Seuss!

All Over Creation is funny, wise, pertinent. Ozeki delivers an important message . . . . but you would never know it because you were laughing too hard to notice. She touches on issues ranging from the real-time threat to our food supply, the economy, father-daughter love, mother-child love, hell . . . love, period.

She creates for us a full cast of characters--each and every one clearly distinct and richly developed. I read more and more slowly as I neared the end of the book . . . simply because I didn't want it to end.

This is a novel way to incorporate important information about the perils of genetically modified foods and human relationships. My main complaint about the novel is this: One of the characters is French (or French-Canadian?), and when she speaks her native language, putain, she sounds like an idiot. Why couldn't the publisher find someone--anyone--who speaks French to proofread this text? It's embarrassingly bad, even if you haven't gone any further than high school French. And I can guarantee readers that the bad French wasn't intentional... come on, pay attention. Some readers do.

I was intrigued enough by Ozeki's "My Year Of Meats" to give this sequel of sorts a try, to see if she could improve on her fresh, amusing satirical style. The result is a small improvement, but not in the way I had hoped and not enough to make me a fan; Ozeki develops her characters better in this effort. You could say that I have had "my month of Ozeki," and I've had enough.

"All Over Creation" is remarkably similar to "My Year Of Meats." It has the same set of quirky, flawed characters, the same fun sense of satire in the first part followed by the same kind of preachiness and tragedy in the second part. Perhaps Ozeki is a meat and potatoes kind of gal, given that her first novel is about meat and this second is about potatoes. But if you read these two novels and take them to heart, you may not want to eat meat and potatoes. How concerned do we really need to be? Who knows? But I do know that the much more serious danger to Americans' health comes from their general diet, not from tainted meat and mutant potatoes. Ozeki has a cute, spunky style that would shine more without the overreaching sermons and tragic melodrama.

I admire Ruth Ozeki for taking on serious social and environmental themes in her novels. She has doubtlessly done a great deal through her novels to make her readers aware of the destructive economic and social trends that are currently trasnforming our planet. Furthermore she accomplishes her campaign for public enlightenment with great subtlety.

Having said that I wouldn't rate All Over Creation as a great literary work. The major problem for me as a male reader was that the characters are way too 'cutesy' - you have protagonists with names like 'Puddle', 'Poo' and 'Yummy'. Then you have the portrayal of the activist group the 'Seeds' as nothing more than a group of lost, scummy individuals who epitomise all the worst cliches usually attached to hippy culture, including a teenager who appears to have suffered significant intellectual impairment at some point in his life. To make matters worse the plot is strung between lenghtly domestic scenes which see the book played out predominantly in the kitchen, sickroom and garden. While I realise that these aspects of the novel may simply reflect the fact that it is aimed at a specific demographic I still feel this sickly sweet aspect somehow detracts from the pace of the narrative and the overall feel of the book.

Ruth Ozeki is a wonderful writer and environmentalist. This story is as good as "My Year of Meats," or better. I could not stop reading till the last page.

This book has a lot of depth, but you must see past the simple text. One great thing about the simple text is that emergent readers can read this book with ease! If they can't get it right on the first page, they are sure to get it right on the second page. The repetition is actually very beneficial and encouraging to a new reader.

Regarding depth, the pictures tell most of the story. Great discussions while reading will involve the different members of the cat family and also the country or area of the world that the boy is now visiting. These discussions can develop into both science and social studies lessons.

Don't judge a book by its number of words! This is a great choice for young families!

I love Eric Carl and this is a great edition for the cat lover.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

This book is adorable. Yes the words are very simple (I have pretty much memorized it). However, the illustrations show so much more of the story. We talk about all the different cats (lion, bobcat, mountain lion, leopard, panther, cheetah, tiger, long haired domestic (probably persian), and his cat is a short haired domestic grey tiger (like ours is) with 6 kittens (which we like to count)) We also talk about the other animals in the book (horse, donkey, camel, squirl, etc). And we do the signs for "cat" and "bird". We also sometimes talk about the people in the book. She loves looking at the pictures and talking about the "kittys".

This book has made it back in to the rotation at my house and it's being well loved by both my almost-2 year old son and my very beginning reader (4.5 years). The repetitive and simple text that bores adults is perfect for a new reader. My daughter is so thrilled to be able to read the book herself and she's learned several new words from this book alone. My son loves looking at all the pictures and saying the names of each of the cats and the sounds of any other animals that are feature in the wordly travels. (lion, leopard (in the tree), panther, cougar, tiger, cheetah, Persian if I'm remembering them all correctly). To answer the person who posted about not understanding the story - cats often disappear when they're about to have a littler of kittens.

My daughter who is 6, just adores this book. It's a simple read, and because of that, it gave her much confidence in her reading ability. She rented this book from her school library in September, and has rented it over and over again. Luckily for her, "Santa" brought it on Christmas Day, so she doesn't have to rent it anymore.

If you have a child who loves Cats, and is a beginner reader, this may be the book for her/him.