Titles Books

This book was on one of the "if you like this you might like this" things and I went ahead and picked it up on a whim. My friend grabbed the book I originally got when the order came in so I wound up reading this one first and was completely engrossed for two days! Letts is a terrific storyteller and I am so glad to find an author who writes so well about a controversial subject. This is women's fiction at its best and I've already ordered her next one.

This book grabs you on the first page and never lets go! Sweet, funny, sad and revealing - all in one readable book! It's great to read about the variety of people that make up most of our everyday world.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the quality of writing was great. So much attention was paid to each of the characters that I could picture each of them. The women in the clinic were my favorites. You could feel the camaraderie between them. I highly recommend this book.

What I love about Elizabeth Letts is how strong her female characters are, how supportive and understanding. While the suspenseful story draws you in, it's the characters and their tolerance for one another that stays with you long after you reach the last page. I can't wait to see what this talented author does next!

Family Planning is a novel that sucks you in right from the first pages. Letts has filled the book wth a well-drawn cast of quirky characters whom you'll wish you could hang out with. The story is heartwrenching, suspenseful, and beautifully written. I can't wait for the next one!

They can never be made fast enough. The book is very helpful with some great ideas. Fat Quarters or scraps.

I do love this book, but I'm a little sad that it says a fat quarter is 20 x 22 which is not right they are 18 x 22, but to me it doesn't matter much since I jsut use scraps of fabrics, but you can always just not cut out all the pieces if you have fat quarters. I do love the book though, made several quilts already

This book is amazing! Great use of fat quarters, easy to follow instructions, and very good diagrams. The design possibilities of the fat quarter cutting plan are endless, no two quilts will be alike.

At 120 pages, this book gives much more detail that many quilt books. The recurring "quilt gallery" displays different approaches to a pattern. This is a real plus, since it is hard to visualize the effects of change in color or print. The section on block patterns is helpful. Some quilters buy the Block Tool, a compact guide that fans out and displays 100 different patterns. This tells the piece size for each segment of a block.

Quilt projects included tend to favor more modern patterns and colors, although some traditional projects are included.

My, oh, my. I had no clue how wonderful this book was when I ordered it.
My 14 year old granddaughter picked up the book last week and shared how
many she wanted to make out of this one. It's sew easy instructions and
the speed in which you can complete any of these quilts makes it a book that I'm sure to use over and over again. Can't wait to find time to get one or more done.

We Are One In Spirit
Describe in words the New World Symphony so that I can have the experience of it. That is the task Jon Robertson offers as a challenge equal to that of attempting to help people experience the Creative Spirit by using words to do so. In making this comparison, he is confessing that he realizes that his intentions for writing his book, Fire and Light: An Off-Road Search for the Spirit of God (Celestial Arts) will be difficult to achieve. When asked questions about spiritual matters, I've regularly used the silent motto, "spirit unites, words divide," worried that a verbal answer will most likely lead to confusion or distraction rather than to enlightenment. For a person who makes a living with words, I often wish, when coming up on stage to give a "talk," that I could serenade the audience instead. Aesthetic experiences, rather than intellectual ones, seem to be a more natural doorway to the spiritual.
Jon, a professional writer and editor, handles this challenge first by demonstrating just how universal is the experience of spirit, regardless of its name. Quotations from the world's religious and spiritual literature offer proof that Spirit does not pay attention to theology. Jon shares his own stories, and the stories of many others who've had realizations of Spirit in their lives. Such stories exemplify Cayce's attitude that we do a better service to others when we share of our experiences than when we preach from things we've read. Stories invite empathy, explanations invite thought.
Shortly after being introduced to Edgar Cayce, I had a dream in which a white dove comes down out of the sky and nestles in my chest, letting me know I am loved. In the inaugural issue of Venture Inward magazine, I wrote about that dream and how it led to my spiritual recovery from alcoholism. Years later, as Spirit continues to have its way with me, I've become a "recovering intellectual," developing more trust in other ways of knowing, even it sometimes means sacrificing understanding. I had a dream, for example, where I am at a circus arcade attempting to "win" the white dove by throwing a lapis lazuli stone at it. As I ready my swing, the dove flies up into the air and lands on my shoulder, showing that you can't win what is a gift. Sometimes the attempt to understand is an attempt to win control. There's the paradox to spirituality. As a spiritual being having a human experience, the human strives to attain what is already present. "Be still," quit trying to understand, but "know, I am God."
It's easier said than done. Jon identifies the qualities of Spirit--immortality, the "I am" awareness, inwardness, unity, creativity, freedom, love and the male/female dynamic--and he explores what we might refer to as the "technology of spirit," such as the Golden Rule, kindness, service, patience, etc. The dilemma arises because even though following the Golden Rule helps make our actions consistent with Spirit, following the rules isn't the same as being inspired. It depends upon "who" is following the rules.
After my conversion from active alcoholism to being a recovering alcoholic, my way of being in the world changed, from envisioning myself as a powerful motor boat to being a sailboat, a shift from the illusion of "self-reliance," to an appreciation for learning the skill that allows one to flow with the wind. It was a shift from being a race car driver, so proud of the impressions one can make upon the audience, to being a humble chauffeur, serving a higher power whose intentions were my driving instructions.
"Less and less of me, more and more of God" is a universal spiritual prayer. The paradox is that the more effort we put into it, the stronger becomes the "me" who is making the effort. Maybe the solution is to let Spirit to the work.
Spirit is universally envisioned in the breath. Meditating upon the breath would seem to be a natural way to experience the activity of Spirit, both within oneself, and also among us all, for we breathe that same air, propelled by that same force of life. Yet I've found that even within the "mindfulness meditation" tradition," which uses the breath as a focus, there seems to be no receptivity to the Spirit within the breath itself. Instead the breath is used primarily as a mental anchor in the attempt to "hold on to awareness." Holding on is hard work.
Here is the prayer for meditation that the Spirit within the breath has taught me: "I can be aware of the breathing and at the same time let it be. I can let go of the breathing and let Spirit breathe me. I trust the inspiration and am grateful for this gift of life. Spirit breathes me and gives me love to share. Thank you. Thank you." With such a meditation, I can retire from having myself as a "job," from having the responsibility to create a spiritual "makeover" of myself. Henry Reed henry@henryreed.com

I am enjoying the book and agree with his major thesis that the Spirit is around and in us. It's an intellectual explanation of something that is beyond intellectual and resides in experiences, so it can help those who turn off works of the Spirit because they can't intellectually believe it.

Fire & Light expresses a personal approach to experiencing the divine. The book links people of various centuries, regions, religions, and lifestyles through individualized but simultaneously universal experiences of divine spirit. Though the author incorporates plenty of historical context and facts, it is the unpretentious, honest, and open way that Robertson's theories and ideas are presented that make this book stand out. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a down to earth, modern perspective of a timeless topic.

Jon Robertson has provided a universal, nondenominational path to follow if your longing is to know Spirit, answering the questions you may have about how it has moved throughout history and how it is moving perhaps even more powerfully today. Many of us feel a wave of Spirit crossing the world at this time, whispering to open hearts and minds everywhere: "Awaken, awaken. It is time." Perhaps you are also feeling the call to turn to Spirit.

This beautifully written book--filled with inspiring stories, wisdom, and very practical advice; by turns intimate, warm, and funny--is for those who want to find or deepen their relationship with the Spirit or Presence of God, which is everywhere, in all times, and in all people, guiding, inspiring, helping. Before you have even finished it, you will trust--if you don't already--in both the reality of Spirit (through the dozens of stories of people like you and me) and in the complete availability of its presence in your life.

If you are ready to find or deepen your oneness with the Spirit and are looking for a guidebook, Jon's will serve you better than any other I have seen. He and the Spirit have together brought forth a book of living water.

Stuart Dean

I found Jon Robertson's Fire and Light very comforting. It was familiar territory to me since I, too, have been searching for the spirit throughout my life. His research was so in depth and his many interviews served to heighten the sense of human unity. Some of Jon's conclusions felt like old friends; some were brilliantly new and obviously inspired by the Spirit. His style was journalistic in that it was extremely fair, even loving to every possible point of view. Bravo!

Plumb tells the tale of the four Hanoverian 'Georges' who seem to progress generation to generation in the direction of complete nuttiness. The climax however is in George III , the old villain of American schoolbooks. Plumb says he was extremely slow of mind, and the first twenty years of his reign a complete disaster. Thanks to the foolish advice of Lord North who is portrayed as a somewhat sloth rolypoly George III managed to antagonize and lose his American colonies. The last twenty years of his reign were however much more successful. Plumb artfully describes how the brilliant Lord Pitt at twenty- four became the King's First Minister and brought about peace with both America and France. This despite the fact that George III one day began to speak to a tree , spoke to it twenty- four hours without stop and after this was pretty much not 'in the loop of decision- making'.
The relations between the various Georges and the various Princes of Wales were most often horrible. George III could not stand his father, and his son. What is somehow surprising is that despite the eccentricities of the monarchs Great Britain continued to grow and develop its Empire.
Plumb has a clear vision of the story as a whole, writes with interest about the various figures, Robert Walpole, Lord Chatham, Lord North, Pitt et al. who served the various kings. A highly enjoyable piece of historical writing.

This classic of historical writing and interpretation was first published in 1956, and it's still the best single volume on the Hanoverian dynasty. Taylor trained under G. M. Trevelyan, another noteworthy narrator of history, and became an illustrious Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. While he produced many important works in modern English history, he still is best known for his examination of the dynasty that began with the arrival in London 1714 of George, Duke of Brunswick, successor to Queen Anne, the last Stewart monarch. He didn't speak English and his son and successor, George II, barely could. The family has gotten bad press for generations, their reputation for loutishness and general lack of intellect perhaps being colored by American attitudes, but Plumb portrays them convincingly as ordinary human beings caught up in a series of exceptional circumstances: The rise of parliamentary power, the loss of the American colonies below Canada, the Industrial Revolution, the effects everywhere of the French Revolution, and the struggle against Napoleon. Like many others, I first read this book as an undergraduate, but I now much prefer the 1974 lavishly illustrated Hamlyn edition [which Amazon doesn't list]; the numerous political cartoons are especially useful in providing the flavor of the times.

This is by far the best book that i have read in a long time. Most history books are boring but this one is anything but. Plumb goes to great details explaining the relationship that each King shared with his son. He does a wonderful job of giving his readers a rare insight to the royal family.

Fluent, lucid and written with Plumb's characteristic brevity, this is among the best introductions you will find to the high politics of the Hanoverian period. Sir John Plumb (d.2001) was one of the finest historical writers ever published in English. He is in the tradition of Macaulay and Trevelyan. His prose is polished and perfectly cadenced, and his light style masks a profound analytical grasp of the political forces that shaped this century of Whig ascendancy. Some may accuse him of adhering to the 'Great Men' school of history. If so, he highlights all their vices as well as their virtues.

Plumb was criticised for more often making the grand sweep of historical analysis as opposed to dredging through the minutiae of historical documentation. This analysis, I believe, is flawed and inimical to the notion that for history to be worthy of the name it should be readable for a wider audience, not solely confined to the institutions where it is nurtured.

Plumb's scholarship has inspired generations of laymen; his intellectual generosity and didactic rigour has also reaped its rewards within historical departments on both sides of the Atlantic. Those inspired by the Plumb school of history, who mastered their craft under his watchful eye at Christ's College, Cambridge, include such well known names as Simon Schama, David Cannadine, Niall Ferguson and Neil Mc Kendrick.

Published in 1956, this work by Sir John Plumb has remained a classic. Plumb focuses his attention on personalities and politics of the first four members of the Hanoverian dynasty. He paints a balanced portrait of his subjects, bringing them to life, warts and all. These monarchs are fallible human beings, placed on their thrones by accident of birth. Plumb is especially judicious in his handling of George IV, who as Regent and King was viciously derided in his own time.
Plumb's treatment of the monarchs is supplemented with deft character sketches of many of the significant figures of the Georgian century; Walpole, Pitt, Wilkes, Fox, and North are among the figures included.
In his introduction, Plumb takes the reader on a survey of the world over which these sovereigns presided. This is history practiced in the manner perfected by G.M. Trevelyan; continuity co-exists with change, and the dynasty survives despite mistakes and scandals. Published when the influence of Sir Lewis Namier was at its height, The First Four Georges provided a refreshing antidote to the atomizing analysis of the Namier school. A fascinating and hugely enjoyable read.

This is a fantastic sparkly fairy sticker book. It is a companion to the flower fairies. Very sweet.

I purchased a few of these sticker books for my daughter during the 4 for 3 special. They are very pretty, nice quality and kept her busy for a while during a recent long distance car trip.

Cicely's artwork is so wonderful on it's own, but this sticker book makes it magical! A perfect gift for that special little girl or those of us who are still young girls at heart.
L.Cauley

This was a perfect gift for a young girl who adores anything with a fairy-tale quality. Flower Fairies Sparkly Sticker Book filled the bill and provided hours of entertainment on a sick day at home from school.

The artwork is absolutely remarkable -- dazzling to both children and adults.

This is a great little "keep busy" book for kids. I'm looking after my own and my sister's children at present, four all together ages 2-6, and even the two boys have enjoyed this. The games, activities, and stickers have allowed them to both use their imaginations and create beautiful gifts and decoratives. We have made birthday and get-well cards, posters, refrigerator art, and we have written letters to, and received letters from, the fairies. As usual, Barker's art is perfect for its beauty and appeal to children and adults alike. Great use of her art to help kids imagine and create.

This calendar kept me up to date on things I had to do. Not the best in graphics, but it's a calendar.

This little book is perfect if you want to send a quick 'Helloh, 'Thinking of You' or any other special occasion. It's quick and easy and Cicely Mary Barker captures these lovely,graceful and whimiscal fairies in great settings.

I looked everywhere for a list of what fairies were included in this postcard book - wanting to know if it would be useful for my Nature table - and finally just had to purchase it "sight-unseen". For those of you who may want to know the same thing, or are looking especially for a favorite illustration, here they are:
The Strawberry Fairy
The Chicory Fairy
The Heliotrope Fairy
The Canterbury Bell Fairy
The Candytuft Fairy
The Crocus Fairies
The Tulip Fairy
The Almond Blossom Fairy
The Pear Blossom Fairy
The Nasturtium Fairy
The Ragged Robin Fairy
The Wallflower Fairy
The Zinnia Fairy
The Double Daisy Fairy
The Cornflower Fairy
The Cowslip Fairy
The Fuchsia Fairy
The Columbine Fairy
The Lilac Fairy
The Lily-of-the-Valley Fairy
The Phlox Fairy
The Guelder Rose Fairy
The Pansy Fairy
The Winter Jasmine Fairy
The Michaelmas Daisy Fairy
The Red Campion Fairy
The Rose-Bay Willow-Herb Fairy
The Beechnut Fairy
The Elderberry Fairy
The Gorse Fairies

I was NOT disappointed with this purchase. The postcards are adorable just as the work of Cicely Mark Barker. I can't wait to give it to my sister as a gift with The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies.

My four year old loves to thumb through these beautiful pictures, but when we had to send thank you notes for her birthday party gifts, we carefully tore a few out to send to her friends. Everyone liked them so much that I see them hanging on walls in refrigerators in her friends' houses. Charming! Highly recommended!

Guido and his spouse, Maria, live in the beautiful city of Florence in a small apartment over the bakery they inherited from Guido's father. Although they work extremely hard and lead frugal lives, the money they generate from the bakery is simply not enough to cover their living costs. A dwindling customer base is the main reason for this sorry state of affairs, for Guido, unlike his father, skimped on the key ingredients and made flavorless dough. Although Guido resorted to selling off their furniture, piece by piece, Maria drew the line when he sold their bed and she demanded that he find a new one.

Serendipity leads Guido to an extraordinary bed shop, where he acquires what is, unbeknownst to him, a magical bed. This bed takes Guido and Maria to a magical town far away, where a master baker gives them a special kind of yeast. When Guido and Maria bake bread with the unusual yeast, the delicious smells and tastes bring them so many new customers that their financial constraints disappear virtually overnight. Unfortunately, they learn the hard way that such a gift is not to be squandered through greed and short-sightedness.

The Flying Bed offers readers a powerful set of lessons about entrepreneurship and poverty, cleverly woven into an imaginative story with stunning images. Children and adults alike will appreciate the interesting plot, the well-developed characters, and the eye-catching scenes from Florence and the bakery. This first-rate book makes a valuable addition to any collection of children's literature with substantive content and dramatic illustrations. The Flying Bed puts fun and magic into the business of learning economics.

In Florence, Italy, Guido inherited a bakery from his father. He isn't a good baker, and he and his wife barely have enough income to survive. Gradually, Guido sells all of their furniture to make ends meet. When he sells their bed, Maria says, "' Enough is enough!' she shouted. 'I can't sleep without a bed. A bed I want and a bed I'll have!'" Guido searches all over Florence and is finally given an elaborately carved bed by a mysterious seller of beds. When he and Maria go to bed that night, they discover that they have been given a magical bed. It flies nightly out of the window -- carrying its occupants.


With a lilting story wrought with the mystery and magic of an Italian fairytale, the author presents an undeserving protagonist who fails on all counts -- except for his very wise choice of a wife. The realistic
paintings (except for a bed that flies) are exquisitely detailed and crafted. The painting of the bed flying over the tiled rooftops of Florence, with every one of the multitude of tiles shaded and distinct, is masterful. The illustrator's pictures of baked goods look good enough to eat. An amazing, perfect duet.

Nancy Willard weaves a wonderful fairy tale of modern tones emanating life's little lessons. John Thompson's magical pigmented canvas is freshly baked and alluring to the senses.
See also Your Favorite Seuss: A Baker's Dozen by the One and Only Dr. Seuss

Enjoyable story, and very nice pictures. It also prompted my son to ask questions about the greed of the baker and which led to a discussion of what people value.

Nancy Willard's THE FLYING BED features warm paintings by John Thompson, 2006 Hamilton King award winner, as it surveys the end of summer in Florence and a magic shop crammed with beds. A woman's offer to show off the best bed of all results in some surprises in this fun fantasy for grades 2-3.

The book arrived on time with no damages to the books. I use this book at the recommendation of my occupational therapist to regain functional brain activities that were damaged in my car accident in 2005. I found the book very interesting and helpful for me. As it is for children, I also sent a copy to friends of mine for their children to have fun working with as they learn.
A great book for all the family.
Thank You
Jean Marie Naples

I use this book with 7th and 8th graders to get their brains working during class. I love it and use it often.

This Book is a fun and exciting book that varies from crossword puzzles to picture matches and many more fun games and puzzles. You should get this book.

Wonderful collection of games. My children (age 6 and 8) have thoroughly enjoyed this. Well thought out and great for the car too.

I purchased this book to use with my students to help them develop their visual perceptual, perceptual motor, and problem solving skills. The puzzles vary in presentation and level of complexity, so you will be sure to find something to suit. The kids are having fun, so they forget about the fact that they are also learning important skills.

My kids (ages 7 & 9) and I just read the book this week and enjoyed it very much! We thought that the author had such a wonderful idea when she linked the story to various "Jack" nursery rhymes. It was like a very fun surprise inside a story that was already cute. Great illustrations too. It was a library book but my kids enjoyed it so much we decided to buy a book at amazon.com for our home library!

In yet another parody of a well-known fairytale, Diane Stanley tells the classic Jack and the beanstalk story from the gentle giant's perspective. The Giant and the Beanstalk tells of Otto, a kind, loving soul whose favorite pet chicken is stolen. Otto is heartbroken and desperately begins to search for Jack and his hen. After encounters with nearly all the children's rhyme Jacks, Otto finds the correct Jack and makes a trade that leaves both parties quite happy. The giant world reexamines their values and learns from meek Otto's loving example.

Stanley is able to tell of Otto's quest with a unique and admirable amount of suspense, considering, of course, that this is a children's book. Her style weaves clever references to various nursery rhyme characters with an earnest giant's search to create a charming tale. The dialogue is believable and completely natural; some of the characters that Otto meets are friendly, others are fearful, but all speak in an unaffected, straightforward manner. The interesting point of view shift will intrigue readers who know the original version well; the giant is too often cruel, mindless, and demanding, and Jack becomes a hero for his thievery. Stanley's adaptation acknowledges that Jack wrongs another being with genuine feelings in his quest to remedy his family's poverty. Otto has a history, a personality, and a problem. He is no longer the flat character that the original version of this tale portrays him. The artwork too, will endear children to the book. Stanley slyly slips many references of the other Jacks into the pictures, as well as the text. The page containing the Jack that built the house contains all the elements of that particular rhyme, up to the sack of malt and priest in background. The cartoon style drawings also fit this tale well. The playfulness of the story is ideal for such artwork. Finally, some observant children will note the magic bean at the top of each box containing the text of the story, another clever addition to the book.

The Giant and the Beanstalk by Diane Stanley is a well-written and well thought out story that children are sure to enjoy. The pictures and funny retelling will undoubtedly garner many young fans.

Clever. This new twist on Jack and the Beanstalk gives children the other point of view. Was the giant really mean and nasty? This book keeps the reader on his toes by painting the familar fairytale in another light. I like how the giant had to go through five other Jack characters to find the one who climbed the beanstalk. This would be a great book to share in a classroom who is already familar with the traditional story and nursery rhymes involving the Jack characters. This could create a great conversation.

I thought that this book was really cute. Although I am a little old for it, I loved it! Otto was really funny and his quest to save clara the hen was really sweet. It shows the giant's side of the story instead of the one we usually hear.

I happened to really like this book, and fairy tales and classics really aren't my thing. This book was right up my alley. My dad dislikes kids books and classics, and he thought that this story was as cute as he's ever read.

My little brother hates reading, but he reads this book all the time, around three times a day.

We found out about this book from the teacher at my brother's school because she wanted him to read. He loved it, and had me read it to him a few times.

THIS IS THE BEST SORT OF CLASSIC I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you like the Stinky Cheese Man, you will love this book. Now, at last, the untold story behind the well-known tale of Jack and the Beanstalk is finally revealed. No, the giant is not really a blood-thirsty monster who wants to eat Jack, and no, he doesn't have the hen because he is greedy. Otto is that rare, gentle giant (although possibly not the brigthest).

To recover his precious hen, Otto travels through five or six different fairy tales in search of the elusive Jack. Older readers will recognize the "other" Jacks immediately, and everyone will get a chuckle out of the giant's quest.

A fun version of an old story, which gives new meaning to the phrase "...and they lived happily ever after."

My daughter got dressed up and did a beautiful creative dance for me last week. When she was done, she said, "Mom, don't I look like that pretty little girl in the carrot book?" That in itself wouldn't be amazing except for the fact that WE DON'T OWN THIS BOOK! WE HAD CHECKED THIS BOOK OUT FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO! I'm buying my copy today! The illustrations grab you. They're realistic, colorful and created with a sense of humor. I could say the same for the text which builds page to page allowing each member of the family to play a role in contributing to the success of the giant carrot. My children love this book, especially when I read it with a "southern drawl."

I conduct a weekly preschool storytime at a public library in California. After I finished reading this book, there was a physical confrontation between two children who both wanted to check it out! What a crowd-pleaser, and a pleasure to read aloud.

The prose glows as warmly as the sun-drenched illustrations. Definitely one of the best of the recent crop of picture books. I just wish the author had included, not only a recipe for sweet carrot puddin', but also one for wide Mama Bess's thick carrot stew! Yum!

The Giant Carrot has a lot going for it. It is fun for kids to listen to, fun for them to read, fun to act out, and filled with fun illustrations and a wonderful message of cooperation and the joy of finding one's own place.

Author Jan Peck has given a new twist to the old Russian folktale "The Giant Turnip". Beginning her book, Mrs. Peck states the background of her story. A delightful tale of a giant carrot takes the basis of her tale. From Papa Joe's desire to have "a tall glass of carrot juice" to sweet Little Isabelle's desire to have "little cups of carrot puddin'", this tale flows smoothly. The repetition and building of this tale adds a joy for children. Before long, the children are joining the story. A great addition to any library - public, private, school and home.