Sports Books

This book became an instant favorite--Arlene Blum's story is amazing. I don't usually like autobiographies, and I'm not a mountain climber, but this book had me hooked from the first few pages.

Somehow, the author has managed to weave elements of her childhood, her career in science, rememberances of her family, and her love of mountainclimbing into a coherent and engaging story. I was fascinated by the author's tales of mountain expedetions, of lost loves and friendships, of tragedies, and prejudices, and of small triumphs.

A great book about a fascinating life.

Arlene is a trail blazer. She is courageous on the trail, bold in her life choices, and works tenaciously to right the injustices of the world. And (here is the icing on the cake) she is also a beautiful writer.

I like to keep a couple copies of this book in my office. It is the perect gift for women who come to me wanting to understand more about the convergence of Judaism and outdoor adventures. Arlene is the best role model I know!

- Rabbi Jamie Korngold, the Adventure Rabbi, author God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi

From the moment Arlene Blum begins to tell her story, I was hooked. She does an exceptional job of structuring the memoir so you understand who she is as a person... and how she became an adventurer. Nothing stops her as a young child or an adult for breaking new ground for women and for her spirit. I was enthralled. Marcia

One of the classic books of women's mountaineering & adventure. I was greatly inspired & enriched by Arlene's Blum memoirs of her life. As a product of a strict, conservative, Jewish upbringing, one can only admire her strength & courage in breaking free & following her dreams.
Her feats in the early days of women's climbing challenged the male dominated field to finally open their doors & admit that women can equal & sometimes exceed men in the physical challenges of high altitude mountain climbing.
This book would come close to to being one of the best I have read. Arlene writes with great skill & honesty about her family & the men she loved, showing how we can all rise to greatness & live our dreams.

Breaking Trail is an excellent read and a very popular book at the local library!

I was in the middle of another book (a book by Neil Peart - I'm back to it now) when I picked this up -- 3 days later I put it down!

Although Joe comes off as a bit of a cynic at times, dealing with life on the road would probably do that to you. The book flows well and is very entertaining.

He often starts a story at one point and then neatly ties it into the next section. It does NOT feel like a collections of short stroies to me at all but a well thought out, fully realized book.

I have already lent it out....

I am an avid cyclist and have ridden across the US. Many chapters were excellent and the book is full of quotable quotes. The book is a little uneven in the level of interest it generates from one chapter to the next and I could have done with less of the Metal Cowboy's political views. Overall, I would recommend it to friends and family.

This book is about cycling, raising kids, and finding out after you're an adult that there is more growing up to do--things I've done recently.
I laughed harder and cried harder. I wanted badly to hop on my bike and ride off into the night--but I couldn't put the book down long enough to get on my bike.
Most importantly, after reading this, you will learn the answer to the question: What bike would Jesus ride?

If you are not familiar with the Metal Cowboy, I encourage you to read this book. If you're tired of all the negativity the daily news lays in your lap, then read "Momentum..." to reinforce your belief in the goodness of most people and the joy they can bring into your life.

The Metal Cowboy and his posse of two (his very young sons) ride their bicycles across the country seeing important national sites such as the world's largest ball of twine; and, more importantly, meeting and introducing you to real characters who will make you smile at the things they do and say, and who will renew your faith in America and her people. Two people I met in the book, Stacy and Benny, helped me close a tragic chapter in my life with a smile instead of a tear. And two others, Joe's young sons, renewed my faith in the future of our country.

I recommend you visit the Metal Cowboy on the Internet. He's every bit as fascinating as the real people he introduces you to in his books. And if you're looking for adventure, travel, interesting characters (who are real people), and good writing read this book.

Young father pedals across America with his two sons. It sounds grueling. It was, but the way Joe writes, we get to experience both the exhaustion and the pleasures of the ride. With his 250 pounds of "dead weight" in back, he goes up and over mountains, and battles winds and storms, and manages to keep his sense of humor.

His parenting from the front of the caravan (Joe pedaling in front, kid sort of pedaling behind him, kid riding in trailer) makes me wish I'd read this much earlier in my life.

He's a great writer with a fascinating topic.

A wonderful horse story! The plot was a bit far-fetched, but it was still an amazing read. A classic girl-and-her-horse story. I really loved it! I wouldn't reccommend it to readers much under eleven, as they might not fully understand it. However, Peyton's work is so excellant, that I should think adults might love it too! Destined to be a classic, Blind Beauty has earned a spot among such giants as Misty of Chincoteague and Black Beauty.

This book is called Blind Beauty by K. M. Peyton. This book is about a girl named Tessa who, when she was young went with her mom to live in England. By taking Tessa away, Tessa's mother separated Tessa from her drinking father and horse Shiner. Being separated from Shiner made Tessa so upset that no one could cheer her up and she started smoking and doing terribly in school on purpose. Tessa and her new stepfather hate each other. Her stepfather sends Tessa off to work at Sparrow Wyck after being expelled again from school. There she meets Buffoon, Shiner's baby, that Tessa will do anything to be with. Shiner gave birth to Buffoon in Tessa's Dad's stable, but Buffoon was ugly, so eventually he was sold at an auction and then taken to England where Tessa finds him. Tessa rides Buffoon and shows everyone that he has talent to race long distance races and isn't lazy all the time. Then she meets Tom, another jockey who agrees to ride Buffoon and can get Buffoon to do his best. Tessa really likes Tom and looks up to him. That's when things get worse and Tessa's stepfather ruins Buffoon's chance of winning the Grand National by stealing Buffoon's buddy Lucky. Tessa stabs her stepfather and is sent away to a rehabilitation place. While she is gone Buffoon is sold and Tessa doesn't want to get better. So now Tessa has to somehow shape up and find Buffoon. Read the book to find out what happens!
I thought that this book was good. I liked how there was always something exciting going on in each chapter that made it hard to put the book down. It often felt like I was Tessa, angry at her stepfather or talking to Buffoon. The main conflict kept me interested in finishing the book to see how everything turned out. The main character, Tessa, had a rough beginning which explained some of her behavior for most of the book. By the end she had grown up a little bit more and had figured out who she wanted to be and what she wanted to do. The characters were so realistic that they could just pop out of the book and be in real life. I think that this book could be made into a movie it was a really good story. The beginning was really quick in getting into what was happening and what was going on, so it didn't take too much time explaining stuff. I also liked the ending, it was just the way that I thought that it should turn out.
K. M. Peyton wrote the book like it was in Tessa's mind. The book had what Tessa was thinking most of the time but every now and then it had what one of the other characters was thinking about Tessa or what was going on. K. M. Peyton had a few tough words but otherwise there weren't many difficult vocabulary words. The author would end every chapter with a statement that made you want to read on to the next chapter and made it difficult to put the book down. The author also described every new thing entering the book so that you could picture it clearly. The dialogue in the story went smoothly with what was going on and the mood of the current situation in the book. The tone was upset, angry or cold a lot but there were some happy and a lot of exciting parts. I really liked how the author kept the book moving at a nice pace and didn't slow it down with too many descriptions. I've read a couple of books where the author explains and describes to much that the reader loses interest.
I would rate this book at a seven out of ten compared to other books I have read. The book was good and well written but it wasn't as exciting or page turning as others that I have read. It also didn't have as an exciting plot and climax as other books I have read. I would recommend this book to people who like horses and are over the age of eleven. Younger children might not understand some of the things that happen in the book and people not interested in horses might get bored with the book or not understand some parts.
I thought that this was a good book. Some parts were heartwarming while other parts were disastrous. It was weird how nobody could get through to Tessa except for Tom and how Tessa looked up to him of all people. Also, I think It was weird how Tessa's father didn't try to help or find Tessa after seeing her at one of the races. He did get drunk a lot but he still should have a least visited Tessa. This book was also kind of emotional because of Tessa changing out of her old ways and people getting hurt. I liked how Tessa liked Buffoon and Shiner not because they were pretty (which they weren't) but because of their personalities. Overall I think the book was very well written and exciting to read. If you want to read a book on horses then you should read Blind Beauty.

When I first picked up Blind Beauty, a book by K M Peyton, I wasn't expecting much of it, it was just going to be another silly horse book I'd read to pass the time. I couldn't have been any more wrong. Blind Beauty is a story of a girl and a horse that don't fit in and have troubled lives. They find each other by destiny, and develop an undying bond of love. The girl, Tessa, has always loved horses, and finds peace and serenity in riding her cherished horse, Buffoon, through the rolling green hills of a steeplechase farm called Sparrows Wyck. Through experience, she becomes a skilled rider and begins to dream of riding in the Grand National. Blind Beauty is a story of love, hope, and dreams that stay true through whatever life throws at you, and I highly recommend it.
By Maggie

from the glossy, smooth cover and beuatiful illustration, to it's descriptive words, everything about this book is perfect. Now, I know that there is no such thing as a perfect book, but while reading this, i realize, there is. As i am writing, I am holding this wonderful book in my hand. I am in the middle right now, so am not fully done with it yet, but i can already tell that this is going to be one of my favorites. I HIGHLY!!!!!!!!!! reccomend this book to all people, horse lovers or just book luvers!!!

HURRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You simply MUST read this book! So quickly, gallop over to your favorite bookstore, and don't whinny if it's not in stock, you can order it on amazon! Once you are done reading it, you will simply neigh with happiness!!!!!

I was expecting some good, useful information from this book. Oh yes, it has that and much more, with an eye toward stout, functional and practical boats and building methods. What surprised me was the wit and excellent humor while the author spins the occasional yarm or tale about this or that method and why he will or will not use them, a few sea stories and history through his eyes. Hillarious, informative and immensely practical. I'd have it on my shelf even if I never touched a boat.

RadioRay ..._ ._
s/v Milenka
Virginia - USA

Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding is a magnificent guide to thinking about the craft of boatbuilding, and a paen to the days of self sufficiency. There's a gleeful contrarian bent to this book, and Buehler's muscular 'sticktoitiveness' is nothing short of infectious. Halfway through the book I was levitating off the couch shouting, "You gotta believe!"

Buehler is a delightful pain in the arse. He recounts the various sins of modern boat designers, who, in the pursuit of creating a "boat for everybody" succeed in designing breakdown-prone 'hangar queens' that cost a fortune and satisfy very few. Buehler believes in designing them stone-simple and rock-solid. In his engine spaces you will actually have space to replace a secondary fuel filter in a seaway--try that in a modern production boat! A Buehler boat is built around the people (usually a couple) who will actually sail and use it. Buehler has harsh words for designers who compromise their interior spaces to fit around the visiting Hendersons and Joneses.

His designs, by his own admission, lack polish. I would more charitably say that he asks prospective builders to re-imagine polish. Yes, he uses loads of plywood and hot-dipped galvanized steel and home-grade lumber. This isn't "polished" in the traditional sense. But it does harken to the days of wooden ships that got their crews of iron men home safe in greasy weather, fresh winds, and foul tides. Survivability, maintainability, mean times between failure--those are elements of performance. Performance is its own polish!

I can't recommend Buehler enough. I've read and re-read this book and it's fueled more than one fantasy boat. For my money, this is the best money you can spend. Even if you don't buy into his particular designs, you'll be armed with a whole new attitude and know what to look for when you build someone else's boat.

The content of "Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding" provides a structured, step by step, method for the construction of a single-chine workboat. The construction methods tend to focus on less expensive materials and methods for builders with relatively little experience. It effectively outlines virtually all elements of construction, from laying a keel and casting a concrete ballast, to rigging and wiring. The book provides an extremely important reference material to any boat builder; even, to a lesser extent, those constructing round-bilge boats. With a multitude of pros, excellently identified in the other reviews posted here, I will address some of the shortcomings I encountered with the materials.

Mr. Buehler included an in-depth treatment of concrete cast ballasts, however, he did not introduce other techniques, namely lead casting, in any significant detail. For the majority of his designs and builders, concrete ballasts work just fine, however, this may not carry through for some builders, other non-Buehler designs, and those using this book as a reference material.

I noted a few examples of his boats posted for sale and noted, as pointed out in other posts, that the boats do not appear to sell for much more than the cost of their materials. While you should not expect a valuable yacht quality result, their design employs massive timbers and does produce an extremely sturdy vessel.

He addresses the lofting process in an incredibly simple and brief manner. It provides an excellent introduction to the process and, unlike most other treatments, won't scare a first time builder. Unfortunately, the description does leave out a lot of advanced techniques. For the projection of the transom, frame curves, and bearding lines, etc. turn to Howard Chapelle's more difficult treatment in "Boatbuilding", as Mr. Buehler suggests.

The single most significant shortcoming I find in Mr. Buehler's work involves the exclusion of smaller boats. He includes plans for a 28' and 35.5' cutter, a 43' schooner, a 42' marconi cutter, 34' basic powerboat, 30.333' powerboat, 50' 3 or 1 mast sailboat, and finally a 55.333' powerboat.

He provides excellent and complete, although small, plans for all of these vessels; an outstanding value. Unfortunately, many builders turn to Mr. Buehler's book for a simple and straightforward construction method because of amateur/intermediate experience. The large boat designs frequently run directly counter to this. While Mr. Buehler does an excellent job of encouraging builders, many newer builders cannot justify an expenditure of several thousands of dollars on something without near certain success. A simple remedy for this would include a simple 15-20' design, allowing builders to hone their skills and make their mistakes on something far less expensive.

This said, he does include a full set of building plans, complete enough for a first time builder, for the "Happy Camper of Pogo Pogo" a beautiful 16' schooner on his site. Unfortunately, a recent, massive increase in their price, from $195 to $395, will likely place them out of reach of many first time builders.

While I focused primarily on the few shortcomings in "Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding", I believe that all, but the most advanced builders will find the information invaluable. The inability to find lower priced plans for a 15-20', chine, heavy displacement boat might force a newer boatbuilder to some of the instant, keel-less, light displacement boat designs promoted by Harold Payson and, in particular, Jim Michalak.

This book is just what it says a book on building a boat at home yourself. If your interested in building a boat you need this book. He directs most of this book towards large boats 30 to 60 feet but you can apply alot of this to smaller craft. He explains how you can build cheap and substitue materials to save money.

This is fine reading and a must for all considering building your own boat. As we say in the Elevator Trade, "That man know more tricks than a two-dollar ho!", ho ho Merry Christmas. Book is full of useful info and the book list in back is also how I found Harold "Dynamite" Payson's book 'Boat Modeling'...for building small versions from any plans using real boat building techniques. Buehler is a winner.

This book is broken down into 70-something wonderful pearls of wisdom and advice-some practical, some nurturing, and some just pointing out where we can appreciate the "now". I would recommend this book for anyone, especially if you have a shorter attention span (each chapter is 2-3 pages), or if you're short on time (you can read a chapter at a stoplight or in line). Excellent insight and wisdom!

A friend of mine gave me "Creating a Charmed Life" last year and told me that she used it to read a chapter at a time to her staff at work. I found myself reading each chapter or essay in a similar manner and enjoyed it very much. So this Christmas I bought two copies to give to friends with the same advice. It has a calming effect in the harried life.

I spotted this book when I was going through a particularly difficult period in my life. (I read the book and truly felt inspired to make changes and to become more accepting of myself and others. I refer to the book all the time-it's like my own little pocket guide to life. Yes, I bleieve in God and have faith but I'll admit, I waiver. I grew up in a house where my mother did not have the skills or confidence in herself to be able to enjoy her own life or teach her daughters to enjoy theirs. If I am lucky enough to have children I will make sure I teach them these principles. Thank you, Victoria Moran for helping me wake up and enjoy life.

This can be useful: to keep this book on your shelf and open it to a fun suggestion at random. It lists ways to treat yourself as a way of reminding yourself to be good to yourself at regular intervals.

But it may only work if you're a very girlie kind of gal: this is something I don't usually notice unless it's very pronounced as it is here. The author's idea of a good time is to dress up with hat and gloves and call all her best girlfriends and go out for a traditional English tea and then to get pampered at the neighborhood spa. I myself would find that a total ordeal!

So, even though she has some good insights, she and I don't have much in common, and this book struck me as more outer-oriented and materialistic than her Lit From Within book, which I would recommend, and which concentrates on inner peace.

I have read this book and loved every chapter!....and I am purchasing a dozen, one for every female on my Christmas list, friends, neices, mother-in-law, setp-mom, etc..... I feel relieved that I am not the only female who feels this way. I especially like Chapters 8, 12, 31, 44....all of them ! This is the book you will read over and over again !!!! Thank you Victoria !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Debbie

I recommend this as a reference for anyone interested in Iaido/Iaijutsu. One word of caution, though: there's many schools of Iaido, so some of the material presented herein will or will not apply to your particular school. However, the background and philosophy material are applicable throughout.

It is a great reference for anyone who wants to learn about martial arts history, bushido or start in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu. Highly recommended!

...Let's face it everyone. You are not going to learn the kata from this book. The book is helpful for remembering them by Name and by Bunkai, helping you keep the cirriculum sorted out in your head, but to learn the kata correctly you will need instruction from a sensei. If there is no chance of instruction, like no dojo within a long distance, I recommend all you self-teachers purchase the MJER videos from the 'Sei Do Kai online catalog'. These are the best videos on MJER I've ever seen, with superbly detailed demonstrations and bunkai. Without the demonstrations and descriptions by a teacher on a video like that, you have no hope of gaining even mediocre mastery of the system without personal instruction.

For those who are recieving instruction the book is perfect, since the kata descriptions are mostly for reflection after being taught firsthand. As mentioned by the other reviewers, the best aspects of Flashing Steel are the Philosophy section and the Kihon. These will help you learn the purpose and fundamentals of Iaijutsu, but for the kata, this or any other book will always be insufficient on their own.

I give the book five stars because it is definitely a great read and reference, but don't buy this thinking it is all you need to master Iaijutsu. Too many people make that mistake. Just look at YouTube.

A well written book with good hints for those who are well qualified in Iaido and just need some very details about the Katas. The book covers all levels and all major Katas. Probably due to size limitations the number of pictures are less than enough to follow in detail the actions. The posing helping staff in the pictures are beginners which greatly hinder the understanding of the real meaning of the bunkai (applications).

If you are, or ever have been interested in the art of samurai sword fighting, this book is definately for you! It has great introductory chapters discussing the samurai/eishin-ryu-jutsu philosophy and way of life, as well as excellent instruction on cutting techniques. It gives you a new respect and outlook on life, and teaches you to truly respect your katana; if, in fact you have one; as an entity of its own, as well as an extension of yourself. If you have ever been interested in samurai swordsmanship, BUY THIS BOOK!!!!

Gincy Self Bucklin is the trainer I wish I had had all these years I've spent riding! I have been training with qualified instructors for 18 years, and I have still learned SO much from this book. I cannot say enough about this book and its sequel. This book is wonderful and it FAR exeeded my expectations. I only wish I had these books when I first began riding - I could have saved so much time, trouble and bad habits!

I reccommend this book to everyone who rides and loves horses, whatever level, whatever style. I first bought it because, in my youth having ridden wonderfully kind horses that pretended like I knew how to ride, I wanted to get back into riding when I was in my late fifties. After a year of lessons with a well-qualified instructor, the school horse I was riding got fed up with my mistakes and sent me sailing. Two operations and two years of physiotherapy later, I went back, just to make a point. It took me a year to get back to about where I was before the accident. Then I hit a block. I didn't seem to be making any progress, in spite of two or three lessons a week. That is when i read this book and a lot of lights came on. Gincy's "active hand" transformed an irritated,head-tossing horse to a calm, attentive partner. Once I grasped her explanation of lateral centering, the horses I rode stopped cutting corners. My instructor and the people I ride with started paying me compliments on my position and my progress. I continue to read and reread her books, and the lights are still coming on. Some people may complain about the detail, but if that's the particular problem you're working on, you want all that detail. Someone commented that Gincy writes for instructors, to help them be better teachers, but if you don't have an instructor, or if he knows it all and doesn't think he has to read books, students can learn directly from the book. As Gincy mentions, many instructors know what you should be doing, but don't know how to explain to a student how to do what is an automatic reflex for an advanced rider. It's certainly helped me to understand why my instructor was always saying "shoulders back, heels down!" etc. I reccommend it to my friends, but as someone else mentioned, it's not a book you can lend, because it doesn't come back. And perhaps the best thing about the book is Gincy's wonderful attitude towards horses and understanding their behavior. I found that Gincy accomplishes everything she set out to do in her introduction.

How Your Horse Wants You to Ride: Starting Out, Starting Over

If our horses could have a verbal conversation with us, it would be about how they want us to ride on their backs. So, if that is the information you are looking for, this book will do that for you. Coming to horses late in life, with only weekend trail riding and no ownership in my background, learning to train my horse and ride her has, at times, been overwhelming. All bad habits that horses have are from bad training, not from stubbornness or naturally occurring mean spiritedness. Every interaction we have with our horses teaches them something, good or bad. Gincy is a patient person, I know from interacting with her on her Riding with Confidence list group on Yahoo. She has great insights into muscle memory, fear, breathing, etc. and the way those things cause horses to react in one way or another. How Your Horse wants you to ride is not a quick fix answer. It is deep and thoughtful requiring work on the part of the owner/rider. The reward is as great and worth striving for. After all, if you have a horse, you want to have fun with it, not be fearful of it.

This book has inspired me to work on bareback exercises this summer to retrain my balance. I'm sure my horse will thank me. Having ridden with the author when I was a teenager (40 years ago), I remember the value of the bareback riding after this book reminded me. I have tried to read Sally Swift's "Centered Riding" but just didn't engage me. This book has and I will be applying the lessons to myself.

I started riding quite late in my life and this book has been a great help to me. Whenever I encounter a problem I consult it again and it always gives me new ideas which work. I like especially the mixture of at home, on the ground and on the horse exercises. You can try basics safely first before you mount your horse. I am a Western rider and although its focus is English riding I was able to use it.

When it comes to martial arts, kendo is my second choice after karate. If you plan to enter a kendo dojo, read this book first. It introduces you to the world of this great art and makes you want to practice it even more. I recommend you the both: to read the book and to perform the art.

Anticipating the start of Kendo classes, I ordered this book to get an overview of what to expect, what to do, and how to do them. The book is well translated by Angela Turzynski, and makes for a quick, easy read. Segmenting the chapters into snippets is perfect for one studying, and not looking to get an overly drawn-out explanation of procedure and custom.

Not looking to memorize the entire book, I went through the book rather quickly to pick up the basics and have a small understanding for the first lesson. Upon entering the class, after the first practice the sensei asked me if I had studied Kendo before, which I had not. I attribute this compliment to "Kendo-The definitive guide". When I learn something new, I can also come back to the book and review in more detail what the move entails without having to drag the class down with questions.

In the appendix you can even study scoring, refereeing, terminology, and get a list of Kendo associations near you.

The book has good illustrations to show you the different strikes and the katas for Kendo. This is a good suppliment for any new student to help review what they learned in the dojo. It is also good for experts to have the names of the techniques and the rules for the tournaments. The book is a complete guide. The Heart of Kendo and Kendo: Elements, Rules and Philosophy is good if you want to know the history of Kendo.

This guide is a must have for any kendoka, with correct and up-to-date information on the IJKF rules, techniques and theory. I highly recomend it.

but still a very good guide yes... i have very much intrest in kendo but don't have the chance to do it here... no clubs near or far... i do iaido that is... and i can imagine how it must be...


but then again, i can not really tell if it's a good book for people with years of experience...

Nice, colorful, easy to read and has 40!!! stickers, which are the most important part after the kid reads the book. Organized in one full book.

I have recommended these books to all of my friends. They have helped my 4-year-old (born October) read and he LOVES to read them every day, twice a day. He can read sentences with ease like "I want a plane and a crane" or "The hot dog is on a log." In a matter of one month he's learned to read. The stickers offer a great incentive and make it so much fun for him. I have bought these for kids birthday presents (they have enough toys already, right!) and have 5 of them at my home. I wish there were more!

Great for blossoming readers. My kindergartener is really enjoying these funny short books. He loves seeing what happens next as he sounds out new words. My only complaint is that in this series as well as the level 3 the font isn't appropriate for new readers. The "g" is cursive looking & is very confusing. Don't know why that changed from the pre-readers & level 1&2, disappointing.

The best way to expose your child to reading. My daughter reads a couple books on most nights and she has improved dramatically over the past months. She enjoys reading the stories and putting a sticker on each time she does. Every parent that cares about education should get these books for their kids.

I bought this for my 4 yr old after having used the first two sets of Bob Books (scholastic). Now I'm Reading!: Amazing Animals is an excellent next step! Amazing Animals introduces long vowel sounds and vowel pairs (digraphs) in managable chunks.

This set is great for kids who are intimidated by the usual graded learning-to-read books (like Danny and the Dinosaur) or books which rely on the repitition of longer sight words.

Younger readers benefit from these short funny texts with lots of words worthy of sounding out. The illustrations and vibrant colors have kept my dughter enthused through out.

Young children can learn to read too with patience and these great books.

One of my students wrote the following review:
If you are a baseball fan you should read this book. This book is about a kid with a power. He can go back in time. He goes to 1919 to make the White Sox win the World Series by not letting Shoeless Joe Jackson take money. What will happen next?
It was so fun to read it! I couldn't stop reading this book. It is a long book but it is fun when you read it. There are more books that this author wrote about baseball.
-Brian

The book I am reviewing is Shoeless Joe & Me written by Dan Gutman. I think this book deserves five stars because Dan Gutman doesn't stretch the book and he does not rush it. This book is about a boy named Joe Stoshack who can travel through time with baseball cards. The problem in this story is that when Joe had lost a game because of a bad call, he complains to the sponsor of his team, Flip Valetini. He says that it wasn't fair, and Flip tells him about the Black Sox sandal and Joe Jackson. Now he wants to fix it. But the rest... you will have to figure out. I would recommend this book to anyone from 3rd to 5th grade that loves fantasy books.

Shoeless Joe was a fun book to read. It was about baseball. He was a good player but did not have power. I liked this book because it was about baseball. He was a player on the White Sox. The story was in Chicago where Shoeless Joe was a famous baseball player.
The kid in the book went back in time. The boy wanted to meet Shoeless Joe, so he went to the store to buy the card. Then he packed his tooth brush and clothes. Then he went to his room. Then he hugged the card and went back to the past. This was the most exciting part of the book.

Shoeless Joe and Me is one of my favorite books! The book is about a kid who can Time-Travel by using Baseball Cards. He tries to go back in time to stop the Black Sox Scandal. The Black Sox Scandal was when 8 players on the White Sox were tricked by gamblers into losing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds on purpose.

Even if you don't like Baseball, I'm sure you will love this book. I loved it SO much that I couldn't take my face away from the book. I recommend this book to ANYONE, as long as they love a good book. It is part of a series, which include:

Honus and Me
Jackie and Me
Babe and Me
Mickey and Me
Abner and Me
Satch and Me

Haven't you ever wanted to go back in time to prevent something that happened to you? Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of the best baseball players in 1919. His career was destroyed by a gambling scandal. Joe Stoshack was a young boy and he heard about the famous player from a guy named Flip who worked at the baseball card shop he always went to. Flip told Joe that Jackson was not allowed to make the Hall of Fame because of the scandal he was in. Flip gave him Joe Jackson baseball card and the little boy thought to himself what it would be like to go back in time to see what the scandal was all about and even maybe prevent it from happening. He thought if it works in movies then it should work now. The next day Joe Stoshack found himself going back to the 1919's and found Joe Jackson at the stadium. He talked to Joe and asked him to leave the game before it started. He told Joe if he didn't something bad would happen. He told Joe he came back from the future and he knew that if the great Joe Jackson did anything to lose this game, he would never get all the rewards he deserved. He wanted to prevent the "Black Sox Scandal" from happening so Shoeless Joe Jackson could get into the Hall of Fame.
I would rate this book a 5, on a scale of 5, with 5 being the best. Grades 4th and up would love it and its great family story.