Beginners Books

At a sleepover party, Nancy and her friends read a story about a pending alien invasion of Earth! The Queen of Planet Zagon is supposed to be on her way. Sleepovers are a great place for scary stories. Nancy and her crew are ready to forget it all -- until a new substitute teacher shows up in school named Mrs. Zagon!

Sit back and watch the rumors fly, and imagine how Nancy will have a hard time proving to her pals that Mrs. Zagon is not an alien!

Alien in the Classroom is a fun read that young readers will love.

Did you ever think about having an alien in your classroom? Alien in the Classroom from the Nancy Drew Notebooks series is written by Carolyn Keene. Alien in the Classroom is about a girl named Nancy Drew who has to figure out if their substitute teacher is an alien. If she doesn't, Brenda, another girl in her class is going to put the story about an alien in the school newspaper! Can Nancy find out if Ms. Zagon is an alien? Read Alien in the Classroom to find out.
I liked this book because it has a very good ending. It is also a good mystery to solve. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give this book a 9.
I think Carolyn Keene wrote this book to tell kids not to be afraid of aliens.

This book is one of the best books I have read I am 12 and in Australia that means you are a good reader if you read books like this so I dont think you should write that it is for 4 to 8 year olds because in Australia 4 year olds cant read and 8 year olds can bearly read..

I love Nancy Drew Books.I think that they are good books for 8-12.I read the ones for older girls and these are just as good.I liked this one espescially,because it is a very hard mystery.It is Great.If you want a good book,get this book.It is the perfect book!

I am 9 years old. I would reccomend it for ages 8-11. If you are a VERY good reader you can try it at 7. If you are very good at remembering things, at the end of the book there is still something that I couldn't figure out. Try it!

I really liked this book. Ruby the Red Fairy is safe in 'the pot at the end of the rainbow', but now Amber the Orange Fairy is caught in a seashell! Can the feather they found in one of the bags that King Oberon and Queen Titania gave them get her out?

Our 6 year old loves this series. She can't wait for the other books to be released.

my (just turned) 6 year old niece loves these books- she's currently reading the rainbow magic "color" series, i bought her inky and preordered the next few. i have even created a wishlist just for all the books i'm going to order her in the near future. i'm a little confused about the different series, party fairies, weather fairies, jewel fairies etc... but she was VERY particular in telling me- she's reading THIS color series, she didn't express a very definate desire to read the other series. regardless of her interest i'm going to send her a few of each of the series. i'm a little afraid she's going to burn out of these books because there are so many of them. but then again i think i had a hundred baby sitters club books when i was a kid! but for those just as confused as i am----- i'm almost positive that if the kid is saying- "i want rainbow magic!" get them the color fairy's because they seem the most popular and well loved by my niece and all of her school mates. (she goes to an all girl school)

We started this series for our four year old daughter as a read aloud. She can not wait to get the next book and she has us reading the book again and again. We love seeing her soo excited about books!

Kirsty and Rachel already found Ruby...now they found Amber hidden in a seashell! But problem after problem happens...Jack Frost's elves come, and the pot freezes.

Your reviewer,
Lydia, age 9

I remember this book so well from kindergarden!!! I'm almost 18 now, but I still remember a few things from those Amelia Bedeilia books! (forgive me if my memories aren't exact,it's been amost 12 years since I've read one!):

-She stole the base, took it home, & brought it back with cookies!

-She was told to soe the seeds & she literally sewed them in the ground!

-When she was told to draw the drapes so the furniture won't fade, she actually drew them!! And she said you have to "undust the furniture!"

I also remember a girl in my class named Amelia & we all teased her by calling her "Amelia Bedelia", but it was out of love!

By the way, if you (or kids you know) love these books, go read "Eloise" & see the movies!! They're so adorable!!!!!!! <3

This is a great series for a child learning to read. It is filled with mixups that will keep the teacher as well as the student entertained. The stories teach children about "play on words" as well as being able to accept mistakes (because we all make them). This is a great series!

I always loved the stories of Amelia Bedelia as a child. Nothing could make me laugh more. I especially loved when she would try to do housework, and take things a little too literally!

Peggy Parish's Amelia Bedelia series stands as a monument in children's literature --- not only for the young, but for the young at heart as well. Amelia Bedelia is one of the whackiest characters ever conceived ---she's constantly caught up in adventures (or shall we say misadventures) of the most humorous sort. If you love to laugh, I highly recommend these classic tales of mischief, laughter, and delight!

The Amelia Bedelia stories are about a young woman who is hired to work for a wealthy family. Amelia is from the country and gets everything mixed up, almost all the time. Her two saving graces are that she is very kind and a fabulous cook. These simply written books (appropriate for a 7-9 age range) do not seem to provoke the sense of anxiety that many 'crazy mixed-up' books seem to. Best of all, of course, is Amelia Bedelia's name itself.

My 7 yr old daughter loves all of the Amelia Bedelia books, she likes them because they are funny.

One of my favorite books when I was learning to read was the original Amelia Bedelia. It was nice to be able to share the silliness with my own new reader (daughter).

amelia bedelia is very genuine in the sense that she just wants to make people happy but she ends up taking everything literally and doing just the opposite but in a funny way. She "staked" the beans, fed the chickens "scraps"...of cloth! And made "tea" cake that everyone raved over for instance.

This is a very funny book and is especially good to be read to toddlers. When Amelia is asked to stake the beans, she ties steak to them. When she's asked to make a tea cake, she makes one with tea in it. It offers a very good example of how what we say makes all the difference in the world, and whether or not what we are saying is what is being understood. When Amelia is asked to weed the garden, she thinks she's supposed to add more weeds, not "unweed it" as she states in the story. It's a little long - about 50 pages in my edition so it's a little much for a youngster to sit through but if they can do it like mine can, it is a great book to teach. I highly recommend this one.

I think that Amelia Bedelia Helps Out is a good book. Amelia Bedelia is funny. She does everything the wrong way. She feeds the chickens with cloth instead of chicken food. She also makes her Tea cake the wrong way. She didn't pull the right weeds in the garden. I like it because Amelia Bedelia like to help out and I do too.

beautifully illustrated, heartwarming childrens stories. Even though the Angelina stories are geared towards girls, my little boy, at 8, enjoyed these as well, especially when mom read to him. These are good stories to read to your child at bedtime.

The artwork is detailed and delightful to look at-you'll see new things each time you look, and children love that that every scene is filled with many little mice.

This Angelina story deals with a sometimes hard topic to talk about-jealousy. Each book is filled with wonderful life lessons told in a gentle, non preachy way.

I highly recommend this series for any child.
5 stars!

Some of the other reviews mentioned toddler girls liking this book, well I guess some middle-aged "girls" like this book too! I'm almost 50 and don't have kids, but even I enjoyed this book.

I thought there were 2 good lessons presented:

1. Having a boy (Henry) want to dance and be in the ballet.
2. Showing Angelina being jealous, but putting that aside to help Henry when he needed it.

Learning not to stereotype and to forgive are lessons we all need to be reminded of from time to time.

We're slowly working our way through the Angelina Ballerina books, based on the fanatic love of several of my daughter's friends for Angelina. Angelina loves to dance, and gets the opportunity to be in a real ballet as a magic fairy. One slight problem is that Angelina's cousin Harry, who looks very silly dancing, is also in the ballet as an elf. When Harry gets a line, Angelina must deal with her feelings of jealousy.

This is a relatively short book, with some great artwork, that parents won't mind reading multiple times. Like some of the other Angelina books, a part of the story is about Angelina dealing with her feelings, and happily, it all works out in the end.

In this next book in the Angelina Ballerina series, Angelina finds herself pursued by her cousin Henry, who wants to dance just like her. She is overjoyed when an adult ballet asks her and Henry to dance in one of their performances. However, her joy turns bitter, when the other dancers become enamored of Henry, and Angelina finds herself in the background. However, when Angelina decides to soldier on, she finds that things can go her way anyway.

As with the other books, my daughter and I loved this story, and Helen Craig's charming illustrations. A quick read, this book also has a wonderful lesson. We both highly recommend this book.

This was a great book! I especially liked it because I am very much interested in ballet. This book was about a mouse named Angelina and her being invited to perform in a "grown up" ballet. She got a good part just like she wanted, but became upset when her couin Henry got a part and got more attention then her. She felt better though when the star of the ballet gave ger a flower. I think that this book is very good for both children and adults because you can learn a good lesson from it that you can be jelous, but it often doesn't pay to be.

I teach computer classes in Maryland and bought "Ask Mr. Modem" for my classes. I love the book! I love Mr. Modem's lighthearted approach, because I too feel that computers are not mysterious, inhabited beings, but tools or appliances.

The question-and-answer format makes it very easy to read, and you can pick up the book anywhere and just read some questions about email or browsers or any other topic. You don't have to read the book from cover-to-cover, though you probably will.

The questions Mr. Modem answers are questions from real people and it's true what he says, "There is no such thing as a dumb question."

Thanks for a great book, Mr. Modem. I hope you're working on Volume 2.

Mr. Modem has done it again with this new book helping all of us who have questions about our computers and the internet. With a thorough and extensive index and an easy-to-read question and answer format, you'll easily be able to find clear and concise answers to your questions.

How refreshing and what a joy to read a computer book that will make you smile and laugh along the way! Richard Sherman has a gift for demystifying the computer and making it fun. Forget the laborious manuals- just turn to "Ask Mr. Modem".

Five stars and three hearty cheers for Mr. Modem - keep those books coming, as you're the only one we know who can give us clear, easy-to-understand "geekspeak-free" answers. Bless you!

This book is fabulous! I use computers and the web a lot and there are PLENTY of things in this book I find useful. And the price is right: perfect to bring instead of a stupid bottle of wine when you're invited to someone's home for dinner! The recipients of Ask Mr. Modem have been tickled at this gift! Also a perfect holiday gift for someone who I know not that well but wanted to give something. I'm here ordering my fifth copy of the book!

I received a copy of "Ask Mr. Modem!" this past Christmas and it's the best computer book I've ever received (or purchased). I have a shelf of computer books, most of which I can't understand. This book, which is in question and answer format, is very easy to read. Just thumbing through it and seeing all the questions Mr. Modem answers, these are the same questions I've had. It's been a huge help to me and I've already given several copies of it to friends.

Mr. Modem has done it again with this new book as he helps all of us who have questions about our computers and the internet. With a thorough and extensive index and an easy-to-read question and answer format, you'll easily be able to find clear and concise answers to your questions.

How refreshing and what a joy to read a computer book that will make you smile and laugh along the way! Richard Sherman has a gift for demystifying the computer and making it fun. Forget the laborious manuals - just turn to "Ask Mr. Modem".

Five stars and three hearty cheers for Mr. Modem - keep those books coming, as you're the only one we know who can give us clear, easy-to-understand "geekspeak-free" answers! Bless you!

"On Wednesday morning, Josh had a notion. Josh having an idea is not anything new. But this time, it is a notion not like any he has had before. It is a very BIG notion. A very BROWN notion. A very BIG, BROWN, BAG notion..."

While in his bedroom Josh cut holes in a big paper bag. The holes are for his eyes and mouth, he puts the bag over his head and sets out down the stairs for breakfast. His family was a tad surprised.

After breakfast and still wearing his paper bag, Josh leaves for a busy day working at school and taking part in his soccer practice. The adults in his life, parents, teacher, the bus driver, and especially his soccer coach are less than satisfied when they see Josh and bag covered head

All day he hears, 'You can't eat breakfast with a paper bag on your head!' 'You crazy kid! You can't go to school like that!' 'How do you plan to play like that?' and so it goes.

On the other hand, and to the astonishment of the adults, Josh has a pretty successful day. He eats breakfast with little difficulty, gives his book report, in fact he even scores three goals during his soccer game.

At last during dinner, his little sister asks the question all have been wondering: 'Why are you wearing a bag, Josh?'

My resident critics eyed the cover of Baghead with interest. As a teacher of many years' experience; one look at the cover and I was certain what we were going to learn about the boy in the bag.

Jarrett Krosoczka's uncomplicated, amiably entertaining account connects with children from the outset. I like the vivid, expressive illustrations. Individual sketches delivered in broad, layered brush strokes accompany short sentences presented in a childlike script.

Using various colors and font styles set to accompany the current page intrigues children as they follow the narrative. Curiosity piqued by the cover, carries into the reading.

We have now read the tale several times, and it is chosen by little people for free time reading or for taking into a DEAR office for reading during our Drop Everything and Read time.

Fifteen first graders exclaimed in one voice, 'I knew it,' when Josh answered his sister's question

Because I tried to cut my own hair.

Next morning his sister comes up with a very COOL idea per my resident critics. She has a mega hold gel plan and it works just fine. Josh looks pretty cool and happy too with his spiky hair standing up.

I knew we needed this book for our classroom library the moment I saw the cover, so far this year two of our students have come to school with new hair cuts, not of their own making, but worrisome to them none the less as they contemplated life with the new 'do.

One boy didn't want to go against our school no hat rule, on the other hand, his buzz had him very upset. The little girl in the pretty new blunt cut felt shy to remove her 'hoodie'.

We are learning empathy in our first grade. It didn't take long as fourteen classmates praised and exclaimed over how nice the new do looks before the hoodie or the hat disappeared into a back pack.

Writer Krosoczka has provided an excellent tool for classroom use. Every teacher I know or have ever known has had students come to school wanting to disappear into the cupboard, or wishing they had a paper bag in which to hide. Baghead is going to be one of the books I read on the first day of school from now until I no longer am teaching. It will be joining, Stand Back Said The Elephant, I'm Going to Sneeze , which I have used for years to prepare children for the inevitable sneeze, which rattles the windows, and is part and parcel of Mrs. M.

Baghead received 30 thumbs up from Osage County first grade, Mrs. Martin's class. The book is a good choice for the home, classroom, school and public library list. It is a nice addition to a children's pleasure reading collection. Happy to recommend.

Molly Martin
Reviewer

My son loves this story...and reading it together gives us wonderful opportunities to talk about fun new concepts and phrases like "wierd" "spiky" "why - why would a boy wear a bag on his head?" "why would a boy cut holes in the bag first" "what do you think happened to his hair?" etc...It strikes a perfect balance of telling a fun story, while keeping a little bit of mystery for the parents and kids to discuss. Cool ilustrations too.

krosoczka, being both illustrator and author, has created an amazing book. sure to make your child comfortable with their own creativity and individuality. high 5.

Baghead is terrific - fun and funny and engaging on every page, with a surprise ending every kid will adore. I read it to a group of eleven-year-olds, and they loved it, too. What a delightful story - I'm glad I stumbled across this book!

"On Wednesday morning, Josh had an idea. A very BIG idea. A very BROWN idea. A very BIG, BROWN, BAG idea..." After cutting holes for his eyes and mouth, Josh dons a paper bag and heads downstairs for breakfast, and then off for his busy day at school and soccer practice. None of the adults in his life, his parents, bus driver, teacher, or soccer coach is pleased when they see his bagged head... "You can't eat breakfast with a paper bag on your head!" "You crazy kid! You can't go to school like that!" "How do you plan to play like that?" But to their surprise, he has quite a successful day, even scoring three goals during his game. Finally at dinner, his little sister asks the big question we've all been waiting for... "Why are you wearing a bag, Josh?" Jarrett Krosoczka's simple, charming, humorous story engages, and is complemented by bold, bright and expressive illustrations. The inevitable answer to Josh's unusual heargear is revealed at the end, and youngsters 4-8 are sure to enjoy his sister's creative solution to the "baghead" problem.

We have about five books in our Valentine's Day collection, and this is the most requested one, probably because I sing the text like a fool and it makes my kids laugh.

I have the same concerns about this story as the "History of Art Geek" reviewer, but my kids don't seem to care one little bit. I think the pictures look a little messy, and I'm sure some of the vocabulary goes over their sweet little heads, but that doesn't seem to make it any less enjoyable for them (or me).

I got this book for my 2.5 yr old based on a review I read and it IS as good as the review said. My daughter loves the pictures and the song. She loves it so much she brings it to daycare to share with her friends and teacher.

How can I possibly be the first person to review this book? It is absolutely delightful. I sang it to every class in our school last year, to their delight and mine. I was disappointed to realize that I'd probably only be sharing it with the kindergartners this year. But... many who knew it wanted a repeat! Both the verses and the art are clever, and funny. There are enough details to find something new every time. Though I have used Amazon for years, this is the first book review I've ever written. More people should know about this book, because it's a keeper. (Remember if you sing it that the chorus only appears the first time; you'll have to remember it, and when to sing it.)

This is a clever and witty yarn that my boy begs me to read again, and again. And yes, I do sing it, even though I can't carry a tune very well. Tricia Tusa's watercolor illustrations are loosely rendered with lots of movement. She uses economy to express the characters and landscapes, and one might describe them as messy. Her palette is soft with light shades of brown, green and blue with accents of pinky orange for emphasis. Although she's thrifty with the details, the faces are expressive, and alive.

I like this 32-page story, especially when compared to the typical Valentine fare; however, I think some of the vocabulary is overreaching. For example, three-year old children aren't typically familiar with Morse code, cyclones, or quicksand. On the other hand, the lyrical text, and singing attributes warrant extra points. The artwork is messy, but interesting, and the fact that it's now available in paperback throws it into the 5-star category. Fun read for the young and old alike, 2 to 102.

We check out many books from the library, and after two to four weeks, we return them. Our two girls were almost in tears as we returned this one. So, being the soft-hearted-can't-spoil-'em-with-books dad that I am, I ordered this one as a keeper. It's so much fun to sing this book to my toddler and preschooler and have them fill in words that I pause at!

Yes, the pictures are cute and make the girls laught too. Greatest of all, this my mother (Grandma to the kids) loves singing to them as well. Any book that can please toddlers, preschoolers, parents and grandparents deserves an easy *****!

Bottom-line: Don't borrow from the library--buy this book!

I got this book years ago when I worked for the publisher. I've given this book as a gift many times. The illustrations are just breathtaking and whimsical. You will find yourself stopping and searching the pictures in the middle of the story. The story is very nicely done and my kids enjoy it much more than the Dineyized version storybook they have.

I've given this book as a gift many times. The illustrations are just breathtaking and whimsical. You will find yourself stopping and searching the pictures in the middle of the story. This is still one of our favorites. The pictures reveal "the truth" behind what you are seeing going on around Beauty. When Beast is in the scene you see a picture of the Prince in a tapestry scene hanging on the wall. The story is the usual Beauty in the Beast story which is great, it's the illustrations that really bring this version to life.

Jan Brett's illustrations are so colorful and richly drawn that you could tell the story without the words if you wanted to. Her illustrations are magical.
This book is a wonderful telling of the fairy tale. The true meaning of the tale comes shining through. The illustrations bring life to the printed words.
You will love this book.

This version of Beauty and the Beast is well written, beautifully illustrated, and makes the moral point of the story quite clear. It is the nicest I've ever seen. Forget the movie and get this book instead.

Jan Brett's books are always richly and beautifully illustrated. There is always a little extra "story" in the illustrations. In this one, you will be watching the animal servants throughout the book. Pay close attention to the tapestries in the background to see who these animals really are. My favorite are the monkeys. This version is very much like the original French fairy fale, and is well told.

This is the best 2nd book on Esperanto to get! The first book should be David Richardson's or the "Teach Yourself Esperanto" one. Conroy's book should be the 2nd one to get because it's more thorough. There are tons of vocabulary lists, readings and exercises in this one, not to mention a complete treatment of the grammar. Whereas you could complete a basic book on Esperanto in a few weeks, this one will take you at least a few months to work through. For someone who wants to learn the language quickly so they can correspond with other Esperantists worldwide, the pace in this book wouldn't be acceptable. Esperanto IS an easy language to learn, but Conroy's book will take you to the next level and then some!

Overall, this book provides lots of great exercises and a lot of information about the Esperanto movement itself. My only criticisms are: (1) The format of the book is a little difficult to read (the publishers use almost no white space to separate one exercise from another, so everything just runs together. This gives it the appearance of not being well organized and certainly not easy on the eyes), and (2) The English translations of the Esperanto texts are word-for-word. This was probably done intentionally, to give the student a literal translation of Esperanto's word-building rules, but it can also make the translations seem stilted and unnatural. However, if you can overlook the less than ideal textual formatting of the book (the publisher's fault, not the author's!) and don't mind literal, word-for-word translations, then you'll certainly benefit from the lessons, readings and detailed information (including addresses) of various organizations in the Esperanto movement.

This book was effectively used in an Esperanto Workshop (credit available)at University of Hartford,CT, a very few years ago. The author was obviously a talented teacher, and his experience at teaching shows in the book. It may not be ideal for the absolute beginner self teaching, but it is not easy to fault. The references and examples interspersed add greatly to understanding the language, its purpose,and its functions. As a college professor emeritus (University Of Connecticut) I have read this book and seen it "in action" although I have not directly used it in my limited teaching of Esperanto. I truly like Conroy's book. (I've been familiar with the language for many years, and have used it a few times outide the United States. )

Studying Esperanto is most enjoyable and a relatively easy language to learn. However, gathering information relating to this international culture was a daunting task until I discovered Beginner's ESPERANTO by J.F. Conroy. It was like finding 'gold'! Not only is it a comprehensive text book, but also an inspirational reference guide into the world of Esperanto. My only criticism is that, while each of the lessons has its own helpful word list, a dictionary at the end of the book would have been extremely useful.

With nothing else to work with, I bought this book and started my studies of this wonderful language. The lessons are easy to read and the vocabulary is eloquently interjected to make remembering easy. With this book, one can pick it up at any time and just read for five minutes. This book also includes questions at the end of each section to quiz you on what you've learned. It's amazing at how you work up a good vocabulary base so quickly. A definate yes if you're trying to learn Esperanto. Even good for younger readers (I'm sixteen and love it!).