Beginners Books

This is an easy-to-read book about being caught inside on a nasty day. My 1st grader read this book to the family on a cold, nasty February Saturday morning. It was a great "text-to-text" connection to have a book about being trapped inside on a weekend morning--we could totally identify. And later, the book inspired my kids to make their own couch-cushions fort instead of complaining about being bored!

The Henry and Mudge books are such a wonderful series. The charming water color and ink pictures--and the realistic kid adventures--create an engaging experience for early readers. The author does an almost magical job relaying the fears, temptations and ambitions of childhood. Also, many kids can identify with Henry's passionate love for his big dog, Mudge. Plus, this series will appeal to both boys and girls.

The series is at the 1st grade reading level. This book is a "chapter" book (not a "baby" book) with 3 Chapters, and about 40 pages of half text, half artwork. (Just to give you an idea of the reading level, the Henry and Mudge books are easier than Magic Tree House, but harder than the advanced Bob books.)

Note: you might want to purchase Henry And Mudge First Book before this book or with this book. It introduces the characters used in the rest of the series.

Enjoy!
P. Gould, co-author of Feeding the Kids: The Flexible, No-Battles, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family (Fork and Spoon Field Guides) (Fork and Spoon Field Guides)

I really like this book--how the parents think that Henry is important enough for their time and energy, how they eat pizza, how the dog just chews a boot and is a sweet, goofy dog. Rylant captures "real" family life and the importance of our kids, and I thank her for that.

I love the story line. A family working together on a yukky weekend minus the TV to do something fun. I esp. loved the picture of mom sitting at the table reading the paper while dad and son were building the castle in the basement. My kindergartener loved it! We will definitely read more of these books!

Our names are Luisa, Casey, Tom, Joshua, Tim, Megan, Alex, and Janae. We read Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend. Here is our summary of the book: Henry and Mudge got up one Saturday Morning in February and looked outside. The weather was disgusting. They couldn't go outside and there was nothing to do. Everything was boring to Henry and Mudge. They were so bored that Henry and Mudge went to sleep on the couch with Dad. Henry's mother had the idea to make a castle out of the big refrigerator and stove boxes. Henry, Mom, and Dad started making the castle. Mom drew, Dad cut, Henry stapled, and Mudge chewed an old boot. The family woke up the next morning and started to work on the castle. Mom read the newspaper and drank coffee. Henry and his father finished the castle. They showed it to Mom. It looked nice. It looked like a real castle. Mom, Dad, Henry, and Mudge had a good weekend!

Here is a well-rounded, nicely illustrated guide to classic Hollywood flicks from the '30s to the 1960s. In terms of coverage, there aren't many surprises; all the "usual suspects" are here but as an introduction to some ageless films, it's a nice piece of work.

Author Afton Fraser divides the films into various chapters: Must See, Drama, Suspense, Film Noir, Good Guys & Bad Guys, Comedy, Screen Teams and so on. Each film typically gets two pages of coverage, a mixture of text and four-six photos. Aside from a short plot summary, brief production notes, information on the stars and tidbits on the movie are given. Each section is preceded by a one-two page summary on why Fraser picked the films found in that section.

The book is sub-titled 'A Guide for the Beginner and the Aficionado.' I think it would be most useful for those people wanting to learn about America's rich cinematic history.

Recommended.

This is a book for everyone, for those that grew up with the Film Noir and those that would like to discover anew the B&W film era. The photos are beautiful and the information about each film intriguing. I recommend it highly, I will give several as Christmas presents to relatives this year.

This is the best list of "must see" films that I have ever seen. It is written by a movie star's wife, who knows many of the old stars, and provides their favorites lists.

This book is amazing! This book is written by Brendan Fraser's (The Mummy) wife. This book has 15 chapters. Some of the chapters are Must See, Drama, Suspense, Comedy, Romance, Tearjerkers, One of a Kind, Musicals, Westerns, and Screenteams. Also on each new chapter she has on the side of the page a list of movie stars' picks of classics. It's their must-see list! This book even has a preface by the "Million Dollar Mermaid" herself, Esther Williams. The book includes a lot of never before seen photos. Another great thing about this book is on each movie, Mrs. Fraser includes info on Oscar awards, gossip, info on the leading stars, quotes, and info on screen teams (it shows info on what other movies the stars did together). This book is great for beginners who want to see old movies or just great as a gift for that special movie lover. Afton Fraser did a great job on this book and I hope she does another one! If you love old movies buy this book!

Tells the story of how Spiderman came to be. Although simplified, it deals with the issues of not fitting in, being ridiculed and bullied. My four year old loves this book and it is short enough that it holds his attention without being too basic.

My son absolutely loved this book, deals w/ bullies Spider Man encountered.

Maybe you've heard of me.
Maybe you've seen me.
I am Spider-Man.

Above is the first page of this beginning reader. The writing is representative of the next 27 pages--contractions and some multi-syllable words add a bit of challenge to one who is just learning how to read, but the best thing about it is that it's fun!

The emphasis is NOT on simple writing. The emphasis is on the story, which is a simplified version of the first Spider-Man movie: the Green Goblin only shows up in one picture and is not named--the book emphasizes how Peter Parker became Spider-Man and what he can do now that he's been bitten by a "man-made spider".

My young son summed it up best when he said, "This is a SUPER book, Mommy. And I can read it myself!"

hi it's me again. well this book is a fun book to read for anyone. it is based off the new spider-man movie. well anyway it's just a real fun book to read it's like reading the movie before it's even out. i recomend this book to you..yeah thats right i am talking to you! fun book

This was the best PEANUTS book I have ever read! All my friends wanted to borrow it from me but I told them that they could get a copy on www.amazon.com.

This book turned out to be better than I thought. I was expecting a thin paperback, but it is chock full of delightful Peanuts Gang antics. A Great Deal!!

This book is great. It shows most of the Peanuts strips for the year of 1992. It has some awesome strips, like the one where it shows Marcie without her glasses, something I had never seen before(her eyes look just like everybody else's). The only complaint that I have is that it doesn't show most of the Sunday strips in the year. But other than that, this book is a great collection for any Peanuts fan!

Another great collection of Peanuts strips. A single year's worth in a single volume. Hundreds of laughs that will tug your heart.

We have had this book since our girls were infants. We read it to them from the time they were able to sit up -- at all times, they have loved looking at the pictures, listening to the rhythm of the words, and turning the pages. The ratio of text to page is perfect, and the words correlate perfectly with what they see on the page. The illustrations are adorable. They are now 22 months old, and they continue to love this book. One of our absolute favorites--recommended very enthusiastically!

I've read this book to my son since he was just a baby. He is now 15 months and he still loves the story and illustrations. I've read it so many times that I often recite it from memory when he's upset or trying to fall asleep. This book has gone everywhere with us and I just had to buy our second copy as the first in completely worn out. A perfect gift!

My 3 month old son absolutely beams when I read this book. He has loved it since we first read it a month ago. The text is simple but fun and all the rhymes keep him interested. As he gets older we'll talk about all the animals in the book. I think we'll be reading this one for a long time to come. I highly recommend it.

This is a beautiful board book that I enjoy with every reading to my 9 month old son, and there have been a lot of readings!! Gentle, whimsical watercolor illustrations and a very pleasant, interesting rhymed story. Just lovely!! I would definitely buy this as a gift for anyone with a baby or young child, whether it's springtime or not! This is a keeper that I hope my son will read to his children.

You are rotten, you are crummy
nasty, smelly, and a dummy
you are absolutely awful
and your breath should be unlawful.

You are ugly, you are simple,
and your brain is like a pimple,
you should soak your head in brine....
WON'T YOU BE MY VALENTINE?

The above is titled VALENTINE FOR A FRIEND and it's from this excellent book for early readers. It's true my son is a little too young (almost three) to understand all the words, but he likes the poetic sounds. Maybe he'll grow up into a poet. Of course, most of the poems are not about rotten, crummy dummies, the one above just happens to be my favorite.

Mr. Prelutsky has penned a nice little book that is perfect for reading to a two-year-old child before he or she falls off to sleep. I used to read this one sometimes at naptime. The soothing sounds of the rhymes would put Devon to sleep. Of course now, nothing does. He just plain hates naps. Something about being almost three.

Also the pictures inked by Mr. Yossi have kept my son pointing at the pages and identifying things he knew or has just learned. That's important in a kid's book, illustrations they like. All in all you cannot go wrong with this book, not if you have a child. They'll love it. Devon does.

This is a great children's book. It is filled with Valentine's Day poems for kids of all ages. The poems are simple and easy to read, and theres pictures for each one, too. This book will surely bring happiness to your next Valentines Day.

I love this book. My mom used to read it to me when I was small, and it has always been one of my favorites. I lost my original book many years ago but now that I am an aunt I have searched high and low to relocate it as a gift for my nephew. The short stories in the book are touching as well as humorous and have a way of gripping readers both young and old!!

Jack Prelutsky has a talent for writing silly little poems about everyday things, bringing delight to young and old alike! In this book, he gives poetic justice to Valentine's Day in the most lighthearted way. My sons, now teenagers, were all fortunate enough to be introduced to this book, Jack Prelutsky, and poetry in general, by their first-grade teacher. They spent many happy moments reading these poems depicting a child's view of Valentine's Day...and I enjoyed them as well! Put this one on your list!

My son got this book as a gift from his teacher. It instantly became a big hit. He loves the rhythm and flow of the book and giggles every time we read it.

My son first read this as a Kindergartener last year. He was so proud that he could read it all by himself with very little help from us! He would laugh and giggle at Big Dog Bill's antics. That is one of the best sounds a parent can hear!

It does not have the star sticker rewards that some books have, but I bought our own star stickers and he earned a star for each time he's read it. He has at least a dozen stars on the inside cover of the book.

I teach first grade and was looking for material for my small reading groups. This will be perfect. The author tells a cute story that I know my students will enjoy, using simple words, most of which they've learned by this point in the year (second quarter). Excellent illustrations are used to support the limited text. I just ordered 5 more copies. :)

Sample pages:
p.1 Jack and Jill and Big Dog Bill go up, up, up the hill.
p. 7 At the top, they stop.
p. 21 "Oh, no," say Jack and Jill. "Bill will not go!"

This book was the first book my daughter ever picked up and read entirely on her own. She beamed with pride as she was able to sound out every word. It's simple story and helpful pictures gave her such a sense of accomplishment as she mastered her very first story. This book will have a place of honor on our bookshelf as my little reader speeds onto other more complex books and continues to develop a love for books.

My husband bought this book on a whim at a bookstore, and my daughter has loved it ever since ! We began to read it to her at the age of 18 months, and it really encouraged her to learn about James. She would often make the buzzing noise whenever we arrived to that area in the book. The book has become a favorite in her collection. The reason that I gave it 4 stars, rather than 5 stars, is that the paperback version can become a little ragged after many readings, but I always feel that this is a mark of a beloved book!

My 2 1/2 year old son loves the "Thomas" books in the Step into Reading series, but James Goes Buzz Buzz is his favorite by far. My wife and I bought it for him for St. Nicholas's day (along with 3 others listed below), and since then he has read it every day, multiple times a day, and like the another reviewer's son, he knows the words. He liked them all so much, we could not resist buying him three more for Christmas.

For early readers and Thomas fans, this book is a must, as well as "Happy Birthday Thomas", "Thomas and Percy and the Dragon", and "The Great Race".

Just a Note: There is a mistake in the text. Poor Trevor is described as a "Tractor Engine". How ridiculous. Trevor is a "Traction" engine. Ok...I feel better now. LOL.

In any case... we love these little books. Despite what the recommended age ranges suggest they a good for younger Thomas lovers as well. The drawings are colorful and the stories are fun and amusing; and as the previous reviewer has noted, young children can 'read' this themselves after a few times through.

"Step 2" refers to the Preschool through Grade 1 reading range, which means "Reading with Help". Sentences are short with 'basic vocabulary'.

An example from the book:
"Bees are very loud!" said James.
"Do not make them mad," said Trevor. "They may sting you!"
"Hmmmph!" said James. "I am not scared of a bunch of bees!"
James puffed off.

Hopefully the above will help you gage whether this book is appropriate for your child. My suggestion though would be to get the book anyway. If they can't read it now, they will be able to in the future.

Five stars. One of the Classic Thomas Stories.

This book is one of my 3 yr old son's favorites. After hearing
it only twice he is now "reading" it to us. The pictures are very bright and colorful and bring the story to life. A great gift for any Thomas fan. Also check out Thomas, Percy and the Dragon and Happy Birthday Thomas in this series. We've read them so much we may have to get new copies...

Sherry Shahan's 'The Jazzy Alphabet' is the hippest A-B-C ever to hit the streets. This alphabet is really cookin' hot or cool. It's the only boogie-boppin', singin' and rompin' family of letters around. The text is rhythmic and with it in the blues jargon. Parents you may have to tell your little ones what some of those jazzy words are, like: cuttin' the rug, jazzy jingle, juba and jive and mad-dog tooter. Each page has items that the children can identify by the matching letter. The muscially-inclined orchestra will get your toes tapping in no time.

Here's a sample:

Abazaba alley cat
and boogie-woogie bebop a boogaloo.
Bim-bam blues!

Cool cats cuttin' the rug with
a clip-clop clappin' happenin'.
D's on the drums,
down and dirty.
"Dig it! Dig it!"

This may sound racy to some for a little child. Someone has to explain to me what down and dirty means? Just to give some parents a clear judgement of the lingo in the book. Other than that it's a cool book. A nice collection for folks like me who loves musically-inclined alphabet books. The illustrations done by Mary Thelen are lively and whimiscal collages made with silk-screen Color-Aid papers and gouache-painted textures. The illustrations react with the music text as they dance across the page with that little Razzmatazz! It's the cat's MEOW!

"Abazaba alley cat A, Bebop a boogaloo, bim bam blues..." I wrote that last line from memory, so excuse any mispellings. My son loves this book so much I can do the whole thing from beginning to end in my sleep... the pictures are wonderful, bright and full of detail. Lots of animals to name, objects that begin with the appropriate letter are incorporated into each page, and the people depicted are multicultural. The text is alliterative and rhythmic (NOT rhyming,as one of the print reviews says), and really captures the movement of jazz.

The recommended age is 5-9, but my son has been in love with this book since he was 12 months old. He's 15 months now, and still demands it upwards of 10 times a day. He loves to find the kitty cat and the little boy that are found on every page of the book (except one) and will clap his hands with the rythym.
I just pray our copy will last for more than a year... this book is really getting a workout in our house.

Read it in your best "blues man" voice, and you've got a winner for any preschooler! Va-va-varoom!

"Abazaba alley cat A, Bebop a boogaloo, bim bam blues..." I wrote that last line from memory, so excuse any mispellings. My son loves this book so much I can do the whole thing from beginning to end in my sleep... the pictures are wonderful, bright and full of detail. Lots of animals to name, objects that begin with the appropriate letter are incorporated into each page, and the people depicted are multicultural. The text is alliterative and rhythmic (NOT rhyming,as one of the print reviews says), and really captures the movement of jazz.

The recommended age is 5-9, but my son has been in love with this book since he was 12 months old. He's 15 months now, and still demands it upwards of 10 times a day. He loves to find the kitty cat and the little boy that are found on every page of the book (except one) and will clap his hands with the rythym.
I just pray our copy will last for more than a year... this book is really getting a workout in our house.

Read it in your best "blues man" voice, and you've got a winner for any preschooler! Va-va-varoom!

Sherry Shahan swings through the alphabet, jazz style, and every toe will be tapping on this raucus, fun-filled journey from A to Z. Listen to the boogie-woogie, bim-bam blues. Watch the cool cats cuttin' the rug, and fat cats shuffle to a fine funky beat. Hear that jazzy jam session, or the organ all oozy and bluesy. The piano pitter-patters, plink, the saxophone is swinging, so shimmy and shake, and the woodwinds wibble-wabble woo woo wee. So zip up that zoot suit and get ready to jive..... Ms Shahans clever text is lively and captivating, and filled with energy, rhythm, alliteration, and motion that's contagious. Little ones will be on their feet and moving to the beat. Mary Thelen's bold, bright, and busy illustrations dazzle with vibrant colors and intensity, and youngsters will never tire of exploring each intriguing page. The Jazzy Alphabet is an engaging manic romp, best read aloud and shared, and a definite preschool crowd pleaser. "The jazzy alphabet boogies and sings, hot jazz, cool jazz, pizzazzy street-jammin' jazz. Razzmatazz! It is the cat's pajamas. MEOW!

This tape was not like other relaxation tapes, at least for me. When I listened to it, I was put into such a state of awareness that the exercises in visualization made me cry. You may think that sounds crazy, and I guess it is. But, the "world" that it put me into is one that felt real enough to touch. So, I would recommend this tape to anyone, as crazy as this review may sound. Get the tape. As a spirit on this Earth, you need it.

I obtained this tape upon my therapist's advice in order to better manage stress. There are four 15 minute mediations, each building on the other. The first concentrates on tensing/relaxing exercises and I found them to be wonderful tools. The other mediations contain some of this as well as guided imagery trips through woods, to brooks etc.

I was initially concerned that there might be too much "Celestine" type content but was pleasantly suprised that there was none.

I recommend this tape to anyone who's feeling stressed out and overcome with the challenges of keeping it together day in and day out. Try it at the end of the day and you'll find it really makes a difference!

This one is great. I love it, and so does my family. We enjoy the sweet monotone of the author as she leads you through the woods, around the streams, etc. The music behind her is especially soothing. I have used it many times to calm babies and put myself to sleep as I suffer from insomnia. I dont think anyone would be disappointed in this purchase, although I dont think I would recommend the second tape as it just didnt have the same effect. If you were to only have 1 meditation tape, this would be the one to have.
I have been using this recording in one form or another for several years. Our latest form has been audible.com which I would recommend as well...check it out!

This was the first book/tape I purchased on meditation, and having purchased numerous others since, I keep coming back to this one and wish it were available on CD. It contains 4 15-minute meditations, each building on the one before it, and all are incredibly relaxing, and great for beginners as well as the advanced. Salle Merrill Redfield's voice is very soothing, as are the simple, comforting images she presents. Wonderful after a stress-filled day at work or when trying to relax before bedtime. I would highly recommend The Joy of Meditating to anyone interested in meditation and easing away tension in their life.