Studios Books

On first glance, this book is a slightly smaller than the average
glossy cookbook, you know the kind - almost ready to feature as
a coffee table book, rather than a cookbook that goes on your shelf.

That kind of cookbook has really become a standard trend.

Unlike allot of other cookbooks, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book gets right to the point. There is no lengthy forward, just a few pages mentioning Melissa Murphy's schooling and where she has gotten her restaurant experience.

She explains her love of baking and why she bakes certain items at her bake shop - Sweet Melissa Patissarie in New York, which has been going strong for 10 yrs .

Reading the forward is enough to make you love this cookbook even more. The forward really sets the tone, and you began to see Melissa's thoughtfulness shine through in each and every recipe she features in this book. The recipes are all easy to follow and have detailed instructions from the procedure, through baking of the final product.

When it comes to cookbooks the trend is to have a glossy full size picture on every other page. This sometimes can deter the purpose of a cookbook - to showcase the recipe it's self. The Sweet Melissa Baking Book is mainly recipes, with a short insert of assorted glossy pictures, but the pictures in noway detract from the main purpose of this cookbook.

As for skill level, I would say that this book is great for all skill levels --- just pack a love of baking and an attention to details, so your recipes will come out just as yummy as they sound in this book.

As you start to delve into the contents, you will notice throughout the book Melissa offers her commentary with personal antidotes on how she feels about the baked goods, she features in each chapter. Also throughout the book there are special notations with instructions to "do it like the pros".

My favorite recipes from this book include: Hot Pepper Muffins with Orange Maple Butter ; Guinness Gingerbread; and Raised Waffles with warm brown sugar bananas,Pear Cranberry Pie with Ginger Snap Crust, Strawberry-Ruby Grapefruit preserves.

I think that The Sweet Melissa Baking Book is a purchase well spent. It will become a favorite addition to any cookbook or baking library.

I love this book! Melissa is gifted and I appreciate her sharing these lovely recipes. As far as dessert books go, it is kind of humble--no lavish photography--but the straightforward recipes make up for it. I have a ton of great dessert books causing my kitchen and sunroom bookshelves to buckle, but could not resist adding this one when I read about it online. I received it on Thursday and by today (Monday), I have made the banana bread and the chocolate sour-cherry cookies. Both are fabulous. (BTW, Melissa is right, the blacker the banana, the better.) My husband is diabetic (a great irony for a sweets lover and baker like me), so i cut down the sugar in the banana bread to 1/4 cup......it is just so delicious. I used blood oranges for the fresh orange juice the recipe calls for. The chocolate cookies are my favorite kind of recipe--rich, chocolate and shaped into logs that can be kept in the freezer. On schoolday mornings,I can bake one or two for my daughter's lunch--as I did today. (She is in seventh grade.) I cannot wait to try the black-bottom brownies and the espresso cheesecake. Yum!!!

Visually lovely book enhances the reading of some delicious recipe treasures that Miss Murphy shares with the reader. Her anecdotes of childhood memories make for pleasant and heartwarming reading. The coconut custard pie is one of the best I've ever made. I had the pleasure of buying and giving the book to several women in my family.

As a devotee of the madeleines at Sweet Melissa, I was excited to try her recipe from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. I'm not someone who just happens to have things like madeleine molds or hazelnuts just laying around the house. Nor am I a gifted separator of egg whites or recipe follower. However, after two hours of refrigeration and fifteen minutes in the oven, 24 perfect chestnut honey madeleines lay cooling on my kitchen counter. Moist, sweet, and perfect for dusting with sugar. Though my version was not quite as good as the one Melissa makes in her bakery, I place the blame squarely on my shoulders. Her recipe was clear and easy, and the madeleines were believably baked by a pro.
This is my first (only) dessert cookbook, and I don't think I'll need another.

Oh, I cannot tell you enough how much I am enjoying "The Sweet Melissa Baking Book". Especially, The Chocolate Malted Layer Cake ...oh does it live up to its name. It has a whole cup of malted milk powder in the frosting. I could have ate the icing with a spoon and then died utterly content. The cake is moist, tender and absolutely chocolate-y. Paired together, it's a too die for combination.

There are a myriad of recipes in the book that I want try. So many recipes, so little post-its. Yes, the book is under attack by post-its. Almost every single recipe has a post-it on it to remind me "I must try this soon".

There are over a 100 recipes in the book! The book is divided into six chapters: dessert for breakfast, after school snacks, birthday, and gifts and so on. The recipes are written in a manner that allows one to "set-up" their "mise en place". Melissa even offers "pro-tips" which I found extremely helpful. Simply a great book packed full of recipes and tips that can only lead to stunning delicious desserts.

I never read this book as a child. I only read it when I was buying the Trixie Belden books for my daughter, thinking she would enjoy them. Wrong! But I enjoyed this one. I loved the character of Mary Smith, the farmer's wife. I could read the parts about her over and over. Definitely worth the price of the book! Of course, this is from an adult perspective. Still, I think kids will love her, too. Everyone has a female friend and/or relative just like her--fat and cuddly and verrry talkative!

People don't get half a million dollars everyday, and respond by running away from it. Trixie's friend Jim did just that. His step father had been very cruel to him, so Jim ran away. Just after his house that he was to inherit burnt to the ground leaving him with $500,000. Everyone thought he burnt down with the house, but only Trixie and her friend Honey knew he was alive. So she and Honey set out in their trailer to the place Jim allways talked of going to find a summer job. On the way there they heard word about a missing trailer. Their suspicions arose when a family camping next to them had the exact trailer! As they travel to the area to find Jim they pick up clues on where he'd been. When they finally wind down the case they find Jim working for a farmer along with the Father who stole the trailer. Who was actually only borrowing it from his nieghbor without him knowing. When the nieghbor heard this, he told them that he would be happy to give them the trialer (He was rich). This book was interesting and cliff hanging, that anyone could read.

Even though this book was good, I found it to be a little predictable. There were other trailer thefts going on at the time which Trixie and Honey just happened to be involved with. When they found the thefts hide out (an old barn) they took too much time in their and BINGO the men show up. Trixie and Honey climb into the loft to wait the two men out. The men, like most other thiefs are stupid and don't notice anything. And like most other partners in crime, get into fights all the time. After ten minutes of fighting Honey just happens to sneeze. But just before the men carry the girls off the police pop in (surprise, surprise). And quincidentally that all happened in the same chapter.

This book was also a little unrealistic. The farmer who Jim worked for had a wife that was very, very fat (Named Mary). Mary owned a locket that had all of her children's pictures were in. The farmer had adopted a crow long ago that he found sick and dying. So they took him in, nursed him, and soon he was well. The crow stuck around and even built a nest near to the house. As you might have already guessed the crow stole the locket. Imagine a crow flying out of a house that out of all things, even food, carrying a locket. In the story there was the family who borrowed the trailer who had a little girl about 4 years old. That family had just had a little black dog that passed away, so the little girl calls any little black dog that roams the earth, hers. Honey has a little black dog, and of course the little girl calls it hers. Near the end of the story Honey gives the girl the dog! It's generous but a little unreal.

Even though this book had it's downs it was still a very interesting book. It was fun to read about all the characters and how much they differ. Like the Farmer's wife and Trixie. Trixe hates keeping the trailer clean and cooking. However that's all the farmer's wife does. Or Honey and the little girl that kept Honey's dog. Honey is kind and generous who would allways help someone. But the little girl on the other hand, is greedy and would rather do anything but help someone else.

This book was a joy to read and all in all adventurous. I had a great time reading it, and I know many others will too. The book had it's ups and downs, but it was still really good. Now it's your turn to pick it up and read it!
A. Lindemann

I recommend this book series of Trixie Belden: The Red Trailer Mystery. It's a story of Trixie Belden and her new best friend Honey Wheeler who just moved up the street from Trixie house.This story is about their friend Jim who ran away, but through the process of this mystery these two run into many different problems.
This story takes place on a farm, but then they have to go to save Jim who ran away.While they are on their rescue trip to save Jim they meet a girl their age, who also runs away because of her parents. So now they have to find two people to find. But one of the problems on this trip is that when they try to solve one problem, they just run into another.
I highly recommend this book to everyone because it has great mysteries to be solved. So if you like great mystery books then I would recommend you buy this book series of Trixie Belden.

I recommend this book series of Trixie Belden: The Red Trailer Mystery. It's a story of Trixie Belden and her new best friend Honey Wheeler who just moved up the street from Trixie house.This story is about their friend Jim who ran away, but through the process of this mystery these two run into many different problems.
This story takes place on a farm, but then they have to go to save Jim who ran away.While they are on their rescue trip to save Jim they meet a girl their age, who also runs away because of her parents. So now they have to find two people to find. But one of the problems on this trip is that when they try to solve one problem, they just run into another.
I highly recommend this book to everyone because it has great mysteries to be solved. So if you like great mystery books then I would recommend you buy this book series of Trixie Belden.

Thirteen-year-old Trixie Belden, and her best friend, Honey Wheeler, couldn't have been more upset when their new acquaintance, Jim Frayne, ran away from Sleepyside, in the hopes that he would not be caught by his abusive stepfather. Unfortunately, Jim took off right before Trixie had the chance to tell him that he was the heir to a huge fortune. Now Trixie and Honey, along with Honey's Governess, are on a trailer trip through upstate New York to locate Jim. However, during their trip they meet up with a family in a red trailer, who couldn't look more upset, and when their eleven-year-old daughter runs off through the woods, Trixie and Honey decide to try and find her as well. But when the two girls meet up with a couple of trailer thieves, they have to try and save themselves, protect all trailer owners, get the trailer thieves arrested, and find Jim and the lost little girl before it's too late. If only the two girls had known that their little trailer trip would turn out to be so full of surprises.

I am a longtime reader of the NANCY DREW series, so when I stumbled across the TRIXIE BELDEN series, I knew that I had to give it a try. I read the first book in the series a few months ago, and loved it, so I decided to get the second book in the series. To my surprise, I loved it even more than the first. Julie Campbell is a marvelous storyteller, whose characters couldn't be more fun and exciting to read about. Trixie is an upbeat girl, who is always getting into trouble; while Honey is more shy, but at the same time loves a good mystery. Fans of mysteries will adore Trixie Belden, and find themselves grappling to read the next book in the series.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

This book is great for beginers and good for someone a little further along. It gives you most airbrush tricks that you'l need to paint whatever you want to paint.

... this is the one.

Covers the mechanical stuff more briefly than many, and has a nice section on fixing problems, including straightening a bent needle. Gets briskly on to the =use= of the thing, and runs a series of exercises to help you get the hang of techniques, including learning how to draw freehand. This guy is not hung up on anal-compulsive frisket cutting, but recommends a "universal mask" you can make out of a styrene or metal sheet that will do for a lot of work.

Service was great and the book was awesome. Answered every question I had and taught me things I never thought of.

I hate to gush but this is, imho, the single best book on airbrushing that I've seen. It covers technique from beginner to advanced. The instructions are straight forward. I suppose they could seem boring if you're an advanced artist. Since I learn from even a rehash of what I already new, I wasn't bored.

Unlike other reviewers, I wasn't disappointed because it doesn't cover painting motorcycles or helmets. The title is fairly straightforward and a good clue to what the book covers. If you're only interested in painting motorcycles, try How to Custom Paint Graphics here on Amazon.

If on the other hand, you see an airbrush as another tool in expressing yourself through art, get this book. Vero is a master at solidifying visualization. He introduced the use of shields and the book contains a template for his design for one of the most versatile shields around.

When you aren't using it for reference, I recommend putting it on the coffee table. People who drop by my apartment are instantly drawn to the cover which features an illustration of Vero's "Study of a Girl". Instant conversation starter!

Rado Vero is recognized as one of the greatest illustrators who ever lived. Reading his thoughts on airbrush and different ways to create are as invaluable as reading Da Vinci's ideas on creating perspective. It didn't bother me that it was first printed in 1983. Nothing in this book has been outmoded. In fact, many of his ideas, such as use of shields, are now the standard in art schools. I expect it to be equally as valid in 2083.

I have bought multiple copies of this book and given them to friends who are just getting into airbrushing. I expect that I will buy quite a few more before it's over.

Excellent book however as the title states relates mainly to studio applications and technical details. Not really applicable to air brush enthusiasts wanting to style cars or helmets etc.

This is a story about a six-year-old angel named Jacob who arrives in Heaven and discovers that the children angels take care of the pets until their owners die and come to heaven.

This book is written by Amy Nolfo-Wheeler and is a picture book illustrated by N. A. Noel who is famous for her life-like angel pictures and her animals. This is a very sweet book and could help children who experience death of an animal for the first time.

The story is preceded by the lyrics to Fly, a song, written by Jean-Jacques Goldman and Phil Gladston and recorded by Celine Dion, about a bereaved person releasing the spirit of a loved one until they meet again.

Incredible illustrations and wonderful story!! Bought it for my children as I loved the message and thought it would be good in the loss of a pet. Now I find myself in the position of supporting a friend's child as he prepares to die after a 5 yr. battle with cancer. NEVER thought I'd need it for that but was thrilled to find the main character's age (6 yrs old)is the same as this child. I know this book will help him on his journey!

A wonderful book! I give one to everyone I know who is struggling in dealing with this type of loss.

This book was a gift. It was given to me because my son passed away from a terminal genetic muscle defect 11 days after he was born.

The pictures are gorgeous!! I give the pictures 5 stars.

The story is cute and simple. I would recommend this book to be read to children who are dealing with the loss of a pet or the loss of a friend/sibling. It is also a charming book for an adult who has also suffered a loss.

My niece died when my daughter was only 5. She struggled to come to terms with the concept of death, and to understand why her cousin had to die. Even more so, were her questions on what her cousin would do in Heaven. How would she live without her mommy and daddy? In our search to help her to understand a little better, a friend showed us this book. It was just the nudge she needed to move on, and accept that her cousin was not coming back, and was safe and well cared for in Heaven. Now, 3 years later, my daughter still loves this book. She now reads it to her new baby sister, and tells her all about their cousin in Heaven, and how she too, is taking caring of animals. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling to deal with a loss.

I purchased this book to get ideas for a dollhouse I was making. This book gave me many wonderful ideas and inspirations! There are so many detailed pictures giving us a true look into the Victorian Era. Not only did I get ideas for the outside of my dollhouse. I got some great ideas for some of the rooms on the inside of my dollhouse. And what a wonderful surprise to find a picture of the bed and breakfast that I spent my honeymoon in!

WOW!! This book is truly a feast for the eyes, and that's no exaggeration! There are so many first rate photos and plenty of text. Every page has multiple color photos. It is a very heavy book! The paper is high quality and the photos are extremely high resolution and stunningly beautiful. What a great job they did just in printing this book! If you love Victorian homes, then this book is a must have! I like it so much I think I will eventually buy a brand new hardcover copy of it (I bought a used paperback copy). I plan on getting all the other books in this series too. Some of the very best Victorian homes are in this book. They kind of remind me of Disneyland with all the colorful paint schemes and fanciful shapes and decorations.

A fantastic book, a must for anyone who is thinking about painting a Victorian house. It was very helpful to me and my husband who had to come up with a color scheme for our three-story Queen Anne built in 1895.

If you're in the same boat, then you know that deciding on a color scheme for a detailed Victorian house isn't easy and takes careful thought and consideration. This book will help you. It will give you countless ideas, and just looking at the photos is inspiring.

And then, the book will appeal to any fan of Victorian architecture as well. I love looking at the numerous photos of the houses and find myself thumbing through it again and again. Every time I look at this book, I see something intriguing that I hadn't noticed before. Such a book serves to keep me inspired during the remainder of our home's renovation, which is trying at times.

i was speechless each picture was so beautiful , i love each and every house. a great book

Believe it or not but the main reason I purchased this beautiful book was for reference material for scale model building (i.e. LEGO, etc.). I was hunting forever for a book on Victorian homes--with pictures of the OUTSIDE (as most of the books on Victorian architecture deal with the classic interior designs, furniture, etc.). LEGO and Victorian homes go hand in hand, as this book's wonderful color pictures perfectly illustrate--who could imagine such combinations would actually look so stunning!? In addition to excellent photography the text is well written, with interesting facts about each home, why it's unique, yet how it fits into the overall "Painted Lady" lineage... excellent. :-)

The Everlasting is a great game for both beginning roleplayers and those playing since time began. There is not much you can't do with this game, and you can literally use it for many different kinds of gaming adventures from the medival dungeon crawl to a modern day war with a group of fallen angels. This game literally has everything.

I discovered The Everlasting back when it first came out. Back then, they were great, and I was sad to see the game fold. A few years ago, the game came back, and that was joyous news, but something subtle was missing: the books were still in black and white while most of the big games had switched over to color.

This is fantastic. The game is excellent, the book is beautifull, and the layout is a big improvement. Sample characters have been included and the magick rules are greatly expanded. If you like gaming, get this book. If you like mythology, get this book. If you like modern fantasy or horror, get this book. In general, get this book . . . even if you have the old black and white version, get this book!

The Book of the Unliving, Color Edition, is, as the name implies, a revamp of an earlier book put out by Visionary Entertainment Studios.

The full pictures utilize an etheral style that fully compliments the content of the book. I was especially enchanted with the pictures in the Ghul section, as they manage to be both horrifying and strangely beautiful.

The content is on par, if not better, than the art. The book's set in the modern era. Magic is every where, but hidden from the eyes of mortals, save for a few Fantasts and Magicians. In this world there are the eldritch, the magical races of the world. The Book of the Unliving details the Vampires (Immortal blood-suckers that everyone should be familiar with), Ghuls (Mortals who drank Annecro and earned immortality as zombie like creatures who must feed on the flesh of dead humans or face physical and mental degeneration), Revenants (Dead souls who returned from the grave and possessed another's body), Dead Souls (Ghost's who, for whatever reason, do not rest quietly), and Re-animates (think Frankenstein's monster), as well providing barebones statistics for 10 other Eldritch (which are more thoroughly explored in the other three core books).

Like the other Foundation books of the Everlasting series, the Book of the Unliving can stand on its own, having rules (With variations for freeform, dice, or card draw methods of play), advice for GMs (Or DMs, Or STs, as you prefer), supernatural powers for the various undead, information on the setting, and a flexible magic system (Fans of the Everlasting system will no doubt rejoice at the all new break down of magickal effects by category and magnitude).

This is an all around excellent RPG and should be in any modern fantast fan's collection.

For years the "World of Darkness" has dominated the market in terms of Urban Fantasy but Everlasting, the new contender has everything that it takes to topple that Throne, and more.

I found the rule system light and flexible but still with enough meat to give you a solid idea about your character and what he can do.

The system itself offers several dice and character creation systems, a card based (Tarot or other) system and also instructions for gameing without a game master.

Included is also a way to directly reward or punish players for their actions and also personal Ethos, Beliefs ,Outlooks, Passions and Relations to further define the Character.

The overall Background is a world in between our "normal" World, called the "Reverie"(along with several other Planes of Existance) where supernatural beings of all kind and color dwell and carry out age old conflicts among each other. What appears to us a spooky abandoned house might be a huge Victorian Manor, the palace like dwelling place of a Revenant in the Reverie, a small patch of forest to us is a primeval forest where creatures straight from a fairytale live...

Each of the four foundation books provides an entirely different tone of play, with a set of supernatural creatures described in detail, magic paths and planes of existence that belong to the topic the book aims at.

All the Beings from the other Foundation Books are described
with their basic traits, enough to give the Gamemaster an idea how to describe and play those beings.

The Book of the Unliving introduces you to the dark, bleak, "gothic" world of all things Undead:

Vampires (Predators out for blood who can run the whole range from the beastial to the smooth and refined upper crust "party animal") and many of their "Bloodlines"

Revenants (ghosts that one way or another made their way back from the afterlife by takeing over bodies, living or dead, they sustain themself by draining the life force of others, ageing mortals, withering plants...)

Dead Souls (Spirits of the Dead,Ghosts) and the societies they created in the Underworld

Ghuls (people that drank from an ancient elixir that provided them with both, immortality and a decaying body and/or soul, who must feed on raw flesh to keep their bodies from Degenerating) dwelling in Tunnels and Crypts, living their unlives as outcasts even among the other supernatural beings.

Reanimates (Artifical Beings, crafted from Bodyparts, a fusion of dead flesh and metal, or entirely inorganic like Clay or Stone)

The plane of existence described (beside the Reverie) in this Book is the Underworld, dwelling place of the Dead Souls, with its most important places, rules and basic politics.

To sum it up:
With about 20 years of role playing experience under my belt I am delighted by the style of The Everlasting. The system supports many tastes, rule and background wise, without being too thin on one and too thick on the other. I can only recommend that you give it a try with the foundation book that most suits your taste.

When I received this book in the mail, I was astonished. The artwork alone elevates this product above any of the new World of Darkness material. But the approach to roleplaying is genuinely innovative.

The rules system is either card/tarot based or dice based (which is presented side by side rather than stuck at the back of the book like a forgotten step child).

The presentation and layout is fabulous. The artwork is breathtakingly dark and atmospheric, and the setting is what I've come to expect from modern horror/fantasy: grounded in real world beliefs. As opposed to the attempts made in the new World of Darkness, it has much greater strength IMO.

In addition, the messageboard at Visionary Entertainment is quite active with the publishers interacting with fans. I have since come to find out this is the way it has ALWAYS been. That kind of product support is heartfelt and always useful. This game, in it's first edition, so inspired one fan that he bought the company and has been hard at work helping produce more material.

Highly recommended!

If you like knights, kingdoms, and enchanted forests, then you'll simply love The Enchanted Wood. The Enchanted Wood, by Ruth Sanderson, is a book set back in the medieval times of kings and kingdoms, and takes place in a kingdom. After giving birth to her third son, the queen dies and the king and the land share the same grief. Then the king decides that the only way to end the drought is by going and finding the heart of the world and ask for the drought to end.
There are many good qualities about The Enchanted Wood and here are a few. The genres of The Enchanted Wood are historical fiction and fantasy. One good thing that Ruth Sanderson did is that her themes are very easy to find, like her theme," Don't be distracted in life by things that you want, just be glad with the things you have." The main character is Galen the king's youngest son and he wants to prove himself to everbody by finding the heart of the world. This book's genre is similar to Cinderella's genre because both books are historical fiction and fantasy.
The Enchanted Wood would be a good book for younger kids because ruth Sanderson wrote the book like it was for little kids. I believe that Ruth Sanderson should use more forceful language. The Enchanted Wood's theme is very easy to find where other books have it harder to find the theme. I think that this is a good book because it has a great theme. Remember, if you like medieval times then you will love The Enchanted Wood.

This book is a great story, filled with marvelous paintings. I love this book, and Ruth Sanderson is probably my favorite artist.

Thank you, Ruth Sanderson, for writing and painting!

This story teaches so much it is anything but 'weak'!! The folly of selfishness and vanity are foremost among the lessons to be learned. Devotion to a greater good than our own individual desires is modeled, and the pitfalls of the opposite character trait. I find it fascinating that the one temptation that ruled each of the first two princes turned out to be all 'smoke & mirrors'when the enchantment was gone. There WAS no black knight, only hack marks in the trees. So often in real life, the things that detour us from a noble purpose turn out to be irrelevant.

Ruth Sanderson is an excellent story-teller and author. This is a fine book to add to anyone's collection of fairytales or picture books. Highly recommended!

First of all, I need to clarify what at least two other reviewers have mistaken: this book is NOT Enid Blyton's 'Enchanted Wood' as part of her Faraway Tree trilogy. This is a children's picture book confusingly by the same name - an original fairytale by author and illustrator Ruth Sanderson, also know for her works 'The Crystal Mountain', 'Cinderella' and 'The Golden Mare, the Firebird and the Magic Ring'.

That said, this book is an interesting mix of truly beautiful paintings (its a pity there isn't a picture of the cover on this webpage, as that always puts people off buying products) and a traditional, predicable story.

After a beautiful kingdom becomes plauged by a drought the king sends his three sons Edmund, Owen and Galen to find the Heart of the World that lies within the Enchanted Wood to restore the kingdom - in finding it their purpose will be magically achieved. Successively the three head off, and individually come to a cottage on the verge of the forest, where an old woman warns them not to wander off the path no matter what. Well, you don't really need to be told any more to know exactly what happens. The two older sons succumb to temptation, while the youngest remains true to his quest and succeeds, inheriting the kingdom and marrying the old woman's beautiful daughter Rose who accompanied him through the forest (for both mother and daughter had been unwilling gatekeepers of the forest, though eventually liberated by Galen's nobility). It is an old formula, encompassing all the cliches of a beautiful maiden, the threefold trial, the cursed kingdom, the virtueous youngest brother... Even though children will certainly not be bothered by this, seasoned fairytale lovers will know the tune oh-so-well and be frustrated at its predictability. Thus the title 'original fairytale' is somewhat misused.

On the other end of the scale however, some points of the story are quite confusing. It is unclear why finding the Heart of the World restores the land to its former glory, nor how it actually manages to achieve this. Furthermore, though Edmund and Owen's submissions to temptation (respectively to hunt a white stag and engage in battle with a Black Knight) are indeed vices, we are never really certain whether Galen did the right thing in turning his back on his own brothers when witnessing them in peril. Lastly, the meaning of the silver key that Rose drops into the Heart's waters and the 'ceremony' that she performs is unclear in its meaning and point.

However, *please* don't let my grousing over this feature stop you from finding this book as they pale in comparison to Sanderson's exquisite oil paintings, and are in fact (in my opinion) her best. In no other book of hers has she reached the level of detail and realism that she does in 'The Enchanted Wood'. She captures motion perfectly, her animals (deer and horses) are beautiful, and all little girls be satisfied that the heroine Rose is stunning. The best part however is Sanderson's illustrations of the forest - their misty, mysterious, shrouded depths are gorgeously created, from their forbidding entrance at the iron gates to the Heart of the World - three treetrunks intertwinging to make one.
The illustrations more than make up for the story and make this book a must-have for all lovers of great art, children's books, fairytales or beauty in general.

It is unfortunate that it has such a well-used title, as I know of two other books by the same name (Enid Blyton's, and another 'Enchanted Wood' by the Australian writer and illustrator Shirley Barber) but the illustrations *are* worth the effort to tracks this book down, either from Amazon or your library.

I am amazed at what can be achieved with the one block. This is a fantastic book, full of inspiration

Our club is working through this book this year. I took a block not in the book and used the concept to create a quilt no one else has done. The quilts and blocks in the book are wonderful as well. The directions are easy to follow.

I received this item in a timely manner and it was in excellent condition. Have looked through the book several times and can't wait to make several quilts now. Would order from this person again, definitely.

My new favorite quilting book! My students love this technique of finding the hidden blocks. So easy to design a beautiful quilt using Lurlene's method.

great reference with lots of ideas - one of the best foundation books for a quilter's library.

Shakespeare this is not, but a book for girls between 9 to 12. My daughter Rena is 12 years old. My younger daughter Sarah is 10 years old. They both loved it. I heard the author talked about this book on the radio and wanted to get my girls something they can read with a positive message. The bible it is not (thank God), but it has strong themes on faith and prayer that are demonstrated in a way preteens can understand. The main character is Lucy, a girl who wants to fit into a new school. Like girls who are 12 years old, she's worried about her looks and making friends. My girls loved it because Lucy's real enough, but the situation she gets into are magical. That's why this is a good children's fiction book. I would give it a higher rating if there were more books in this series.

It's been almost an year since September 11. So many books have now been written about it. I bought this book since it was the first fiction book written and published about the September 11 tragedy. It captures everything in such detail, bringing me back to those horrible moments. Although I don't really like to dwell in the past, this is one event that I'd like to remember. From such a terrible tragedy came some of the most faith and pride-building works by ordinary people. Lucy and the Liberty Quilt, written and published just a month after September 11 by first-time fiction writer Victoria London, is one of those works.

Having been through a year of loss myself, I wanted to retreat back into the days when I was a young girl. So I read a lot of classic books reminding me of those days such as A Secret Garden, Little Women, and Nancy Drew. I picked up Lucy and the Liberty Quilt, as well, and read this book from cover to cover in one sitting.

The intertwining of fantasy, fiction, and faith in this book combined with elements of growing up in today's times is very good. I especially liked how September 11 became a natural part of this book. Published a month after September 11, the fictional retelling of the event made it so real, I was brought back to that day. I congratulate this new author for being the first children's fiction book author to realize how significant and historical it is to incorporate September 11 into a book for children. The inspirational message in this book helped me see how important it is to take positive action and move forward.

I know this book has slowly made its way to classrooms across the U.S. and some readers who have read the book have actually started making their own September 11 memorabilias. I share the sentiment with one of the reviewers here that this book will become a classroom and childhood classic.

It has been some time since 9/11. Now I hear the media is going to make movies and television shows base on 9/11. I've lost a friend at the World Trade Center, and it still hurts. Prayer has hurt me through, and reading some good books. Lucy and the Liberty Quilt is one book I read with my niece at the time. She seemed to be drawn into the story as much as I did. The discussion sheet found on the site was helpful, too, despite what opinion you have on 9/11. I highly recommend this book, not just for its sensitive portrayal of 9/11, but for its inspiring story. I'm not surprised The School Mental Health Alliance recommended this twice for school curriculum.

It's been a while since September 11, and many would like to put it behind. But we're constantly reminded of it when we go through security checks at the airport and watch the news. Lucy and the Liberty Quilt takes place at the time of September 11, detailing the event from a 12 year old's point of view. At a time of crisis and chaos when grown ups are reduced to a state of shock and helplessness, Lucy and her family find hope and safety through prayer. Although she is just a 12 year old, Lucy is empowered by the discovery she has a role to play as one of the Gifted Girls. Through imagination and through symbolism, Lucy's self-esteem and confidence is strengthen so that she can be propel into action and not let fear control her. Though some may not get the subtlety of this smart series, Lucy and the other Gifted Girls books are deeper than other books for girls, but has adventure and enough issues like friendship and growing up that would keep the interest of any girl up to age 13 or 14. Other recommended books is the Emily Cobbs Collection.

"The Making of the Wizard of Oz: Movie Magic and Studio Power in the Prime of MGM--And the Miracle of Production No 1060" is just downright enthralling. It is an expose' that breaks down the machinery and the machinations of what it took to get a major movie made in the days of the autocratic studio heads. The book offers an entertaining and totally engrossing look at the legendary film. Judy, Ray, Jack, Bert, Margaret, and Toto, too, are all analyzed in this brilliant work. The songwriters, the respective directors, the many other craftsmen, as well as the "little people," in more than the figurative sense, are all here. Vividly embellished with stills from the production, the book's text is just as captivating. The familiar as well as the unfamiliar stories about the production make for a most satisfying read for any "Oz" fan. It is also a good primer for anyone with an interest in pursuing film as a career.

It doesn't matter unduly if you didn't grow up watching MGM's 1939 color movie "The Wizard of Oz" in re-release or on TV. You might think that a "Munchkin" is what used to be called a "doughnut hole." You may think of Judy Garland only as Liza Minnelli's mother, and avoid prewar movies like the plague. Maybe you didn't feel that shock of recognition that "Cora the Coffee Lady" in Maxwell House TV commercials was none other than Margaret Hamilton, the green-faced Wicked Witch of the West.

Of course, if you love "The Wizard of Oz" you've love THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ all the more. I just read this book for the second time (the first upon its initial publication), and was astonished and pleased by how well it has held up. Author Aljean Harmetz has crafted a book relevant not only in terms of one particular "prestige" movie off the Hollywood assembly line; but indeed her insight, research and friendly presentation make the book stand as a metaphor of all Hollywood filmmaking during the height of the Studio Era, ca. 1940. Perhaps the late Irving Thalberg was one of the few Hollywood insiders who could "keep the whole equation of pictures inside his head," but Ms. Harmetz opens up this world for us, and shows us both its realism and its wonder.

We return to an era in which studio moguls were as eccentric and powerful as today's software barons, when studio hands were nonunionized yet intensely loyal to their studios, when no movie studio even thought about a future containing broadcast TV, when movie stars were better known than Presidents or Kings, and when Technicolor would give you any color except the one you wanted. Nonetheless, solving the creative problems inherent in bringing L. Frank Baum's novel "The Wizard of Oz" to the screen was seen as an invigorating set of challenges to be met and conquered.

Back then, MGM had a real "can-do" attitude. So no one had
ever created a moving tornado for a film? After two tries the MGM tech people got it right, and the depiction of that horrendous twister so set the tintype for what a tornado ought to look like that it persists in our collective consciousness today, despite today's ubiquitous video cameras.

There were no tape recorders. How, then, to raise or lower voices artificially for dubbing? This book tells how. What happened when Buddy Ebsen almost died from an allergy to aluminum dust he had worn as the (originally intended) Tin Man? Why was Margaret Hamilton burned severely and ignored, yet Billie Burke turned an ankle and was whisked off the set in a white ambulance? Why did the film need four directors and half a dozen screenwriters, yet was fondly recalled as a labor of love by practically everyone except a prematurely embittered Judy Garland? Was the film the great commercial and critical success you might think it would be? And, by the way, what about those Munchkins' alleged sexual proclivities? Excellent answers provided by excellent research present a fully-formed world view, warts and all.

THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ would be a wonderful companion to the new restored DVD version of the film, which is so crisp you can count the gingham checkers on Dorothy's blue dress (which was actually violet, to fool the Technicolor process). How were the ruby slippers made? What about that poppy field? Read on. Some critics have said that Harmetz's later work is not as excruciatingly well researched as THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ, but I don't care. This book and the movie are not only as much fun as ever, but a great education in the good old/bad old days of the Hollywood "Dream Factory." Don't miss it!

MGM's movie,based on the book by L. Frank Baum,"The Wizard of Oz,"is nearly 70 years old. But its stars, Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton, still shine brightly as ever, and the movie continues to be a particular favorite of young and old.

Aljean Harmetz is the daughter of a woman who worked backstage at MGM. Harmetz's mother worked in the Wardrobe Department; she was able to estimate sewing costs on thousands of costumes, from 1937 to 1951 --including the nearly one thousand needed for "The Wizard of Oz,"alone.

So starting from this birds' eye view, Harmetz is well able to explain how "movie magic and studio power in the prime of MGM" resulted in "the miracle of Production #1060." To that end, she did hundreds of interviews, with actors, singers, songwriters, cameramen, screen writers, costumers, directors, and technicians. She succeeded in bringing the great glory days of MGM, under its sentimental czar L.B. Mayer, to technicolor life.

Harmetz explains how the Emerald City was designed and built; how the cyclone was created. She tells us how Judy Garland's immortal "Over the Rainbow" was nearly lost, as envious, nitpicking producers responded after the film's first screening: "Why does she sing in a barnyard? Take it out!"

The author gives us fine portraits of Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West--"she enjoyed every moment screaming about those slippers." Binnie Barnes, who played the Good Witch Glinda, retiring to her pink and blue dressing room to await her next call. Bert Lahr creating the endearing cowardly lion-- his costume weighed over 50 pounds. "It was like carrying a mattress around with you," he said. And he could only sip liquids once in full makeup. Ray Bolger, the dancer who created the Scarecrow, " I have no bones. I have nothing inside me. It's just the wind holding me up." And Jack Haley who inherited the Tin Woodman's part after an allergic reaction to the aluminum paste makeup, put Buddy Ebsen, first cast for the part, in hospital.

You should find you read these marvelously detailed pages with great enjoyment, and if you're as sentimental a fool as I can sometimes be, even with emotional involvement. If you love the movie, you might want to try to find this book.

The making of the Wizard of Oz is a wonderful book to anyone who has grown to love the Wizard of Oz. You don't even have to be an obsessive fan of the movie like myself to enjoy it. It is extremely well researched. If information is not known the author says it so and does not attempt to recreate history as some nonfiction works do.

Perhaphs what makes the 1939 movie so wonderful is learning all the behind the scenes things that went into making it. This book gives respect and a knew sense of understanding as to what movie making was like in the biggest studio of that time. It is written so that it doesn't need to be read front to back. You can start in the special effects section and finish in the chapter about the script, or the music, or the directors (did you know there were four?).

Did you know that the movie had the work of 10 writers or do you know how the surrender dorothy scene was done? Well, in this book you find out his and thousands more did you know facts to impress friends. I recommend this to anyone who has watched the Wizard of Oz. And if Oz didn't win an academy award for best picture in 1939 than that was because the academy didn't have this book to help choose.

If you're a die hard fan of this classic film then you'll want to read this well-researched "making of" tome. The book is filled with all sorts of wonderful trivia tidbits but most of all it gives an insightful review of those behind the camera in a way I've yet to find in other "OZ" related books. The one and only shortcoming of this book is to be found in the number of pictures, in my opinion there could have been more, otherwise it's a behind the scenes look that most OZ fans won't be disappointed with.