I Books

My kids love all the Howie books, but this one is their favorite. They go and each find a stuffed puppy to hold, and give their animal a hug each time the book calls for Howie needing a hug! It's a good reminder for us parents to take time out and give much needed hugs and attention to our kids!

This Howie book is a real treasure. Howie is looking for attention from his family members but they are all busy. At the end, the whole family gives him the hug that he was waiting for. These Howie books really depict how puppies really are and how much they love us. A great story with adorable pictures.

In our busy world, it is hard for children to get all the hugs that they want and need. Children will be able to identify with this cute puppy as he sets out to get a hug. The bright colors and easy reading format will encourage my beginning readers to pick this book up to read. I love the way this book allows the children to get a peek at a happy, loving family.

The Howie books are a delightful series for young readers. Howie brings a charming message of God's love and brings humor and adventure as well.

I just graduated from college with an elementary education degree. I read -Howie Finds A Hug- and was found the entire Howie series charming and am enthusiastic about adding it to my classroom library for young readers.

My kids just love this book and practically read every line with me, especially the "Emma, get your puppy!" part...that's the favorite line to yell out as we read the book. GREAT series!!

This book is a wonderful example of how God loves you even when you don't do everything right. My child loved the puppy and the message, too.

I love the easy-to-read format. The "sound" words (clang, bang, etc.) give good practice with these words and add excitement. This is a story many children can relate to, having had puppies of their own. It gives encouragement for children to forgive themselves and others when they mess up. My first graders are going to love this book!

The Howie books are a delightful series for young readers. Howie brings a charming message of God's love and brings humor and adventure as well.

I just graduated from college with an elementary education degree. I read -Howie Wants To Play- and was found the entire Howie series charming and am enthusiastic about adding it to my classroom library for young readers.

Superior quality coloring book as one would expect from Chalrie and Lola! Encourages creativity with pictures to complete and places to draw as well as to color. Pages are super thich like the storybook pages. Also mentions cutting and glue as options! Super creative and cute!

I bought this because one of my regular charges is 4 and loves to draw. We can spend 6 hours on a plane with nothing but crayons and blank drawing paper! I wasn't even sure what this book was about but if it had Charlie and Lola in it, I figured it had to be good!

It is basically a story and coloring book and Lola leaves blank spots and asks the little artist to help her complete the picture. Plenty of room for looking at pictures, studying how they are done and still room for their own creativity. I can see right now I shall have to order more!

Lola and Charlie are among my favorites as a traveling nanny. I put them in my nanny bag and children like them so much I must often buy another copy as I have left them with the children!

The books have a gentle way of covering values and Charlie is the ideal model of a big brother. I have even used him as an example with a bossy older sibling with "I wonder how Charlie would have handled this?"!

The DVDs are great, making the stories come to life. No fancy graphics, no intricate or soupy sweet over dramatizing here! Just a simple story line with that great little "english" accent we all try to imitate later!

As always Amazon ships quickly and efficiently!

I love all the colorful books in the series we have read. This one is a cute introduction to the tooth fairy and what happens as you get new teeth. I would reccomend it.

My daughter finds this book extremeley entertaining.....she is an avid Charlie and Lola fan, I hope to collect many more of the books.

I bought this for my 4-1/2-year-old, and she loves it! It has the classic Charlie & Lola style, but with things to color and fill in. It has suggestions to try adding fabric and paper to create a picture like the ones in the Charlie & Lola books and shows. An excellent buy--this has generated a lot of creative play time in our house!

If you always look to Hollywood for beauty, one day, you'll wind up very unhappy. No one can stay young forever, no matter how much we could try. And one day, we'll all die too. Sigh. Being a human, being a woman, sometimes hurts because beauty matters so much. This book was nice because it also showcased other forms of beauty. Beauty that others also appreciate. Reminded me of a neighbor that I can't recall her looks so much as the love she gave when she made the most delicous pies you ever tasted. Black raspberry, lemon meringue, cherry... it wasn't just the amazing taste. It was the love and the beauty that went into each bite. Reminded me of times when a person you don't know does something kind or loving, and for a second you bond with them only to never see them again - a cosmic temporary connection. Celestine Proficy was interesting in this type of a way too. Where you can step back from a person and see their ora. Some people give off the "you can't run away from me fast enough" vibe. Others "the I wish I could spend every moment of my life around you" vibe. Beauty is more than physical, although the physical is first and most obvious to many. In this book, each woman, in her own way, showed beauty. There were photographs to go along with each woman's story.

Teen girls are faced with being the "ideal" girl, what everyone in the magazines looks like. But this book shows that beauty isn't only on the outside, but on the inside as well. "I Am Beatutiful" is a wonderful book and I think all girls who feel disapointed about what they look like an d who they are should read this. It will really make you feel alot better about yourself.

This book brought me to tears because it reminded me that there is beauty in everyday things.That just looking at another woman doesn't always tell her whole story, where she's been, where she is now and most of all where she hopes to go. I will never look at another person the same way.

I just love this book, I love sharing it with my female friends and watching their faces glow as they read it. It nearly brings me to tears over and over. It's very simple. A collection of photos of ordinary (but extraordinary!) women who think they are beautiful, and why. If I could afford to, I'd buy it for every woman I know.

I found myself wanting to know all the women in this book. Ordinary, strong, proud women. The photos are revealing and personal -- the writing even more so. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes, or needs, to join a growing coterie of women for whom self-image is based on strength and vision rather than mass media hype.

I flatout loved this book. Chappell's novel of quirky tales flows with humor and touching insights, a work of subtle mastery. Everything about it seems right: the understated yet lyrically precise prose; the easy-leaning pace; the eccentric characters, especially the visiting uncles; the curious yearnings of an adolescent narrator; the grounded, homespun values of Southern lore.

In the title of another reviewer, this book is a keeper. As Stephen King said (and I agree), life is too short to reread many books; however, this is one that deserves to be reread. It's that good.

Clearly, Chappell's a man who savors the humor and language of life, a writer who crafts a tale of beguiling beauty. He writes sentences of such grace that I'm reminded of Anne Tyler.

Read this book and enjoy the magic. Chappell is an artist who knows what he's doing.

This, the first in Fred Chappell's tetralogy of books about Joe Robert Kirkman and his family, consists of ten stories about ten-year-old (at the start of the book) Jess Kirkman's encounters with four of his mother's relatives, the live-in hired hand on the Kirkman farm, and some of their neighbors. Chappell's narration veers from straightforward fiction to fantasy, telling of the gusto and humor with which Joe Robert meets life. I found myself laughing out loud and slapping my knee at some of the passages, while being touched deeply by the novel's underlying theme of belonging to a family, a place, and a tradition.

Called a novel, "I Am One Of You Forever" is really a collection of short stories that are unified as the adventures of a 14 year old boy growing up in the mountains of western North Carolina. These stories cover the spectrum of human experience; love, tragedy, the supernatural, family, comedy. All the stories are made magical by the observations of the especially well-read and intelligent young narrator/persona.
Easily one of the funniest books I've ever read, I think I rarely went more than a page without a good laugh. The book also has some of the most poignant passages I've ever read, those dealing with the death (always a dominant theme in Southern literature).
A well-written book, Southern through and through, and appropriate for young teen-agers as well as adults. The book's title serves as the answer to a question posed as the story's last line, thus giving the book a wonderful circularity. Read this book; you won't be sorry.

This novel, really a series of interconnected short stories about a boy growing up in western North Carolina in the 1940s, is my favorite so far by North Carolina's poet laureate Fred Chappell. The prose is simple, the characters are vivid and colorful, and the stories have depth. Chappell's style works best when the stories follow believable plot lines; his penchant for tall tales sometimes falls flat. I especially could have done without the chapter entitled "The Beard," even though I could see the metaphor Chappell was attempting to capture in that story. Other than that, I thought the book was sincere, funny, and often breath-taking. The finest moment for me was the chapter "The Wish," which encapsulates everything I would like to say myself about life in the Southern Appalachians. The book is worth reading just for that one chapter. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the works of such writers as Tony Earley, Charles Frazier, Robert Morgan, Kaye Gibbons, and Wilma Dykeman, although Chappell is funnier than all of them. Think a modern Mark Twain.

I read this book originally for a class in college--so I went into reading it thinking "ugh."

But not only did I love it--not only did it make me laugh, cry, roll my eyes, and a range of other emotions--but when I shared it with the rest of my family, they had the same reaction. All of us have read it, it's that good (and we don't usually agree on what's good). It is full of tall tales and mischief and is a fabulously, fabulously amazing book.

I bought this wanting the story, but dreading the pre-teen level of writing. I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the writing and research done for this story. This really is a terrific book, well written, well researched and the author clearly knows horses and horse behavior. I'm recommending it to my adult friends!

I am the Great Horse is a GREAT read! Roberts brings history to life and masterfully enters the mind of the great horse, Bucephalus. Anyone who loves horses and longs to understand them better will treasure this book.

Susan Williams, author of Wind Rider
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This story made me cry especially in the ending. I wont tell you why but I fell in love with Bucephalas and found his "bond" with Charm and Alexander amazing. The endinding will leave you in tears and shock. It portrays horses so realistically you will love it i gurentee it!!!!

I really loved this book. In the begining I had alittle doubt I kept trying to compare it to the black beauty type of writing. But it is a beautiful way to tell history as well as fiction. Apart from that it is in some areas very funny. In the horse mind and what is more important to him. You will not regret buying this book.

I knew the story about Bucephalus before the movie "Alexander" came and sold out the box office. "Bucephalus, meaning strong and stubborn," he had said while mounting the stallion. A true story of how the brave 12 year old boy ruled the horse and charged him into battle. Now, this fiction story is a real page turner. If you like horses, black stallions, and adventure, then "I am the Great Horse" is the book for you!

this was a favorite of mine as a kid; fun and easy to read for kids.

My first grader loves reading this book! Easy words and repetitive phrases make learning to read more fun and quickly builds self esteem!
--Vicki Landes, author of "Europe For The Senses - A Photographic Journal"

This children's book is wickedly funny, and a pleasure to read aloud. The intracacies of "I never said you said I was..." make the book as interesting for adults as it is for children. I read this one aloud to all my friends, because it is simply too good a book to keep on a shelf collecting dust!

I actually still have my 1962 Hardcover edition and wouldn't part with it for the world! My children even love it. It is 64 pages, but is very easy to read. (My 5 year old can read it too!)

I loved this book as a kid and was thrilled that my six-year-old niece enjoyed it enough for repetitive reading (I still don't mind reading it over and over). The main character is endearing and the text is funny and fast-paced. I keep it on my bookshelf with my childhood classics and keepsakes.

I bought this book thinking it also had the cassette with it. It does not. Customer reviews which write about the cassette are followed with a note from Amazon that it is a review for the "Hard Cover" edition.

If you notice right below the reading level for this item, it says "Hard Cover". So I thought that this was the edition that includes the cassette. It does not.

The book seems great otherwise, but you MUST know French and be able to read music though. It is difficult to know what tune you should be singing in if you can't read musical notes.

My 9.5 month old son lights up the minute I press play. We dance and bounce to these adorable songs while I am learning the words. I am very amused that he enjoys this cassette more than the ones I have with children's songs in english.

My 4 year old niece who doesn't know a word of French learnt to sing a long after a few days. My 3 year old son loves to listen to the songs, and reading the book while listening to the music. The book is pleasing for children will lots of illustrations. We also use the book to talk about what's on the pages and can spend a long time just reading it! This is a great gift idea.

My children love this book and cassette and we keep humming the tunes around the house. The children who sing the songs are very clear and the music is well done. I just wish there were more books in this series, I would've bought them all.

I Can Sing en Francais is fun and educational. The songs are a fun way to learn a new language because they have a nice melody and they deal with the basic words in French that beginners should know. Savez-Vous Planter Les Choux is my favorite song on the tape. The song lyrics in French and English are included in the book.

I bought this book back in 1994. It was very inspirational for me. Somewhere along the line I felt it would help inspire my cousin so I let her borrow it. I never received it back and she isn't sure where it is now. My next door neighbor could use some inspiration now, but I no longer have access to the valuable information this book possesses. I truly wish this book would be re-printed once again. I enjoyed it very much and I would like to own it again! It was very inspirational and made me begin thinking positively and working hard to accomplish my goals.

This book is an excellent resource for classroom use. I have read this to my middle school students at the start of every year. What a surprise to them to know that these are Jordan's words ( I keep the author a secret so they can figure it out). This has been an inspiration to me! We need it back in print!

I am a school counselor and have used this book in teaching Goal Setting and Decision Making skills. My school was hit by a tornado three years ago and I have been unable to find this book. My students loved it, it was very motivating. Please reprint at a reasonable cost! I need it for classroom guidance!

This is a must read for young adolescents. If anyone knows how to get a copy or two, please email me and let me know. Thank you. My email addy is jrosslaguna@aol.com

This book was highly recommended to me. I just wish I could get an opportunity to read it. It seems as if there is a market for it. How can we get it back on the store shelves and into the hands of the people that want to read it?

Victor Kravchenko made a stunning defection to the USA in 1944, while working as a Soviet purchasing agent on the lend-lease program. He was 38 years old. Kravchenko grew up as an idealist and a zealous communist. His father even served prison time for revolting against the Czar in 1905. Kravchenko fought with the Reds in the civil war and joined the communist party.

He began to sour on communism as a witness to the ghastly collectivization efforts in the Ukraine in the mid 1930's. He was sent to organize a harvest but forbidden to feed the starving workers. Kravchenko broke the rules then, and many times as manager of various pipe factories. Nevertheless he witnessed widespread starvation. His communist resolve began to crack when his family adopted a young girl, a wandering orphan, who cried herself to sleep every night because her parents had been shipped to Siberia. And further, when he finally delivered the grain to a warehouse only to find the previous year's harvest safely store there while thousands perished nearby.

His communist devotion was finally destroyed by numerouse 'purges', endless questionings, tortures, and beatings. His knack for rallying factories seems to be the only reason he survived. Kravchenko vividly describes the human condition of the workers and farmers, the lush perks of party members, and the omnipresent informer culture of a police state.

He eventually achieved a high post in the Kremlin working under Stalin's top lieutenants. Then deftly maneueverd himself into a position where he might be posted abroad to defect. After his defection, he wrote this book and lived in constant fear of assassination in the US. He died under suspicious circumstances in New York in 1966.

This all too human book shimmers with truth and the realism of genuine witness. Written in rugged prose (translated from Russian) it is the memoir of a great soul. A compelling read for anyone who wants to understand Russia, communism, Stalin, Evil.

A great historical book on the Russian Communist Revolution and how it was viewed from the point of view of an ardent Communist. By reading this book, a good comparison can be made with other famous revolutions in history.

"I Chose Freedom" by Victor A. Kravchenko is a must read for anyone who hopes to come close/er to knowing Stalin's Capitalist Company. Please forget all of that "Communist" stuff; that was just the name of Stalin's own personal company. And what a Capitalist he was! He owned every fatory, he owned all the roads, he owned all of the utilities, he owned the Army, he owned the entire Justice (sic) system, HE OWNED THE PEOPLE!
People like to talk of John D. Rockefeller - CAPITALISTS! HA! John D. Rockefeller, punk when compared to the real thing, STALIN.
Read "I Choose Freedom" and get the inside dope by Victor A. Kravchenko. By my reckoning, Victor rose to about the 4th tier under Stalin, and Stalin truated him so much Victor was sent to Washington, D.C., to work on the wartime "Lend Lease" program. The KGB couldn't guess they had just given Victor his passport to freedom, and constant fear because there was never a more wanted man than Victor. Also, let me suggest, "Operation SOLO, our man in the Kremlin"

This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time, a fact which caught me completely by surprise as I purchased it on a whim after seeing it referenced in a 20th century social history of Russia textbook I was assigned in college. I was hoping to get a personal account of life under Stalin; Kravchenko certainly delivers, not only from the perspective of an ordinary citizen who began his career with deep hopefulness about the Soviet system, but also later as a profoundly disillusioned, high-ranking official who miraculously manages to survive every major calamity of the period -- collectivization, purges, the Nazi invasion, etc. Kravchenko's writing (or at least the English translation) is a delight, his narrative riveting, and the implication of what the Russian people went through in this period is absolutely mind-boggling. As an insider's account it is first rate.

While this edition of the book (purchased through Amazon) appears to have been republished by a conservative group as a means to promote "conservatism," Kravchenko's own motivations were quite different: his commitment was to seeing the totalitarian regime replaced with a democratic one, whatever form that democracy might eventually take. Even in his defection to the US, he does not endorse any particular ideology, choosing intead to acknowledge injustice where he sees it (the US and Britain included).

I had been looking forward to reading this book for sometime since it has been out of print. This was a seminal book in the process of deglamorizing Joe Stalin and the Soviet Union. The brutality of the Soviets as manifested by the genocidal famines, purges, persecution of religion, and overt aggression and occupation of neighboring countries was known to the West. However, due to the outright denials and other obfuscations by leftists of all sorts, and FDR's administration, presumably to get Stalin to side with them against Hitler, this knowledge was suppressed and did not influence public opinion.

Well, the book is an expose of communism written by a communist. The author makes it clear that he realizes that he dedicated his life to a system that was essentially terroristic, and no effort on his part to instill or elicit decency from the rulers and their underlings was going to work inside the system. That is why he comes to the conviction that the only way to save his people is to write this expose, hoping that outside world could influence the Kremlin, so that they would finally feel some fear for what they were doing. The author was correct, and subsequantly other exposes influenced forces, both externally and internally, and brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the author did pay a terrible price for his actions, as I am sure he knew he would, his family and freinds in the Soviet Union were severely persecuted.

I dissagree with a earlier reviewer's point that the author was not a confirmed advocate of Western style democracy. Considering the time that the author had after he entered the country, defected and wrote the book, it is unlikely that he could do a reasonable comparative analysis of political systems. The author was convinced that the Soviet system was evil, and that it was much worse than Czarist Russia. Also consider how devastating it must have been to him to abandon this ideology to which he had devoted his life to. I am curious about what his further convictions were.

Overall, this is a very well written book, a credit to the author's ability and his translators. I just wish that the publisher had included a little on the author's biography post the release of the book.