Children's Books

I have read this book cover to cover and I think the book covers pretty much every aspect of parenting teenagers - I've got two in my home. I bought the "Yes, Your Parents are Crazy" for my teens, as well. I wish Dr. would have mentioned something about cell phones, but I think I can figure them out, too with the help of other info. in this book. I have found some excellent ideas in this book and it has definately helped me maintain my inner "dispassionate cop" when dealing with those inevitable teen moments as well as help my sense of humor resurface. I have often been heard saying that there are lots of similarities in raising infants to teenagers including the number of people giving you unsolicitated advice. I think this book provides more then just more advice; it provides prospective.

This book is a Godsend! EVERY parent should read it...if possible, even BEFORE their child enters adolescence! You will gain the key to reaching your child! You will learn what TO DO and sometimes more importantly, what NOT to do regarding your parenting of your adolescent. His insight is REAL and APPLICABLE! You will be rewarded with a rich and mutually beneficial relationship with your child where you both feel respected and valued. This book was remarkable! I couldn't put it down. I am sure I will read it and reread it a few times. It's the closest thing to a how to book I've seen. He is brilliant!

Too many moments where your teen will just blow you away with something you never saw coming! The craziest things they do...you might understand after you read this book. I definetely recommend it.

This is one of the best books I have found to help parents understand not only what their teens are going through, but tips on responding and hope that this is only a "stage" of development...this too shall pass! As a Marriage & Family therapist, I work with many teens and their parents...I all but insist that the parents buy this book! I tell them that it is the "handbook" for parenting a teen! So many have thanked me...it becomes their guidebook through adolescence! I should receive royalties...or at least some kind of commission, don't you think?

Thanks so much for writing this book and in such an easy to read format! My only wish is that it had been available when my son was a teen!

I was at my wits end with my 17 year-old daughter. She was acting up quite a bit and my normal reaction was anger which resulted in nothing but a lot of yelling,hurt feelings, and sleepless nights. Out of desperation, I searched for something, ANYTHING, that would help me get back on track with my daughter. This book was a God-send! I couldn't put it down. Dr. Bradley's philosophies and advice were right on target. I felt that he wrote it just for me. I applied his suggestions and what a difference it has made in my relationship with my daughter. Instead of yelling, we talk calmly. I listen, she listens. She still acts up once in awhile (after all, she's still a teenager) but I handle my reactions differently which makes her more comfortable coming to me with her problems. I sleep much better at night now. Dr. Bradley has given me so much hope that my sweet little girl is still there and we will get through these very trying times. I wish that all parents of teenagers could read this book. It is THE best.

The best childrens book ever! I almost cry everytime I read it to my daughter. She loves the illistrations and the story will melt anyones heart.

No matter how many times we read this story, my boys laugh every time. It is a warm-hearted story with a nice amount of spunk in it.

this book is fantastic, even for newborns! My sister-in-law reads this to my 5 week old nephew before bed every nigh and she adores it!

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

Don't be fooled by the "Stinky Face" title. When I first heard about this book, I thought it might be an odd approach to sibling rivalry. It's not at all. Instead, this is a beautiful, imaginative story about a mother who would love her child no matter what, even if he were a bug-eating Martian or a smelly skunk named Stinky Face. The illustrations are lovely - my 3 year-old finds it charming that the one-eyed monster sleeps in a hammock with a toy bunny.

In summary, the book conveys a strong message of unconditional love, but without being overly sappy. The scenes are clever and funny and full of little surprises. When shared at bedtime, this story leaves both parent and child feeling warm and happy.

I Love you Stinky Face is a sweet book guided by the imagination of a little boy. He asks his Mama what if....and his mama tells him she loves him no matter how mean, scary, stinky, or green he might be. The illustrations are enchanting and the story is just fun! It models the true unconditional love between a parent and child. A great book to read to your wild and adventurous little one!

Julia's book was recommended to me by a French Chef we met in the Caribbean. It is the perfect book from which to learn French cooking. Julia's instructions are very detailed and make it easy to prepare each recipe. I highly recommend this book.

For those who wish to venture into the world of culinary genius, Mastering the Art of French Cooking is the Bible. Specific, thorough, and accurate recipes guide even the novice to achieving gastronomic perfection. This is the first serious cookbook I owned as a young housewife. Now, I purchase the book for every serious cook. Simply a must have!

We have always enjoyed watching and reading about Julia Child. My husband asked for this book for Christmas, and although we haven't had a chance to peruse it thoroughly, he is very pleased with the gift. He bakes bread often and is interested in her recipes for breads as well as other French recipes.

This book bring together years of cooking by recipe. It actually explains things so I can understand why I'm doing them.

The best Coq au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon recipes you'll find are in this book. I've had Mastering the Art of French Cooking for years and recently gave one to my son, who also loves to cook. This cookbook tells you what to do, how to do it, and where to easily find the ingredients in your American supermarket. I don't do much (any?) baking, so don't have Volume II Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 2 (Paperback), which I understand is primarily about baking, but this one, Volume 1, is fantastic.

This book and The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006 are the first ones I turn to in the kitchen. Together, they will teach the new cook how to cook and the experienced cook how to cook much better.

As I pastor I'm amazed at how many young children like to have the Bible read to them. As they grow older, you want them to begin to read it for themselves, and the Picture Bible provides a great transition between being "read to" and "reading it themselves." Parents can read it to them like a picture book until the child begins to read on their own.

And kids like to read this edition! It looks like a comic book (what kid doesn't like that!) but it tells many of the major stories found in the scriptures.

I always keep a couple of copies on hand to give to parents when their children reach age 5 or 6. And for the price, how can you beat it.

Pastor Kirk Brantner

I used to carry this around the house as a child and was recently looking for something like it for my daughter. I looked for it and didn't expect to actually find it. I always remembered the stories of the bible the way they were presented in that book. I think this is a very valuable addition to any home library. Of course not as a replacement for the bible, but it really helps relate those stories to children and helps generate interest in the bible. I recommend this to adults and children.

My children and I have worn out 2 hardback copies of this great kid's Bible at our house. I love this book so much that I have also bought literally hundreds of copies of it over the years to give to the new children in our Awana program every year. I just hope this wonderful children's Bible is never out of print because I want to keep buying them and giving them away. It is truly fantastic, both for kids and adults!
Karen George

The comic-book format may be off-putting, but the text is very true to Scripture. I can't believe how much Old Testament my kids know! One copy has already fallen apart - we're going to order another. Well worth it!

A number of reviewers have commented on the remarkable fidelity of this work to the Bible itself. Proof of this may be that I purchased my paperback copy at a Conservative rabbinical seminary bookstore! If it is used as a pedagogical tool at a school for rabbis-to-be, who am I to question its accuracy?

i really loved this book if i was born around his time i would have been his friend i love how he stood up for his beliefs and went back to school in stuff even though he didn't get to gradulate, but he still lived a great in fun life it was short but he did things with it i'm young but my aunt past away with AIDS and after reading this book it really touch me i was crying because i felt so bad what ryan went though but he didn't let it get to him. He was so strong he got people believing again.

In fifth grade we were introduced to an illness called AIDS. We also learned about a boy named Ryan White. I took an interest to this story because I have an illness called diabetes and have to deal with how different people react and treat me because of it. Just like Ryan and AIDS diabetes is not contagious and there are no know ways to prevent or cure it. I have heard many different reactions when they find out that I have Diabetes. The most commom being "Did you eat too much sugar or something?" Most of the time I just laugh at this and explain that you have no control over getting Diabetes. I took an interest in school that year and by doing so I found myself a role model...Ryan White.

When I was young I remeber a copy of People magazine that my mom had lying around with Ryan White on the cover. For some reason I always took an interest to him, and his life, and all the article that I could find on him. In high school I remeber reading part of it to do an exta credit project. Finally 2 year out of high school I decided to reread the story of his life. It is amazing how people really are. It really hit home, not living too far from Kokomo, Indiana where he was from, that people in my community would treat people this way. It is also amazing how much determination he had to be who he was and not let anyone or anything get in the way. This book is great!!!! Everyone should read it and put themselves in this families shoes!!

Today is World AIDS Day and each year I remember my childhood friend, Ryan White. His sister and I were both Rollerskaters and skated in the same skating rinks. Knowing Ryan personally and having his book for years now, it is still a story that resonates with me. It is true, thoughtful, and in his own words.

I'll never forget the hatred the spewed from the city of Kokomo against him. It was such a devastating blow to his well being. Not only did he have this death sentence, but the entire town was treating him worse than what you would treat a pig going to slaughter. I am not joking. I remember seeing him at the skating rink one day, it was a time when he wasn't as sick so he was able to be a kid. I went up to him to give him a hug because I hadn't seen him in so long and he said, "You want to hug ME?" He was shocked that someone would want to touch him. That's how bad it was.

Read his book. He is the reason people with AIDS are accepted now. This friend of mine had more courage than anyone I have ever met.

I read this book upon entering seventh grade. Ryan's story was so empowering and so honest that I often feel the need just to sit down and read a chapter by random. Everytime I read it I cry. This auto- biography has inspired me to help in the relief and research for AIDS. I have done reports on the disease and Ryan and teachers often comment about how passionate I am about the subject. This book changed the way I veiw life; a treasure that should'nt be wasted. Thank you Ryan.

As a health-conscious omnivore, I was looking for a book to help me get past the sandwich-rut in my lunch box. I don't have kids, but I can attest that my husband and I love the recipes in this book, and I feel even better about my health with these vegan recipes. Even if you're not vegan, you're sure to get great ideas.

This is exactly the book to get for any vegan who brings a lunch to school or work. The meals are geared towards young children and the book is geared towards their parents, but the content is suitable for any vegan who makes sack lunches and is tired of PB&J all the time.

They need to make two more books:
1. The Vegan Children's Cookbook - the easy stuff that kids can prepare themselves
2. The Vegan Worker - more adult sack lunch and picnic foods

Vegan Lunch Box really doesn't need yet another stellar review, but it's getting one anyway! This book is full of more than great recipes, it is full of great complete meals, each one balanced and fulfilling. I have only had a chance to try a few of the meals so far, but I don't think I could be without this book now. Everything I have tried tastes great and is easy to make. Now all I need is one of those bento boxes or stackable stainless steel things and I'm set! Thanks so much to Jennifer and her family for publishing this wonderful book.

Having looked at the blog at [...]a number of times, or should I say drooled over the blog, I finally purchased the book. I have to say this is an amazing book with fantastic recipes, photos, ideas, tips and hints that are great for kids and adults. I can't wait to fill my new lunchbox with some of these vegan goodies!!!

This book has made me excited about packing a lunch! All the recipes look delicious and I can't wait to try them all out! Jennifer McCann has done such a wonderful job of showing that vegan meals (specifically lunches) can be diverse, healthy and fun! No one has to feel deprived when eating from home after reading this book!

excellent service. book received in excellent condition, just as described. would definitely order through bookrescue again.

As the father of an 8 year old daughter with CF (who even sorta looks like Alex), you can imagine that this is not an easy read for me. I read it once 8 years ago, when she was diagnosed, and it was bad....I have tried to re-read it again 8 years later and it's even harder to get through. Not a day goes by where I don't think about that I most likely will have to go thru what Frank did.
I"m not sure i'll be able to handle it. My optimism that there will be a cure in time has dwindled to stark reality that it's not likely to happen soon enough. Thank you Frank for writing this, at least I know i'm not alone.

After supporting Cystic Fibrosis as one of my personal charities for many years, I saw this book in a used book store and bought it. I didn't read it for some time. In fact, it was after I met a family who had a son with CF. I became friends with him - and only a few months later, close to his 21st birthday, he was gone. Then I read the book.. I must say, this is a heartbreaker - but Alex is such an amazing young girl! Written from the experiences of a father watching this terrible disease take his little girl. I strongly recommend reading - and then reaching out to your local Cystic Fibrosis Chapter.

i bought this book because my best friend also had lost her life struggling with cf at the young age of 19.i always knew what cf was but never new how life threating it really was.this book was touching and reminded me of my memories with phylicia (1986-2005) she lived life in such a fullfilling way.she qouted in her year book her senior yr of high school one year before she passed "living life as if you are dying is never acually living at all".this book was very touching and i hope other people get a chance to read this book also.

My daughter was diagnosed with CF 4 months ago at the age of 2.5 yrs. I was immediately drawn to books written from the parent perspective (it seems most are written by young adults who have it), and I first read "From a Taste of Salt" and then "Alex".

I mostly loved this book; I love how well Deford delves into the psychological aspects (of ALL the family) of having a child in the house with this disease. I can easily picture in my dealings with my own daughter many of the conversations with Alex he relates.

There are two things I disliked. One is that he really over-makes Alex to be a saint. Everyone says my daughter is so sweet and so good at taking her medicines and therapy and yadda yadda, but would you ever say the OPPOSITE to a parent with a sick child? My daughter is still a toddler and no saint, but Deford leaves out most of the day-to-day "normal" parts of her life that would show her regular humanity instead of her sainthood.

Secondly, It became obvious at times that Deford was, unfortunately, projecting some of his own thoughts, feelings, and memories onto Alex's actions. I do not blame him for this one bit, considering the great devistation it is to lose a child and then try to write about it. But for some reason it really annoyed me.

Overall an excellent book, and I recommend it to any parent with a newly diagnosed child struggling through the emotional and psychological steps of accepting CF. You find out that you are not alone in your many confusing thoughts. I only wish he had perhaps been a more religious man, and touched on the acceptance of this disease from God.

Helaine and Score travel to the nightmare planet of Zarathan, in search of their kidnapped friend Pixel. It's a place where a person's nightmares and fears become reality, and to fall asleep means certain death. John Peel adds some new twists into this installment in the Diadem series by adding some elements of horror with a little science fiction thrown in. Very well done.

This whole series was a hit, it kept me reading and since it abruptly ends at this book (#6) I've been reading the 6 books over and over again, hoping for a change in heart by the author and a real ending, mind you that not rushing an ending in one book would be nice. Yes it is good for us, the readers, to use our imaginations a bit, but this was a complete cliff-hanger. The imagination/creativity is breath taking, never a cheezy moment. Mainly this book takes the story more towards an fantasy/horror story plot. Pixel is in trouble and of course Score/matt and renald/heliene jump right in to save him.... there seems to be little chance for sucsess.... what will happen?

Fun reading, great characters and an interesting twist at the end! John Peel is a good writer. The next books in the series are to be published soon. (...)

i loved the whole Diadem series so much when i was 10 and i started rereading it again and i still definately adore it even though im now 15. i was so mad when i found that this book was his last book in the series. i really want him to make at least one other book i mean he has to the cover picture still isnt complete. i love these books so much.

The Diadem series has been my favorite book since I was ten years old. I am now fifteen and still remember almost every little detail. To bad he finished the series so abruptly, right?

Then again, he didn't. John Peel has written the seventh book and is still working on book eight. The only reason why the series is not sold in stores is because the publishing companies refuse to publish the new books, saying that it did not sell well enough to make more, and they discontinued the already published ones.

I found a website that has a petition that you can sign to put the books back on the market as well as the seventh and eighth. The site is:

Diadem FanZone--The Book Series Lives On

I was loaned this book by a friend of mine who is German. She was given this book by her mother and read it when she was a child in Germany. Years later she found it in a used book sale here in the states (her current residence) and fell in love with it again. She lent me this book, and I have to say it was wonderful. I learned so much reading this book everything from Napoleonic history to early French fashion. Desiree is a delightful character and her life is fascinating. I recommend this book for anyone. It is a light easy read. I was sad when I finished it because I wanted the story to continue.

"Desiree" is the (mostly) true story of Desiree Clary, silk-merchant's daughter of Marseilles, who becomes involved with the Bonapartes, rises with them to the heights of power, survives Napoleon's downfall and ultimately becomes Queen Desideria of Sweden, the first Bernadotte Queen. Desiree herself tells her story in diary form, although it isn't as annoying as the diary form usually is, and the reader experiences events of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as Desiree did--as a series of domestic events. That these events occur in royal households and that Desiree is a major player in them could be accidental, but one quickly realizes that Desiree is a remarkable woman and these are no accidents.

The tone is intimate, and one feels as though Desiree is confiding in the reader as a friend. Annemarie Selinko is a virtuoso; even in translation not one word of this amazing story rings false. You will find yourself thinking of Desiree long after the end of the book. I read this first at sixteen, and found the historical information invaluable in a college history course (not the reason to read it, but it doesn't hurt).

I've since read the Josephine B. books, and a wonderful novel based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte called "The Emperor's Lady" by F. W. Kenyon (available used on Amazon), which I also heartily recommend, but "Desiree" is the platinum standard by which to judge historical novels/fictionalized biographies.

It is simply wonderful.

I love this book (as well as the movie to this book) and not all of the book is fiction! There was a woman named Desiree Clary she was the first love/fiance of Napoleon Bonaparte. She married one of his marshals, Jean-Baptise Bernadotte whom was elected to become King of Sweden in the early ninteenth century. Desiree's and Jean-Baptise's descandents are still on the throne of Sweden to this day.

I would also like to add that the author has done a brillent job in writing this book! She wrote the book so well, that it's diffucult to distinguish the line between fact and fiction in this book!

Annemarie Selinko's "Desiree" is one of the best novels about France during the first Empire. It is definitely my favorite novel about Napoleon, told from the point of view of his cast-off fiancee, the enchanting Desiree Clary. Selinko's characterizations and descriptions are based on meticulous research, making this book one of the finest of the historical fiction genre. Feisty Desiree becomes a queen in spite of herself, and in spite of Napoleon, through a course of events that are almost unbelievable, but true. Many famous historical figures are brought to life, especially the fascinating, glamorous Josephine. The fortune-telling scene is one of my favorites in the book. Well-written, gripping, romantic and an unforgettable love story, "Desiree" is a book to own and read often. It is goes well with two other novels about the same era, almost as if they were a trilogy, Norah Loft's "A Rose for Virtue" and Elena Vidal's "Madame Royale."

I'm a certified anglophile, when it comes to history. This is probably because I am one-half Angelo Celtic and so the history I read about when I read about England, Scotland and Ireland, is in some sense my own. It is a basic human urge to understand where we come from after all. Anyway, this is my way of saying I don't "get" France. I can't speak French (and so in books when there's some French thrown in I'm just lost) and I don't know anything about French history (except a little where it bumps up with England.) For most of the historical fiction I read about France, which has events that occurred so long ago it doesn't seem to matter that I have no knowledge, this doesn't effect my enjoyment of the book. But when we get into the French revolution and the whole Napoleon thing it seems I have to know something to get the book. Happily, this book explains everything so well that I can report if you know nothing about the after events of the French revolution (like me) you will not only be able to enjoy the book but you will actually learn things!

This is a fake diary kept for about forty years by (real person) Eugenie Desiree Clary, one time fiancée of Napoleon and later Queen of Sweden and Norway (obviously many events happen between the two titles.) I know nothing about the real historical person of Desiree, but the character is an amazing women. Smart, resourceful, bold, courageous, romantic, sweet, funny...kind of a perfect main character. She meets Napoleon's older brother Joseph when getting her older brother out of jail and invites him to dinner to meet her older unmarried sister Julie. Joseph brings Napoleon along with him and soon because of the girls' large dowries and the impoverished state of the Bonaparte's, Julie and Joseph are married and Desiree and Napoleon are engaged.

But we all know that Napoleon marries Josephine. So the majority of the book (told by Desiree remember) revolves around Desiree's own love story with a General Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (a great character and lovely romance) and of course what happened in France under Napoleon. Like I said this book is an education about what happened to change a republic into an empire (perhaps we could be looking for parallels to today's United States?)

Desiree's life is fascinating but what also makes this book interesting is the portrait painted of Napoleon-a very different one from other view points about him (say as in "The Josephine Bonaparte collection" by Sandra Gulland which presents him as...well as a very different kind of man. Josephine also) The Napoleon of this book is selfish, arrogant and so conceited and entitled he's unbearable (as Desiree says at one point, "can you believe I was going to marry him?") I suppose the view presented in this book is more in tune with the traditional historical view of Napoleon (little-man syndrome and all) but then I don't know much about it.

I want to be clear on the fact that the romance in this novel is NOT between Desiree and Napoleon but between Desiree and her husband Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. In fact once you past page 100 it's pretty obvious that the only emotion Desiree feels towards Napoleon is some nostalgia and contempt and fear.

Anyway, this is a great book. It has engaging characters, history that's real and understandable (even by one with no knowledge such as me) and an enchanting narrator who has an inspiring sense morality, especially about government. My only complaints are that sometimes the diary entries are very far apart chronologically and there is little explanation of what happened in between the dates and so often times I had to re-read entries a couple time to get a sense of continuity. A history book may have been helpful here but I eventually figured out what was happening/had happened in between the entries. Also there are so many characters, often with similar names that a character index really would have been helpful.

Other than that this book is pretty perfect. It's a real treasure and I heartily thank the kind person who recommended it to me as one of the best of the historical fiction genre.

Five stars.

Falliing is such a great book just like Shel's other books. I have so much fun reading it to my children. This is a wonderful collection of poetry for children. This is the perfect example of what children's books should be... fun.
Another must have book for any fan of Shel Silverstein is Boety by Beau Beaudoin. His books are often compared to Shel, Dr. Seuss and Tim Burton. What my kids love about his illustrations are they are in color.Boetry

This is a great book like all Silverstains books:
Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings
The Giving Tree
A Giraffe and a Half

Another author tha I love is Nowiki:
Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2

Review of Falling Up

The poem book Falling Up is a very good book. In the book the poems are about a mix of things including important lessons and funny things. Shel Silverstein did a very good job with his books and all of the books he wrote. Falling Up is by far my favorite poem book by Shel Silverstein.

Three poems that really caught my attention are "Gardener", "Spoiled Brat", and "The Toy Eater". I like "Gardener" because it is just a funny poem about a kid making a mistake. "Spoiled Brat" is an example of a life lesson that is very well written. I thought "The Toy Eater" is a great poem about making a little kid believe something that isn't true. All of these poems are very good examples of great imagination.

My favorite poem is "Obedient". This is a good poem because it is a life lesson and a funny poem. The life lesson is that when you do something there is a consequence and in this person's case they got a taste of their own medicine. This poem is funny because the poem takes the order literally by staying in the place for forty years. "Obedient" is a really great poem so I recommend that everyone should read it.

I think this book is a very entertaining, page turning book of poems. It is a great book for all ages, I highly recommend this book.

I am doing my review on _Falling_Up__. This book by Shel Silverstein is written very interesting because the poems inside are not just plain boring poems, they have a lot of thought put into them. His poems in this book are funny and they are tied in with the pictures. I think that Shel had a very wild and active imagination. You need that to wright a book like this. The book has a lot of poems that you would have never thought about being in a poem book. I think that that shows how Shel Silverstein was as a person, not just in his poetry. _Falling_Up_ is a good book also because the poems are goofy, and weird, yet he has a way to pull you into them in this poetry book. I recomend this book to any person who has a wild imagination like his, and whoever likes his stuff and has never read this book.
Danielle Guttman

To be frank, I get a kick out of Silverstein's work. It is always a bit quirky, always takes a couple of readings to really "get," and is very entertaining while being quite insightful as to human nature. This work is no different from his other works, same quality, same odd way of looking at life, same delightful black and white drawings. Publisher's Weekly got it pretty right here, in their usual, rather snotty way, which is one of the few reviews I have ever agreed with them on. (except their little shot at some of his art that they felt may no be appropriate for kids...obviously the author of that review has never been around kids very much). This work consists of 171 pages of poetry rhymes and drawings. I first read Silverstein in Playboy magazine years and years ago when I wasted my time with such publications. I did not particularly care for him them, but over the years have developed quite a like for his work. I truely love this book and do highly recommend it.