Children's Books

More than Anything Else, by Marie Bradby is about a boy that has a family and works at a painful salt mine but more than anything else he wants to learn how to read. One night when he, his dad and his brother were walking home he saw a man reading his newspaper to every one. Then they rushed home and the boy tells is mom he wants to learn how to read. Then his mom gives him a book and she says that she thinks it's called the alphabet but she doesn't know because she can't read. So the boy reads it and doesn't understand it so he tries to look for the man reading the newspaper. He finds the man and the man teaches him how to read and the boy jumps up and down with joy. Then the man says "What's your name?" and the boy says "Booker." Then the man draws it on the ground. Booker stared at it knowing how to spell his name and knowing how to read.

Booker doesn't express himself unless it's really important to him. Booker doesn't talk very much in the beginning of the book. He just introduces himself and tells what he thinks about in his mind. He only says something out loud when he wants to read. He tells his mom and the newspaper man but he never tells his family how he feels and and when his dad and his brother don't believe in him. This book reminds me to always believe in my self and never give up.

By Arthur

" More than anything else I want to learn to read. But for now, I must work. More Than Anything Else is a true story about a boy named Booker, hiss brother John and his father. They were slaves and had to deliver salt near the Kanawha River in the mountains. They had to use a shovel to put the salt in the barrels. Booker tried to learn to write in different ways, but had trouble until the newspaper came. Booker had a problem because he wanted to learn to read and write, but couldn't because he was a slave.

I like this book because it shows you a lesson on how you can learn to read. The theme of this book is to never give up on your dreams! I recommend this book to 7-10 year old children. I told you this was a true story, so if you want to find out who Booker really is, then read this book. by David M

This is by far, one of my favorite children's books of all time. If anyone have seen the beautiful watercolour paintings in this book, you'll also wonder why this book haven't receive the attention it fully deserves. Not only are the illustrations exquisite but Bradby's text is brilliantly poetic. This book will reminds us of a time when not everyone had a chance at an education where some kids today foolishly take for granted. It takes us back to the simplicity of a time when there were no computers, cell phones, or any of today's over overindulging gluttony. This book teaches us about the human spirit and what we can do with the power of words. This is an overlooked book during the Caldecott selection process. I hope that everyone will have a chance to see the beauty in this book. If you can't wait to have Amazon.com send this to you, go to the library and check it out yourself. It is an amazing piece of work in both text and art!

My son is 4. He is like most of the kids in America who have everything. I used to tell him there were children without food and could not afford to go to school. He did not understand. When I read him this story, his eyes were wide opened. I can tell this story hit his heart really hard, and definitely touched his soul. I am not an African American, but I almost cried. We have to show our children how lucky they are today. They definitely have more than they need, and do not know how to appreciate.

Well, 53 Five Star reviews pretty much says it all.

This is a beautiful book. Not only is the artwork superb (see the cover and Amazon's "Search Inside This Book" feature) but the story is glorious. A triumph of the human spirit when everything in the immediate environment says 'give up' and 'don't dare to dream'.

In this fictionalized story of Booker T. Washington, a young boy ignores the difficult world around him -- where newly freed slaves struggle to find their place in the changing American economy, where 9 year old boys work alongside grown men doing hard labor, where families are short of food -- and dreams of something better.

He says in the book:
"I see a man reading a newspaper aloud and all doubt falls away. I have found hope, and it is as brown as me.

"I see myself the man. And as I watch his eyes move across the paper, it is as if I know what the black marks mean, as if I am reading. As if everyone is listening to *me*. And I hold that thought in my hands.

"I will work until I am the best reader in the county. Children will crowd around me, and I will teach *them* to read."

A love for books and the importance of the written word comes through in this book. A great book to include in any home library.

Five Stars. Beautiful art and story. Amazon has the age range as 4 to 8, but as a mom I think 4 is too young to fully absorb the implications of this story. Likewise, I think the message is one that children older than 8 could come to love.

Melissa Fox is totally messed up because her boyfriend Will Simmons dumped her and she can't understand that so she takes 27 sleeping pills to end her pain, but she ends up in the hospital. But before this all happened she turned almost everyone in the school against Jessica Wakefield because Will and Jessica like each other. But now Jessica feels the responsible when Melissa commits suicide. Will is always taking Jessica's side and that's one of the reasons why Melissa hates Jessica. But Jessica started going out with Jeremy and doesn't feel comfortable around him, she thinks she likes him but she actually likes Will.
Conner DeMercott and Elizabeth Wakefield like each other so they start dating. The problem is that Elizabeth's best friend Maria Slater likes Conner and she told her that. So Conner and Elizabeth decide to keep it as a secret. They mostly make-out but at the end Maria found both of them kissing in Conner's kitchen. Maria started to cry and she left.
This book is about love, life and time.

Melissa Fox is totally messed up because her boyfriend Will Simmons dumped her and she can't understand that so she takes 27 sleeping pills to end her pain but she ends up in th ehospital. but before this happened she turned almost everyone in the school against Jessica Wakefield because Will and her like each other. Will keeps on taking jessica's side and that's one of the reasons why Melissa hates Jessica. But Jessica started to go out with Jeremy and doesn't feel comfortable around him, she thinks she likes him but she actually likes Will.
Conner DeMercott and Elizabeth Wakefield like each other so they start dating. But Elizabeth's best friend Maria Slater likes Conner and told her that. so Conner and Elizabeth decide to keep it as a secret. They mostly make-out but at the end Maria found them kissing and she started to cry and left.
This book is about love, life and time.

i LOVE SWHSY it is the best book series i really liked this book because i LOVE seeing liz and conner together. i think i am the ONLY person who feels sorry for melissa, i mean will cheated on her and she obviously has issues i think if she had let jess explain things would have turned out differently. all in all it was a great book but im tired of everyone thinking jess is so mush Better looking than liz THEYRE twins i know everyone has thier "twin" and liz is mine keep on the look for me in the future im on to the next book

okay, we all love jess and liz and want to destroy anyone who goes up against them.this is how i first felt about melissa. she started all these rumors about jess. wait- before i go on ,i let you know i have only read a few of the senior year books. anyways, this book helped me understand liss more. she is not just completely evil, she has problems. like the deal with her mother. doesn't anyone else feel for her? SO in the end my oppinion of liss has slightly wavered from hatred to sympathy.

This is one of the best books of the series. I love the Conner-Liz thing. However... I just wanted to point out, I think in this book something like Maria and Liz go into the Riot and laugh as Tia pull them into the crowd. It's something like "Liz laughed then coughed at the second hand smoke." Smoking's been outlawed in California bars for a while. Just a comment.

This is the book I've been looking for- tons of information and beautiful pictures. I highly recommend.

This book is filled with incredible pictures. It also contains topical infromation on different animals. The book is broken into sections that allows the reader to look up information easily. DK gives us another high quality informative book. A must have for lovers of animals!

Overall a great valve for the money. Pictures are clear and all in color. Explaines well the breakdown of species. For a book at this price it cannot be beat, but there are some items that I think should have been included. The first is the average life span of the species. It's mentioned for very few animals but it always facinates me to realize how long or short some of these animals live for. Another puzzling exclusion from the book is that humans are not included ... unless humans are not considered part of the Animal Kingdom. Puzzling choice not to include humans.

This is an excellent book! I could not be more satisfied. (However, it is a LARGE book. I expect to be spending several more weeks reading it in detail.)

My kids adore this book, as do many of their friends whom we've given it to. The pictures are excellent, and the level of factual detail is high without being numbing. I don't think we've ever tried to look up an animal what wasn't in here. I recommend it highly.

I own the Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide. My Dad and I are trying to finish all the books and after we finish them, we will rent the movie and see how the movie is.

This book is really helpful, because it shows you what the actual field guide that Jared has in the books. It's fun to see and hold what Jared can see and hold.

The book has different sections showing the many different Spiderwicks (Faeries). In the table of contents you will see there's different kinds of creatures like elves, pixies and other spiderwicks.

The first character in the Spiderwick Field Guide book is Thimbletack the brownie. Thimbletack is the first spiderwick that Jared and his twin brother Simon and his older sister Mallory meet.

I would recommend this field guide to other people who are reading the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide is a must have for the fan of the movie and the books. My son read all the books in the series, then saw the movie. He saw the Field Guide and just had to have it. Found it on Amazon.com and purchased it, since it arrived he hasn't put it down. He has even gone back and reread the books since he has the actual Field Guide to see the 'creatures'. Definitely won't be disappointed with this one!

My grandson is in the middle of reading the Spiderwick Chronicle series. He was very excited to get this book as it gives details about the characters he's reading about.

My son was a little disappointed because the outside is actually a book cover. Not as detailed as he thought. But the pictures and the writings are very pretty and it held his interest for atleast a day which is pretty good for a 7 year old boy.

My grandson loved this book - could hardly wait to receive it! He took it to school and his teacher is letting him use it for his reading material1

I always purchas this book for baby showers and any gift for very young children. It is wonderful to use for early language development or anyone wishing to learn the English names for nouns. My son wore out three copies and I always kept at least one copy in my classroom as well as my home. Cheryl White

This was a favorite book of mine growing up. I just bought it for my 21 month old son, and he loves it as well!! A classic that every child should have!

This is an excellent book after the child has understood concepts of numbers, colors, shapes and is beginning to explore the world around them. It explores the home, the market, cars, trucks, planes, and other concepts that are around them sometimes and that they see not only in person, but possibly on t.v. or talk about in school in class or with family and friends. It also covers the parts of the body and clothing items too. LLO'C

This wonderful book has been around for years, teaching generations of kids the wonderful world of words. Richard Scarry organizes words under categories, such as tools, the playground, the supermarket, etc. It's a fun way to learn, and the illustrations are fabulous and vibrant.

If you have children in your circle, you should make it your business to give them this book -- and give them the gift of learning!

This book was a favorite of my children, and I have given it as a gift to two new mothers, who have told me it was their child's favorite, too. My 18 month-old granddaughter is getting it for Christmas this year. I don't think you can miss with this one.

This is such a lovely series. Miss Wrede has a great talent for creating fun, witty characters that are instantly likeable. Humor is abundant and the story is delightful!

I loved this set. It wasn't like I thought it would be from what I read about it, it was better! This is a very unique set and I must say that if all of Patricia Wrede's books are as surprising as this one, I would love to get more of her books. This is definitely a fairy tale, but it has so much comedy mixed in with it, plus there's the romance and all the other good stuff you want in a book. Buy this set, and you won't be sorry. Unless, of course you're the type of person that just wants the same boring fairy tale stuff.

This series is one of my oldest favorites. I first read them in elementary school and now in college I still love them. They are classics that you will go back to again and again. Short and sweet I turn to them if I need that fantastical escape.

This is a fun series for young girls, starring a self-sufficient princess and a coven of dragons of a variety of temperaments. Superficial, fluffy reading, but still fun and relaxing to read. The last book in the series kind of annoyed me because I hate it when there are characters who are in the dark about their history and they just bumble around trying to figure out what's going on. Still, there was a happy ending, of course, and it all turned out in the end.

One of the best series I have ever read. I personally place it next to Harry Potter. They teach that manners are important and it's okay to be different. Great gift for Good readers around 9 and older, if they don't mind a bit of a challange with the length.

This is a beautiful, wonderfully written book. Though a work of fiction about a young man named "Punky", author Wood's wrote this book as a tribute to her late brother. I myself am a sibling of a man with Down Syndrome and as such this book is very close to my heart. People with Down Syndrome possess personality traits such as blunt honesty, obsessive/compulsive-like reliance on routine, stubbornness, finding great joy in simple things and in a job well done. Wood's depiction of Punky, who possesses all these traits and more, is dead-on. So much in her characterization of Punky describes my own brother. I am also from Missouri, where the story is set, and can attest to her descriptions of the settings being very accurate. I own this book in paperback and only wish I could still find it in hardback because it will be a permanant part of our family library.

This book is a "must-read", it is sad at parts but I won't spoil the book for you!!! If you are looking for a great book read this, you should also read the sequel Turtle On A Fence Post, it is also great! The Man Who Loved Clowns is about Delrita, a girl who's uncle "Punky" just turned 35 years old, he has down-syndrome.I won't tell you any more but trust me READ THIS BOOK!!!

This is the greatest book. Perfect for children of all ages. ITs a heart touching story, and shows how families need to stick together no matter the circumstance. This story is a great example of how no families are perfect. Punky is a wonderful character/person, he touched my life. This book makes you want to smile and cry at the same time. Its an amazing book, don't just take my word for it, go ahead and read it yourself.

This is the most sincere book that I have ever read. I actually read it aloud to my 6th grade students. We were all moved and touched so much by the main characters, Punky and Delrita. This book exposed my students to many morals and excellent character traits as they learned the importance of accepting others, even if they are different. My students have missed this book so much since we finished it. I think it will leave an everlasting impact on their lives, and they will always treasure this story that we shared together.

Delrita moved to Tangle Nook from a small town. She lived with her mom,dad and uncle Punky. Punky has a disease called Down's syndrome and just turned thirty-five, and it's very unlikely for someone with Down's syndrome to live past forty. Delrita meets Avanelle Shackleford, and her brother Tree. Delrita, and her family pack up and go to Silver Dollar City. While they are there Punky "trades" a clown for clown. That led them to meeting Whittlen Walt. Walt came in handy later when Delrita's parents get in an accident and Walt is there for Delrita, and Punky.
In my opinion this book is an excellent book. It is most definitely highly recommended in my mind.

I purchased this book for 12 and 10 year old daughters. I thought that perhaps we could read a prayer each night as a devotion and that it would give us an opportunity to talk about issues in their lives. It has done that and more. My oldest daughter now refers to it frequently, whenever she needs a lift or a little extra encouragement. I also purchased the sequel and I rate it equally well. I have given this book as gifts to my daughter's friends for their 13th birthday, and they have all loved it.

My mom gave me this book a couple of years ago, and I just stuck it in my closet. Recently I was cleaning out my room and uncovered this book. I started reading the prayers inside. I looked for prayers that connected to my everyday life and that I could relate to. I typed up my favorite prayers on my computer, printed it out, and put it by my bed. Every night I read the prayers. One night, I was feeling lonely. I was reading through the prayers and I came across one that went like this:

I need someone to comfort me
To tell me it's okay
To stroke my hair
And kiss my cheek
To hold me tight when I feel weak
To make hurt go away.

I need someone to care for me
Someone who's always there
To take my hand
And wipe my tears
To stand on guard against my fears
To help when life's unfair.

I trust in God's great[...]love [...] for me
When I am all alone
To hear my cry
And fill my heart
With faith that I can do my part
And manage on my own.

I read it over and over, sobbing the whole time. About the fifteenth time, I was reading it and I just stopped. Something happened and I stopped crying. I just read it over again, this time without crying, and laid down in my bed. I felt so much better. I don't know what happened, but something about the prayers made me feel better.

These prayers have changed the way I feel spiritually. They have also given me a greater belief in God. This book provided me with the words I needed to get by. I highly reccommend trying it.

When I first saw this book, I passed it by since I am the mom of two boys. The next time I saw it, I was looking for a gift for a friend with three teenage daughters.(Her copy is well worn and she's buying extra's to give as gifts) Thumbing thru it, I returned to buy a copy for myself. "Dreams on Your Pillow" is inspirirational for any parent of teens and can be applied to boys,also, as they take the journey to manhood.

Celia Straus wrote this snappy little book for her daughters, and it shows a mother's love. Each page contains a small "prayer" written for a teenage girl, all of them dealing with courage and becoming (at least that's how a father sees it :-). All of them are written in enchanting verse, though not all of them are necessarily directed towards God. For example, on page 103, there is "I am not helpless/I am not weak/I will not shatter/I will not weep/I stand alone/Yet I stand strong/I can be me/Without being wrong."

Overall, I found this to be a wonderful little book, a great gift for the young lady in your life!

I just bought this book for my daughter as a graduation present and she and I have both already read all the poems in it. Now it stays on her pillow! I don't know why these simple poems connect so instantly to the soul, but they seem to touch a cord inside. My daughter, who is 12, has thanked me more for this book than anything I have given her in years. For any girl who is going through an identity crisis, this book is a great help.

I ordered this after seeing it on Amazon. It was one of my favorite books growing up and I wanted to share it with my three daughters (8,6,& 2). After reading "The Sneetches" to my 6 year-old, she looked at me and said that it wasn't very nice to treat people badly because they aren't the same as us. I was thrilled that she got the meaning of that story right away. Dr. Seuss is a genius for getting these moral points across in a way that children understand and making it so fun at the same time. She thought that "The Zax" was funny. She didn't understand why they just didn't compromise. Every story in this book has an important lesson and it's such a great way to spend time with your children too!

My 3, now 4 year old loves this book. He loves all the stories but especially the last one about the pale green pants. He likes to feel a little scared (boys!) and then have a happy ending, so this story with its good messege is a perfect match for him. He can "read" it to me from memory. It's amazing. He says that McMonkey Mcbean in the Sneetches, isn't a very nice little monkey." It slays me every time, and he's learning a great lesson. His Dad's name is Dave, so that story if fun and makes him laugh. He would pick this book almost every night for his bedtime story if I would let him.

All I can say, The Sneetches and other Stories, was so loved by my kids, I had to buy it and send it with them when they left for college! We still recite it (almost all by memory) and laugh at ourselves.G-d rest Dr. Suess...his books will live on forever.

Nobody can wrap up smart life lessons better than Dr Seuss. Amazing stories about sneetches that are tricked into buying and/or removing the stars on their bellies. My fav after "Oh, the places you go!"
The drawing are very fine too. Nothing quite like Dr.Suess!

The last three pages of the book, The Sneeches , were ripped out. I didn't dicsover it until I went to read the book to my class and was so surprised and annoyed!

This is easily a favorite in our house. we first started reading this to our daughter when she was 9 months old. Since then, she has grown to love it more everyday. She's now 18 months old, and never tires of it. She generally likes all the Boynton books, but this one, she loves.

Here's the gist of the story: a mommy dog is baking cookies with her puppy, and tells him/her a story about how much she loves him. The illustrations are classic Boynton: cute and fun. The rhymes are great. This one isn't as silly as some of her other books, but the sweetness of it makes up for it.

I highly suggest getting the CD that contains the song of "Snuggle Puppy." (I think it's on Philadelphia Chickens...) Once you've learned how the tune goes, you'll love the book even more. And what's even better, is that once you learn the song, you can sing it anywhere. This does wonders for my daughter when she is being uncooperative or grumpy. Whenever I sing her the song, she always smiles, and usually becomes more agreeable.

This fictional work lacks character development, and just about anything else fine literature is supposed to display. But it has furry animals hugging, kissing, singing, dancing, and doing all other manner of cute things, and my 15 month old loves it. Boynton must me laughing all the way to bank...seriously, she must be worth a mint.

I bought this book as a valentine gift for my nephew. I had heard the song on one of my grandchilren's CDs. The song and the book are so sweet!! It is a true love song. I can't wait for a visit when I can read it to him myself. I know it will become one of his favorites.

I've just begun to understand why everyone seems to like Sandra Boynton so much. Over the last month, my 16 month old daughter has decided that she loves this book! She practically skips to the last page where you whisper some of the words and then say "OOOOO, I love you!" really loud, followed by a kiss. She loves that part and anticipates it. She turns her face toward me for the kiss. It's so sweet!!

This is a song!! When I read this book, I sing! I love it!! My kids love it. The boys could really do without all the kissing though but...it goes with the book. When we pull this book out, be ready for some singing, dancing fun!!