Children's Books

"Beautiful Joe" is a wonderful story. It was given to me in the late 50's when I was about 10 years old, and I think I read it three times. It's always amazed me that so few others know of it. But it is a beautiful and enriching story especially suitable for a 9-12 year old child who loves dogs. It is very sad (and distrubing) in the beginning, however, so I would never recommend it for a young child.

I read this book countless times when I was a child in the 1950s; I was delighted to find it still in print and even more delighted to find that it is as moving and meaningful as ever. Today's children may find the language somewhat formal and will need to broaden their vocabularies, but they and their parents will find the small effort well worth it.

I love this book. Everyone should read it young or old. Beautiful Joe and the rest of the animals will touch your heart. I have never read this book without crying at the end.

I am not reviewing the edition but rather the book...and it is...of utmost excellence. Although written for its time period, it is something one can read now and enjoy...Beautiful Joe captures your heart, makes you share his opinions, memories and feelings...then leaves you wanting more.

Just thought I should say something. =)

I first read this story as a Whitman abridged edition when I was about eight years old. It was hard for me to believe that some people were so cruel to animals, but I loved the book's old-fashioned narration and of the adventures of and lessons learned by Miss Laura and her family in raising Joe. The moment I learned what the word "abridged" meant, I went looking for the complete story; it took me a long time to find this Applewood Books edition that included three of the farm chapters that were missing from the supposedly complete version I later purchased, and oddly, the Applewood edition is missing the chapter about the crow that is in some other editions. (I believe this is because the Applewood volume is a reprint of the original story and the chapter about the crow was added in a revised edition.) The story is full of memorable characters, both animal--Joe, Jim the spaniel, Billy the fox-terrier, Bella the parrot--and human--Miss Laura, Ned, Willie, Jack, and Cousin Harry. If you are tender of heart, you may find many scenes heart-rending, but it reminds us too that we have much to still work on in the area of animal cruelty.

This book ended an underlying trilogy story within this series that started in book 6. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are reunited as Padawan and Master, which isn't really a spoiler if you have ever seen Ep 1.

The further I dive into this series, the more I like it. Each book has a better story and the characters develop more depth as well.

For a quick, easy and fun read I would recommend this entire series.

I have been a star wars fan since I was 8 and this is one of the best star wars books i ever read. I gets to the story of Qui-Gon and obi wan vs. Xanatos. Books 7 and 2 of this seires will help you understand this one better. Qui-Gon and Obi Wan go to Xanato's home planet of Telos to find him and bring him to justice. There they will try to become master and apprintice once again if Xanatos dosen't [destroy] them first. This is a page turner I read it in one day it was so good. The ending is suprising and makes you wonder for a second. Reading all the series leading up to this book will make this a must have for star wars fans. To me there are two parts two this series books 1-8 which is the begining of the master apprintice relationship part two books 9-18 watches the relationship grow overtime and introduce new allies and enemys. out of part one this is the best book. To me it is the 3rd best book in the series the only books that top it are books 15,and 16. The only flaw with this book is that it was predictable except in chapter 2 and the second to last chapter. The cover of the book front and back give away some of the best parts. Still Jude Watson managed to make a great star wars book.

Jude Watson deserves all of the praise that has been heaped upon her for the Jedi Apprentice series. Writing in prose ideal for 7-9 year olds, she nevertheless communicates with adults on levels both subtle and profound. She has masterfully charted the relationship of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, leading them on a path so believable and so multi-faceted that readers of all ages should be left both moved and impressed.

The Day of Reckoning presents both a reconciliation and a growth in the relationship of our two Jedi heroes, as they travel to the planet Telos to track down Qui-Gon's former apprentice, Xanatos. Watson gives us just enough to bring Telos alive and into the Star Wars universe, while also giving us a plot that is interesting if not gripping. The highlight of the book is the final confrontation with Xanatos, as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan grapple with issues of responsibility for the fall and death of others - issues that Obi-Wan will have to face on his own in another thirty years or so. The Xanatos/Anakin parallels are clear but not overdone, a tasteful preview of what is to come.

Day of Reckoning holds its own with the rest of the series, a worthwhile series for anyone who enjoys Star Wars.

I've been reading the Jedi Apprentice books to my son (Alex) off and on for the last three years, and he's loved them - and so have I. I still read them to him even though he's getting old enough to read them himself, just so I can have an excuse to read young adult books (yes they are that good).

We've followed the early adventures of Qui-Gon Jinn and young Obi-Wan Kenobi and have been enthralled with the ongoing Xanatos conflict (Xanatos is Qui-Gon's former apprentice introduced to us in the second book of the series "Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Dark Rival") . Over the last few book there has been a large story arc concerning Obi-Wan leaving the Jedi order that reaches its conclusion here, and we were happy to see its well thought out end (following a story that long has been a challenging task for my son). However about halfway through this well written epic adventure (as good as any published for adults), I realized that story elements that were set in motion during the very first books (the equally great "Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force" and the aforementioned "Dark Rival") were now coming to a head.

At first I was concerned that my son wouldn't remember all that had come before (in the last 8 books) but just as with Bruck's story in the last book ("Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Captive Temple") it came back to him and that speaks volumes about the quality of Jude Watson's writing - that in an age were so much is disposable and easily forgotten, these books have left a lasting impression with my boy.

We look forward to breaking the spine of the next book in the series, to see what adventures await Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and if they are anything like what has come before - I know we're in for a treat.

This is one of my favorite books. I always like books where good guys go bad. Xanatos was Qui-Gon Jinns former padawan. He already went to the dark side. When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi went on a mission to Telos Xanatos' home planet. They ran into a surprise. Xanatos was waiting for them. They fell into many of Xanatos' traps yet in the end of the book the jedi manages to put Xanatos in a similar trap. This is one of the best books yet and I love it. It shows ones evil fall and anothers redemption as a jedi. Qui-gon is finally letting go of Xanatos and accepting Obi-Wan, This sets a background for the entire saga of Star Wars. I would just like to say that I have read all of the Star Wars kids books and I am the biggest fan. I know what I'm talking about. May the force be with all who read this book.

What a wonderful true story to inspire courage and the ability to stand up for oneself. A true treasure to be read and reread.

This is a powerful, inspiring story of how even a child can have tremendous courage in the face of overwhelming oppression. My 10-year old daughter and I shared it together.

This book is a first hand account of a young girl who had what it took to survive her horrible experience under the Nazi's. What she "had" was her religion. It is amazing to me that the large amount of Jehovah's Witnesses came through those war years able to cope with life after the war. So many others (in the camps) had no means of doing so. What J.W.'s have is nothing short of a miracle, as I have seen for myself. My 18 yr. old son and I met Simone and her husband at their home in France this past winter. The first thing Max did was to show us the number tattooed on his arm.Then he said to my son, "young man, I watched a 1000 people being put to death every day". Yet, here he stood, just out of the hospital the day before, still bright and full of life and love for his faith, at over 90 yrs. old. Next on my list is his book which I hear is just as inspiring as his wife's.

what faith this young girl showed with the help of her God ! A ggod example for all who face adversity.

This young girl suffered so much at the hands of the French, who sided with the Nazies.
She was French and they took her away from her parents and put her in a terrible reform type school.
This book enlightened me as to how horrific that these Jehovahs Witnesses were treated and only because of their deep religious convictions.
It brought many tears to my eyes at how the innocent ones suffered.

The history, meaning and importance of our American flag is presented for young readers in rhyme with magnificent illustrations that will be sure to inspire. At the bottom of every page is more historical data, such as the planting of a flag on the moon six times for each Apollo mission, the meaning of our colors, and the myths surrounding the making of our first flag.

How nice to see a patriotic message that entertains and inspires.

This book is a great way to teach children about the Amnerican flag through rhyme and pictures. You can focus primarily on the rhymes for younger children and then focus on the factual information given as a sidebar on each page for older children. Wonderful resource!

The Flag We Love is about the American flag and people willing to die for their country. My favorite picture is when it shows the Viet Nam wall.It is so patriotic. The illustration is so detailed and realistic. I just enjoyed the book very much.

This beautiful book opens with Muñoz's first inspiring verse:

Our flag is our country's symbol
Of ideals that are meant to last
It's a promise for our future
A reminder of our past....

The accompanying illustration by Ralph Masiello shows a freshly whitewashed barn with an American flag gracing one side. A farmer's furrowed field, a vast blue sky and bucolic setting complete the scene. Each page that follows presents another verse, accompanying illustration, and a text box that imparts a piece of our flag's history to the reader. The book is stunning to look at, informative and heartwarming to read. It is a good introduction to youngsters about how our flag came to be, how it's changed over the years, and its meaning to us as citizens.

Carolyn Rowe Hill

I think The Flag We Love by Pam Munoz Ryan is a special book in its own honorable,patriotic,and unique way.It tells about
the flags at the Viet Nam Wall and who died. That's why I think it's Special.

I'm not kidding... I did. The juggling balls are a perfect fit to anyone's hand. I bought the kit because I needed to learn how to juggle for a class, and I got an A! Pretty good for a first timer! Besides, it's a great exercise for your arms.. try it for a couple of hours and you'll see the effects!

I bought this book after seeing a few friends juggling and finding the book on sale at my local Borders store. I didn't think it would take me long to get the hang of throwing and catching three beanbags and now, almost 6 months after buying the book, I am quite proficient with a 3 ball cascade, making a few catches with a 4 ball fountain, and I've been bought juggling clubs!

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get into juggling, for fun or sport, it's simple to use and fun to follow along with. The only thing I do not like is that the book's format makes you wish it was spiral bound or bound in a way it can easily be laid flat.

This person is a great dealer with fast prompt service. Would buy from again.

I loved the hole pack. I was trying to find a cheap set of juggling balls to to start learning, when I saw this pack i didn't notice that the beanbags weren't balls but cubes and I was a bit worried at first. Anyway they are great, well balanced, with the right weight, and the unusual format is perfect to beginners, since you will drop them a lot they won't roll away from you like the rounds' ones.

Within an hour of getting this book, I was able to juggle ( though not skillfully at all)three balls. Granted, I've had a little bit of prior juggling experience from years and years ago, so I wasn't totally unfamiliar with the motions. The instructions were very clear and so were the illustrations after I used a hi-liter to keep track of the otherwise black and white balls.

The Mark of Zorro is the first Zorro story, retitled for publication in many different book editions.

Repression and oppressive taxation grows in one corner of California. Don Diego Viega, whose picture might just be beside the word 'fop' if California had a dictionary, can do nothing about it.

As one of the local military says "he is about as dangerous as a lizard basking in the sun".

The same cannot be said for Zorro. The Fox offers the local peons some hope, and does what he can to foment resistance.

When the moneygrubbing goes to far and some of the reasonably well liked local aristocracy are imprisoned, things come to a head, especially after the flogging of the local friar.

In an amusing scene, Senorita Pulido gets herself out of captivity by holding herself hostage. Luckily, while fleeing, Zorro is on hand.

Comedy, and action, and romance as Zorro saves the day.

Well worth reading.

Excellent reading of old Spanish California - Paladin of Justice.
Recommend to young and/or old - global audiences.
Thought provoking and suspenseful filled with witt.

We all know the story of Zorro by now. I, myself, read The Mark of Zorro more than two decades ago, when I was a child and the copy I read was titled The Curse of Capistrano. No doubt, more people have seen the various Zorro films than have read the actual book, which started the Zorro legend. Johnston McCulley first introduced his iconic character in a five-part serial in the pulp magazine All Story Weekly, in 1919. The story proved to be popular enough, but this masked avenger really took off when silent film star Douglas Fairbanks read it and subsequently made it into the silent swashbuckling film The Mark of Zorro in 1920. Since then, Senor Zorro has never looked back.

Before re-reading this novel, I was afraid that I would find the writing stilted and archaic. Happily, the page-turning experience proved to be as reader-friendly as I remembered it. True, you do have to get into a certain mindset to get used to the writing style (this is classic pulp writing, after all), but, once you do, you'll be swept along. Zorro, nicknamed the Curse of Capistrano and the defender of Old California's oppressed, was still the same vibrant Zorro - dashing, bold, cunning, and intolerant of injustice. He still flashed that certain twinkle in the eye and displayed that playful nature. Handsome, wealthy Don Diego Vega, on the other hand, was still the dubious caballero, unbolstered by his languid, foppish mannerisms and hindered by the weak constitution. Upon seeking a girl's hand in marriage, Don Diego announced to her father that he would send his servant over at night to serenade the girl by proxy, because the chill night wind would kill the delicate Vega. Of course, we all know it's a game that Diego's been playing for years and his devotion to his wussy role makes it all the more delicious for the reader. Also, I was again struck by how delightful and plucky the beautiful love interest, Senorita Lolita Pulido, was.

Another thing I didn't recall was how long it took before Zorro's alter ego was divulged to the reader, although McCulley didn't really try too hard to hide his secret identity. People ignorant of the Zorro mythos (and under which rock have you been hiding?) would still be readily able to figure out who Zorro really is. However, the novel was almost at the last page before Zorro finally unmasked. But it was worth it to witness the stunned but happy reaction of Diego's father, Don Alejandro Vega, who had long been disappointed with his wimpish son.

To echo A. Nesbitt's spotlight review, if you thought Johnston McCulley only wrote this one Zorro adventure, think again. McCulley ended up writing more than 60 Zorro stories (65, to be exact), several of which were in serial format. The last Zorro tale, "The Mask of Zorro," was published in 1959 (Short Stories for Men magazine).

Full of derring-do, sword fights, daring escapes, a passionate love story, and a masked hero who laughs scornfully in the face of danger, it's escapism at its finest, imbued with a Spanish/Mexican flavor. Yes, it does borrow a bit from The Scarlet Pimpernel, but no matter. The Mark of Zorro is still as entertaining a read today as it undoubtedly was back in 1919. Give it a try and see why Zorro is hailed as the people's champion and why this book gave birth to so many reincarnations in cinema.

I liked this story quite a bit. I remember when I was a little kid watching The Zorro show on television so I was interested in reading this book and see how it all started. I thought overall it was really good.. Senorita Lolita sounds like a very attractive girl. I like how the story ended as well sort of caught me off guard a bit. If your any at all interested in Zorro then pick this book up.. Good stuff.

Justin

I found "The Mark of Zorro" to be a wonderful romp through a bygone era.
I read this book out loud to my father, and we could hardly put it down. If you like swashbuckling adventures, heroes who stand against injustice and play their part in the struggle between good and evil. Then "The Mark of Zorro" is for you. And if you enjoy finding the origins of things, as much as I do, then this book will be well
worth your wile. A true gem for anyone's collection.

I read this book as a child, and just loved it. I have a clear memory of trying VERY hard both to fly, and to kiss the tips of my own elbows while I read it (according to the book, the ultimate proof of being a fairy).However, I didn't remember any of the story's details -- neither the title nor the author. Finally, after an in-depth Internet search, I found it and I ordered it for my own 8 year old daughter, who read it straight through. She seems to have loved it as much as I did, and still talks about the memorable characters and situations. (I reread it the day it arrived in the mail, and it turns out it is not just a story about an orphaned little girl and her tiny talking dog -- it is a mystery as well!) The best part for me was watching my daughter try to kiss her own elbows. But why not? After all, who knows which of us is really a fairy? Now I am left to wonder why this author didn't write more children's books. I will definitely try and find other things she has written.

This was a book I read as a child... it was one of my favorite books and has now become my nine year old daughters' favorite. We read it together, a chapter each night, over a week... it was compelling, exciting, mysterious, and amazing all at once - we were captivated. I thoroughly recommend this story to any little girl who has dreamed about being a fairy.

I thought that it was a pretty good book. One of its problems was; I have to write a book report for school and I chose this book, but one of the questions was what's the seetting, and the book really doesn't say much about that. I still enjoyed it, but i thought that it wasn't very complete, like the ending could have disired a bit more of "what really happened". I still recomend it to kids who like fairy tales, but i don't really like fairy tales. I was still a good book.

Dear Reader,
I am 8 years old and
I think this book is great! I think the author was really good and the book makes you feel like you are in the story. I read it in five days it was so good.
The book was very descriptive. It made me cry in a part. I can't tell you about that part, but it's almost at the end. Another part, at the very end, made me laugh!
The book is about a little girl named Annabel and her beloved dog Gloria. Their adventure starts at a mansion with Mrs. Vancourt and the servant Mrs. Peach.
I think kids from 4-20 would like this book and I recommend it for everyone!

This is, easily, my favorite book from childhood. (I've even quoted it as my favorite book in job interviews, which got me strange looks!) Nonetheless, I couldn't wait to share it with my son, now 6. We've just started reading chapter books together & he was a little put off at first because it was about a girl, but he was soon drawn into the magic of the story & the dream of being a fairy. He can ALMOST kiss his elbow -- he almost broke his neck trying! Such fun to watch him enjoy the imagery and figure out the "who's who" in the end.

I, obviously, HIGHLY recommend this book. In this day of aliens & killings & other violent characters, it's nice to return to the innocent characters that SHOULD inhabit the youthful minds of our children. Everyone has the child's (Annabel) best interest at heart in this book. I never fail to cry (twice) near the end of the book, even now in my 40s!

Definitely Scarry's best work and one of the few books I vividly remember from my childhood. It is a great introduction to geography and world cultures. At 3, my son was able to identify shapes of countries, flags and traditional clothing from around the world.

Very fun anthology of numerous 2-page stories from around the world. Charming detailed pictures, culturally relevant backdrops.

Publishers: Please renew licenses for this and reprint it! I've bought "busy, busy town" and "mother goose" as gifts only because this one is out of print.

Wow! I can't belive this book is not in print. I loved it as a kid and was hoping to get one for my new baby. My sisters and I loved reading this stories. It's too bad we don't have our old copy. Publishers, please bring this book back!!

This is my Favorite book from when I was a child. I still have my torn up copy at home and when I feel really sick I make my Dad read it to me.

Still reading my childhood copy to my 3 kids. The 10 year old, all full of attitude and desire for adult fare, just said the other day, "That's still one of my favorite books." The 4 year old could read it every night.

Amazingly, I don't remember knowing who Couscous was in the street scene until reading it to them and noticing the clue in the next scene.

I have an original copy of this book, which my children, esp. the youngest, LOVED. His daughter is turning one year old and they've asked everyone to pick out a favorite book for a gift (as they are inundated w/more clothes, toys, etc. than they will ever need).
His wife asked him if he had a favorite book as a child, and this was it!
Despite it's being read SO many times, it's in really good condition and is the 1965 edition, which I now know is long out of print.
So, this will be a gift for her from grandma & grandpa... though she likely won't handle it herself for a while!

I love this book. I had been keeping my room messy to hide my stuff. Only problem was that my brothers always found my stuff and i couldent. Now that i am using the book, my room is clesn. My brothers and even my girlfriend cant find it.

I bought the book about a year ago, when my cousin would sneak into my room and take money. I made a video vault and a hollow book to hide it in. My brother made a decoy with a whole bunch of fake paper bills and a mouse trap under it all. My cousin got that bright lightbulb of an idea and tip-toed into my room. He saw the 'money' ane must have taken two fistfuls when SNAP!!! It wasn't pretty, my cousin broke his finger, but I thought the book was awesome.

I got this book in 4th grade; I now have no less than 11 vaults/stashes in my room. No one knows all of them! I even stumped my sticky - fingered friend (and considering how many people he's hoodwinked, that's saying a lot).

It is a perfect book, with everything you need to know about keeping your private things exactly that. Private!

I have a sister who can't keep her hands off my things. I have really tried hard to be nice but my parents think I'm picking on her if I complain because she is smaller. So when I saw this in the book store I figured it had to be for me. I am so glad I found this book. It is filled with great ideas about hiding what you own and about making great projects too. You will be able to turn any little place into a secret hide out. I wish there was a part about how to hide myself in a game or when my dad is calling me but I guess the writer doesn't know my house anyway! The book even has a great idea by making itself invisible if you use the pretend names of CDS and tape them on the side of the book. That way no one will know if you have a book or a CD on the shelf. This book is really, really, really good.

Very good. Can't wait to read the second part. Author came to our Bookclub Meeting and discussed the book, very nice guy. E-mail him may attend yours.

Was somewhat disappointed in this book---every page was just drama, drama and more drama. Instead of the author trying to explain why the characteres were the people they were today throughout the book he waits until the last 50 pages to explain why they were this way. I can see that this author has a way of keeping you interested but was disappointed in the way it was put together.

This is one the best books I have read in a long time. Dywane takes you through a full gambit of emotions- he mkaes you laugh, cry, angry, sad etc. Its a very well written book and I look forward to his next one- From My Soul to Yours. You end up loving and hating some of the characters at the same time, but its a journey thats well worth it.

Kudos!!

If you want to elevate your reading a lil, get this book,, Go ahead, just trust me,, get this one!

Four friends, Britton, Indera, Damascus, and Chyna all seem to function as normal . . . well, practically normal adults.
Feeling introspective, Britton leaves the U.S. and moves to the Dominican Republic where he can contemplate his past.

Indera is an astute and financially successful business woman with a curious penchant for dating only married men. Seems she's a vigilante of sorts. She punishes married men for cheating on their wives by mercilessly separating them from their most cherished asset: their money!

Then, there's Damascus affectionately known as Tee and professionally known as T-Bone. Damascus is a highly paid, highly sought after, male exotic dancer. He has an unusually large, um, T-bone, and an out of control libido. Though he treats women like scum, they line up to give Damascus their goodies and yearn for the opportunity to wrap their lips around his big uh, lemme see, how can I say this without sounding crude... Hmm. Okay, the women fall over each other to get a chance to taste Tee's big, juicy steak!

Chyna appears to have it all. She's pretty and well-educated. She's been married for twenty years to her high school sweetheart. Her husband owns four successful businesses and showers Chyna with plenty of material things. They live in a big, expensive home and have four beautiful children. But Chyna and her husband don't share the same bed.

In this psychological drama, it turns out that all four friends are haunted by secrets from their childhood. The author skillfully slips into the storyline and begins peeling away the layers, exposing the secrets that prevent the characters from evolving. With each heart wrenching revelation, the reader is taken off guard. So, get out your tissues because this novel will tug at your heart strings and all your emotions. It will make you fall out in laughter; draw in a sharp, shocking breath at some of the antics of Indera and Tee. But it will also make you cry. Real tears.

Kudos to Dywane D. Birch for this exceptionally well-written novel. I am a fan and a friend forever.

Four friends. Four survivors. Four conflicted souls. Four vastly different paths leading to one inevitable destination: no matter how long they try to run from their past, Brit, Tee, Indy, and Chyna are destined for a head-on collision with fate. They soon learn that denial is not an option, and only honesty holds the cure, in Dywane Birch's aptly titled Shattered Souls.

As a former director of an adolescent crisis shelter, Birch is more than familiar with the kinds of lives depicted in his tale, thus ably lending it the requisite humanity. He has seen and heard first-hand the scars left in the wake of years of mental, psychological, and physical abuse. Learning in more detail, then, about Brit's abusive father, Tee's molestation in foster homes, Indy's wicked stepmother, and Chyna's familial history of mental illness - you get a very real sense of the muted pain millions of children are made to endure everyday.

The tribulations of Birch's protagonists bring to mind the old phrase, "That which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger": even though it fractured their souls, the years of abuse, neglect, and mistreatment at the hands of others has actually strengthened the friends, bolstering their collective survivor's will. At the same time that date/gang rape has inexorably tainted Indy's spirit, it's also fostered a fierce independence within her that shields her from ever being so wounded again. Likewise, Brit comments to his father on his dying bed that the years of his brutal treatment of Brit's mother has, in turn, made him realize just how real men should treat their families, making him vow never to subject his own children - or anyone else's, for that matter - to such treatment.

Shattered Souls evokes many of the same feelings as Antwone Fisher before it: we cringe at the gruesome depictions of abuse & molestation and their damning consequences, but we also rejoice at the redemptive power of healing. You may not agree with every choice that the friends make, but you root for them nonetheless; after all, who among us isn't striving daily to liberate ourselves from the chains of our past?

Dywane Birch does a commendable job piecing together seemingly unrelated phenomena in relating them to a greater, more troubling whole. In so doing, he skillfully reminds us that everything we do yields karmic repercussions the likes of which we can't begin to imagine. Beneath it all, though - and as Indy herself tragically discovers: no matter what others have done to us, the only fate we ultimately have any control over is our own.

For its uncomfortable honesty, its striking candor, and chiefly its unapologetic humanity, Shattered Souls is a highly recommended read.