Children's Books

this story was somewhat reminiscent of the alanna series, what with the cross dressing to fulfill a dream. i'm not all that well versed in arabian culture, but from what i know of it this story seemed to be a valid representation. Buran is one of seven daughters, and of course in a patriarchal society this is not the best of luck as your daughters can't work or (in this case) even go out into public. She was her father's favourite and as there were no sons, her father taught her to read and write and play chess, basically educated her, and spent time with her in place of the son he never had. when buran's father gets sick he realizes that his family will be in trouble if anything happens to him, and as a result he allows buran to go out into the world, as a man, to try to better their family's fortune. she's a clever and courageous heroine. she comes up against several obstacles and approaches them with her strength of will and sharp wit.
the story was set up well and the characters were discussed in sufficient detail, or enough so that a reader of the target age wouldn't be left wondering anything. it was well written.

This book is flat out exhilarating. The suspense is so high that it keeps your eyes glued to the book from the first page all the way to the last. The plot is rock solid and I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book (based on an ancient tale) is amazing. While it is on a reading level for younger children, as a 21 year old I feel that a lot of the themes are better understood by those who are a little older. Still, unlike others who have posted before me I don't believe that anything in the books is inappropriate for younger readers. You've got to accept the material in context. This book was wonderful because it has a wonderful revenge plot, a love story, and overall theme of female empowerment. It also gives a look into a completely different culture. If you enjoy The Count of Monte Cristo (this book shows someone getting even in much fewer than 1400 pages), Pride and Prejudice, or the legend of Mulan I PROMISE you will enjoy this book. I picked it up in new condition at a thrift store and couldn't put it down once I started reading. :) I was so glad to discover it, as I'm in a reading slump because I'm caught up with all my favorite authors and definitely searching for something new!

My favorite quick read of the year! A very entertaining, romantic story.

Some of the observations about business are still true today. Venture capitalists are still looking for that unique product that will make a fortune.

There was one page I could have done without: at the point in the plot when the main character decides she's tired of pretending to be a man and is ready to be a woman, the authors got a little carried away, even risqué for children's literature, in describing the main character viewing her feminine body. I understand what they were trying to achieve, but we "got it" with a lot less ink.

I loved the "lesson" at the end of the book: you can't always just sit and wait for blessings to "fall into your lap". Sometimes you have to be willing to seek, to risk, and to work for them. Catherine Marshall encouraged the same kind of action in her book Adventures in Prayer, in the chapter entitled, "The Prayer That Helps Your Dreams Come True."

Buran is the fourth of seven daughters, living with her parents in Baghdad. She has no brothers, which is unfortunate for her parents. In the days of this story and in the place she lives, girls are not permitted to work for a living and only end up costing their parents more money, as they need to be fed and housed and clothed. Girls also need wedding dowries if they are to be married to the right sorts of men. Buran has always been her father's favorite and although she is a girl, he taught her to read and write and to play chess, and he talks to her seriously about his business affairs.

Buran's uncle is a very rich man, who has seven sons. He enjoys bragging about them to his poor brother, and describes how they will go abroad to different cities, where they will become businessmen who will bring great weath and honor to him. Buran is upset because her father is upset, but she seems to have few options to help him. When her father is suddenly struck ill, though, Buran chooses a desperate solution. She convinces her parents to allow her to disguise herself as a man and go to a distant city to set up a business.

Soon Buran's business is thriving and she is very wealthy, sending home money to her family. She has even become friends with the prince of the city in which she works, and in the evenings she often walks and talks with him, covering much distance and all possible subjects of conversation. But the prince grows suspicious and then discovers her secret. She must leave the city and go home where she will be safe. She can't stop dreaming of her prince, though.

I liked that this story was about a girl who refuses to let anyone tell her she can't achieve what she wants. I liked her relationship with her father, and I especially liked the way she was able to take revenge on her cousins and her uncle. Although this story was very empowering in one way, though, it still ended with the ultimate goal being winning over the prince.

This style of the book reminds me of Edward Gorey. The illustrations are fabulous, if the matter is a bit dark. I have bought this for numerous friends after finding it at a unique bookstore in Portland, OR. Everyone who reads it ends up loving it.

wonderful story with a twist at the end. Wonderful illustrations. Don't in an old spooky way.

This book is amazing. We LOVE it! I love reading it to my daughter, because its a very easy read with a great cadence, and its fun to pour over the illustration to find something new every time. Tony DiTerlizzi is an awesome illustrator, and I am looking forward to seeing more stories illustrated by him.

This item was exactly as described in the item description. It was in the original packaging and is in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this seller and product to everyone. This is an excellent book by an excellent author!

This book has amazing illustrations. Children love the macabre tale of the spider and the fly. I read this every year to my kindergarten class and it always gets rave reviews from the kids.

this is probably my favorite book of the whole series!(not that i've read them all) It's great, great, great! So...I would defintely reccomend this to any1!

A boy, Digory, and a girl, Polly, are friends who have a secret place by Digory's uncle's attic, and they accidentally stumble into his attic. Digory's uncle is a magician and he uses Digory and Polly as an experiment on his newest trick. He brought them to a different world and when they came back, Digory's uncle went with them for a second trip and ended up in a place called Narnia. They met talking animals and the king of the beasts have a mission for Digory and Polly. When they finish, they find out a witch has followed them and she is trying to take over that world. Digory and Polly make things a little easier on the animals, and bring Digory's uncle back home. Digory's mother was very sick, so he and Polly went back and got some healing medicine for her, but will it work?

Ashleigh is worried about Wonder after failing to get trained by somebody other than Ashleigh. When Wonder's trainer gives up, Ashleigh tries to train Wonder and soon she succeeds. At first Ashleigh was worried because Wonder threw her. It was hard for her to believe that the horse she had raised would do such a thing. When Wonder proved she could be a racehorse like her owner had hoped, he agreed to let Ashleigh train her thoroughly. Asheigh couldn't have been more happier till a jockey friend, Jilly, was chosen to race Wonder. The End.

This is a amazing book about hope for a little filly that only one girl has. Any horse crazy girl should read this book.

This is the second installment in the amazing Thoroughbred series. In this book, Wonder has been put into yearling training under a rough trainer. Jennings thinks that Wonder has been babied all her life and it's high time she learned to be treated like a race horse. Wonder becomes a totally different horse as she he manhandled and whipped. Ashleigh and Charlie can see that this sort of "training" is ruining Wonder before she even has a chance to prove herself on the track.

When Charlie and Ashleigh are given permission to exercise Wonder over the winter, they begin to plan a way to undo all that Wonder had been through. Ashleigh was terrified of her filly at first because Wonder was beyond control. It took a lot of guts and perseverance for her to climb up on that filly's back after she'd been thrown. The end result of all their hard work? Wonder was able to turn around and become the amazing horse that Charlie and Ashleigh had seen since the day she was born.

This book is a perfect example of why the Thoroughbred series must be saved! This series began with so much promise during the Ashleigh/Sammy years. Yes, the series has changed many authors and there have been some major bumps in the road, but the faithful readers of the TB series can see through all that to what promise the series still has. There are new characters and plots that could be made into great new books, but Harper Collins is planning to end publishment of this series after book #72. If you want to help save this amazing series, go to www.whitebrookfarm.com to find out more. Be sure to sign the petition also (only once please!). Ashleigh knew Wonder had the potential to be great and we know that the TB series has the potential to bring great stories and characters back too! HELP SAVE THOROUGHBRED!

We are working on collection all of Sandra Boynton's books because they are so cute and so much fun to read. The ones we don't own yet we check out of the library often because my daughter (now 19 months old) just LOVES to hear them over and over again and has since she was born! I find her "reading" (saying parts from memory) the books on her own too. Out of this group of 4 books Opposites is currently her favorite (the one she asks me to read most) but she (and I) love them all!

This collection of books is great. Boynton's books are great for children. My 17 month old loves everything she's done!

Great set of board books and fun to read with my 8mo DD. Would be perfect for a gift or new mom!

I love these books and so does my baby. These are the first books he would sit down and let us read to him. The price is great if you buy them this way. There are three collections of Boynton in all offered on Amazon, all are worth every penny. If you price these individually you are saving a lot of money buying them this way.

The books themselves are well made and very nicely illustrated and fun to read.

These books are so fun to read and my kids just love them. Worth having around to house to read over and over.

Who doesn't love George and Martha with their dry sense of humor and deep affection for each other.
Great investment and pleasure to read over and over again.

I have always loved the George and Martha stories and couldn't wait to read them to my two boys. They are as good as I remembered. The stories are short but not too cute with storylines that are as much fun for the adults as for the kids. James Marshall manages to pack an awful lot into just a few words. And this book has them all! All the stories in the original size (the new "reader" books have shrunk the pictures). A great book and a fantastic value!

My son loved this Christmas gift! We've had to read a few stories every night since he opened it. It is a great value!! Mommy enjoys the stories too!

After reading a few of these stories to my 5-year-old. I found that we both could enjoy and appreciate the messages within them. This led me to want to buy the entire collection. This is rare for me! Brilliant series!

It's hard to know what is better about George and Martha: the absurdist art or the simple but funny and sweet text. (My favorite case in point: George, an enormous hippo, standing in a tiny hot-air balloon basket, announcing "I'm going to be the first of my species to fly!") My children loved reading it, and I enjoyed reading it to them. Every now and again, my ten year-old still cracks it open for a read. The "complete stories" contains all the G+M books within it so it is not only more economical than buying all the separate books, it is less clutter producing as well.

I gave this book to my three year old grandson after talking to him about how to call 911 and reasons to do it. The book has a phone pad so 911 dialing can be practiced and memorized. The dialing is answered with the sound of sirens; it would be better if a voice said, "What is your emergency, where do you live and what is your name?." The siren is very loud. Overall tho, I think the book is helpful in giving examples of what conditions would require a call to 911. My grandson knows his name, his address and how to hold his hand under someone's nose to see if they are breathing. The book is sturdy and colorful and will help children learn when and when NOT to call.

My daughter loved pushing the 911 buttons and the sounds. Would not recommend for children over 5.

I purchased this book for my 3 year old for Christmas and it was a great choice. After reading it twice he was able to grap the concept of what 911 was and when to use it. The only downside was when the book did come in the mail the batteries were dead. I had to go out and by new ones on christmas eve. It brought the book from a $7.95 purchase to $20.00, the batteries were $4 each and it takes 3 of them. I hope they last as long as they say they do. Battery issue aside it was one of the best book purchases I have made.

The book is written very well. My son loves using the toy phone. It really helped him get the numbers down pack. He used to mix them up.

This book seemed to be well-written and a good presentation for my twin 5 year olds. However, shortly after reading this book, one of my children in conjunction with another child actually called 911 unbeknownst to us until the police officer showed up at the door. Thankfully he was quite understanding, but I'm still not sure if this book covered the importance of only calling 911 when necessary. I would definitely recommend it, but might want to have an additional discussion with your child after reading the book that calling 911 is serious and not something fun to do!

No one said marriage is easy. The one between Eugenides, the spy/thief of Eddis and his sworn enemy the queen of Attolia seemed doomed from the start, a marriage of political convenience, imposed on Attolia by their rival kingdom. For how could the thief possibly love the queen responsible for the loss of his hand?

But Eugenides is anything but predictable and has married the queen for love, even if by doing so he must leave his beloved Eddis behind.

As the third book in this excellent series starts, Eugenides is stranded in the Attolian palace. Ridiculed by the Attolian courtesans, despised by the Queen guards and his own attendants, he endures their daily pranks, pretending to be a guileless idiot while weaving a web of intrigue to gain his queen's heart and bring his enemies to their knees. If only he lives long enough.

Cleverly plotted and beautiful written, the story moves at a fast pace to a satisfying conclusion that answers many questions while posing new ones,

Is the Queen pregnant as her fainting may suggest?
Where is Sophos, the heir of Sounis? Would he marry the Queen of Eddis?
Would the political situation in a not distant future set Eugenides against his cousin, the queen of Eddis?

The only thing I know for sure is that I'm impatiently waiting for the King's return.

As I read The Thief, the first in this delicious series, page by page I fell deeper and deeper under the spell of Eugenides. That's exactly what I want to happen when I read a book and the Thief of Eddis books drew me in powerfully. So much that I felt emotional pain as I neared the end, so hard was it to say goodbye to this hero. Thus my review title.

Just as each page gets better and better, so does each book get better and makes you wish you knew someone like Eugenides. Though the first book was an intriguing and amusing introduction to the charming, crafty thief, the next two books show us a more fragile, yet more powerful Eugenides. We get to see the stuff he's really made of, which we've already had glimpses of. Suspense, twists, political intrigue, love...wow! It's all here! The only problem with the story is that it ends.

Eugenides is the most romantic character of all time. Please write more, Megan Whelan Turner.

This is an incredible book. Told mostly from the point of view of a soldier assigned to the new king of Attolia, you get to experience firsthand how most of the country sees the Thief of Eddis. Megan Turner once again leads readers through a fascinating tale of hidden identities and intent as Gen rises from his role as a "puppet king" where the queen pulls the strings to a king of kings in charge of his own destiny and actions. A truly wonderful read.

Words fail me. I absolutely love this book. And Megan Whalen Turner's other books. I have never read another book like this, and I have read a multitude of books. Let's see, where to begin.
First off, this is the third book in the Queen's Thief series. I hesitate to call it a series because even though the books do fit in perfectly with each other, it isn't a series in the traditional sense of the word. The Thief is the first book, The Queen of Attolia picks up about a year after that, I believe, and The King of Attolia picks up basically where The QoA left off. The King of Attolia can be read as a stand-alone novel, but of course it is better to read them in order.
The King of Attolia reads like great historical/political fiction, without being too heavy. The writing in these books is simply gorgeous, and the dialogue is clever and inspired. There are scenes that make me laugh, some that make me cry, and some that make me talk out loud to the characters (which, I have to say, was rather embarassing, seeing as I was in public). I would sell my soul to be able to write like Ms. Turner. She is a writing godess. And the characters, oh the characters. Eugenides in my absolute favorite fictional person ever. I want to be him. Or marry him. But he's already married. (curses!) And the queen. Somehow I am able to pity her, be slightly afraid of her, and be in awe of her, all at the same time.
So, that being said, you should read these books. All of them. if you read nothing else this year, read these. And please, Ms. Turner, another book soon!

I enjoyed the vivid portrayals of the four family members -- mother, father, sister and Luna, the male-to-female transgender teenager. Luna is impatient and exercises poor judgment, just as one would expect of a teenage transgender individual. Luna's younger sister is actually the central character, as she finds herself conflicted, caught in the middle and consumed by Luna's needs, all of which is tough on a shy teenager trying to make her own way through school and relationships. The reader pulls for her every step of the way. Although the book's crisis scene is somewhat predictable, it is still entertaining as it impacts the well-characterized family members. There is even a twist or two at the end to make for a very satisfying read and a sense of completeness, even though Luna's life in many ways is just beginning.

Regan's brother, Liam, is one person by day and another by night. Literally. During the day, he is Liam but during the night, his inner-self comes out in the form of Luna, a girl. She spends the night in her sister's bed room, trying on wigs and clothes.

Regan is the only one who knows about Liam's true identity and she isn't exactly sure how to deal with it. Besides dealing with Liam, she struggles with normal teen problems - boys, grades, and her job.

When I picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. For my local book club, we had to read a book about accepting people and another one of the girls suggested this book to me. I have absolutely no problem with the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender issue but I wasn't sure if I could handle reading about it in detail, especially not knowing what to expect. However, since I respect Julie Anne Peters as an author (Far From Xanadu is brilliant), I decided to give it a try. I wasn't let down.

This book is great and you should definitely read it as long as transgender doesn't bother you. It doesn't go into too much detail, but explains the struggles of Regan dealing with her older brother whom is truly a girl inside. The characters are believable, the dialogue is great, and the plot is amazing. It's definitely a book you won't want to put down once you start. I read it in less than five hours with a few breaks. Even if you aren't sure you'll like it, give this book a chance!

Gender-identity crisis is a rarely discussed topic within the many forms of literature. It tends to be a touchy subject due to existing prejudice against transsexuals. However, Julie Anne Peters does an outstanding job with addressing this subject in her young adult novel "Luna". The difficulties of the transsexual character are addressed, along with hardships later experienced by family and friends.

"Luna" is the story of Liam O'Neill, a high school senior hiding a huge secret from his family and friends, besides his younger sister Regan. This secret of his is that he is truly a girl trapped in a male body. The tale of this troubled teen is narrated through Regan, the only person that Liam confides in. Liam only reveals the true girl inside him at night by using Regan's makeup along with wigs and women's clothing, and he goes by the name of Luna. However, the ends that Regan goes to in order to keep Luna a secret ultimately dominates her life as well. Basically, Liam's life is Regan's life as well. Regan's narration allows readers to understand the difficulties that come along with having a transsexual sibling, which includes her constant inner conflicts about whether Liam/Luna is a burden or a blessing. Peters uses a variety of techniques to describe Liam and Regan's lives, including childhood flashbacks that demonstrate early indications of Liam's gender issues.

Not only will readers enjoy the uniqueness of the storyline and the characters, but they will gain a better understanding of the obstacles that transsexuals face each day while trying to express the way they truly are. This book also teaches people to accept everyone for who they are because displaying the real you to the world is one of the hardest things to do. I enjoyed this book because it addresses a subject that is not often discussed, and there was never really a dull moment in the story. Something was always happening with one of the characters, and Regan always had something she was contemplating. Therefore, I would recommend this book to basically anyone, but especially those with an open mind.

- Written by Paige O'Brien

Mes not much of a book person. mes had copys buts was lost durings a moves. glad mes coud get a new copys. mes was toweds abouts this book by a friends. mes counds nots puts the books downs mes wub its.

This is a compassionate look at a family which includes a transgender (MTF) teenage 'son.' The first person view-point character isn't transgender, but is his supportive sister, for whom the burden of her brother's secret has become almost unbearable. The author has done her research well, and manages to make the story about as upbeat as is possible while remaining true to the difficult reality of the trans teen. Luna is fortunate, as a 'computer genius' she has the resources to make it on her own, without descending into a world of drugs and prostitution if rejected by her family. Strongly felt, sincere, with understanding and compassion even for those characters who can't wrap their mind around the reality of transgender, this is a story that should be read by anyone interested in trans people and their families.

This is one of my favorite children's book and I love to give it as a gift.
As a Kindergarten teacher it is my pick!

My family loves this book. My husband reads it to my children, ages 13, 5, and 1. They love it, he does the voices of the characters, which is great fun for everyone. My oldest says this is her favorite book from when she was little. I'm buying copies for my toddler aged neice and nephew.

This fractured folktale is about a witch that is craving some `Piggie Pie.' She goes through her pantry and finds she has everything she needs except for that all important ingredient--PIGGIES! At first she is outraged but eventually composes herself and devises a plan. Where can she find a piggy? The zoo? The circus? She finally decides that the best place to secure some pigs would be on a farm. After looking through the yellow pages, she travels to Old MacDonald's farm to grab the missing ingredient. She gives her victims a warning as she writes in the clouds, "Surrender Piggies!" The pigs devise their own plan; they plot to outsmart the witch by dressing up as other farm animals. They fool her by disguising themselves as ducks, cows, chickens, and even old MacDonald. When the big bad wolf happens to come along, he offers advice to the witch and tells her to give up--after all, he remembers those 3 pig brothers! Now, her taste changes from piggie to wolf and she graciously invites him over for `lunch'...
Piggie Pie is a delightful story that incorporates several classic folktales including The Three Little Pigs, Old MacDonald nursery rhyme, the traditional evil witch as the villain, and the famous three little pigs. Due to the structure of this book, students will improve their understanding of the different subcategories of traditional literature. The author includes descriptive language such as repetition, alliteration, expressive language, and affective adjectives that highlight the text and bring the story to life. Such examples include the witch describing her tasty meal options with phrases like "boiled, black, buzzed feet" and "plump, juicy, pink piggies." This whimsical, witty story will capture student's attention and can be used as a model to enhance their understanding of what it means to read like a writer.
Throughout the book, Palatini's text enhances student's vocabulary and contains repetitive phonemes that enrich their growth as a reader. As Cunningham describes, tongue twisters, like ones found in the text, play a crucial role in developing students' phonemic awareness. For example, "eight plump piggies for piggie pie" is a silly and fun phrase that the students will enjoy saying and simultaneously will develop their oral language. Students will be exposed to new vocabulary words, such as curdle, passel, and muttered. Encourage students to use elements of Palatini's writing and transfer her techniques over when creating their own literature.

Gritch the Witch was pining for some special snacks. Piggie Pie is all that would do! The problem was the main ingredient was 8 plump piggies and she had none at hand. Off to Old MacDonald's farm on her broom to find them, to no avail!

Howard Fine's great illustrations of all the piggies disguised as other animals and even Old MacDonald, himself, will make young children laugh out loud! This book is lots of fun and will be requested over and over again. And, there's plenty of sly humor that adults will tremendously enjoy.

This is a great book for kids 5 and up.

Though Palatini's books are billed as read-alouds for a younger audience, my fourth graders can't get enough! The books are simple enough for even my lowest readers to tackle independently, yet clever enough that my high readers choose them as well. The humor appeals to all ages. In fact, there are many things my kids "get" that younger children don't. My students recommend Palatini books to each other all the time, and I can't keep them on my shelves. I am on my third copy of Piggie Pie and currently need to replace my worn-out copy of Moosetache. They've simply been "read to death". There is no higher praise for a children's book!

For somebody interested in art, a book with many pictures is easy to read and enjoy.

The convenience of the pocket edition is incredible and the quality of the images and analysis is excellent.

The Story of Art is a classic introduction to the history of fine art. The sweeping scope is matched only by the driven narrative that will fascinate the neophyte and the well versed. This book is THE introductory text for any study of art.

As his title indicates, in The Story of Art Gombrich presents the whole of western art history as a chronological narrative -- from prehistoric times on up to his own times -- clearly setting out everything from ancient sculpture to Renaissance painting to modern architecture.This book can change the way you look art.Intellectually and physically pure delight.

Having already been exposed to art history and criticism, I felt at times that this book was overly simplistic. (It was originally written for "young people" after all...) What was harder for me to appreciate were the frequent passages in which Gombrich gives vent to his own personal opinions (gushing on about Rubens for instance.) He makes a token effort to be objective but his Eurocentric bias toward the superiority of Classically-inspired Renaissance art is clear.

However, as an introduction to Art History and Art Appreciation, you could do a lot worse. Gombrich is easy to read, he states himself clearly, he presents the history of art (in Europe) as a steady evolution of ideas, rather than a compartmentalized series of Eras & Styles as so many academic textbooks do. He selected illustrations that most effectively elucidate his point. Useful as his book is, it would be a mistake to treat him as a final authority on the subject. _The Story of Art_ is merely an INTRODUCTION to art. Once Dr. Gombrich has opened the door for you, you should leave him behind and continue your explorations on your own, or at least with a different guide. Form your own opinions; that's part of the experience of art.

About the Pocket Edition specifically: The text is in the front (printed on very thin "Bible" paper) and the illustrations are in the back. Phaidon has provided two built-in ribbon bookmarks so you can keep your place in both sections. It's an interesting solution for making the book smaller. I can vouch for the fact that it's easy to carry around, since I took it with me on two trips while reading it, but the arrangement does have its drawbacks. Having to flip back & forth to look at the pictures as they are referred to in the text, and having to hold two places simultaneously while reading means that you have to use both hands. I like to read while I eat (yeah, I'm one of THOSE people) but found it was impossible with this edition. If portability and price are your top concerns, then this is the edition to get. Otherwise, shell out the extra $$ for the full-sized version.