Children's Books

As a teenager coming into adulthood this book was very helpful. A basic synopsis of the book basically consists of a teenage girl who gets into a wreck and her life is changed forever. She finds out she will be in a wheel-chair for the rest of her life. Reading something like this as a young girl was very inspiring. To see someone making it through as a teen and never being able to walk again helped me see I had it easy. The author of this book did a wonderful job of putting that into perspective and in a way I feel like that was her point she was trying to make. Lindsay Caldwell, the author of the book, had a great way of putting many situations that arise in a teenager's life into view.
Setting up a book properly, at times, is the number one priority for many writers. DON'T LET ME DIE is a perfect example of that. There are four different parts to this book. With thirty-six chapters in this book having sections is the only way to mark off different and important things in the writing. Caldwell does the best job of doing this. By sectioning things off she doesn't confuse you and helps you understand the concept of the actual story. Within the first few chapters of the book you become hooked. You start to feel as if you are experiencing these things in your life. Knowing that she will never be able to walk feels real to you. The author of a writing is who determines these things. If the book is very boring and straight to the point the reader doesn't get hooked and won't.
Character arrangement is very important in writing also. If you have too many characters in your story this could cause it to not keep the readers attention and confuse them. This story has a maximum of five or six characters. You can follow all of them at the same time with the way the storyline is setup. You become attached to the characters and begin to see their side of the story. You feel there feelings as if they were your own. In a way you are in the story.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a story that pulls you in. If you are interested in a long boring story then this isn't the one to get. Hopefully you read this book and enjoy it.

Hey!
My mom came home from the library with "Don't Let Me Die" for me to read. When I first saw it, I had absolutely no interest! I thought it was just my mom trying to get me to read a long book over the summer. But I was at least willing to give it a try since she had gone out and got it for me. Once I started I could not put it down! It was my favorite book of all time! I was soon glad that it was a 380 page book so it would last longer, I only wish there was a 2nd one. If you haven't read "Don't Let Me Die" by Lindsay Caldwell, you really should, it's an extremely moving book.

-Annie

I have never read a story this good in my life. I never wanted to put this book down.When I was done reading this book I wanted to read more! I think that everyone should read it! It's worth reading 36 chapters! hehe well i hope everyone eles liked it too!

-steph

At first Don't Let Me Die! looks like another semi-good teen book, but once you get past the title, it's really very powerful and moving. When Lucy is involved in a terrible car crash and loses control of her legs, she must make some tough decisions about what she is going to do.

The book covers it all: the accident itself, written very well; Lucy's waking in the hospital; her horror and shock when she finally sees her ruined legs; her stay at a physical therapy hospital. Her friendships with people from home change because of what has happened, not to mention her relationship with her boyfriend Dash. Even after she gets out of the clinic she can't move home with her mother, brother, and sister, so she stays with her grandparents on their isolated farm. There she makes some friends, meets a charming character on the internet, and starts working with a physical therapist - who just happens to start dating her mother. And once she moves back home, things start to look up again, until she finds out that her internet friend isn't quite so charming, and she must use her strength and determination to save herself.

Lucy's emotions are very realistic, and it is easy to identify with her. Most readers haven't been through a trauma that horrifying, but her fear, desperation, deep sorrow, and stubbornness are all excellent qualities. Although she does get better by the end of the book, and can use her legs some, she knows that for the rest of her life she'll have to use her wheelchair as well. That was the best part of the book, to me - the fact that it did not end happily ever after.

Also, the romantic component of the book is not too badly-done, especially for a teen novel. Lucy's relationships with her friends are solid and ring true to life, especially the way they act after her accident. I would recommend this book - look past the title, because it's a very good story of the human spirit, both determination and acceptance.

Interestingly, Lindsay Caldwell is the pen name of Diane Hoh, who is better known in the genre of teen horror books.

I got this book as a gift and at first had no interest in it. When I opened it up I soon realized what a big mistake it would have been to have never read it. It was so real I felt as if I was with Lucy when everything happened to her.It covers how a teenage girl with a seemingly perfect life has everything important taken away from her: her boyfriend, father, and her ability to walk. I cried through the whole book, it was so meaningful. Having gone through a similar situation, it helped me to read about someone who had gone through the worst and came out better and stonger in the end.Everyone should read this book. You have no idea what you're missing if you don't.

First of all this is a teen book and I'm 28. That being said, I loved the book. For advanced readers it's a fast read, but thouroughly enjoyable. I could picture the places the author was describing and picture Æthelflæd easily. With so few historical fiction novels being directed toward great women, this was a welcome read, and the author stayed true to the history of the time.

"Surprise, stealth, unbalancing her enemy, these were the ways her guardian had taught her to save herself, and to win," are the words that are featured on the back of the book, The Edge on the Sword, because the things her guardian taught her is a crucial point. Making history come alive, Rebecca Tingle mixed magnificent facts and fiction together to make an unforgettable story, where any girl can escape. In 2001, it was published by Penguin Putnam Books. Beautifully, remarkably, and magnificently done, the front cover illustration of The Edge on the Sword was drawn by Karen Savary, a memorable artist.

At the end of the ninth century, Flæd was now on her fifteenth year of living. Living in the burgh, staying with family, and learning her languages were all she knew, since she had done that for all her life. Her father was King Alfred of Wessex. He had a passive kingdom. As Flæd grew up, her main companion was her brother, Edward. They enjoyed their ambitious adventures among the forests around the burgh. Eventually, these trips got slim because Flæd began her education in writing, Latin, and Greek under her instructor, (w) Bishop Asser. Little did she know that soon her life would dramatically alter.

As instructed, Flæd headed toward her father's private chamber. Inside the small room she entered, sat King Alfred, who had been waiting. He gestured for her to sit. Alfred looked at her for a second then said gently, "Æthelflæd, as women grow they obtain more responsibilities. Now, that you are almost sixteen, it is time for you to be married. At the end of the summer you will travel to Lundon, Mercia, to be married to my friend and partner, Æthelred." Being the daughter of a very powerful man, Flæd had known this was coming, but it still shocked her. Soon, she would leave everything. She would lose her family. Permanently, she would leave home. Immediately the next morning, a warrior and envoy from Lundon came to be her guardian and warder. His name was Red. Flæd had always had a strong, enduring friendship with her brother, but as that last summer came and went, that friendship was almost lost, but that friendship lasted. No longer could they go on their private adventures in the woods, because of Red, Flæd guardian, who followed her everywhere.

At the end of the summer, Flæd equipped herself, packed up, and prepared her gifts for Æthelred in preparation for her departure to Mercia, because it would be several days before they would arrive in Lundon. As her protection, she had been trained in the arts of the sword and had a minute band of warriors with her. Leading them, Red rode at the front, followed by two wagons and a small amount men on horse back. They followed the river. Surprisingly, they were attacked and many of the men fell in battle, leaving Flæd with a few desperate men and little hope. Could they arrive safely after this tragedy?

This book has a fantastic twist of history and adventure, as if the excitement is literally bounding off the pages. As a great source of entertainment and much more, every pre-teen and early teen girl should read this book. Over all, The Edge on the Sword is an astounding masterpiece, because of the unforgettable story and amazing use of words, which is a charismatic combination.

A teenager named Aethelflaed, is the daughter of the king. That means he picks the husband for her! Her dad picks a man that's about his age (which is about in his fourties!), which she's never met. She sadly can't refuse her dad on this, and is now tortured by the thought of what he looks likeand who he is.

Her dad hire's a protecter for her, since there is a big deal of raiding in the area. Aethelfaed is annoyed by the man who watches her because he follows her everywhere(she is very independant!) She eventually befriends the man, and he teaches her to defend herself, and she teaches him a few tricks as well.

There is a lot of stuff that occurs that I don't want to give away, so you'll have to read it! I'll warn you that there is a sad part, but a happy one fills it in! This book has a slow begining, but gets you hooked!

This was a awesome book, and if you read it you'll enjoy it as much as I did, and I enjoyed it a lot!

I absolutly loved this book. I think Aethelflaed is an amazing heroine. It was sad in some parts, happy in others, with a great plot. Aethelflaed seems so real, and sort of like me. I hope other people can relate to this book as well as I can.

This is definetly one of my favorite books! I've read it countless times and I also love the sequel 'Far Traveler'. The characters are all lovable and the plot is excellent. Another great thing about this book is it is partially a historical fiction novel. The author Rebecca Tingle wrote this book wrote this looking at historical notes. AEthelflaed was a real person and did many great things. Enough great things to be known as Lady of the Mercians.

Flaed is a girl that's only lived fifteen winters but her father King Alfred is making her marry a man named Ethelred of Mercia...a man that she's never met... He's also many years older than her. But Flaed must agree and her father tells her that she cannot be left alone any longer. She must have a bodyguard...a man named Red.

While Flaed and Red are together Red teachers her many things on how to defend herself. She learns how to ride faster and better (which will let her show off to her future husband soon), she uses the sword and many other things. But little does Flaed know that when she leaves for her new home trouble will follow.

I really liked this book. It is one of several that I purchased after coming back from Tanzania, and I have recommended it to others. The author is straight-forward about his situation, so I wouldn't recommend it to children under, say, 12, but it is quite moving as an adult book, though he wrote it for young people.

Facing the Lion is the amazing TRUE story of a Maasai boy growing up in Kenya. I first heard about this National Geographic book from my son's 8th grade world history teacher - it was on a summer reading list. B-O-R-I-N-G - right? Well think again. You will not be able to put this book down! The boy grows up tending his family's herd of extremely valuable cows - and that means standing guard at night when lions literally leap from the bush to decimate the livestock. The lessons that the boy learns from incredible adventure, adversity, and challenge in his African upbringing only serve to give him the drive, determination, and power to succeed at HARVARD. My husband read the book on a plane and now uses a number of examples in his consulting practice. A FUN read and a WONDERFUL book for ANYBODY - teens to adult.

Narrated in the voice of a child as he grows up in a Maasai village, this is a quick, easy-to-read book for learning a lot about the Maasai culture (ie; before traveling to Africa, or for general interest). It was recommended by my travel agent and, while very simple, I will agree it is very well worth the read!

This book was absolutely fascinating to adults as well as younger readers.

On July 24, 2006, this remarkable young man was elected to the Kenyan parliament to represent his home district. He says thank you for the help and encouragement he received while living in the United States.

Series book. The large, readable print makes this good for children to read.

Summary
Frog and Toad are friends who share life together. I love the "To Do List," which includes "Wake up." Lobel wrote and illustrated more than 70 books. This book received a Newberry Honor Award.

Illustrations
I love the fresh and pleasant green and brown pictures, as did my children.

When Frog and Toad saw a snake, the snake said, "Hi,lunch!" Frog and Toad ran away.
Toad made cookies and Frog said, "They got will power." Toad made a list then when he got to Frog's house, Toad said, "We have to take a walk." They went on a walk. Suddenly, Toad's list blew away.

My daughter's nursery is decked out in Frogs, so the discovery of these books made them books we had to consider. They are fun and the illustrations are grest. At eleven months she is too young to read them herself, but we read them to her - and she enjoys them. The stories are simple with a central theme - do good for others, treat your friends with respect, help your firends when they need help, laugh, and aporach life with adventure. These are great virtues to instill in young minds. If the books were made in cardboard stock, Teah would be even more happy with them - as it is she frequently grabs one of them when it's time for her bedtime story - and great bedtime stories they are. By the time she starts to read she will know the stories by heart, but that's ok - fond memeories of bedtime stories like these should help her build a lifelong interest in reading on her own.

The Frog and Toad books were favorites of my daughters when they were young. I often give them to young friends, and was very happy to share them most recently with my two year old grandson

Learn the value of friendship with one of the most delightful duos in all of children's storytelling! Perfect bedtime stories or beginner's reading books, kids love the animorphed amphibians and funny adventures. Buy one and you'll have to get them all!

J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore

Thank Heaven for a book like this in this day of computerized everything. My two year old niece loves it! Money well spent!

My son was given this for his first Christmas by one of his gret grandmothers, not only is it a hit and has been for two years now... but it's also quickly become a family favorite and a book I will keep and pass to his kids as well. You will never regret a single moment of reading this book with your little ones.

My two year old son loves this book! We read it and he laughs out loud. He also likes to make the animals move fast and then slow, giggling the whole time. My four year old daughter is also fascinated by it. I can't wait to buy the next one.

This book is an ingenious application of a simple age old technique. Kids, of all ages will be mezmerized by action found in this book. You do not expect to see animation occuring in the middle of a static page of a paper book, but that's what it does - and you can't help but watch it. My 6 year old and 9 month old love it. When asking my wife if she thought our 3 year old nephew would enjoy it, her response was 'Well, I see a 36 year old who does!' Touché.
You will not be disappointed with this book. Hopefully we will see more editions from this author.

Is this book cool? Only the first few times you look at it. The truth of it is it is a book, and if you judge it by the same standards that you would judge any other children's book such as does it sound great when read aloud? Do you mind the 500th request for the same book? Does that 500th request even happen? then Gallop fails. It couldn't even hold the attention of my 3 year-old son for more than one day. As a full time student I don't have the money to waste on novelty reads; I am looking for solid additions for our book collection and I am afraid Gallop, while clever, just takes up space on our bookshelf. I wish I had checked it out from the library instead of falling for the hyperbolic reviews on Amazon.

Little Cub wants to know who invented Christmas. Mama takes Little Cub on a polar expedition to find God & see how He gave us Christmas.
A beautiful story showing God in creation (enhanced by wonderful illustrations), discovering the true meaning of Christmas & how very much God loves us all.

This amazing book provides an insight to the true meaning of Christmas and allows for my children to ask questions relevant to their age. Wonderfully written!

This book is perfect! We have an annual tradition of getting our kids a new book each Christmas Eve. This year's choice was "God Gave Us Christmas." The message is perfect! Recognizes Santa...but honors God. Very nice story...cute illustrations! Highly recommended for little children!

This book continues in the wonderful style of Lisa Tawn Bergens other books. What a blessing to share with my children. The real and complete meaning of Christmas, Jesus. Excellent book. It brings tears to my eyes everytime I read it!

A great book to teach kids (mine are 8 & 11) about the wonderful things God gave us especially his son at Christmas. Love it!

I am a homeschool mother. Homeschooling was recommended to me for my 8 year old by an educational consortium of public school administrators, psychologists, and independent Dr.'s in the fields of child development, biology, and classic studies. This book, "Goodnight Opus", is hands down, my favorite children's book. I have bought countless copies for friends and aquaintances. I have read it to grown men who keep my yard, neighbor ladies, and numbers of children in the kid sections of 4 local libraries. While it would be silly to correlate this book to my child's level, know my child - now 15 - is working on her 2nd college degree. My original copy is displayed in my library on it's own library stand. 1993 should be ignored completely - the book is timeless. Berkeley Breathed should be one of my closest friends!!

Both charming and mesmerizing, Berkeley Breathed has created an endearing bedtime story for his greatest creation, Opus. Even at 30+ years old, I can still sit down on any given night, and take 10 minutes out of my evening to be swept away to to the marvelous Milky Way and remind myself that sometimes, it is perfectly normal and quite a bit of fun to depart from the text, even if just for awhile.

love the pictures in this!! its got so many little details- you notice something new every time. and its crazy imagination that today's children's books are seriously lacking. my favorite part is with abe lincoln- "he said he himself had chased a few dreams. now that he's marble- he wished for small things. "and what," i said "would you most like to do?" "a swan dive" he said- so we stripped and did two...

Wonderful story, fantastic art. A childrens book from my favorite cartoonist in the whole world, and my two year old son won't go to bed without a reading. This book is an instant classic.

Berkeley Breathed is one of the best autor's one could come by. She has great enthusiasm and vision; it's like you're inside the story. "Goodnight Opus" has a great array of language for readers of all ages and abilities.

The Never War is the third book in the Pendragon series. I thought this book was amazing this book I think was the best of all of the pendragons. This book brings back the characters Mark, Courtney, Spader, and Bobby and a new traveler Gunny. This book brings you back into 1937 on first earth. At the start of world war two and ends with a big ending that may shock you.
I would totally recommend this book because it envolve your own world and it makes you brush up on your history. This book is definitely the greatest sci-fi I have read. The Never War is a book that you never want to stop reading it keeps you on the edge of your seat through out the whole story and this book always has you thinking of what could happen next.

This is a really interesting book for probably one reason: the historical fiction.
This book takes you to First Earth, where life is eternally 40 yeaers behind our Second Earth. The plot of this story is where Saint Dane is trying to alter things that have already happened to cause chaos throughout Halla. This is about the Hindenburg. Saint Dane offers Bobby a chance to save the Hindenburg from crashing but what will happen if he doesn't?
This is book is chalk full of good historical fiction. I liked it, A LOT!

For this book review I read Pendragon: The Never War. The author of this fantasy book is D.J Machale.

This book is mostly about Bobby Pendragon who is a traveler and Gunny and Vo Spader, another two travelers who go through the flume that killed Uncle Press. Vo Spader and Bobby Pendragon come out and see two gangsters who have machine guns pointing right at them. The gangsters take them but they both escape and that's where they meet Gunny. Gunny takes them back to his hotel because he is a hotel bellboy. He lets them stay on the sixth floor. They meet a gangster named Max Rose but Max Rose makes them go see Winn Farrow. Winn Farrow catches them and ties them up and he burns the place down, but they escape. A big blimp called the Hindenburg comes in with Max Rose's money in it, but Winn Farrow fires a rocket at it and blows it up and Max runs into the blimp and he dies. They all go back to Second Earth and see their friends.

I think this book is a really good book because it didn't get boring or anything. It was a really exciting book. This book would be best for people who like good adventure books and exciting books.

The book that I read for my report was called The Never War by D.J. MacHale. The Never War is a fantasy book. It was very, very good.

My book is about a boy named Bobby Pendragon who is called a Traveler. Travelers can go to distant universes to fight off a very evil Traveler named Saint Dane. So, Bobby warps to New York 1937, where he is chased down by gangsters and has to deal with, of course, Saint Dane. As he explores this new, or old (to him), New York, he comes along the First Earth Traveler, Gunny.

Bobby also comes along a man named Max Rose, who was a rich gangster and was working with the Nazis in Germany. He finds out Rose has an enemy, Winn Farrow, a very dangerous gangster. But one thing that really makes Bobby mad is that Winn is planning on destroying a blimp called the Hindenburg. But, this blimp is from Germany and is sending Rose his payments for working with them. Should Bobby stop Winn from blowing it up? Or should he let him destroy it so history can play out the way it was supposed to?

You should really read this book. It is filled with excitement and adventure. I would recommend this book to people who like adventure and action. This was a very, very good book. It was probably one of my favorite books because the book flows and never leaves you hanging. The book is also suitable for people who like history. It is going on in 1937 and that's when World War II started.

D. J. MacHale wrote for television for years before turning his attention to novels. He created ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, a long-running series on Nickelodeon in the United States, but it also showed in Canada on YTV and Cinar.

For the last few years, he's been writing the adventures of Bobby Pendragon, a boy who's destined - hopefully - to save the world. Several worlds, actually. Bobby is a Traveler, one of those who have the power to "flume" from world to world. He's brought into the adventure by his Uncle Press. As Bobby was growing up, Uncle Press also took Bobby scuba diving, mountain climbing, to martial arts, driving, and several other things that gave him skills he needs to survive against enemies he encounters. All during that time, Uncle Press was training Bobby to be a Traveler.

Bobby's greatest foe is a villain called Saint Dane. Saint Dane has the ability to change his appearance at will and constantly hides in different worlds while working his nefarious plans.

THE NEVER WAR is the third book in this exciting series. In it, Bobby travels to First Earth, which takes place in the year 1937. The gangster era isn't new by any means, and I was slightly let down when I discovered I wasn't being taken to a new world. I especially loved Cloral, the world Bobby went to in the second book, THE LOST CITY OF FAAR, and I look forward to returning there hopefully in one of the later books.

Still, I'm older than the average Pendragon reader. The 1930s and the Hindenburg are familiar to me through several other books I've read as well as history I've researched.

For all the familiarity with the time period, though, MacHale tells a fascinating and fast-paced tale. Bobby and his new best friend Spader land in the 1930s while pursuing Saint Dane. They're immediately met by machine-gun toting thugs that try to kill them. Bobby figures out how to escape and gets Spader out as well. Spader is way out of his depth because he's never seen anything as "technologically advanced" as the 1930s.

One of the best things about the Pendragon books is that Bobby usually gets to save the day in a down-to-earth manner. He doesn't have any really special skills or powers that help him. At this point, he's fourteen years old and can do what most kids that age can. This makes the series more believable in some ways, and I think it draws the Pendragon audience in a little closer.

MacHale's sense of timing and pacing is excellent. The story moves quickly, and I got a real sense of urgency throughout the book as Bobby tries to figure out what Saint Dane is really doing. Many of the chapters end up on cliffhangers that will draw you rapidly into the next chapter. The dialogue is fantastic and sounds real.

One of the other facets of the series that I really enjoy is Bobby's friendship with Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde. The closeness they share, even through Bobby's journals, feels real.

MacHale also mixes in adult heroes with his young champion. Vincent "Gunny" Van Dyke was an excellent grown Traveler in this novel. He was kind and gentle, and guided Bobby and Spader throughout the adventure.

I did miss the world-building in this novel, but I know MacHale gets back to it in later volumes of the series. But for kids who haven't researched the 1930s much, this should be a fun book and on equal footing with fans of Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider.

Great product. Kids have fun making special paper airplanes. Especilly good for kids who have enjoyed putting Lego together.

This book is awesome. I never have been able to fold paper airplanes before that actually flew. With this book, it is so easy and they really fly. I now buy this book for my girls to give as birthday presents. Awesome find.

Purchased this on a business trip and it's a big hit with my 7 (girl) and 5 (boy) year olds. Really great planes that my daughter can build herself. My son has trouble with the directions, but an adult should find it pretty simple. Be prepared to fold a 'fleet of planes' (since the fast ones get busted up when they whack a wall - or get chewed on by a younger sibling). The papers provided are really good and they proide a good amount - but I have to look for more.

My oldest boy who is 10 loves playing with this. His friends all have the book as well and they make dozens of them!

This book is AWESOME!!! My kids, (boys and girls) have had so much fun with it. And I have to admit I have too. I never knew that paper airplanes could go so far!! I have always made them and the second that they leave your hand they go straight down and do a nose dive into the ground. They explain in the front of the book why and what to do to stop that, and it works! This is the second book that we have bought by Klutz and they are both awesome! Also try the tissue paper flowers book, it has made our lives all more colorful. You won't be disappointed in these books. They work well when you aren't satisfied just buying another video game. And they really help you use your brain and your hands which is great for kids.

My Grandson had checked out a couple of the Look-Alike books from the Library. He really liked them, so I decided to get him one for his 5TH birthday. He really enjoys finding the look alike objects in the pictures, and spends a long time for a five year old doing so.

My twin 5 yr old boys love these books. It has become a night time ritual with them. There are so many cool things to spot. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for something to do during quiet time.

My 3yo son and 37yo husband both love this book (as do I). We can easily spend half an hour or more every evening playing a modified I-spy game - and it's no easy feat keeping a 3 yo entertained that long. I would highly recommend it for travel, except that it's a large size book which makes it a bit unweildy to carry.

This is a another book filled with fascinating ways the author puts together pictures using common everyday items. You'll never look at ordinary items the same way again once you see how she creatively puts together her pictures. Children and adults alike will be fascinated by this book. If you want to give a child a book he or she will look at over and over again, this is a good choice.

My kids love these books. My son checked one out at the school library. My husband and I were amazed at the detail these pictures have. It puts I spy to shame. My kids look at these books all the time. Great for the car, or restaurants, they keep my seven and four year old happy, and I also enjoy looking at all of the cool pictures. They use everyday items and combine them into ordinary things. For example a chair might be made up of pretzel sticks for the legs, a ritz cracker for the seat, and something else for the back. There are hundreds on each page! Amazing!