Children's Books

I thought this book looked more like how to be a feminist than anything else. I was so disappointed that it doesnt deal with issues my daughter cares about. She wasnt even interested in flipping through it. What a waste of money.

Finally a book that addresses womens' issues and presents them in an easy-to-read and fun format for young women! It's important that girls know about these issues at an early age to help them realize their potential. This book is full of facts, quotes and stories, making it interesting to read and easy to pick up where you left off. Stories from real women help make the author's points credible and understandable. The book doesn't just talk about issues, it actually gives girls ideas on how to put their beliefs into action. I found The Girls' Guide to Life very inspiring, informational and empowering! I can't wait for my daughter to read it, and I plan to recommend it to all of the young women in my life. - Dale Salvaggio Bradshaw, co-author of Firestarters: 100 Job Profiles to Inspire Young Women

The Girls Guide to Life by Catherine Dee contains a plethora of information and anecdotes for young girls and budding teens that are both entertaining and empowering. This primer for young girls deals with issues such as self esteem, empowerment in the workplace, social rights and obligations, and general life 101 lessons. The guide celebrates the empowerment of young females through a variety of activities and uses real life examples to address the issues that all young women face today. A great field guide to life's basics that every girl should read!

I think this is a good present for most teenage girls because it opens the door to further thought and purposeful decisions. Even if one is not a feminist, one could appreciate the information on topics like why sports are important, how to stay safe at home/school/street, and why math & science equals a bright future.

I appreciate the topics on self-esteem, what is physical beauty, and understanding and handling sexual harrasment.
Honestly, I wish this author would write similarly empowering and informational books for boys!

How refreshing to read a book which helps to elevate, educate and emancipate young girls of the world. This book speaks to young girls in a very human and comprehensible way. It teaches them how to be strong, yet not overbearing, healthy not bulimic, educated, self-motivated and just all round good citzens of the world.

The book is full of historical facts showing how females took on the world against all odds and succeeded. In the book readers are also treated with humorous cartoons, for instance their is a young lady who takes on the form of a puddle. At the end of the cartoon she is standing upright and shouting "I am not your doormat!" Its a beautiful evolution....

Also what impressed me are the worksheets and life exercises in the book. What a clever way for a young girl to track her progress, in addition getting life pointers and hints.

Help a young girl become a confident young lady - Give her this book!!!!!

Hats off to you Catherine!!! Keep em coming.....

This book has changed my heart. This book has made me a better parent - as I live God's way. I am thankful to the authors for their wisdom.

Good and Angry is such a good book! I feel like I've experienced a shift in my thinking. I used to think that righteous indignation over being disobeyed gave me license to solve the problem full force with that anger. That had been the parenting model for me. Now it makes so much more sense to view that anger simply as a flag to identify the child's problem,  rather than the weapon, trusting God to move in the child's heart as I seek to direct them with kindness. It could almost be considered a theological shift as well as an emotional one. It has me moving in the direction of trusting God, and away from trusting myself as a parent.

Households get busy. And kids will misbehave.

After a while,a parent's patience can run a bit thin. Especially when children do the same thing time and time again. "Will they never learn?".

The authors provide the reader with a list of tools to get through these times. The goal is to build family relationships while helping kids learn better ways of responding to life's situations.

Kids learn from us. If you ever find your patience being tested in those difficult moments, then you will want to read this book. You might be surprised how it can bring a little peace to the household while building closer family relationships.

This book is excellent. I gave a copy to everyone in my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group because I really feel this book is a must read book.
Why?
This book helps you as a parent to recognize the five basic causes of anger and gives you practical ways to help reduce your anger and use it wisely. In my experience as a parent, I was suprised by what my kids brought out in me- especially anger!
"Emotions need to be interpreted wisely...Anger, for instance, is a flag that says,"Something's wrong here, and`I need to do something about it." The anger does not define what is wrong. You need to take time to think and interpret anger's signal appropriately before you take action...We believe that the key to using anger in a productive way is to separate the trigger from the response. If you can use anger to identify problems but not react to them, your perspective on anger will change." pp. 25-26
This book is written by Christians so they do quote the Bible and talk about God in the book. However, anyone can benefit from the very practical ideas in the book.
Some of my favorites are "The Lie Detector Test" p. 174-175 and the five steps for giving instructions in chapter 3. This is where a lot of parents get frustrated because kids won't do what you ask them to do.
One book is not going to cover all parenting issues(that's why I am continually reading parenting books because I need all the help I can get!) but this book covers what many books do not- how to use anger wisely. Other books often say don't get angry or seem to assume that you won't get angry and don't tell you how to break the anger cycle. That's why I like this book so much and feel it should be a part of your parenting library because anger is a basic emotion felt by every parent.

very well written, insightful and revealing for both your childs behavior and yours as a parent

Tenna Merchent's honest account of her efforts to recover her little boy "on the brink" of autism addresses the many elements necessary for recovery when a family is confronted with the trainwreck of metabolic causes and issues that underlie this disorder which the medical community still overlooks in diagnosing autism as a whole-body disorder (as opposed to simply a "behavioral problem"). For any parent starting out on this rocky road, I would recommend this book. Merchent's relentless and brutally honest inquiry led her to some unconventional cures. Her faith, courage, and trust in herself as the trailblaxer of her child's return to health demonstrates clearly what it takes to get the job done. For other parents starting down this path, this book is a warm companion. You will no longer feel that you are alone.

I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN THIS BOOK. THE AUTHOR SEEMED TO JUMP AROUND QUITE A BIT AND THE TIMELINE WAS HARD TO FOLLOW. BOTH HER AND HER SON HAD MANY ALLERGIES WHICH SEEMED TO MAKE QUITE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR SYMPTOMS. THE STORY LEFT ME A BIT CONFUSED.

He's Not Autistic, But. . . by Teena Merchant

Teena Merchant has written a very timely, amazing book that allows us to share the struggles she has gone through with her son, Clay.

This family's struggle to find the reasons for her tiny son's illness is heroic. After going to countless medical professionals and finding no solution for her son's illness, she persevered and finally found that alternative medicine was able to diagnose and treat her son thereby keeping him from regressive Autism.

Every parent of a young child should read this book. It gives hope to others who may be going through undiagnosed problems with their own children.

Congratulations Ms. Merchant.

It was like this Christian author opened my life and wrote a book about it. The amazing part was that I was not reading the book for information on autism, it was recommended so I could learn about alternative healing for cancer and other illnesses. What was so amazing is my child had very similar problems without the autism.....multi allergies..he beat his head from headaches, etc. and I too was sick and exhausted all the time. The medical field was ruining my sons little 18 month old body. I am rescued by honest people like Tenna Merchent who share the key to what God intended us to have. Healthy body and mind Naturally. Take note....We ALL can learn.

Reviewed by Dr. Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (2/08)

Ms. Merchant, if nothing else, is an exceptional mother and advocate for her child who the medical profession felt "at a high risk for autism." The long journey she and her family made for two years to figure out what was going on with her son, as well as herself, was long, hard and often heartbreaking. I can think of no family that I have worked with during my tenure as a Psychologist with families with special needs that did a complete 360-degree turn as Ms. Merchent did.

At times during the reading of this book, I almost felt as if Ms. Merchent was almost aggressive to the point of being annoying. However, after reading all the failed treatments, diagnosis and pushing of vaccines by medical personnel she had a right to be this way.

My knowledge by reading this book has only added reinforcement to my own professional views that doctors aren't always right. I also found the information she provided on toxic aluminum and systemic yeast very informative and something I think every child should be tested for while looking at diagnosis of autism. Since alternative medical treatments have not been overly publicized, it is one area that I think all parents should explore. I know I found her experiences with alternative medicine exciting and least harmful to the body.

This reader not only as a parent, but as a professional, would recommend "He's Not Autistic, But..." be reading for every parent, parent-to-be, special education personnel and school resource staff as well as up and coming medical professionals.

Helpful when you must insert animals into a painting or drawing; well put together and a good variety of animals.

Every artist should own this book, it has great instructions, and illustrations, of animal structure, shapes and design

An extremeely useful book, in fact, just what I was looking for

"How to Draw Animals" by Jack Hamm

Jack Hamm is incomparable when it comes to drawing instruction. His book on drawing animals, like his book on cartooning, is one of the very best on the market. Children have no difficulty understanding Hamm's lessons, so the reader should not feel that his book his only for adults.

If you like to draw, you can't go wrong with Jack Hamm books. They are economically priced, and each of them is a wealth of reference and how-to-draw information. I have all four of his books I know of. In addition to this one: Drawing Scenery: landscapes and seacapes; Drawing the Head & Figure; Cartooning The Head & Figure. Be advised that the style of the drawing in these books is dated, that is a bit old-fashioned, when fashion comes in to play. But the material is great.

I wasn't too impressed with this book. While it had a lot of info in it, I learned more through my research online. I expected a lot more from this book based on the preview and other reviews.

The book does provide some good information and some other things to consider as you deal with your child's allergies. However, I do find that it tends to a bit extremist in some cases.

My child has severe dairy allergies and this book helped me with so much. I now carry his medicine/epi pen in a special bag with all the vital information. Also, this book helped me to know that we are not alone and it gave me so much great information when going places with my child, even to friends/family. I recommend this book to anyone who has just discovered their child has allergies. A must have!!!

Of all the allergy books I have read, yours is the only one that advised us as a Mom! So many tips and information that are so very important, but not so obvious. I am delighted to tell you we have had a safe, accidental exposure-free experience thus far with my son's life threatening allergies, and I feel this book is the main reason. My allergist is great, but he doesn't give all the day to day hints and information you have provided. Thank you for your book!

I've been living with a severely food allergic child (milk, eggs, nuts, soy) for eight years, and have subscribed to the FAN newsletter all that time, so I am hardly a newbie when it comes to food allergies. And I just LOVE this book. I was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of completely practical information it contained. She has excellent ideas for traveling with a food allergic child. Her recommendations about making your home a safe zone and letting your child play at other homes are spot on. Her comments about school and outings are great. She doesn't miss a thing. And I gained lots of ideas, like having a separate section of the freezer for "Becca-safe" foods, that are making my life easier.

I love her tone, too. She is clear and easy to understand. She is so realistic, and so calm, "Don't expect too much from other people" is so true, because even well-intentioned people just make mistakes. Unfortunately, you always have to be on guard.

One option she did NOT mention regarding school lunches is for your child to sit at a tray table placed at the end of the cafeteria table. This is what my child is doing, plus they do not let children drinking milk or eating yougurt or "spillable" dairy products sit near her. So far, this has worked well for our daughter.

My daughter is now eight, and she is starting to seem depressed about her food allergies, and I would have loved more information about how to help her deal with the emotional aspects of food allergies. And perhaps more information about what to expect when she reaches puberty, the age when some kids start to be rebellious and to take risks. Although, the author was writing from personal experience and her son outgrew his dairy allergy at age 11.5 (so there is hope yet, dear Becca), so perhaps that is why the book ends where it does.

Anyway, this is the number one book I will recommend to parents of children who are newly diagnosed with food allergies - and even those who have been dealing with it for a while but want some new ideas or advice about specific problems.

This is a great book and makes the real costs of our prescription drug epidemic understandable to everyone. It is a must read for all Americans. We must educate the public that the prescription drug epidemic is going to ruin generations of our people unless we take action. We can no longer tolerate drug companies pushing legal "heroin" to our people and turning the other head when it causes the devastation pointed out by Sheryl McGinnis.

Steve Hayes
Medical Director
Novus Medical Detox Center

I Am Your Disease is not written by professional writers, its not scripted, its real stories, of real children, young adults, sons, daughters, written by people who loved them.

I have seen my own friends struggle with addictions and I saw it nightly at the hospital ER I worked in before Connor was born. I think some people like to believe that drug addictions come from broken homes, bad childhoods, homeless broken people who have no reason to live. I only wish this was true as the problem would be SO much easier to fix if this was really the case.

Drug addictions many times are born in perfectly happy, perfectly healthy people, that for some reason get involved with something that they just cannot control. Professionals, high school students, mothers, fathers, many many times people who otherwise have perfectly normal.. perfectly happy lives. Who knows why... a moment of weakness, a genetic predisposition, depression, boredom, peer pressure, I could go over a thousand reasons why... but thats really not important. What is important is as we look at our beautiful happy healthy babies, don't be blind to the fact that every child at some point in their life is given the choice at least once... and in my case many many many times have drugs passed in front of me and I had to make the conscious and sometimes difficult choice to say no.

One point I want to make to everyone out there... When I say drug addictions I do not just mean (street drugs), heroin, cocaine, meth, but some of the worst addictions I saw come through the ER on a nightly basis were prescribed that includes Valium.

I Am Your Disease, is a worthy read for every mom, dad, grandmother, out there.. these kids deserve to have their stories shared.

Though this book is not a self help book or a book that covers the recovery process it is a great source of support through stories from families dealing with the loss of a loved one through a drug addiction or an inspiration for those of you dealing with a drug addiction as to why its so important to find help.

Sheryl has done a magnificent work by telling her story and the stories of other parents who have lost their children to addiction as well. Every story is the personal feelings of a parent that has gone through addiction with their child, going hand to hand combat with the monster and in the end slipping through their fingers and leaving pieces of a mother, father, sisters and brothers behind to somehow pick up their lives and and keep going. Every story is gripping and you can actually feel what they are feeling. I purchased 2 of these and sent them to my daughter Anna who is presently in prison for possession of Cocaine, and the other I donated to the Prison Library. I bought one from Sherry which she personally autographed to Anna, and I hope and pray I can actually present her with that copy one day. This book is a "must have" for every parent who deals with a child on addiction and especially for those who don't.

Author Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis lost her son Scott to a drug overdose. She says she wrote this book as therapy for herself but also to warn others as to the dangers of addiction to drugs. This book is a compilation of many grieving parents who write the stories of their children's addictions. They come from all walks of life, social, and economic groups, but they have one thing in common--they have lost a child to addiction and subsequent death. They all tried to stop their child's downward spiral but none of them were successful. The book also contains poetry from grieving parents and an eye-opening look at a group of eighth graders' view of peer pressure. This is a sobering book which serves as a warning to any teenager or parent of a teenager. There is a list of support groups and there are some suggestions for heading off a serious addiction, but mostly the problem is presented in the stark reality of hopelessness. The only answer is not to start taking drugs in the first place and it is this point of view that the book is promoting.

Most people live under the axiom 'where there is life there is hope", this book starts the process of finding hope when life is gone as we know it. It isn't only about dying, but about grief and the very act of living - no matter what. It profoundly demonstates that those affected by someone else's disease are not crazy and not alone. Noone is more or less important and noone has more or less of a right to be heard. In fact they are the very essence of 'witnessing' why we are here, no longer operating in real time but dealing with the randomness of the universe and how our spiritual paths unfold. I found great courage here as well as much comfort.

A charming book with lively illustrations and an unexpected ending! Children will love the animals and rhyming text and will instantly relate to the young girl and her beloved friends.

Wonderful book. My daughter loves it. We read it almost everyday. The illustrations are great as well.

The central character is a spunky imaginative girl with diverse interests ranging from playing in the mud, dancing, and playing doctor to having tea-parties and playing dress-up. She wears comfy jeans and other non-pink clothes throughout most of it, and even her pajamas are not pink. My daughter really enjoyed the rhyming, lyrical text, and the bedtime theme makes it perfect for pre-bed reading. We started reading it at about 12 months I think and it is only recently (she's now 2.5 yo) that it seems to be losing ground as one of her "must-read every night" books.

We have had this for almost 2 years now, and it is definitely a favorite. Our son is now 2 1/2 and still loves it. It is such a cute book! The illustrations are great, and the text is very rhythmic and flows well. When we go to the zoo, we recite the different rhymes when we see the appropriate animal ("I know a hippo and when she's not busy, we spin round and round until we get dizzy."). We have given it as a gift and I recommend it to everyone. Get this book!

This was liked by my son but my 2 year old daughter absolutely LOVES it. She has memorized all the rhymes and I hear her "reading" it to her animals after lights out. Any kid with a crib full of animal friends can relate to this charming story. And like all GOOD toddler books, it ends with SLEEP.

the whole family loves the I spy books.. I sat amazed as I realized the four of us were there piling over each other to find the bear.

The I Spy books are fun books to read and do with your children. This book is no exception. It's not too hard for the younger children or too easy for the older ones (adults included).

Sit cozy in your recliner under an afghan and explore this gorgeous book with the little person in your life. So much to look at and search for. The I Spy books are all fun and this one is particularly well done. Children get so excited when they spot the items listed to search for...and find so many more interesting things along the way! All these books hold their attention, stimulate minds, and promote conversation! No batteries required, does not make electronic sounds, does not plug in.

My, almost three, twin grandsons and I, spend many fun times looking for the objects in this book. They get so excited when they find something asked for! My 5 older grandchildren always loved all of the I Spy books too.

This is your classic yet up to date version of "find it" on a picture page. Items are listed on the bottom of the page that must be found by the reader. Some are very challenging! It's great for parents as much as it is for kids! Enjoy!

I am a long-time fan of James Herriot's books. I worked in an independent book store when I found this jewel, and I have given it at every baby shower and young child's birthday since. It is a collection of stories taken from his books and illustrated. The stories are sweet, poignant tales of the literary veterinarian's encounters with four-legged friends in England.

If you are an animal lover or Herriot fan, this is a must- see. The illustrations are realistic with a touch of warmth and they bring life to the stories that graced these literary masterpieces. Many friends and family who recently have had children love this gift. It is a book to be cherished and read to/with your children for years!

The binding is solid with a dustcover I remove when reading with small children (who love to rip my dustcovers!). The papers is a tolerant high gloss that can easily withstand sticky little baby fingers. My niece and I have clocked many hours reading and cleaning this book!

The stories in here are not just bedtime tales. This is life-enriching literature with quirky characters and poignant emotion which you will treasure for years to come. I got as much out of reading these to our son as he did, and you will all enjoy the illustrations. As with real living, the death of a beloved pet is included in one of the tales, so if your children would be upset by this, you might discuss beforehand.

Our 3.5 year old daughter loves this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the stories compelling. They are on a level that she can relate to without feeling condescended to. The stories are interesting and fun for adults to read and they are great to talk about afterwards.

My 7 yr old son and my 5 yr old daugher both LOVE this book. And so does mom! It has beautiful illustrations and the stories are warm and wonderful.

This is a great example of a living book. The stories transport the listener to another place, and the journey is a pleasure. My 5 and 8 year old daughters love these stories and their illustrations.

Fantasy. Young elementary.

Summary
Jimmy's mother won't give him a moon pie and mil, before dinner. So, Jimmy uses his secret project--his jalopy--to go to the moon. The man in the moon-moon maker gave him 1000 pies. Then he went to the Milky Way for milk. He had an accident and landed on Mars, where it was raining milk from his accident. When a Martian monster came, he made friends with the food. The Martians made a giant moon pie wrapper balloon so Jimmy could get home. He arrived home in time for dinner, and his mother gave him a moon pie and milk for desert.

Illustrations
The pictures seem to be of an older time, but they have a modern look, boy-humor, fun, colorful, and enchanting.

I first discovered this book at my sisters house. My son loves it. Amazing illustrations, fun story with a little nod to the 50's lifestyle. Encourages imaginative play with a little mystery that every kid will love. I can't give this book enough praise. makes a great gift.

A clever, imaginative book. I bought it for my husband, who loves moon pies, and he read it to our daughters, ages 5 & 9. This book has everything: action, adventure, great illustrations, and moon pies for dessert! Eight thumbs up from my family!

This incredibly charming book has fabulous illustrations that will remind some of a 1950s kids book BUT kids won't find it old-fashioned at all! It is a fabulous journey w/ Jimmy Zangwow. I've given it for birthday presents... complete w/ a box of Moon pies from Cracker Barrel. My three year old little girl adores it... as does her 8 year boy cousin! Don't miss it!

It is an absolutely fabulous book! My son has been asking to read this book every night for the past month. We have flown to the moon, Mars and the Milky Way. We have become good friend with the Grimble Grinder, an of course gotten more than our share of moon pie. Yes, it is always shared with the Mars men. This book is on our all time favorites list!