Festivals Books

As a member of Louise Borden's family, I'd deffinatly say that this book is worth buying. This book gave me the joyful feeling of being home for Christmas because my family has so many of the same traditions because the author is my aunt. The story is based on her life and ways of selebrating Christmas. A few months ago my family had to move to a diffrent location. When we were driveing to our new home I held this book in my arms thinking of the fact that when all of this moving was done then finaly my family would be home for Christmas. This book is deffinately worth buying!

My first experience with this book was through a book read aloud given at a writing workshop I recently attended. The teacher reading the book had invited Mrs. Borden to her classroom to read and discuss her writing. The story inspired me to remember some of the special Christmas traditions shared in our family. I'm going to read this book aloud to my class of seventh graders this coming week and ask them to recall some of those special Christmas memories of their own.

My first experience with this book was through a book read aloud given at a writing workshop I recently attended. The teacher reading the book had invited Mrs. Borden to her classroom to read and discuss her writing. The story inspired me to remember some of the special Christmas traditions shared in our family. I'm going to read this book aloud to my class of seventh graders this coming week and ask them to recall some of those special Christmas memories of their own.

I am a collector of Christmas books and with joy I have added this one to my library. I found that the memories evoked within the pages of Kentucky Christmas are touching and poignant without being overly sentimental. George Ella Lyon has captured the essence of Christmas through her collection of works by Kentucky authors. This is a book that I will pass on to my child and one that I will return to again and again.

Do you read your books and pass them on to friends and family, seriously depleting your library? Most of us who love reading and books do the same thing. "A Kentucky Christmas" is one of those rare books that will soon become a standard on your library shelf. You will be reluctant to let it leave your library.

Christmas is a season of many moods all competing for attention at a time when we are unusually pressured. The selections made by George Ella Lyon find ways to match our myriad of Christmas emotions.

Good friends will want to give the book early while they can steal a few minutes, a cup of tea and the delight of the very best of Christmas literature.

My friend showed me this book. I, being a Kentucky author, had to read it. The wonderful skill and warmth shined through as I turned each page. This is a book that you would want to hang on to until next holiday season. I'm sure the same warmth and spirit will spread when you open it up next year.

This is the story of Kipper, a quite sweetly painted watercolour dog by Mick Inkpen. Gorgeously simply, but beautifully coloured drawings. Kipper is out in the snow on Christmas Eve choosing a tree. He can't get it out but finally figures out how to do it. At the same time he dislodges a mouse. The only thing to notice this is Arnold who is a young pig (who doesn't talk yet) and his brother Pig. Pig helps Kipper get the tree back home, Arnold watches the mouse.

There are two parallel but intersecting stories in this and it is actually quite conceptually complex for children to understand. Firstly there is Arnold, who doesn't speak and his pursuit of the mouse - quietly - which none of the others notice or realise is there - so Kipper and Pig are decorating thinking the things Arnold is doing are decorating too. There is the strange appearance of Tiger one of Kipper's other dog friends who drops round iwth a present and a snowball to throw at Kipper. And Pig who goes to wrap up Kipper's present and comes back with it badly wrapped.

It is all the small things of life in a children's book - and all based around Kipper wondering if he likes Christmas day with its presents, or Christmas Eve with its anticipation of Christmas day the best. The really lovely thing about this book is that on the last page is a small flashing light which is the reindeer hat which Kipper has given Arnold. Arnold is wearing standing in the window waiting for Santa. The bulb takes quite a bit of hard wear from little fingers which have endlessly picked away at it since we got this book 3 years ago - it still works, so full marks for reliability!

My three year old daughter has had this book for two weeks (we got it after Christmas!) and asks me to read it to her at least several times a day - without giving too much away the surprise on the last page has her fascinated! The story is a really lovely one, Mum's and Dad's will enjoy it as much as the littlies!

Kipper's Christmas Eve is a delightful holiday book that will be a hit with all young children. Mick Inkpen's Kipper characters are darling as ever as they prepare for Christmas by finding and decorating a Christmas tree, exchanging gifts and waiting for Santa. There is a cute little stowaway mouse that children will enjoy looking for on each page and the lighted surprise at the end will be fun for all. This will be a great holiday book to read and reread.

My 10-year old son is not the first one to run to the books every night to read! However, when we picked this book up he looked forward to picking up the story where he had left off and seemed to really enjoy the characters.

Danny's life is baseball. Though when his divorced mother starts to go out with someone, Danny is worried she will get remarried. Since his dad can't come to his games anymore because he's travelling too much with his new wife nobody will come and see him play. Also, Passover is coming up and his mom won't let him go to any games on Passover because of a seder he has to go to. With all this going on he is afraid to tell his coach he can't play in a game against their biggest rivalry. Will Danny stop worrying about everything and continue to concentrate on baseball? Read the story to find out.

I enjoyed this book. It is about the importance of observing one's holidays and preserving one's traditions. But not at all costs and not without compromise, flexibility and change. When his mother insists that Danny miss the Little League opening game in order to attend a Passover seder. Danny is miffed. But eventually he does realize that loyalty to his family and faith can be achieved without disloyalty to his team. Along the way Danny also comes to terms with his parents' divorce, learns alot about the fallibility of adults and matures in general. I particularly appreciated the fact that the way in which the Passover seder is observed is non-traditonal and thus very realistic for a large segment of the Jewish population. Attendance at a Passover seder is something that 90% of Jews do, most of them in a not strictly traditional way. Well done with lovely illustrations

I like the book The Last Dragon because it has good illustrations and I like the reality in the drawing. Also I like how the story is written and I love the dragon. Also I like the emotions in the boy. In the illustrations he put in a lot of detail and shadows. I like the food because it makes me hungry. I like the Chinese names. Also I like all the stuff he put in one picture.

The illustrations brought the book to life. My favorite part was when the boy got the dragon. My favorite picture was when the dragon was used in the parade. I give this book five

The Last Dragon was a very good book. It has very good illustrations also, and the story is very good itself. It describes the pictures very well, and the pictures are very realistic. I think that this would be a good book for children 6 and up. It also tells people the history of the Chinese New Year. Also what they do at this time of the year. This was a great book!!

THIS IS A LOVELY BOOK WHICH WILL GIVE HOURS OF PLEASURE. WELL WORTH BUYING.

Our daughter's name is Laura, so it is extra-special at our house. It is a great addition to our Christmas collection. Always a favorite bedtime story at holiday time!!

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL STORY ABOUT THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRISTMAS AND BELIEVING IN MAGIC.

THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE COLORFUL AND THE SPARKLE OF STARLIGHT GIVE CHILDREN SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO PAGE AFTER PAGE

In "Leaving Maggie Hope", David, the young protagonist, witnesses a fight between his mother and stepfather that changes the course of his life. Instead of growing up in the bosom of his comforting, albeit troubled family, David is sent to boarding school while his mother, stepfather, and sister disperse separately to New York City.

He is troubled by a slight physical disability from his youth and "coping strategies" that set him apart from the other boys. As David negotiates through life in the rarefied environment of an East Coast boys' school, he learns that his is not the only family that is unraveling, and how to cultivate the assets that truly make him valuable as a friend and student. Under the surface of all his adjustments at school runs the distress caused by his mother's descent into alcoholism.

David is a character that almost everyone can relate to. He is the butt of pranks as well as the perpetrator of them. He is very smart, but has to learn to strive for the real value of education, rather than for the purpose of accumulating accolades. This story is so beautifully written (the author is a poet) that experiencing the language is as rewarding as the culmination of David's story. Enjoy!

I really wish the whole world could know Dr. Abbott, the author of this book. He is this adorably handsome man with eyes that twinkle when he speaks and a laugh that can leave you smiling all afternoon. In his classes in college, I often had difficulty taking notes because I was so swept away by his expression of the English language. He is poetic in everything that he does, and this book is a great example of that.

David Lear, the protagonist of this tale, who reminds me a great deal of what Dr. Abbott might have been like as a boy, is a fantastic character filled with so many demons yet able to conquer them all. Almost like a Harry-Potter-for-adults, Leaving Maggie Hope takes us through David's adolesence and leaves us warm with the hope of what will come for this extraodinary boy.

What's even greater than the story, though, is the language that Dr. Abbott uses to tell his tale. It's simply breathtaking in places. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who marvels in the magic of putting words together in beautiful ways.

The story of this young man, and how he comes to terms with some unique circumstances, as well as those challenges univeral to us all, will pull you in from the very beginning. This is one of those "read the 1st chapter, and you're hooked" books. I wanted to curl up with a quilt and a good cup of coffee and just not put it down. You'll find your own favorite teacher, your own best friend, your own worst enemy and your own heart at the heart of this story. I want to cast the movie version, and have high hopes for a sequel!

"The Light at Tern Rock" is an excellent book to read to your class or have your class read as a trade book during the holiday season. It teaches students to think of others at this time of year and not to always concentrate on themselves. It is suitable for third through fifth graders. It also gives the reader the feeling for living in a lighthouse and what life was like for these people living in desolation. It is an excellent history lesson along with a strong moral lesson. You never tire of the words year after year.

This is such a great book for young readers because the detail on every page is exalent.Though in parts of the book it can get confusing but if you try to stick with it you will get it a whole lot better.Believe me this comes from my own experience!!!!!!I would definately recomend this book because dont let its looks diceve you, it may be short but its filled with lots of information!

This book tells the story of Ronnie and his aunt Martha Morse. The two are tending the lighthouse as volunteers so the official lighthouse tender can spend time with his daughter. They must take care of the Tern Rock Light until December 15. They must dust, clean, and take care of it. But the fifteenth of December comes, and no one is there to pick the two up. Will they have to spend Christmas in an isolated and remote lighthouse?
In this wonderful book, Ronnie and his aunt learn that Christmas is beautiful anywhere, and the importance of a promise.
This 1952 Newbery Honor Book is for ages 6-13.

I read Katie Kazoo Love Stinks! I think Love Stinks is an exiting, fun book beacause Katie turns into Cinnamon and makes a diaster when she's the candy maker. In the book I read,"Katie had turned into Cinnamon." This helped convince me that it was a good book.

I really think this book is intresting. It's the best book I ever read! I really recommend this book.Trust me I am a total Katie Kazoo fan.

You should read this book. It is a really good book. Katie is an interesting character.

This is a good book for those new to and those advanced in magic. It explains how to form a magic circle,envoke the elements,folklore and rituals of the moon.Must read for anyone interested in this subject

I learned so much about the esbats that I am surprised I got along at all with out reading this book sooner. I learned about the feast of cake and ale, which is left out of most of the pagan books I have read. And not only is this given for one person to do it also gives an example of when two or more people ar participating. I love the light hearted style and the true student feeling I get from her writting. Another taisty tidbit found in this book is her examples of rituals for every moon phase. And last but not least is the glossery of moon dieties from around the world, and not just goddesses either.

This is the same book as "Lady of the Night" it was renamed when it was rereleased. The renaming is appropriate because it fits more precisly with one of the major strenghts of the book--inclusion of the Moon God!The author not only includes the names and descriptions of Moon Gods along with the Moon Goddesses in her apendix on moon deities, She also discusses gender issues involved with moon rituals.She encourages men to draw down the moon god during their esbats. but she goes further to say that women should draw down the moon god and men should draw down the moon goddess. This is a totally revolutionary concept for Wicca and one i whole heartedly support.McCoy is a feminist, and a female (as am i) and feminist equality goes both ways!If you have always seen the moon as feminine and the sun as masculine--get ready to break some beliefs wide open. McCoy describes the Moon God and shows how the moon as masculine is as just a valid spiritual concept as the moon as feminine.Now don't get the impression that this is all the book is about. This book is very wide in scope. It is full of moon rituals--two for the full moon esbat--one solitary and one group. plus solitary rituals for the waxing moon, waning moon, moon rise, and moon set.The aspects of all these phases are described in full. There is also a dicussion on moon calendars and hints for creating your own. Part 5 of the book is full or spells and magical associations for all the phases of the moon. The author shows ways we can adapt any spell to any phase. There is also a very good chapter on advanced natural magic.As McCoy is always a supporter of creating your own rituals and traditions--she includes a chapter on constructing your own rituals. And even more helpful are the hints through out the book on activities for moon phases, and ways to celebrate the moon with others--outside a ritual settings. It has exerises on understanding the maiden mother and crone, which are really excellent.Another great resource this book provides is the apendix on moon holidays-which is from a multi cultural perspective. This is a wonderful book and i highly reccomend it.