Literature Books

After reading the glowing reviews, I was hoping for something spectacular. First of all, it is a small book, about 6x6 inches - $10 is too much for this small book. Next, I flipped through and read a few of the quotes, but couldn't see myself -or my daughter, the intended recipient- reading for more than a couple of minutes. Sorry, I'm just not impressed. This book, along with the other 3 in the series are all going back.

It is difficult for people of different generations to find a perfect gift. For my niece I thought that the best thing I could give her in her formative years is a sense of self esteem. Talking was not always the best way. I was lucky to find a book that was meaningful to us both.

I have a couple of girl friendship quote and photography books but this is one which I think will appeal to multiple generations of women, unlike my other books. Catherine Dee has included quotes from female Gen Y heros like Michele Kwan: "If you have nothing in life but a great friend, you're rich."

My 14 year old niece worships Michelle Kwan so I think she would appreciate this, as well as her grandma who worshipped Erma Bombeck.

I can't believe it, another gem by Catherine Dee. What a beautiful book of friendship, life lessons and quotes. This book helps to complete the set of Ms. Dee's other works. With beautiful shorts stories, whimsical quotes and words of inspiration, The Girls "Book of Friendship" is the perfect tool for teaching young girls how to build long-term relationships at the same time, providing words of encourage and empowerment.

I was thrilled to be able to give my daughter something tailored to her. This book lays a great foundation for "Girl Power" and enforces a strength in young ladies which will help them take on the world and deal with the obstacles in it.

Keep em coming Catherine!!!!!!

I was recently in the hospital for open-heart surgery. My dear friend gave me the book of friendship. It meant so much to me for two reasons. One is that it is full of such wonderful quotes and shoret stories, and gave me some great memories and cemented my friendhip with the girl who gave it to me, and secondly, due to the brevity of the quotes and stories it was easy for me to pick up and read and put down when I got tired. It is so hard to concentrate on long stories when first out of surgery, so this book was perfect. It took me two weeks to read it all, but worth very minute.

This is a great book. I bought this book because my husband enjoyed this book when he was a child. He still enjoys this book today and reads it to our 6 year old son.

The lesson we learned from this book is there are always some problems no matter where you go.

I highly recommend this book because it's fun to read, educational, and it never gets old.

My dad was, is, and will always be a huge Dr. Seuss fan. He read this, as well as all the other Seuss classics, to me as a child. I had a devil of a time finding it a few years ago; had to special order it. It has an honored place on my bookshelf.

It taught me two valuable lessons: 1) Tackle your problems instead of running away from them, and 2) The grass is not necessarily greener on the other side.

Those two bits of knowledge have stuck with me for many years and led me through many challenging times. Thank you, Dr. Seuss!

What can I say, Dr Seuss is popular for a good reason. These are fun for all ages. The rhyming, the cute stories, the good morals. These books make reading for homework fun.

This was my favorite Dr. Seuss, and one of the books that stuck with me. I came across it recently while I also happened to be reading Campbell's Transformations of Myth Through Time.

A young man, beset with the travails of life, sets off to find paradise. The premise having been set, this story is actually predominantly about his many encounters and experiences on the road to paradise -- how he gets conned, imperiled, left to the mercy of the elements, enlisted into a battle he has nothing to do with, lost and alone in a crowd, etc. Having risen to the occasion repeatedly, he arrives at (literally) the door to paradise a changed man. In the end, Dr. Seuss leaves open question of what paradise really is.

This is an archetypal Hero's Journey.

And there is another parallel. Campbell often talked about the danger of concretizing the symbols -- for example that there is a physical holy land, the place where your myth takes place, to which you as a human being must physically travel to touch divinity. The alternative is to recognize your myth as metaphoric, and to recognize that the divinity of your God is your own divinity, and to sanctify and make holy the land and the place where you are, etc. 'Solla Sollew' speaks to this theme.

Can't really add much more than what everyone else has already said. I'll just add that this is my very favorite Dr. Seuss book... great story and great illustrations.

This book is just awesome....one can read it over and over and it has such a simple , sweet ending that you're left satisfied and happy....

the characterization is just apt and there are not to many characters to confuse the readers... the best part is David himself...

this is a must read.. hope u all njoy

My mother told me about this book shortly after I began my studies to become a school teacher. It had been one of her favorite books and she had loved reading it to my older brother and sister when they were children. She tried to find a copy in local book stores but had no luck. My sister, upon hearing about Mama's search, got caught up in the nostalgia and located two copies of the book from the original printing in good condition and had them shipped right away. It turned out to be money very well spent.

David is a most unusually happy, contented, naive, talented and loving boy. Almost everyone tries to change him, but the only one to stay the same is 'Just David'. Not as famous as her great 'Pollyanna' but nothing more perfectly typifies this wonderful author's warm and tender work. Eleonar Porter writes characters that do not exist - but should.

When I was young my mother told me that I was named after the boy in the title of this book. My mother loved this book and wanted her only son to be like its title character, whom she admired greatly. It pleased me to be named after someone who was the subject of a book but, for some reason, I never bothered to ask my mother for details about either the book or its principal character, although she often spoke glowingly about the David for whom I was named. After my mother's death I regretted not having queried her for more details about Just David and its hero whom she so admired. When I found that Just David was available from Amazon.com I immediately ordered a copy and read it as soon as it arrived. To my pleasant surprise I found that I shared my mother's love both for the book and for its hero. I also understood for the first time why my mother had raised me as she had. I won't pretend to have all of the virtues possessed by the hero of this wonderful book, but I believe that I have more virtues than I would have if my mother hadn't used Just David's hero as a template for rearing me. I'm deeply grateful to my mother and to this special book which I recommend highly to others. I'm also grateful that in my career as a NASA scientist I had occasion to edit a book, Heterogeneous Atmospheric Chemistry, which is also available from Amazon.com. Although my mother was not alive when this book was published I like to think that she knows of its existence and is pleased by it.

As the other reviewers, I was given the book, by an aunt, back in the 60's when I was in seventh grade. She said she had been searching for a copy for me to read because she had loved it. I remember doing a book report on it for my 7th grade English class (I got an A)--and it was one book I never forgot. I thought it was out of print & had been looking for it for years at garage sales and used book stores. Now I will have a copy to pass on to my new grandson. It is a special treasure of a book!

If you are looking for a book that will greatly improve your game, and you are a solid chess player, then "More Unbeatable Chess For Juniors" is the answer!
There are a total of twenty four games with nice clear analysis, questions within the games to get you to think and analyze for yourself - and every move is explained.
This book will also help you improve your knowledge of many important openings with some very deep analysis (some games are like an opening book in themselves!). Middlegame strategy and tactics with the general rules being applied and explained is neat.
For a solid player this book is tops to continue to improve. On my Junior High School Team I am the top player rated over 1600 in the USCF (I started off with "Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors" when I was rated about 1000, and a year later got this book with my rating going up to 1300, then improved in a year to 1600). These two books were by far the most helpful in helping me improve the way I analyze and plan ahead.

Rated as an Expert by the USCF I at first thought, "a book for intermediate and advanced kids could never appeal to an experience adult player". I picked up the book for a couple of kids I have worked with but then started looking it over more carefully. And, soon I was deep into the analysis and games in this book! It isn't just a book for experienced chess kids - the analysis is deep where it needs to be, the analysis is clear and the author has great insight into how to teach. Games used in the author's actual lessons prior to writing the book has made the games and analysis tried and tested. This is one thing that makes this book different from the others that have analysis on a move by move basis (and I have seen about 3 others using this idea). This is the book that follows the author's "Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors", which I have also got ahold of. And, actually though the book covers more basic ideas, it was still helpful to me as well.
Just darn good solid lessons and excellent games for instruction! A very solid FIVE STAR BOOK!

There are thousands of chess books to choose from, and this holds especially true for an established chess player. Narrowing down which books are the best to get isn't easy. I will therefore try and point out why I feel that "More Unbeatable Chess for Juniors" should be placed high on your consideration list.

"More Unbeatable Chess for Juniors" will greatly increase your depth of understanding of many very important concepts in chess. The author uses his extensive knowledge, based on many years of teaching, to create lessons that implant ideas and the techniques needed to use them. Pure genius is an understatement. Knowing just what the mind of a 1000 to 1600 rated player needs to be fed makes is one major factor that makes this book superior to all others that use a move by move comment.

"More Unbeatable Chess for Juniors" is an expansion on this author's "Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors" (one of the most popular chess books written). If you are an average tournament player or above then having read the author's previous book(s) is not necessary to use this one.

Whereas, there is a heavy focus on opening concepts and lines, and important middlegame strategies there are several excellent endgames. Understandably, if you want to learn endgame technique, get an endgame specialty book. However, this book is packed with important opening lines not found in other books (some of the variations after 1. e4 c5 2. b3 - Sicilian, 1.e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Bc4, plus variations in the Nimzo-Indian, Queen's-Indian, Caro-Kann, Pirc, Modern, Scandinavian, Petrof's, Goring Gambit, Scotch, Ruy Lopez lines with the Marshall, Exchange, Keres, Birds and Steinitz variations, Benoni and Bird's Openings).

This book will also help you learn to plan ahead. Once again the words I will use to describe what you will find here - "pure genius".

AMAZINGLY CONCISE and ACCURATE analysis turned using instructive games as the format best describes "MORE UNBEATABLE CHESS FOR JUNIORS". As a strong player I got this book, not for a kid, but for myself! I wanted to learn how to handle the Queen's Indian Defense as Black, to handle Marshall Gambit, Petroff's Defense and Sicilian as White and found that the analysis (with much being original and unpublished) on the openings was fantastic. The SNYDER SICILIAN (named after the author of this book), 1 e4 c5 2 b3 is a viable alternative to the more common lines for White to play against the Sicilian. And, the most complete analysis anywhere is found in "MORE UNBEATABLE CHESS FOR JUNIORS". Therefore - if you want to learn your openings, especially if you play 1 e4, this book is an absolute must for that alone.

Now openings aside UNBEATABLE CHESS FOR JUNIORS covers important concepts and themes that the author has in mind to teach. The selected games were tried and tested in actual lessons before being included in this book (I agree with the other reviewers that this is what makes this book unique among others for the great insight the author has in understanding the thinking process of those who will learn from these lessons). You can check out the other reviews for some of the details of the actual material that is covered (I don't have all day to go there!). Therefore - there author tries to focus largely on teaching the openings and middlegame, but there are several excellent endgames included as well.

"MORE UNBEATABLE CHESS FOR JUNIORS" is the most advanced book in the author's CHESS FOR JUNIORS series (about 5 books) and is a continuation of one of the best selling chess books of all time "UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS", also excellent, but more basic (would recommend it for players rated between about 700 and 1600, with "MORE UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS" recommended for those who have completed and understood the previous book, or as a stand-alone only for those rated 1200 and 2400 - yes up to 2300!). The tiered analysis is unique and allows both books to appeal to a wide range of playing skill (unlike "UNDERSTANDING CHESS", which I would recommend for players over 1600 - though I personally feel "MORE UNBEATABLE CHESS FOR JUNIORS is superior).

*If you have read "UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS" or are 1200 up to 2300 ability, then this book is a MUST READ for you!

What to learn how to recognize the most important concepts/patterns and how to plan ahead? "More Unbeatable Chess Lessons" provides 24 complete games that have been tried and tested in actual lessons by one of the most successful chess teachers of all time. This book is most suited for a player who is well beyond the beginning stage (it is more detailed and more advanced than "Logical Chess" by Chernev, and intended as a next book from the same author's best seller "Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors", which is recommended to start out with if you are rated under 1200).

Games are arranged by opening, and there is a nice variety. You can really learn a lot about openings in this book, as the analysis is detailed and deep (some excellent new analysis in a variety of lines). Not that interested in the opening? Well, you can easily skip over some of the long analysis and move right into the middlegame if that is your choice.
Some of the openings with excellent detailed analysis are:
<<< Ruy Lopez, Petrov's Defense, Giuoco Piano, Center Counter, Alekhine's Defense, the Sicilian 2 b3, Pirc/Modern Defense, Queen's Indian and the Benoni >>>

The games were mainly selected to cover important positional and tactical ideas that the author has used in lessons for years. There are a fair number of the author's along with a nice balance of games by other players (i.e. GMs Karpov, Spassky, Korchnoi, Tarjan, Tal, Kalinitchew, Gurgenidze, Chigorin and Ivanchuk). A major difference, besides being designed for more advanced players, over the author's "Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors" is that a lot of the games are newer (some being played after 2000). Together these books cover a massive number of openings and important concepts.

Perhaps understandably, as I have seen in a couple other reviews, the main focus is on openings and middlegames. However, it would be impossible to have too many games going into the endgame using a comment on every move without making the book very massive (and expensive). Though, there are several excellent games with good instruction in the endgame.

I appreciate the care, detail and accuracy that has gone into making this one of the best instructional/game collection books ever written.

some of the stories - i felt that it was too exaggerating. but the "naughty" action parts are really good (; i especially like the fancy pant story!

Its all here - M/M, F/F, F/M and M/F spanking action and it is all well-written, imaginative stuff. That is great if you like EVERYTHING. If your tastes are more particular, for example, you are not interested in one or two of the categories above, you may not be enthusiastic about some of the stories.

Something to take note of - you will learn a new way to learn the musical scale that is bound to leave an impression.
And there is as much variety as A to Z.
In another story a "student" is not likely to forget the scientific method after the "hands on" approach by her teacher.
You'll probably be kept busy doing your homework as you re-read this textbook over and over.

What struck me about this book was the true diversity of each short story. I loved the idea about erotic stories from A to Z, and this was not at all cheesy in the case of this book.
Not all of the stories were turn-ons for me, but all were intersting and each had a unique perspective. There are stories about married couples, singles, gay men, lesbians, and stories involving multiple partners.
This book was an intriguing read, and each tale gave me ample material to think about in one way or another.
Whether you are curious or have already had erotic spanking experiences, I strongly recommend this book. And don't miss Bussel's essay compilation on spanking, coming out soon. I already pre-ordered mine!

Each author give's their story on spanking. Their saying it's okay to do that if you in the mood and if he or she like's to take charge in the bedroom.

This is a beautifully illustrated version of _The Owl and the Pussycat_. My three-year-old son absolutely loves looking at the whimsical pictures of the fish and other sealife that are abundant in this book. The pictures are done with beautiful colors and have their own story.

What a beautiful version of Edward Lear's poem. I've always been a James Marshall fan, but this book is absolute tops for his illustrations. The colors are glorious, the characters, as his always are, deftly and lovingly handled. I understand that it was his last work, and it's a shame that it is out of print. Buy it, save it, and pass it around.

Jan Brett's Caribbean-inspired illustrations for the classic Edward Lear poem are teeming with life, and the effect is stunning. The colors, textures, and shapes are a visual treat. Each page also has a different pattern of "straw" border, adorned with a different tropical flower.

The pictures overflow with detail, to the point where there's even a sub-story (pardon the pun) involving two yellow fish.

I didn't give it the full 5 stars because the way the text is broken up across spreads makes it difficult to read the poem with any kind of flow, and because some of Brett's admittedly gorgeous illustrations could (and perhaps should) have had more of a connection to the text. For one notable example -- there's no pot of honey on the boat, and we never get a look at the money wrapped up in the five-pound note!

But there's no denying the beauty of the illustrations, and the Caribbean theme works surprisingly well. This is a great book for anyone -- for newcomers to the splendid silliness of the poem as well as for old fans of the poem who are looking for an edition with fabulous illustrations.

I have always liked Lear's rhymes, especially this one, but more than the rhyme, it's the illustrations in this version that I like. We live in Florida and all our sub-tropical and tropical flora and fauna is in this book, beautifully illustrated and very recognizable to my 3 year old daughter. Following along with the secondary story of the two damsel fish (I think they're damselfish, but if they're not, the fault is my fish identification skills, not Brett's illustration) is really fun for her too. A bit further south, but still full of recognizable plants for us Floridians, is another of Jan Brett's books, "The Umbrella."

I have the Audio CD that Eric Idle did and it was wonderful. I listened to it with my 5 year-old and we both just loved it. He could understand most of what was going on and I could explain the rest. I'll start looking for other versions, too. Like the original poem and the various hardcover book versions. It is a truly charming story with a playful use of words. There is humor of the best kind here: they classic kind with jokes and puns for the adults and kids at the same time (like the old bugs bunny cartoons). I recommed this with NO reservations!

I have read many of John McPhee's works. They are all excellent and captivating. He writes on so many subjects, it is amazing that they are all great. No wonder he teaches at Princeton, or did as I remember.

My wife gave me this book in 1978, and I devoured it in one evening. I have since been all over the world, and no matter where I go, the pines are always the reference point for me. My teen years were spent in the pines, with my good friend Tom, where we would travel its dirt roads, canoe its streams and fish its lakes, and hike its trails and roads. Mr. McPhee weaves a story that is so true, so historically rich, and for me, so reminiscent of the years of my youth. Please read this book, and then go and make your own memories.

This time John McPhee turns his hand to one of those
anomalous natural treasures that has survived in
spite of intense urbanization. The Pine Barrens are
two-thirds of a million acres-an area the size of
Yosemite that sit beside a major artery of the most
developed region in the country. With the New Jersey
Turnpike to the west and bustling, chintzy Atlantic
City to the East, it's hard to imagine that this great,
weird wilderness could be so little known.

McPhee is the perfect guide to the Pines. He is as
sensitive to the natural history as he is to the
culture. He has a sympathetic ear for both the natives
and the outsiders who wander in from time to time. He's
a writer who can focus on a detail-a threatened fern or
the quality of water and then pull back to the big picture.

A thoroughly entertaining book.


--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005

Those of us from the Northeast know that wilderness can be found if you're willing to hit the road and search for it, and also that it's precious and worth protecting from the onslaught of industry and sprawl. But even those familiar with the region's wilderness offerings will be surprised by the natural bounty and remoteness of New Jersey's Pine Barrens area. The masterful essayist John McPhee published this travelogue and study of the area back in 1967, when the depths of the Pine Barrens still offered genuine seclusion form the outside world, with hardy folks still living off the land by picking berries or making charcoal. And this beautiful area was surrounded on all sides by the most urbanized and industrialized blight on Earth. Things aren't quite so rustic there anymore, but reading McPhee's engaging treatise on the area should make modern folks wish to both visit the Pine Barrens area as a valuable slice of nature, and to protect it as a precious and dwindling resource. That's what makes this short but lovable book from the great McPhee a timeless classic for nature lovers. [~doomsdayer520~]

I'll keep this short and sweet: McPhee's The Pine Barrens is an entirely outstanding, fascinating look at the unique area that is the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. McPhee covers Piney culture, the unique ecological nature of the region, its history, and its hidden treasures. The writing is poetic and rich, the people interesting, and the information detailed, thorough and never dull. A really great read that anyone living in NJ should get.

Dense writing, with a good plot that deepens along the way. The title does not describe the book, as it is more about the relationships that Meg forges with people, rather than about actually questing for Marie. Note for people that do not like historical fiction in general: the historical notes and flavors do not intrude on the story. Ever read a historical fiction novel that continually interrupts the story line with mini-lectures on history? Doesn't happen in "Quest for a Maid." Note 2 for other folks that read poetry... it is delightful to see Sir Patrick Spens come alive.

I just finished reading this book although it has been on my shelf for several years. I'm really sorry now that I waited so long to read it! I loved the characters and the language, although younger children might have a little trouble with it.

It is told from the point of view of Meg, daughter of a scottish shipwright. She grows up very close to her oldest sister, Inge, who everyone believes is a witch. Then, when she is about ten, she saves a little boy from drowning. He is actually the son of her father's friend, Patrick Spens (the boy's name is Davie) and she becomes engaged to him and goes to live at his house to learn how to manage it. Soon they become close friends.

One day, in town she sees the boy who pulled her and Davie out of the water that day being chased through the town as a runaway serf. She quickly comes up with a lie to save him and he becomes her friend and servant. His name is Peem.

The next part of the book is devoted to how they grow up together. Then Master Spens is called to take his ship to bring the Maid of Norroway to England so she can wed the ship. Meg comes along to be the Maid's attendant, and Davie and Peem follow in their own boat. On their return voyage, they encounter a ferocious storm which tears the boat to shreds and drowns many people on board including Master Spens. Davie, Peem, and Meg save the Maid and take her on board their own boat.

However, their problems are not over, many people are pursuing them and they may have to leave the country to be safe. The ending is excellent, a few good plot twists and some feel-good moments. I loved it. :)

I first read this book back in gradeschool but it is one that has always stuck with me and I have looked forward to sharing this with my younger cousins.
The tale of Meg pulls you in as you watch her grow up with all these huge events happening and discovering what it means to idolize someone who may not be worth that kind of respect. Meg's innocent love of her family and friends is what sticks out to me and their love and loyalty in return.
It's a great book for young girls to read, I wish there were more out there like this.

I loved this book! its great it has hard vocabulary but i really enjoyed it!

Quest for a Maid is about Meg Wright, who lives in Scotland. She lives a normal life, except that her oldest sister, Inge, is a witch. Then one day when Meg is nine years old, she hides under a table and hears Inge kill a king. Nothing will ever be the same again. There is a fight for the throne going on in the country. Then Meg gets betrothed to Davie Spens, and is sent to live with his family to prepare. (The wedding will be in seven years.) When Meg is chosen to journey to Norway to bring the rightful eight-year-old queen back to Scotland to claim the throne, she goes, but with doubts. What will happen when they get to Norway? Will the little queen even want to go back to Scotland?

A parent turned me onto this book several years ago. I read the book aloud to my second graders and it soon became a hit! The children begged to create a play based on the story. They then created an adapted play and performed it for the school and the parents. Since then, I've used the book each year in my classroom. I've read it to my own children and used it in classes at church. The message is strong the story is endearing. I highly recommend this book.

I first read this book on a long car drive when I was 9 years old. That's 12 years ago. I can't quite recall all the details of the book, however, I will never forget the profound, magical awe I felt as I turned each page with a mixture of eager anticipation and a slight tinge of sorrow--sorrow because I knew that each page turned would be a page closer to the end.

The richness of nature, familiarity of self-doubt, and beauty of pure love are all gracefully instilled in the reader's mind and heart in this wonderful story focused primarily towards childen, but perhaps also towards sentimental adults who would like to re-visit the innocence of childhood.

A while after reading the book I actually forgot the title (being a 9-yrs-old you don't pay attention to titles and authors) and could not, for the life of me, find this book based on my ambiguous memories. Well, today I saw it on Amazon and will definately have to make a purchase.

It has been over a decade since I read it, so take this review with a grain of salt, however, I do have to say that this book was the most enchanting of the many stories I read in my childhood.

This is a must have for any home with Elementary age children.
We all really loved this story, full of adventure and amusing characters.

The Wainscott Weasel
Author:Tor Seidler
In this book a weasel named Zeke Whitebelly falls in love with a girl, Wendy Blackish. Bagley Brown Jr. falls in love with not Wendy but a fish named Bridget! Paddy the frog comes asking for help. Bagley cant resist when Bridgets involved. Then he finds out she has kids. Will he still help them? Find out in this amazing book about weasels helping alll creatures and how love can go far.
Review by: Frances

This was a wonderful story which takes place at a location Mr. Seidler used to visit and that means a lot to him. The weasel society enjoys life and dancing, and even has its own celebrity, Bagley Brown. Bagley has a secret crush that would raise eyebrows if it were discovered, and he questions a pretty weasel's crush on him because he's never done anything great enough to earn the honor of sharing his father's name. Circumstances happen to change his destiny, and the destiny of his tough-guy rival, Zeke Whitebelly. I liked the theme of loving someone who's different, because even in this day and age the love of someone for a person of a different color or faith still raises some eyebrows. The way the book ended was a complete surprise to me, and the description of the beautiful lake with the ocean nearby made me wish I could pay a visit.

I bought this book for my husband to read to our [..] son. It's been a year since we've been reading it and now whenever we get the book out, Ben has to run and get his mini "zamboni tractor" and mini hockey stick that we bought him separately. He holds them tight and at each page he points and repeats hockey terminology. Even when we're not reading the book, the terms stick with him. At about 20 months, when I had my arms folded, Ben said to me "Mommy ref". This is thanks to one illustration, the referee has his arms crossed for the interference call. This book is for hockey loving families and fans of all ages.

Hands down, my 18 month olds favorite book. Beautifully illustrated - he looks at the pictures all day. Very durable and highly recommended.

This book is a great way to work with the ABC's when you have a classful of sports-minded boys. Being a primary teacher, I am always looking for different approaches to the alphabet. What a great way to interest boys. I first heard this book from the Philadelphia Flyers/Phantoms Organization. They came to our school for an assembly. Since it was a little over our children's heads, they read this book to them instead. The children were enthralled. I then had to order it to become a permanent part of my personal school library! Not only does it explain the basics of hockey, it brings in some of its history. Very enjoyable!!

This is the very best of Zach's collection of books. I am so glad I found it on your website! It has great pictures and a nice story. He has me read it all the time.
Jan

This board book goes through the entire alphabet, giving each letter it's own page and it's own hockey term or reference. The terms touch on the game of hockey itself and the history of the sport. However, I was a little disappointed in a few of the references.
There are some that are so old, obscure, or nonsensical that parents may not even know what it means or who the person is (e.g. "Y is for two glorious Canadian Years-- the Summit Series and the Salt Lake Games"; huh?) More than a few are just plain unimaginative. And there are plenty of terms I would like to have seen in the book but didn't. There's no Playoffs, no Faceoff, no Net. It refers to the Stanley Cup as "Lord Stanley's Cup" (putting it under the letter L) which is technically correct but isn't how it's really referred to.
Also, the writing is iffy at best. Nothing rhymes or has any sort of rhythm whatsoever, and at times really isn't even grammatically structured very well.
Overall, though, even though it doesn't sound like it, I do like the book. Most of my dislikes are nitpicky. It's a cute book, especially for the hockey fan who wants to get their kid into it the sport as well. It's a fun and educational read.