Short Stories Books

I feel that this book is a very well written book. It has pictures that follow the plot of the book and this helps younger children. I know that many children would relate well to this book because they do not like to see their toys locked up in a box. When I read this book it reminded me of when I was younger and I had a bear that got put in a box and I went and got it! So I feel that this is a good book to read to younger children from toddlers to third graders.

One day, Bramwell Brown remembers his friend Old Bear who was put away in the attic. Bramwell and the other stuffed animals decide to get him back.

What follows is a series of failed attempts to reach the attic until finally one succeeds and the toys are united.

I like this story because it does show the process of thinking through a problem as well as perseverance (even when Duck thinks there is no hope). As with many children's books there are a few logic problems, but overall it reads very well.

Look for the other Little Bear stories as well.

"I knew it was going to be a special day." said Bramwell Bear to himself. -Duck, Rabbit, Little Bear, and Bramwell Bear struggle to capture their long lost, and forgotten friend, Old Bear. Old Bear has been stored in the attic for a while because the children played roughly with him.

Old Bear's friends are really caring friends, especially Little Bear, my favorite character. Little Bear climbs from the airplane into the attic and recovers Old Bear. -True friendship.

I remember reading this book plenty of times 11 years ago, and always treasuring it. If you like cute books with good illustrations and a group of brave, loving stuffed animals, you should read this book!

From the first day I brought this book home, my daughter has loved it. "Old Bear" was one of the first phrases she said. This book teaches that by trying new ideas and working together, you can accomplish anything. It's a wonderful life lesson for toddlers, with captivating drawings and warm, loveable characters. I would highly recommend this book, along with any others by Jane Hissey, to all parents.

Every morning our eighteen month old daughter starts the day by exclaiming 'Old Bear!' - the cue that one of us must read it with her without further ado. If it's not left in her cot at night, she often says, 'Oh dear, Old Bear?'. In short this book really wins the toddler vote. Our toddler learnt how to wobble by reading this. She also learnt the meaning of 'sad'. Old bear is a story of lasting friendship, teamwork among stuffed toys, and a daring airborne rescue bid. Contrary to one review, the pictures are not 'sugary-sweet', Our very discerning daughter loves them, and actually, so do I. We have found that we've read the book so often that the words are imprinted in our memories - but amazingly we don't mind. All together now: 'One day the toys were sitting by the window when they remembered their friend Old Bear...'

This delightful collection of short stories was based on Rose Wilder Lane's life as she was growing up. She accurately
described the issues women faced at around the turn of a century, especially that of being an old maid! An old maid if
you're not married by your mid-20's? Wow!

The stories in this book was a combination of humorous and some seriousness. The characters were realistic and seem to come to life for that time period.

I bought my copy at the museum in Mansfield because I always wanted to read Rose's work. This book is a gem. The essay introducing the book is worth getting the book but each story is a gem on its own. Her voice is fresh and rings well today. You would not know she lived in the first half of the 20th century.

I have loaned this book out to 2 people now and all of us are knocked out at how good Rose was. Purchase it, read it. Rose was well known in the early part of last century for good reason. Let's bring this author back to the audience she richly deserves today.

This is a hidden jewel in american literature: a detailed portrait of life before women's right to vote was a federal law, before Margaret Sanger, before Rosie the Riveter. The author survived small town life, and lived to tell and in her own way celebrate it. I will be giving this book to all the tweenager girls I know (and my own daughter when she is old enough!).

This book is wonderful, funny and hearwarming. My great aunt was born in the same era and used to tell me similar stories in this fashion. What a life women had in the olden days, there are not many real life accounts in print that are honest and true. This one is. What a fun book to read.

Rose is just as gripping a writer as her mother, although with a far more adult narrative style.

Illustrations are warm and fun. Rhyming is done very well. It is not the sometimes stiff and unusual vocabulary you can get in childrens' books that is used just to get a rhyme.

I did not give it 5 stars b/c the story was just a little bit awkward. It wasn't always evident why one more monkey would have been the cause of the problem as opposed to it just being attributable to the rowdiness of the monkeys. Never-the-less, it is an above average and fun to read kid book.

My son and I first checked this book out of the library, but he kept wanting to read it, so we bought it and it was been one of his favorites ever since. I enjoy reading it to him too. The illustrations are fantastic and the verses are light, flowing and fun to read. The rhythm of the text lures my son into a read-a-thon and we end up reading it not once, not twice but three times or more.

This is a fun counting book about monkeys who break the rules about how many people can do certain things at a time. Whenever one monkey too many joins the group, it starts off fun, but inevitably ends in disaster. The book is not exactly scary, but a lot of objects get broken, so it might be an uncomfortable read for kids with anxieties about breaking things. The story is quite humorous, and it has about 500 words.

This is a wonderful book. The text has a lilting, easy-to-read flow to it, and the phrases are often hilarious, but the illustrations are what really make it a classic! My children love seeing what the naughty little monkeys will get themselves into next. The "twist" at the end of the book is the best part - we all laughed ourselves silly. What a fun, fun book for children and grownups alike!

This is one funny book! The story begins with a bear bikeseller telling the monkey, "This bike is for one. / One monkey can ride it, / and one can have fun." True to its title, it doesn't take long for "one monkey too many" to jump on the bike-with predictably disastrous results. "It started to wobble. / It started to pitch. One monkey too many crashed into the ditch!"

Left with a busted bike, the two monkeys are given a cart by a golfing tiger. "Two," said the golfer. / "This cart is for two. / If you're looking for fun, / this is perfect for you." Would have been perfect, that is, if "one monkey too many" hadn't hopped right on.

The story continues in this vein with the monkeys trying out a canoe, an elegant restaurant, and, finally, a large bed.

At story's end, the book's author tells the monkeys, "This book is for six. The pages are full, / so no more of your tricks." Of course, as soon as the author goes out to lunch . . . you guessed it . . . one monkey too many gets into the book-literally-making a huge, hilarious mess all over the last page.

Lynn Munsinger was the perfect choice for illustrating this clever creation. Her pen and ink and watercolor cartoons capture perfectly the rambunctious action and gleeful expressions of the monkeys, as well as the horrified-yet comical-faces of the onlookers.

The book is a delight to read aloud. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff.

Trollope was a master of the domestic situation. There is a scarcity of dialogue in Orley Farm, but the detailed explanations of the emotions, surroundings, and background of each character offers so much more than dialogue ever could. Anthony Trollope's Orley Farm is by far the best fictionalized trial drama that I have ever read. One would be hard-pressed to find another like it.

I would offer the warning to those who dislike long, tedious readings that this work would not be for them. It is nearly 850 pages with very little action/dialogue. It more a study into the human psyche as it relates to guilt, pity, law, and the moral implications of all these things.

Orley is simply timeless. Just as in the Palliser series, the characters are the people all around you, in the office, in the news, and on the tube. Trollope's ability to understand the subtle differences that shape the mind of men and women is simply uncanny. If you are a truth seeker, this is a book for you. Anyone with exposure to a legal system with its basis in the English common law will understand the perceptive analysis it is subjected to in Orley Farm. The distinction between evil deeds and the often sympathetic humans that are their authors is one that modern American culture often forgets to make. Orley Farm is here to remind us. As a trusts and estates lawyer, I can not believe that I practiced for fifteen years before someone told me about this gem.

I love Anthony Trollope. His writing style is very readable compared to Dickens or Tolstoy. His subject matter is oriented towards subjects which are still relevant today -- politics, money and power, women's rights, relationships. His character development and imagery makes it feel like you are there. His books aren't "pretentious" but just plain good stories that you an relate to -- even though they take place in the 1800s.

One of the reasons I like them is it reinforces that many of the personal, moral, and emotional struggles you think about in your day-to-day life are exactly those that individuals have been pondering since the beginning of time. I think that we like to think that the problems we face are unique to our generation, our country (the US), our times, our families. When you read something like Orley Farm or the other Trollope books, you realize they are not and that there is still a lot to be learned from these "old guys".

In addition, if you are looking for a good "escape" and a window into how the "other half lives", Trollope novels also give you that vehicle. You can imagine yourself as part of the British Aristocracy living in a life of influence and power -- which can be a lot more interesting than being part of middle class suburbia working every day just to make enough money to pay Uncle Sam, get health insurance and hopefully have enough paid time off to afford a 1-week beach trip every year.

One of the great novels of 19th Century fiction, with characters you will learn to appreciate and understand; not the kind of sensationalist fiction of Collins or Dickens, but a real probing into morality, responsibility and compassion. Set aside your summer, or perhaps your winter in front of the fireplace...do not pass this up.

with Trollope, but this one is particularly overweight. A great deal is made - by Trollope and others - about the lack of suspense, which is said to make the novel 'realistic' (versus 'sensationalist'). Why? Anyway, we know from the beginning that the heroine forged the will, or rather the codicil (always a worry, the codicil). This means she spends 800 pages wallowing in terror and guilt. Others around her gradually find out; she wallows deeper and deeper with never a change of tone. This woman is TIRESOME. So is the bee in Trollope's bonnet about the adversarial legal system. As ever when nearing a political issue, Trollope uses it to bring in characters and set up oppositions, but he has no idea what to do with an idea, that is with an issue to be thoughtfully discussed. Given that this book slowly reaches a criminal trial, and that there is really no other serious plot, it becomes annoying to be told repeatedly that lawyers defend clients they don't believe in, and witnesses are badgered. The alternative hinted at - that the law should try to reach the truth - is awe-inspiringly feeble. Once the heroine is found 'not guilty', another non-surprise, and her son gives back the property fraudulently acquired, she is dropped with no gallantry into a fuzzy future in which she may, perhaps, the author hints, have one or two pleasant days. Though the book is treated by critics as a work about guilt and redemption, nobody seems redeemed, or changed in the least. How could they be, given the rigid Trollope rules of conduct.

So why did I read it? Because of the richly populated, vividly conjured Trollope world - and also of course for the exciting hunting scenes. Which in some sense is the whole book. But if the heroine is the fox - and to support this, there is a thrown off line about foxes tails resembling womens' tails (you'd have to be a Victorian male to know what THIS means) - she spends an awful long time in the woods.

Summary:
Based on a true story, Captain Pantoja is transferred to Iquitos, Peru, an obscure town in Peru's Amazon, to set up a prostitution service for the Peruvian Armed Forces due to the influx of rapes caused by soldiers' pent up sexual frustrations. Dressed as a civilian, the service must be kept secret to all including his wife as this would cause a scandal for the Peruvian Army. Along with the prostitution service's great rise success and fame, a religious sect is building up in magnitude, as they leave behind them a trail of crucified animals bodies and people. Although a seemingly dark story, this book is a humorous look (presented as official army documents and conversations) at the absurdity behind the army and religious sects as both clash in the end for a dramatic result.

My thoughts:
I loved this book! I could not stop laughing for the entire first half of the novel and then couldn't put it down afterwards as I was entranced by the dramatic (yet expected) crash and burn of the service and sect.
Some criticize that this was a weak effort on Llosa's part but what they miss is the fact that Llosa himself knew that the book was going to be absurd and admits that this was the easiest book for him to write and the most fun. It was not meant to be serious and philosophical.
The idea of a prostitution service in the army screams absurdity and can only be met by laughter and hilarity especially with a character such as Captain Pantoja. The style of the book enhances the plot as you see how the captain's obsessive nature for perfection meets the world of prostitution.
A wonderful book with high high recomendations to others. If you've been reading serious novels lately, this is definitely a good way to relax and laugh.

Vargas Llosa es sin duda alguna uno de los mejores escritores latinoamericanos. Su novela Pantaleón y las visitadoras es de una prosa sencilla y agradable, su contenido es mejor aún. Vale la pena deleitarse y reirse leyendo este gran libro.

Vargas Llosa is without any doubt one of the best latin writers. His novel, Pantaleón y las visitadoras has an easy and pleasant prose, the content is even better. It is worthy to enjoy and laugh reading this great book.

the whole trama keeps the reader'smind focus on it. You will enjoy the beauty of the play and will get to know the intrincated-simple life of a small town nearby the amazona region in peru. You will be enchanted by this book. read it.

Vargas Llosa lo dice y aqui esta la prueba. Una historia sobre la obediencia militar, los conflictos del ser humano y los trajines de un recto oficial para organizar un servicio de prostitutas con caracter militar para los soldados asignados en la Selva Peruana. Excelente novela.

Vargas Llosa gives us in this story a view of what can REALLY happen in the institutions of our countries and to what length one of them (the Peruvian army) would go to try to solve an internal affair. At first, when reading the reviews of "Pantaleón y las visitadoras" I thought it was all fiction, big was my surprise when the author tells the readers that this is a true story...

I absolutely loved this book; it mixes humor with something so serious as the Peruvian Army. The characters, especially "Pantita" y "Pochita", were great... It is incredible how Vargas Llosa wrote this particular novel, at first it was very difficult to read, the story jumps to different locations and times from one paragraph to the other and until I got accustomed to that writing it was hard to comprehend.

Captain Pantoja was send to the Amazon region to solve a "BIG" problem: the men serving there were out of control, their sexual desire was extremely high and because of that rapes and the pregnancies increased. He was order to create a "visitors program". This was a group of prostitutes which only purpose was to sexually serve the army station there, the mission was supposed to be "top secret", but when Pantoja organized the funeral of one the girls, everyone finds out, including his superiors, and that gets him transferred to another location.

I absolutely recommend this book, it is funny and unpredictable. One could learn a lot about how our countries work and the weird things that happen in them.

This was a well written, wonderful story. I could fully relate to the main character with her love for shoes. The plot kept you interested in the book from start to finish. I finished the book in one day. I highly recommend this book.

Kim Matthews' "The Perfect Shoe" is a fun light-hearted read that will give you a hearty laugh. The story centers around December, a financially challenged, shoe crazy 20-something businesswoman who compares the men in her life to different types of shoes. Her quest to find her perfect shoe takes her on some pretty hilarious adventures. Through it all however, Decemeber remains likeable and sympathetic and is the type of girlfriend you wouldn't mind having in your clique. She's fun, generous and whimsical. Anyone that likes witty stories with a touch of tenderness will like this book.

4.5 stars
I rarely read a book that I think is 5 stars, but The Perfect Shoe came closer than any that I have read lately. First the dictionary of different shoe types at the front and back of the book was fun to read (I even read some definitions to my daughters, all except the bedroom shoe of course :)

Kimberly does a great job of writing a believable story about December Elliot, a girl that is financially challenged due to her high-end spending habits. She has 300+ pairs of high-priced shoes and enough power suits to wear all year before she does dry cleaning. She also categorizes her men as types of shoes with the Stilleto man being the perfect shoe.

Janice Wheeler, December's boss, is a boss from hell, but things start looking up when Corinthian Davis, Janice's boss, shows he has a sweet tooth for December. (Oh, and by the way Corinthian a.ka. Corey is a stiletto.) Just when December is about to elevate to heights she has never seen in her career at Wright-Way Staffing, a goofy mishap causes her to find herself abruptly unemployed. In her lowest point, she finds appreciation for what she has and figures out how to work her finances, and she also gets her stilleto, thus The Perfect Shoe. This is the perfect tale for the saying, "you don't appreciate what you have until all is lost." December truly does not find herself until all is lost.

Kimberly T. Matthews does an awesome job of weaving a witty tale that is at some points comical, some points educational (finance, romance and work ethics), and at some points it threatens to tug at your heart strings. This book is a definite must read for every one trying to figure out what kind of shoe they should be wearing.

APOOO BookClub Rating: 4.5

The Perfect Shoe by Kimberly T. Matthews is the perfect read for laughs! December Elliot has everything going for her...well not everything. She is working at a job that she is the best at but her boss is a total, rhymes with the word witch. December, on top of having to be subjected to a witch of a boss, has some financial woes of which she needs to get out. You see, she has this urge to spend, spend, and spend whenever designer shoes, clothes, and items are around. On top of that, she is so infatuated with her shoes that she categorizes men after shoes! December has been searching for The Stiletto, which is the ultimate shoe thus the ultimate man for the longest. Will December be able to get out of financial woes and will she ever find The Stiletto that has it going in looks, intelligence, and attitude?

When I first opened this book I was pleasantly surprised to find a shoe dictionary! That dictionary definitely pulled me in to read more of the story. December reminded me of an actual real person, with her spending habits. Many readers will definitely see a kind of realness in the character; she wants to move forward but she is holding herself back by her actions. This story was such a refreshing read because it showed a character with real world problems that needed to be overcome. The Perfect Shoe will not be the last book I read by Kimberly T. Matthews! I recommend this book to readers looking to laugh and possibly relate to December and her personal struggles.

Chantay W.
APOOO BookClub

The Perfect Shoe is the perfect book to read if you want to be entertained by a fast-moving totally believable story that is interwoven with a lot of humor. December Elliot becomes your best girlfriend in this story that is masterfully told by Kimberly Matthews. You feel like you are having a conversation with December from beginning to end. When I first heard of the book and read the Intro on MySpace, I initially thought the book was going to be some sort of dating "how to" or "what to avoid" manual. The whole novel aspect somehow went over my head so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered the story behind the definitions (which are accurate on a very scary level).

I started reading the book and was only able to get to a few chapters in the course of two days due to a hectic schedule however when I had jury duty that same week, I took it with me. Due to a court delay, I sat there and read the entire thing cover to cover and loved every minute of it. In fact, I may have loved it a little too much. WARNING: do NOT read chapter 12 in public! I made that mistake and embarrassed myself. What started as a polite giggle, turned into snickering and then all out laughter. I couldn't stop laughing! The other jurors in the lounge could only stare at me and some started to laugh because I was laughing so hard. I won't give anything way but I will say this: you will NOT forget Rodney.

I appreciated the true to life depictions of a professional single woman as well as the dilemmas. The accurate advice woven into the storyline should be helpful to any readers suffering with some of the same issues.

I highly recommend this book and have even purchased it for others to read. No passing books around y'all. Support the authors and by a copy. (smile)

BTW: I found out my last boyfriend was a flip flop mixed with a glass slipper. You gotta read the book to understand that one!

Alba Ambert is an extremely talented writer. She has such a powerful, poetic style and the way she weaves the story is captivating. I couldn't put the book down. I didn't sleep much because I was enthralled in the story and wanted to know more, after every turn of the page. Writers of this caliber should be on the bestsellers list. I highly recommend it!!!!

The incidents in this semi-autobiographical novel are a very disturbing commentary on the status of girls and women living in conditions of poverty and dysfunctional familes. But the quality of the writing lifts the story to a level above the degradation and shows the triumph of ability over upbringing. (Not to mention the influence of one grade school teacher!)

A Perfect Silence made me weep. Every line led somewhre. Every word had a purpose. I felt this book. I first encountered this book as an excerpt in an anthology of Puerto Rican writers. Those short pages sent me on a search for this book and I was not disappointed. This story is perfectly moving, and even more so by the fact that so much seems familiar to me. WONDERFUL

If you want to understand the quiet suffering of people living in an insensitive society, belonging nowhere, searching and wanting to survive even when the thoughts of death race through one's mind: read this book! In rich evocative, poetical, yet realistic language, Alba Ambert describes a woman's life from childhood to adult life.I highly recommend this book as a former professional librarian,a current high school teacher, and as a Puertorrican woman living in the U.S. The author makes you experience the life of Blanca, her despair, her hunger, her loneliness, her inmense love, her grieving, her laughter, and her struggeling against all odds, but surviving. It is the portrayal of a life that no one wants to believe! This book was first published in Spanish in 1987, and won the award for Best novel of the year by our most prestigious instution, the Puerto Rico Institute of Literature. It also won the 1996 Carey McWilliams Award. This is a marvelously thought-provoking novel.

Alba Ambert is a poet and there are images in this book that strike like poetry and linger long afterwards - images of suffering, oppression, loss and images of strength, survival and connection. It is a book rich with language, and it shows the power of language as a force both to wound and to heal. I have shared this book with international students in a creative writing class and found students who came from backgrounds very different from Blanca's empathized strongly with the character and were inspired to explore emotionally challenging material in their own work. Blanca's story of a Puerto Rican woman who overcomes familial and cultural obstacles has universal resonance.

I have always hated short stories, because they had no substance for me. This was the first of J. California Cooper's books I read and I am now HOOKED! In reading these books I can relate to people I really know. This is the first time I had actually laughed out loud reading a book. I am now a huge fan. I feel these are a must read.

I simply loved the stories especially Liberated. That woman had me saying "you go girl!"

I borrowed this book from a friend, and I am upset that I have let this treasure sit in my apartment for 2 months without reading it. This book is awesome! The writing is simple, wisdom-filled and flavorful! Without making her characters heroic, you find yourself admiring them, because they are so human... full of good, but full of frailties at the same time. I didn't want this book to end, and I'm about to order any book of hers that I can get my hands on. Ms. Cooper is a good writer, with an obvious love and respect for her craft. More than that, without being preachy she manages to impart insight into human nature. I loved this book! The book and the woman who wrote it are classics!

A wonderful, quick read. Her stories touch the heart and some even make you say "you go girl". Iloved this book and would pass it on to many friends. You won't put it down!

I'm enjoying the work of J.California Cooper more and more. I've never been one to read short stories but I'm hooked now. Each story touch my heart and reminds me of someone I know. I feel as if I'm sitting on the porch talking to my grandmother when I read some of these stories. So heartwarming. God's Blessings.

This is a beautiful story. It's now one of my very favorite books. This is a story that will fascinate any reader. I read it in one sitting.

This book was enchanting, inspiring and heartwrenching. I couldn't stop reading. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.

Jack Plum was born disfigured and labeled a monster by an abusive mother - but he's created a haven in his cellar, shared with his beloved pet pigs - and is happy until he meets neighbor Holly, who changes his world for the better until the outside intervenes. A sensitive, moving tale of a sheltered boy's entry into a non-abusive world will attract a wide range of leisure readers.

My wife bought me this book plus 4 others for my Birthday last June. This was the last of those books that I read and little did I know that I had saved BEST for last! Just a great book! I won't get into the story here because I feel too many reviews give away too much of the plot. Just pick this one up! You won't regret it!

I was so surprised at the good reading provided by this book. I saw it on the "new author" shelf, and I am fond of pigs - the only reason. The dialect of the main character was so much fun to decipher, and having it appear only every other chapter, made it fun to read. There was some very important and valuable philosphy spoken by Jack.

what a treat to read this collection....i love how quickly you are absorbed into the story without a lot of flowery introductions, just get into the plot and roll with it...i have recommended this book to many people, especially young people who have huge required reading commitments in school and need a respite; they can read a complete story, put the book down, and pick it up again whenever they have the chance. two thumbs up

I picked up this slim volume on the recommendation of a friend in order to read one story, Thursday in L.A. I really enjoyed the story and started reading another, and then another. I didn't stop until I finished the entire book. It's a terrific collection: funny, witty, and at times deeply disturbing. This book is a real treat and a must read for anyone who wants to discover one of the most enjoyable writers on the scene today. Particularly clever are the "55" stories, all of which are written in under 55 words. Tight, terse and quirky, they remind me of haiku with a plot.

This is the type of book that has a something for everyone. Bryjak's
humor and insights permeate each story. His background in Sociology
informs as well as entertains whether he is telling a story about the
human condition in India, war, crime, love, or religion. I highly
recommend the book. Read and enjoy even if it makes you think!

The Power of the Dark Goddess and Other Stories
For two weeks, I relished heading for bed with this
book in hand and then falling asleep with a smile as I
had completed another chapter. Rather than rushing
to complete a book as I would usually do, I reserved
each story for another evening, similar to how I would
consume a box of rich chocolates. This is the book
I leave on the night stand in our guest room and yes,
they agree, this is fun, complex and very engaging.

Bryjak, famed in our neck of the woods for his cogent, hard-hitting, and always provocative opinion pieces in the local newspaper, has turned his kind but unsparing eye to fiction, and with brilliant results. These stories, short and shorter, recall the beset of O.Henry and Mark Twain. They're funny, dark, wide-ranging, and always entertaining. Do your brain a favor. Read this book!