Oliver Books

This is a delightful book for children to build character.My 7 year old loved it and so does my 3 year old.Since my 7 year old is now getting invited to parties from classmates,he understands that sometimes you may not be invited and this book helped him to learn about disappointment and to learn that mistakes happen .This is a great book for this age group.

Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (8/07)

Everyone else is invited, why not me? Maybe you've been asked "Are you going to the party?" You haven't even heard about any party. Why did everyone else get asked but not me? What's wrong with me? It just seems like no one likes me.

Oliver is a clownfish with a problem. He cannot understand why he didn't get invited to Sally's party. He thought they were good friends. Oliver asks all his other school friends why Sally didn't invite him. Surely there is a good explanation. An explanation is just what Oliver is seeking.

I loved this book! The illustrations are so cute. The many different kinds of fish are so adorable and so colorful. I think this book will help little children discover that maybe they didn't get the invitation when others did, but it's not really a reflection of them. I would love to read another book about the adventures of Oliver the clownfish. I hope Stephanie Guzman writes more books about Oliver's adventures and the trials that are facing children today.

Note from Brianne's mother: "The Adventures of Oliver the Clownfish" is an excellent book for children who are feeling left out of the fun at parties. It is also a splendid book for beginning readers with its less than 50 words on each two-page spread.

The "Agent Arthur" books are a sub-series in the Usborne Puzzle Adventure range, stories that centre around the secret missions of the youngest member of the Action Agency. All of the Usbourne Puzzle Adventure series are reliant on reader participation in solving problems throughout the story, whether it involves navigating mazes, deciphering codes or finding clues in the illustrations, but the "Agent Arthur" books are the only series-within-the-series that contain a reoccurring protagonist: the enthusiastic, energetic, talented and (slightly) nerdy Arthur, as well as his tracker-dog Sleuth.

Martin Oliver has penned all the Arthur books, and successfully mingles international espionage with adventures that are reminiscent of Johnny Quest or Rin Tin Tin. All of the books have been illustrated by Paddy Mounter, who perfectly captures the exotic locations and action sequences that the narrative demands.

This is Arthur's third mission (following Agent Arthur's Jungle Journey (Usborne Puzzle Adventures) and Agent Arthur on the Stormy Seas (Puzzle Adventures Series) - Oliver obviously loves alliteration) which takes him to the frozen frontier town of Hudlum Bay in the Arctic Circle to meet a fellow Action Agent. However, when Agent Alex goes missing Arthur realizes that it's up to him to rescue the kidnapped agent and expose a plot for world domination by the evil Spider Organisation.

As usual, Arthur is a resourceful and intelligent protagonist (though not above making a few mistakes) and the puzzles are varied and challenging - but not too impossible, ranging from decoding secret messages, following maps, finding objects in the illustrations and even defusing a bomb! There's also a password in the form of a riddle and a situation that demands the use of logic that I recall quite impressed me when I was a kid! The story stretches from the somewhat sinister town of Hudlum Bay to the wide open stretches of the Arctic, lending the story a sense of scope and movement.

Mounter's illustrations are beautifully coloured and detailed, as well as filled with clever puns and in-jokes (for example, in a bar there is a menu on the wall that lists Polar Beer, Ice Burgers and Cold Slaw as possible dinner choices). The darkened log cabins and smelly factories of Hudlum Bay are contrasted with the icy landscapes of the Arctic, and the characters are full of animation and liveliness. Fans of the series will also enjoy the final page, in which Arthur is joined by several familiar faces from the two previous books - nice touch!

Agent Arthur's adventure is about Arthurs third action packed adventure when he is sent by his uncle,Jake Sharpe the founder of the action agency to the artic to figger out and foil another one of the evil spider oganisations devilish plans. I really enjoyed reading this book because I loved the plot of the book and its challenging, fun codes to unscramble, puzzles to figger out and mazes to cross. That is why I rated it five stars. I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the earlier Agent Arthur books.

This is one of the most interesting novels I have ever read. For that reason, I have read it several times! It has the kind of surprises you find in James Hilton's Random Harver, but with a suspenseful conclusion of the kind that can be imagined of a time when Alaska was young, and a good man with two good pistols can make a difference. There is also much information about Alaska, capitalists and the beauty of "uncivilized" territory. The character Mary Standish is fascinating, as well as her faith in The Alaskan.

You won't regret reading this book!
Del Hambley

The Alaskan is an excellent novel describing the character
and trials, tribualtions and aspirations of a bygone generation.
One, the likes of which we may never see again.

Alan HOLT, A MAN'S MAN VERSUS ROSSLAND. The first a keeper
of raindeer as cattle, the last a greedy profiteer and opportunist. Enter MARY Standish. WHAT HAS SHE GOT TO DO
WITH ALL THIS. WELL I WON'T SAY MORE. The action is fast
paced and is way superior to any of the 2nd and third rate
stuff you see in the movie-houses. It reads like a script
for a hollywood feature film on the level of Amistad.

I highly recomend reading this novel. The characters are real and memorable. It is of special not how Mary STANDISH CONSIDERS
HERSELF AM AMERICAN WHILE ALAN HOLT CONSIDERS HIMSELF AN ALASKAN.
Must reading for people who are curious about Americas recent past and the price it had to pay in becoming an Empire and the people that made it happen thru blood, sweat & tears.

A Mountie from his deathbed confesses to a crime in order to protect the actual killer -- then recovers & must face the possibility he may hang. The resulting struggle for life & honor provides one of the great classic adventures of the Royal Mounted Police in the Canadian Northwest & the far-frozen North

Excellent book for those who love the stories of the north spiced with thrilling romance that brings tears to once eyes. I read this book about 25 years ago in college in Europe (in my native language). Since I've immigrated to U.S 20 years ago I tried to find this book without any results (even major bookstors didn't know who James Oliver Curwood was). Thanks to Amazon search train i was able to find it. I received this book 2 weeks ago and read it over Christmas and then my wife. I was glad I forgot most of it from the college days and could enjoy it again. My wife was overwhelmed and finished the book with tears in Her eyes.

Lives of the rich and famous recorded a time when there were no libel laws meant that even the dirt that wasnt fit to print could be disseminated, whether true or not. It still makes fascinating reading.

"Brief Lives" has always been a delight, but it was Oliver Lawson Dick's scholarly editing that revealed Aubrey's genius. And Lawson Dick's Introduction, "The Life and Times of John Aubrey", is a miracle of synthesis and compression: certainly one of the finest biographical essays ever written. This Nonpareil Books edition is sumptuous - a joy to read in these days cheap, quickly produced paperbacks.

Jonson was a wonderfully satirical dramatist of the Renaissance. Bartholomew Fair is a satire of religious justice and legal justice. He uses humorous, over-the-top characters to drive his point home. You will laugh with (not at) Ursula as the snobby, looking-down-their-noses characters realize that they are truly no better than she is. Jonson keeps asking us if his play is fair or foul. Who can judge what is fair or foul? Everyone or only the elite few? The central thing to remember while reading this play is: Fair and foul are near of kin.

Ben Jonson requires effort. His allusions to topical events tend to be obscure today, his penchant for having some characters quote Latin phrases can be a barrier (some characters misquote Latin, and we, the alert audience, are supposed to chuckle), and his use of unfamiliar colloquialisms and bawdy comments is yet another challenge.

Despite these difficulties, Jonson's humor has weathered four centuries and most readers - with a little persistence - will enjoy Jonson's better known plays like Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair.

In some ways I found Bartholomew Fair to be more difficult than either Volpone or The Alchemist. Even with a second reading, I still needed to refer to the cast listing to keep track of the multitude of characters (thirty-five or so) that come and go. To make matters worse some characters insist on wearing disguises and changing their names.

The dialogue, as I alluded earlier, nearly overwhelmed me at times, but I was rescued by the excellent footnotes by G. R. Hibbard in the New Mermaid edition to unravel obscure comments. Thanks in part to Hibbard's footnotes, not only did I survive, I have actually developed a liking for Bartholomew Fair's fortune hunters, country bumpkins, foolish gentry, zealous Puritans, bawdy lower class elements, a pompous judge, purse snatchers and con men.

Bartholomew Fair has a rather unusual introduction in which Ben Jonson cautions his audience that the author is sensitive to criticism and it would be best that they behave. Jonson had not forgotten the acrimonious reception for his most recent play, a tragedy titled Catiline, and he had no intention of having this play suffer likewise. Incredibly, Jonson had stagehands read a contractual agreement between the playwright and the audience defining rules for a proper and appropriate method of criticism. Fortunately for all, Bartholomew Fair proved to be popular. It remained so for many years.

I have also used the inexpensive Oxford World Classics edition titled The Alchemist and Other Plays and its footnotes are quite helpful. My preference is the New Mermaids edition published by A & C Black/W W Norton. The introduction is more extensive, the font larger, and the paper quality better, but it is a little more expensive.

The BearThe Grizzly King: A Romance of the WildThe Bear I have collected Curwood's books for 40 years. The Bear--or Grizzly King is an excellent book for all ages. For anyone who has dreamed of adventure in nature, especially "The Great White North," this book will give you just that!

The Bear was the greatest book that I have read.Although some parts are not true the is still a suspense,drama,and a heartwarming story all in one.If you love bears like I do you must read the bear. WARNING:This book was not meant to teach people about bears.

"The Beckoning Fair One" has become regarded as a classic 'ghost' story, and very deservedly so. Too many supernatural/ghost/horror stories end up focussing myopically on the details of the horror, which however well delineated still leans toward the boring. To be truly engaging and satisfying a story--even a horror story--needs to be about people. The very horror itself must relate to the human condition in an intelligible way. Oliver Onions knew that, and makes his famous story work precisely because of what it reveals about the dark potentials in seemingly upright people.

Occasionally Onions gets rather too verbose, making some readers rather impatient to get on with it. But I believe that Onions knew exactly what he was doing, and everything in the story serves a distinct and definite purpose. I can say about "The Beckoning Fair One" what I can say about only a few other horror tales I've ever read: that a point came in the story where the hair on the back of my neck literally stood on end, and chills rippled down my back. The fact that he built the mood and then brought in the scare so artfully that I never saw it coming, earns Onions a special place on my list of favorite 'ghostly' authors.

I came across this title in David G. Hartwell's 'The Dark Descent' and thought it one of the best stories in that collection. It is the tale of a writer who becomes obsessed with the female ghost haunting the house he rents. He gradually loses contact with the world outside, including a woman who is his friend. The horror is subtle, slowly getting under your skin and building to a shocking climax. This book contains only this story, but for me the purchase was worth it.

Benedict developed his methods of leading during the time Rome was falling apart around 450 A.D.

His approach reflects a structured system of what worked within a community/business. It is a simple, honest, easy to understand method for leading an organization. It is also an easy read.

It is thought that over 40,000 organizations have used this approach over the last 1500 years. It has passed the test of time.

Don't mistake this for a religious book. The monks were more independent entrepreneurial businessmen than elements of the church. It is clearly a book about leadership that provides the essense of what it takes to be successful.

The method can be used as a model and is as applicable today as it was 1500 years ago.

Fantastic little book on Leadership. Examines the world's oldest management system, and why it has been so successful. Great applications to the modern corporation. Perfect book for those tired of military analogies for business, or "tough-guy" leadership. Neat ideas on corporate rituals, ethical foundations, employee formation, and how to build a cohesive work group. If more modern corporations followed these "rules", we would have fewer scandals and higher profits. An easy read.

The Best Beak in Boonaroo Bay is a great book which would appeal to a wide range of kids (and adults!). It's Australian without being strange to those from other nations, and contains the brilliant outcome that so many kids would appreciate - a contest with EVERYONE as the winner. The illustrations are bold and gorgeous - coloured lino prints. The birds' characterisations are so human and relatable! A lovely book all round.

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This book was shortlisted for the 1994 "Picture Book of the Year Award". If your child is a budding birder here's a book that will both entertain, as well as inform.

Boonaroo Bay is normally a peaceful place but one day the spoonbill, the darter, the cormorant, the curlew and the oystercatcher had a big dispute over who had the best beak in the Bay. But luckily Pelican who is the wisest of the birds was watching this noisy argument and decided to hold a contest to settle the question.

The contest was very cleverly devised since there were five events: - collect shrimp from the mud....spearing fish......extract a pipi (clam) from its shell....find a worm in the sand....and finally catch a slithery eel.

Each bird won the event for which its beak was best suited. This is a very good lesson in life.

Narelle Oliver is both author and illustrator. Her linocut illustrations although very bold contain lots of subtle detail with accurate representations of the characteristics of each of the bird species.

This book would appeal to all children who are developing a love of birding.