One The Books

A boy wakes up one morning to discover that he's now living in a very ODD world, indeed! The alarm clock only shows ODD numbers; he only has one sock and one shoe to wear; his new shirt has 3 sleeves, and his poor dog has five legs! It didn't get any better at school, either, with only odd numbers on the calendar and a math teacher with five hands and an alligator tail! And so continues his very odd day! What is happening to me today, he wonders, and will I survive this very odd day? With truly funny illustrations by Karen Lee, kids and adults alike will have lots of fun looking for the odd numbers and odd items hidden in the illustrations. Authors Doris and Dani did a great job on writing a very tight text with rhythmic overtones that carries the reader into page-turning mode.

One Odd Day and My Even Day (as a combo) were one of Learning Magazine's 2008 Teachers' Choice Awards for Children's Books winners. One Odd Day is also a 2008 Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award nominee (Kansas Reading Association).

As with all Sylvan Dell books, there is an educational section "For Creative Minds" at the end of this book containing: "Odd Fun Facts & Counting"; "An Odd Coloring Chart"; "'How Odd?' Oddities"; and "Creative Sparks".

This 222 word picture book makes learning odd numbers easy and fun. It combines the concept of "odd" numbers with the commonly-used meaning "odd" referring to "strange." Mixed in with odd numbers, the pictures show many odd or strange inconsistencies.

The For Creative Mind section shows odd and even numbers in picture formats using accompanying vocabulary the very young reader can understand. Parents and teachers will find this a very useful teaching tool to use when introducing beginning math concepts.

Sylvan Dell Publishing is known for publishing high quality books with outstanding educational value that also manage to keep children entertained. One Odd Day by Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed is no exception.

A young boy awakens one day to find that he is surrounded by odd numbers. His alarm clock has only odd numbers, his shirt has three sleeves, and his dog has five legs! As he continues his day, he finds odd numbers lurking at school, on the playground, and everywhere he turns. Exhausted by his "odd" day, he returns home and falls asleep, only to awaken to an "even" day!

The story is told in rhyme, and children love the music of poetry. Both Fisher and Sneed are accomplished writers of children's literature. The watercolor illustrations by award- winning artist Karen Lee are colorful, amusing and fit the story perfectly with their odd qualities. Odd numbers are hidden within each page for children to find.

When the rhyming is finished, the reader will find various activities and art projects at the end of the book that explain even and odd numbers in more depth and enhance learning. The activities include open-ended questions as an educator would ask, and have been reviewed by an award-winning math teacher for accuracy.

Armchair Interview says: An excellent book for both home and classroom. It makes math fun and entertaining for children while providing short curriculum for teachers.

One day a little boy wakes up to find his clock had only odd numbers and his shirt has three sleeves. What else is odd in this odd day? What a fun way to learn about the mathematical concept of odd numbers! Authors Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed explore different ways in which children can notice odd numbers throughout their day. Doris writes in delightful verse about the numbers one through nine.

To add to the fun, illustrator Karen Lee adds visual humor to the story. The dog has a dragon tail and Mom wears a firefighter's hat and ballet tutu in the morning! Teacher, Miss Dodd, has three eyes! Young children will have fun finding these and other fun images in the book. Number words are highlighted in bold to help the first and second graders learn to read them. Activities in the back of the book are varied and fun for a rainy day at home or math time at school! Children ages 4 to 7 will delight in this book.

Early one morning a small boy wakes up to the ring of his alarm clock, not knowing that this will indeed be an "Odd Day." The alarm clock has only odd numbers; he has one sock to put on, and one stinky shoe. He has old jeans and a new shirt, but the new shirt has three sleeves. Princess, his dog, has five legs. His lunch consists of five bananas; he rides to school on polka dot bus number nine. The calendar hanging on the wall has only odd days, and his math teacher, Miss Dodd has five arms. Miss Dodd explains that numbers called even are found between odd.

What great news he thought going outside to play, tomorrow will not be so odd, like today. He was eager to go to bed that night, thinking tomorrow would be right. To his relief, when he woke up the next morning, there were two stinky shoes and Princess had four legs. Sitting up in bed, he discovers his room has six doors and his mother has two heads!

This book is fun and a pure delight to peruse. You and your child will laugh and enjoy a fun time together as look for all the odd numbers on each page. Shadows on the wall are 3,5,7, the price tag on his shirt is $9.99. The red and white table cloth is printed with odd numbers in each red square. Look closely at each page for hidden odd numbers. Did you see the number 7 in the light bulb?

As always Sylvan Dell Publishing is number ONE! Not just a brightly illustrated fun book, but also an educational one. Check-out the "For Creative Minds" section in back of the book. Count the shoes, the fish, and the eggs to determine if they are odd or even.

We do a lot of large group entertaining, intimate dinners for small groups, and carry dishes to church, school, and people's homes. This book is a must. With just a few ingredients and a little time, you can create something delicious and hold your head proud. I enjoy using various pans for an added touch. Sometimes I'll pipe a little lemon curd, fruit preserves,or fresh fruit on top to guild the lily. If you use an oval pan, around 3x9 or so, you can get two cakes from one recipe. That gives one to take to a friend and one to keep for yourself at home. I find the recipes very versitle, which is great, depending on what you have in stock. I highly recommend it. Enjoy! <><

I have also never written a review for a book before, but I must say I couldn't pass this up! This is a staple in my kitchen. Whenever I have company, go over to someone's house, participate in an event, I know I can pull this book out of the cabinet and whip up something wonderful in under an hour. I hardly make desserts from anything else anymore, it's too much work!!! Bottom line: This should be a part of everyone's cookbook collection.

I see Mr. Schloss has written other books of a similar nature - one on cookies, chocolate, pasta, and another using 3 ingredients for meals. Haven't checked those out but this cake book is great. Rich simple cakes, what's not to like? Going to try the lemon poppyseed today and I already have the ingredients for the sauerkraut cake and the sesame one. (Shucks, I'll just xerox the recipes I'm dying to try since I can't find a copy of the book).

I just happened to have checked this book out of our local library and it is breaking my heart to return it!
I've gone from hearing,
"This cake tastes like bread, Ma" and
" Whats wrong with the cake, Ma?" and
"Jen, maybe our oven is a bit wonky"
To hearing this:
" This is the best cake EVER Ma!" and
" My goodness, Jeni, I have got to get this recipe from you!" AND my husband-- who usually claims to not enjoy baked goods--is eating his words---and my cakes now! I only wish that I could afford the... price tag! I'll just have to write down nearly every recipe in the book!
If you can afford this book----BUY IT!

I absolutely love this cookbook. Most of the ingredients can be kept on hand for those last minute dessert needs, recently discovered bake sale. The results are consistent and yummy. All recipes can be made using just a pot, a spoon and a baking pan so you will love the clean-up. This cookbook has a lot of variety -- some of my favorites are Amaretto Cake, Chocolate Almond Torte, and Vanilla Butter Cupcakes.

I thought that this book was really good. The book was so life like. Not like some books where they try to make it life like but no one can ever relate to them. This is practically a dictation of the average teens life. I loved this book and if you have enjoyed other clearwater crossing books in the past you're guarenteed to love this one.

Yet another wonderful book for adolescents. Being thirteen, I love to read stories that reflect all of the things Ms. Roberts includes. She has a very real approach to the world, and the topics she writes about I can really relate to. This book was very good, but overall I think I'm just a huge fan of the series. Looking forward to #9, and I recommend Clearwater Crossing to everyone!

I thought that in this installment of Clearwater Crossing, Roberts lacked development of characters. It wasn't as meaningful as any of the other books in the series. It left every conflict it brought up completely unresolved, and I prefer to have more resolutions. Although I understand that to continue the series, she must leave some conflicts unresolved, I felt this time she left far too many problems unsolved.

Melanie is saddened when another holiday comes. Her father will be drinking and her mother will still be buried in Iowa. She brightens up, though, when her favorite Junior Explorer (Amy) spends the holiday with her. Meanwhile, things with Jesse are going weird.

Ben has never kissed anyone before. He decides to try it--but on who?

Leah is preparing herself for possibly the most embarrassing moment of her life--the finals of the modeling contest in California.

I'm a 12 year old reader from CA. I have read all the Clearwater Crossing books, and this is my favorite. The Melanie/Jesse thing is driving me nuts. Does she love him? Does he love her? At the end, I was almost screaming at Melanie for being so dense. The Ben thing was a little undeveloped, but very interesting. After all, if you don't like the person you're kissing, than the kiss is worth nothing at all. As for Melanie and Jesse, if they're ever going to have a serious relationship, they both need to acknowledgde their feelings, not deny them, and learn to trust each other. I hope this review helped you!

I started reading The Hardy Boys and graduated to Perry Mason. This book is somewhere in that frame of writing ability/agility. A decade earlier, I grew up in the same small town as the author and know what he is talking about. His description of the scenes made my "radio listening imagination" turn on then I could see everything while reading. I could see and feel the lush green grass that greew in front of the "madams" nursing home on my bare feet.

The memory of bike tires on gravel roads. Those Mysteries, real and imagined, in the deep remote area of northern Minnesota, not far from this place. A wonderful reminder of a time not so fast paced. You could keep up to it on a biycle. Well done. Thanks for sharing a time that would hard to replicate.

"One Summer in Flyoverland" brought me back to my childhood in Minnesota,
to the Iron Range and Bob Dylan, to acts of kindness and most importantly,
it reminded me of the utter futility of war no matter when or where.

What a great book! This murder mystery may appear to be written for young readers, but I really enjoyed this book as an adult. I really liked the way the author's characters allow you to see life through the eyes of a young boy. It was fun to be reminded how simple and carefree life was at that age, yet the story had the all the elements of a good murder mystery. I felt the author did a great job of conveying what it must have been like to grow up in a small town through the characters and their relationships. This author allows for anyone to relate to the characters through the life lessons we all share. Simply put, this book has enjoyable characters and tells the story of a really good murder mystery. I really hope hear more from them and the author!

Flyoverland was a joy!!! Where has this author been? finding a book that is not only a great story, but also speaks to the hopes, fears and feelings of youth that we carry forward in life, is a rare find. This book spoke to me. I had forgotten how I used to feel about things. The character development was great, i felt like I was at the location and the story moved along nicely. This book is a must for anyone who loves a good positive read and wants to think at the same time. Let's hear more from this author.
Thanks

I thoroughly enjoyed Wade Stevenson's beautifully written memoir of his life and love in Paris during the 1960's. This is the perfect love story to read during the summertime while relaxing on the beach or by a pool. From the vivid descriptions of his eclectic friends to the beautiful and heartbreaking relationship he had with Cynthia, this is a novel that you don't want to put down until you are finished. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (8/08)

"One Time in Paris: A Memoir of the 1960s" begins with a description of Wade Stevenson's life in New York. His mother's legs were paralyzed from polio and her arms were almost unusable as well from a fall down the stairs. His father owned an inherited cutting machine factory in Buffalo. Wade was pretty much raised by nannies. When he thinks of Buffalo his first memory is the feeling that he had to get out of there. At a young age, Wade had developed a strong desire for women and that intense feeling stuck with him. On many occasions, while growing up, he came close to having sexual encounters, but was always turned away.

During a stint in a psychiatric hospital, drugged up and physically restrained, Wade hears the sound of a flute being played. "The notes were piped with a soft, plaintive intensity. In my altered state, I could feel the suffering the melody expressed and I could identify with it. I felt one with it. The playing went on for a long time in a wistful, penetrating way. The flute music stirred my spirit, and I took it as a secret sign that someone wanted to save me. I determined to do everything I could to get out of that place as quickly as possible." (p. 12) He learns that the flautist is a "troubled girl" named Cynthia.

When Wade was nineteen, he leaves for Paris while working on an oil tanker. In France he begins a new life full of discovery and love. Coincidentally, he runs into the flautist, Cynthia, and they embark on a path of exploration together. "One Time in Paris: A Memoir of the 1960s" chronicles Wade's journey through this time period.

The writing in this intimate memoir is very polished, sensual, and poetic. Stevenson is also very skilled at writing descriptive passages. Although I have never been to Paris, his writing made me feel familiar with the area, and I had a clear picture of the settings being discussed. His story during this period in the 60s is a very interesting and engaging one and I found myself completely immersed in the book, curious as to what was going to happen next. Stevenson's memoir is very well written and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys memoirs or books on love and exploration.

This was an incredible story that kept me engaged right to the very end. It was truly captivating to read about the author's experiences during a challenging yet exciting time in his life. The author's descriptions made me feel like I was in Paris. Enjoy!

This very personal memoir was a great blend of place, time and character as a young man comes of age against the back drop of the changing social conventions that were the 1960's. Forty years in the making the author has struck a timeless cord as he attempts to overcome personal and family tragedy that propels him to Paris on a search for the most basic of human connections, unconditional romantic love.

"One Time in Paris" is a beautiful and moving love story. I read it on a flight back from Paris and I had tears in my eyes at the end. It's a very unusual book. The writing is smooth and elegant, the scenes and locations are vividly described, and once I started, I couldn't put the book down.

It's really about a quest for love, written out of the body and soul's deep longing for an absolute. The characters are fascinating, especially Ode and Charlie, and the powerful ending took me by surprise.

If you're at all interested in Paris, in romance, and in discovering aspects of life that perhaps you didn't know, you will enjoy this book.

Let me say flat out that this is one of the most flat-out useful reference books for anyone who cares about writing. (Yes, I checked that first sentence in the book!) It deserves a place on every writer's shelf. Concise and easy to use. Gilman's 3-page introduction answers a couple of nagging questions, and then it's off to the races with over 14,000 words and phrases. This book is still being published by the National Court Reporters Association. Get it. You won't be disappointed.

This is a handy helps resource for those who edit or proofread.

I agree with the reviewers that this book NEEDS an update. It still lists online as on-line. That's ancient! (As far as I'm concerned.)

Otherwise, a great book.

Like the other reviewer, I have five copies in my office too. I just was looking for a new edition and am dissapointed not to find one, given the recent merging of words in print. This is my number one hard copy reference, and I long for an update!

Obviously, more people *need* this awesome book! :) Editing medical transcription, I use it all the time and see instances multiple times daily where others should have...Great also because it's jam-packed but a really thin, space-saving volume.

The One Year Book of Hope (One Year Books)
I searched for a devotional that had some depth to it with both scripture and "digging deeper" quality to it. I found this one through a daily email I get. The book uses loss in our lives as a tool to find more of God. I was diagnosed with leukemia a few years back. The type that is chronic and slow growing. The good news is that it grows slowly, the bad news is that it doesn't respond to chemo in order to go into remission. So, I have to deal with it on a daily basis. It is so hard to fit that into my mind. You hear cancer and you want to do the most extreme treatment and get rid of it totally. Well, aside from a bone marrow transplant there is no cure. A transplant is too risky when living with the disease is not as bad as the cure. Since my life is not in danger, today, we wait. The treatment is called watch and wait. In this book, the author speaks of some horrible loss in her life and how she found more of God through that. I so relate to this as I am finding more of God in the journey I am on. I get tired of being told that God heals and that I need to simply believe that and poof! It goes away! That's not how I am experiencing this. There is a LOT of loss dealing with a chronic disease. There is not some magic words I can say that will make it all go away. Instead I search for what God is using my suffering for on a daily basis. This book is helping me on that road in a very real way. I'm so glad I bought it.

I buy this book for everyone I know who has lost a child. After the loss of our 17 year old son in a car accident 4 years ago, I had read numerous books about grief and loss of a child. Although my faith was firm I found that this daily devotional was so powerful and reached me in my pain in a way unlike the other books. It brought me back to a fuller understanding of how much God loves us, enabling me to trust Him once again with all whom I love.

for all of us who have suffered loss, for those of us who have known the sorrow of a death of a child this book is an honest look at how to get the peace of God

I came across this book from a Christian book review, and fell in love with it. Nancy Guthrie does not pull any punches. God is holy, no matter our circumstances.

After working through just a couple of weeks, I gave copies to each of my friends and co-workers on their birthdays throughout 2006. Even if you have never experienced great pain in life, you will find this book a blessing. And when you do experience tragedy - and we all do - you will be better able to work through it.

This devotional is written in such a gentle and sensitive way. I try to read it daily but sometimes while grieving you just can't stick with a routine. There's nothing to 'push' me along -- no dates, weeks, or months of the year. No 'guilt' for getting behind. It's ready for me when I'm ready for it. Sometimes I read several days at a time then miss several. It encourages me, and encourages thought and reflection. It tells me to trust in a loving God (which I do). This book also points to the scriptures and gives references which can be read in tandem with the devotion. This is a wonderful resource for those overwhelmed by grief.

I've spent a long time pondering my past and tried to make 'forgetting' my priority. This book has changed all that. There is nothing more frightening than waking or falling asleep to flick images of a moment or a time you have apparently forgotten - especially if it's something so terrible that you could only possibly associate it with a nightmare.

This book is about one woman's devastating past that becomes at war with her mind. An amazing story about past hurt and abuse that inevitably comes back to haunt 'Linda Caine,' and in the most distructable form possible...end the life - stop the pain.
A powerful book filled with despair, devastation, love and hope.

Thank you xxKxx

Superbly written, once i started reading i couldn't put it down! You get totally involved & lost in what's happening in the book. The struggle Linda (as well as her family) went through for so many years, & the realisation of what actually happened to her is indescribable. Made me face my little demons, & re-think & re-prioritise my life.

I read this book in one sitting! Each chapter moved me to tears. It is a book about a woman's struggle with her(Linda) past that seems to haunt her and that unfolds beautifully in this book. Robin's chapters also shed much needed light and prespective to Linda's struggles. If this book was fictional it would have been storytelling at its best but given it is a true story makes it profound! Touching, inspiring, thought-provoking, thrilling and moving! It is witten in simple yet powerful words. It is one book anyone with a heart would love!

Linda Caine is an artist; Robin Royston a practicing psychiatrist specializing in trauma: the two met up when Linda Caine began experiencing flashbacks and images out of nowhere. Together the two began an exploration of African roots which were to reveal the heart of forgotten memories and the source of Caine's depression, making her autobiography OUT OF THE DARK an emotionally charged, volatile self-exploration.

This book tells the story of a remarkable woman who has endured alot of pain and hardship in her life. Spanning 3 continents and all the various incidents which encompasses her life experiences, Linda Caine's story tells of a woman's re-awakening to the worst horror of her life - having been abused as a child with her mum complicit. I was fasinated by how the truth which she managed to block out for most of her life came back in an insidious way to haunt her. It is almost as if it was forcing her to acknowledge it, and almost as if her unconscious was adamant that she realised what it was she had gone through. Linda Caine's courage and strength in the face of all this revelation and how her faith pulled her through is uplifting and inspiring. I also enjoyed reading about the people who cared for her and who were selfless in their wish to see her recover and gain control over her life again. It is amazing how a woman who has lived through so many bad times has such a love and zest for life and all things living. It's a miracle that none of the nastiness and evil in life has managed to tarnish the core of her person. A very honest and heart felt piece of writing, and a real triumph for those who survived the difficult period.

Two sisters, lovingly and effectively caring for their mother, have provided a vast storehouse of guidelines in 82 pages. From the resources to the "Caregiving Caplets" the changes they saw in their mother are invaluable for others with Alzheimer's. This is a hour by hour account, full of honesty, searching, and committment... a major contribution to the field.

"What do I do now?" is often the painful question posed by families and caregivers faced with the evidence of a decline in the mental, emotional and physcial capacity of a loved one. The deeply inspiring telling of the story of this family will help others find ways to answer that question. It is beautifully written with a sensitive understanding of a mother slowing losing herself to a dreaded disease. The Caregiving Caplets provide easily understood suggestions for coping with the disease while attempting to maintain the dignity of the loved one. I highly recommend this practical and heartwarming book!

An outstanding true story of a loving family whose mother suffered with
Alzheimer's disease. Daughters tell of many difficult situations as well as tender moments they shared with their mother. Caregiving Caplets give practical hints that will help others as they relate to someone with this disease. I immediately ordered five copies to share with family members and friends who are coping with victims of Alzheimer's. MLH

Three tools in the book prepare Alzheimer's caregivers for their own difficult journey. (1) The poetry demonstrates a prepared family's plan to adapt to specific patient changes. (2) The comprehensive lists of expected patient changes and (3) the matching lists of needed caregiver adaptations guide families in developing their own response plan. I have been close to three families while they made the long Alzheimer's journey. I recall how they were surprised when they encountered the patient changes described in this book. I also recall their frustrations in dealing with those changes. Knowing beforehand what to expect prepares caregivers to plan their own responses rather than reacting out of raw feelings. I bought a copy to give to a family beginning the journey.

Many folks don't have an understanding of how to preserve the dignity of their loved one in this condition. The many suggestions in this book provide that understanding. The poetry in each chapter makes such a sensitive, caring response to the Alzheimer's patient. The book is full of depth, insight, and understanding - said in simple and practical ways!

I loved this product. As an English teacher in DCPS I have found my students loved being read to. Sometimes they become a little sick of me reading out loud, so having the CD accompany these fantastic poems worked out well in providing variety.

This is a wonderful book for the beginner or anyone wanting to awaken the lapsed poetry lover within. I haven't read poetry since I was in college (many years ago) and found this book an easy re-entry into the wonderful world of poetry. Everyone will have their favorite poems, but I think the ones chosen for this book are diverse and reflect a treasure of past and contemporary work. I have listened to the CD over and over again as it opens up the other dimension of poetry which has helped me fully appreciate many of the poems. John Lithgow is a wonderful host, and beckons us all to enjoy one of life's truly meaningful and mysterious joys. The brief information about each poet proceeding their poem is very helpful and there are highlighted bits of general information including further reading, links to websites etc. Warning--reading poetry can be addictive...

Lithgow was born in Rochester, New York. His mother was a retired actress, and his father was a theatrical producer and director who ran the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey. Lithgow won a scholarship to Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1967, and won a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Lithgow writes that poetry was an important part of his life: "My grandmother was part of the last generation who memorized poetry for pleasure."

Lithgow's love of poetry shines through the fifty short introductions to 50 classical poets on offer here.

Here's a sampling of the bios:

"Among the Victorian poets of England, Matthew Arnold was not as famous as Tennyson and Robert Browning. Unlike them, he did not have the luxury of being able to devote himself full-time to writing. Arnold, the son of a clergyman and private-school head- master, worked for a living his entire life. A ten-year appointment at Oxford University as a poetry professor, combined with his job as a government school inspector, meant he had to squeeze in his poetry on his own time. He wrote most of his poems before he was forty years old, when family life and work were less demanding. After that, he concentrated on writing essays about culture, religion, and literature, and his prose was better received than his poetry, at least during his lifetime. Some say it was his literary criticism that elevated criticism to an art form in its own right. Here is Arnold on poetry: "I think it will be found that grand style arises in poetry, when a noble nature, poetically gifted, treats with simplicity or with severity a serious subject."

To Arnold, no matter how beautiful its language or imagery, if a poem lacked an important subject, he found it unworthy of his attention. Serious and austere himself, he chose lofty subjects for his own poems-faith or the absence of faith, how to live in a meaningful way, politics, the individual in relation to society. He believed his work would endure because it reflected the period's big themes. "For the creation of a masterwork of literature two powers must concur," wrote Arnold, "the power of the man and the power of the moment, and the man is not enough without the moment." Arnold's moment in history happened to be one of great change and flux. You could say all his poetry was about coming to terms with the Victorian age of industrialism and the weakening of religion.

***

Lithgow chooses poems he personally enjoyes the most;
for Arnold he chose "Dover Beach":

The sea is calm to-night.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; -- on the French coast, the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.

You can hear the actor's cadences as you read these lines, and Lithgow adds: "There's just no way around it, this is a downbeat poem. I hear in it a desperate, yearning gloom, a sense of despair about the Victorian world and a personal crisis of faith. But despite the poet's melancholy, the poem is quite beautiful in its specificity. Arnold reveals his feelings very directly and openly."

Lithgow is very aware of the importance of sound, and for folks like me with a tin ear, the accompanying CD is a special delight: great poetry read by great actors like Jodie Foster and Helen Mirren.

Altogether, a delight to savor and perhaps to even encourage the reader to memorize a few lines.

Robert C. Ross 2007 2008

The most important factor in this anthology is that Lithgow is not a poet! How great is that! No name dropping, no friend of a friend, no academic postulations on the preponderances of poetry's perplexing postulations! He just loves poetry. And that frees him to choose what he likes.

The second important factor is that he provides us with audio. Poetry is an audio art as well as visual one. And it stinks to always be missing out on 1/2 of the art.

As a student a teacher of poetry I was schooled in contemporaries like Collins, Howe, Harjo, Bukowski so I always had an aversion to the masters being a lot of it was now cliche and with that annoying abab rhyme scheme. But Lithgow and company make it come alive for me. Hearing Auden read by Foster blew the doors on my poetic hinges. I think this anthology is important for anyone who loves the arts. It is not condescending or overwrought with analysis. A little history of the poet, a little nostalgia about why he like the poem, and then BAM! the poem PLUS he give you more poems by the same author after his initial pick just for exposure so you get 50 poems on the CD plus more in the book. This is the kind of book you buy everyone you know when you can't think of any really worthwhile and meaningful to give them.

It makes me want to do my own anthology poems I love. I my own quarrel is that I doubt there will be a sequel.

The Poet's Corner, compiled by John Lithgow presents an expansive collection of poetry, and is accompanied by a bonus MP3 CD featuring readings of poetry by Mr Lithgow and his friends [ Glenn Close, Morgan Freeman, Jodie Foster, Sam Waterston etc].

Though not the most comprehensive collection of poetry, it is a worthy compilation of well-known poetry written in the English language and is sure to find fans, both existing lovers of poetry and those just coming to appreciate the genre.

Each poem that is selected is accompanied by a short bio of the poet and Mr Lithgow's own explanation as to how the piece interests him or its emotional pull for him. The poems are presented by the poet [alphabetically by their last names] beginning with Matthew Arnold, and ending with William Butler Yeats. There are 50 poets in all, and the poems cover different eras, varied subjects, yet are all beguiling and unique in their ability to draw us in and affect us in different ways. Reading this compilation impacted me emotionally, engulfing me in feelings of joy, sadness and even silent contemplation. The bonus CD is another plus and together this is a wonderful and enjoyable compilation of poetry.