Roger Books

My daughter reads this all the time to my 2 year old granddaughter who just starting wearing glasses. This is the book she requests most. She loves it. I highly recommend for any age child who especially is getting their first pair of glasses

This book represents an excellent experience with a vision exam, culminating with a thorough visit to the dispensary.The heroine, Nomi is a 7 year-od child who is experiencing blurry vision and can't read the blackboard at school. When she squints to see, her siblings make fun of her. The worst embarassment is when she steps on the family cat who studiously avoids her afterward. Her father wears glasses so he knows that a visit to the optometrist is in order. The optometrist hands out his diagnosis: Glasses! Nomi remembers the eighth "good-luck" candle placed on her cake and decides that her glasses must be "good luck" to counteract the "bad luck" blurry vison. Nomi tries on a variety of glasses before settling on a pair. This is a wonderful book for parents to positively present glasses to their chidren before and after an eye appointment.

Life in Peking (Beijing) China before World War II was the ultimate big frog in a small pond experience for Europeans and Americans. Persons of modest means and position, such as Marine Captain John Letcher, could live like pashas on a modest salary. Moreover, Peking had fabulous art, architecture, food, and a glorious culture to enjoy.

Life was not nearly so good for the Chinese and that was why Letcher was there. He was a member of a US Marine Corps contingent with the mission of protecting foreigners and property. The Chinese had the disconcerting habit of rising up occasionally and killing the Westerners enjoying their bounty. Captain Letcher's tour in Peking was made memorable by the beginning of World War II when Japanese and Chinese troops clashed at Marco Polo Bridge, just outside Peking. What is perhaps most remarkable is how little the war between China and Japan disrupted the good life of the foreigners inside the walls of Peking although there is a sense of gathering doom in Letcher's account.

This book consists of Letcher's letters and diary entries from 1936 to 1939. A lengthy introduction, a few photos and maps, extensive footnotes, and a bibliography supplement the text. Letcher has no startling insights or wisdom to impart, but his stories of daily life conjure up life in Peking pretty well and his eye-witness observations of the war are interesting. "Goodbye Old Peking" is a well done book of interest to scholars and those of us who are fascinated by old time China and the Westerners who lived there.

Smallchief

Mr. Letcher's letters were written in a style that gives the reader a "visual" description of pre World War II China. Although some of his opinions may not be politically correct by todays standards, I think he honestly expresses his feelings of the people and surroundings at the time. Some of his predictions regarding the upcoming war are almost right on--however his prediction that California would eventually be captured by the Japanese happily did not come true. Regardless of Mr. Letcher's personal opinions, his letters are well written and gives the reader the feeling of being there. A good story. The editors did a great job of keeping the story on track, and the footnote information was very informative (Their references led me to several other publications which I subsequently read). The copy I read was from the public library. I plan to buy the book for my collection in the near future.

The thirteenth volume in a series of impressive graphic novel anthologies drawn from classic stories and illustrated by various artists, Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini is a black-and-white compilation of tales of pirates, princesses, love, murder, hypnotism, extortion, and much more. The stories and their illustrators are "Captain Blood" by Carlo Vergara, "The Dream" by Rich Tommaso, "The Plague of Ghosts" by Gerry Alanguilan, "The Fool's Love Story" by Milton Knight, "The Spiritualist" by Roger Langridge, "The Valet Mystery" by Stanley Shaw, "The Risen Dead" by Jackie Smith, and a comic biography of Rafael Sabatini written by Mort Castle and illustrated by Kevin Atkinson. An eclectic range of tales with a common theme of excitement and intrigue, Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini is recommended as an introduction to Sabatini's timeless tales of high adventure.

I knew next to nothing about Rafael Sabatini before I picked up this latest volume of Graphic Classics. I always did love a good swashbuckler though, and I figured the creator of Captain Blood and Scaramouche was worth a look. Graphic Classics hasn't let me down yet, and this certainly won't be the last time they introduce me to a fantastic writer.

Remembered primarily for the slate of Errol Flynn films adapted from his works, such as "Captain Blood" and "The Sea Hawk," Sabatini is credited with the literary creation of the anti-hero, a rogue who's heroic nature is made heroic only by striving against those more villainous than himself. A host of pirates, charlatans and highway robbers manage to ingratiate themselves to the reader under Sabatini's guiding hand.

"Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini" is clearly a labor of love for editor Tom Pomplun, and he has put extra care into its quality. There is not a weak piece in this volume, and the artists are especially well-matched to the stories.

This volume contains:

"Captain Blood" - From a doctor, to a slave, to a free-booting pirate, Peter Blood's story is a bloody swath of adventure. Illustrated in a straight-forward but suitable style, Sabatini's most famous story comes dramatically to life. This one definitely makes me want to get the book and read the full story.

"Desperately Seeking Sabatini" - A hunt for the author,written by a college professor who wonders why Sabatini is not better remembered. Sabatini's story is an eye-opener. I had thought of him as a contemporary of Alexandre Dumas, not someone who was able to go see his own movies.

"The Valet Mystery" - A clever short story in the Sherlock Holmes vein, tense and with an interesting twist.

"The Spiritualist" - A comedic tale of a charlatan and the worlds beyond. Great illustrations to compliment the story.

"The Plague of Ghosts" - Another mystery, where a former con man hires his services to the police to uncover other con men. This time, a haunted castle and a bullet-proof ghost with a blazing skull. Classical art on this one really brings out the mystery.

"The Fool's Love Story" - Artist Milton Knight brings his personal flair to this story of the courage of ugly people, and how their love is no less powerful than the beautiful's.

"The Risen Dead" - A no-account rogue is finally brought to trial, although it is for a crime he didn't commit. A miracle grants him a second chance, but it is up to him to make something of it.

"The Dream" - An creepy tale of a mesmerist seeking to enforce his will upon a young lady of fortune. Her true love intervenes best he can, but the mesmerist's powers are strong.

Granted, this is not the type of book one would normally 'just happen upon'. However, if you are looking specifically for information on "Ursus Americanus", the American Black Bear, this is the one you want. I have been involved in black bear research for over 10 years. This is the most detailed, well photographed, and up to date book I have found. Did I mention it is also enjoyable to read?! The combined effort of the researcher and author resulted in an excellent book. While reading this book, you'll come to learn the behavior, life cycles, lauguage and habitat of the black bear. Take advantage of others' years of experience, and photography; take their knowledge. You'll come away with a complete understanding of black bears that you will not get from any other resource

I'm the author of Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters, and there aren't many books about bears I can recommend, but this is one of them. It doesn't portray black bears as demons or Disneyland characters. It's 100% accurate and the writing is top notch: very engaging. If you can only buy one book about black bears, this is it. If you can buy two books, add A Shadow In The Forest: Idaho's Black Bears, by two Idaho biologists.

This book contains a collection of gardening essays by biologist and gardener Roger Swain. The book is organized around the theme of planting and maintaining a healthy garden. Topics covered include: landscaping by deletion, fertilizing with compost and mulch, irrigation, erosion, plastics and the garden, noise pollution and hearing damage, seed saving, dealing with pesky mammals, root cellaring, and gardening education. End material includes a list of resources and references about the topics mentioned in the text and an index.

Swain writes in an accessible and informal style. The essays are both informative and interesting. For instance, in his chapter on fertilizing, he compares the relative values of adding chemical fertilizers, animal manure or mulch hay to the soil. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that mulch hay, which is easily obtainable in my area, not only adds organic matter, building soil structure, but also has significant fertilizing value of its own. Other essays include useful information about such topics as gray water, recycling plastic seedling planters, and constructing fences to keep woodchucks out of the garden.

These essays concern the science of the hum-drum features of our daily landscapes, but without authorial pyrotechnics Swain always manages to find something new to call to our attention. This collection pulls off a rare trick for science writing--it manages to inform without condescending or confusing. Like the prose, Abigail Rorer's illustrations are sturdy and nuanced.

This is a book I read in two days- as I could not put it down. 'Guardian of the One' is a book that grabs you from the very first page and keeps you engaged to the last. Roger Haller has a tremendous gift for telling a story- and I know that this is the start of a highly succesful career for him. If you are reading this without purchasing the book- you need to remedy that as soon as possible...

This is a 'must read' for anyone concerned about the future of humankind. The author creates a web of past histories that are woven together into a tapestry that effects us all.

The writing is powerful and compelling, a true page-turner.You can almost feel Gadge's pain through his ordeal. Roger Haller is a old fashioned story-teller like the one's around the campfires.

My 13 month old has loved this book for months. She is not old enough to understand the language differences, but she loves looking at the photos of babies. I also think the format is the perfect size and texture (solid with a soft cover) for her little hands.

Eventually I hope to teach her some Spanish from this book (and think it will be great for that, with a pronunciation guide included) but regardless of the language it is a favorite. I have gone on to buy more Happy Baby books and I think they're all great.

This is her favorite book. She plays with it/flips through the pages continually. It's a great book to introduce Spanish words to your child also.

This has been my son's absolute favorite book since he was 6 months old. He picked it out himself at the bookstore. Now, he's almost one and he will still go pick it off the shelf and bring it to me to read to him or sit by himself and read it for half and hour! He loves every page with different textures to touch, especially the kitty's fur. I highly recommend it!!!

My 3-year-old granddaughter loves kittens so much that I purchased this book for her even though I thought she might be too old for it. It turned out to be a hit with her. Even I was delighted when I saw the book. We had fun turning the pages together and feeling kitty's fur, her ball of yarn, her whiskers, and her rough tongue. My granddaughter's favorite thing to touch was kitty's tongue. I liked the whiskers. The book is cleverly created, and I think any little one who likes kittens will be thrilled with what's inside.

My 2 boys loved this book. They really got into this book at about 1 year of age and still love it (one is 3 now). It has pictures of trucks, cars, boats, motorcycles, tractors, etc. We practice naming the colors and vehicles, as well as talk about what the vehicles do and where they work. Our copy is very worn and I will probably buy another soon.

Great all around soft board book for toddlers! It even has a matching photos game in the back. My son loves photos of trucks so this was a perfect gift for him. If your child loves photos of cars, trucks, trains and tractors this is a great pick. It has the most photos of "Things that Go" than any other book I have purchased on the size scale. Great buy if you ask me!

If you show dogs or want to own a dog, don't be mistaken that nobody likes this book, even though the price is under ten cents! It is worth a lot more. Great show photos and photos, info on where it's suited, personality, appearance, health problems, care, puppies, comments, and reccomendations for the breed section, and a section on selecting a dog, care, and a glossary make this book right up there! I like the pictures and it is very organized, although it only has AKC recognized breeds. It is out of date, to-the Border Collie, Australain Shepherd, American Eskimo and Coonhounds are all the UKC breeds! It is great when choosing the right dog.

i bought this book when i really couldn't afford it. that's how good i thought it was. the best info is on the pros and cons of each breed including health problems which a lot of breed specific books do not mention.