People Books

The wonderful illustrations and clever story about a girl's fantastical journey to prove her ability to do a "man's work" has quickly made it to the favorites in our home library. I can imagine the inspiration it may offer a young girl, but having only a son...I share it with him in hopes that he appreciates early on gender equality. He enjoys the art and the musical aspect of the story.

Our family absolutely loves this book.
My daughter Ailia (age 4) enjoys the story, illustrations and wonderful colors in this book.
It is a fairly quick read, but not too short, a great one for bedtime.
and for us glassblowers... it simply warms the heart,
signed,
Edward T. Schmid
author of "Beginning Glassblowing" and "Advanced Glassworking Techniques"-(also available through Amazon.com or at: glassmtn.com)

This book has wonderful drawings and an imaginative story--very much in line with South American magical realism. My son loved it dubbed himself coyote (one of the characters) for two months.

Elena's Serenade is the first book to receive the Comstock Book Award for the year's best picture book to read aloud to older children, ages eight to twelve.

Young Elena leaves her home to embark on a magical journey to Monterrey, Mexico in order to follow her dream of learning the art of glassblowing. Later, she returns home to her father, who had refused to teach her his trade because no one had ever "heard of a girl glassblower." This story celebrates Elena's uniqueness as an artist and a person, as well as the importance of pursuing a dream.

With acrylic and crayons, Juan has created luminous paintings with an expressionistic, folk-art quality and a palette of desert colors. Juan's use of light is particularly noteworthy, especially in the illustrations depicting glassblowing. The rounded figure of Elena and her expressive facial features make her an attractive character. The colors, movement, and details of each painting invite one to linger over every page.

In selecting this book for the Award, the Read Aloud Committee noted the lyrical quality of the text, as well as children's special appreciation of the illustrations. In addition, children were interested in the conflict between Elena and her father and also enjoyed the sprinkling of Spanish words. Readers found the Spanish-English Glossary in the front of the book helpful.

Elena's Serenade is about a little girl who travels to Monterrey, Mexico to become a glassblower. I did enjoy the story and especially the illustrations. My favorite illustration is of Elena dressed in her brother's clothes trying to look macho. I think kids will enjoy the bright sometimes humorous pictures, and the imaginative story.

excellent book. very open and honest. inspiring, but boring in parts

If you are into sports books then The Emmitt Zone is a great sports book to read. It is probably one of the greatest sports books i have ever read. In this book Emmitt talks about football being a contact sport and discribes the sport of football. He tells you some records about some players that play in the NFL. He also tells you about his College Football and National Football career and records. Then finally Emmitt talks about his life style when he was grewing up from a little boy to a Football Star.

Emmitt Smith has gone through many ups and downs in his career. Some of include three Super Bowl titles and a rushing record. Some of the downs include living in the projects and having a semi-rough childhood. Emmitt grew up in Pensacola, Florida. He lived in the projects for a few years. Emmitt had a very large immediate family; all of them were very close and helped Emmitt through a lot. Emmitt attended the University of Florida for college, where he broke numerous rushing records. Emmitt was the Dallas Cowboys' first round Draft pick in 1990. In the NFL Emmitt Smith is one of the premier players.
This autobiography gives a great insight to life. Emmitt Smith really did a great job writing this novel. This book gives you a good look at the NFL - from the top. I recommended this book to anyone who wants to read a warming story about someone who worked hard to get where he is today.

As a Cowboys fan for over 20 years, I really loved this book. It's a great portrait of a great running back and a role model we should all emulate. My only criticism is that it was written a bit early in his career - the book doesn't cover a great deal of events that readers are sure to want to hear about, such as Super Bowl XXX, Michael Irvin's retirement, Troy Aikman's retirement, the rushing title, etc. But, I still recommend the book highly for Cowboy fans who want to smile and remember the early 1990s, when Dallas established itself as one of the most dominant football teams ever.

Emmitt Smith has gone through many ups and downs in his career. Some of include three Super Bowl titles and a rushing record. Some of the downs include living in the projects and having a semi-rough childhood. Emmitt grew up in Pensacola, Florida. He lived in the projects for a few years. Emmitt had a very large immediate family; all of them were very close and helped Emmitt through a lot. Emmitt attended the University of Florida for college, where he broke numerous rushing records. Emmitt was the Dallas Cowboys' first round Draft pick in 1990. In the NFL Emmitt Smith is one of the premier players.
This autobiography gives a great insight to life. Emmitt Smith really did a great job writing this novel. This book gives you a good look at the NFL - from the top. I recommended this book to anyone who wants to read a warming story about someone who worked hard to get where he is today.

This book is about a half-white, half-Acoma boy who has to visit his grandpa during the summer. His grand pa lives in a Native American village that sits on top a mountain. Kendall tries to fit in, but the native people are a litter wiry of him because of his white dad. Kendall finds out that his constant need to run is because of magic from his Acoma blood. There is an enchanted mountain that Kendall runs to every day in the desert. At first Kendall does not want to go to visit his grandfather, he wants to go on a road trip with his dad and brother, but towards the end he likes being there and does not want to leave. In the end of the book, his grandfather visits a sacred mountain when he does not come home Kendall runs into the desert to find him. His cousin has to go looking for him before his grandfather dies. I really liked this book because the author put some into detail, you could almost believe you were there. This book was great because the setting was so cool and the plot was one of a kind.

Little has a unique ability to draw the reader right into the setting, the character and the emotion of the story. I could see the beautiful New Mexico landscape. I could feel Kendall's worries and heartache. This story is both informative and moving - and shows deep respect for the culture of the Acoma.

This book just WON the SOUTHWEST BOOK AWARD! I am so glad ENCHANTED RUNNER won this recognition because it truly deserves it. This book is very emotionally moving, as well as having exciting, dangerous action. The setting is stunning and I loved reading about the Snake Clan and the powerful, magical runners. What a special book! I'm going to use this book in my classroom. I've never read anything else quite like it.

Enchanted Runner is definitely enchanting. Kimberley Griffiths Little sweeps readers into her story's world; one that is a thoughtful mixture of past and present. Ditto with her characters. From the beginning, I felt Kendall's magic as if I were running beside him as he confronted wild horses, rattlesnakes, heartbreak, and ancient mysteries. I especially enjoyed the contrast between Kendall and Trina, and her curiosity about his secret ceremonies. Kendall's journey was a satisfying one. I hope a sequel is on its way because I'd like to run with him again.

I'm 41-years-old and normally would not read a book targeted for the 9 to 12-year-old age group. But after reading Ms. Liitle's first book, BREAKAWAY, there was no way I'd pass up her second book. And I wasn't disappointed. ENCHANTED RUNNER was awesome! The research that went into the story is probably more than found in most adult novels. I was blown away by what I learned about the Acoma Culture and the Snake Clan. Visiting Sky City is now on my life's list of things to do. Parents: Do yourselves a favor. Buy this book. Read it, then share it with your kids. Ms Little: Thank you for pouring your soul into the story. I look forward to your next effort and hope there is a sequel to ENCHANTED RUNNER!

I wanted something thorough and informative about Native American Tribes. I also wanted something clear and concise, but not so bogged down with detail that it was a chore to weed through.
This encyclopedia gave me what I wanted and more. I'm writing a fictional novel with a Native American character and needed help in knowing him and his background. I was impressed with how easy it was to look up information by tribe and get interesting tidbits, that if I so desired, I could research further.
This is definitely a writer's dream. I feel confident writing about a character from any tribe with this book in my collection.

Excellent. As a Englishman, in my middle 60s, interested in native American history since I was a child, this book is very informative.

I had read about most of these tribes in the past in web searches and other references.
That is why I fault the illustrations ( the stone tools look noting like their actual pictures) and that there isn't a better coverage of tool, housing and food sources. The language groups are well covered and their relationship are made pretty clear.
I was looking for my local California Indians that are in San Diego County.
They are noticeably absent in this coverage or disguised pretty well.
Since most of this information is in my old 1950's World Book
encyclopedia under different sections, I was hoping for a little more information here. I have to admit that it is a good reference source.

Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes" is a compilation of facts for more than two hundred Native American tribes in North America, including prehistoric peoples on the North American continent as well as all of the identifiable Native American civilizations on the continent. Organized alphabetically by tribe or group, there is at least one representative Native American tribe from each language family or language isolate for each culture area covered. From locations, migrations, contact with non-Indians, wars, customs, housing, tools, clothing, art, rituals, diet, and cultural contributions, "Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes" has special relevance for contemporary tribal issues and concerns. "Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes" is a critically important, superbly presented, essential and core addition to professional, academic, and community library Native American Studies reference collections.

I am a fifty seven year old retired elementary teacher...but
my lifelong interest has been the Plains Indian Culture.
I just asked my hubby to get me this book for Christmas after
spending about ten minutes looking at it in Barnes and Noble
yesterday.
Good sized print, the info is arranged as user friendly.
I saw tribes mentioned in there that have been omitted from other
books about North American Tribes. A comprehensive guide.
Many drawings....colored illustrations.
My only negative -----I wanted to see a few more maps ...regional
maps of the tribes.
ALso...at the store ...I was looking at a SOFTCOVER edition....not
a hardcover one. (I would not pay 75 dollars for hardcover when
it is available in softcover. )

This is one of those books you think initially think would intimidate and overwhelm you; but from the first word it actually reads like a novel you can't put down. We are all fortunate that the Ravitch team writes so accessibly and engagingly. This book has already become part of my nightly bedtime routine; I look forward to reading a selection every night. "The English Reader" should be in everyone's library -- or at everyone's bedside. It's a lively treasure.

No one's better than educational historian Diane Ravitch at pointing out what's missing from today's schooling and doing something about it. This new anthology brings together poems, stories, songs and other literature that used to be part of the common experience of all educated men and women and have been replaced by second-rate material designed to be easy to read, raising scores without raising knowledge. Nothing in one of today's textbook readers will be remembered for long, while the pages of this book contain phrases, lines, whole paragraphs that touch us, stay in our memories, and connect us with each other through our common knowledge of these classics of our common culture. An excellent gift for any child, parent, teacher, or friend; these selections are sure to resonate and provide lasting pleasures.

A very nicely done anthology containing important cultural slices of English prose and poetry. The short but helpful introductions given to the author of each chosen writing are just right.

Perfect reading for those of us whose earlier education did not cover a wide swath of the written word as produced in the mother country. Even an experienced reader will enjoy stumbling across thoughts known to him but hitherto not tied in his mind to the specific work of a British author.

The English Reader wakes one up to remember all the past days when one read these wonderful pieces and a life of business took one away from their enjoyment. It's like stopping to smell the roses. Thank you

"Life imitates art," declares Oscar Wilde in The Decay of Lying, one of the many wonderful pieces of writing collected in The English Reader. Yet most of us are woefully ignorant of the art or at least the literature that our lives imitate. This indispensable anthology proves how instrumental the literary arts have been in creating the culture we know. It also proves something else--that great literature is fun to read. Thank you to Michael and Diane Ravitch for this educational and engaging book.

Or about living in Africa, or living in the past, or some sort of troubles (modern or historical). It's so nice to just see a family doing what families *do*. (They even recycle!)

My nieces ask me to read this book to them often. It's a very fast book, suitable both for very young children and for slightly older ones. We love looking at various details - like the fact that "five kinds of beans" includes JELLY beans, or the fact that the baby sits on a lap at dinner. It's just a quick, sweet book.

A very sweet and very simple book. Nice to see a family of color in a book for a change.... so my daughter gets a nice variety. My daughter's teacher requested books for the classroom as her Christmas Gift this year... so that should be a selling point! So sweet that the teacher wanted it! :)

My son actually pick this book out by himself in a bookstore when he was 18 months old. He fell in LOVE with it. We had to read it every morning. We loss it transit and I finally remember to get it from Amazon this summer. At 2 1/2 it is still his favorite book. He loves the counting and the actvities reminds him of when "Granny-Gran" comes to visit. Thank you so much for this book.

A sweet 1-10 counting book that has a nice rhyme scheme and builds its story by counting to ten, not once, but twice. The art designs feature a black extended family, however, this is not central to the story. What is emphasized is the feeling of family warmth and cooperation throughout as everyone pitches in to create the feast for ten. Children can also count the items in each picture that correspond to the poem. Well done.

This book has been around for a long time, but it continues to be a favorite in my classroom. It's one of those simple books that sparks so many different curriculum paths! Counting, number groupings, nutrition, cooperation, family activities, word choices, story writing, and more. It has also initiated collage art projects, quilt making, and paper mache vegetables! FEAST FOR 10 is a goldmine. I see that it's coming out in a board book soon, too. We have both the hardcover and several paperbacks in my class.

Across the board, I recommend all of the Fischer Price Lift The Flap books. My son really enjoys these.

I just love Fisher Price. They have so many fun things to pick from. One of my favorite things is the 'lift the flap' books. My grandchildren and I have so much fun reading them. We put the Christmas Time book with all of my other special Christmas books and I think it was used more than any of the others. We have put them away now and will get it back out next Christmas and once again it will be a favorite to be shared by all.

I bought this book for my daughter who is almost 3. She has all of the other Fisher Price flap books and adores them all, so when I spotted this one I knew we had to get it. She loves this one also. I recommend all of the "Little People" flap books for boys and girls alike.

I bought this for my two year old granddaughter after she enjoyed other books with flaps to peek beneath. She loved this one too and wanted to read it at least 2 or 3 times a visit. Not much of a plot but she loved looking at and talking about the pictures.

I highly recommend this book for babies who are just beginning to hold and play with books on their own. My daughter was 7 months old when I bought her this book and she absolutely loves to pull up all the tabs. This book is one of her favorites and she'll specifically seek it out and sit and turn the pages and play with all the tabs. Unlike a lot of other books with flaps or moving parts, these can't be easily torn off and have been sturdy enough to hold up repeated lifting and occasional chewing and drooling. The pictures are well-drawn and the quality of the book is good.

Just FYI, this book avoids the religious aspects of Christmas and focuses on things like decorating, Santa, and activities such as sledding and caroling. That may be a plus for some people and a minus for others!

Being 49 and needing to start moving again...this book is just what I needed to jump start my plan!

I couldn't give this book 5 stars because, although it looks like a great book in and of itself, it should be titled, "Fitness Over 65" since most of the quotes, stories and photos are of people well over the age of 50, and more like over 65. Keep in mind if you are 52, like me, that with very little current exercise you might be better physically fit and beyond the simple exercises in this book. It's VERY basic. But if you haven't done anything beyond sitting on your couch munching chips and watching the tube your whole life, this book would be a perfect way to break into beginning to get fit.

I admit, it's kinda scary looking at 70 year olds (even though they're in great shape!) demonstrating the exercises in a book for the over 50 crowd, but I also purchased a book called, "Strength Training Past 50" and although it's basic in it's own way (it demonstrates free weights, and if you're into going to a gym also machines), many of the photos in it are of people much closer to my own age, and that at least speaks to my comfort zone on working out and aging! It's also more of what I needed to start getting more fit.

A good point for the book is that it is wrtten in large and clear print ,for those old eyes. If you have been doing exercises on a regular basis, this book will not help ,as it is very basic. It would be good for those that have not been doing any exercise or have not done any exercise for a number of years. The chapter on "what should I eat " is brief and could use more information and a recommendation for further reading. Thanks for reading.

And you can get download it or a get a free printed copy from the National Institute on Aging (the title there is Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging) or seven dollars will get you the book and the DVD together.

The information and exercises displayed in the book are very practical and easy to follow. They are safe for beginners and the photographs help to motivate the individual. However, a 51 year old person may be put off by the book as most of the people in the pictures look 70 or more years old. There are young 50 years olds out here...the book would be more appealing if a few younger faces were included. Thanks

This book gives practical advice and guidance to caregivers of both the elderly and others requiring on-going care. In addition, the book gives positive encouragement and uplifiting thoughts. It would have helped me in the past and I know it will help me in the future. Every family seems to be facing caregiving situations these days. This book will help!

A superior book to help all ages deal with the feelings associated with caregiving to aging parents. It is a guide to help deal with the non-system of healthcare, healthcare financing, and disjointed services. The key contribution of the book is the interactive format which encourages recording of vital information prior to the time that it is needed in crisis. The 14 friends have made a great contribution of their own experiences and honestly shared emotions to help guide others through tough times. The book is be a must read for all people facing the care of parents. After you read it you will be comforted by the clear understanding that you are not alone and there are sources of help!

The correct title of the book isFourteen Friends' Guide to Eldercarin

The book is basic in its approach to elder caring. Because the book is written by fourteen different people it is repedative in areas. This book completely ignores the wonderful counsel of daily Bible reading and prayer in elder care giving. My Mother suffering with Alzheimer's, loves to have the Bible read to her. "What a friend we have in Jesus".

This book gives advice on both practical aspects of caring forthe eldery and the more emotional aspect of understanding theiractions. I found that I made quite a few realizations about the behavior of my grandparents (any one of which would have made the book worth my time). The section for recording information such as "Grocery stores that deliver" gave me great ideas about ways to improve their access to things they need. There are so many little things that make a huge impact on our elderly loved ones. This book gives great suggestions. I highly recommend it.

I'm a big fan of Rachel Snyder. I've enjoyed her
pieces in Salon, Ms., Jane and more. I've also
laughed out loud at her stories on NPR's All Things
Considered, Market Place, and This American Life.
So I was not surprised to find myself chuckling,
gasping, nodding, and pondering the words of Ms.
Snyder on the pages of Fugitive Denim: The Moving
Story of People and Pants in the Borderless World of
Global Trade. This book reads like a novel with
characters that our well fleshed out and real--because
they are real! The story moves seamlessly from one
page to another and carries me right along with it
from New York City to Azerbaijan to Cambodia.

As a reader, I am in complete agreement with Karen
Masterson's review of the book in the Chicago Tribune.
Fugitive Denim.."Contains a number of surprises about
the most ubiquitous of clothes. . . Ultimately Snyder
gets readers to think about the real costs of
clothing, and it's likely they won't look at $30 or
$200 jeans the same way again."

Equal parts witty and profound, Fugitive Denim will change the way you look at your jeans. I work in international trade, so I have a fair idea of what's involved. However, even I was surprised by the complexity involved in making something as seemingly simple as a pair of jeans. My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't long enough. I was truly disappointed to come to the end.

I picked up this book on a recommendation from a friend who knew I'd be interested in the parts that take place in Cambodia. Not only did I enjoy the insight into the garment workers in Cambodia but I was also intrigued by the around the world journey the author takes us on. She has a great storytelling style and weaves the details of the cotton industry seamlessly into this very interesting book.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the people - from the cotton farmer in Azerbaijan to the factory workers in Cambodia. Seeing and feeling how the thread of the global denim trade intersected with their lives was fascinating. Understanding how interconnected the world really is at the personal level was also thought-provoking. By focusing on the people and not the institutions, Ms. Snyder allows the reader to understand the complexity of globalization. It defies easy generalizations: lives are both better and worse through their connection with this global supply chain. Either way, their lives - our lives - are changing and the challenge is to understand that change (at the personal and institutional level) and find productive, creative ways to deal with it. Ms. Snyder's book is a step along that path. An excellent read for anyone interested in better understanding the global age we are living in - or if you are just curious to know the mighty journey your jeans made before landing in your dresser drawer. They have a prior life as world travelers!

Man oh man, this is a really interesting important and globe-trotted work. I highly recommend following Rachel Louis Snyder's "thread" between countries, working people, cultural icons and raw material. In the process you will learn about some facinating trade laws/practices, labor trends and most importantly your possible impact as a consumer. I found her narrative voice extremely engaging and felt like we coud easily share a conversation and cup of coffee! It is not easy to paint as far-reaching a picture as Ms. Snyder lends us. I can only thank her for the effort and urge readers to open to page one.