Libraries Books

I loved this one growing up. Really. Amelia Bedelia always choose the funniest possible interpretation of words, and her name rhymes! What's not to love?

The one thing I'd be concerned about is that a lot of the usages in this book are going to be unfamiliar to your young kid. I don't think many of us say "draw the curtains" anymore, and even if we do, we probably don't often talk about "trimming" steak (with or without lace!) or "dressing" chicken, at least, not around our kids. Maybe we should, but we don't.

So this book might be better saved for read-aloud time than read-alone time.

My first grader love that book. He was cracking up and he had so much fun reading this book! He reads it without any help. It is a cute and funny story and if you child doesn't like to read this is a great book to spike an interest in reading.

I remember reading these books years and years ago! I'm in 10th grade and it's been more 5 years since I was in elementary school and yet when I go work at my old school I go back and read them again!

A fun (and funny) book which will delight kids with Amelia's well-intentioned but mistake-laden chores. Kids feel empowered because they are 'smarter' than the character and are able to cheer her on. In the end, Amelia's good deeds overpower any mistakes she makes.

I recommend this book for any child who is beginning to read on their own!

This is surly a kids favorite since I was a little girl! We join Amelia Bedelia as she starts her first day of work for the Rodgers. They rush off shortly after she arrives, but they've left her a list of things to do. Should be a snap, as all the tasks are simple and clearly stated...but that's what you think...Amelia Bedelia begins completing each chore in quite a literal fashion...drawing the drapes and much, much more! Younger kids (1-4) will like the silliness of it and beginner readers and more savvy grade schoolers (5-8) will like that's it's simple and clever/silly too! I recommend it without reservation! I'm sure Amelia will be with us, teaching fine lessons about the words we use and the many means they can have for generations to come!

This book was an instant hit, and we have sung it many times each day for my 12 month old grandson. The board book form is especially important for a book so "loved" by toddlers.

While the song is adorable and the pages are nice and sturdy, what I really like about this book are the illustrations. They are vibrant and clear and my son loves looking at this book over and over again. He is 16 months, so it is easy for him to point out animals and ask what they are. I like how the whale goes from being a baby, to a larger whale in the book and how different pages are shown with different perspectives. One page has a view from where the bird is flying in the sky--so the bird is large and the whale is small because he is swimming in the sea below. Another page has a broad view of the icebergs, sea, sky and northern lights. I am very impressed with the clarity and creativity of the illustrations in this book--and of course the song itself is fun to sing!

I love this book and the accompaning CD. My grandsons who are now 13 had this book when they were infants, and were still singing the songs when they were 5. I gave it as a gift to my God Daughter, and this one was a gift for my first Great Grandson. Raffi writes stories and songs that children should grow up with. I am positive I will give this book and CD again.

This book is great even if you don't know the music. My little guy 'reads' along while listening to the Raffi CD, but you don't need the CD to enjoy the book. The pictures are terrific for the child and adult. My son insists on reading this every night at bedtime, and that's okay with me!

My sister is a principal and highly recommeded this book for my grandchildren. THey love to read and sing so what better gift than to have it all wrapped into one.

Beezus and Ramona is a good book! In this book, you meet Fred, Ramona's imaginary pet lizard. Ramona also happens to destroy a library book! How do you spell Ramona and Beezus? F-u-n, f-u-n, f-u-n! I'm not allowed to tell you anything else. So how do you find out about this? READ THE BOOK-NOW!

Is there *anyone* on the planet who doesn't like Beverly Cleary's books and the wonderful characters she created?

Beezus and Ramona (along with Henry Huggins and the rest of the gang on Klikitak Street) were part of my childhood. 40 years later, they were just as appealing to my own son. And don't tell anyone -- although we bought these audiobooks when he was about 8, at 12 he still likes to put these on ocassionally and listen. Why? In large part because of Stockard Channing's masterful performance here. Her rendition of Ramona is EXACTLY how we imagine this impish little creature would talk.

I highly recommend these books, both because of the delightful stories and characters that Mrs. Clearly created for us, and because Stockard Channing has brought them to life so perfectly here. The stories are reminiscent of simpler times and will take parents back to their own childhoods while providing toddlers to tweens with good, wholesome entertainment.

We listened on road trips, and unlike certain kids entertainment (a certain purple dinosaur comes to mind), you won't want the kids to wear headphones to preserve your sanity. You'll want it on the main speakers for everyone in the car to enjoy.

Five stars!

Beezus really got annoyed with Ramona, she wrecked the art class, she bite into all those apples,etc. I would have probably screamed if I had Ramona for a sister! I like Beverly Cleary's books. I own this particular book of hers, and I read it again and again! It's awsome! I totally recomend it, along with Cleary's other awsome books!

Ask any older sibling about younger siblings, and you'll get one common answer...they're A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G. They steal your toys, throw tantrums, and constantly steal the spotlight. But, even the most perturbed older siblings know that, deep down, it's impossible not to love younger sisters and brothers - sometimes.

Nine-year-old Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby has always been a quiet soul, content with spending her time embroidering pot holders, helping her mother do the sheets on Saturday's, and reading the countless books she checks out of the Glenwood Branch Library on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, her four-year-old sister, Ramona, is the exact opposite of her. Ramona has one thing on her mind, and that's making as much noise as possible, and driving the whole family out of their mind. Beezus can't stand it, especially since the responsibility of taking care of Ramona, and ensuring that she behaves, is often delegated to her, so that her parents can get their work done. Ramona, however, refuses to obey Beezus. Unless, of course, she's reading one of her favorite books - The Littlest Steam Shovel, or Big Steve the Steam Shovel - to her. But even that doesn't keep Ramona occupied for long. When Beezus is in the midst of creating pictures for her art class, Ramona is there to cause a mess, and challenge Beezus' imagination. When Ramona is offered two marshmallows as a snack, she uses them as powder puffs, as opposed to putting them in her tummy, where they belong. During checkers games with Beezus' pal Henry Huggins, Ramona destroys the checkerboard, and wreaks all sorts of havoc - even some involving Henry's beloved dog Ribsy. In Beezus' eyes, she can't win - even when it's her birthday. But as she gets older, and learns more about her mother's relationships with her siblings, Beezus begins to realize that, as obnoxious as Ramona is, she's still her sister. And even though she may become angry at Ramona for her crazy antics; she still loves her - just not all the time.

I fell in love with Beverly Cleary's RAMONA books when I was five-years-old, and now that I have decided to re-read them, I'm finding that I can't help but fall in love with them all over again. I feel as if I have reverted back to my five-year-old self, and can actually relate to the mishaps that continually take place during both Ramona, and Beezus' lives. Beezus is such a fun character, who seems wise beyond her years, and is serious to a motherly extent. Ramona, on the other hand, is carefree and impossible to handle. Her wacky thoughts, and determination to always have her way is humorous; while some of the debacles she finds herself in are downright cringe-worthy. Cleary has penned a book here that is essential to read aloud to both older and younger children. The message of love is clear on every page, and truly helps to bring siblings together. Clever, funny, and irresistible.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

If you have a little sister and think she's annoying, think again. Does your sister think Bendix is the most beautiful name in the world? Does she ruin your birthday cake--twice?! Sometimes little sisters are annoying, but Ramona is impossible! Beezuz, Roamona's big sister finds out that no matter what happens in her childhood with Ramona, they will think it funny when they grow up. I hope you'll enjoy this book!

So much serious stuff has been written about this famous novel that first-time readers may be surprised that the first of the two parts of the book is actually an easy read with a light touch and plenty of humour despite the utterly gloomy and sad premise: a group of cancer patients in a decrepit, impoverished cancer hospital. Not much action, but vivid and touching dialogues abound. The second half of the book is a bit more demanding, with lengthy philosophical reflections on life and humankind. But it's worth it: some of the most haunting and moving passages of modern writing are found here. When Solzhenitsyn lets his protagonist compare life to the rivers of Siberia "running into the sand", he may just have created the most beautiful metaphor of life ever put on paper. Please, do read this book.

This book is written in the true Russian style. It's poignant and shocking and hard to put down.

The forward explains how the writer was treated in Tashkent for cancer while serving a sentence of forced labor exile. Post World War II Tashkent was cosmopolitan. The story takes place in February and March 1955 in a city like Tashkent. By then Stalin had died, Beria had been executed, and Malenkov had fallen from office.

The number of the cancer ward is thirteen. An official is to be treated for a tumor at the hospital. He resents the squalor of his surroundings. He consents, nonetheless, to undergo treatments. Dr. Dontsova has three residents. They call her Mama.

The bureaucracy insists that Dontsova dismiss indeterminate cases, cases where there is no improvement. Dontsova is troubled herself by stomach pains. Guilt she feels, though, is triggered by the existence of radiation sickness since she is an oncologist and radiologist. She cleans and shops and cooks for her family consisting of her husband and son.

One evening the male patients have an argument about moral perfectionism. It is claimed that Gorky, Stalin, and Lenin all thought that Tolstoy's doctrine was dangerous. Continuing their discussion, the male cancer patients are happy to think of traditional peasant remedies. Illness levels. The functionary and the exile are similarly situated.

Sickness provides respite from work and citizenly duties. Centers for treatment draw a cosmopolitan mix of people. Many people had lives interrupted in war service. Fairly detailed descriptions of the soviet medical system are given. Shortages of cleaning rags and other dysfunctions are common. Attempts to rationalize procedures and safeguard limited resources slow progress and create inefficiencies.

Oleg Filimonovich Kostoglotov, one of the points through which consciousness flows in the novel, resides in Ush-Terek, a virgin lands territory, and is a topographer but works as a land surveyor. The Ministry of Internal Affairs required that he live there. He was administratively exiled.

Pavel Nikolayevich Rusanov, the official being treated, strives to be optimistic as Gorky couseled. He looks forward to the visits of his wife, Kapitolina Matveyena. At first a geologist, Vadim, thought that Oleg Kostoglotov was a rude loud-mouth. (Vadim was collected, proud, and polite.) He saw that Rusanov was a standard sort of bureaucrat. Later Vadim discovered that Oleg was not arrogant. In fact, he was even generous.

Oleg discovered that after the world of the camps, exile could not be cruel. He was thirty-four and now too old too obtain a university education. He felt he could be content in exile if only he had his health. Oleg's good friends in Ush-Terek were a pediatrician and his wife. Oleg admired the chief surgeon at the facility. He had worked in the camps. Oleg picked up this piece of biography through the surgeon's choice of words. Oleg accused Rusanov of not being patriotic, of not having a love for country, but rather of wanting a fat pension.

Someone cites a writing of Lenin that an official should be paid a wage equal to the amount paid to a good worker. An older man tells Oleg that with his history he is fortunate since he has had to lie less. The man, a scientist, had been forced to follow the faulty teachings of Lysenko.

Dontsova had dealt with the ailments of other for thirty years. Now she has been diagnosed. She is to take sick leave and proceed to the Moscow Institute She makes her final rounds. Rusanov is released. He believes that he is cured. Oleg is discharged to recover from the treatment and to return to Ush-Terek. This is a masterpiece.

No one writes a fat, sprawling, old-fashioned Russian novel quite like a Russian. To the ranks of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, you can add Solzhenitsyn and to novels like *The Brothers Karamazov* and *Anna Karenina* you can add *Cancer Ward.* In fact, *Cancer Ward,* like Tolstoy's slim but immensely profound *The Death of Ivan Illych* begins in much the same fashion: a married, middle-aged career man is suddenly confronted with the most immediate and terrifying thing of all: his own mortality.

Although in *Cancer Ward* instead of the self-absorption of bourgeoisie society, the setting is Soviet Russia in the two years after Stalin's demise. It's still a world of repression, imprisonment, suspicion, fear, lies, exile--and, most of all, the ever-lurking presence of death. These conditions are allegorized in the cancer ward itself, in the doctor's who must have faith in their largely ineffective treatment and--all appearances to the contrary--who never tell their patients the truth about their condition...which leads to the absurdity that Solzhenitsyn uses as the title of the first chapter of *Cancer Ward*: a patient sent to the cancer ward assured by his doctor that he has "no cancer whatsoever."

What is allegorized is a people who've been systematically brutalized into the deepest self-denial, terrorized into ignoring the cancer destroying their society.

But for all the allusions--evident or oblique--to the secret police, the Gulag, and the totalitarian state, as well as the impassioned outcries against Stalinism, *Cancer Ward* is about the universal and timeless problems of death, of faith, of freedom, and of how we should live our lives and what might give them meaning.

Like all the greatest Russian novelists, Solzhenitsyn tackles the biggest questions. *Cancer Ward* is a philosophical novel in the best Dostoyevskian sense of the term. Filled with passion, pathos, humor, and heart, as well as a vivid cast of memorable characters to embody every idea, every human emotion, *Cancer Ward* is a masterpiece and Solzhenitsyn a writer rare in our age who still dares to deal with serious things seriously and compels you, by the sheer unquestionable moral force of his conviction, to take them seriously, too.

This is perhaps the best book I've read in recent memory. Don't miss it.

It is almost unbelievable how the liberal elite in America covered Stalin's crimes until Solzhenitsyn's prophetic writings emerged. And not to be outdone, President Ford and Henry Kissinger refused to welcome the greatest writer of the 20th Century in order to placate the Soviets. May Solzhenitsyn rest peacefully in the assurance that one honest man changed the world. And may his literary works live forever.

This is perhaps my favorite book of all from my childhood. Periodically I reread it as an adult and my appreciation grows every time. It is so unassuming, like the character of Martha, but the themes are big: the meaning of friendship, the art of finding beauty in life, the winding paths of growing up. The characters could step out of the page, the emotions are deep and true, and the end is so simple and quietly heartbreaking, but at the same time the kind of sorrow that is full of life and joy and passion. ZKS was truly inspired when she wrote this. In my opinion it is perfect.

Those that are positive that this book is a fantasy and therefore will not be read by them really needs to think straight. No, this is not a fantasy, which did surprise me considering Ms. Snyder's passion for the weird. Instead, it is a book about those oh-so-classic themes of family, friendship, and growing up.

Snyder makes a wondrous world between two small-town friends who are as different as different can be. One becomes enchanted by the passion and creativity of the other, and this is a friendship that leads them through the changes of life.

It's touching and inspiring. A great girl book.

There are some typical "teen novel" elements but overall this is a great story of friendship. Shy, awkward, overweight and sensitive Martha Abbott is a misfit in her own shallow and constrained upper-middle-class family, who take her for granted. Martha befriends the vibrant, imaginative, and outgoing Ivy Carson, herself a misfit in her own poor, wrong-side-of-the-tracks, criminal fringe family. Their sometimes-misunderstood friendship nurtures and sustains them over the years, and their imaginary games help inspire their own inner talents. Even through separation and quarrels, their bond remains strong, and the reader can see how much each owes the other as they grow. A touching tribute to both the power and joys of friendship and the imagination. A blessing to see it's back in print.

This book gave me new ways of looking at the world, at myself and at my neighbors when I was 11 years old and read it for the first time. And the second. And the third... I don't think there are many American girls who could not identify both with Martha and with Ivy, in turns, as these tender characters vividly represent the dichotomy of female adolescence.

I have sought out, purchased and given away a number of copies of this book in recent years, and now that it is in print again I have just ordered two copies. One is for my friend's 14 year old daughter who lives overseas and has few options for books in English, and the other I will save for my granddaughter, who was just born. Her mother will re-read the book in the meantime (after I do) and we will both relive a wonderful experience which helped us cope with a most difficult time of life.

Recently, was at the book store helping my 10y son look for a book to read, I ran across a copy of "The Headless Cupid" I bought it and asked to order "The changeling" but they couldn't get it for me, So I turn to the internet (Got to love eBay) and found it. I read it as soon as I received it. I've ordered several more of Snyder's books as well. Maybe my kids will enjoy them as much as I have.

I was 12y. at the time I first read it. I wasn't a "reader" this was one of the first I had ever read that I didn't force myself to finish. I lost myself in the pages. I felt a huge connection to Ivy our life's were so similar, she had a better outlook on life one I longed to have. Since then I have read a fair amount of books but none ever touched me the same way.

If you're looking for a muse to inspire you to crafty heights then this is the book for you. Everything Ms. Cano-Murillo does is touched with true originality and makes the reader feel competent and creative. Coupled with delightful, heartfelt, and often very funny writing, you will gobble this book up in one sitting and refer back to it for years to come. The best craft book to date in my library.

Cathy is such a wonderful artist. She found her niche in creating the wonderful Latin-inspired crafts contained in this book. You will love them! Since her books have come out, I have seen many copycat crafts by other authors.

This Crafty Chica is the original and the best! have fun making some of these lovely, cultural pieces, and enjoy learning a bit about Mexican culture as well!

¡Wow! What a great book, even if you are not into crafts. I bought the book, because I was intrigued by Kathy on DIY's CRAFT LAB. I am a Latino, Gifted and Talented teacher, and a professional artist, so her creative/artsy/ethnic persona and projects appealed to me. Although the book is geared towards Latinas, I can understand her witty journal entries. (My wife is Anglo, but I have many feisty Latina members in my family and work primarily with Latinas in a border town.) The crafts are very creative, and Kathy offers a plethora of open-ended suggestions at the end of each project. Many of the projects are also appropriate for males, so are great for classroom use. In addition, the Latino style illustrations created by Kathy's husband, Patrick Murillo, are marvelous! I highly recommend this book.

I LOVED this book. It not only had some great projects that almost made me get in the car and drive to the craft store but it was a fun read. I have enjoyed picking it up several times this summer and looking at the creativity inside. I would recommend this book!

Kathy Cano Murillo, the author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul, Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life, has delighted me with her craft book. I don't normally get all excited about making purses out of 50 cent hardbacks (That cool project is called "Hardback Book Purse" and is fabulous!), nor do I relate to holidays such as Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which I find slightly scary. However, with Kathy as my guide, I understand that this tradition of honoring the dead is similar to the manner in which we honor our ancestors no matter what our ethnic background. After reading what she wrote, I opened my mind and learned what I had never understood before about this holiday, and now I find it compelling and fascinating.

Not only am I willing to learn about a culture which is different from mine, I am totally charmed by this craft book. When I first started reading it, I began giving my husband orders: "Jim: PLEASE go get me a balsa wood box! Please get me a roll of silver embossing tin! I want a knob! A really cool one! Please!(my husband is a builder). Yes, my first project was "The Empowerent Box". I particularly liked this project because it is beautiful and because you store your favorite quotes in it. You hand write them out, place them in it, and keep it next to your bed. I have several favorite quotes. One is "Hope is the thing wth feathers." As a parent with disabled children, I never give up hope. Another is "The buck stops here". Do you have any favorite quotes? A keepsake box, made by you, is such a lovely place to keep treasured words which mean something special to you.

Kathy Cano Murillo is quite an amazing person. Not only does she set you aflame with desire to create her projects, with your paintbrush flying and your glitter shooting sparks all over the place, she writes fun stories. Some are about mishaps she has endured (read the Chocolate incident and you will relate totally!), and some are touching stories about her family. It's a lovely combination: you get projects like "The Mighty Mosaic Address Sign", with has cool marbles and loteria playing cards decorating it, you get tales, suggestions on movies with crafty aspects to them, (this is cool--trust me), fun tips on how to take each project to the next level, and a style of writing which engages you from the first page.

I am not Hispanic, but because of Kathy Cano Murillo, I have a high respect for the family values, the hard work, the humor, the love, and the creativity she offers, here in this book, as an unofficial ambassador for the Hispanic people. She should be very proud of this book. It is superfun and cool.

Other than the projects I already mentioned, several of my other favorite projects are: "Wonderfully Worn Flower Fence", ALL the "Potions for Passion" (and why not!), and the "Love Letters Pocketbook". That one is really pretty.

I think this author is one in a million. Try this book and you will soar--she will be the wind beneath your wings! A great and unique experience! I love this book!

We really like this book. It makes kids really think about doing the right thing and being honest. It's great!

"The Empty Pot" is a nice Chinese fable that teaches an important lesson about honesty.

The Emperor was getting old and wanted to choose one child in the kingdom to succeed him. He posed a challenge for the children. He gave each child a flower seed. Whoever grew the most beautiful flower within one year would become the new emperor.

For one year, all of the children spent their time growing the most beautiful flower. Everyone was doing good, except for this one child named Ping who could not seem to get his flower seed to sprout a flower.

When the time comes to present each child's flower to the Emperor, Ping brings the empty pot with his flower seed and is declared the new Emperor. To find out how Ping becomes the Emperor, just read the book. It will surprise you.

As expected from Demi a beautifully illustrated (clean colored and detailed) book, a simple, sweet story with a gentle message. Ages 3 1/2 +

A great introductory book to different cultures. Can also be used as a jump start to many conversations (doing your best, being brave, honesty, growing seeds, seed viability etc)

Our family loves this book! It is a truly wonderful story that teaches such lessons as the importance of hard work and honesty! There is just something about this book that warms your heart!

This is such a wonderful book about honesty and humility. I saw it on Between the Lions one day and fell in love with the story. Not much else to say but to make sure you get this book!!

I am so picky when it comes to children's books, and this one is absolutely perfect. Fantastic illustrations, beautiful story. My almost two year old wanted me to just read it over and over, and she's clearly very enchanted by it, as am I.

This is a fabulous book that every family should have for their very little ones. I think it's the best "good-night-go-to-sleep" book ever written. The text is poetic; the pictures are beautiful. It's well worth what it costs. I must have bought a dozen of these by now as gifts for new parents.

Oh, let me please be like Grandfather Twilight when I am old! Another dreamy, mysterious, and magically poetic masterpiece from Barbara Berger. Ever wonder how the moon finds its way up into the sky at night? "Grandfather Twilight" reveals this secret. It is the perfect book to quiet the soul before bedtime. A childhood favorite.

There are a number of books in the childrens' book market that qualify as modern day classics and Berger's "Grandfather Twilight" is definitely among them. From the stunning artwork, to the magnificent prose, to the magical message, this is a winner. Right up there with the best. Together with a soft blanket, the perfect gift for the new arrival.

This was my favorite book to read to my daughter when she was little. It was also just MY FAVORITE BOOK to look at. The illustrations are beautiful. The story has few words, so you are also able to use your imagination while looking at the pictures and thinking about the story.

I highly recommend adding this book to your collection - whether or not you have children or grandchlidren.

I thought this was one of the best of the hundereds of books I have read during my short 12 year-old life (I read ALOT). I like the way Karl turns out to be the good-guy and Eric was a vicious terrorist battling the Naizs by killing inocent civilians. I did like the way it started, better than most.

A truly amazing story of love and adventure, a definite read for anyone who longs for romance.

Cameron Dokey definately hit the mark creating an adventerous and romantic story line. However, I wasn't thrilled with the way the book was written. Too much information was repeated over and over. Instead of showing us the action and leaving the reader the joy of drawing inferences, the narrator, Anna, reveals every thought. These internal revelations came so frequently, I had a hard time believing Anna's conclusion at the end of the novel. The story was thrilling, but the characters didn't pop.

Hindenburg 1937 by Cameron Dokey is a great read, because it consists of romance, history, and a tad bit of adventure. I found myself not wanting to put it down because I so wanted to find out what would happen next. This book never gets boring, because there is always so much drama and events going on within the pages.
The main character is Anna Becker, a brave, young woman living in Germany. Her grandfather never finished his dying wish, but he was holding tickets for the trans-Atlantic voyage on the Hindenburg. Anna takes this as a sign to board the plane, despiter her fears. After all, if she doesn't leave her brother might marry her off so he can advance as a Nazi. Anna has bigger dreams than a housewife, which is another reason she takes the journey. She takes total trust in a stranger boarding the Hindenburg, because traveling alone is not safe. She soon finds out that his name is Erik Peterson and she really gets along with him until she sees that her first true love, Karl Mueller, is also on the plane, working for Germany.
This book has lots of twists and turns, so you'll be sure to stay interested. The festivities on the plane are always exciting and its fun to go along with Anna'a adventure. What is even more enjoying is the love triangle that is soon created. This book also refers to the voyage from history that changed Germany forever. The book is not a difficult one, and it's also easy to fall in love with the awesome plot.

This is the most beautiful historical romance fiction I've ever read. Anna must escape her brother in order to persue a future of her choice, instead of letting her brother choose it for her. So she aboards the Hindenburg and the excitement begins. I love this book to no ends even with its terrifying ending. Why Cameron, why??? I just have one last question: why choose a sad and-you know it's true- horrible ending when the story could've ended with me smiling in pleasure with hope, instead of me crying and believing that fate is truly twisted when it comes to love?

Charlie has to look after his little sister and give her dinner. Unfortunately, Lola is a very picky eater, and we have to sit through the entire list of things she won't eat. ESPECIALLY not tomatoes.

So he decides to "play a good trick on her" and tell her that all these foods she "won't eat" are really *different* and exotic foods that she's sure to love. (Are you sure you don't want these green drops? I'll eat them, then, they're very rare!)

Predictably (to us grown-ups), she gobbles all these foods up, and then turns the table on her brother by asking for the tomatoes (These? Are you sure you want THESE?) declaring that they're "moonsquirters" and saying "You didn't think they were tomatoes, did you Charlie?"

What's interesting is that this technique is actually recommended for both child and adult picky eaters. Oh, not the trickery, but the use of pleasant sounding names to make foods sound appealing. (And really, Lola wasn't tricked at all, was she?)

Cute illustrations and clever text. May not change the mind of a dedicated vegetable-hater, but they'll enjoy it.

I love this book. It is so cute and even convinces my three-year old to eat foods she doesn't want to!

This book should be read by fussy readers everywhere -- and I have a few adults I know who belong in that category!

The illustrations are delightful, showing pictures of the food against interesting textures and colors. This book will have a positive effect on the fussiest eater.

Funny, heartwarming and highly recommended!

I got this for my daughter, who absolutely adores Charlie and Lola and simply loves the TV episode that complements this book. The sparse text and colorful pictures made reading less intimidating for her, and for a paperback, the book is very sturdy and well put-together. Great book - I definitely recommend!