Readers Books

I have bought this book at least three times, either as a gift or because I had lost it. I use it in teaching Creative Movement as a relaxing, imaginative ending. I love how the child continues to imagine and the mother allows his imagination to soar free.

An imaginative story about a little boy who finds a salamander in the forest, takes it home to keep in his room, and then gradually transforms his room into a forest (every little boy's dream). Well done!

Book arrived in near new condition. I was glad I chose to invest in a hard copy of this wonderful story. I am a PhD student, pursuring my degree in Children's Literature and am happy to add this to my personal collection. CMM

The Salamander Room has a great expression of the creativeness of a child's mind. This book is an amazing story for children. In this story a young boy, Brian finds a salamander while exploring the forest and takes it home. Like most mothers, his is worried how he will care for his new friend. Brian's mother asks him many questions concerning the care for this unusual house guest. For every question Brian has an answer. With every answer Brian finds that it's better to bring Nature in to make his friend comfortable and feel right at home. As a mother I appreciated the author's expression of how creative a child's mind can be. This book also demonstrates how amazing children really are. My children and I enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it in every child's library.

... because I've worn out the paperback reading it to my kids. It is a favorite with my son (now 7). Wonderfully illustrated. Wonderfully imaginative. Get lost in "The Salamander Room" today.

I love it! It is action packed, and full of suspense and comedy! This book is great for kids as well as adults.

I think this book was an adventure it was written very well there are some very breif parts that were dull but over all I really think that you should buy or read this book!Its sequel escape from castle cant was also good.If you are itno to mystery than its for you. If you like adventure or comedys it will more than likely for you.I truely liked this book and think you should read it as soon as possible!!!

Orphaned Lucy Wickwright is the long-suffering maidservant and involuntary co-conspirator in the madcap exploits of her mistress Pauline, heiress to the Barony of Cant. However, their relatively carefree childhoods are rapidly nearing an end. Amid ominous rumblings of discontent and even revolution, Lucy finds herself caught up in plots against Pauline and the gum-chewing aristocracy of Cant, and must decide where her loyalties lie.

Intelligent and well-written with an original premise (the premodern barony of Cant, tucked away in the creases of modern maps, which allows for modern incursions such as chewing gum and t-shirts), _The Secret of Castle Cant_ is a very promising first novel. The author's strongest suit, in my opinion, is the fact that he, like the best authors for young readers including J.K. Rowling, obviously respects the intelligence of his readers and doesn't write down to them. His "footnotes" and other references to the "history" of Cant also suggest that this world has not just been casually thrown together but carefully developed in his mind.

Pauline and Lucy develop a wonderful friendship that outweighs their original class differences and, while spoiled, Pauline is portrayed sympathetically and is obviously in the process of changing to a better, less thoughless person by the end of the book. Lucy is fiercely loyal and, while her methods for avoiding trouble without strictly lying may be deplored by some parents, her use of them is certainly realistic (I know I did it), and is unfortunately in common use by many adult public figures these days. My only criticism is that boys close to the heroines' ages seem to be portrayed as either stupid or arrogant, but I hope that can be remedied in the next book.

Altogether an enjoyable book, and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

If you love adventure and like funny books I don't know why you are sitting here. Get up and go get this book! I love this book because it is so funny.
It is about a bad, bad boy. He finds a key and goes inside Castle Cant. In the castle he finds a door to another world. I recommend this book to 6,7,or8 graders.
-Darien

The Secret of Castle Cant is charming in its use of names, words and anachronism. But most charming of all is its main character Lucy Wickwright. The author has created a Cinderella-esque girl that doesn't depend on a Prince Charming to save the day. She is a practical, no-nonsense maidservant to the heiress to the Barony of Cant, Pauline. Although Pauline's mishaps always end up getting Lucy in trouble, Lucy steadfastly remains loyal.

Then when the questioning of the line of ascension and a rebellion against the royal addiction to chewing gum coincide to throw the whole barony into a tizzy, Lucy manages to keep her head and save the day.

Within the mystery of the secret of Castle Cant, the land itself is a mystery - where does it exist, in what time and in what land are questions never answered. In fact, it's a place where "time stands still" (as the opening describes it.) It further says that The Barony of Cant is a land "lost in the creases of maps." PK Bath shows a clever genius in not giving this piece a set time or place.

Another genius of the author is his naming of characters. I am most impressed with Uncle Hock Tooey. But Luigi Lemonjello is of similar genius as are Gil Blemesch and Blaise Delagaisse.

Finally while I was most impressed with the tools and techniques used to craft this book, I am less impressed with the actual story. While I loved the characters and the land, I had hoped for a different ending. Perhaps something more striking. I will, of course, read the sequel Escape from Castle Cant and see if that satisfies my hope for the outcome.

This book is well-done. I highly recommend it if you like a girl-does-well-by-following-her-heart type story. Also recommended if you like clever conversation among characters. Not recommended for those who prefer straight-arrow stories with pretty princesses in crisp dresses, where this happened and that and they all lived happily ever after.

A wonderful book! My one yr old hands me this all the time- she loves it. A very fun Halloween themed book that can be read all year long!

This is a very entertaining and fun book to read aloud to a class or even one child. It is fast paced and interactive and I simply love it.

We had borrowed this book from the library dozens of times and realized it was time to purchase our own. This has been our children's favorite book since the moment we first read it. A family favorite at our house! Sing-song rhythm makes it fun too!

A friend told me about this book and shared a tune she made up for the words. I bought a copy and my son (2) loves it. He brings it out quite often for me to read or sing to him. The illustrations are a fun change from the usual kiddie fare.

This one has great illustrations and greater lyrics. It's a natural to turn into a song, which my (3 & 2-yr old) children love to dance and sing along to. Even my husband doesn't complain when we sing it loudly in the car.

This is an excellent book to read to young children. The author gives the reader indepth information about her family but also some historical information about her hometown, Harlem. The illustrations sweep the reader along on Tar Beach and keeps you turning the brightly colored pages. You are able to hear Ms.Ringgold's voice when you read this book and get a taste of life in her family.

I don't know why this book was called Tar Beach, but it's interesting. It's about a little girl who is picked up by the stars and has the ability to own everything she flies over. Pretty cool huh? Whether she can actually do this or she just dreams of doing this, who knows.

A neat feature of this book is it was actually written and illustrated first on a quilt before being converted to paper. Maybe next somebody will try writing a book on a sculpture.

An excellent book for its literay value and artistic illustrations. A great memory for anyone who has lived in New york City and remembers going to their own rooftop gatherings in the summers.

My class loved this book. It was part of an African American History unit.

First off, this book would pair brilliantly with Deborah Hopkinson's, "Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt". Utilizing a style not unlike the classic slave quilts featured in "Sweet Clara", "Tar Beach" tells a contemporary story while tying its narrative to the history of African American storytelling. Before I say anything else, though, I should warn you about something. When I first read this book I had borrowed it from my local lending library. The copy I got out was a hardcover from 1991. Now, do you remember getting books when you were a kid and they, not to put too fine a point on it, stank? Certain picture books have some kind of binding glue or something that, over time, makes them stink to high heaven. This book was especially smelly and even as it sits next to me here on my desk I'm reluctant to open it up for reference because of its offensive odor. It's quite possible, even probable, that the editions of this book being sold now (being paperback and all) are smell free and no longer printed so as to attack one's olfactory senses. Just don't buy a used hardcover copy from 1991. That's all I'm saying.

In this tale a small African-American girl dreams of flight. In her flight she is powerful and free. The George Washington bridge, a magnificent structure that her father helped to build, is a diamond necklace around her neck. Flying high, the girl gives her father the union building he's working on, "Then it won't matter that he's not in their old union, or whether he's colored or a half-breed Indian, like they say". With her father so gainfully employed her mother "won't cry all winter" when her dad goes out looking for work. She'll be able to sleep late and (this is the most heartbreaking part for me), "we can have ice cream every night for dessert". The girl daydreams these flights while the family goes up to what they like to call Tar Beach. On the roof of their building they have peanuts and chicken and watermelon as well. She sums up by explaining, "it's very easy, anyone can fly. All you need is somewhere to go that you can't get to any other way. The next thing you know, you're flying among the stars".

On the last two pages of the book a long history of author/illustrator Faith Ringgold explains her life, the history of her work, the history of African Americans in the 1930s, and the basis of this tale. A quilter by trade, the left page displays the amazing quilt that inspired "Tar Beach" the book. In this quilt, the girl and her brother sit not too far from their parents and neighbors. Above, the girl soars over the George Washington Bridge and the words of the book are written into the fabric of the quilt. Parents reading this book to their kids would do well to read the summary at the end of the tale to themselves before reading the picture book to their children. That way they'll be better equipped to answer any potential questions the children might bring up regarding labor union practices regarding African Americans or the history of flight in the stories of slaves. This book covers a lot of ground. The basis of the tale itself is rooted in Ringgold's own experiences of growing up in Harlem as a child. She even gives a little background on the characters discussed within the tale and their lives.

The book is drawn using acrylics on canvas paper with the occasional quilted piece appearing on the sides. As for the plot, kids reading the book may be a little confused as to whether or not the heroine of the tale actually is flying or if it's just in her head. After all, there's a pretty clear picture of her little brother lying below looking up as his sister soars. If kids are able to get past that little detail, however, they'll probably love the tale. I mean, who hasn't wanted to fly freely over friends and family? Who hasn't wanted to give their parents everything they'd need to be happy? Or, for that matter, own an ice cream factory?

The book is well rooted in history, imagination, and colorful storytelling. With a pedigree such as this, it's hard not to admire it thoroughly. And if you'd like yet another book to pair it with during your storytime, consider "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge" by H.H. Smith, which is ALSO about the building of the George Washington bridge. Altogether this is an important book with a well told message.

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this book, "Teacher Under Construction". I am seeking my first teaching position right now and this book was a huge help in my preparation. This book will be a great reference resource for me.

This is an AWESOME overview of teaching in a junior high! Spend 2 days reading this, and you'll save yourself 5 years worth of trial-and-(lots of) error!

NOTE: Review written by Jim T., (K-12 instructor), Orange County CA. I used Donna's status.

I taught 7th grade for the first time last year as a veteran high school teacher and learned by trial and error some of the things discussed in this book. While experience is the best teacher, it was great to read it from someone who really knows what they are doing. A Must.

NOTE: I am submitting this as a copy of the review from AvanteGuard Teacher's website, since it is what I might say.

TOP PICK: If I'd had Teacher Under Construction, a book written specifically for middle-school teachers, I suspect I would have gotten more sleep, fewer headaches, and organized my time more effectively. This book is a must-have gem for the new or initially-licensed middle-school teacher. Your pedagogy classes don't cover this stuff, and it seems that too few resources are dedicated to the squirrelly (but infinitely fun) middle schooler. (TOP FIVE AvantGarde Teacher Review)

Dr. Parks' book "Teacher Under Construction" is great! I am currently in college now to major in mid-level social studies and English. This little book really opened my eyes to the things I should prepare for. I am quite nervous about teaching but now I am more confident. Thank you for writing this, Dr. Parks! Tessa Suzanne White

TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS
TINA FERRARO

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Nicolette `Nic' Antonovich was dumped two days before the prom. But to her, that's all in the past, except for the fact that her unworn prom dress hangs behind her bedroom door and she might still, on occasion, slip it on. It is the perfect prom dress after all.

But things are starting to change. Rascal, who was the dumper to her dumpee, is suddenly starting to pay her an awful lot of attention. Her best friend doesn't want to hear another word about Rascal, let alone that Nic might be starting to fall for him all over again. Jared, her best friend's brother, is turning weird big brother on her. And even weirder, it almost looks like Rascal and Jared are fighting - over her!

Nic's a great character, a typical teenage girl who finds herself caught between two guys, her dream guy in Rascal and her friend Jared, whose behavior she just can't figure out lately. This book was a definite page turner, with several great scenes that stick in your mind once you close the cover.

TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS is Tina Ferraro's first young adult novel.

Reviewed by Lisa
YA Director
Enchanting Reviews

Nicolette, a savvy, likable, down-to-earth sophomore, was asked to the prom by Rascal, the hottest boy in the junior class, which is something the reader wonders about for the whole book. Why would an upperclassman hottie scope out a lowly sophomore. That bit of information is disclosed in the end, and anyone who is or was a teen will recognize this typical teen behavior. In the meantime, Nic purchased the perfect pink vintage dress, and two days before the event, she was dis-invited because Rascal's old girlfriend moved back to town. Nic doesn't take it too hard; Rascal's explanation is plausible, and besides, she still has a mad crush on him. She hangs her dress on the back of her bedroom door and tries it on from time to time. Her mother suggests that Nic post a list to the refrigerator door to help work out her frustrations [Use #6: Use the beautiful pink material as a shroud after you die from complete and utter humiliation]. Narrated by Nicolette, this story is warm, funny, sparky and realistic. The main characters are simply captivating. Like having a second dessert, this is a girl/boy page-turner with a heaping of romance just the way we like it. You'll immediately recommend to your friends!

What a great cover!! ...and the perfect color to describe this sweet book!Prom Dress does not disappoint YA readers of any age. I would recommend it to many who would like a quick, delightful YA read. The strong writing and moral character of the book will please moms (it's not preachy, but Nic is definitely a good girl), while the cute story and modern language will keep the younger ladies' attention. Looking forward to How to Hook a Hottie.

There is something to say about a to-die-for pink prom dress and Tina Ferraro tells it perfectly in Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress. Ferraro spins a story filled with laughter and tears as we follow the lengths one teen will go to keep her normal life from falling apart. This novel is any girl's guide to best friends, hot guys, and one fabulous prom dress!

Tina Ferraro's TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS tells of Nicolette, dumped two days before prom by the hottest boy at school. But getting past the disappointment of no prom and an unworn dress brings Nicolette to more troubles: a best friend's problem brother, their changing friendship, thwarted romance, and challenges at home. The result's a fine, realistic story perfect for teen leisure readers.

My whole family loves this book. We catch ourselves saying the chant all the time!

My 5 year old son loves everything about this book, the pictures, the rhyme, the information about the fish at the end. It's very unique and educational, and fun at the same time.

We are a nature center that teaches fishing classes. This is a fantastic book. Even though the fish are fun and cartoonish; they have very good features!

I grew up on a lake and love fish- so the BEAUTIFUL illustrations, and cute chant is wonderful. It's creative and fun. I have spent a lot of time reading it to my nephew!I think even if you don't like fish it's still a cute, cute book. Even as an adult I still adore great kids books, and beautiful artwork!

The illustrations are humerous and entertaining! Any fish lover would appreciate this book. My 15-month old daughter even likes it (her dad reads it to her more like a cheer and she thinks that's GREAT!!!) Grandpa will be getting a copy for Father's Day. The variety of fish in here is unlike any other book I've seen (besides my fish identification book from college). If you do not know what all the fish are, there is a section in the back with an informative write-up on each of the fish in the book. I wish that Trip Park would come out with cards and stationary...or another book, maybe a child story book on fish life cycles or natural salmon runs? (I'm hoping he'll read this! Fish people are left hungry for more!!!) It's AWESOME.

We'll Paint the Octopus Red is a book about a little girl named Emma, who is going to become a big sister soon. Through the first half of the book Emma and her dad talk about all of the things, she is going to be able to do with her new little brother. She wants to kick the ball, go on safari in Africa, and paint the octopus. Then when her little brother is born, her dad tells her that he has Down Syndrome. She then thinks of all the things she wanted to do, and tells her dad she guesses he will not be able to do those things after all. Then her dad and her go through each thing and decide that if they are patient and take time with her new brother, he will be able to do all of those things in life. Therefore, Emma decides that Downs will not be that big of a deal, and goes to see her little brother at the hospital, and tells him that she will teach him to paint the octopus red when he is older. The end of the book also has questions and answers for children about Down Syndrome.

A little girl eagerly anticipates the birth of her little sister and she pictures all the things they will do together. When her sister is born with Downs Syndrome, she must realize that they won't be able to do all of those things, but there are still fun things they can do together and be loving siblings.

This is a very positive book that is excellent for a child with a special need-learning to love your sibling no matter what and finding things to do with her has to be one of the hardest parts for any big sister, and this book lovingly shows how to do that. Excellent for read aloud and early readers, up through about 3rd grade.

Great book. Like an earlier review, it also made me cry the first time I read it. It really captures the feelings associated with having a Down Syndrome child. Definitely a must buy for anyone who has a Down Syndrome child, with or without siblings.

This book is wonderful for siblings and young children that are related to a child with down's sydrome. Very educational. I gave it as a gift to my nephews and neices to help them to understand how their cousin would be a little different than them but can do the same things in time.

I bought this book while pregnant because I'm sure that someday my daughter will have questions about her big brother who has Down syndrome. I'm hoping that this book will help both of them understand why when the day comes that she is able to do things that he hasn't learned yet. Being only 23 months apart, I felt the need to be prepared as soon as possible.

This is a beautiful book that very sweetly explains that delays don't mean that someone will never be able. I like the fact that this book doesn't dwell on the negatives of a Down syndrome diagnosis, but also includes the idea that Mom & Dad may be sad. I hope that my daughter someday cherishes the book and why I bought it for her.

Our grandson was very excited with this book--it is just at the level he is at! He is so proud of himself being able to read a new book, new stories. As for me, I remember growing up on these stories. Even today they are perfect for the beginning reader!

Dick & Jane are awesome. My son loves to read me a couple pages every night before he goes to bed. I highly recommend this. He loves the illustrations and named his newest webkinz "Puff." Very cute.

Thank You,
The book arrived when expected, and in brand new condition.
It was a gift for my 70 year old Mother who remembered this book from her childhood. She loved looking it through it again.
Thank You, for great service at a wonderful price!

This is "Great" for your new little reader. It's easy and what most all your mothers and fathers learned from in the 50's - 70's
It really helped our grandson where his K-teacher was having trouble helping him. This book gets a big A+

I remember reading the Dick and Janes books when I was in 1st and 2nd grade and decided I wanted to allow my 5 year old to get a start with reading. She reads out of both books every night, normally 3-4 stories per night, and had progress greatly with her reading in the past month with these two great books.

Both my sons love this book and with its clean, cheerful and fun images - I think it is a winner. I wish there were more books like this for kids!

This is the only book that my daughter has ever made a place for on her night stand. She loves the graphics in it, they get her imagination really going. She says she wishes she could live in the book!

I picked up Nicole Wheldon's "1,2, 3 Bees" and couldn't put it down till I was finished! That took all of 90 seconds - not because I am a speed-reader, but because it's the easiest book I've read in years -- about 49 years, to be exact. It's The 1,2, 3 Bees, A Counting Book, beautifully illustrated by Diana Zourelias-Noro.

You'll like "Bees", too! But I don't think quite so much as will our more precocious two and three year olds. I took it to a local bookstore to get a professional's opinion of the 22-page soon-to-be-classic. (There's a sales girl there that reads to the toddlers on the weekends.) Her reaction: "This is such a cute little book! How sweet!!!"...

As we closed the book on the first reading, our preschooler announced 'Read it again, Mama.' We've since read it a number of times, each one a little slower, as s/he begins to study the illustrations in more detail. The story is really just a sequence of sentences counting out how many bees and what they do. It's the beautiful illustrations and the fun of sharing a read-out-loud book that make this great. The bees are cute and the pages are sturdy and will withstand frequent readings, too. Definitely buy this book if you want an art-quality counting book for your child's library.

Very cheery book - It's sure to hold the young reader's attention. The characters seem to all dance and play as the story lesson is being read. What a great tool to teach a young child numbers.