Titles Books

As a professional storyteller, I am always on the look out for stories that explain "why things are," and "how they came to be."
This will be a delightful tale to add to my collection and use in my drama classes.

The hardcover copy of The Baker's Dozen is my favorite Christmas book. I read it every year to children at a school across from my office.

Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi was a great book. The characters such as Mother Wak and Bartleby were perfect for the mood of the story and were well described. It was exciting from start to finish and is a great story for anyone of any age. The characters ranges from extremly funny (like the peeper Zip who alway speaks in ryhme) to really creapy (like the alagator Seezer), and at times and Bartleby's wit and quick thinking save him or his friends. I loved it! I have read almost all of Phyllis Shalant's books and this one by far is the best. For those who have read the other books by her this one is a must anf for those who are new to the author will love to start with the one. The suspense can almost kill you sometimes and force you to keep on turing page after page. You'll never want to put this book down! Read this book now!!

I really enjoyed reading this book because it was funny and had lots of rhymes. The characters were interesting and it was amazing to see a turtle survive when he had been living as a pet and travels with an alligator. The descriptions of the places Bartleby sees is very imaginative . I especially enjoyed the part when he was trying to save the duck eggs and when they hatched they thought Bartleby was a duck also. I was glad that it ended happy but it leaves you wondering about the rest of the journey. Perhaps there can be a sequel here?

The late Paul Ramsey continues to speak to our situation today. This book, originally published circa 1950, provides an outstanding introduction, not simply to Christian ethics, but to Ramsey's way of thinking. Especially thought-provoking is the section "What the Christian Does Without a Code."

This fascinating look at the basic tenets of Christianity is both powerful and enlightening. It should be required reading for anyone studying ethics or theology as well as christians who want to come to a greater understanding of their religion and faith. Particularly noteworhty is the chapter called "Christian Love in Search of a Social Policy" which discusses, among other things, the concept of rights in the framework of compassion. This book has helped me come to a deeper understanding of my own faith and values and has transformed my perspective on a number of issues.

I read this book to all of my kids, but my daughter liked it better than my boys did. It's a corky, cute little tale, about a butterfly who thinks her beloved mouse friend has been eaten by a fish. Out of this comes a story that follows the same format as "There was an old lady who swallowed a Fly." This happened, then this happened, then this, etc. It's a zany little book, especially at the end. It has a happy ending. There are 26 actual pages, not counting the cover page and dedication page. There are 5 pages of full color illustrations included in the 26 pages. The illustrations are bright and lively. It's probably 1st grade level, maybe second. Young children who hear the book several times will be telling this story, I'm sure. I'm also sure they'll want to hear it again.

WHEN YOU OPEN THIS EXTRAORDINARY CHILDREN'S BOOK THE COLORS IN THE BOOK WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY WHAT BEAUTY WHAT LIFE. THE BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY IS A STORY ABOUT LIFE, FRIENDS, AND LOVE, BUT TOLD ON A LEVEL ANY CHILD WOULD UNDERSTAND. I BOUGHT THIS BOOK FOR MY FRIENDS NEW BABY GIRL. BUT FIRST I HAD TO READ AND READ AGAIN THIS WONDERFUL BOOK THAT WISHED ME BACK TO CHILDHOOD WHERE ALL DREAMS DO COME TRUE.

It's so cute and magical. I like that Beauty isn't ever really worried about how the Beast looks. And the scene when they talk at dinner is so sweet. Definitely recommend this.

I've loved the story of Beauty and the Beast all my life, and of the 30+ versions that I own, this is one of the best. While it is less traditional in style than others, the prose is incomparably beautiful and includes details, and a pivotal exchange between the title characters, that bring home the oldest moral of this story: beauty comes from within.

This picture book legend from the Salish people of Montana tells how the animals worked together to use fire to prepare the earth for the first humans. This book is part of a Fire History Project that includes a video, DVD, lesson plans and web site. The story is retold by Salish elder Johnny Arlee and illustrated by tribal artist Sam Sandoval. Information on the Salish alphabet is included. Extensive Note to Teachers and Parents contains excellent information on the importance of fire to Native peoples.

Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story is a picturebook rendition of a story directly from the cultural tradition of the Salish people of Montana. Retold by Salish elder Johnny Arlee, and wonderfully illustrated in full color by tribal artist Sam Sandoval, Beaver Steals Fire recounts how the animals worked together to obtain fire and help prepare the world for inhabitation by human beings. Beaver Steals Fire is presented with the full support of The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Division of Fire; a note to the reader at the beginning asks those who use Beaver Steals Fire in the classroom or others who read it aloud to orally tell or discuss the story only in winter, when snow is on the ground, as this is a strongly ingrained part of tribal seasonal tradition. A beautifully presented legend, highly recommended.

This is the greatest reference book for antique beer cans ever!!! Incredible color photos and great information about the cans!!!! Loved it!!!

Reference book. This book really is the bible for beercan collectors, people interested in development of the modern can structure (from the bottle through cone tops, steel through aluminum), or people who want to look into the history of cans/breweries that were in their local areas. A lot of fun just to turn through the pages.
There are 124 pages to the paperback edition (not sure if there was a hardcover edition). Pages 49-124 have apprx. 45 cans pictured per page listed alphabetically with a short description at the page bottom of the brewers name, location, and date.
Pages 1-23 describe old breweries, cans, pull top evolution and how to rate can conditions. Also brief pointers on how to restore old cans.
The cans are mostly American but some foriegn cans are shown as well.
Obviously much has happened in the beer industry since this book was published but it is the best point of departure for anyone interested in cans or brewery items. One day the Smithsonian will have a can collection and this book will be on display with it.

this is a wonderful children's book for all ages written by a wonderful professor

It is a must for kindergarden and first grade teachers. Kids love it

Even though the first edition of this book was published in 1965, I just read it this summer. In _Belief and Unbelief_, Michael Novak (b. 1934) demonstrates that he is remarkably bright and can write remarkably clearly.

Drawing on the thought of the Canadian Jesuit philosopher and theologian Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984), under whom Novak studied as a young seminarian in Rome, Novak has written a deeply original and admirably lucid book.

But in the spirit of inquiry, I would like to raise some issues that I think Novak needs to address in connection with his account of intelligent consciousness.

In an email message on the H-RHETOR@H-NET.MSU.EDU list dated June 4, 2007, Carol Poster has noted that the three parts of the psyche (soul) in Plato's _Republic_ are (1) nous, the rational part; (2) epithumia, the desiring part; and (3) thumos, the spirited part. By discussing intelligent consciousness (Plato's nous) so exclusively, Novak does not advert to or account for these other two noteworthy parts of our subjective consciousness. But shouldn't he?

In his recent book _Manliness_ and in his 2007 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, the prepared text of which is available at the website of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Harvard professor Harvey C. Mansfield has discussed thumos at length. Thus he seems to being doing his best to try to get us to think more deeply about thumos, as I would like to see Novak do.

However, in an email message on the H-RHETOR@H-NET.MSU.EDU list dated June 4, 2007, Jeffrey Walker has set forth a few cautionary observations about Mansfield's discussion of thumos:

"Basically, thumos is the 'spirited' part of the psyche from which emotions & intentions arise -- and [thumos] can be translated by 'heart,' as in 'the heart has its reasons'; 'my heart bids me to do this'; 'you know in your heart I'm right.' . . . Thumos is responsive to reason (and/or has its own mode of interpretive rationality), but, says Aristotle, cannot generate it (since that is the function of logos, reason, itself)."

It strikes me that my subjective consciousness (first awareness, in Novak's terminology) is an admixture of the rational part (Plato's nous; what Novak refers to as intelligent consciousness) and a desiring part (Plato's epithumia) and a spirited part (Plato's thumos). So shouldn't Novak also explicitly advert to and differentiate the desiring part of human consciousness (epithumia) and the spirited part (thumos), or at least explain why he does not advert to them?

--Thomas J. Farrell, author of Walter Ong's Contributions to Cultural Studies: The Phenomenology of the Word and I-Thou Communication (Media Ecology)

I have found that it was and is an exciting book which was helpful when I was toying with the ideas in Vietnam and it is refreshing rereading it today...It is a subject which is still relevant and important... Mr. Novak weaves "intelligent subjectivity" throughout the book and provides an insight into faith.....

Now in an updated 8th edition, Best Books for Children Preschool Through Grade 6 is a reference catalog particularly for librarians featuring summaries of over 25,000 in-print titles suitable for children in grades K-6. Each entry lists the title, author, publication date, price, ISBN, page count, and a one-sentence summary. Review citations for the listed books draw upon six respected publications: Booklist, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Horn Book, Horn Book Guide, Library Media Connection, and School Library Journal; these citations direct the librarian toward a more detailed discussion and evaluation of the title in question. An easy-to-use reference, sorted by book category and featuring a comprehensive index, Best Books for Children Preschool Through Grade 6 is a helpful and enthusiastically recommended tool for children's librarians everywhere.

This is a wonderful book to add to your collection. The information is top notch offering great books to share with all the children in your life from birth to sixth grade!

The books are arranged by subject and the author indicates (in most cases) what journal the book was reviewd in. This is a book I can not do without!