Schools Books

My friend at school and I are both Fearless freaks, and we do this whole book-swapping thing. Well, when I handed her over one of my books, she handed me this, and I thought that it was an unnecissary book to read, and it would make no difference whether I read it or not...until I picked it up. WOWEE! It was great! The book is all about how Gaia is bumped into on the street in 2002, and given a mysterious message about how she can discover her past. The book will flip from the 'present' 2002, to the past 1973, when Tom (and oliver) met Katia. I recommend this book to all of the people who enjoy reading Fearless, and who want to discover more about this troubled teen! I honestly haven't looked at Tom and Oliver the same way (if you can call it 'looking') since! Enjoy this easily 5 star book!

This book would have to be one of the best book out of the seris!
Gaia is acproached by one of Loki's old friends,who has quit Loki's agency and "Permantly Borrowed" some files about her parents and some of the evil thinks Loki did just so he could take Gaia or Katia.
Gaia does some detective work in this book to find the clues,and is revisted by some old memories.
As well in this book,we learn who Gaia's dad is but sadly Gaia doesnt get to find out as the files are snatched away from her.
A great book that I would recommend to any Fearless fan!

This book was brilliant. This young adult action/mystery series is about Gaia Moore, a New Yorker born without the fear gene. This book goes back to explain about how troubled and dangerous her parents' lives were. While some questions were answered, one still remains - how did Katia Moore end up dead? Slow to start, but built up dramatically into an absolute thriller. (A+)

This is such a good book. You learn a lot about Gaia's child past. And during this whole time she is trying to find things out. So in other words you know things she doesn't. During this Tom's twin bro comes up Gaia's mom and this weir dguy and about a few more you will have to find out about when you Read it.

When i saw this book along with the next Fearless book i was picking up, i had to get it. Sometimes i would be so confused reading the books that i'd have to re-read some to understand completely what was going on and why. After i read Before Gaia, everything was much more clear. It explains many events in the past books that didn't make much sense. I would definetly recommend this book for any Fearless reader, but i warn you..if you haven't read all the books, don't count on understanding it!!

What's to say - a great artist - the talent of which I admire the most and would love to have. Definitely one of my favorite books. On the list of items I would wanna be buried with... For this particular book - yes - that good....

At least to me (that is)...

Exhaustive variations, small printing and illustrations, pages jam-packed with examples. Good for the price; some readers will probably prefer a more modern volume. Talented author. Worth a look.

This the best cartooning book around. A classic. A must for entry level cartoonist or professional.

I'm always looking for the perfect book of whatever variety, & speaking as a former library employee, a cartoonist & art teacher, Jack Hamm has written THE book on cartooning. It is so packed with examples & not so much text, as it should be, it has tips & then TONS of examples. The style ranges from early American cartooning style to 50s/60s modern style. Fantastic examples of different expressions, hand positions, walking positions, drawing women, all of it. All good. If you want a great guide for old fashioned American cartooning, this is the one to get. Then get the Preston Blair book from Walter Foster.

This book is full of great ideas and tips. There's plenty for the beginner, like little tutorials on highly-stylized eyes or noses or mouths, or straightforward examples on common poses, but it's not just a book for beginners. There are a lot of highly-finished drawings as well, and examples of moving from simple to more complex drawings. Plus tips on various penciling and inking techniques, and various cartoon genres. All in all, there are literally thousands of examples and sketches, enough material to keep anybody busy for a long time. I've pulled this book down from the shelf more often than any of my other numerous drawing books, and I've filled page after page with exercises based on the material. A classic and worth far more than its price.

This book introduces jazz to a young audience. It explores the sounds, rhythms, and emotions of the genre through colorful pictures and rhythmic words similar to the beat of "scat" singing.
Lots of the words are there just for the sound of them. By focusing on the sound words, students could develop spelling strategies that help them move from phonemes, the sounds they make, to graphemes, the written representations of those sounds.

This book is excellent. The illustrations and musical text allow for early readers to really enjoy and learn from this book. Perfect for preschool and kdg age. I used this book as the basis of a jazz unit, it worked wonderfully.

"Charlie Parker Played Be Bop" was my son's favorite book when he was two and nine years later we still have fun reading it. I now purchase a copy for new parents to read to thier babies. As a speech language pathologist, I want to share to magic of words and the music they can make! This book is an absolute MUST read for all children.

I wasn't sure how my little one would respond to this book even though I love it. If I ask, "Do you want to read about Charlie Parker?," she lights up and starts literally starts to bop. The baby digs it. Just more evidence that the jazz is a universal language. I like the introduction to poetry, rhythm and randomness ("Never leave your cat alone"). I bought two other copies and gave them to my friends for their babies.

I am an elementary school music teacher with students ranging from pre-K to 5th grade. I read this book to all of my pre-K and kindergarten through second grade classes and sometimes the mood strikes me to read it to older students. There is something in here for most every age. Everyone loves it.

So why does Raschka draw chicken feet in such odd places, e.g., on overshoes, alphabet letters, pancake flippers?

Well, rumor has it that one day Charlie Parker was driving back to his boarding house and, as luck would have it, he hit and killed a chicken that had run out into the street from someone's front yard. Such chickens are called "yardbirds". The alleged events include Parker doing the unthinkable, namely, backing up his car, picking up the dead chicken (aka "roadkill"), taking it to his landlady (hey, it was fresh!), her cooking it, and him eating it. When friends heard this story, Parker was known forever after as "Yardbird", which was eventually shortened to just "Bird".

If you didn't catch the part about the chicken feet on your own, don't feel badly. Insiders like Rachka and myself know it and now you do too. Rachka has done a terrific job in providing a lot of feeling about some very notable personalities. Plus he does it with humor, some of which is very subtle.

My students probably have as much fun going through Parker's history as with the book itself. But all of that is just the preliminaries: I then have to read it several more times with the students reading and acting out the story. We have a rockin' good time.

This is such a sweet story about a darling little girl with special needs who is charming and lives her life fully. It is humorous, filled with life lessons about responsibility, sibling rivalry, and getting into mischief. Fun to read. Right up there with Junie B. Jones and Amelia Bedelia! Highly recommend it.

Great book to begin the year with students as a read aloud. I teach 3rd graders which this book contains appropriate language and is great as an easy listening book.

My daughters (ages 8 and 10) and I read this together and laughed aloud. The images are lively and the main character is endearing and quirky.

Something has been bothering me about this series. The book is alright... witty and my daughter liked it well enough to read the follow-up The Talented Clementine. What bothered me is that it feels almost designed to prey upon my insecurities about my scenester sensibilities and my lower-middle class no-glory adult lifestyle. Like so many Brainy Baby plastic products, reading the book I can imagine the pitch the author's agent made to the publisher, "We'll tap into the market of every Gen Y poseur who popped out a baby and had to grow up, get a job, and give up their rock-and-roll lifestyle. We need a chapter book series to sell to those buy who used to spend their disposable income on going to shows who shell out for cool. They're still living in the basement apartment and no chance of moving up, but they believe their offspring has a shot at the golden ring. Indie kids with kids."
I guess I'm a bit peeved that they wouldn't know that I already HAVE Ramona and Beezus, and although my husband would like to imagine that he still looks like Clementine's dad, you know, like he looked in his twenties? when he still had hair? before the paunch? I know better. And I'm the one buying the books around here. So you're just going to have to try a little harder next time and give me some substance.

This book is about a girl named Clementine. Clementine cut off Margaret's hair at art time. In bathroom at Clementine's school Clementine cut off Margaret hair in the bathroom. Margaret had glue in her hair. I like this book because Clementine cuts off Margaret's hair because it had glue in it and she was sitting under the sink because she crying and she was half bald. I would recommend this to a person who likes to get in trouble. by Audrey

I bought this book for a little brother entering college, because I used it myself in college. Straightforward instructions, recipes that are comfort food but simplified. Nothing fancy, no photos, just a great resource.

well im not really clueless in the kitchen but this book helped me find new recipies and cook stuff i never cooked b4.well i like this book (even though my brownies sucked)

after my sister got this I got to read it and it is the ultimate beginners cookbook for anyone on a budget or anyone wanting to learn how to cook who has no experience in the kitchen, wonderful for dorm/minimalist cooking or cooking for a small group.

While I'm sure there are a few teens out there who are interested in cooking a turkey or baking bread, the book is doing itself a disservice by suggesting it is for teens. It's a very good book for the more adventurous of young cooks, but more probably for the 30-something set who loves spending time and money in the kitchen. This book is a wealth of information for the more adventurous cook of any age. The style is warm and a bit humorous, never a bad thing when tackling your first pot roast. So, while I do recommend this book, I have to add that I would not buy it for any inexperienced cooks, especially teens. 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother

This book is great for teenagers, and also for people like me: the ones that just never learned. It is simple and easy to use. My guests are so happy that I can now whip them up something for breakfast or dinner. Also, this is a really great gift for those people going off to college. It even includes a complete list of what to get for a starter kitchen.

The books are fun for young girls to read. I tough they were a little high for the size of the book.

"Ballet Shoes" is probably the most popular book in the "Shoes" series, but "Dancing Shoes" is also very good. It tells the story of two girls, Hilary and Rachel, who are training to become dancers on the stage. It is similar to "Ballet Shoes," but for anyone who enjoyed any of the other of the "Shoes" books it is worth reading.

I've been wanting these books for years now. I'm glad I finally got 2 of them. They came very fast and I love them. Thanks.

I never wanted to 'get into' dancing or acting as a child, but this book makes the
world of a child theatrical performer (70 years ago) come alive. I read this so many times. It was just so entertaining. Great book!

Dancing Shoes is a similar formula compared to Streatfeild's other books. After Rachel and Hilary's father dies, they are sent to live with their Aunt Cora, who owns a talent school and troupe. While Hilary is a very talented dancer, she wants nothing more than to have fun. Her sister, Rachel wants nothing to do with dancing, but she does want Hilary to go to the Royal Ballet School to study proper ballet, as her family and old dance teacher wished for, even though Hilary doesn't want to. So everyone, including their mean and selfish Aunt Cora, believe that Rachel is jealous of Hilary. Meanwhile, Aunt Cora's talented, and conceited, daughter now has competition with Hilary.

The book is full of the same charm as her others. While not as endearing as Ballet Shoes and Theater Shoes, maybe only due to the nastiness of Aunt Cora and how mean she is to Rachel, it is still a wonderful read. Any fans of Streatfeild's other books will surely love this book as well.

This is Chris Crutcher at his most brilliant - and that's really saying something. Told in Ben Wolf's voice, Deadline is honest and real, both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

This is the first Chris Crutcher book that I have read, at least I cannot remember another at this time. I am confident that I will read more of his books. He is an exciting and captivating writer. I find it very interesting that he writes in the first person of his main character, but then adds this interesting dialogue with a spiritual character. There is great depth in the dialogues and interactions between characters. The book moved me.

This book would be appealing to oler adolescents. I would package it as follows: Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were told you had a limited time to live? This novel introduces one way that a person may choose to live a limited time. The characters are believable and come alive in this well written novel. I think you will enjoy this book.

The book was really good. At times it can get slightly boring and slow, but Crutcher always brings things back up to pace again.
It's written very, very well, and the ending wraps it up nicely. Few parts are predictable, having many surprises throughout.
I would definitely recommend it.

This book made me remember why I love Chris Crutcher's novels so much.

Ben is about to start his senior year in high school, and he has some big plans to get himself ready for college and to have a great cross-country season. Everything changes when he sees his doctor for his annual physical.

Ben has a disease that will kill him. It will likely kill him within a year, although he might have a little more time with treatment. Ben decides he will not have any treatment and, furthermore, he will not tell anyone about this disease. He doesn't want to have any of the hassle he associates with being the kid who is dying.

With only a year left to do everything he's ever dreamed, Ben starts by scrapping cross-country and going out for the football team, instead. His younger brother is a superstar but the fear of acquiring a life-long injury has kept Ben from playing. No more! He pursues the most beautiful girl he knows, and is surprised when she is so quick to let him into her life. He makes a nuisance of himself in classes, free from the worry of not graduating.

As Ben attempts to live his dreams, though, he comes to realize that not telling those he loves about his illness is eating away at him. But now that he's kept the secret for so long, how can he come clean?

This was a great story, with fascinating characters. Both the heroes and villains are well rounded, and Ben's struggle over whether to tell the truth is heartbreaking.

DEADLINE's Ben Wolf knows he is dying. An aggressive blood disease will kill him within the year if he isn't treated. With treatment, he might extend his life some. Ben chooses to refuse treatment. He also chooses to keep his condition a secret from everyone except his doctor and the therapist his doctor forces him to see. He throws himself into his last year of life. He finally tries out for football. He pursues the girl he's in lust with. He tries to sober up the town drunk. He acts up in class because what does it matter if he doesn't graduate?

Crutcher, as usual, doesn't fear including issues in his story. There's sexual and physical child abuse, alcoholism, and bigotry. At some points these issues threaten to overshadow Ben's story, but Crutcher keeps them under control.

The diminutive Ben feels fear. He feels sad and he doesn't want to die. Every time his brother or girlfriend talks to him about the future he feels guilty for his lies. But, at the same time, he's a happy narrator. He's doing things he loves and making the most of his final year. He does not regret choosing not to fight the illness with drugs nor does he regret the relationships he makes. (He should regret some of his jokes.)

I don't regret reading DEADLINE. I cried at the end, yes. Ben dies. There is no miracle cure. But I thoroughly enjoyed spending time in his head, watching him do some things so right while still making large mistakes. I cried, but I felt happy. Ben worked hard to make sure the people he affected most would be able to handle his death. He made a choice at the beginning of the novel and defended it to the death. I respect him for that. I will also continue to read Crutcher faithfully, no matter how many of his books get banned.

Excerpted from In Bed With Books

The magic tree house is back, and with it is Morgan le Fay. She has a quest for Jack and Annie, they must solve a strange riddle. And so, the two youngsters are off to a tropical island, where they learn about the sea and its aquatic life.

This book is the ninth in Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series, and the first in a four-part mini-series. This is a fun book, richly illustrated, and teaching while at the same time entertaining. I think that this is a great book, and a fine addition to a great series. Give your young reader a treat, and get him or her this book!

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

In this story, Jack and Annie go to the beach and find a mini-submarine. They explore the ocean and learn about coral reefs. Coral reefs are made of skeletons of tiny sea creatures. Jack and Annie look out the big window of the submarine and see two dolphins. Annie names them Sukie and Sam. When they look at the submarine's computer, they find out that the submarine is cracked. They are being squeezed by an octopus. They start to swim to shore because of the cracks, but when they look back, they see a fin and think that it might be a shark. When they realize they are looking at the dolphins, they ride on the dolphins backs. The dolphins take them safely to shore and they go back home in the magic treehouse.

I liked this book a lot because it has a happy ending. I like dolphins and I wish I could ride on one like Jack and Annie. I recommend this book to kids who like dolphins and who like to read about magic. This book is also good because it teaches you about the coral reef. This is a great book to read during the summer. -by JG.

If anyone is looking for a good book, here's one!
Feel the detail spray into your mind with excitement.

This book is very, very exciting!

Enjoy!

Dolphins at Daybreak takes place at the Magic Treehouse, on an island and out at sea. Morgan le Fay, the master librarian, sends Jack and Annie to an island to look for three riddles. They go there in the Magic Treehouse. The first riddle they found was a pearl inside an oyster. Jack and Annie need to fins the riddles because they want to be master librarians like Morgan. A mini-submarine takes Jack and Annie to find the next riddle. It has cracks init and begins to leak.There are two dolphins nearby that save Jack and Annie from drowning. They also save them from a hungry shark. When they returned to the Treehouse, Jack and Annie found out that the Oyster was the correct riddle that they needed. Jack and Annie were on their way to becoming master librarians. I like the book !



This review is by Maryrose Wintroath

After reading the glowing reviews, I was hoping for something spectacular. First of all, it is a small book, about 6x6 inches - $10 is too much for this small book. Next, I flipped through and read a few of the quotes, but couldn't see myself -or my daughter, the intended recipient- reading for more than a couple of minutes. Sorry, I'm just not impressed. This book, along with the other 3 in the series are all going back.

It is difficult for people of different generations to find a perfect gift. For my niece I thought that the best thing I could give her in her formative years is a sense of self esteem. Talking was not always the best way. I was lucky to find a book that was meaningful to us both.

I have a couple of girl friendship quote and photography books but this is one which I think will appeal to multiple generations of women, unlike my other books. Catherine Dee has included quotes from female Gen Y heros like Michele Kwan: "If you have nothing in life but a great friend, you're rich."

My 14 year old niece worships Michelle Kwan so I think she would appreciate this, as well as her grandma who worshipped Erma Bombeck.

I can't believe it, another gem by Catherine Dee. What a beautiful book of friendship, life lessons and quotes. This book helps to complete the set of Ms. Dee's other works. With beautiful shorts stories, whimsical quotes and words of inspiration, The Girls "Book of Friendship" is the perfect tool for teaching young girls how to build long-term relationships at the same time, providing words of encourage and empowerment.

I was thrilled to be able to give my daughter something tailored to her. This book lays a great foundation for "Girl Power" and enforces a strength in young ladies which will help them take on the world and deal with the obstacles in it.

Keep em coming Catherine!!!!!!

I was recently in the hospital for open-heart surgery. My dear friend gave me the book of friendship. It meant so much to me for two reasons. One is that it is full of such wonderful quotes and shoret stories, and gave me some great memories and cemented my friendhip with the girl who gave it to me, and secondly, due to the brevity of the quotes and stories it was easy for me to pick up and read and put down when I got tired. It is so hard to concentrate on long stories when first out of surgery, so this book was perfect. It took me two weeks to read it all, but worth very minute.

The Good Master (Puffin Newbery Library)

I remember reading this book in my own childhood with so much pleasure, that I ordered a copy for my seven-year old Australian grand-daughter. It may be a little beyond her at this moment, but I'm sure that in due course she will love it as much as I did.

I adore this book. It makes me wish I lived on the plains of Hungary on a ranch like this family. The Good Master is the story of two twelve year old cousins growing up and learning what it is to be a good, respectful and hardworking person. Jansci, the son of the "Good Master", is excited for his cousin Kate to come from Budapest to live with them. That is until she gets there. She is not used to living in the country and gets into many different "adventures". The time setting is about 1900 because the next book The Singing Tree is about WWI. The Good Master is just a wonderful book that everyone will love.

This was my favorite book from my childhood-- it is a classic children's novel full of great Hungarian folktales and tall tales. It is very autobiographical for the author. Kate Seredy should be an author every child reads at least sometime. I still love this book and bought it to give to my child's teacher.

This is a wonderful book forupper elementary or Jr. High girls who just love horses...which is a big section of this age group. The extra bonus is that it gives them a broader picture of girls/horses than the usual stories of girls and their horses in America....this is a great story of a culture and time much removed from their own sphere of experience.

This book and it's sequel, The Singing Tree, are the reasons that I am such an avid book reader. My mother read this book to me as a child, and when I have children, I will read this to them as well.
This story is a wonderful tale about life in a different time and a different place, and the best things in life.