Schools Books

Well, I know my Presidents now, that's for sure! I had great fun learning them, too, sitting on the couch with my husband one afternoon. The two of us went through the book, working through it and giggling at the references all the while. It was a lot of fun and we learned every president during the read. I planned to buy it, learn them, and then relist the item. But, I decided to instead hold onto it for when my nieces come over. I am always hunting for new ways to entertain them and this will keep them busy for sure! :) Lots of fun for all ages.
I highly recommend that you buy it and have as much fun as we did, and learn a little something, too! 5 stars!

This book was ordered for my son, who is a teacher, for Christmas and it came in plenty of time. Thanks so much.

This book is the best and most fun ways to learn about the American Presidents that I have ever seen. For each president from Washington through Clinton, there is a brief caption regarding his life and accomplishments. There is also a drawing taken from a photo or portrait, a cartoon style drawing and associated play on words to aid in remembering the name and whom they succeeded. For example, the cartoon for Dwight Eisenhower shows the Eiffel Tower with eyes on it being held by a tree with eyes. The caption is "The tree-man is crawling up the side of a huge tower that has eyes on it. It must be the eyes-on-tower!" The cartoon for Harry Truman, who preceded Eisenhower, shows the tree-man.
One of the best books for learning history and social studies, I strongly recommend this book. If my children were of a suitable age, I would buy it for them.

After one night, I knew all 43 presidents of the United States in order without looking. This book is AWESOME!!! :D

I had to memorize the presidents in the fourth grade. I'm in college now and I can still remember everything from this book. Not only does it work, but it's fun to look at the pictures and learn the presidents. People of all ages can learn from this book.

Alice McKinley's sick and tired of being in-between. At 13, she feels she's not really a woman, but hardly a child, either. One of her best friends, Pamela, suddenly seems too grown up and sexy, while their other friend, Elizabeth, seems to be regressing into childhood. Alice knows things will change over time, but who wants to wait?

Then, as a birthday surprise, Alice's Aunt Sally invites her, Pamela and Elizabeth to visit in Chicago. The trio is thrilled at the idea of traveling all the way from Washington D.C. on an overnight train, exploring a new city and spending time with Alice's cool older cousin Carol.

Of course, as is typical for Alice, nothing ever goes as planned. Pamela, determined to act older than she really is, flirts with trouble when she meets an older man on the train. Then, when the girls return, Alice's happiness is burst with sudden sad news about a favorite teacher.

As always, Naylor's Alice is a true-to-life heroine, funny and self-conscious in equal measure, sure to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

Like all my life i have been seaching for a certain series of books about a girl and real life. When i found the alice books my search was done i love the alice books they are books i can read time and time agin.I just wanted you to know how much I LOVE THE ALICE BOOK SERIES
Love always
*~*Shawna clark*~*
p.s. me and my friends read these books togetherthey r that great
p.s.s. my e-mail address is tbird09692@aol.com

this book is really great. it's about alice turning 13 and she, Pamela, and Elizabeth going to Chicago over the summer for a week. To visit Aunt Sally because that was her b-day present to Alice.
At the end of the year, a teacher retires and Miss Summers gives everyone an assignment about poetry that is true. I like this book because the author indicates about friendships, going through changes when you're 13, and learning about sad things that had happened back in the past.
Like the fact Alice had accidentally memorized her wrong poem in class. The poem she had said was about her mother. It was sentimental and really sad.
So on the train to Chicago, Pamela meets a guy who is disrepectful. So read it for yourself. It explains about REAL teenage life and friendships. And Pamela gets gum in her hair and getting it cut really short.
Elizabeth tells Alice and Pamela about God. Like refusing to forgive someone is an unforgiveable sin and what God looks like in her opinion.
Alice's dad and Miss Summers go at a music conference together in Michigan when Alice gets back. So for the second time, read this if you're curious with REAL teenage life as 13.

I must say this is the best mistake I ever read....I mean that as a compliment because this story rox! This is a very funny and fun crazy unique story that will make you laugh when you turn to the first page..IM TELLING YOU, READ THIS, WHETHER YOU BUY IT, BORROW IT FROM THE LIBRARY, STEAL IT, i dont care, this is the best book ever and its about three friends on a 'road trip' on a train. P.S. Something very shocking happens to pamela on the train!

Sorry, that was me freaking out at how good this book was! I found it even more realistic and even more popping! I now feel I am one of the characters in this book. I also think that the part of the story where Pamela dressed up to be nineteen, got a date with a guy, flirted with him all night, kissed him, went into her compartment, the guy followed her in and if it hadn't been for Alice and Elizabeth throwing themselves at the door and screaming, she would've been raped very cautionary! Take this story to heart, no grain of salt needed and you may be surprised at how feel when this story is over.

Blessed be!!

As I read this book, I felt like I was with Pam as she crossed Alaska. A truly well written book which gives the reader a wonderful insight into the beauty of Alaska and most of all into the human emotions of such an arduous journey. It is a book of truimph, beating all the odds!

Excellent true story, well told with many explanations so the reader understands what is going on.

This is a great book that will inspire you to be a stronger, more adventursome person than you might otherwise be. I like the way the author incorporates diary entries from her expedition, and also the text inserts including helpful background information that might otherwise have bogged down the flow of the story. I bought both this (the version for adults or teens) and the companion book, Big Enough Anna, which tells the same story in a manner appropriate for young children. Both are fantastic, and I plan to give copies to friends as gifts. Way to go, Pam Flowers!!!

Dear Pam,
I am from Burton Valley Elementry and in third grade.You did an amazing show!I loved it!I have one of your books .I have 'Big Enough ,Anna.Ihope to get more of your books.You have amazing and incredible adventures!I am a BIG fan of your work.Can we buy another copy of Big Enough, Anna and have it signed by you? (...).Thank You for your great books and presentations!

Thank you,
Iris Wagner

I needed something to read during the benchmarks, so I ran to the library during passing time and grabbed the first book I could find on mushing (I'm an addicted musher). I had a hard time putting it down. The pictures were wonderful, and the story was great. It was a pretty fast read, I finished it that day, but I enjoyed it. I've reread it twice since I bought my own copy.

This is a wonderful book -- but the price is ridiculous. I purchased a paperback copy of "The Awk Programming Language" about 15 years ago, and its price was in the $20 range. Times change, and prices go up, but $73 for a 200-page book, even if it is a hardcover, verges on outright theft.

Which is a shame, because this is a great book, written by the men who developed the language. In addition to a lengthy tutorial, it contains many examples of sophisticated programs that can be constructed from the simple tools provided by Awk. Anyone who supports computers for a living, whether in the Unix or Windows environment, can find valuable ideas here.

But the price: c'mon guys, you've got to be kidding. This book has been in print for 20 years now. You've long since made back the initial costs of publishing it. The authors are famous in computer science circles, and have written many other books. I'm sure they don't need the money. So I have to conclude that this is just a cash cow for the publishers.

If you're looking to learn about Awk, and you're on a budget, I would suggest "Effective Awk Programming" by Arnold Robbins. It's available in PDF form as a free download. If you'd like to support the author, buy a printed copy of the book, as I did. Published by O'Reilly, it's available in paperback at Amazon for about $26.

And if you can find a reasonably-priced copy of "The Awk Programming Language", by all means, grab it. It's a classic. Thanks to the publishers, however, it's a classic that's out of most people's reach.

I am torn about this book. My primary complaint is that this book costs so much. Its only a 200 page paper back book. I'm a sucker for classic books though. This text appears to be the original 1988 version by the authors. The actual text of the book is very good and being written by the authors of AWK, provides a certain view on the language and their intent that was well received. I do carry this book with me as a reference which I have found invaluable in my shell scripting endeavors. This book will give you a solid overview of the language. Be prepared for example references to the world of 1988 such as the USSR. Despite my complaints about the price, I have to admit that I enjoy owning this bit of Unix history and having the authors own words about AWK. From a practical standpoint however, I think that you can learn every bit as much about AWK by learning from freely available internet content on GNU/Linux versions of AWK (gawk). Since I have worked with Unix since about 1984, I have to concede being blinded by a bit of nostalgia. However, AWK is still a vital tool for anyone's shell scripting bag of tricks and this book will help you further develop your skills with AWK if you have only used it lightly in the past.

This is my choice for the answer to the question "If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have only one programming book which book would you choose?". Over the years I have periodically returned to this book to read or work through for fun. "The AWK Programming Language" may be from 1988 but it is still outstanding! It has an incredible amount of depth for a book of only 200 or so pages. Well-written, concise, with great examples. Truly an enjoyable book to work through.

I've become a big fan of Awk. Some people may tell you that Awk is outdated and no longer useful; not with other languages such as Perl and Ruby available. Well, Awk does one thing and does it well. It does it "fast enough" most of the time, and does it with a very small language.

Perl and Ruby are fine, but if you lean towards "small is beautiful", you must learn Awk. For times when you need it, it's a Godsend. I've used it recently to automatically generate SQL insert statements from some flat files and to do automatic code generation for larger languages.

Some of the best tools have survived the test of time.

In this book, I feel like I learned all the things I need to know about Awk - all the way from beginner to advanced. It's a classic. Not a lot of books get five stars for me. This book fulfills it's goals perfectly, so deserves a perfect rating.

In Unix today, several scripting languages exist: awk, perl, tcl and python. Awk is a small, easy-to-learn, yet powerful programming language, and is language of choice for quick, think- and analyze-on-the-fly tasks. This book is written by the inventors of this wonderful language. It provides an excellent introduction to the language, with many practical examples for day-to-day use. Over many years, it has also served as a good reference to the language. In addition, this book gives concise introduction to numerous fundamental algorithms in computer science (interpreter, calculator, parser, sorting, graph algorithms, ..), which I consult for complex tasks even today.

Always a joy to read! Highly recommended.

Not a story you will be able to believe,but plenty fun..Copied from the movie BIG,the Sweet valley Twins wish they were grown up(at a carnival)and their wish comes true.They wake up in the morning as 18 year olds.

This book was VERY good. I loved it! It starts off as the twins are invited to this great, big Christmas bash of the year. Of course, the best part was that there was going to be high school guys there! But when they're parents say they're too young for a high school/middle school party, they're hopes and excitments vanish. But that night before they go to bed, they wish they were all grown up so that they could make they're own decisions and not be bossed around by grown ups all the time! When the following morning arrives, they realize they're wishes came true and thats when the adventure and excitment begins! Read this book! You'll love it! I guarantee! :) ~Samantha~

Janet and Joe Howell are giving a Christmas party.Mr and Mrs.Wakefield let Steven go,since they will have High and Middle schoolers there,but NOT Elizabeth and Jessica,they go to a carnival instead and make a wish for being big.Next morning,They are Adults or teenagers.Their clothes won't fit,so they take their mom's clothes.They get a job driving a donut truck,and working in an office.Steven relizes that the women are his sisters.They go to another carnival and look for the wishing well and unwish the wish.

This book was one of the best books out of the sweet Valley twins series. With its series of laughter, fun and emotion it is the perfect book for you hopefully.
It is about these two identical twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. One of Jessica's friends Janet Howell is throwing a joint big christmas bash along with her high school aged brother Joe. The twins older brother Steven is invited to go along with the twins. The twins are very excited about going but Steven isn't. He would give anything for them not to be there so he trys to bargain with them.
Eventually the twins parents Alice and Ned Wakefield find out there are going to be high school boys at the party and are a little worried. With a little help from Steven telling his parents how 'wild' the party is going to be the twins aren't allowed to go. They get very disapointed. That night they go to the carnival and make a wish together. They both with 'I wish i were grown up.'
However, much to their surprise their wish comes true! In the morning they wake up to find they've grown into young women overnight. They quickly escape the house so it doesn't cost major embarrasment and their parents think they've ran away. Steven feels bad and trys to help them.
I won't say anymore, i'll have to let you read it for youself.
I Hope you get as much pleasure out of it as i did.

I first read this book about two years ago, but forgot to write a review.
Liz and Jess's parents were being overprotective and weren't allowed to go to this big party because their parents thought. then they make an exact same wish(they're twins!) and the next morning theie wish comes true! but after awhile they regret what they wished for. if you want to know why then i suggest u read the book. have fun! :)

Pip is a 15 year old boy that drinks and does drugs that you can usually either find at a cemetary or smoking behind a deli. Life at home isn't to great for him, his father is an alcoholic that is usually angry and his mother pops pills. His little brother looks up to him, even though Pip does not want him to, his little brother doesn't understand what really goes on. Pip has to keep good watch of him because he is exposed to alcohol and drugs and doesnt want his brother to get into those kinds of things even though he doesnt get a hold of them. In the book Pip has to death with trying to not get kicked out of school, family issues, forced counseling, drugs and alcohol addictions. This book is excelant because it talks about problems most teen-agers have and are trying to deal with.
-By Kayla

All parents of teenage boys should read this book. It is a remarkable porthole into their minds. Although written by a woman, both my son and I agree that it taps into this young man's psychy. Very good story, well written, informative.

When you get into High School, there is a lot of pressure. Sometimes people ask you to do things you don't want to do, like drinking and doing drugs, but you go and do them because you think it's cool. If you decide to go along with it, you may regret it when you look back. In Bottled Up, the main character, Pip, is stuck in a place where he thinks everything's okay, doing drugs and drinking underage is fine. When he finally gets hit by reality, his principal finds out and threatens him by saying if he goes to counseling and his classes, he won't tell his father, Pip has to make a huge decision. His father is the kind of dad that likes to drink a lot and hits his children. Pip figures that if his father finds out, it might be the last thing that ever happens to him. He agrees to go to the 'stupid' counseling and tries to find out who he really is. A good reason to read Bottled Up is that it captures you attention, where the reader could get through this book in a matter of hours without putting it down. It makes the person reading the book feel as though they are really there, right with Pip every time something dramatic happens. Another good reason to read Bottled up is that no matter if the reader is a teen or an adult, this book can still be related to their life. If they are an adult, the reader might being seeing things from a different view, being a parent. The best reason to read Bottled Up is whether the reader is a male or female, the book is still fitting. Even though Pip is a guy, girls still go through the things he does. Whatever age and sex the reader is, the book can still be related to. In conclusion, this is a great book for all teenagers in High School and parents. It focuses in on the trouble of being a teen when you start heading the wrong way. This book shows that no matter how far you go down the wrong path, you can always turn back.


-Sarah Burd
Block 3

Pip is desperate to leave behind his life, and all of his problems. He does this by getting high, drinking and cutting classes. He feels his family, including an alcoholic dad, a doormat mom, and a needy little brother, dont understand. Hes busted by his principal and is given the choice to either take counciling, or be expelled. Pip must turn his life around for the sake of himself, and his brother.

Bottled Up is a great, relatable book for any average teenager. Pip struggles with his alcoholic father at home and overbearing teachers at school. He is responsible for his little brother as well as keeping his grades up and making sure his drugs and alcohol use under the radar.
It's a good read.

I am 24 years old and I still love Fear Street. I read this saga over 10 years ago and I started thinking about it a few months ago for some reason. I looked in book stores but it was order only, so I didn't bother. Finally my husband told me to go on Amazon and order it. After all, we would be going to the beach for Labor Day weekend and I don't like going into the water, so reading material is a must.

I'm almost done with the first book, and I love it. I feel like a teen again.

The Burning is one of the sagas set in days of old explaining the curse that possesses Fear Street.it is an interesting read but it involves much death and is not a cheery book by any means.So I am wondering if it is really worth it.There isn't really a positive aspect or moral to it.Except, perhaps, that the Fear family's own evil is what eventually destroyed them.

I was reading The Burning by R.L. Stine. This book was a pretty good book; out of ten I would give this book a high eight. I liked this book because of all mystery and horror combined.

In this book it is told by Nora Goode, who is married to one of the Fears. In this book it is about how this guy Simon Fear goes to this party and falls in love with Angelica Goode. But Angelica has two guys that are really wealthy and smart and handsome. So Simon kills both of them and marries Angelica. Then bad luck comes back to Simon. He kills his own daughter. Now Daniel has to go for Simon's birthday.
and mystery. They would like this because it is all mystery and horror. So read this book
A person who would like this is a person who likes horror

I didn't like the ending because it could have been a better, but if he did a different ending then there wouldn't be any Fear Street books. I did like it from the beginning up to the end. I only liked the beginning because it had the mystery to it and I didn't want to put it down. I like it when I can't put it down because then it keeps me hooked. When I'm hooked the book doesn't get boring that easily
The story is about a boy named Simon who tried to forget about and stop the family curse. But then, it finally caught up to him. It is about Simon's grandson named Daniel. Daniel didn't know about his family curse until he got to his grandparents. He fell in love with Nora Goode before he knew about the curse and he thought that if they got married it would end the curse. Will the marriage and their true love end the curse? What will happen to them in the end?
If you didn't read The Betrayal and The Secret then you will not understand the book that well. If you like mystery, love, and not wanting to put the book down then you may like this book most of it or all of it. This book will help you understand why bad things happen to people who live on Fear Street in the Fear Street books. There is dying in this book and if you like that in a book then you may just like this book.

This is the 3rd book in the series. It's about a girl name Nora & a boy name Daniel want to stop the curse of the family. They think that the only way to end it forever is to get married. This book actually need 10 stars because it was better than the other 2.

She is in a mental hospital, that's all you know till fairly well into the book, you don't know why or how, just that it had something to do with insider trading, and her father, and her dog. That's what it all seems to come back to, her dog Checkers. She tells the story through flashbacks. And at first its very confusing, because she seems to be mostly just telling about her dog, like that's her main priority, sometimes she'll go off into something about her family, or why she's in the hospital, and then she'll break off and say "anyway, I was telling you about Checkers" but in the end you'll get why Checkers is so important. "Checkers" has a fairly surprising, sort of freaky ending but I thought it was very well done, and it has a lot of suspense. Very good, short, sweet read.

Chekers tells the story of a wealthy Australian teenage girl. Although her personality and story and well-defined, her name is never given. Told through memories and flashbacks, the story illustrates the girl's plummet from the utmost joy, like getting a puppy checkers and living in a lush home, to her arrival in the phsyc ward that she is currently living in. Told as any true aussie teen would, the story is in fact realistic and chilling. John Marsden carefully reveals that even a wealthy business family can be torn apart by corruption.

A Review by Robin

An Australian teenage girl lived with her mom, dad and brother in a beautiful home in the suburbs; and she had a dog named Checkers. She suffers from depression and she now lives in a mental hospital. She never had many friends, at school or at the hospital. She and several other teenagers attend a daily meeting called group. She has never said anything in group because she is afraid of what people will think of her. One day, she just couldn't handle it anymore. She had to tell somebody. This is her story of how she got there.

I like how this book tells a story about a teenager's life experiences. I can relate to them, such as depression and social issues. This story is suspenseful. Once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. You just want to keep reading. The author doesn't give away the story of how she got in the hospital until the very end. You can easily follow the book with big font and easy to read words. And if you have any troubles with some "aussie" words, there's a glossary in the front of the book to tell you what they are and what they mean. But the characters were realistic, and seemed alive. They're just like people you would meet in an everyday encounter acquaintance. They were believable.

I would recommend this book to people who like stories about real life conflicts and experiences. It would satisfy your needs if you are the type of person who likes to read other people's diaries or journals. I would especially recommend it to any teenagers who think they have it rough or bad. You think you know, but you have no idea.

Though the book seems to have many flaws at first, once you read in to it all, it makes sense.
The story is of a girl whose family is being corrupted by the media, especially her father. Stories in the paper start to bother the girl, and her interest shoots up.
But among this all, is her "darling dog Checkers", a most important figure in the plot development.
While telling the story, the girl is in a Psychiatric Ward. She tells of the others there, and describes the events as if she were writing in a journal.
I high suggest this book to EVERYONE.
John Marsden did an excellent job with this book, an EXCELLENT read.

Told in first-person flashbacks and set in the mental hospital where the nameless protagonist recovers from a nervous breakdown, this story's message is: "The higher you climb, the harder you fall." Wealth and privilege cannot save your family from scandal, our protagonist learns, especially when your father is involved in dishonest business practices a la Enron.

The only honest relationship the girl has is with her mongrel dog, Checkers. She seeks comfort in his company as the media circles like vultures around her house, looking for a way to connect the girl's father to the stock market scandal that's brewing. She would never have thought that the connection they were looking for was sleeping on the rug in front of her fire.

I really liked this novel, and would have loved it if it wasn't about the fortieth book I've read that's set in a mental hospital. Mental hospitals have become way too clichéd in young adult literature. Other than that, though, it was a terrific story.

I could not believe Stacey,AT ALL!She is so boy-crazy,such a snob,and she always seems to get what she wants. Cluadia wants to be her friend again...or at least tries to. And all Stacey does is act like a big b-word! It's like she doesn't care about Claudia anymore,only Jeremy. Claudia and Jemery were made for eachother. I can't believe Stacey has him. Well,Claudia's found a new friend. Erica. She's adopted and she wants to know who are her biological parents. And Claud totaly understands how she feels because she used to think she was adopted. They become good friends...until Cluad calls her "Stacey" by mistake and can sometimes only talk about Stacey. Claud and Stace almost made up but then Stacey screwed up.

This was the first Friends Forever book I've read, and I liked this really much! This books was more realistic than the BSC series (and definitely more realistic than the Super Special series) and so good!!! I like that Claudia's got a new friend, Erica.I also like the other baby-sitters got new friends outside the club (Claudia and Erica, Stacey and Rachel, ect.) But I didn't like that Claud & Stace are fighting over a boy. I think Jeremy is better for Stacey, but I'm in Claudia's side at the Friendship Feud.

In this book (number 4), you see the huge fight with Claudia and Stacey in Claudia's point of view (just so you know- if you aggreed with Stacey in book #2, you'll probably change your opinion).

Claudia gets a new friend- her name is Erica. (In the last book, Stacey became friends with Claudia's old enemy, Rachel.) Stacey also gets WAY more over-protective with Jeremy when he starts hanging out with Claudia more. Mary Anne is still kind of sad about breaking up with Logan, especially when she sees him noticing other girls.

My thoughts on this book: I thought it was great! I'd read the Stacey version of "the fight" earlier, and it makes you see "the fight" in a totally different perspective. As always, the book was fun to read, well-written, and kept true to Claudia-the-character... though Stacey DID seem to be quite a bit more mean than usual. All in all- a great book!

All right, this is how it goes. Stacey stole Jeremy and I have to say I despise her for it. Claudia saw and met him first. Also, I can't believe Stacey would want to make an attempt to apologize to Claudia and then say, ''Okay, Claudia, I will not allow you to get anywhere near Jeremy." What right does she have to say that! Claudia can choose her own friends, but obviously Stacey can't see that! The book was good, except now I know I am on Claudia's side in the friendship feud. I'm glad Claudia is friends with Erica now, too. Erica is much, much, MUCH cooler than Stacey. If you want to find out more, read "Claudia and the Friendship Feud." That book is awesome, and I'm sure #5: Kristy Power! will be just as awesome!

This book is one of my favorites in the BSC Friends Forever Series so far! A great job you're doing, Ms. Martin! Keep up the good work! I will certainly try to be the first one in line to recieve Kristy Power!

Claudia thinks her ex-best friend Stacey is a liar, a cheat, and a boyfriend-stealer. Sure, she misses Stacey... but she isn't about to talk to her. Instead she's finding new friends, like Erica Blumberg. And the most unexpected friend of all--Jeremy Rudolph, the boy who Stacey stole. Things are about to get very complicated...Will the friendship feud ever end? Read this book to find out!

My son loves this book! He can recite it to us, we've read it so much. It is a cautionary tale, but not in the creepy Hansel & Gretel sort of way. It shows how "mommy ducks" can get frustrated with "little ducks" when they don't listen. Daisy is never really in danger... and I think a little anxiety is good! This book has helped my son understand that he needs to listen to Mommy & Daddy because they are always looking out for his safety. When the family is out and about, and my son acts like Daisy (innocently curious, but nevertheless, NOT listening to our cries to stay close), my husband and I say "come along Daisy" or "you must stay close Daisy." This helps my son to remember the importance of listening to Mommy & Daddy. Besides this educational benefit, it is an awesome story! One that the whole family will remember even as my son grows into a man.

a great, interactive and charming story about a little duck named daisy. your little one will enjoy it!

A beautiful cautionary tale that my 30 months old son like it so much. He felt sad when Daisy was all alone. He pretended as Daisy talking with the Frog, bouncing on the bed. He showed his smiley face when mama duck appeared at the end.

When we were out, he sometimes stay close to me when I reminded him Daisy.

Daisy is a little duckling that doesn't listen. She is too busy chasing insects, playing with frogs and bouncing around. Her mom calls her plenty of times and warns her to stay near her at all times but Daisy is a defiant little duck until one day when she wanders too far. Daisy finds herself hiding from big scary things moving in the water under her and big scary birds flying over her head and the one time she really needs her mom, she isn't there. This is a book about a little defiant duck who learns her lesson. The illustrations are amazingly precious, simple yet full of life and sweetness. I very much enjoyed this story because I found the children I read it to playing with their rubber ducky in the bath, that looks like Daisy, hiding from their other toys. They were repeating lines from the story and smiling.

I suppose, in the strictest sense of the term, that "Come Along, Daisy" could be categorized as a cautionary tale. I mean, certainly there are negative consequences for any child that refuses to heed his or her mother while traveling. Still, the book cautions without scaring. It's a remarkably tender little tale that manages to be evocative and dark without descending into morbidity. And it's just doggone sweet.

Daisy is a young duckling, still wearing her yellow feathers and trailing after her mama. While out in the swamp one day, Mama tells Daisy to heed her and to not fall behind. Daisy, however, is too distracted to listen closely to her mother. There are fish to observe and dragonflies to chase. There are lily pads to jump on (with a "bouncy, bouncy, bouncy. Bong, bong!") and frogs to observe at close proximity. Unfortunately, soon Daisy's frog hops away leaving the small helpless duckling very much alone. Things under the lily pad scare her. Things flying up in the sky scare her. And a very loud noise definitely scares her. That is, until she find out that it's just Mama Duck with her customary, "Come along, Daisy". Needless to say, Daisy learns her lesson.

This is just one of the latest in a long line of books that inform children not to get separated from their parents in public spaces. Of course, it doesn't engage in much of the way of practical advice. Mama Duck doesn't tell Daisy that if she gets lost she should stand in one place and not move. But I suppose Mama Duck is in charge of the situation the entire time in this story. In any case, this is a just a good story that tells kids to listen to their guardians when out n' about. Author Jane Simmons also doubles as an illustrator for this story, and it is here that she really stands out and shines. Simmons has a grasp of perpective and tone that just fits her story like a warm comforting glove. Painted entirely in thick beautiful paints, the book shows the slight tints of the early morning sun, the fetid marshes when Daisy is abandoned, and the eerie green cattails of an unknown swamp. Characters are rendered beautifully as well. When Daisy is happy she leaps about with toddler-like abandon. When scared, her eyes stare blankly out behind an enormous worried beak. And when she sees her mother, at long last, her entire body arches towards her, going as fast as she possibly can.

Children can handle tales of abandonment if everything turns out well in the end. "Come Along, Daisy" has the added delight of there never being a particularly dire threat to the little duckling in the first place. Even that dark image of a hawk flying above shows Mama Duck swimming placidly nearby. There is great comfort in reading about Daisy's adventures. This book is a perfect little lesson about the bond between a child and its guardian, specifically that between mother and child. A wonderful beautiful book.