Schools Books

This gentle story, told in simple rhyme, shows animals in a stable getting ready for a special guest. The block-print art, rich in earth-tones, gives a humble and loving feel to the scene. Each animal does what it can to prepare the stable, and when Mary and Joseph arrive, the animals stand in hushed anticipation. The final page shows all the animals gathered around the new baby Jesus, saying, "Welcome, welcome to our house!" A perfect read-aloud for little ones.

My toddler class loved this book. They loved the repetition and every time I'd read the line "Who is coming to our house?" they'd yell Jesus!! It is a great story told from the animals' perspective and a wonderful addition to any preschooler's library!

A wonderful little board book for the little ones. Nice size for them to handle! The Christmas story from the viewpoint of the stable animals is special. The colors are eye catching. Highly recommended!

This book is a favorite for my two pre-school-aged children. We read it year-round.

The rhymes of the tale are engaging. (I love the oft repeated line: "Someone, someone," says Mouse.)

My only quibble with the book is the art work. It is not to my taste, though I think that that is more a matter of personal preference than anything else.

I am SO SICK of this book. I have to read it over and over and over again all day long. My daughter (17 months) will pull it from the bottom of a pile of books and bring it to me to read. On the final page she pats the baby's face and says "Baby. Baby." It's a very sweet little book and worth getting; your child will love it.

As I started to read this book, I began highlighting Dr. Taylor's statements, until it quickly became apparent that I would be highlighting the entire book.

I found myself saying, "Yes, I get it now!" as Dr. Taylor explained how even good media can teach bad habits. Parents will feel empowered after reading this book to take a stand in the war being waged against our families.

Your Children Are Under Attack takes a frighteningly honest look at one of today's most dangerous social diseases: popular culture's battle for control of our children's hearts and minds. Dr. Taylor exposes the ugly war of greed that marketers and the media have been waging on our young, and the spell it has also cast over parents. Step-by step, with the skill of a researcher, the compassion of a wizened therapist, and the heart of a principled human being, he examines each of these unhealthy forces and shows us how to protect our children from this assault and its subsequent ruinous effect on our values. Well-written, poignant, and forceful, Dr. Taylor's work stands as a call to action that comes not a moment too soon. The first step every responsible parent should take to win back control of their children is to read Dr. Taylor's book.

Dr. Taylor identifies the true enemy that is after your child - and gives solid, practical advice on how to protect them from it. In the ever broadening spectrum of pop culture, if you don't have a careful hand in raising your kids, the media will gladly do it for you. Empowering, insightful and straight to the point, Dr. Taylor puts parenting back in the hands of where it belongs.

It was 1960 on the stage of "Bye Bye Birdie" when actor Paul Lynde, playing Mr. Henry McAfee, shouted out to his audience saying, "Kids! I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!"
Toward the end of his barrage, he finally asked, "Why can't they be like we were, perfect in every way? What's the matter with kids today?"
Dr. Jim Taylor, in his book "Your Children are Under Attack: How Popular Culture is Destroying Your Kids' Values, and How You Can Protect Them," addresses this age-old question with an answer: popular culture is devastating our lives.
Video games, too much TV, corporate fraud, materialism, the inundation of information from the Internet, the unreasonable emphasis on physical attractiveness, plus the lack of physical activity leading to childhood obesity -- these are endangering our children and our culture.
Throughout the book, Taylor's theme never waivers. "The messages that American popular culture communicate to children today are in direct conflict with what is best for them," he writes. "Popular culture is now a truly counterproductive force in families' lives...."
Taylor believes that those who in past generations were institutional partners with parents such as the government, corporate America and even our schools have themselves given in to the illusory promises of instant gratification and the almighty "bottom line."
Parents are left standing alone between their children and millions of images from TV, DVDs, XBoxes, etc.
Taylor believes modern pressures lead to lazy parenting - raising children "in the most convenient way" because adults are exhausted and overwhelmed by the pace and impact of everyday life.
The message is grim, but Taylor offers hope. Taylor explains how families can make their values clear, communicate them to one another, and live discriminating lives aware yet distanced from the dangers of pop culture.
For example, he gives straight-forward language parents can use to guide their children toward making safe, sound decisions.
He also gives parents permission to say no to pop culture and to band together with those of like minds to create safe, nurturing environments for their families -- places that do not focus on self-serving ends but that foster compassion, confidence, and kindness.

Dr. Jim Taylor has written a book that needs to be written. Parents, teachers and interested individuals need to be aware as to what our Ameican culture is doing to our children and the values that are being propogated. Dr. Taylor exposes what messages the " media " are sending. Dr. Taylor shows what values corporations in America are esposing. He knows that greed, corruption, materialism and just plain stupidity are out there on our television sets, magazines and what values permeate our culture. Taylor knows what a steady diet of The Osbournes, Friends and of course Paris Hilton will do. We all need to be aware of the messages that are sent to our children on a daily basis and how these messages influence our kids and our culture. Instead of integrity, cleavage is respected in American society. Instead of honor and truth, mascara and designer jeans are extolled as being important. More than ever, parents need to work at discussing values, things of importance and integrity with their children. Parents who do want to help raise their children should read this. Teachers who want to understand the values of their students should read this. And lastly greedy, money hungry corporate American leaders should read this and understand what their crass commercialism is doing to America.

What a delightful book!! I read this book to my daughter and I read it every night, because I feel that this is a great book about being alone and friendship. I recommend it to all young children

I originally became acquainted with this magical tale when my son checked it out from the public library about 20 years ago. Both of us fell in love with this wonderfully-told imaginative story, and each of us has gifted it to many young friends and family members over the years. It goes without saying that the illustrations, too, are a delight.

My 4-year-old and I both love this book. Sweet story, but most importantly, the pictures are goregous!

My son's grandma recently brought this book home from the library and we fell in love with it. It is a sweet and magical story about friendship. It was written in 1969 so I am glad to hear they have reissued it. My son is 3 and just loves it. The illustrations and text are lovely and simple.

Every time people see Alexander they scream or chase him, but all he wants are a few crumbs. Willy, on the other hand, another mouse, is loved and cuddled and cared for. That's because Willy is a toy, a wind-up mouse.

Well, Willy (the toy) and Alexander (the real mouse) happen to meet and each tell about their lives: a happy one for Willy, a frightening and lonely one for Alexander.

Luckily, he thinks, Alexander finds that with the help of some magic from a lizard he, too, can become a happy and loved wind-up mouse. But just in time something shocking happens to make him change his mind about turning into another Willy: Something happens to Willy. (Suitable for preschool through the primary grades.)

A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up

TITLE: The Declaration of Independence
AUTHOR: Anne Mazer
MAIN CHARACTER: Her name is Abby Hayes. She is a fifth grader who loves soccer. Abby has a younger brother and two older sisters who are twins. She also has a mom and a dad whose names are Olivia and Paul Hayes. Abby is outgoing in a way, loves writing, and collects calendars. She is a normal fifth grade girl.
PLOT: Abby wants to go to the Halloween festival with her friends and not with her younger brother. So she has to prove to her parents she can be independent and responsible. Abby has to take on more chores that she is not asked to do like making breakfast and cleaning. Abby keeps messing up but she finds a way that she thinks will prove to her parents she can go to the festival alone.
SETTING: It takes place in present time in a little town in a big state. The writer makes the town sound beautiful.
THEME: Abby wants to prove she can be responsible to her parents to show she can go to the Halloween festival alone with her friends.

I like this story because it keeps the reader interested and you just want to keep reading. It also has a great exposition and climax!


By:
Madison

The book is called the amazing days of Abby hayes the declaration of independence it is about a girl named Abby Hayes she has blue eyes and red curly hair.She has a colection of calenders to.I love this book becaus it is a general fiction book and it is exiting!oh yea she also writs in the book!I am not going to tell you every thing abot the book exept she relly wants to go to the fall fest with her friends!

Abby Hayes, former soccer player wannabe, is now on another mission in which she must prove herself. This time, though, instead of proving that she is worthy of being a part of the Hayes family by becoming a soccer star, she is proving to her parents that she is mature enough to ride bikes to the fall festival at the high school with her friends, and hang out there without her little brother tagging along. But after doing countless chores and trying to act more adult-like (both seeming to be unimpressive to her parents) Abby is wondering if she's EVER going to be considered "mature". Will Abby be able to earn the freedom that she is positive she deserves...or will one mistake ruin everything?

This was a very good book! It's what I refer to as "not fantastic literature, but it requires little thinking and is enjoyable enough that I really like it". I have to say that this book was probably better than the first one. (And now I can't wait to get the third!) My only comment is that ten years old is pretty young to expect that much freedom! Whether Abby gets it or not, I'm not telling, though.

Overall, I say that if you're looking for a fun, light series to read before bedtime, while you're eating a snack, or while you're waiting in a doctor's office, then I recommend "The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes" to you! It's not complicated, and it's very entertaining. I actually waited in anticipation for moments of free time when I could read it!

This is a very good book. When you read it, it seems so real!

Every year, in high school, they had a Fall Festival. And this year's Festival will be the best ever. Abby wanted to go with her friends--NOT her little brother and her parents. But first, she had to prove how mature she is. So Abby planned alot of plans. Those were a great plan for independence...until disaster struck!

P.S. This'll be the book that were always in your hands.( When you get it! HA-ha-haaaaaaa! )

In the second book in the series about Abby Hayes, Abby declares her independence by refusing to take Alex to the Fall Festival, just like she does every year. Abby has to prove herself worthy by acting more mature. She agrees to babysit Alex, so they go to the park. But something terrible happens to Alex. Fortunately, Abby thinks quickly and everything turns out fine and Abby gets to go to the fair with her friends. Buy this great book and every one of them in the series.

This is, quite simply, the best book I've ever seen for familiarizing small children with the numbers from 0 to 12 (not for teaching them to read, because there is no text). However, it needs an attentive adult to go through slowly with the child, inventing a story to correspond with the pictures. I doubt whether a child could get much from it if left to go through it alone.

On page 0 there is nothing -- just a snow-covered hillside. On page 1 there is one building, one adult, one child, one animal, one bird, etc. On page 2 there are two of everything, until, at page 12 there is a complete little village. The choice of 12 steps in the story is not accidental or arbitrary, but corresponds to the number of months in the year, so we start in the dead of winter, move to spring, summer, autumn and back to winter again.

the book is really pretty, there are just images so you can make up stories, it is unusually large for a book, great book I do recomment

My sons loved this quiet book and asked to count the items in the lovely illustrations endlessly. Anno includes a bit of whimsy on the final page if you are thorough in your counting!

I bought this "big" book to use in my Kindergarten classroom. There are abundant activities, found on the internet in an author search, for young children about counting, sequencing and comparing that can springboard from this excellent resource.

The book Anno's Counting Book is a great book for helping children with counting and learning basic math concepts. It helps with addition and subtraction as well as grouping items. The book starts at zero, which is one of few books that start with zero. This helps children grab the concept the zero is still a number even when there is nothing to count. The book goes all the way through the number 12. Children are also able to count the objects in the picture. Each object in that picture contains that number that is on the page.
The style of the book is very simple for young children. Each page contains one number. On that page there is only that specific number of items that children are able to participate and count along. On the left side of each page are counting blocks. The blocks can help children with their addition and subtraction by seeing how many blocks are missing or how many they have to add to make a certain number. On the right side of the page there is the written form of the number which helps children visually see what the number looks like. The illustrations in the book are also very colorful and detailed, but yet simple enough for the children to count the objects in the picture. As you go throughout the book, the pictures also change through the different seasons of the year.
The book Anno's Counting Book is a great wordless book for children who are just learning how to count. It helps with addition, subtraction, grouping items, and writing numbers.

He is large, ugly and not leaving their kitchen. He is a Wizard's Enforcer. He is Archer's Goon. But what is he doing in the Sykes' kitchen, claiming to be sent by Archer and demanding the "two thousand" promised by Howard's dad, Quentin, who had better come up with the payment--and quickly?

At first Howard is relieved to find the two thousand is only words, and that his writer father has already sent them. But he sent them to Mountjoy, the man with whom he usually deals. What does a man Quentin has never heard of want with them?

Howard is determined to find out, and before he knows it he is drawn into a bizarre plot that threatens not only his own family but the whole world.

Wickedly witty and full of Diana Wynne Jones's usual non-stop action and amazing plot twists (though the plot is not as convoluted as in many of her later books) Archer's Goon is a great read for both young and not-so-young.

(BTW, I find it extremely irritating that the BBC turned Archer's Goon into a TV serial but Television New Zealand never bothered to buy it. While it's probably available on DVD, DVDs from the BBC are horrendously and inexcusably expensive.)

This is my favorite of all her books that I've read (that being most of them). It's absolutely excellent, and the best example of her juxtapositions of mundane and esoteric reality there is. This trick of hers is something other authors try in vain to do - a very difficult trick indeed!

"A Goon is a being who melts into the foreground and sticks there."
"All power corrupts, but we need electricity."
"It pays to increase your word power."
- from the author's note

Although Jones seems to be classified as a "children's" author, I've found her a very fine fantasy writer with a sly sense of humor ever since I took amazon.com's advice and first read HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. While ARCHER'S GOON (a stand-alone work rather than a volume in any of Jones' series) has a young protagonist, but like Jones' other work can be enjoyed by any fantasy reader, since she doesn't talk down to her audience.

On the morning the story opens, Howard Sykes faces a typical day of school, avoiding violin practice, and the usual clashes with his little sister (nicknamed 'Awful', with a voice like an ambulance siren). Just an ordinary day in an ordinary little town, right?

Then the title character, a huge thug promptly nicknamed 'the Goon', shows up.

"What's Dad done?"
"Told her. Sykes got behind with his payment. Archer wants his two thousand. Here to collect it."
"Who *is* Archer?"
"Archer farms this part of town. Your dad pays, Archer doesn't make trouble."

In exchange for being let off his taxes - and maybe other things - Howard's father has been sending 2000 words in an envelope to City Hall every month for years. Sykes tries to laugh this off, saying it's a private joke he used to break his writer's block years ago - but now one sibling after another of the seven siblings running the town wants to get hold of the last batch of words and figure out what Archer's been up to all this time. Despite being adults, the siblings don't get on any better than Howard and Awful do; they've just got a truce by which they've divvied up the city. (One sister runs law enforcement while her twin handles crime, for example; Archer runs city power, Hathaway transportation. The brother who got last choice got waste management.) We eventually meet each sibling in turn; in some cases, the main characters must work out where that particular sibling's HQ must be, given their discipline.

The siblings settled into town about a decade before the story opens, planning to use it as a base for taking over the world - but they can't even get along with each other except for staying out of each other's way, and some seem to have changed their minds about running the world. But at least one appears to be interfering with all the others - all of them seem magically constrained to stay within the city limits, although they all deny knowing who did it, how, or why. The siblings have different personalities, and one or two really *are* efficient enough at organization to run the world if they can get free of the town.

Sitting down and asking myself why I like this book so much, I think it's basically the same reason I like some of GK Chesterton's grand conspiracy stories: on the surface we have an ordinary, apparently completely mundane and boring setting - but underneath that surface, even the most mundane activity may cover the activities of some agent of a colorful conspiracy. For instance, Hathaway doesn't get out much, which explains the town's disorganized road construction programs and why potholes don't get fixed properly. Archer has his secret lair in a bank vault and likes gadgets. The brother who runs entertainment travels with an entourage of disco dancers and the local cathedral choir when he wants to foil eavesdroppers.

The Goon himself *looks* very threatening, and refuses to leave without Archer's overdue batch of words, but he's easily bullied about little things like where he puts his feet, and can almost be overlooked like a large pet or easygoing protector - a dangerous assumption to make, perhaps.

This book was way fun to read, full of humor, magic and character. Amazing to think that when Diana Wynne Jones wrote this even SHE didn't know what was going to happen.

Howard Sykes comes home one day to find a goon- a huge dirty guy, anyway- sitting in his kitchen, saying that he comes from Archer, and refusing to move until he gets the 2000 words Howard's father owes him.

But the words got misplaced by Fifi, a college student who stays at the Sykes's house. So Fifi, Howard and Howard's little sister, Awful (who can live up to her name at times) go to find it.

Well, one thing leads to another and they soon find out that the whole town is run by 7 wizards (who are all related).

For me to give you a play by play here would take too long, but if you're thinking of reading this or just looking for a great book to read, I HIGHLY recommend this.

I'm not gonna lie to you. This book is about a Goon belonging to Archer. To be exact, it is about the repercussions of living with a Goon for an extended amount of time. I've slowly been devouring the collected works of Diana Wynne Jones and so far I haven't been disappointed by a single one of her titles. Each book is even odder and more bizarre than the last, often causing the reader to clasp his or her head from time to time and shout, "How does she think this stuff up?". "Arthur's Goon" is no exception to this rule. A brilliantly warped view of absolute power corrupting absolutely and the power plays that go on between siblings (no matter what their age), this book deserves to be remembered as one of the best children's novels out there today.

Walter comes home one day to discover a Goon sitting in his family's kitchen. Your typical hired heavy, the Goon has been sent by the mysterious Archer to collect from Walter's dad about 2000 words. It seems that for the last 13 years Walter's father (Howard) has been writing 2000 words a month and sending them off to a mysterious somebody. Now the words have become misplaced and the Goon has been sent to collect. As Howard steadfastly refuses to type any more, things start to go a little crazy. It isn't long before Walter and his family come to realize that their town is run by seven power mad sibling wizards. These wizards have been trapped in the town and each one runs a different part of it. For example, Dillian farms (that means runs) the police force while Shine farms crime. Now it's up to Walter to solve the mystery of the seven mysterious beings and to figure out who exactly is behind their entrapment within the town.

Author Jones is equally a master at engaging peculiar characters as she is creating complex multi-layered plots. You grow to love the Goon as he grows horribly lovesick for a young college student staying with Walter and his family. And who wouldn't identify with Walter when he has to deal with his appropriately nicknamed little sister Awful. I would venture to guess that she's the worst little sister character I have ever encountered in a kid's book, and that's saying a lot. Then there's the mystery to contend with. As Walter meets more and more of the seven the reader slowly is given clues to understand who's behind it all. Not since Raskin's, "The Westing Game" did I have this much fun with a mysterious kid's book. And to be honest, I never guessed the ending until I was told. The surprise twist this book carries is a doozy. If you figure out who's behind it all before they tell you then you're probably the kind of person who downs Agatha Christie novels like pop tarts.

Unfortunately, I have a bone to pick with this book. Sad to say, either I wasn't bright enough for some of the loose ends here or they were just too darn loose. The ending of this story is never fully explained and (to be frank) I don't believe we ever do find out EXACTLY how the seven brothers and sisters were trapped in the town at all. Some of these points are glossed over so beautifully that it takes a full three hours after putting the book down to realize what it is that you have missed. Now I'm 26 years of age and if I can't understand parts of this tale it's probably a fair guess that your average 10 year-old reader with have similar problems.

Still, that's my only quarrel. There's so much to love here that I feel a little dour making these kinds of comments. I mean, how can you dislike a book where a character like Awful is constantly asking the seven wizards where they come in order of birth so that she can better understand the pecking order in the family? It's a delightful tale about family fights and what it is that exactly makes up a family at all. And then of course there's the goon. Last of all I display for you the fabulous goon that starts this book rolling and, quite possibly, ends it. Here's to goons, ladies and gentlemen! May they grace the pages of more and more children's books in the future.

REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker
Carolyn Haywood (1898-1990) was a native of Philadelphia. One of America's most popular authors of children's books, she published her first book, "B" Is for Betsy, in 1939, and wrote more than forty books altogether. Many of her own childhood experiences can be found in her novels. In this book, Betsy has turned six. It chronicles her first year in school and tells how school goes from being a large and frightening place, based on the scary tales of Old Ned, her grandfather's hired hand, from his childhood school days, to being something exciting and interesting.
This book describes what schools were like in the "olden days." For example, just before Thanksgiving, Betsy's teacher tells how the Pilgrims gave thanks to God. Betsy is not an "ipsy-pipsy perfect" little girl. She is naughty on occasion, but she suffers the consequences of her actions, is sorry, and learns to do better. I had never heard of this series. Haywood's stories about her irrepressible character Betsy, originally consisting of twelve books, have never been out of print, and now the first four Betsy books are back for a whole new generation of young readers. The other three are Back to School with Betsy, Betsy and Billy, and Betsy and the Boys.

I read this book 30 years ago when I was in elementary school. It was probably the first "chapter" book I read. The story is sweet and simple and innocent. It harkens back to a time when children played and acted as children and the family was truly a family. When the fears children had were things like first days of school and crossing the street, not terrorism and pedophiles. Children in the book were respectful and well behaved.Adults loved and cherished the children in their lives. I do not like the new covers for I feel the pictures are too modern looking. I think some children would really enjoy the old fashioned pictures and styles of when the book was truly written. They would probably get a laugh out of how things have changed.

I bought this book for my son with the anticipation of next buying the Besty and Billy book. He enjoys it and I liked it too. I'm sure it can be easily read by a beginner.

Carolyn Haywood wrote "B" is for Betsy in 1939, but this story of a young girl's first year at school is timeless.

Betsy is an only child who is not looking forward to the first grade because Old Ned, a hired hand on her grandfather's farm, has shared unpleasant memories of the school he attended in his youth. Betsy soon discovers, however, that her own experience will be quite unlike Old Ned's. Her teacher is kind and friendly, and the classroom has neither a switch nor a dunce cap. Betsy quickly befriends Ellen, a little girl in her class, and Mr. Kilpatrick, the police officer who helps the children cross a busy street on the way to school.

The children in Betsy's class build a model of a Native American village and watch tadpoles turn into frogs. The first graders assemble a Thanksgiving basket for a poor, elderly woman who makes her living by selling pretzels, and give a circus performance for the sixth graders, which is enlivened by a visit by an organ-grinder and his monkey.

Outside of the classroom, the adventures continue. Betsy saves her money to buy Ellen the perfect birthday present. She rescues a lost dog and is given a cocker spaniel puppy. When Betsy goes to her grandfather's farm for the summer, she is thrilled when Ellen joins her.

This gentle story is timeless, and only a few words betray the fact that it was written nearly seventy years ago---for example, the word "policeman" instead of "police officer" or "Indian" instead of "Native American".

The children are occasionally naughty, but their transgressions are mild and their contrition sincere. The adults do hold the children accountable for their misbehavior, but are helpful and understanding instead of harsh.

This is an excellent book for children who are ready for chapter books, but are too young or sensitive to handle books with frightening or disturbing themes.

Carolyn Haywood's books were written in the 40's and 50's, yet they are timeless in their appeal. The stories about a spunky little girl and her loving family, friends, and school life are great to read aloud and a equally good for a child starting longer chapter books. This is the first in a series of books about Betsy and her friends, so there is lots more fun to look forward to when you finish the last chapter!

CJ Heck has really touched on the important issues that perplex and interest children from three to ninety-nine. Her concise but child-like style embodies much wisdom in her seemingly effortless story telling in the form of poetry. Her poems are geared to be understood by a child, yet the content reveals subjects that a child will wonder about, but not be able to be fully addressed by a child. The poem, Grandmother's Apron is especially pertinent. The poem is about death and explains the pain of losing someone close to you, but in such a reassuring way. Many of the other poems are whimsical and care-free like Barking Spiders, but addressing only the lighthearted things won't carry a child into adulthood. CJ Heck knew that, so she mixed all aspects of growing up into a wonderful blend of poems.

You cannot afford to pass this book by. It is well worth the cost and a must have in your child's library.

CJ Heck has published an incredibly creative and FUN book! My husband and I sat for hours sharing and laughing out loud... and then we shared it will our sons. All three, ages 5, 8 & 10, absolutely loved the great rhyming stories and silly illustrations. We can't wait for another book by CJ Heck!

Hi everyone! I'm CJ, the author of "Barking Spiders". I would like you to know, autographed books are available through me. I ship within two days and I include extra gifts with every order, too. Just click on the "New and Used Books" link to order. No extra fees, no waiting.

Thank you -- may you always see the world through the eyes of a child!
Hugs,
CJ

REVIEW FOR "BARKING SPIDERS,"

Once in awhile an author comes along with a truly delightful children's book. CJ Heck, author of "Barking Spiders and other such stuff" has been able to reach into the child within all of us. Her poems lead us through the inquisitive minds of children everywhere! The imagination in her poems is enlightening, witty, funny and sometimes sad. The wisdom through her work is woven together in a way that each poem tells a story that is both honest and clear.

This book captured my attention until the very last page, therefore telling me that it is a must for every household. What child wouldn't want to know what a "Barking Spider" is? What do they do? What adult wouldn't want to know either? I enjoy how CJ Heck is able to take a simple action such as a child brushing one's teeth and transpire it into a poem delivering a message of family, knowledge, and above all that ANY subject is worth noting! She has been able to go down to the level of a child without losing her adult perspective. Each poem has a simple message that tells a child that no question is silly.

What is really exciting about "Barking Spiders" is the way poems are introduced to children. What a wonderful teaching tool for any class! It is great to peak the interest of youngsters today and I would have to say "Barking Spiders" most certainly delivers.

Dorothy Krusky, Canada
Author of "The Christmas Cat" a children's Christmas story. 2005
"Life's Ride - A Journal of Poems 2007

CJ Heck touches on some things I don't remember reading in children's poems or stories. I like how, from a child's perspective, she articulates their thought processes which are not that much different than adults with the exception of conclusions drawn. I found the book funny, entertaining, and sweet. One of my favorites is "Just Like Me", a poem about identity, with a great humorous last line. "Waiting" is another one of my favorites and is so universal whether you are a child or adult. I thought "Monkey Me" was very funny and true. Overall, I'm glad I have the book and will read it to my friend's children and my own someday. It would be fun to get their reaction.

The book I read was A Bear called Paddington, and it was very good. The author of A bear called Paddington was Michael Bond who has been writing children's books since 1995. A Bear called Paddington is a fantasy story.

A bear called Paddington has 8 stories in the book. First story...Mr. and Mrs. Brown find a bear who had came to America from darkest Prue. The train Stations name was Paddington so they named him Paddington. Paddington has no family so the Browns takes the bear to there house. Second story... Mr. and Mrs. Brown have 2 children, Judy and Jonathon, they really like Paddington. Paddington always has his hat o which actually saves his life. When Paddington was in the bath and forgot how to swim so he poured the water on the floor out of his hat. Third story... Paddington, Mrs. Brown ad Judy go underground somewhere, and o the way there, they lost all there money so as soon as they get there they don't have ay money for tickets. So all 3 of them looked for the money for the tickets. Fourth story Paddington, Judy ad Mrs. Brown go shopping and Paddington have never been on an elevator so he wants to go on one. They got off the elevator and Paddington hates it so much. Fifth story... On day a grocery man tells Paddington how to get paint off stuff. After hearing that, Paddington wanted to try, so he found an old and tried to erase it but it makes an even bigger mess. Sixth story... The whole family went to the theater. Paddington loves it so much that now he wants to be in show business. So he creeps I the actor's dressing room to find the main person, Sir Sealy. Sir Sealy gives Paddington a special part in the play. Seventh story... the whole family go's to the sea and Judy, Paddington and Jonathon enter a sad castle contest and one of them wins. Eighth story... Paddington gets a magic kit for his birthday in the end he vanished 2 thing's and broke one thing.

This book was one of my favorites, it was so good. One bad thing is that it was very easy to understand. I would recommend this book to third or fourth graders.

Paddington is very funny when he does little mistakes. Paddington is a very interesting character that is lovable to everyone. Whenever I'm bored I read it, usually, even though we have already read it. You should mainly buy it for your kids, but you should read it to them because adults like it as much as the kids do. I like all the Paddington books, but my favorite one is the first one. Paddington is a wonderful character and he is my most favorite on earth.
by a 9 year- old (almost)girl from the USA

We LOVE this CD set! I bought it 2 years ago for my daughter to listen to for naps and bedtime, and now at age 5 she's STILL asking for it every night.

I like the fact that both CDs are over an hour long, she likes that there are several stories on each CD to keep her attention. The plots aren't too complicated for her to follow, but they do force her to pay attention and focus on the cd, which is key for naptime. :) Stephen Fry's voice is wonderfully soothing to listen to, and he does a great job of distinguishing between the various characters -- key for books on CD!

As she's gotten older Caroline has begun to appreciate some of the silliness that is Paddington, but the stories are nicely entertaining even without that element. We parents don't mind listening to Paddington in the car when we're on trips. All in all, I say this CD set is well worth this money, it's one that will really grow with you!!

This proved to be a wonderful purchase. The stories are entertaining for both parents and children and are perfect for long car trips. Excellent alternative when you don't want the kids in front of the television.

A classic! I loved Paddington as a child and I'm thrilled to have this in our CD collection. (I'd even listen without the kids!). Stephen Fry reads the stories very well.

Hands down this was my favorite book out of the entire series. There was action between all of the characters. Can Tom and Natasha get out of the Caymans alive? Will the injection end Heather's life? Will Gaia finally give into her urges to be with Ed? Will Tatiana go crazy without her mother? There's even action with Loki and his goons. If you got sucked into this series like I did... you must buy this book. I guess the main question in this book is this: Can Gaia actually have a normal life?

Oh how the excitement bubbles from me.

Heather is now blind.

Josh is dead.

Things are looking up for Gaia and Ed because she has finally told him the truth.

And Loki finally learns the truth about his relationship to Gaia.

This book was excellent. And the ending was a huge surprise! Hopefully though we will not end up being subjected to the same droning and wallowing from the last few books. Can't wait for Lost(Fearless #25)

I always thought the first six books in the series were the I'd risk my life to save from a raging fire type books. None of the following grabbed me quite like those six fast paced, wonderful books had.
Then #23 and #24 arrived at my door.
They are wonderful! Things are definetly getting more exciting in Gaia's world. #24 is a shining star of a book, and high above #13,14,ect (which I liked but did not love). Often the books would blend together because the conflict was drawn out to0 long and there was imo, no stand out story line. Not so in #24.
Heather has recovered from her brush with death after getting tangled up with a psychotic hottie who poisoned her with a drug that would make her fearless but also a loopy fruit loop. The damage has been done though and Heather now lives in a world of darkness. The change of her in this book is amazing. She went from self-centered prima donna to mother teresa type character who's found some amount of peace. That's the one word I would use to describe this book-peace. Each of the characters finds an amount of peace in this book. The struggles are over (for now). Gaia also has found a peacefullness now that Loki is no longer tearing her life apart like a human bulldozer and she and Ed relish the break from chaos and confusion by spending time with eachother.
But how long will this serenity last?
Hello! This is Gaia's world so we know it ain't going to last long!

This book was, oh it was just so, you can't imagine how... (Taking a second to regain composure.) This book left me utterly wordless. I mean it was just so good. Thats all I can think of right now. It left such a profound after taste that right after I finished it I had dreams about it all night. In this book, Gaia goes through the most world rocking adventure than any other in her past. She finds answers to some myeteries that have been taunting her. To make it more better, there is actually some her and Ed time in this book. Some parts in this book will leave you astonished, others will make you yelp for joy. Caution, while reading the end of this book, I advice you to not sit on anything that is more than 1 ft off the ground. Because what happens will surely just make you fall off and dance to the floor. Read this book, you will eat it right up!

This book was great. I couldn't wait to read it because of what happened at the end of #23. You'll love this book. Heather comes out fine and I really hope Tom is okay. What's with the ending. I really want to read #25. I can't wait! If you want to know if this book is worth your time it is!!!