Schools Books

Bravo! This book should be in every teacher's professional library! The world we live in today exposes children to the many ugly sides of humanity. Too often the people they look up to and aspire to become are not worthy of their devotion. Dennis Deneberg and Lorraine Roscoe have presented kids with an opportunity to meet real heroes. I use this book each year to define what it means to be a hero and to help 5th graders look beyond "famous" to see quality of character. This book inspires children to the best! Thank you Dennis and Lorraine! I am ready for the next edition!

Great Book --- I love the way it is written. It gives the reader not only information about a wonderful variety of American Heroes but asks questions about how the reader might be challenged to a higher standard. I'm looking forward to introducing my grandson to this book. I'm sure he will find many heroes in the book that he will want to find out more about.

As a 5th grade teacher in a mostly rural area, this book has allowed my students to get to know so many different American heroes. I was so impressed with the book myself, that I read the whole book cover to cover in one night! I have had parents of my students ask if their child could bring the book home so they (the parents) could read it and enjoy it as well. Our school wrote a grant in order to purchase about 50 copies of the book and it was probably some of the best money our district has ever spent! I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages - it's a gem!

My New Year's resolution..one of them, is to read more with and in front of my children. I brought this book home and read to them one or two of the figures. They LOVED it. We read from it almost every night now. They fight over who gets to pick the figure we read about and actually ask me to go and get it. It's really nice that they are learning about older historical figures but also recognize some of the faces they are reading about. I try to make my kids understand that great people are not born that way they are normal people who aspire to greatness. This is a great way to teach them that and then some!!

I read all these great reviews, so of course I got the book. It's good. I like that each hero has two pages, and the book is thought-provoking.

But it's slanted...

These _are_ good heroes to admire, but for the life of me, I can't think why a book like this would include Sandra Day O'Connor and exclude Clarence Thomas.

I prefer the Childhood of Famous Americans series -- the books are more in-depth and enjoyable, and more politically neutral.

A cute story about how children see their dolls and dolls see their children. Perfection is in the eye of the child. And the most worn are often the most loved. Any one with a passion for dolls would love this story.

Absolutely love this book for girls ages 0 to 12 -but most compelling for ages 6-10. This was a favorite of mine when i was young. My 8 year old daughter is so enamoured wtih the story she wants to have a Best Loved Doll birthday. Don't hesitate - buy this book!

This wonderful book captivated me as a child. It is probably my most favorite book from my childhood and I loved it so! I remember so much how I wished I could have owned the best loved doll, and how it made me tear up after my mother read it to me for the first time. I cannot wait to read it one day to my daughter(s)!

"The Best Loved Doll" was the first book I fell in love with as a little girl. Even after I grew up I still remembered this book. When I got pregnant and found out I was having a little girl, I knew I had to find this book. And to my astonishment, I found it and didn't think twice of purchasing it. I can only hope that my little girl will love it as much as I did. A true treasure for all little girls with a good meaning: just because something looks old and is in tatters, it doesn't mean it can't be loved or give love.

I have loved this book my whole life. I think it is a great reminder for today's materialistic youth.

This is one of my favorite childhood books, so I was thrilled to share it with my daughter. We have both CDB and CDC now, and she loves them (and thinks it's pretty cool that Steig also wrote Shrek!) Besides the fun of sounding out the phrases and the laughs it provides, I think the books are mentally challenging and verbally stimulating for children of all ages. Educational maybe, but so much fun. Who doesn't love the illustrations?

Having enjoyed Steig's first such book as an adult, we sent a copy to a budding linguist at college. Upon ordering I was delighted to find this second enjoyable book available. Steig has such delightful images and twists of humor that I could not pass it up. Great fun in drawings and puzzling out the meanings.

I have always chuckled at this book, ever since I helped in my children's school library 20 years ago. William Steig has such a clever way of putting letters together and illustrating what he is trying to say. It is interesting to children of all ages.

I ordered this since my sister received it and thought it was a great book. Unfortunately, this copy does not come with the answers. Look for the hard cover version, that has the answers in the back.

CDB! (Stories to Go!)

I was very excited to find this book for my grandbaby. We had great fun with it when her aunts were small. Who would have thought back then that William Stieg invented 'text speak'. I even stumped my youngest daughter with NQ!

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.

If you're a cartoonist this is a book you have to have. It has been in publication for quite a while but nothing better has been created in the way of a great, all-purpose reference book. I've gone through a couple copies of this book and no matter how many times I looked at it I was still able to come up with ideas. Whether you're just starting out or have been doing cartoons for years you should have a copy of this book.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 remember this book, but only wanting it. Did I buy it? I don't have it. Maybe my kids carted it off, but I doubt it. Keep track of everything you buy, folks. Some things slpi through the cracks in the brain. Still believe it would be a good book to have.

I bought this book for my 17 year old and he loved it. I wish I would have it for my other children when they were teens. Very valuable information to prepare teens for life and work and responsibility. Written in an easy to read format so even teens who dont really like to read will find it fun and enjoyable. The chapter on finding a job has so much information on filling out applications, doing the interviews and how to actually get the job that it alone is worth the price of the book, and that is just one chapter.

Every once in a while you read a book, and you can not let go of it. You recommend it to friends, you buy it for family and people you care about and you actually go back and revisit it long after the first read. This is one of those books. With four young children, my wife and I constantly worry about a myriad of things, mostly having to do with giving our kids the skills the need to become good people, successful adults (by whatever measure they deem successful) and all around better prepared than we were.

This book is a great framework for discussions with your kids about what is important to know, and it is really shocking how little of this we give them in school.

In my family, we were told never to talk of money. How was I supposed to learn about it. Managing the green in this book is a great example of real world tactics for kids to become responsible young adults.

I read a lot of business books, and I am happy when there are one or two key points that stick with me and become a part of the set of tools I use everyday, but to be honest this book is so full of them, I had to go through it with a highlighter!

Do your kids a favor, buy this book for them, but read it first. You will be amazed at the conversations you will have and you can go sleep at night knowing that maybe just maybe, everything is going to be all right for them.

I bought this on the basis of the reviews. I thought the book was pretty good, but the content was not as comprehensive or helpful as I thought it should be.

Cool Stuff they should teach in school is a guide to jobs, people skills, goals, and money for young adults written by two normal teenagers. This book covers everything from trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and how your attitude actually determine how successful you'll be through how to make a good impression and what not to do during a job interview to how to manage your money and how to make your savings work for you.

I loved the conversational style of this book as well as the straightforward no punches pulled advice. I also liked the colourful Cool Stuff quotes and 2K tips. This is the advice your best friend would give you if he could. Cool Stuff they should teach in school will make a really great gift for any teenager or young adult needing just a little bit of nudge to start their future on the right track.

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!

"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 received this book when I was about 8 years old. I took one look at it and thought, "I am NOT going to read this. It's a BABY book!" I never touched the book again until 3 years later, when I was 11 years old, and decided just to try out the book. OMG! Was I wrong! This was not a baby book! The story of Rachel and Hilary Lennox and their lovable (in a villainy way)conceited cousin, Dulcie Wintle, is a charming book that every one (and I mean EVERYONE) will love.

Rachel and Hilary come to live with their Aunt Cora, who runs a dancing (ballet, acrobatics, musical comedy, etc.) school, when their mother dies. Aunt Cora is set on making them both "little wonders" but Rachel finds that she disdains it, having no talent for those types of things. Hilary, however, finds that she loves it, and has a real talent for it, too! But Rachel doesn't want Hilary to be a "little wonder," let alone love it! Hilary was going to go to the Royal Ballet School of Dancing before their mother died, and Rachel is set on making her go after her mother's last words for her were to make sure Hilary went on with her dancing.
Misunderstandings will get in the way, as Hilary grows more and more with the "bad" type of dancing, becomes competition with Dulcie, and Rachel comes to find that dancing may not be her thing, but that doesn't mean that stage is not...

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.

Robin Jarvis's Dark portal is an exiting, action filled thriller.Some might say it is a weird and an odd topic,but the characters being mice and rats gives the story an extra push, rather than cats and dogs.Everybody reads about cats and dogs.I like this book mainly for 2 reasons:1.there is lots of violence and action. & 2.when you read certain parts where she refers to other events it kind of makes you reread the event she is talking about so you can completly get understand what is going on.
Children 10 and younger probably shouldn't read this book because of the major violence and gore(fighting and blood).

I really enjoyed reading this book and found it nearly immposible to put it down and I would think about it during the time I wasn't reading it. I don't generally enjoy books about animals, but this one was fantastic. The society of mice and bats and rats were fantasticily conciveed by Jarvis, who clearly delivered all aspects of the story. I plan to purchase the second one as soon as possible!

it is the first book in the trilogy and is a great book. the end leaves you thinking that there isn't anymore, but just wait till you read the Crystal Prison. anyway, this is one of the best book having talking mice and other animals. way better than what i have read of the Red Wall series.

The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis is 5 stars for excitement and survival.
Albert's life is on the line and his daughter Audrey would risk her life to save him. Albert is very kind hearted and is near death in the scariest place that any mouse would want to go! Will Audrey be able to save her father or will they be eaten by those horrific rats?
I life this book because it shows us that mice have a life that is just like ours.
This book is recommended for all kids that love excitement and really dark places.

I just don't like rats. They are vile and digusting creatures. I don't like planet Jupiter either. It is a dumb name.

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.

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

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.

If you have ever read the book A Walk to Remember, or even watched the movie, then you know the feeling that you get when you find out that your favorite character is dying. Intense sadness; anger; desire for change; hope that it's not true; and then finally, you just give up. You know it's true, but in the end it doesn't make it any more bearable.

In Deadline, you know from the very beginning that Ben Wolf is going to die. It is inevitable... even on the front cover it says it. The evidence is everywhere. But, since it's introduced so early in the story, you don't really think about it as more than a plot point.

So, what would you do if you were going to die? Well, I'm sure there are different answers for different people, but I know Ben's answers. He wants to make a difference. He wants to stick out. He wants to live life to the fullest; and he does. He goes out for football, despite the fact that he weighs less than a hundred and thirty pounds. He befriends the town drunk. He starts arguments in class, trying to get people to think about life and the way things are. And he finally gets the guts to ask out that perfect girl he's had a crush on.

And throughout all of this, he is the only person (besides his doctor and his therapist) who knows that he's dying. But obviously he can't keep it that way.

This book was truly amazing. It's a real page turner, from the very first sentence. Chris Crutcher isn't one to waste words; he doesn't write anything that doesn't mean something to the story, so this book isn't full of pointless banter. It has feeling. It has meaning. I can truly connect to the characters in a deep way. I felt like there was just the right amount of sarcastic humor and life messages to make this a really enjoyable book; you will laugh, you will cry... and you will also fall in love with this book.

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.

My sixth grade teacher read it to me in 1961. I became a teacher and have read it to hundreds of students as well as my own two children. It should be on a required reading list. It is a simple but delightful tale that centers on family, love and hard work.