New Books

I LOVE Jan Brett's books! I buy them anytime I see them whether on sale, old ones on Amazon as remainders, or new.. They make great gifts. I have a backup of many to give to children, particularly my granddaughters. The illustrations in this one are so beautiful it is really a keepsake to save as well as enjoy. Give it as a gift and you will make some child very happy and a parent happy,too.

Beautiful illustrations reprinted from over 40 sources. All illustrations are credited on last page. Book measures 9"X11.5" Only down side was that the price changes by the day. One day it's almost $11 another it's $8.97. But that's just the way Amazon works; something to be aware of. (It's worked in my favor often while shopping at midnight--price suddenly went down!)

it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one

I bought this for my grandchildren last Christmas. The wording is traditional, and the illustrations are wonderful! This has become a part of the Christmas Eve tradition at my daughter's house.

These illustrations are the best ever for The Night Before Christmas...Stunning even! A worthy heirloom Christmas Book. The illustrations cover both sides of the page for a large panoramic view seldom seen in other books...

Although I think it may be a bit advanced for my 9 yr. old, I'm still glad I purchased this book for my most recent book club choice. A gentle book that flows easily, and the characters change for the better in wonderful ways. The one thing that bugged me was Mrs. Shaw and her smelling salts. It almost seemed to me that Polly Milton was the better 'mother' to the Shaw family. All in all, this is truly a memorable classic.

This book started off a bit slow, but if you read more than a page or two at a time, I think you will like it. This story is about a girl from the country who goes to visit her cousins in New York. Polly's cousin, Fanny, and her friends find Polly "coutrified" and "old fashioned". Everyone falls in love with her because of her quiet manner along with the fact that she dresses and acts her age. Although their are multiple hardships along the way, you couldn't have wanted the book to end any other way. I recomend that you don't read the book until you are at least 11 or 12 because some of the wording is odd because it was writtedn so long ago. Happy Reading!

Alas. In my opinion, both "An Old-Fashioned Girl" and "Eight Cousins" audio versions would benefit by having a much younger narrator. Despite her long and illustrious career in audio, Flo Gibson is now too old to bring these novels to life. They are books about young girls, and they are obviously being read by a grandmother. Rather than illustrating the timeless quality of these fine books, an elderly reader makes the books simply sound old and out-of-date. What were the publishers thinking?---CaroJ11

An Old Fashioned Girl begins with a teenage girl, Polly who visits her cousins in the city. There, she realises that they are exactly the opposite of the old fashioned girl that she is, and this causes some distress on both sides. Being a modern woman, I expected that this book would be a wonderful read but the initial chapters where Polly was a teenager were hard to take in. Alcott created what she felt to be the "perfect" teenage model in Polly, but I found myself wishing that this "perfect teenage model" would loosen up a bit and do something for herself instead of serving everybody else, which was the "proper thing to do." Ironically, Alcott herself wrote in the book "excessive virtue doesn't last long ...except with little prigs in the goody storybooks." She should have taken herself more seriously because her main character came very close to becoming exactly that! Compared to other classics like Tom Sawyer, The Secret Garden and The Railway Children, the teenagers in the book were very unrealistic, I dare say even for that time. Alcott wrote too much of what she wanted children or teenagers to be, opposed what they actually were, which can get exasperating. However, that is less than half the book, which follows into young adulthood. In here the characters become more realistic, and Polly begins to be truly affected by her poverty and to long to be different. To avoid spoilers, it morphed from an exasperating read into a very good read. Overall, the valuable lessons in the book make it good addition to any collection, especially for children.

Do you ever feel like you are tied up in our times? Worrying too much about cell phones, fashions, and the latest whatevers? This book can set you straight. It gives you a peace of mind and fills you with simple pleasures.

The stories main character, Polly, we meet at the age of 14. She has come to stay with rich friends for a while. THey do everything so differently from she. The family has two daughters. One that is two years older than Polly called Fan, who cares for fashion, balls, and beaus. The author daughter is six and she is fixed onoo having her own way about everything. THe young man in the family Tom is a trouble maker, who no matter how hard he tries can't seem to stay out of trouble very long.

Polly is a gentle, kind, loving, caring, selfless, practical, and sensible girl. SHe becomes a great service to this family, touching each of them in a special way. She moves in the same town six years later and gives piano lessons. The family needs her more than ever and she helps them all in the end. This book has heart, romance, and realness to it that we can all relate to, rich or poor, young or old. It will make you feel warm fuzzies. Read on a rainy day underneath a flanel blanket!

This book gives a detailed look into the personalities of each day of the year. A great book and interesting study of all the people you know.

This is the greatest book you will ever read or buy on Horoscopes and Astrology. All my friends wanted to borrow this and some aren't even big into horoscopes. It has been used and borrowed till it has fallen apart by myself and everyone I know.

It covers everything you can imagine from the stars, planets, Astrology, and contains every aspect of Horoscopes and Birthdays with a 2 page personality profile for every day of the year. We read these to eachother and it was funny how correct it was. It really goes into specifics and also lists your strengths and weaknesses, the name of the day you were born and the charactertistic that stands out about it, Famous people born on the day, health, love, tarot card, numbers and more.

Its a large book but it's easy to read and every page will keep you interested. It's fun to look up all your family n friends birthdays and see if it relates to the person. This isn't silly stuff like regular horoscope books, this is the real deal and this is about the best it gets when it comes to Astrology. Even a skeptic I know had fun with it. Highly Recommended.

When all my friends read this book they say "Oh my god! Thats me!" and try to ignore the stuff they don't want to hear - which is just as true most of the time. Shipment was prompt an all items were in good condition.

I bought this book years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed sharing it with friends and family. It is very entertaining and downright spooky in how accurately the author has pinpointed the personality traits, lucky numbers, career path and weaknesses in the body. When I first read my birthday horoscope, I thought it was just a lucky shot that he got my personality so accurate but then when I read other family members and found them to be true as well, I wanted more. I, then, bought the book by the same author on relationships. It is great as well. I wouldn't get a divorce if the author doesn't pair the two of you up as being well suited but it is interesting what he has to say. He was right on the money with the relationship for myself and my husband. He said that we are pretty much opposites but when we join forces for a common cause, we are unbeatable which is oh so true. We fight like cats and dogs (and with so much passion)when we disagree but when we join a cause or a battle, we are unstoppable. I had never thought of it like that but AGAIN, so true. These are both excellent books which might just open your eyes as to why your spouse or friend does the things they do that annoy you or understanding yourself better by helping you see some traits in a more positive light. You might even find that you finally understand your child a little better and maybe able to assist them with issues that you never understood. If you get a chance, go to the nearest bookstore, check out these two books and see for yourself, then come back to Amazon and order them at a discounted price. You will see that all these reviews are very true. I am ordering these here again because a friend of mine borrowed them and will not return them. I have also bought these two books (which I consider a set) for my son because he too became so interested in how accurate they are. If you want to know an acquaintance better, find out their birthday and check it out in the book. If you want to find out how you and your special someone pair up, then check out the relationship book.

Absolutely delightful book - fun, entertaining, and guaranteed to surprise and delight readers with what can only be called an uncanny accuracy...WOW! Makes a beautiful gift...especially for those who simply enjoy life and refuse to get caught up in the age-old astrology debate. Read your own birthday and then decide! Lovely coffee table accessory...in fact, the book is too large to cart around. Enjoy!

First MacArthur book I read, which changed my life. Well studied and saturated in The Word of God. Thank you, Sir!

I was looking for books that would explain some of the criticisms aimed at CGM churches, such as Willow Creek and Saddleback. This book, published in 1993 doesn't name either of these by name and I thought it would give a relatively objective view having been written earlier than most others of this type.

MacArther takes aim at CGM churches and may be one of the first authors to do so. Of special interest to me is the appendix that gives some insight into Charles Spurgeon and the Downgrade Controversy. This is probably the best part of the entire book, and takes up a substantial portion of it. This is a good commentary and brief biographical treatment of Spurgeon for those of us who are not very familiar with him but only through some very good quotations.

However, MacArther's treatment of CGM churches begins to wear thin about midway through the second chapter. Some of his arguments start to make him sound more like a pharisee than someone bringing in the light. He objects to the forms of worship, the subject of worship, the absence of substance, the user-friendly message, the seeker-friendly concept...and these are all well and fine, but most of these arguments can be found for free all over the internet. He seems to go on a bit long in order to flesh out chapters that could be shorter, but of course this is sort of par for the course with most preachers!

MacArther makes his point but as a champion of institutional churchianity, he must draw up short of pointing out that these megachurches are merely the next logical steps for an institution where the clergy is always more exhalted, more revered and more siognificant than the laity "sheep." So while the reader may be freed from a downgraded institution, the person will still be in bondage to MacArther's brand of institution which puts them in a pew, staring at the back of the heads of others and viewing things going on at the front. As long as the preacher and the Sunday preaching remain the staple diet of people who call themselves Christians, it will continue to be a movement that is in decline, no matter the size or flavor.

Since we have been Christians for many years, both my wife and I have been distressed over the "Show Time" type of Christianity that now exists in many churches. We have attended services in a church which has "Broadway Style" (words taken from the church bulletin) presentations. One Christmas, this same church had a "Rock around the Christmas Tree" presentation (including the music, tree, and dancing).

I bought MacArthur's book with the hope that it would provide us with some insights and solutions to this problem of worldliness in the church. The first seven chapters give good insight into the pragmatic, "market-driven" church so common in our day. They are worthwhile reading.

The problem I had with his book comes in chapter eight. I'm expecting some insight into the root of this problem. However, the only answer I get is, "The very reason many contemporary churches embrace pragmatic methodology is they lack understanding of God's sovereignty in the salvation of the elect." He spends a whole chapter discussing his Calvinistic view.

The classic statement he makes is, ". . . those who reject the biblical doctrine of sovereignty. . ." It isn't a question of rejecting sovereignty (Who in their right mind would doubt that the God of the Bible is sovereign in all that He does?). There are many godly Christians, missionaries, and churches who believe that God in his sovereignty has given to man the power of genuine choice. Giving man choice does not take away from God's glory or sovereignty.

His solution, it seems, is that "many contemporary churches" should get more "understanding of God's sovereignty in the salvation of the elect." He seems to say that accepting his Calvinistic belief regarding "salvation of the elect" would solve the problem of pragmatism in today's churches. If he means to say that, how does one account for worldliness in strongly Calvinistic churches? Frankly, I don't think that worldliness (or un-worldliness) in a church is determined by the churches view on Calvinism. The eighth chapter left me disappointed; otherwise, it is a very good book.

R.S. Miller

I find this to be one of MacArthur's more compelling book. His awareness of the threats to the pure gospel is sharp; his use of Scripture to expose the dangers is on target; his exegesis is truly admirable; the relevancy of this book speaks volume.

I told a pastor friend of mine that he MUST read this book. Everyone who is in ministry or getting ready to answer God's call to ministry ought to read this book. It will safeguard you from a lot of dangers that lurk, wearing the robe of evangelicalism or falsely so-called.

I especiall like the last few chapters that emphasize the sovereignty of God in salvation and the building of his church. The church belongs to the Lord. He purchased it with his own blood. He is its rightful head. He knows how to build it and what it should look like. He has commissioned us to preach the pure gospel. Thank Lord, for the likes of Spurgeon and MacArthur.

The brilliance of John MacArthur's book, "Ashamed of the Gospel" is that it was written long before Rick Warren and Bill Hybels were household names. MacArthur, like Spurgeon a century ago, is one of our generation's leading apologist for defending the faith and the intregrity of biblical doctrines.

The evangelical church that I knew (until about 1995) was a place where the gospel was upheld and the bible was looked at as the infallible, inspired Word of God. This evangelical church largely arose because of the apostasy that invaded the mainline denominations some 80-100 years ago. Now that same apostasy has invaded Evangelicalism and the term "evangelical" no longer has any firm meaning in my mind.

Blame it on many factors. One key factor are pastors who figured out they could obtain larger churches, prominence, and prestige by preaching a "partial Christianity" that contains bits and pieces of the truth, and downplays or ignores the other doctrines that don't appeal to the masses. Rick Warren is especially dangerous as he surveyed his potential audience to discover what they wanted preached. Of course, that model works in today's consumer mentality. Rick has placed man's needs above God's words.

Another blame is on people themselves. They don't want to hear truth and the marketplace has rewarded pastors who placate people's needs to be "churched" but not taught anything controversial or difficult to believe. Mixed together, [heathen pagans plus limp-willed pastors] and you get a pretty good understanding of what evangelicalism has become.

God will never be denied a witness in any generation and John MacArthur is one of a diminishing number of sound bible teachers today who dares to take an unpopular and difficult stand when communicating God's message.

Especially powerful in this book was beginning on page 121 and Paul's exposition of the gospel in the Book of Romans. Paul's approach to the gospel begins with the bad news of man's sin and God's wrath. It is hard to appreciate the good news of the gospel unless one fully understands just how wicked and needing of a savior we are. The seeker-sensitive movement always ignores this point and immediately jumps to the good news. Consequently we have many people in today's seeker-sensitive church who are getting "saved", but they have no idea from what.

Another chapter of note is Chapter 7 on Paul preaching on Mars Hill in Acts Ch. 17. MacArthur makes the case that many church leaders read more into the text about pragmatism than is there. Paul did not compromise his message while preaching in the open marketplace of the day; today's preachers are compromising right and left. Paul was direct; he didn't win many converts. Look at the seeker-sensitive movement today attracting millions. One thing we know about biblical truth is that if the masses are running to some book or teaching, be cautious. That is a flashing warning sign that deception is nearby.

I can't wait to read MacArthur's new book, "The Truth War."

This is a very good book.
Dreikurs is the second master in the history of Individual Psychology.
Go look for him on wikipedia!

He shares with us some of his wisdom.
The adlerian principles are clearly described and Dreikurs uses them to make the differences between what is useful and what is not useful in children behaviour. Also he gives solution and discusses a lot of cases.
I consider this book like a referential one to understand the adlerian psychology.
In the meantime this book is gold for those who work with children!
Have a good reading!

This was my favorite book that my pediatrician recommended when my children were little; it had the best analysis of children's behavior and how to respond to them. My kids are now grown and I am buying this book for them to read in preparation for raising their children. It is a great resource for understanding children and how to respond to them appropriately.

I've been a child/family psychologist for over thirty years. This is, I'm convinced of it, the single most important book ever written for parents who want to learn a "system" for parenting their kids. I was exposed to this book in grad school in the late seventies, and I've been recommending it to parents ever since. Everyone loves it! I give it as gifts to new parents when their firstborns come into the world.

I would recommend this book to parents. It helps the reader to look at how situations are promoted through our actions and word usage. The book is a bit annoying as it is outdated in word usage, a little stereotyped as to "mother", "father" roles. However, still a good read, promoting democracy and independece to our children.

I am not done reading this book yet however, the tips are wonderful for any parent who is having troubles with their kid. Or this book is great for first time parents who want to raise their kid different from the way they were raised.

This is my favorite deck. It is beautifully illustraited. It works so well for me I absolutely love it. I would highly recommend this deck. The accompianing book that comes with is so helpful in understanding one's spiritual path.

This deck is truly a joy! The imagery is spiritual, beautiful and visually well adapted to both new and experienced tarot readers. The non-traditional representations of several cards MAY be confusing to those not familiar with Wicca or Druidic entities but once you read the documentation the interpretations make perfect sense.

For those who care about such things, several cards present their concepts using nudity but I recently purchased a deck which has much more gratuitous and unimaginative nakedness!

The book which accompanies the deck is clearly illustrated (sepia rather than full color as the deck is) and the information is presented in an easy to absorb format. The author chose to present the minor arcana first and rather than presenting the information by suit, the courts are grouped by type and pips are grouped by number. The relationships between the major arcana are well explained as well.

The courts represent two entities as male (king-mature and prince-immature) and two as female (queen-mature and princess-immature). Perhaps this is non traditional but the concept touched me as being more in tune with nature.

The cards are very easy to read, one does not even need the book to accompany them. The images are very creative and at the same time very close to the original images. The cards meanings are depicted in Druid theme images and scenes. Some images significantly differ from original Raider-White deck but in the way that the original meaning is preserved. It's hard to explain, one has to see it.
The book is also great. I've been reading tarot cards for years and I found the meanings in the book to be very similar to the meanings I've come to know from practice. Those cards grow on you: since I got this deck I hardly use anymore my other decks.

In addition to the card meanings the book also has a little bit of info on tarot history as well as sample spreads. Both the deck and the book are totally worth it

I ENJOY USING THIS TAROT DECK AND SO DOES MY FUTURE HUSBAND. THIS IS HIS FIRST DECK AND HE FINDS IT VERY EASY TO FOLLOW. THE CARDS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND THE MEANINGS SEEM TO BE MORE DESCRIPTIVE AND EASIER TO UNDERSTAND THAN SEVERAL DECKS OUT THERE. I ALSO LIKED PAIRING THIS WITH THE "POWER TAROT" BOOK. THE DECK IS A LARGER DECK WHICH IS GREAT FOR LARGER HANDS AND FITS A MAN PERFECTLY!

This is an easy to use deck that is a delight to the hand. Beautiful imagery and an easy to use book.

'Frog and Toad Are Friends' by Arnold Lobel is a story is most appropriate for children ages 4-8. This is a great story of friendship between Frog and Toad. Toad tells stories to Frog when Frog is sick, Frog helps search for Toad's lost button, and Frog writes a letter to Toad because he never receives any mail. This book is full of tales of friendship and adventure. Read this book to see all that Toad and Frog do on their adventures.

The Frog and Toad books have helped my 8 year old grandson learn to read--he has been having trouble and these books were so interesting and fun to him that he finally realized how reading could open up whole new worlds for him. He loves these books.

I've read this book over and over and over again to my kids... they're now adults, but they still remember Frog and Toad.

An absolute classic book of short stories - my favorite is the one where one of them is in bed all winter, and the other one is bored, so he tells the sleeping one to wake up because it's spring, even though it isn't quite spring yet... just too cute. They're friends, they love each other - what more could you want in a story that you'll read to a child? One of my family's favorite bedtime books. I look forward to reading this classic to my grandchildren.

And Remember: all Toads are Frogs, but not all Frogs are Toads.

The books were in excellent condition and arrived earlier than expected. I had checked all local used bookstores. They were not available because of the high demand in our district. Similar books were the same price as Amazon's including shipment. I will not be going to used bookstores again. Amazon saved me time, money & gas!

The perfect book to start your beginning reader off on and a must have for amphibian lovers of all ages, these stories are beautifully illustrated and each holds the key to a simple truth. Chiefly about friendship, Frog and Toad are able to make the best of their situations by accepting and utilizing each other's differences. The simple prose flows across the artful pages, and after reading this first one your child is sure to want them all.

J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore

This book is enticing, exciting and sad, all on one page. Usually when a book is a sequel, it is necessary to have read the first book in order to fully enjoy it. That's not the case with this novel. The author has succeeded in giving you just enough insight to the previous book that you don't feel lost if you haven't read it, without reiterating everything in case you have. Bernice McFadden is quickly becoming one of my favorite novelists

Wow, What a book and I was thinking sugar was good, they are both good reads.Sugar comes back to bigelow for a reason, and now we know why.Jude send her back in her dreams to let her know what happen to her, and bring the family together with the true who sugar dad is.I see why mercy was put in her life the way she was to see that lappy have done to alot of people in that town.This was a great book IM sorry it taking so long to read it.

The group felt many of the unanswered questions from McFadden's novel "Sugar" were answered in "This Bitter Earth."

Overall the group felt that each character kept too many secrets. Everyone felt that the secrets were the source of the problems. Joe kept secrets about being Sugar's father and learning the details of Jude's murder. The Lacey sisters held secrets about Sugar's family including Shirley being her great-grandmother. Sugar's life would have been drastically different, if most of these secrets had been revealed earlier.

I just love this author work, her books are so heart felt. thank you bernice mcfadden.

YES, A SEQUEL THAT CAN STAND UP TO THE FIRST BOOK. THIS BITTER EARTH WAS JUST AS GOOD AS SUGAR. SHE MADE SURE SHE KEPT US IN THE BOOK AND IN THE MIND OF ALL THE CHARACTERS. MANY OF TIMES I HAD TO SAY "COCOA, YOU ARE NOT SUGAR, COME BACK TO REALITY" I FELT THAT CHARACTER LIKE I FEEL THE MY HEART BEATING INSIDE OF ME. ONCE AGAIN A WELL WRITTEN NOVEL BY BERNICE MCFADDEN

Just great all around!!! This was one of my favorite childhood books. I will now give this one to my goddaughter to enjoy.

I am currently running a girls book club for 4th grade girls and I decided to use this book because of the positive attitude of the children in the book. I am trying to teach the girls in the book club how to analyze a book, discuss a book and to learn from a book. This book had everything I was looking for. The analysis leads to talking about attitude, taking responsibility and using your creativity!

This book is so good. It is where 12 year-old Mary, and her 10-year old sister, Jean are on a ship, and one day the ship starts to sink, and as quick as they can, the take all the babies that they had babysat while on the ship, and get into a lifeboat, but then, right before the boat sinks, their lifeboat gets accidentally thrown into the water, it is just them and 4 babies, all alone in a lifeboat with only a few odds and ends, like a tarp, jerky, canned milk, a jug of water, and some sfety pins. After 5 days of sailing in their little lifeboat, theese corageous little girls land on an island. They make shelter and look all over for food. There are ALOT more twists in the book............ but I don't want to spoil the surprises for you. you wil just have to buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did a book report on this book as a kid and really enjoyed the story. This will delight young babysitters and little girls with younger siblings! I have a sis five years younger and could relate to the hardships of these two girls who get stranded on an island with four babies. This book has a good balance of good and bad events and a great ending. The characters seem very realistic but parts of the plot are a little far-fetched and seem fictional. Either way, it's a very fun story with nothing too gross or scary. It also has a fair amount of cute, clean humor. I would say this is a good story for younger readers and those who like a lighthearted story.

Great fun!

As a young girl, I read this book over and over. Loved it! Magical. Shipwrecked on an Island with babies in their care - the girls in this story have an adventure. I was so jealous! I loved babies, still do! This book was dreamy fun.

The author, Carol R. Brink, also wrote "The Pink Motel," my other fav in the 5th grade. Have them both, and will treasure them forever. All my daughters read this, and liked it, as every little girl would.

Delightful! Buy it! thanks, Gramma Sally

"Beautiful Joe" is a wonderful story. It was given to me in the late 50's when I was about 10 years old, and I think I read it three times. It's always amazed me that so few others know of it. But it is a beautiful and enriching story especially suitable for a 9-12 year old child who loves dogs. It is very sad (and distrubing) in the beginning, however, so I would never recommend it for a young child.

I read this book countless times when I was a child in the 1950s; I was delighted to find it still in print and even more delighted to find that it is as moving and meaningful as ever. Today's children may find the language somewhat formal and will need to broaden their vocabularies, but they and their parents will find the small effort well worth it.

I love this book. Everyone should read it young or old. Beautiful Joe and the rest of the animals will touch your heart. I have never read this book without crying at the end.

I am not reviewing the edition but rather the book...and it is...of utmost excellence. Although written for its time period, it is something one can read now and enjoy...Beautiful Joe captures your heart, makes you share his opinions, memories and feelings...then leaves you wanting more.

Just thought I should say something. =)

I first read this story as a Whitman abridged edition when I was about eight years old. It was hard for me to believe that some people were so cruel to animals, but I loved the book's old-fashioned narration and of the adventures of and lessons learned by Miss Laura and her family in raising Joe. The moment I learned what the word "abridged" meant, I went looking for the complete story; it took me a long time to find this Applewood Books edition that included three of the farm chapters that were missing from the supposedly complete version I later purchased, and oddly, the Applewood edition is missing the chapter about the crow that is in some other editions. (I believe this is because the Applewood volume is a reprint of the original story and the chapter about the crow was added in a revised edition.) The story is full of memorable characters, both animal--Joe, Jim the spaniel, Billy the fox-terrier, Bella the parrot--and human--Miss Laura, Ned, Willie, Jack, and Cousin Harry. If you are tender of heart, you may find many scenes heart-rending, but it reminds us too that we have much to still work on in the area of animal cruelty.