Children Books

This book is one of the best books about the fire service I have ever read. I hung onto each and every word. It was though I was there sometimes.

During the tumultuous period of the 60s when author Dennis Smith wrote Report From Engine Company 82, the book was a cry for help from exhausted, frustrated men. Men who cleaned up in the aftermath of other exhausted and frustrated inhabitants of a society stretched to the breaking point.

As I type this, a younger firefighter in a comfortable, air-conditioned fire station among a population that by-and-large respects my profession, it's easy to forget the sacrifice of our past brothers who unceasingly fought fires, city hall and the population they served, until they had forged the modern fire service.

It's an important book for new firefighters to learn how the iron men of old did the job. And for the general reader it's a testament to both a volatile period in our nation's history, and to the timeless strength and courage by which good men have always worked to keep back the chaos of barbarism and destruction.

I spent 10 years in the fire service in both engine and truck companys. While I have many memories and stories to tell, the author, Dennis Smith, sums up the life of a fire fighter in an urban environment about as well as can be possibly told. Trying to balance the unpleasantries and sadness against the satisfaction of saving a life or helping a family overcome one of life's most agonizing moments is very well portrayed in this book. This is what a fire fighter's life is about folks. There is no other book that I can remember that tells it any better than this. If you're thinking of a career in a big city fire department or for that matter, if you're even thinking of becoming a volunteer fire fighter this book is a must!

I first read this book 20+ years ago, when I was under 20 years of age myself but streetwise from being the "wheels" (with a driver's license and a car) for various escapades all over Chicago in my raucous, hard-partying and utterly politically incorrect youth. Many aspects of "Report From Engine Co. 82" stuck with me through the years, and I've re-read it several times. Now I'm 40 and an ER RN in a Chicago hospital where we see more than our share of the extraordinarily dysfunctional lives of the people who live in poverty in the neighborhoods that surround our hospital -- the type of job and environment Smith portrays so well in "Report From Engine Co. 82."

"Report From Engine Co. 82." tells truths about the nearly inescapable poverty and illiteracy of people scraping by in lives that are marginalized in every possible way because they don't -- can't -- really care for themselves appropriately because they don't even know how. Poverty isn't what it used to be -- but it's still as screwed up as it was in Smith's first book. Most of our ER visits aren't really emergencies, just as most of the calls Company 82 responded to weren't emergencies, either. Nowadays, people call 911; when "Report" was written, that 911 system didn't exist yet. But not much has changed since then, in terms of what the firefighters/paramedics respond to and bring to the ER.

Most of the "emergencies" he sees are not emergencies. The non-emergencies, combined with the real emergencies, portray the dangerous and unthinking way poor people live through a combination of lack of resources, lack of experience with the "straight" world, lack of common sense, and minute-by-minute survival thinking. Most of these emergencies and non-emergencies are easily prevented -- if people had common sense, proper parenting, and a normal instinct for self-preservation.

These qualities, however, are surprisingly hard to come by in poverty, and this is what Smith dramatizes. The heroin overdoses. The stupid kids doing stupid things because they are constantly left unattended and to their own devices. Kids who shoot themselves in the thigh or foot -- or worse -- "playing" with guns. Fires that kill children because space heaters provide the heat slumlords refuse to provide in their code-violating buildings. The incipient hatred and distrust poor minority neighborhoods have of the white emergency personnel and firefighters who respond to their calls. The huge cultural gaps that make true communication and understanding so difficult -- even when you're both the same race and both speaking English.

What Smith accurately portrays is the way poverty-stricken people "live in the now" -- people whose entire lives are spent with no real financial or material stability or security. These are people for whom the concept of saving money for the future is impossible, either as a concept or a reality. People for whom making an appointment days or weeks in the future, and actually remembering to get to the appointment, is nearly impossible. Their main mode of thought is: what do I need to do now, what do I want to do now, what do I need or want to do in the next five minutes. This inability to think about and plan for the future is endemic, as is the inability to prioritize that which really matters -- one suspects because most of these people realize on some level they have no future that truly matters to the rest of society, and they're incapable of living as the rest of the "straight" world lives because they never have, didn't grow up with it, and don't know the language of living that life, let alone the mindset.

These are the people and children who have no insurance, no health care, no glasses when their vision is bad, no braces or dental care when their teeth are bad; who never use birth control (to prevent pregnancy OR to prevent disease transmission). People who don't understand why it's inappropriate to come to the ER with an upper respiratory infection and get pissed off when they wait hours for care while higher priority, higher-acuity patients (in respiratory distress, cardiac arrest, heart attacks, asthma attacks, and overdose, etc.) are taken before they are.

Conversely, these are also the people who shun health care until they are so sick they can no longer avoid it, and discover they have cancer... Cancer that could have been prevented or at least treated, often saving their lives, had they ever had regular health care -- but who are now consigned to an inevitable death they will blame on the healthcare providers who couldn't save them because they were at a stage beyond saving or treating in any way other than palliative.

Smith's New York is NOT the New York of Sex And The City. This is the New York of the infants whose welfare mothers don't immunize them, but have the latest, most expensive coats and boots because conspicuous consumption is how they live: you show how much money you have by wearing all that your money has bought you (rather than doing the far less glamorous but sensible things more responsible people, whose children were WANTED rather than accidental, do). The New York of the kids having kids who have kids, all of whom have never known proper parenting, nutrition, or health care. The overdoses. The children who come in with accidental poisonings or burns from household chemicals because no one was watching them. The attempted suicides with anything and everything -- cold medicine, knives, guns, illegal drugs. The kids raised by siblings because the parent is completely incapable, if they're even around, with or without the additional problems of substance use/abuse, addiction, or domestic abuse. The families which are largely single-parent families -- and where the parental figure may be an elder sibling, aunt or cousin who cares more for the children than their biological parent(s) does or is capable of doing.

This is also the world of the terrified illegal immigrants who wait so long to call for help because they're afraid of INS (now ICE) and deportation; by the time they do, they're often too sick to save. The penniless old people whose pensions don't cover their living expenses and who don't call for help because they're terrified of being discharged from the hospital to a nursing home and losing what little autonomy and material security they have left. The fractured families (with utterly dysfunctional dynamics) who interfere with the paramedics' jobs -- as well as the tight-knit families who are rich only in love for one another. The people who refuse help they desperately need because they fear and distrust the paramedics and firemen trying to help them, and because their healthcare illiteracy is such that they have no idea what is necessary to save their lives, and so refuse or avoid medical treatment that could stop problems in stages when they're still treatable. The mothers who speak no English, who superstitiously fear that emergency treatment will kill their children, yet who are so desperate to save their babies, they don't know what else to do, because all home remedies have now failed. The endless numbers of people who let their prescriptions run out or try to save money by taking less than the prescribed doses and then have severe health problems that wouldn't happen if they bought and took their meds as prescribed -- but who, for multiple reasons, can't and/or don't. The people who beg not to be brought to the hospital because "people DIE in the hospital" -- people who don't understand that their neighbors and family members who died in the hospital, died because they waited far too long to call for help, and were therefore were beyond saving when they finally got to a hospital.

Anyone who works in public service as a fireman, cop, nurse, social worker, or psych intake worker in a big city -- and in poverty-stricken, crime- and drug-infested suburbs and rural communities -- can relate to Smith's book. For everyone who majored in something else, this book opens a door and exposes the lives of people you don't even know exist, people you don't acknowledge when you're forced to share a bus or train with them during rush hour (or who you intentionally avoid by driving in your own car, despite the expense of gas, insurance, and time spent on the commute): the people who don't work, or the people who work wage-slave jobs like janitor, maid, fast-food worker, security guard, who can barely pay their bills or care for their children with what little they make -- or who blow it all on liquor and/or drugs and/or gambling (or all three) to escape the miserable hopelessness of their lives. The kids who have the latest "stuff" -- whether it's the shiny ten speed bicycles Smith writes about, or today's video games and cell phone/mp3 player/cameras -- but whose parents can't or won't give them what they really need: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a stable environment from which to emerge every day to deal with the life-endangering risks of walking to and attending public schools that do little more than babysit and warehouse kids whose futures include teen pregnancy (and the late-term, life-threatening miscarriages that go with total lack of prenatal care, with or without drug use), repeated incarceration, and shorter-than-average lifespans due to the daily likelihood of violence in their communities and their lives.

Smith's portrayal of this kind of poverty is not pretty but it is not unsympathetic -- there are glimpses of beauty and hope, mostly in the young women and children who haven't yet been ruined by their surroundings. Smith tempers it all with a matter-of-fact acceptance that although it is his job to care for these people, he may never really understand them because he's now too removed from that life, and he takes on faith that they possess human qualities they often fail to demonstrate. But some do show their humanity, and those are the people he does it for.

Smith does an excellent job of portraying the paradox that the job of these firefighters and paramedics is to help and save these people, which by its nature includes finding them WORTH helping and saving, at the same time as they move and live as far away from these neighborhoods and the associated poverty, crime and drug problems as they possibly can. This is not merely a racial difference. There are plenty of black and Latino paramedics, cops, firefighters, nurses and doctors who straddle the gulf (some might say 'minefield') between their class and the class of the people they help, in circumstances that are at best trying and at worst nearly impossible to help them transcend for any sustained length of time.

Smith portrays the sympathetic detachment required to know that this is what you do, all day, every day you work, with only the hope that one or two out of ten people will actually genuinely and sincerely thank you for what you do or have done for them -- which is that elusive reward you get, one that can make it all seem worth it when it happens -- and to hope that when you show up and give this of yourself on every shift, there might be one kid or teen who sees what you're doing, who still has enough time ahead of them to see this glimpse into another world... A world it is just *barely* possible for them to enter given enough determination, education, mentoring and drive, and sadly also given enough instinct to discard much of what they learn in their families about how they THINK the world works, versus how the world REALLY works for the more educated and better-off people who run it.

The fact that Smith can show all this without denigrating an entire class of people -- does, in fact, portray them with humanity and the grace one occasionally sees in these circumstances -- is because he also recognizes that he is not that far removed from the kind of poverty he sees on the job (he grew up poor, too). He recognizes and accepts that he is that kid who admired firemen as a boy and saw a different world -- he is that kid who made the leap to the next class up, to the working class and blue collar as opposed to poverty-stricken. He understands the dysfunction -- the drinking, the drugs, the abuse -- that occurs in the neighborhoods Co. 82 responds to because it occurred in his neighborhood, his family, his poverty, while he was growing up.

This understanding that few "get out" -- and that he was one of the lucky few -- underscores with sympathy his otherwise stark portrayal of the job of a NYC fireman in the 70s when NYC was not a desirable place to live and people did their best to escape "the city" as soon as their financial circumstances permitted it.

The uncensored version of this book (which is the one I've read multiple times) also shows the bizarre split someone who works as a fireman/paramedic, nurse, or doctor must negotiate within themselves -- the intimate knowledge you have of the bodies of the people you must save, which is merely part of your job but which you can't really talk about to any family member or lover who isn't in one of these fields. I don't mean merely intimacy with people's genitals -- though there is that, such as the way the Smith describes heroin overdoses getting icebags put under their testicles (negative stimulus, designed to bring unresponsive, unconscious people back to responsiveness and consciousness). I mean the intimacy of seeing people stripped of their modesty and dignity, voluntarily (prostitutes) or involuntarily (the terribly sick), whose personal space and body integrity you must necessarily invade, often in less-than-respectful or diplomatic ways because there is no time for those niceties when someone is dying and you're trying to save them. People who don't work in these fields can never really understand how you can be unaffected by the nudity, exposure and/or intimate knowledge you have of these total strangers, and the disinterest or casual attitude with which you greet what would shock most everyone else.

And, of course, you're not unaffected by this knowledge. Sometimes you're disturbed, or someone or something sticks in your mind -- the things you've seen or had to do -- and is recalled in inappropriate moments with your loved ones. You're not unaffected, you're just emotionally calloused or you compartmentalize it, in order to repeatedly perpetrate and endure this violation of the boundaries between strangers and its inherent power imbalance: you, as the emergency personnel, never have to reveal any of these intimacies to your patients... but they must necessarily, willingly or not, reveal them to you. This includes the mentally ill and the hopelessly drug-addled or dopesick (or both, combined) -- sometimes the most disturbing intimacy of all: the insides of their heads and their distorted, sometimes frighteningly unhinged, perceptions of the world around them.

Before anyone decides to dedicate their lives to becoming a firefighter, they would be wise to start their research here. Some 30+ years after it was first published, this book still shows remarkable insight into the lives, struggles, and emotions of a professional firefighter. When I started on the road to becoming a firefighter, being a volunteer and reading Dennis Smith books asserted in my mind that my life would be wasted doing anything else. For others, this may convince you that the job is not for you. It isn't for everyone. Either way, this is a very enjoyable read and worth the time and money for anyone, not just firemen and wannabe's.

I love Astrid Lindgren's book (but not a big fan of PP Longstocking). I used to read her book when I was a child in my native language. Too bad they don't translate some of my favorites, I don't even know what the translation is into English... Anyway, Ronia is a great book. I didn't read it until now, so I can tell you that adults will enjoy this book too.

Just like Pippi Longstocking or the Brothers Lionheart, this is an Astrid Lindgren classic that every child should read.

"A robber's daughter, joy and gladness!" shouted Matt the stormy night that his daughter, Ronia, was born. Ronia grew up in Matt's Fort with her parents and her father's band of robbers. When she was old enough her parents let her walk through the woods by herself. While she was exploring she met Birk, the son of her father's arch enemy, Borka. Birk along with his parents and their band of robbers move into a section of Matt's Forest which they called Borka's Keep. At first Ronia and Birk despised each other but, they soon became best friends. One day, Matt captured Birk and wanted to use him to get Borka off his land. Ronia was extremely upset. Matt was furious and said that he no longer had a child. Birk and Ronia ran away into the woods where they lived all spring and summer long. Awhile later, Ronia came across Matt, who begged her to come home. After a few difficult decisions and challenges, Borka and Matt joined forces and Ronia and Birk were allowed to see each other anytime without worrying about their fathers' feud. This book was a very good adventure story.

I liked that the author threw in some scenes that were a little suspenseful. Bumper, one of Matt's robbers, was shot in the neck with an arrow by one of Borka's men. He survived, thanks to the nursing skills of Ronia's mother. When Ronia found a spot to meet Birk under Matt's Fort she heard someone coming but, the person did not come all the way down to see Birk. There were several times throughout the book when Birk and Ronia were almost attacked by wild harpies and other creatures. While Ronia and Birk were trying to train and ride wild horses they lost control and the horses went galloping as fast as they could through the forest to get them off.

I also liked how the characters developed. When Ronia and Birk first met they did not like each other at all. They then became best friends and later became "brother and sister." Matt and Borka had been rivals for many years. In the end, they were friends and partners, like they were when they were very young. Even Birk's mother and Ronia's Mother were able to get along.

Some of the creatures of the forest had odd ways of saying things. When Ronia got her foot stuck in a rumphob's den one of them asked, "Un's stuck in t'roof, woffer did un do it?" The gray dwarfs exclaimed, "Gray dwarfs all, bite and strike!" They would say this every time they saw a human. While out in the woods Birk and Ronia were being chased by a whole flock of wild harpies. One of them screamed, "Ho, ho! Lovely little humans in the water! Now the blood will run, ho, ho!" These kinds of dialects gave the creatures more character and made the book fun to read.

The thing that I liked the most about the book was that the author put a lot of detail into the characters' emotions, especially Matt's. When Ronia was first born Matt carried her high and proud and showed her off to all of the robbers. He danced and cheered with lots of enthusiasm. After Bumper was wounded, Matt was walking up and down the hall grinding his teeth and cursing Borka under his breath. While Ronia was out living in the woods, he would lie in bed almost all day, staring at the ceiling. He barely ate and everyone in the fort was depressed and they never sang or danced. Ronia was screaming and hitting everyone within her reach when she saw that her father had captured Birk. This is an excellent book for anyone who likes stories of friendship and adventure.

By K. Lissner

I wanted to buy this book for my children to read, because it was my favorite story when I was little. The book arrived quickly, in perfect condition, and I couldn't be happier.

In my opinion, this is one of Astrid Lindgren's best books, ever. It teaches you that you must love to be loved in return, and that love makes the world go around. I personally think that young Ronja here makes a great role-model for all young girls. ;)

I am so sad that Sailor moon products are out of print. This is an amazing story. I love the Manga and the Anime. 200 episodes wasnt enough!

The whole series is very mysterious and keeps you on the edge of your seat. When you're reading this series all that goes through your mind is "What's the Golden Crystal?" 'Who's Helios?" And most of all "Is Darien gonna be OK?" Finally the last book of this series! IT's wonderfully written and drawn as I said before. It teaches you little lessons that you don't realize until you need to know these lessons. (Does that make sense?) If you read the previous books of the SuperS series you should really get this one to find out what happens in the end. It's so sweet and happy!

This is my absolute favorite out of all the Sailor Moon mangas. I love the Supers series to death, and this is the perfect ending. I've got to say that the main reason this one is my favorite is because of the artwork. It's stunning, to say the least. Ms. Takeuchi pulled out all the stops on this one. No matter how many times I read Supers #4, the picutres never fail to make me stop and say, "Wow". It's certainly not lackin in plot, either. This is where everything comes together, and every twist and turn is compelling and credible. Every element of the ending to Stars is satisfying. This little book, in my opinion, represents manga at its finest.

This is a wonderful volume. Bunny/Darien, Usagi/Mamoru, Serena/Darien are my favorite couple. I loved both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version is my favorite and the English version is great. I use both the Japanese names, Usagi and Mamoru and the English names Bunny and Darien. In this volume, many events occur. Bunny and Darien awaken and have lots of romantic moments together. Soon, they must face more challenges. Bunny and Darien are girlfriend and boyfriend and eternal lovers. They must face a huge challenge when a secret about Bunny's past is revealed. Bunny is worried, but Darien comforts her. Darien protects his true love, Bunny. Darien tells Bunny to lend her his power. Darien tells her they can conquer this. Darien and Bunny kiss. As they kiss and hold hands, the energy of their love and power saves them. Darien and Bunny's kisses are so loving. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask kiss and have lots of loving, romantic kisses in the series. Soon, a secret is told about Bunny and secrets are revealed as Bunny and Darien discover new things. Find out what will happen in this volume. Bunny and Darien are the best couple. Usagi and Mamoru are the best couple. Serena and Darien are the best couple. Usagi/Mamoru and Serena/Darien and Bunny/Darien are all the best couple in ever version.

This is THE most cool comic book I have ever read! It totally blows Dennis the Menace out of the water!! The conclusion of the SuperS series is included in #4; including yet another oh-so cute 'n' funny "Rini's Diary" (What happened to the 'picture' part??). We see all of the sailor scouts "Sailor Guardian's" and the senshi in their princess forms!! Also Luna, Artemis and Diana turn into their human forms, (Flashback to the Sailor Moon S movie!), and Bunny flashbacks to the Silver Millennium. (There are some VERY cute scenes of Queen Serenity and Princess Serenity as a baby, as well as the six/seven year old Inner Senshi! Oh, and witness the birth of the one who possesses the second greatest power to the Queen (no, its not Tony Blair!), ETERNAL Sailor Moon! And a new crystal of the Pink Moon! (Guess who owns it?)

This book provides an easy to read introduction to sensory processing problems in children and how overwhelming these problems can be for the child and the adults in his life. Many terms that professionals use are are introduced and parents will be able to do further research after being exposed to the terms (examples being somatosensory/tactile systems, proprioception, postural gravitational insecurity, space visualization etc). As an Occuaptional Therapist, I found it helpful to compare the activities that I recommend in home programs with what the author recommends. The author provides many suggestions on how to structure the environment and play to help a child with sensory processing. The book does not include general developmental norms such as when the average child begins to dress himself, hop, ride a tricycle, etc. I think it would be helpful for parents to read about how developmental expectations are related to foundational sensory systems in early childhood.

Great book, very very good!!! You must have this one for your resource shelves. Therapists need the inventory for use in practice. What a great communication tool for parents, teachers and others to communicate with therapists. It helps parents to 'talk therapy talk,' just by filling in the inventory. The sensory secret checklist is great too. If you put this one on top of your list, you will recommend it too. Easy reading, with life changing information!!!

I found this to be a wonderful book for parents just entering the world of Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I explains so many of the terms and theories used by Occupational Therapists. However, this truly is an introduction, and not very helpful to anyone who has been working with an OT for any length of time.

This book is a great introduction to sensory integration and how our senses effect our learning. As A professional who works with individuals who have sensory difficulties, I feel that this book would be helpful for new teacher trainings, as an introduction to sensory integration, or as a guide to help individuals (such as parents) who do not work in an education or medically based industry that need to gain a better understanding of sensory integration. All teachers should use these basic techniques in their classrooms; for individuals who are interested in a deeper understanding of sensory integration dysfunction and other related difficulties, perhaps a book with a deeper explanation of the CNS and sensory systems would better suit their needs. Overall, it's a good quick read!

Of everything that I've read this is the best book. Its a fairly quick read. It's broken down into very specific catigories. It gives you warning signs. It tells you how to work on a problem with professionals. It shows you hundreds of ways to work on each specific sensory motor problem. It also helps you to evaluate your own child and explains how certain holes in the learning foundation could quickly lead to learning diviculties later on in life (early grade school). If you feel that there is a problem with your child and you can't put your finger on it - this is the book that will give you invaluable stepping stones.

I had not heard of James Thurber (I'm not from Northern America :)) until one of my friends on a study abroad program brought this book to our apartment and we started reading it out loud to each other. I loved it so much that I've read it three times already. Thurber's playing with the language is so amazing, cute and fascinating that it makes you speak "his way" after you read the book. :) And all his ideas are wonderful! This all makes the book one of a kind, really.

read it, lest you end up being slit from your guzzle to your zatch! a book for all ages, and any age. Fairy stories with a twist of Thurber.

I really do like this book. I like fairy tales, especially the kind like Ella Enchanted and Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. In the pictures the wicked duke looks so hilarilously silly! The prince is handsome and the princess pretty, of course! The Golux's hat is indeed indescribable and the woman Hagga cries jewels instead of tears. He! He! He!

The Thirteen Clocks, by James Thurber, is a perfect book. The only way it could be better would be by being longer. The story is classic in its simplicity, so elemental that anyone can easily find a way inside. The big setting - a castle - the big players - a Prince, Princess, and wicked Duke (very wicked) - the big themes - courage, redemption, selfless sacrifice, and just a whiff of magic. Best of all, the big problem - time is frozen. Our enterprising Prince must do the impossible to win the hand of Princess Saralinda. This is road-tested material but Thurber breathes new life into it, making it fresh and irresistible. The musicality of his language is delightful, there is so much joy and play in the words, they giggle and dance like water gliding over stones in a stream. His rogue's gallery of secondary characters is just too good; each is slightly more improbable and splendidly cracked than the last. Most of all, this story ends exactly as it should, the resolution is not forced, it's simply correct. The Thirteen Clocks is a slice of heaven that can be enjoyed by anyone able to read. Thurber, it turns out, really was as good as he claimed. This lasting jewel proves it.

Watch out for the Todal

James Thurber's The Thirteen Clocks is a delightful tale for people of all ages. I was first introduced to this seemingly conventional story at age five when my father read it to me as a pleasant bedtime story. It was not until I could read for myself that I began to notice what sets this story apart from so many other children's stories--its characters and great dialogue. Even re-reading it now, as a college student, I immensely enjoy its refreshing humor. Thurber uses a simple storyline, poetic devices, and clever characterization to make The Thirteen Clocks enjoyable to any and all ears.

The Thirteen Clocks is enjoyable for kids of all ages (meaning grown-ups as well) because it follows the basic and familiar "prince saves princess" storyline. Prince Zorn of Zorna must win the hand of Princess Saralinda by bringing back a thousand jewels to her uncle in "six and sixty days" (32). Though it seems that six and sixty days are not ample time for him to complete such a task, Zorn of Zorna miraculously succeeds. This follows the plot of most classic fairy tales I can think of (excluding Rumplestiltzkin and Beauty & the Beast). There are so many prince-princess stories because every child (and deep down, every adult, too) wants to be a prince or princess. There is something appealing to human nature about glory, fame, wealth, beauty, and general happiness, all of which are presented as direct benefits of being royalty. Also, everyone loves a happy ending where justice is served--the good guys win and the bad guys suffer. The Thirteen Clocks does indeed include a happy ending of this nature. Not only is the story simple enough, but it is also relatively short (my copy is seventy pages with fairly large text) and includes pictures. Bedtime stories are, by nature, short stories. When parents concede to read just "one more bedtime story," they do not want it to take all night. Furthermore, it is simply easier to understand a story when you sit down and read the entire thing at once. Children admittedly have short attention spans. The rest of us adults do too, but we pretend to have a more mature mind, especially when it comes to paying attention. The Thirteen Clocks appeals to everyone, young and old because it is a familiar and somewhat simple tale.

All audiences can also appreciate The Thirteen Clocks for its musical language as seen by the poetic devices of rhyme and rhythm. In the beginning of the story, Prince Zorn of Zorna disguises himself as a minstrel and sings of various things whose mention are forbidden by the evil Duke. A villager tells the Prince that one of the Duke's spies will "die because to name your sins, he'll have to mention mittens. I leave at once for other lands, since I have mentioned mittens...You'll never live to wed his niece. You'll only die to feed his geese" (17). The rhyme combined with the absolute hilarity of this statement amuses the reader and is rhythmically pleasing. Smaller children may not catch or understand the substance of this passage completely, but they will enjoy hearing the rhyme scheme (AAABB) and rhythm pattern (8-7, 8-7). Literary enthusiasts will take note and admire the patterns evident in Thurber's writing. Another great example of Thurber's amusing and rhyming style is, "'It's odd,' the Golux muttered to himself. 'I could have sworn that she had died. This is the only time my stomach ever lied'" (54). Here again, Thurber amuses his audience by using this constant pattern of rhyme and rhythm. Humans love to find patterns--it brings sense and order to the sometimes chaotic world we live in. By creating this literary and somewhat musical pattern, Thurber's tale appeals to both the young and old.

The Thirteen Clocks is appealing because its characters, the likes of which have never been seen before in literature, add excitement and flavor to this familiar story. There are three truly out-of-the ordinary characters--the Golux, who is "always on hand when people are in peril" (18), Hagga, the weeper of jewels; and the unpleasant Todal. Of these, the Todal is the most outrageous character. The Todal is "made of lip," "looks like a blob of gulp," and "smells of old, unopened rooms" (36, 29). This creature is "waiting for the Duke to fail in some endeavour such as setting you a task that you can do" and is "an agent of the devil, sent to punish evil-doers for having done less evil than they should" (29, 30). There is no monster as quirky, interesting, and terrifying as the Todal in real life or in a book. By presenting his readers with such bizarre characters, Thurber appeals to their sense of humor, as well as to their sense of terror. The creativity and flair for language possessed by Thurber are most obvious in the descriptions of his characters. This sets his tale apart from others with similar, but seemingly less lively stories. More than anything else, The Thirteen Clocks is enjoyable because of its uniqueness in characterization.

This truly wonderful and shockingly good fairy tale is full of enough excitement and goodness to be appropriate for a bedtime story. Yet Thurber's true talent lies in his creative and imaginative abilities which allow for readers and listeners alike to enjoy this book. It is set apart from other fairy tales by its clever use of words and unparalleled characters. Buy this book (though I would suggest the hardcover edition with colored illustrations) or run to your local library before the Todal gulps you!

Simply superb. A simple book telling a beautiful tale. Wonderfully illustrated. My 3 year old and 19 month old love this book. There is not too many words that they get bored. It is large enough for children to hold and read.

This is a beautifully written book for children and adults. We totally love the story. It was given as a gift to our newest granddaughter by her godparents for her Baptism . the book was read by us and then we read it to her 3yr brother and 5 yr sister. It's a great book for the family to share. My daughter asked the 5 yr old who was that angel, she answered right away loud and clear. I'll let the readers read the book and answer that question for themself. I came home and ordered this copy and would love to see every family having a baby (1st or last) to read it together. It's a very special story. It's a gift that we will be giving to new parents as gifts as is our daughter planning to have copies on hand to give to parents of friends and Baptism gifts.

I enjoyed "Angel in the Waters." It is a beautifully written book from the point of view of a baby in the womb. As an expecting mother, I loved to imagine it was my child. I bought one for me and my husband and a couple of our friends who are expecting, too.

The pictures are true without showing gender, so it could be any Caucasian baby. It would be nice to have the story remade for other ethnicities, too. (Just an idea!)

I am going to buy more for other pregnant friends!

This book showed up on my reccomended list a couple of months ago. Hmmm, I thought--I'll chance it.
Since then I've given copies to:
--a 3 year old preparing for baptism
--a friend in the middle of potentially bad news about her pregnancy
--the teen mother of a child who died at 5 months gestation (I read it at the memorial service)
--the mother of a 19 year old killed in a car crash
Oh, and by the way, my son, who is adopted and who was abandoned at one week old, loves it, too. I think it's helping him form/reform hid connection to his birthmother in a really healthy way.
In any event--I like it. A lot. It is very simple, but can be used in very profound situations where something less whimsical would not work. It's charming, with gentle humor, and full of love.

I bought this for my older daughter when I was expecting no.2. It's about an unborn baby speaking to the angel inside the womb. It is so lovely, it actually brings tears to my eyes while carrying my baby and reading it to my older daughter on my lap. It also helps my older daughter to appreciate what is happening inside my tummy and appreciate her baby sister more!

I'm a big fan of these annotated books, not only for their visual appeal on the bookshelf, but for their ability to transport me away from the everyday world. And you may think you know Oz because you can sing "Over the Rainbow" and "Follow the Yellow Brick Road", but I assure you, this book will take you farther into Oz than you ever went before. Unlike The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, which is dense with text, this volume is packed with art and illustrations, including a lot of full color pages. The movie images floating in your brain take on a different hue when you see the illustrations which actually brought the Ozian creatures to life. As with all the annotated works in this "series", this one has crisp, cleanly printed pages, an artsy dust jacket that is pleasing to behold, and tons of Baum biographical information, and of course, lots of notations. If you are an Oz fan to begin with, you owe it to yourself to buy this book. If you just like children's stories and the history behind them, this is also for you. And don't forget: the book is better than the movie, anyway!

This is a wonderfully informative book. It has its biases, but they're of the harmless, author-worship variety. The only caveat I'd add is that this isn't the book to have as your sole copy of The Wizard of Oz. It's nearly impossible to read the actual story amidst the annotations. That's not a criticism: that is, after all, the purpose of the book. But if you've never read the story, or want to read it to your children, get a simple copy of the book as well.

The "Annotated" series is simply wonderful. Best of all, they are getting better and better all the time. My first was The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition and since then, I've gained a small collection of annotated books. These books were the original DVD commentary track. Now, it just seems strange when I'm reading a book and there's no footnote for further insight!

This was the second Annotated book I bought. The first two books I bought in this series represents the top two lifelong obsessions within fantasy: Wonderland and Oz (now, if only they'd do Neverland to complete my personal trilogy!).

Upon first reading, I'll admit -- this was a bit hard to start. Sure, it was interesting, but compared to the introduction to the Alice book, it seemed a bit rambling. It seemed like I'd never get through to the actual book!

Recently, I decided to give it another go. So, starting from the beginning again, I read. Age must change my opinion on things. It was no longer so rambling. I rather enjoyed the introduction -- in fact, wish it was longer!

When your first introduction to the Annotated series is Alice, a highly satirical book with a lot of symbolism, you may have expectations of all the secret meanings revealed. Don't expect it here. As is stressed in the introduction, this was a story purely meant to delight. While there are similarities in the ultimate purpose of writing it -- a boredom with the children's books of the day -- the two are completely different in their approach. Carroll used the book to make fun of the children's books of his day. Baum just wrote a good story.

So, therefore, the annotations have more to do with what was going on around Baum at the time, things in his life that may have had some influence, and criticism rather than the hidden symbols found within. You'll get a history lesson of turn-of-the-century America that we may not hear much. You'll learn about changes to the book made over the years.

The greatest thing about this edition is that it's a facsimile of the first edition. The pages aren't perfect -- there are age marks every now and then. But you'll finally be able to see what exactly made this book so novel in 1900 -- colors and text are reproduced in a way most editions do not. Most other editions using Denslow's drawings are usually incomplete with a more modernized setting for the fonts. This causes many pages of illustration to be omitted as the illustrations are a bit more difficult to reproduce when the original text is overlapping.

The accuracy of the reproduction may be a huge downfall for the annotations, though. Unlike most annotated novels where you'll find the numbers within the text and the annotation in the margins of the book, the numbers have been moved to the edges of each line of text with the annotations on a separate page. Probably, this was done to interfere with the original text, but it means that some confusion might come in when to look at a note. Two numbers may try to squeeze into a single line, which is a little awkward. Or, because the note numbers are no longer attached to the text, we won't know what words those numbers are attached to until we look at the next page (or a few pages ahead, depending on how long the note is).

This isn't quite enough for me to take any stars off, though. It may be an inconvenience, but it's no way to judge the quality of the book. In fact, the rarities -- bonus story, reproductions, and art in the Deslow Index -- more than make up for the structure.

This is an over-sized book, so if you want to add it to your Oz collection, it might be out of place a bit -- if you want an edition to fit in perfectly with your other Oz books, I'd suggest getting The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Books of Wonder) along with this just for casual reading or completeness on the bookshelf.

This book was purchased for my grand daughter who is 18 years old. She thoroughly enjoyed receiving it as a gift. She liked reading the "annotated information" while reading the story. It was a hit as a Christmas gift.

This is a wonderful story told by a master. The illustrations are just beautiful. I've been watching the film since I was five years old and have always loved it. Now I love the book.

I found this book to be very helpful. It provides information on products as well as every day tips. I highly recommend this book!

A great book, highly recommended to anyone who is expecting. Very helpful with creating my registry.

I love this book! It is well-organized, concise and research-based. I go to it quite often for the latest information on infant growth and care. I recommend it to everyone and give it as a gift to first-time parents.

I should have bought this book when I realized how incredible "Baby Bargains" was. I waited until my daughter was 4 months old before I bought this book and I wish that I had not waited so long. I will be giving this to everyone that I know that is expecting moving forward.

This is very well-written. There is a wide variety of information that is up-to-date and straight-forward. It offers balanced information on hot topics without getting caught up in emotion. Too often author's of baby books get caught up in the political hype. However, if you are ever in doubt with anything regarding your child- check with your pediatrician.

There is so much unnecessary "stuff" out there for new parents that it can be overwhelming. Marketers of baby items often times prey on the vulnerability of new parents. This author does not do that. In my opinion, the reviewers who thought that this author has a hidden agenda are clouded by their own agendas. This book offers parents easy to read information so that you can make the best decisions for you and your family.
This is a must have for any parent who wants straight forward advice. I can't wait to read the follow-up book.

This book is awesome, have an issue, go to the section to find the answers!

This is a book for the young, but it is also a good book for the parents and everyone in between.
I had this book w/record when I was a little girl and the meaning behind this very small simple book came to mind many times through my life... (middle aged now) It resonated with me because I perceived my family didn't believe in me, didn't think I would amount to anything, treated me as if I was stupid and laughed at me, my dreams... so I grew up trying to be my own "cheerleader"... which was daunting at times... yet, like this boy planting the carrot seed, I also somehow knew (trusted?) inside me there was a seed that would grow with enough positive energy, light and love. It is my passion to cheer my fellow humans on... believe in yourself, believe in your children, believe in the people around you and they will believe in themselves and so on and so on and so on...
We all came here with a gift (seed)... let it move through you (grow) and do not listen to the negative voices/opinions around you, no matter how "influential" they are.
"My story" is done, coaching session over ;-) Cheers to ya!

My 3 year old son knows this book word for word. It is a superb story about patience and tenacity. Yet another library book that become so beloved we turned to amazon....

This book is a wonderful portrayal of perserverence and faith. Delightful to young and old!

i was happy to receive the book. it is exactly the book i remembered and its nice because it is hard.

thank you

This book had a huge impact on me as a child.

Everyone told the boy his carrot seed would not come up. Even the adults. My reaction was this: adults know everything, so why is this boy still trying? I was truly surprised when the carrot seed sprouted, and I clapped and cheered. My next reaction was this: maybe *I* shouldn't give up, even when other people tell me to. This is one of the greatest lessons I've ever learned.

I read this book to my own kids now, and they love it as much as I do.

First book in the Demonata series.

Grubitsch "Grubbs" Grady goes to live with his Uncle Dervish in a creepy old mansion after his parents and sister are torn to shreds by an evil demon named Lord Loss and his familiars, Vein and Artery. Grubbs witnesses the gory scene, but escapes by tapping into a magical ability he never knew he possessed. Once in his uncle's house, Grubbs learns more than he ever wanted to know about the Grady family curse, which involves werewolves, demons, and chess.

Lord Loss is an exciting fantasy/horror story, filled with suspense that left me wanting to read more. After his parents are killed by the demon master, Lord Loss, a teenage is introduced into a world of demons and magic by his uncle. I think a lot of teenagers would enjoy reading this book. Darren Shan uses every word in the book to describe the characters, the thing around them, and their feelings. The story is completely unpredictable and I was left reading chapteer after chapter, The characters are realistic and I can relate to what they feel. I gave this book a 4 out of 5. It is one of my favorite books because of how the story is told which so much detail in every sentence.

Demonata
Book 1: Lord Loss

This story starts off with this one kid and his family who absolutely loves chess. They play a game every night and they are the best of the state and know one can beat them. Grubbs (Grubitsch) Grady doesn't get why his family has to play chess so much. He doesn't get why it's so important to the family, but soon, very soon he will find out the truth.
Grubbs family went out of town to a ballet Grubbs spends the night at his aunt's house for the night. But Grubbs was too curious to let his family treating him differently unnoticed. He sneaks out of his grandma's house to see what id really going on.
He finally gets to his house and his parents vehicles are still there. His front door was unlocked so he went in. The whole house was unusually cold. Every chess set that was in the house was broken and skewed around the house. The only light on in the house was in his room. Grubbs never learned what curiosity killed the cat meant until now.
When Grubbs opens the door to his room all he sees is blood stained walls and the demon artery eating his sister alive and the other demon Vein chewing alive his mom.
That's just the beginning, if you like horror books and demons and werewolves, this is the book for you. There's a lot more to this book than what you just read and it get's much, much better than the beginning is.
This book comes close to being just as good as the Cirque De Freak, but it's not quite there yet.

Another must read seires by Darren Shan This book is awsome its about demons and everything magical but mustly demons u will be itchting for the next book after u read Lord Loss

THIS BOOK SENDS SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE!!!!!


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