Town Books

For simple, easy to make, YUMMY TO EAT, recipes, this cookbook is a keeper. Nice color pictures of each recipe - even ingredients for doubling some recipes.

I accidently knocked over a drink onto my daughter's cookbook, and didn't realize it until it had totally soaked and ruined it. I couldn't find another one anywhere except on Amazon.com. I was so glad I could replace the cookbook for her. It is a wonderful cookbook and would recommend it and Amazon.com to anyone.

I have to say, I have a fetish for cookbooks! This, however, does not mean I cook alot!! But this cookbook is set up so perfect! I love the photos of EVERY recipe. The ingredient list is easy to skim over and clear to the point directions. And the recipes are great! I made 3 of them over the Thanksgiving holiday/hunting season and all were a hit! I am trying two more over the Christmas holiday. I love that they have the amounts for large or small groups. I checked this book out of our local school library and am now going to buy it. Recipes you can use over and over! I am also making 3 of the recipes for my son's class dinner at school this week!!

This book is great--there are pictures for every recipe, and amounts for making the recipe just for your family, or for a large gathering (ie. for 4 or 8). It's spiral bound inside the hardcover, which is nice. And the recipes are very do-able and sound really good (I just got it and haven't had a chance to make them all yet). My mom wants a copy too.

I learned a lifetime love of reading from my parents who had the great insight of choosing childrens books for me that treated children with respect. This book is a perfect example of that. It is simple enough for the earliest of readers, yet captivating and enchanting for me then as now.

I loved this book as a child, and for years looked for it as an adult. Finally, when my fiance found it and gave it to me as an adult on my birthday (41st!) it brought tears to my eyes. It is that good. Thank you Messrs. Vogel and Sendak.

All little Lori wanted to do was visit Times Square. But no matter how hard he tried to get there, things just didn't work out. He started at 8th Street and took the subway. But instead of going to Times Square, he ended up at South Ferry. So he took a bus and got off at 242nd Street, nowhere near Times Square. He hailed a taxi, but the driver wouldn't take him to Times Square because he had no money. So he rode the elevated subway, but ended up at his Uncle Eddie's house in Queens. And on and on to Staten Island, Idlewild Airport, Central Park and even the 125th floor of Macy's, but not Times Square. Poor Lori had had enough. He sat down on the sidewalk and cried and that's when the talking turtle came walking by. He knew exactly how to get to Times Square..... Written in 1963, Amos Vogel's charming and clever little story is as fresh today, as it was almost 40 years ago. His simple, spare text is wonderfully complemented by Maurice Sendak's inventive, humorous and familiar artwork and together they've authored an ageless treasure the entire family will enjoy. Perfect for children 4-8, How Little Lori Visited Times Square is a winner and a story youngsters will want to read again and again.

Almost everyone has a dream now and then when it is impossible to get to where you want to go. In the morning, you may feel more tired than if you had lain awake all night. This book takes that experience, and adds new comic elements to it. Wonderful Maurice Sendak illustrations imaginatively . . . s . . . l . . . o . . . w . . . . . . d . . . o . . . w . . . n . . . . . t . . . h . . . e . . . . . . p . . . a . . . c . . . e.

"(This is a very funny book and should not be read while drinking orange juice or you will spill it!)" Be sure to heed that warning. I suggest drinking nothing more colorful than water.

"One day Lori said to himself: 'I want to see Times Square.'"

Unfortunately, he doesn't quite know where it is or how to get there. He walked to the subway, but ended up at South Ferry. Then a bus took him to 242nd Street. From there, he was soon expelled from a taxi for lack of funds. The elevated subway took him to Uncle Eddie's home in Queens. The boat went to Staten Island. A helicopter flew him to Idlewild Airport (now Kennedy, having been renamed after this book was first published in 1963). A horse and wagon pulled him to the middle of Central Park. A pony trotted him around in circles. Some sea lions just got him wet. An elevator took him to the 125th floor of Macy's (there is no such floor).

He was then crying on the sidewalk, less than 12 blocks from Times Square.

A turtle speaks . . . s . . . l . . . o . . . w . . . l . . . y and tries to help. "So Lori got on, and the turtle started crawling (very slowly of course)."

"AND THIS WAS FOUR MONTHS AGO . . . And nobody has heard from them since . . . ."

The best part of the story is after Lori meets the turtle. Each two-page spread is initially accompanied by only one word, to emphasize the turtle's slowness. Mr. Sendak does a great job of showing how Lori's emotions shift as the turtle continues on speaking slowly.

On the other hand, much of the rest of the book seems somewhat pointless other than to list that there are lots of ways to get around in New York.

A major lesson here is that you need to have both a goal and some idea of how to achieve it. If you don't have a good plan, you had better get a strong partner. This book makes those lessons very well.

Where do you lack clear goals and direction to accomplish those goals? Who can help you quickly to reach effectiveness in your pursuit of the goal? How can you attract their assistance?

Be sure you're moving in the right direction . . . and at the right pace!

Nice book by my dad about me when i was little with pictures drawn by our friend maurice its funny and sad and goes all around 60's nyc to places that don't all exist anymore.

Your kids will enjoy it.

This is a "must read" book for anyone who really wants to understand the often misunderstood world of the homeless.

Dr. Raul Santoyo, with amazingly deep understanding, humor and love, brings the homeless to life in a way that turns "them" into people just like "us." Their dramas, joys, sorrows, losses, and gains are in the end no different than "ours." His bridging of the two worlds is essential in these times of division, fear, and misunderstanding.

Dr. Raul Santoyo shares his dynamic experience with working with the homeless people in a border town. Each story details the emotional turmoil that occurs in the lives of people; therefore, ending in a homeless situation. I love you, baby, I love you will make you cry, laugh and bring you happiness when families are finally reunited. A must read book that will leave you with a different perspective towards homeless people.

I Love You, Baby, I Love You: Stories of Homeless People in a Border Town is a must read book! Dr. Santoyo's depictions of the homeless are brutally honest and immensely moving. The book encompasses the struggles of the homeless with candor. The book makes you cry, yet makes you feel enlightened about the homeless. I love you baby i love you is inspirational and gives an insightful look at homelessness; supporting Dr. Santoyo's view that "Some of the homeless were beyond "redemption," some werw not. All of them however deserve a better lot in life."

Santoyo's stories are little packages of emotional fixes. They bring a smile of hope and joy, a tear of sadness, clarity and understanding for the homeless and the people who care for them.
Each story creates a picture in the mind of the reader. The reader can look into the lives of the homeless. The book brings the reader to a deep realization that no one is safe from the evils of mental disorder or homelessness. Mr. Santoyo parades his words with a flamboyance that leaves the reader wanting more.

The life of an immigrant child was harsh. Russell Freedman accomplished his goal of showing how difficult an immigrant's life was through the use of descriptive words and photographs that make you thankful that you do not have to live like immigrant children of the past. The photographs captured our attention. Our fourth grade teacher shared this book with us. It helped us to learn about the conditions immigrants had to live under. We highly recommend this book!

This wonderful non-fiction book will be a hit with students at the 4th-6th grade level. The real life pictures of immigrant children in the neighborhoods of New York during the late 1800's and early 1900's that appear on almost every page of the book should hold the interest of even the most reluctant readers. However, while the reading itself is not too difficult for most 4th-6th grade students, much of the vocabulary explaining the era of that time will be unfamiliar to them so covering this book as a read-aloud may be most beneficial. Immigrant Kids provides a wonderful way to introduce students to immigration in the past and show how it has changed over time. It lends itself well to a discussion in history class on the various cultures that became part of the giant "mixing pot" we now call our country. Because this book is set in New York it can further be used to teach about the city of New York and its early beginnings. Possibly the one thing that will interest students the most about this book is that it is written from the perspective of children like themselves. Overall the historical content of this book is very well defined and accurate and the photograph driven text provides readers with a very non-threatening approach to information books. It is a must read in any 4th-6th grade history curriculum and can work as a wonderful addition to a reading curriculum when used in accompaniment with other books both fictional and factual dealing with the topic of immigration.

If your family came to America 100 years ago, what was life like for them? Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman provides insights which pair with vintage black and white photos to describe work challenges, living conditions and more. The blend of visual and history will appeal to elementary grades 3-5, but many an older reader will find it equally unusual & compelling.

What a wonderful tribute to our country and to those people that left all they had, to join us here! The pictures and stories are amazing!

This first book from Colette Brooks is the carefully constructed product of a lifetime of reflection. This genre-stretching work should appeal to any city-dweller who's ever spent a half hour on the subway looking around at his or her fellow passengers and wondering what it all means.

In The City is a fantastic read. I never wanted to put it down and the few times when I did, the book immediately beckoned me back. Brooks' visions and ponderings are haunting and thought-provoking. With a language and structure that is incredibly unique and exquisitely poetic, she pulls the reader into the heart and soul of the city- a world so familiar and yet like no other. Any reader will quickly see that this is one of those ever so rare times when a writer will bring a brand new perspective to the world, and let us all look at the same old city for the very first time.

Colette Brooks has joined the ranks of writers like E.B. White and Jane Jacobs with her beautiful new book, IN THE CITY. Brooks' subtly poetic prose, gentle humor, and eye for the telling detail open the city to the reader, revealing its soul. Anyone who has ever lived in, or dreamed of living in, a city will find this book resonating with echoes of their own feelings and dreams. It is impossible to put it down and impossible to leave it behind. One returns to the book again and again relishing special moments, phrases and insights. Ms. Brooks writes beautifully, sparely and with a unique voice.

Colette Brooks blew my mind with this book. Everyone these days is so caught up in classifying literature, of putting people in their little boxes, of being able to say "It's like Gatsby meets Eggers on a road trip with Kerouac!" and then along comes Colette and proves that it IS possible to completely reinvent the form... or to invent A form. IN THE CITY is part short story collection, part prose poem, part historical novel, part autobiography. The text itself evades specifics-- every time you think you've got her pinned, know exactly what news item or neighborhood she's talking about, she spirits it away again and takes you someplace new. People talk about reading until they get to "a good stopping point". IN THE CITY has no good stopping point. You jump into the river of Brooks's prose and you're carried to the end, released back into the ocean of your life-- no matter where you live-- looking at it a little differently, a little more closely, and with a lot more affection for the lives around you.

James Joyce's "Dubliners" is a shining example of the beautifully expressive power of the English language. The book offers a compilation of short stories, each as intriguing and captivating as those that precede and follow.

To truly enjoy the remarkable magnificence of this book, it is important to first recognize the three key aspects of each story: symbolism, imagery, and character development. The first of which to be examined is the most vital, as each story of the book is enveloped and completely built upon Joyce's deep and profound symbolism, with each character also defined by the same.

We can first look upon the title character of "Eveline," for whom the lattice-work of a window represents the bars of her prison-cell, and the fading streetlights beyond depict the hope of her life dissipating in the darkness of ever-encroaching night.

Easy to recognize, the symbolism of "Dubliners" is amazingly proficient in its ability to provide a deeper insight and understanding that truly does raise this book above the stature of its otherwise common stories. Joyce's masterful use of this literary technique is then placed within simple linguistic structures that are easily identified, yet powerful and splendidly thought provoking in its very core and concept, as well as by the nature in which it is employed. The careful explication of, and adequate attention give to this symbolism is very relevant, as it is essential in achieving a greater appreciation of each story being told, the characters portrayed within, and of Joyce to entertain with each.

Wild and vivid imagery frames the story through the author's immense, yet extremely enjoyable descriptive nature. A majority of each story's progression takes place between the dialogue, which is sparse to say the least, giving ample opportunity for Joyce's spectacular, though usually dark and gloomy imagery. It is also within this narrative that the characters spring to life. Being depicted as ordinary people suffering internal conflicts, they are tightly bound to the reader through relative and universal experiences. Eloquent and poignant examples of this can be found in the title characters of both "Eveline," and "Araby."

The central characters of "Dubliners," at first glance, appear quite flat, as seen in their dialogue. But upon closer inspection, the depth of Joyce's imaginative narrative bring them round, and fully-developed. Each of these characters, in their own respective way, is brilliantly constructed through elaborate thoughts and feelings, which, ironically, display the faults, failures, and weaknesses that they bring into their personal struggles. This appears to be Joyce's unique and quite genius way of building to climax, in which the audience is forced to believe in the strength and courage of characters of which we already know them to be deficient. It is, therefore, a cleverly devised surprise when they remain weak-willed, and are lead into despair, even though this path has been clearly laid out from beginning to end. Correlations can then be drawn between these characters, and the settings of the stories in which they appear. Being the same throughout, his setting is the Irish city of Dublin, which Joyce goes out of his way to portray as bereft of light, warmth, and color.

Though Joyce's obvious theme and intent was the portrayal of the internal conflicts of common people, this subject does become redundant when replicated throughout all stories of the book, offering the one real drawback of "Dubliners."

Overall, Joyce's simplistic use of language is evocative, as it conveys complex ideas in very simple words, making it an easy read for even the least literary-minded of readers. The thought and story progression is virtually flawless, being laid out in a proper and unmistakeable order that can be widely enjoyed for both its surface-value, and its underlying literary techniques. The philosophical themes are relative to virtually anyone, making this a book well worth spending time on.

My only complete reading of Dubliners was from this version. What makes Dubliners so amenable to an annotated edition is that it is essentially an immediately accessible work of fiction - Joyce's only (the Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man being slightly trickier). Why are annotations so crucial to this work? The multiple place and character references make up a significant portion of these stories: Without a knowledge of the settings you're left with the virtuoso, stand-alone, psychological complexities of Joyce's style.

For example, Margaret Mary Allicott. Passing reference is made to her in Dubliners; Buck Mulligan refers to her also in Ulysses as "Margaret Mary ANYcock". Without annotations, what can you make of that? Who was she? The annotated Dubliners points out that she was a figure of considerable religious veneration in Dublin at the turn of the century. Icons of her graced many Irish homes. Seeking sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church, she would drink only dirty washwater and eat only the pus from her numerous sores. This gives some idea of the crudity of public ideas of morality at the time. The annotation permits you to enjoy not only the bizarre Irish Zeitgeist but also appreciate the Buck's nasty pun. This is just one example of the value of annotations for this work. You can easily imagine that the instances are numerous, and that the pictures included throughout this annotated Dubliners also breathe life into the stories.

Most of all, if you like Joyce's fiction, this is a fun copy. And remember, these stories were originally read by people who *did* understand the numerous references and allusions. My experience of Dubliners is that this is the only truly readable version. Enjoy these heartwarming yarns of a city's moral and psychological twilight: Paralysis, disillusionment, collapse.

Marvelous work.

The voluminous notes gave me a richer understanding of this work. The book is beautfully laid out and much easier to read than other "annotated" books. I wish the author's would tackle ULYSSES next.

I found several copies of the book, new and unused, for sale at Heffers bookstore in Cambridge, UK.

The drawings, photographs, and newspaper clippings provide a first hand sense of what Joyce's Dublin was like then. Like a mail order fountain pen, whose newspaper advertisement from Christmas 1903 is reproduced in the book. Maybe Gabriel Conroy bought one. I've never used a fountain pen - to me the advertisement is a subtle reminder of how distant Joyce's Dublin is from us now.

Warning - It's tempting to spend more time reading the notes and annotations than reading Joyce himself.

Budbill's "Judevine" captures that poet's region and personas in the same way Masters' "Spoon River Anthology" or Beecher's protest lyrics embodied American regional consciousness. With each piece of the American quilt, and "Judevine" is one, we piece together America through literature. If you haven't heard read Budbill's poetry or heard it on "Writer's Almanac" you really are missing out on great poetry and great storytelling.

Judevine is a must have for any avid reader of poetry. Budbill has an extrodenary ability to capture the momment and freeze it in time. You'll Love it! He has become one of my favorite writers.

i discovered judevine in a class that almost beat the warmth out of this spectacular poetry. But, fortuneately i had the good fortune to hear david budbill do readings from judevine. I have been hooked ever since. His style is so friendly and engaging, and when combined with the rich texture of character and landscape, it quickly became my favorite book of poems.

David Budbill's story-poems are beautiful, heart-warming (and occasionally heart-breaking). They are best read aloud, and that may be why he's also such a great playwright. I believe these characters really exist, although David swears he made them up. Judevine is a song cycle, an epic, perhaps, of real people and real life--ennobled but not sugared over. Rich with sound, image, humor, and love.

THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ALL KIDS OF ALL AGES! THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE COLORFUL AND THE STORY IS GREAT! MY NIECES LOVE IT AND READ IT EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BEDTIME, BUY BUY BUY!!!!!!!!! FOR ANYONE WITH KIDS, GRANDKIDS, NIECES NEPHEWS--OR EVEN YOURSELF!
GREAT JOB AND I FOR ONE CANNOT WAIT FOR THE OTHERS TO COME OUT! AWESOME JOB ANNIE BELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

FANTASTIC CHILDRENS BOOK!!! GRANDKIDS LOVE IT!!!
GREAT FOR ALL CHILDREN... BOOK IS SUCH FUN READING. THE CHILDREN ARE ALSO LEARNING LESSONS AS THEY READ!!!
THE WEBSITE [...] SAYS A SEQUEL WILL BE OUT LATER THIS YEAR AND WE CAN'T WAIT!!! EVERYONE SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK!!! MUST HAVE FOR ALL KIDS!!!!

My 3 daughters (ages 9, 5, and 3)really enjoy this book. It is bright, colorful, and cute to look at, and the story is fun. My oldest reads it to her younger sisters a lot. I recommend this book to anyone. It is nice for your collection. Their friends really like it, too.

This is one of the best children's books I have ever read. It is so colorful and fun and easy to read. Plus it all rhymes which the kids absolutely love.
Thanks for a great book Miss AnnieBelle, we can't wait for the sequels. Keep up the great work!!!!

I just finished this extraordinary book, and was totally engrossed in the story line and well developed characters from start to finish. I highly recommend this book, undoubtedly the best book I've read this year.

BRAVO, BRAVO, Darryl Wimberley for a job well done!

I pre-ordered The King of Colored Town by Darryl Wimberley back in January after a friend passed me a two-line, positive blurb about the book. By the time it arrived, I did not have any more insight about the author or the story, so I cracked the cover hoping not to be disappointed. This book turned out to be a true literary delight and one of my favorites so far for 2007!

The reader is transported to 1963 in the racially-charged Florida Panhandle region amid the Civil Rights movement. A teenaged dreamer, Joe Billy King, finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and is implicated in a church bombing. He flees Tallahassee to the backwoods of Laureate, FL where he meets Cilla Handsom. Opposites attract and the charms of Joe Billy, an outspoken, city boy, attract Cilla, the shy, bashful country girl who is struggling with a mentally ill mother and living in overt poverty. Their love affair is strained by the inevitable limitations of deep-rooted racism and local "good ole boy" politics.
It is ultimately crushed in a brutal and savage act of cowardice and betrayal. A man is killed, a trial ensues, secrets are revealed, and their paths diverge forever. Cilla escapes and becomes a classically trained musician while Joe Billy languishes in a penitentiary for the rest of his life.

To reveal more would ruin the plot; but I will say there is much, much more to the story than what I summarized here! I found myself immersed from the beginning and it appealed to me on many levels. One being that it was centered in a region of Florida that I am intimately familiar; I actually have (distant) relatives in the same geographical area. Another is that the novel's historical fiction aspects were rooted in realism. The school integration scenes and voter registration issues so heavily prevalent in the rural, segregated South were written with depth, passion, and clarity. The author really captured and communicated the mindset (fears, pride, frustrations) and differing points of views among the African Americans on these two very (at the time) controversial topics. Last, I found Wimberley to be a wonderful storyteller -- he set the scenarios perfectly, the characters were rich and full-bodied, the plot was clever and well-paced, the lyrical prose and dialogue were authentic and on point. It is highly recommended for those who enjoy literary drama and Civil Rights era pieces with a bit of mystery/suspense.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub

An absolutely great page turner. Kept me glued to the pages and I was sorry to get to the end. Wimberley knows how to keep the reader interested in the characters that he develops and the story he weaves. Great reading.

Darryl Wimberley's newest book was a rarity--a chance for one to live a life completely out of one's own experience. The narrative, told in the voice of an African-American woman coming of age in the segregated South of the early 1960's, is completely believeable. The theme, of the risks and rewards of following one's dream, no matter what the sacrifice, hardly allows for such distractions to the reader as work, meals, or sleep until the entire story has been told and savored. If you have not yet discovered Darryl Wimberley's fiction, this is an excellent start. If you have read his other works, you will appreciate how his gift has deepened since his first published work.

What an amazing story. It touched my heart as I read it to a group of children. We should all be so humble.

This is definitely a lap and snuggle book. It's not heavy, but BIG with warm tones and autumn colors settled on the pages. The illustrator, Marni Backer, captured snowy winter scenes that immediately draw you into any large city and any large neighborhood. Could this neighborhood by yours? With each turn of the page, the traffic muffles and city bustle blurs so that you can now be introduced to Lizzie and Ben's dilemma of seeing a homeless woman, Dorrie, and the children wanting to help despite their mother's caution about talking to strangers.

Told with the realism of a child, you'll see how Lizzie and Ben leave Dorrie peanut butter and crackers--but forget to give her a dinner knife. (They did much better when they brought her some warm vegetable noodle soup.)

When their mother takes notice of the parade of missing food items, she begins to become involved. She helps us to find out why Dorrie is homeless and the whole family spends a Saturday volunteering at a soup kitchen.I won't spoil the ending, but rest assured that there is a message of hope for Dorrie.

One of the nicest features about the book is the note from the author on the last page. Written at a level that young children can understand, she explains her idea for the book, where she has volunteered in an effort to help the homeless, and where to start if you want to find out more about homelessness.

Copyright © 2000. Hope Sykes & The RVing Volunteer. All Rights Reserved.

The book is a great adition to any ones library. McGovern is a great auther. The art an dwords compliment each other. It is a tuching book and has a wonderful kind caring qulity. McGovern really cares about these people.

This is a timely, beautifully written, and illustrated book. McGovern treats the subject with compassion and sensitivity. The illustrations are great. A 10+