Town Books

"Bernelly was a country mouse. She lived west of the city in a small village that had everthing a mouse could need-except a shoe shop. From spring through fall Bernelly was a fly-fishing instructor... And in winter she spent her time tying beautiful flies." But a leaky boot sends her to the city for new shoes and a visit with cousin Harriet. "Harriet was a famous artist, and her home was also her studio. In winter she painted glorious masterpieces... And in summer she traveled to exotic places that might inspire her." Harriet was thrilled to have Bernelly visit, and took her all over the city, sightseeing and shopping, and by the end of the week, Bernelly was exhausted. "It is just too crowded and noisy here. I miss being able to sit quietly by the river watching my beautiful trout." Harriet was intrigued with such a simple, quiet life. "Perhaps it will inspire me." But of course, country life was not the life for her. Harriet was bored with fishing and gardening, napping and "dinner parties with exciting tales of trout." She missed the "hustle and bustle of city life-the noise, the smells, the shopping!" and heads back to the city, where surprisingly, she finds country life did inspire her, in its own way.....Elizabeth Dahlie's modern retelling of an old, favorite fable is playful and entertaining. Her engaging text is only outdone by her charming and endearing illustrations, rendered in soft, pastel tones, and filled with marvelous eye-catching detail and humor. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, Bernelly & Harriet is a warm and captivating read aloud with a gentle message that won't be lost on little ones...there's no place like home.

This is a delightful new version of the Country Mouse and the City Mouse.

Bernelly's an independent country mouse who loves her life. Her jaunty attire of red scarf and black boots suit her life style as a fly-fishing instructor. She spends her leisure time tying flies and reading. Her library has an eclectic group of books that include, THE KENYON REVIEW, HENRIETTA, and THE VILLAGE, which indicate that she's a well read young mouse. Of course, her favorite books are about fly-fishing. When Bernelly realizes that she needs new boots, she decides to visit her cousin Harriet for a shopping trip to the city. Harriet's a stylish city mouse who wears gold loop earrings, and has a distinctive flair for clothes. Her sophisticated life as a famous artist allows for exotic travel and shopping. She's delighted to have Bernelly visit and takes her all over town seeing the sights. Bernelly's a bit overwhelmed and home sick, and invites Harriet to visit the country. When the city cousin visits the country, she's not overwhelmed, she's a little bored with the fly-fishing, gardening and the slow pace of life. In spite of the fact that the two mice have different life styles, they seem to enjoy an affectionate relationship which adds a nice warmth to the story.

I enjoyed the detail that Elizabeth Dahlie put into her illustrations. My favorite images are of Bernelly and Harriet walking hand in hand down a cobblestone city street where a flower pot reflects a house number--a delicious tea, served on blue and white china at Putney's Tea Shop-- shopping at an expensive shoe store--and, a mixed group of Bernelly's friends sharing a conversation at dinner. Each page of this enchanting book is filled with wonderful pictures.

A well done book that children will love.

This is a story about a cat and a girl who move to the city. The cat's name is Puss and the girl's name is Jenni. Puss gets lost and Jenni has to find him. The chapters alternate between Puss and Jenni's points of view. I like the fact that you can read what Puss is thinking. This is one of my favorite books that I have ever read.

Young Puss is a country cat, and has been all his life. He adores small-town living, as he knows all the animals who surround him, and has his own very territories. That's why he's shocked when his owner, Jenni, moves him to a city filled with traffic, and unfriendly people. Puss quickly decides that this isn't the life for him, and heads towards home. However, unbeknownst to Puss, home is over 100 miles away, and might never be found by a small cat. When Jenni realizes that her beloved Puss - short for Puss in Boots, thanks to his all black body, and white feet - she becomes frantic and begins her search for him. While at the same time, Puss realizes how much he misses Jenni, and frantically tries to find his way back to his new home in the city. Throughout it all, Jenni meets many city-dwellers, who try to help her find Puss, and realizes that maybe the city isn't that bad after all.

Being a cat lover, and a fan of touching Christmas stories, I was happy to find both elements in Sylvia Green's THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER. Puss is a determined young cat who triumphs over the tragedy of getting himself lost. Jenni is a kind young girl who wants nothing but Puss back as her Christmas gift. Together they create quite a duo. With fabulous supporting characters who bring the story even more to life, THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER is essential holiday reading.

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This book is very close to reality with a twist of what can really happen. A widow with two teens struggling to raise her children alone, look after a dear elderly aunt, and try to run a successful pre-school business. She has given up on love after already having had a wonderful love in her life now gone.
Until a man walks in with his 3 year old little girl that can touch anyone's heart. But along with those two, her mother (who died not too long ago) is playing match maker and pushing to have her death explained. Was it murder or just a accident from overwhelming migraines?
Want to read a wonderful book that I didn't think would capture even my interest? This is your book!

I absolutely LOVED this book. I sat down to read it expencting a good story, but it just grabbed me and made me finish it that very night. I just couldn't put it down. Helen's character was so real to me I could relate to her throughout the story. The father was so clueless about his daughter I was ready to hit him over the head myself, and the obvious scheming of the nanny reminded me of 'Hand That Rocks the Cradle'. Even though I knew how the story was going to end, I was so wrapped up in the characters I couldn't wait to find out how they would get there. A very satisfing, wonderful story!

This book is about the LOST COMMANDMENT OF BIBLICAL MEDITATION. FOR THE CHRISTIAN, THIS IS THE MAJOR WAY THAT GOD CAN TRULY CHANGE YOUR HEART AND LIFE! JESUS OBVIOUSLY HAD DONE A LOT OF BIBLICAL MEDITATION.

Elmer Towns lays out serveral different meditation styles modeled from biblical characters, and then gives you loads of scripture to start meditating on right away! Christian meditation, as opposed to eastern meditation, is about alllowing God to fill you rather than emptying your self. What a great stride toward spiritual maturity when one grasps these concepts!

The Biddle Street Bridge was an outstanding read. I couldn't put it down. It was definatley a feel good book, that brought a smile to my face & a warm feeling to my heart. THIS IS A MUST READ!!

The Biddle Street Bridge was an outstanding read. I couldn't put it down. It was definatley a feel good book, that brought a smile to my face & a warm feeling to my heart. THIS IS A MUST READ!!

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (1/07)

"In 1879 through 1881Bodie, California was one of the richest mining towns in the West." Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the town is now a historic state park. Both gold and silver were excavated from the town's mines. "Bodie is the best-preserved ghost town in the West.

James Watson and Doug Brodie combine history, legend and never before shared stories with their readers to bring to life the image of Bodie, once a thriving town now a ghost town.

The author's discuss how to obtain an education in an obscure isolated town called Bodie. "The Bodie Public School opened its doors the second Tuesday of March, 1878." There were 10 eager students. Within two weeks there were 40 students. The teacher was paid $100.00 per month.

The town is located 15 miles from Mono Lake. The lake has been referred to as "the Dead Sea of the West." The lake was used for transporting materials "to build the railroad and to haul wood products and lumber."

In 1911 a blizzard hit the area resulting in three avalanches, leaving nine dead. "The tremendous weight of snow on the mountainside gave way and with a roar bore down on the unsuspecting occupants of the dwellings....Within seconds the powerhouse and cottages were ripped off their foundations and flattened."

"Big Bad Bodie: High Sierra Ghost Town," by James Watson and Doug Brodie, is fascinating. The combination of facts and myth helps to teak the reader's interest. The photographs add much to the story, bringing the town to the reader. I found myself pondering the photographs. My husband and I are born tourist, we definitely want to see Bodie. I highly recommend this book to those interested in history, travel, ghost stories and nonfiction.

The collaborative effort of James Watson and Doug Brodie, Big Bad Bodie: High Sierra Ghost Town is the history of a Western ghost town of the 19th and 20th centuries, as compiled from newspapers, personal testimony, research in the Bodie area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and more. Black-and-white photographs complement the primary sources that compile an accurate and memorable picture of what life in Bodie was really like. Big Bad Bodie is a welcome addition to Western American History Studies collections and would well serve as a template for specialized "yesteryear" histories of other western communities as well.

My son made me read this book about 20 times in a row after we got it, and now it is among his favorites. he loves the wrecking balls and the character with a backhoe as well as "Jack Hammer". The thick cardboard pages and durable wheels make this book hard to destroy and a great value.

My son loves this book. It's about his favorite cartoon Rescue Heroes and it has great action in it. Every page has a wheel you can turn to make for action (ie: like the strobe of flashing lights, a cat being rescued, a boy throwing a basketball toward the hoop, etc...) My son loves all of the different Rescue Heroes and this book has a lot of them in it. And who doesn't love a happy ending!

A wonderful book! It makes you laugh, cry, smile, and you'll want to read it over and over! The small town stories included in the book make you feel like you are from the same town and like you've known the authors your entire life. (A Mention of Patty Loveless is also never a bad thing in any book!) Wonderful book that I enjoy reading often.

This heartfelt collection of essays and articles tells some familiar life stories. Poignant at times and funny as can be at others, I was very pleased that the quality of writing matched the quality of life the book describes.

The best one yet! It really hits home about kids judging others about skin, only this time it's the black judging the white. In this, Maya has to dedcide to stay with Shanah or go with her new friends Caryln and Joy. She has to make Shana see that their friendship has to grow or go. And she doesn't know how that will work out..... can't wait to get the next one!

Three Girls in the City: Black and White was a great book . The scene of this book is in New York. It falls into the genre of realistic fiction because the events that occur in this book can happen but the characters are made up. I love this book because it talks about how people can still be friends and be a different race. This book is sort of a drama and some parts in it are sad but some parts of are funny. Three Girls in the City: Black and White inspires me to be diverse with the friends I choose. This is a perfect book for anyone from a 10 to 13 year old girl. It also is in a series so if you read the first book of the series and love it, then you can get the second book in the series. This is a great book and I would recommend it for any girl my age! (11-13)

This is an excellent collection of poems. I had the honor of hearing Mr. Young read excerpts on NPR the other morning. Oh, how I was instantly transported to that world of Noir. The rhythm, the imagery, the slang...it's wonderful. Anyone that's ever enjoyed Noir (think Orson Welles' Touch of Evil), you'll love this book.

Kevin gives us a nice twist with Black Maria.The title is a slang for a police wagon or hearse. This collection is a blues based detective novel written in poems and is actually a screenplay.It takes a very talented writer to pull that off and Kevin has done it well. I read this novel/collection/play straight through. The story is captivating. What do you get when a sexy singer crosses paths with a drunken detective? A plot full of drama, the hunt, the chase and the catch and broken hearts.Bravo to Kevin for this refreshing mix. I've never read anything like it before. Lyrical Brilliance!

Reviewed by
Dawnny