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Media Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Media
Evil Thirst (Last Vampire, No 5)
Published in Hardcover by Demco Media (1996-07)
Author: Christopher Pike
List price:

Average review score:

Great twist!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-14
Oh my God!!! The twists in this book were amazing. I found myself screaming in excitment while reading this. It was so great... just like all the rest of them. This one made me cry at the end:(( I highly recommend the series!

i love it!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-27
i read this book in year 7 this year and it is soooo cool! It is full of action as well as sad and happy emotions combined excellently. i think everyone should read it even people who don't read much will love this book. It is one of the best book i have ever read in my life!!!

this book is excellent
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-23
This book is amazing, (like the other 5) the hardest to get a hold of i must say, but this series really makse you think, and the ending in the last book just blew me away, i won't say any more though... I applaud pike for his writing, he realy makes you sympathize for a character that would be seen as the horror in most books, i loved it i think you should read it too, and if you plan to read the whole series (which you should) I suggest you read the collectors editoins, because the transitions between books is much less jerky. Read this book it is amazing!

The Last Vampire 5
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-01
The Last Vampire 5 is an excellent book. It can be grusome at times, but that is what makes it a good book. Buy it or you will regret it.

LOVED IT!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-25
In fact I LOVED the entire series! I think I read every book over at LEAST 4 times! I especially loved the character Kalika, loved the way he described her, loved her fathomlessness... I feel speechless right now, I don't even know what I say! That's how good it is... The book is religious, yet not so seriously so that you will punished if you do not agree or w/e, but simply, you'll be sucked so deep into the book you might even smart believing Sita's believes...

Media
The Kennedy Women
Published in Audio Cassette by Media Books Llc (1998-09)
Author: Laurence Leamer
List price: $7.95
New price: $7.00
Used price: $1.74

Average review score:

Outstanding!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-03
I did not want this book to end! It is a fascinating, fair, well-written book about all of the Kennedy women, their men, and the lives they led. I gained new insight, especially, into Kathleen Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, and matriarhc, Rose.

BRAV0! BRAVO! BRILLIANTLY DONE
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-04
"For the most part Rose grandchildren observed and respected and obeyed her, tiptoeing around her life as if she were an exquisite piece of porcelain. She had led such a decorous life, blocking out the untoward, the ugly, and the unacceptable, that her eyes no longer saw the darker colours of the spectrum. "Pat drank a bottle of wine in the morning," Rose was told. "That's impossible" Rose replied, Pat doesn't drink"

I was glad that I read this book because it has helped me to understand so much more about this so much talked about family. In Mr. Leaner's book we get to know about the Kennedy women's personal thoughts and the correct stories of the daughters and daughters-in-law. Mr.Leamer has given us indept portraits of these women and my favourite is Rose Kennedy the Matriarch of the family. For Rose was a woman so strong and who suffered great disloyalty by her husband which she took all gracefully all for the sake of her family and what she supposed the public expected of them. She was a stern Catholic and gain her strength through her prayer and trust in God.
Also portrayed are Joan Kennedy; Ted wife who had a problem with alcohol. Jackie Kennedy Onnassis; the President's wife who remarried after the President's death to a Greek tycoon. Pat Lawford; married to a Hollywood star and spent most of her time in Los Angeles. Eunice Shriver, who was always working for the handicapped and underprivileged and was one of the Kennedys with great patience and common sense. Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's widow and Jean Smith.
The Kennedys pushed their tragedies to the inner recesses of their minds.They refused to let others see the negative side of their lives, and carried their problems and burdens inwardly taking pains not to show their broken hearts. To some this might seem pretentious, but they honestly had their reasons. After all they were special in the eyes of America.
Whenever tragedy struck it was not unusual for them to suddenly get physical by taking walks, riding, swimming and any form of exercise. Rosemary the eldest daughter who was mentally retarded was isolated from the public eye and sent to Wisconsin where she was looked after by those of the Sacred Order. This book has helped me to understand so much more about the choices they made and the reason they made them, though tragedy seem to follow them everywhere.

Mr. Leamer has pulled out all the stops in the brilliantly written book, and I would not hesitate to read anything by him in the future. Bravo! Bravo! Heather Marshall 04/04/04

Great condition
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-11
This book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner just like the seller promised! A++

Interesting but too long
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-17
I found this book about the Kennedy family women a very interesting read. The only problem with it is that it is so long. At over 900 pages Mr. Leamer could have written three books and had them in instalments about one pericular Kennedy family women instead of tying to write so much about so many interesting people.

The Story of a Dynasty
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-26
This book relates details of the lives of the many Kennedy women, from Bridget Murphy Kennedy, born in Ireland, through Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's daughter. Leamer describes the rise of the Kennedy family from the hard luck tales of newly-arrived Irish immigrants through the dynasty years in Hyannisport. While the book presents many of the historical events of the lives of political Kennedys, the viewpoint is always that of the women, and how these events affected their lives. We hear about the Kennedy women's efforts in John's political campaigns, or how the stress of campaigning contributed to Jacqueline's miscarriages. Leamer includes both women born as Kennedys and women who became Kennedys by marriage. Much of the book, however, focuses on two women who married into the Kennedy family, Rose Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The book is also about the family structure of the Kennedy's and portrays some of the sinister aspects of Joseph Kennedy as well as the positive traits.

Many times I've heard the Kennedy family referred to as a "dynasty". However, it has never been clear to me why an American family would be called a dynasty. In this book, Leamer describes why this group of people is more than simply a family. He describes the relations between Joseph Kennedy's children, and how Joseph and Rose's parenting style contributed both to their children's closeness and competitiveness, and how their own aspirations were realized in the accomplishments of their children. He also relates the difficulties that Jacqueline had as an outsider in establishing a position in the family. The book provides a unique viewpoint on the political events of the 1950s and 1960s whose legacy continues to permeate our society.

Media
Little Gorilla
Published in Turtleback by Demco Media (1986-03)
Author: Ruth Bornstein
List price:

Average review score:

Fun to read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-26
I bought this book most recently for my sister's new baby. It's one of the few books that I can read again and again and again (my child loves repetition!) and not get really annoyed. Cute pictures and lovely message.

Nice book, but doesn't really grab us
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-27
I love the message in this book, that even when Little Gorilla isn't little anymore, everybody still loves him.

I'm meh on the illustrations - they're not my favorite style, but that's rarely my priority anyway :) The color choices seem odd to me, but really, I don't pay that much attention myself.

On good days, I like that the book has a nice, calm pace. On other days, I'm frustrated that it takes so long to get *absolutely nowhere*. I know it's a board book, but it's a book about birthdays, not bedtimes - you'd expect a little more action in it.

And most of all, it doesn't really engage my nieces, and never has. When we read it, it's because I choose to read it for a change, they never do.

love this book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-28
what is there to not love about this book? there aren't too many words & the pictures are so cute that there are plenty of things to have a conversation with my baby about. (You know, like, "Look at that butterfly! Is it pretty?" or "Do you see how much hippo loves gorila? She's taking him to the bananas. Do you see the bananas?") The story is warm & cute & it's a great birthday gift! Thanks to the person who gave it to us!

Wonderful Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-09
This was one our favorite childhood books. When I saw it on Amazon it brought back so many wonderful memories. My brother especially liked this book. My sister is having a baby and would really appreciate this book from our childhood. We're all in our thirties too!

Everybody loved him
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-11
I bought Little Gorilla on a whim because my son loves gorillas and at the time it was the cheapest board book on the shelf. I had no idea that it would soon become one of his favorite books as well as one that he would soon commit to memory.

Little Gorilla is a delightful tale of a young gorilla who is loved by "just about everyone in the great green forest". When he suddenly begins to grow (and grow), he finds that everyone still loves him. This simple little tale may not seem like much at first, but as my son approached his second birthday I could tell that the book offered an additional measure of reassurance that even though he was becoming a big boy, his family and friends would still love him.

I worried briefly that the authors unusual artistic style might not appeal to my son (aside from the title character these animals aren't what you'd consider "cute"), but he took to it right away, and after repeated readings (too many to count) he was able to supply some of the words to the story if I left a line unfinished. At this point he can almost recite the whole thing. Fortunately so can I. Even when the book is nowhere close, reciting this story is all but guaranteed to soothe most tantrums and crying fits, and does wonders to calm him before bedtime.

Little Gorilla gets this parent's highest recommendation. It's perfect for children between 1 and 3, and is perfect for expecting parents as well.

Media
Lucky
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Pocket (1998-02-01)
Author: Jackie Collins
List price: $7.99
New price: $4.19
Used price: $2.00
Collectible price: $20.60

Average review score:

Another Jackie Collins Great!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-07
"Lucky" by Jackie Collins was a terrific book!! It arrived to me in new, perfect condition courtesy of Amazon! I give a thumbs up to this book and suggest reading it, as well as the others in her "Lucky Santangelo" series!! - Danielle

This is the Mama
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-31
This is the story that got it all started. If you haven't read this book then you are in for a treat, and before you finish this book make sure you have chances, lady boss, dangerous kiss on hand because you are going to need to know what happen next. I assure you.

Lucky by Jackie Collins
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-15
Jackie Collins' Lucky, is a novel about power, love, lust, sex and crime. Daughter of a powerful man, Lucky Santangelo, an erotic and wild beauty, plans on continuing the family tradition with honor. Hungry for power, success and pleasure Lucky sets out seeking for her desires. Before she knows it, Lucky embarks herself on an adventure full of glory, passion, trouble, sex, vengeance and suspense. From Vegas to New York after her father's unexpected and undesirable wedding. Pregnant by the world's richest man, Dimitri Stanislopoulos, a passionate lover, Lucky lives her life between her East Hampton home in New York and her son's father's private Greek Islands. Off on business in Atlantic City, Lucky hits the road with power, money, glory and love. Her glory is cut short, when her dangerous past catches her back leading her to court.

This novel is extraordinary. This novel kept me reading, I couldn't take my eyes or mind off the book. Jackie Collins gets deep into descriptions making you feel the characters emotions and desires. As you read on and learn more about each one, you feel that you know these people. You can just imagine each scenario in your head, and feel that you are part of the scene but that no one can see you.

One of Collins's best - a timeless beach read
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-03
In an earlier review, I said Collins wrote trashy reads; I regret that now. "Trash" is sexist as it often only refers to light fiction written by women and there's LOTS of pop fiction by men that is hardly prize-worthy. I also think calling her work "trashy" was a way for me to act as though I was above it and just reading it ironically. The truth is, Collins is great at what she does and that's writing compelling, "can't put them down" novels that can make you turn off the phone so you won't be disturbed.

"Lucky" is Collins at her best. Don't worry if you haven't read "Chances": Collins summarizes the previous book in the opening chapters. Also, don't be turned off because there is a Mob element if that's not your thing because the Mob barely figures into this tale. What we get instead is a sprawling, multi-character tale full of coincidences, surprising developments (at least once a book, Collins springs something on me that I didn't see coming) and the usual doses of sex and money.

"Lucky" is an insanely fun read. Despite the fact that it was published in 1985, the novel is as enjoyable as ever and is my highest recommendation for a fun summer read of 2007.

KEPT ME AT THE EDGE OF MY SEAT!!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-03
What more can I say? All of the money in the world could not get me to pry my fingers off of this book. In Collins' sophomore release of the Santangelo saga we get reaquainted with the awe-inspiring, business savy and headstrong Lucky Santangelo, daughter of the notorious Gino "The Ram" Santagelo -- former mob boss.

Not one iota of what Collins' writes in this book comes off as being unrealistic, boring or repeptitive. Writing a book like this takes pure, unadulturated talent!! How she manages to come up with new and exciting characters, keep us thouroughly updated on old ones, intertwine all of their storylines FLAWLESSLY and leave her fans begging for more is harder to comprehend then learning Chinese Arithmatic in Latin!

Lucky comes back geared and ready for a whole new peril. I don't know if there is much I can say about this book without giving too much away... It's just all so JUICY and addictive! I will say that we are introduced to some new characters -- Lennie Golden being the main one. As well as reuniniting with some characters some of us may have thought wouldn't come back -- Olympia and Dimirti Stanislopolous ... These three characters will influenece Lucky's life in a MAJOR way... You will just have to read to find out. This is yet another 10 star read from Ms. Collins.

Media
Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement
Published in Audio Cassette by High Roads Media (1996-07-15)
Author: Napoleon Hill
List price: $17.95
New price: $3.75
Used price: $3.47

Average review score:

Classic
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-25
Napoleon hill is the recognized expert on all things success. In this excellent book he discusses the 17 principles of personal achievement, including:

Using the Mastermind Principle
Focusing Your Attention
Learning From Defeat
Going the Extra mile
Improving Your Mental Attitude

This book is well worth reading. For more information on creating personal wealth, try "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth," by Phillip Collinsworth.

Napolean Hill? Of course its good!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-19
"Each night I burn the records of the day; At sunrise every soul is born again" WOW! That was not written by Mr Hill, but he was smart enough to add it to his book. There is so much good stuff in this book I do not know where to start. Other reviewers here have written more on the contents of the book, read theirs to get an idea.

All I can say is that if you read and understand this book, then follow what you have learned, there is no way you cannot succeed in life. This book is filled with wisdom. If you are struggling in your life or on the job and need help, the help you need is in this book. Good luck on your journey!

Among my first batch of books...greatest influence on attaining personal achievement in life!
Helpful Votes: 25 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-21
The first batch of significant books that had the greatest influence on me in terms of attaining personal achievement includes mostly Napoleon Hill's books:

- The Law of Success;
- Think & Grow Rich;
- The Keys to Success;
- Success through a Positive Mental Attitude;
- Succeed & Grow Rich through Persuasion;

The others were from Clement Stone, Dale Carnegie, & Earl Nightingale.

That was the early 70's when I had just started work as a young engineer.

The author, Napoleon Hill, had impressed me most by his relentless dedication in spending some two to three decades of his life in pursuing & researching the success secrets of the rich & famous...with a little help from Andrew Carnegie, of course.

As matter of fact, many of the famous people he interviewed were also favourite role models of mine e.g. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, just to name a few

Till this day, I have never forgotten what he said:

"The most powerful instrument we have in our hands is the power of our mind."

I have never ceased to be fascinated by the simplicity & the potency of his ABCs of personal achievement: CONCEIVE, BELIEVE & ACHIEVE!

It is certainly enlightening to note that even Stephen Covey had drew inspiration from Napoleon Hill's work even though he never made that credit. He only admitted that the 7 Habits had its origins from "200 years of success literature in the United States." That remark itself is self explanatory.

Anthony Robbin's Mastery program as embodied in his books as well as his audio/video resources is no exception, even though he has been influenced in larger extent by NLP.

If you look at & compare the 17 principles of personal achievement in 'The Law of Success' &/or the 13 Steps to Riches in 'Think & Grow Rich', one can obviously see the uncanny resemblance of the 7 Habits & the Mastery principles...in one way or another.

At this juncture, let me outline the principal theme of each book:

The Law of Success: the original course on the fundamentals of success - all the seventeen essential principles of personal achievement;
Think & Grow Rich: The seventeen essential principles are reframed & condensed in terms of thirteen concrete steps to wealth creation (in actuality, this is a condensation of the Law of Success);
The Keys to Success: a further elaboration of the seventeen essential principles with concrete suggestions, exercises & advice;
Success Through Positive Mental Attitude: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing a positive mental attitude;
Succeed & Grow Rich Through Persuasion: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing master salesmanship & networking;
[It is pertinent to note that Clement Stone actually built his insurance business empire with these principles.]

My most productive, personal learning experience from Napoleon Hill's work is the understanding - & application - of his success principle #1: Develop Definiteness of Purpose.

[Very surprisingly, J Y Pillay, former Chairman of Singapore Airlines, - who had been credited for building the airline to what it is today, A GREAT WAY TO FLY! - also credited his work axiom to this same success principle, but he attributed it to an ancient Hindu scripture known as Bhagavad Gita.]

I am certainly gratified to note that Napoleon Hill's work had casted so much influence on - & empowered - so many people in the world, including myself.

Truly inspirational. Builds upon "Think and Grow Rich".
Helpful Votes: 322 out of 324 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-13
There are thousands of self-help books out in the market and hundreds of self proclaimed "gurus" who have made a living by copying the wisdom in Napoleon Hill's books. As I went through some of those books I realized that there was not much in them that Hill had not already written about. I recommend quality over quantity. Instead of reading through many books, I recommend that you study the following works of Hill and internalize his wisdom:
1. The Think and Grow Rich Action Pack (1937) - I recommend the Action Pack edition,
2. Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement - this book,
3. Your Right To Be Rich [Unabridged] - this consists of 12 hours of live lectures covering the 17 principles, that Hill conducted in Chicago in 1954.
By internalizing, I mean studying in depth - analyzing the ideas, making notes and summaries. I own more CDs by Hill, but I believe that these 3 items make the perfect study plan on the Philosophy of Personal Achievement.
This philosophy is the end product of two decades of research conducted by Napoleon Hill. His research started when Andrew Carnegie (the steel tycoon who was then the richest man on earth) gave him the assignment of organizing a Philosophy of Personal Achievement. Hill, who was a poor journalist, armed with just an introductory letter from Carnegie, set out to interview over five hundred successful people including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D. Rockefeller, George Eastman, William Wrigley Jr. and Charles M. Schwab. Hill then revealed the priceless wisdom of his research in the form of the thirteen steps to success (in Think and Grow Rich) and the seventeen Principles of Personal Achievement (in courses and lectures he conducted).
This particular book goes beyond the 13 steps in Think and Grow Rich. It covers the following 17 Principles of Personal Achievement (also known as the 17 Keys to Success):
1. Develop a Definiteness of Purpose
2. Establish a Mastermind Alliance
3. Assemble an Attractive Personality
4. Use Applied Faith
5. Go the Extra Mile
6. Create Personal Initiative
7. Build a Positive Mental Attitude
8. Control Your Enthusiasm
9. Enforce Self-Discipline
10. Think Accurately
11. Control Your Attention
12. Inspire Teamwork
13. Learn from Adversity and Defeat
14. Cultivate Creative Vision
15. Maintain Sound Health
16. Budget Your Time and Money
17. Use Cosmic Habitforce
The concepts taught by Napoleon Hill transformed my life. Everything he wrote about or talked about is thought provoking. He was wise, humble and funny. His philosophy is universal; he did not mix it with religion. The riches he referred to were more than money, for the Philosophy of Personal Achievement can be applied to anything in life.
Hill was well ahead of his time. "Think and Grow Rich" has a chapter dedicated to some of today's most important issues - Specialized Knowledge, Decision Making, Imagination and Organized Planning (in which he deals with Leadership). And his principles deal with Teamwork, Creative Vision, Health, etc.
I am greatly indebted to Napoleon Hill. The purpose of my writing this is to spread awareness of his work so that more people can benefit from it. This, I believe is the best way in which Hill would have liked to have been repaid.
If my review was helpful to you, I request you to select "Yes" so that the rating is improved and more readers will get to read it. Please also see the website of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, naphill dot org, which has helpful resources.

The Distilled Power Of Thinking And Growing Rich...
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-29
Sure, this is a wonderful starter kit (yes, I do have this book...) in addition to Hill's other books like "Think and Grow Rich", "The Master Key To Riches", et al. But more than that, it is a primer that makes you hungry for the mental nourishment of his full "Law Of Success" which I have just ordered through Amazon. And why am I giving this distillation five stars? C'mon, isn't it obvious, through these *distilled* principles you get a pretty good taste of the "spirit-voice" of Napoleon Hill. And when he says in later versions of "Think and Grow Rich" - 'through these pages we have met'. You know what he means here, even though it is shortened and edited. So, I've said enough, get started, happy reading.

Captain Josh/Joshua Clayton

Media
Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard
Published in Turtleback by Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media (2002-12)
Author: Mawi Asgedom
List price: $19.00
New price: $16.98
Used price: $8.00

Average review score:

review by amanda g
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-13
Scared for your life in the midst of a civil war. Then put into a Sudanese refugee camp, disconnected from your father but left with your terrified mother and siblings. After a while, you are reunited with your father, and your entire family is together. Then in America, where you must start over in an alien place, where you get most of your possessions from dumpsters. This was the childhood experience that Mawi Asgedom underwent.
The book "Of Beetles & Angels" shows the extraordinary experiences throughout Mawi Asgedom's young life, which led him to America and to graduate from Harvard University. His amazing story shows the hardships, as well as the joyful occasions, as he discovers American culture and starts an American life. I thoroughly enjoyed his book and believe that I caught a glimpse at just how hard his childhood was.
The chapters within the book are separated into different stories and times of Mawi's life. This way, the reader truly gets to see how wonderful and cruel our country can be to those who are starting over in a new place, and how Mawi and his family start in a new and foreign place. The book also shows Mawi's experiences viewing racism, biased brutality, and what it is like to be noticeably different from most others around you. " Most of our classmates treated us nicely, others ignored us, and the rest -- well, we could only wish that they would ignore us. We may not have understood their words, but we always understood the meaning behind their laughter. `African boodie-scratcher! Scratch that boodie!' `Black donkey! You're so ugly!' `Why don't you go back to Africa where you came from?' We were just two, and they were often many. But they had grown up in a wealthy American suburb, and we had grown up in a Sudanese refugee camp. We were accustomed to fighting almost daily, using sticks, stones, wood chips, and whatever else we could get our hands on. So it was usually no contest, especially when the two of us double-teamed them, as we had done so many times in Sudan. The cruelty of brutal beatings and the name calling left Mawi and his older brother scared and unsure about their new found home America.
Mawi Asgedom's parents dreamed that their children would do well in school. The primary values that they taught their kids were that education was most important, knowledge was power, and that if all of the children within their family studied hard, they could earn scholarships and become smart and powerful leaders within their new country. Mawi kept his parents' values close and fulfilled them all. "I graduated from Harvard one year ago and have since thought much about my parents' dream. By earning my scholarship and graduating, I have fulfilled it. But along the way, I have found greater value in other dreams. And while Harvard University taught me well, my true education has come from less-likely sources. As I look back to the angels, the Charlenes and the Beth Raneys; as I look back to God's servants, dressed as beggrs and as beetles; as I look back to my inspirations, to the Mamas and Tewoldes, I see true guidance staring back at me. True power comes from focusing on what we can give, not what we can take." Mawi learned so much throughout his life and not only made his parents' dreams come true, but also made his own dreams come true.
This book, with all of its extraordinary detail and description, probably cannot entirely summarize all of the struggles, hardships, and rewards Mawi and his family endured from their journey to America and once in America. However, throughout the pages and dialogue of the story "Of Beetles & Angels", the book does an exceptional job of showing how unique Mawi Asgedom's life was as a child. I absolutely recommend this book.

eye opening
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-11
Beginning in 2001 I worked with two refugee families from Liberia. I wish I had read this book first, because it would have helped me to understand better the sorts of things these families might have experienced before they arrived in our country. While experiences of war, persecution and homelessness vary among people arriving in the USA, the feeling of confusion (even when you speak English, like 'my' families did) and dependence mixed with utter relief of finally getting here seem to be common among all. "My" families knew basic things, but our housing, food and school systems were totally overwhelming even for these educated people. And the police, which we're taught to depend upon, strike fear into every refugee I've ever met. Most of them have had bad experiences with police.
So when I read this book I could relate to some things, I cried over others, and I put others in the back of my mind to remember for when I'm working again with refugee immigrants, especially in these days of heated debates about immigrants.
Personally I think this book should be a must-read in every high school curriculum and for every teacher, not only because it's such a compelling story, but it helps us to see others through another lens and it is ultimately a story of hope.
From a strictly literature point of view there are better books out there, but this one tugs at the heart. And it's also a fast read if you want it to be.

An Inspiring Memoir of the American Dream
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-23
Of Beetles and Angles is the remarkable non-fiction account of Mawi Asgedom's jouney as an African war refugee to America and the obstacles that he and his family had to overcome. In his own words he describes his inspiring transformation into a man with traditional values and principles mixed in with the demands of everyday life in a new society. Influenced by his older brother and father, Mawi sets out to experience the American dream and more importantly, look upon each and every person as angels sent to test the will of our hearts.

Miracles in many forms
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-24
This book told me one thing: everyone can be an angel. No matter in what form, that thing could be an angel.
From this story, a boy named Mawi was a refugee. His homeland had been involved in a war. His father decided the family would flee to Amerikha, as they called it. It was a place of peace, which was something that didnt exist in Eritrea, their homeland.
Many perils were made in America. Mawi needed to go to school, with his brothers and sister. He survived through prejudice and violence at school. His dream was to be welcomed with a scholarship into a special university. He worked very hard to achieve his goal.
How did it happen? Just read the book and find out!

Heart warming and inspiring
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-11
I won't take a lot of space stating what the book is about. Just get it and read it, everyone from middle school through adults. You'll be glad you did.

Media
One Evil Summer (Fear Street, No. 25)
Published in Turtleback by Demco Media (1994-07)
Author: R. L. Stine
List price: $10.00

Average review score:

Help! Wanted
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-12
Amanda suspects that there is something very wrong about Chrissy. She wants to make her parents believe that she is evil because she claims that she killed her pets. But Amanda's parents think Chrissy is very responsible, kind and sweet.

Sad
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-26
This book was pretty exciting, Kinda sad when the certain charactors died. But other that that it was good. I read this book in february and its definatly worth buying.

da best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-03
i think this was da frist fear street book i read,and it was [great!!!] Amanda is a belivable charcther,and tat helps da book,it is also pretty orinagle and it is full of thrills and chills,and action!!!!This is prob is my top 5 along wit The thrill club and The overnight!!!lol,check it out!!!

One Evil Summer Review By Soccerchick101
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-17
In the book one evil summer Amanda Conklin's mom is looking for a mother's helper. She sends out an ad in the Seahaven Daily. Amanda can't help her mom because she is failing algebra and has to go to summer school. A girl named Chrissy answers the ad. As soon as she walks through the door, Amanda's cat, Mr. Jinx, starts to hiss at Chrissy. Also Salt and Pepper, her birds, stop singing and they usually sing. Little do the Conklins know that Chrissy is perfect, perfectly evil!! This book is perfect reading for anyone 10 and older. R.L. Stine has many climaxes and rising actions throughout the story. I highly recommend this book.

One Evil Summer
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-21
Title: One Evil Summer
By: R.L. Stine
Reviewed By: ...

One Evil Summer is truly a thriller. When I was reading it, I got chills up m y spine. It is about a girl named Amanda. During the summer, she comes to a small town called Seahaven. Since she can't baby-sit her brother Kyle and her sister Merry, her mom hires a babysitter, Chrissy. She seems like miss perfect, but Amanda finds her a bit unique. The truth is that Chrissy wants to kill Amanda and her family. There were many things that I liked and disliked about this book. R.L. Stine made the book so interesting that you couldn't put it away. He described the events in such a way that you felt as if you were actually there. I also loved the way he described Amanda. She had such self confidence. She would stick up for what she saw. " You were floating!" she shrieked. "Don't deny it! I saw you!" She tried to tell her parents, but they wouldn't listen to her.
There were also many things that I disliked about the book. For example, I disliked the way some of the events were a little juvenile. At those points of the book, I would start to think what the author was thinking when he wrote this line. " Chrissy was floating closer! Closer!" The book could have been better.
My favorite part f the book was the ending. It unraveled everything. I thought that the end of the book was the scariest. It was hard to believe the ending....BR>This was a scary but great book.

Media
Revenge of the Baby-Sat: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection
Published in Hardcover by Demco Media (1991-04)
Author: Bill Watterson
List price:

Average review score:

Graphic SF Reader
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-03
There would be millions of young boys out there that would love to invite Calvin over when those oh so annoying parents inflicted one of those evil girl babysitters on them. There are quite a few other storylines involved in this book, but that strip is definitely worth of the title billing in the publication.


Great Read!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-12
Bill Watterson is a genious. There's no other way to put it. Calvin and Hobbes is one of the Great Comic Strips of our times and this collected edition is an incredible read. Highest possible recommendation.

Good, but not as good as the Monster Snow Goons!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-20
This book is a collection of short comic stories about a 6-year old boy named Calvin and his "invisible" friend Hobbes. Hobbes is Calvin's stuffed-animal toy tiger that is real to Calvin and only Calvin can hear Hobbes talk. Rosalyn is Calvin's babysitter and he almost "hates" her.

Calvin spends time with his babysitter because he is simply too much for his parents to handle and they need an occasional break like going out to dinner together. So they hire Rosalyn, a teenager, to sit Calvin. Rosalyn is paid well, so she agrees to babysit the little "twerp" but she regularly is asking for a pay rise.

The conflicts between Calvin and his sitter Rosalyn are the source for the many great comic interactions. For example, when Calvin learns that Rosalyn wants to study for an important school exam, he tells Hobbes - "Tonight Hobbes! The Revenge of the Babysats! Thus begin the hilarious antics that everyone from ages 8 and up will love to read about.

Watterson, the man, the myth, the legend in his own time
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-23
It is my feeling that Bill Watterson had enough integrity and ethics to prevent the syndicate from cranking out endless meaninglessly repetitive compilations. Of course, he did quit partly because he was becoming disgusted with many of the commercial aspects of his work. With most comics, even good ones, the collections get stale after a few. Watterson's collections dont. There are a dozen or so C&H compilations/collections, but you wont be dissapointed with owning the whole shebang, especially since Watterson frequently did a lot of extra work to ensure that each collection had something new to offer. Even without this extra stuff, Watterson's body of work is extensive enought to warrant owning all these collections. He was steadily cranking out great material for a decade or so, and if you are like me you will be reading some C&H weekly for as long as you are on this earth, so tons of books is not a bad thing. Basically, I wholeheartedly reccomend all the books. If you like one you will like them all. They only get better as you get to know the characters. Watterson never goes for the cheap laugh by having any of the comic's principals act out of character. As you progress through the years with C&H, and I do reccomend reading them in order, you will see how art progresses and grows when the artist is committed to excellent work. So, go get the first one, titled simply Calvin & Hobbes, and then start down the enjoyable road to making Calvin and his tiger a pleasant little chunk of your life. (Yes, i have repeated this review for every C&H book I own, wich is all of them, so get used to seeing all this anytime you look one of them up)

"Give me liberty or give me death, Zogwarg Queen!"
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-11
No matter how many times I read them, I can never get tired of Calvin and Hobbes. They're funny, creative, and are always getting into some sort of hijinx that could just about get them grounded for life. "The Revenge of the Baby-Sat" offers such adventures as that in a funny and entertaining way.

Calvin is always getting into trouble. Him and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, are always faced with obstacles; from Calvin's parents to his teacher. One of the main obstacles he faces in this book is a deranged baby-sitter (or at least, that's how he sees her). But hey, no problem! Calvin and Hobbes have a plan to get back at the baby-sitter once and for all!

Other adventures in the book can be found, such as:

*Calvin tries to play hooky*
*Calvin's picture session with his father*
*The Beanie Epic*
*Calvin forgets his "bug project"*
*Calvin's house gets broken into*
*"The Pushing of the Car Down the Drive" incident*
*Calvin cleans his room*
and many more!

"The Revenge of the Baby-Sat" is127 pages of Calvin and Hobbes hilarity. Bill Watterson never ceases to amaze me with his witty creativity and well-executed humor. This is something that can be enjoyed by kids, as well as adults. This is an outstanding collection of Calvin and Hobbes comic strips that should be checked out by anybody who's a fan of the comic strip (or anybody who loves to laugh). A five-star collection that continues to entertain me without missing a single beat.

Media
Saturday Night At The Dinosaur Stomp
Published in Turtleback by Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media (2004-08-30)
Author: Carol Diggory Shields
List price: $14.70

Average review score:

Very cute!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-16
I bought this for my 7-year-old for his birthday, and it's very cute. He is reading it on his own (with a few prompts for some of the dinosaur names, but he's a dino buff so he knows most of them already). It's funny, creative, and quite entertaining. It will be a big hit with your dinosaur fan!

One of the best kids' books I've found
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-08
I am having to buy this book a second time because we have lost our precious first copy and my 2 1/2 year old BEGS for it CONSTANTLY. He simply cannot get enough of this book. It's his absolute favorite. He loves the rollicking rhythm and rhyme. It really has a rock-n-roll reading beat to it, and my son loves repeat some of the musical words such as "Booma lacka, Booma lacka Whack! Whack! Whack!" He loves the illustrations of the dinosaurs, since he's big into dinosaurs at the moment. But even if your child is not into dinosaurs, he/she will love hearing this book or reading this book aloud. And I have to admit, because the book flows off the tongue with such entertaining, dancy rhythms, both my husband and I LOVE to read this book to our son. It's so important when you're a parent, to buy books you yourself can stand to read over and over and over to your child, and not get bored. "Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp" is one book I enjoy reading to my son EVERY TIME.

One of my son's favorites.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-23
This is one of my son's favorite books. He's a huge dinosaur lover and I remember reading him this book all the time...still brings it out now and then. If you have a dinosaur lover, you'll love this book.

Great fun to read
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-21
A good picture book to read to a 9-month old who doesn't want to sit still is hard to find, but this book is fantastic. The book just reads so fluently like you can't keep up with turning the pages!! Both the words and the pictures are so lively, bright and fun ... it totally absorbs you into the dinosaur stomp:-)

Had to have our own
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-01
We first found this book at the library and found ourselves checking it out time and time again. My daughter is two and a half, though she first fell in love with this book right around the time she turned two. After months of checking it out, I decided it was time to buy our own copy.

It's full of clever rhymes and ideas about dinosaurs and lots of dinosaur identification in a fun way. The pictures are great and the words are even better. Boys and girls alike would enjoy this. My daughter knows all the words to it now, but I still enjoy reading it to her frequently.

Media
Serendipity
Published in Hardcover by Demco Media (1995-02)
Author: Stephen Cosgrove
List price:
Used price: $8.90

Average review score:

Wondeful books
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-06
I bought fours books of the series thinking mostly on my daughter, I thought my really boy 6y son (who likes Ricki Ricotta kind of books) wouldnt want to read them. I was so wrong!! We read two tonight and he is taking the other two to class tomorrow to share with everybody!!
I absolutely loved them.

ALL Serendipity Books
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-07
All these books are amazing. My grandmama read them to me; and I read them to my children. All four of us (including Grandmama) loved these precious stories. I love the moral at the end; it helps me and my three year old talk about how the moral applies to the story and our lives. The large text and beautiful pictures help children with shorter attention spans stay engaged in the story; and it helps young readers read on their own. These are classic stories that should be on everyone's shelves.

Revisiting a childhood favorite!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-10
This book made a huge impact on me as a child and I've never forgotten it. There was something about the combination of illustration and story that made this very memorable. As my daughter reached the age where books with a moral lesson became more relevant I was thrilled to find that these books by Stephen Cosgrove were still in print! If you read my other reviews you'll see that illustrations are very important to me -- a book has to be visually interesting to appeal to small children. The illustrations in this book are so crisp and just plain cute! Also the story is a fun and easy night time read and has several great messages. The story of a unique pink creature named Serendipity promotes individuality, self esteem, and a sense of social responsibility.

Best children's book I ever owned
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-05
I absolutely adored this series as a child. They share timeless messages and morals that I think we have lost as a society. My mother gave me the book that contains 7 of the stories and that made me really want to track down and find them all again. I was so excited to find them on Amazon.com after not finding them at any other book stores. I plan to begin a career of working with nursery school children and these books will provide the perfect stories just before nap time. Anyone who has never read these stories is truely missing out on a gem of children's stories. I highly suggest collecting the entire series, I know I'm going too!

Please help me I cant find a book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-16
The book contains a morale about beauty can bloom anywhere, I think it might be Lady Rose but not sure. Its a Serendipity book for certain. There is a rose that blooms on ice or iceberg I think. Does this sound familiar to anyone if so then please E-mail me at Arcimedes8@yahoo.com . I really want to find this book. Please help =)


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