Schools Books

A cute story about how children see their dolls and dolls see their children. Perfection is in the eye of the child. And the most worn are often the most loved. Any one with a passion for dolls would love this story.

Absolutely love this book for girls ages 0 to 12 -but most compelling for ages 6-10. This was a favorite of mine when i was young. My 8 year old daughter is so enamoured wtih the story she wants to have a Best Loved Doll birthday. Don't hesitate - buy this book!

This wonderful book captivated me as a child. It is probably my most favorite book from my childhood and I loved it so! I remember so much how I wished I could have owned the best loved doll, and how it made me tear up after my mother read it to me for the first time. I cannot wait to read it one day to my daughter(s)!

"The Best Loved Doll" was the first book I fell in love with as a little girl. Even after I grew up I still remembered this book. When I got pregnant and found out I was having a little girl, I knew I had to find this book. And to my astonishment, I found it and didn't think twice of purchasing it. I can only hope that my little girl will love it as much as I did. A true treasure for all little girls with a good meaning: just because something looks old and is in tatters, it doesn't mean it can't be loved or give love.

I have loved this book my whole life. I think it is a great reminder for today's materialistic youth.

This is one of my favorite childhood books, so I was thrilled to share it with my daughter. We have both CDB and CDC now, and she loves them (and thinks it's pretty cool that Steig also wrote Shrek!) Besides the fun of sounding out the phrases and the laughs it provides, I think the books are mentally challenging and verbally stimulating for children of all ages. Educational maybe, but so much fun. Who doesn't love the illustrations?

Having enjoyed Steig's first such book as an adult, we sent a copy to a budding linguist at college. Upon ordering I was delighted to find this second enjoyable book available. Steig has such delightful images and twists of humor that I could not pass it up. Great fun in drawings and puzzling out the meanings.

I have always chuckled at this book, ever since I helped in my children's school library 20 years ago. William Steig has such a clever way of putting letters together and illustrating what he is trying to say. It is interesting to children of all ages.

I ordered this since my sister received it and thought it was a great book. Unfortunately, this copy does not come with the answers. Look for the hard cover version, that has the answers in the back.

CDB! (Stories to Go!)

I was very excited to find this book for my grandbaby. We had great fun with it when her aunts were small. Who would have thought back then that William Stieg invented 'text speak'. I even stumped my youngest daughter with NQ!

Exhaustive variations, small printing and illustrations, pages jam-packed with examples. Good for the price; some readers will probably prefer a more modern volume. Talented author. Worth a look.

This the best cartooning book around. A classic. A must for entry level cartoonist or professional.

I'm always looking for the perfect book of whatever variety, & speaking as a former library employee, a cartoonist & art teacher, Jack Hamm has written THE book on cartooning. It is so packed with examples & not so much text, as it should be, it has tips & then TONS of examples. The style ranges from early American cartooning style to 50s/60s modern style. Fantastic examples of different expressions, hand positions, walking positions, drawing women, all of it. All good. If you want a great guide for old fashioned American cartooning, this is the one to get. Then get the Preston Blair book from Walter Foster.

This book is full of great ideas and tips. There's plenty for the beginner, like little tutorials on highly-stylized eyes or noses or mouths, or straightforward examples on common poses, but it's not just a book for beginners. There are a lot of highly-finished drawings as well, and examples of moving from simple to more complex drawings. Plus tips on various penciling and inking techniques, and various cartoon genres. All in all, there are literally thousands of examples and sketches, enough material to keep anybody busy for a long time. I've pulled this book down from the shelf more often than any of my other numerous drawing books, and I've filled page after page with exercises based on the material. A classic and worth far more than its price.

If you're a cartoonist this is a book you have to have. It has been in publication for quite a while but nothing better has been created in the way of a great, all-purpose reference book. I've gone through a couple copies of this book and no matter how many times I looked at it I was still able to come up with ideas. Whether you're just starting out or have been doing cartoons for years you should have a copy of this book.

Great book to begin the year with students as a read aloud. I teach 3rd graders which this book contains appropriate language and is great as an easy listening book.

Something has been bothering me about this series. The book is alright... witty and my daughter liked it well enough to read the follow-up The Talented Clementine. What bothered me is that it feels almost designed to prey upon my insecurities about my scenester sensibilities and my lower-middle class no-glory adult lifestyle. Like so many Brainy Baby plastic products, reading the book I can imagine the pitch the author's agent made to the publisher, "We'll tap into the market of every Gen Y poseur who popped out a baby and had to grow up, get a job, and give up their rock-and-roll lifestyle. We need a chapter book series to sell to those buy who used to spend their disposable income on going to shows who shell out for cool. They're still living in the basement apartment and no chance of moving up, but they believe their offspring has a shot at the golden ring. Indie kids with kids."
I guess I'm a bit peeved that they wouldn't know that I already HAVE Ramona and Beezus, and although my husband would like to imagine that he still looks like Clementine's dad, you know, like he looked in his twenties? when he still had hair? before the paunch? I know better. And I'm the one buying the books around here. So you're just going to have to try a little harder next time and give me some substance.

My daughters (ages 8 and 10) and I read this together and laughed aloud. The images are lively and the main character is endearing and quirky.

This book is about a girl named Clementine. Clementine cut off Margaret's hair at art time. In bathroom at Clementine's school Clementine cut off Margaret hair in the bathroom. Margaret had glue in her hair. I like this book because Clementine cuts off Margaret's hair because it had glue in it and she was sitting under the sink because she crying and she was half bald. I would recommend this to a person who likes to get in trouble. by Audrey

This book is about a girl named Clementine. Clementine cut off Margaret's hair at art time. In bathroom at Clementine's school Clementine cut off Margaret hair in the bathroom. Margaret had glue in her hair. I like this book because Clementine cuts off Margaret's hair because it had glue in it and she was sitting under the sink because she crying and she was half bald. I would recommend this to a person who likes to get in trouble.
by Audrey

I bought this book for my 17 year old and he loved it. I wish I would have it for my other children when they were teens. Very valuable information to prepare teens for life and work and responsibility. Written in an easy to read format so even teens who dont really like to read will find it fun and enjoyable. The chapter on finding a job has so much information on filling out applications, doing the interviews and how to actually get the job that it alone is worth the price of the book, and that is just one chapter.

Every once in a while you read a book, and you can not let go of it. You recommend it to friends, you buy it for family and people you care about and you actually go back and revisit it long after the first read. This is one of those books. With four young children, my wife and I constantly worry about a myriad of things, mostly having to do with giving our kids the skills the need to become good people, successful adults (by whatever measure they deem successful) and all around better prepared than we were.

This book is a great framework for discussions with your kids about what is important to know, and it is really shocking how little of this we give them in school.

In my family, we were told never to talk of money. How was I supposed to learn about it. Managing the green in this book is a great example of real world tactics for kids to become responsible young adults.

I read a lot of business books, and I am happy when there are one or two key points that stick with me and become a part of the set of tools I use everyday, but to be honest this book is so full of them, I had to go through it with a highlighter!

Do your kids a favor, buy this book for them, but read it first. You will be amazed at the conversations you will have and you can go sleep at night knowing that maybe just maybe, everything is going to be all right for them.

I bought this on the basis of the reviews. I thought the book was pretty good, but the content was not as comprehensive or helpful as I thought it should be.

Cool Stuff they should teach in school is a guide to jobs, people skills, goals, and money for young adults written by two normal teenagers. This book covers everything from trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and how your attitude actually determine how successful you'll be through how to make a good impression and what not to do during a job interview to how to manage your money and how to make your savings work for you.

I loved the conversational style of this book as well as the straightforward no punches pulled advice. I also liked the colourful Cool Stuff quotes and 2K tips. This is the advice your best friend would give you if he could. Cool Stuff they should teach in school will make a really great gift for any teenager or young adult needing just a little bit of nudge to start their future on the right track.

From the standpoint of intent, scope & substance, this wonderful book is exactly similar to 'The Power of Focus for College Students' by Andrew Hewitt & Luc D'Adabie. I have reviewed this latter book earlier.

The 'Cool Stuff' book is apparently targetted at high school students (& graduates). The 'Power of Focus' book is targetted at high school graduates & college students, even though the delineation is really not an issue. The earlier book is written by two brothers during their late teen years, in 2004. The latter book, which has been published one year later, is written by two university graduates in their early twenties. This book is also an extension of the earlier 'The Power of Focus' by Les Hewitt, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen, which is obviously targeted at adult professionals.

Essentially, the 'Cool Stuff' book is designed to help students GET REAL...to help them face a multitude of challenges as they grow from teens to young adults & while they move into the real world. The abundant information in this book are packed into bite-sized nuggets, illustrated with zany graphics.

Whereas, the 'Power of Focus' book is more sober of the two books, with abundant information, as well as inspiring stories, packed into nine focusing strategies. Tactically, it has been designed to help high school graduates & college freshmen in finding fulfilling career pathways.

While the 'Cool Stuff'book has a more light-hearted approach, both books generally help to answer these critical questions:

- why 70% of graduates are unhappy & disillusioned within five years of leaving college?
- what 3% of Yale students do that lead them to become wealthier than the other 97% combined?

One interesting point: The entrepreneurial flair of the authors of both books is exemplified by their own respective websites: namely ccolstuffmedia & focusedstudent, which continue to promote their books, seminars & workshops & other stuff.

One last point: The 'Power of Focus' book has a seemingly subtle & yet direct slant towards 'GET RICH' partly because of its association with Donald Trump...so it's also designed to help you build the financial future you so desire.

To sum up my review, both books are really great stuff! If you are a high school student or college freshman, I strongly urge you to go & get a copy to read & to learn how to maximise your high school - & college - experience & also how to deal with a rapdily changing world out there!

I never wanted to 'get into' dancing or acting as a child, but this book makes the
world of a child theatrical performer (70 years ago) come alive. I read this so many times. It was just so entertaining. Great book!

"Ballet Shoes" is probably the most popular book in the "Shoes" series, but "Dancing Shoes" is also very good. It tells the story of two girls, Hilary and Rachel, who are training to become dancers on the stage. It is similar to "Ballet Shoes," but for anyone who enjoyed any of the other of the "Shoes" books it is worth reading.

I've been wanting these books for years now. I'm glad I finally got 2 of them. They came very fast and I love them. Thanks.

I received this book when I was about 8 years old. I took one look at it and thought, "I am NOT going to read this. It's a BABY book!" I never touched the book again until 3 years later, when I was 11 years old, and decided just to try out the book. OMG! Was I wrong! This was not a baby book! The story of Rachel and Hilary Lennox and their lovable (in a villainy way)conceited cousin, Dulcie Wintle, is a charming book that every one (and I mean EVERYONE) will love.

Rachel and Hilary come to live with their Aunt Cora, who runs a dancing (ballet, acrobatics, musical comedy, etc.) school, when their mother dies. Aunt Cora is set on making them both "little wonders" but Rachel finds that she disdains it, having no talent for those types of things. Hilary, however, finds that she loves it, and has a real talent for it, too! But Rachel doesn't want Hilary to be a "little wonder," let alone love it! Hilary was going to go to the Royal Ballet School of Dancing before their mother died, and Rachel is set on making her go after her mother's last words for her were to make sure Hilary went on with her dancing.
Misunderstandings will get in the way, as Hilary grows more and more with the "bad" type of dancing, becomes competition with Dulcie, and Rachel comes to find that dancing may not be her thing, but that doesn't mean that stage is not...

Dancing Shoes is a similar formula compared to Streatfeild's other books. After Rachel and Hilary's father dies, they are sent to live with their Aunt Cora, who owns a talent school and troupe. While Hilary is a very talented dancer, she wants nothing more than to have fun. Her sister, Rachel wants nothing to do with dancing, but she does want Hilary to go to the Royal Ballet School to study proper ballet, as her family and old dance teacher wished for, even though Hilary doesn't want to. So everyone, including their mean and selfish Aunt Cora, believe that Rachel is jealous of Hilary. Meanwhile, Aunt Cora's talented, and conceited, daughter now has competition with Hilary.

The book is full of the same charm as her others. While not as endearing as Ballet Shoes and Theater Shoes, maybe only due to the nastiness of Aunt Cora and how mean she is to Rachel, it is still a wonderful read. Any fans of Streatfeild's other books will surely love this book as well.

Robin Jarvis's Dark portal is an exiting, action filled thriller.Some might say it is a weird and an odd topic,but the characters being mice and rats gives the story an extra push, rather than cats and dogs.Everybody reads about cats and dogs.I like this book mainly for 2 reasons:1.there is lots of violence and action. & 2.when you read certain parts where she refers to other events it kind of makes you reread the event she is talking about so you can completly get understand what is going on.
Children 10 and younger probably shouldn't read this book because of the major violence and gore(fighting and blood).

I really enjoyed reading this book and found it nearly immposible to put it down and I would think about it during the time I wasn't reading it. I don't generally enjoy books about animals, but this one was fantastic. The society of mice and bats and rats were fantasticily conciveed by Jarvis, who clearly delivered all aspects of the story. I plan to purchase the second one as soon as possible!

it is the first book in the trilogy and is a great book. the end leaves you thinking that there isn't anymore, but just wait till you read the Crystal Prison. anyway, this is one of the best book having talking mice and other animals. way better than what i have read of the Red Wall series.

The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis is 5 stars for excitement and survival.
Albert's life is on the line and his daughter Audrey would risk her life to save him. Albert is very kind hearted and is near death in the scariest place that any mouse would want to go! Will Audrey be able to save her father or will they be eaten by those horrific rats?
I life this book because it shows us that mice have a life that is just like ours.
This book is recommended for all kids that love excitement and really dark places.

I just don't like rats. They are vile and digusting creatures. I don't like planet Jupiter either. It is a dumb name.

This is Chris Crutcher at his most brilliant - and that's really saying something. Told in Ben Wolf's voice, Deadline is honest and real, both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

DEADLINE's Ben Wolf knows he is dying. An aggressive blood disease will kill him within the year if he isn't treated. With treatment, he might extend his life some. Ben chooses to refuse treatment. He also chooses to keep his condition a secret from everyone except his doctor and the therapist his doctor forces him to see. He throws himself into his last year of life. He finally tries out for football. He pursues the girl he's in lust with. He tries to sober up the town drunk. He acts up in class because what does it matter if he doesn't graduate?

Crutcher, as usual, doesn't fear including issues in his story. There's sexual and physical child abuse, alcoholism, and bigotry. At some points these issues threaten to overshadow Ben's story, but Crutcher keeps them under control.

The diminutive Ben feels fear. He feels sad and he doesn't want to die. Every time his brother or girlfriend talks to him about the future he feels guilty for his lies. But, at the same time, he's a happy narrator. He's doing things he loves and making the most of his final year. He does not regret choosing not to fight the illness with drugs nor does he regret the relationships he makes. (He should regret some of his jokes.)

I don't regret reading DEADLINE. I cried at the end, yes. Ben dies. There is no miracle cure. But I thoroughly enjoyed spending time in his head, watching him do some things so right while still making large mistakes. I cried, but I felt happy. Ben worked hard to make sure the people he affected most would be able to handle his death. He made a choice at the beginning of the novel and defended it to the death. I respect him for that. I will also continue to read Crutcher faithfully, no matter how many of his books get banned.

Excerpted from In Bed With Books

This is the first Chris Crutcher book that I have read, at least I cannot remember another at this time. I am confident that I will read more of his books. He is an exciting and captivating writer. I find it very interesting that he writes in the first person of his main character, but then adds this interesting dialogue with a spiritual character. There is great depth in the dialogues and interactions between characters. The book moved me.

This book would be appealing to oler adolescents. I would package it as follows: Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were told you had a limited time to live? This novel introduces one way that a person may choose to live a limited time. The characters are believable and come alive in this well written novel. I think you will enjoy this book.

The book was really good. At times it can get slightly boring and slow, but Crutcher always brings things back up to pace again.
It's written very, very well, and the ending wraps it up nicely. Few parts are predictable, having many surprises throughout.
I would definitely recommend it.

If you have ever read the book A Walk to Remember, or even watched the movie, then you know the feeling that you get when you find out that your favorite character is dying. Intense sadness; anger; desire for change; hope that it's not true; and then finally, you just give up. You know it's true, but in the end it doesn't make it any more bearable.

In Deadline, you know from the very beginning that Ben Wolf is going to die. It is inevitable... even on the front cover it says it. The evidence is everywhere. But, since it's introduced so early in the story, you don't really think about it as more than a plot point.

So, what would you do if you were going to die? Well, I'm sure there are different answers for different people, but I know Ben's answers. He wants to make a difference. He wants to stick out. He wants to live life to the fullest; and he does. He goes out for football, despite the fact that he weighs less than a hundred and thirty pounds. He befriends the town drunk. He starts arguments in class, trying to get people to think about life and the way things are. And he finally gets the guts to ask out that perfect girl he's had a crush on.

And throughout all of this, he is the only person (besides his doctor and his therapist) who knows that he's dying. But obviously he can't keep it that way.

This book was truly amazing. It's a real page turner, from the very first sentence. Chris Crutcher isn't one to waste words; he doesn't write anything that doesn't mean something to the story, so this book isn't full of pointless banter. It has feeling. It has meaning. I can truly connect to the characters in a deep way. I felt like there was just the right amount of sarcastic humor and life messages to make this a really enjoyable book; you will laugh, you will cry... and you will also fall in love with this book.

I adore this book. It makes me wish I lived on the plains of Hungary on a ranch like this family. The Good Master is the story of two twelve year old cousins growing up and learning what it is to be a good, respectful and hardworking person. Jansci, the son of the "Good Master", is excited for his cousin Kate to come from Budapest to live with them. That is until she gets there. She is not used to living in the country and gets into many different "adventures". The time setting is about 1900 because the next book The Singing Tree is about WWI. The Good Master is just a wonderful book that everyone will love.

This was my favorite book from my childhood-- it is a classic children's novel full of great Hungarian folktales and tall tales. It is very autobiographical for the author. Kate Seredy should be an author every child reads at least sometime. I still love this book and bought it to give to my child's teacher.

This is a wonderful book forupper elementary or Jr. High girls who just love horses...which is a big section of this age group. The extra bonus is that it gives them a broader picture of girls/horses than the usual stories of girls and their horses in America....this is a great story of a culture and time much removed from their own sphere of experience.

This book and it's sequel, The Singing Tree, are the reasons that I am such an avid book reader. My mother read this book to me as a child, and when I have children, I will read this to them as well.
This story is a wonderful tale about life in a different time and a different place, and the best things in life.

My sixth grade teacher read it to me in 1961. I became a teacher and have read it to hundreds of students as well as my own two children. It should be on a required reading list. It is a simple but delightful tale that centers on family, love and hard work.

This is one of those books I found as a child AFTER seeing the Disney movie and reading that it was based on a book. As usual, the book is so much better! If you've never read this book, but you're fond of the movie, or of dogs, you will love it. The story is truly heart-warming, and I love that certain scenes are oh-so familiar if you've seen the movie, but so much of the story is completely new! Did you know Perdita is NOT the name of the "leading lady"? That's all I'll say about the actual story, but please, read it for yourself, even if you don't have kids. It's a wonderful read-aloud book, too--the first time my husband ever heard about this book was when I made him lie down and let me read it to him. We didn't have a child then, so now we get to share it with our son, too. Truly, a wonderful book. However, just so you know--the second book is not nearly so good! I own both of them, but I probably won't read the second one more than one more time, when I read it to my son. It's just not at all the same thing--aliens in London? Anyway, read 101 Dalmations and I know you'll enjoy it!

I loved this book I read it when I was very young, I fell in love with it then, I lost the book and for years thought of getting it again. I feared that I would not like it as much, it was as I remembered, and not the Disney version. I still love the book it did not let let me down. It made me laugh, cry and now understand my dog a little more (ha ha)

I owned this book by Dodie Smith when I was a boy. I loved it and from this story I developed an even stronger love for dogs and animals in general. Written in a most loving way, the story takes us beyond the later Disney film's watered down presentation of the story and dives deep into the realm of dogs. We discover the magic of "dogdom" and how dogs of every kind communicate with each other and with their humans (as Dodie states, and I am certainly paraphrasing, dogs own their humans, but let them think they own the dogs because it is so sweet!)

I have only one complaint about this publication of the book. the illustrations are just short of atrocious. I had an earlier edition of the book that had wonderful drawings that clearly were created with a real understanding of the story and what Dodie was trying to say. The illustrations in this edition look like they were pulled from someone's generic dog clip art. They are technically fine in their own right (I could NEVER draw like that), but they just don't capture the magic of the book.

If you can look past the illustrations, this is a wonderful story and a well written book.

101 Dalmations has appeal to dog lovers of all ages, breeds and sizes.

Dodie Smith - Thanks for leaving this gem for all to share.

This is a charming and delightful book that is deserving of its status as a classic of children's literature.

It takes a dog's eye view of the world, and features as its heroes Pongo and Missis, a pair of Dalmatians whose litter of puppies disappears one day.

As they set off to reunite their family, they find themselves in a struggle against the illegal coat-making operation of one Cruella Deville, an iconic villainess whose name and passion for high temperatures hint that she may be the devil incarnate.

The book becomes a fantastic quest book that takes place in the heart of England. The adult dalmatians find friends and foes along their path, and end up liberating nearly a hundred little puppies.

Smith has fun with the details and logistics of feeding, disguising, and transporting the refugee puppies, and young readers will enjoy learning the particulars of the secret lives of dogs.

The original animated movie adaptation is a good and fairly faithful movie in its own right, but the book is better by far.

Some parents might shy away from the book because of the gruesome idea that Cruella literally skins her young charges, but I think that the darker elements are an integral part of the winning tone, which refrains from talking down to children.

Highly recommended!

I won my tattered, dog eared, Disyned-fied copy of "100 Dalmatians" in a school auction when I was 7 years old. I learned to read late because I'm dyslexic (hence any bad spelling you may notice) so this was the first real chapter book that I ever owned and the very first I read.

It was great. This is a fabulous novel for all ages but especially for kids. I'm not going to re-hash the plot because I think the whole world knows it by now. The themes of good parenting, loyalty, and of course, good, intelligent, kind dogs are things that every child should learn. It is true that this book contains some talk of puppy killing, which didn't disturb me, and I'm guessing that today's 7 year olds wouldn't be scared by it either.

Another reason to read, or let your child read this book is that it will encourage a love of dogs, and having grown up with dogs every minute of my life, I can tell you having one (or more) helps immensely in all kinds of situations, social and otherwise. It provides an example of love and loyalty, as well as the responsibility involved in feeding and caring for a dog. However on that note Dalmatians, contrary to the lovable Pongo, Missus and Perdita in this book, do not make good dogs for children. They don't have the temperament for it. If you read this book and decide to get a dog for your child (an excellent idea) I recommend a good old fashioned mutt (they're smarter because they're not inbred) or a border collie, which can actually be trained to be nannies for children because of their sheep herding instincts.

Anyway, five stars. Great for the whole family, and an excellent way to encourage reading in a child of any age. At 18 years old I still love reading this book. And the sequel, "The Twilight Barking" isn't half bad either.