Parties Books

Books that encourage observation and thinking are always in demand with me as gifts for children. Mystery Mansion is a nice combination of both. The book is difficult enough that several people can work on it simultaneously. Those who enjoy this book will eventually graduate to the I Spy . . . and Where's Waldo? books.

This book can be enjoyed as a prereader by spotting the hidden creatures and characters, or as a reader by locating the hidden letters and messages as well. I suspect that it will be most appealing to 6-7 year olds who have a taste for slightly scary situations and creatures. The potential discomfort is lessened by seeing Aunt Jeanne hiding on each page that involves the mansion. The creatures are not really threatening, they just look ugly.

Aunt Jeanne sends a rhyming invitation to her Victorian mansion after she returns from a trip. Although she's not there, she leaves other rhyming clues to direct her nephew Tommy. She has Tommy all over the house and grounds, and into secret places as well.

Her rhymes are pretty simple, but are probably like what someone's actual aunt might write.

"On the trip I collected/My own little zoo./I chose all the creatures/Especially for you."

"I am the cheese,/You are the mouse . . . ."

"Find the next note/And your tour will begin . . . ."

The main challenge is to find all the creatures. These include bats, snakes, frogs, lizards, mice, fish, butterflies, and birds. Be sure to count ones that are reflections or appear as sculptures. Use the cover and all the pages. There are a lot to count. For younger children, you'll probably have to help them keep count.

You also have three mystery characters to look for.

In addition, throughout the pages there are hidden letters which you can unscramble for a message. On another page, there are letters for unscrambling a second message.

The answers are in the back of the book, for those who want to check their work.

To me, the book's main drawback is that after it has all been figured out it will not be as much fun. But it will probably still be pulled out from time to time as memory fades. When it hasn't been pulled out in a year, I suggest that you ask your child's permission to give the book to someone else for whom it will be brand new. Perhaps a cousin would enjoy it.

After you have finished having fun with this, I suggest that you think about staging your own version of the book at home for a special occasion. You could have cut-outs or decals of little creatures to scatter all over the house. Just be sure that you keep a map of where you put them, so they can be retrieved later if any are missed.

Look closely at all that is around you to see the wonder of our world.

Tommy always liked to check the mail and today he received an envelope just for him, an invitation from his Aunt Jeanne to come over for a special visit. But when he arrives, instead of Aunt Jeanne, he finds a note on the gate telling him to come on up to the house. At the front door he finds another note telling him to enter and as soon as he steps into the hall a third note begins to explain what's going on. You don't need me/To lead you around./Follow my notes/And what's lost will be found. Explore every corner/Of my happy home./There's something of interest/Wherever you roam... A treasure hunt! Let the games begin..... Michael Garland has authored a marvelous interactive book that youngsters will be crazy about. A letter to the reader at the beginning of the book explains just what you need to do as you travel from room to room with Tommy. There are lots of things to find in each amazing bold, busy and vivid illustration...letters that spell out a secret message, special words, three magical creatures and over 400 frogs, butterflies, lizards, snakes, mice bats, fish and birds, as well as Aunt Jeanne who is never far away from the action. Some are in plain sight and easily seen, some are hidden and still others are camouflaged and disguised and take a little work to find. Each charming rhyming note tells you where to go and what to look for and the storyline itself gives helpful hints. You'll need pencil, paper and patience, but this treasure hunt is worth it and ends with a big surprise and a creative answer key to check your work. Perfect for youngsters 9-12, kids 5-8 will enjoy the book just as much but will need a little help to solve the puzzle. Mystery Mansion is a great activity for a rainy day or a long car or plane trip and will keep children busy and engaged for hours.

How often do we read or hear something about the American experience, remark to ourselves, "That's weird," or "that's ironic," and then shrug it off and move on to something else. Don Lago does not shrug it off. He ponders the reason and meaning of the weird event, connects it to past or present events and develops a vision of what is happening to America. The result is often brilliant. He relates many stories and anecdotes that are often fascinating in their own right, but serve a larger purpose as parables. His insights are laced with humor and the prose is often elegant, making the reader pause to consider how well a phrase was turned.

This is not a shrill liberal diatribe against the radical right, but a calm examination of who we are today and how we got that way. The take-home message is that many of our fervently held beliefs in what America is are bound to outmoded myths with hoops of steel, and no amount of reality can break these bonds. Our nation suffers as a result.

A great book.

An excellent read,I hope this book finds the audience it deserves.

Don Lago clearly understands the myths that formed our country, which we still believe, even though we see otherwise daily.
This is not just about the last election; he does bring great insight with his long history with John Kerry; he tries to help us see ourselves more clearly. Don has listened to and learned from many people in his quest to explain what we believe about ourselves.

Don is a very engaging, literate writer, his book is hard to put down, but requires the reader to pause to reflect on what he says. He answers the liberal lament of why in the last election so many people voted against their own self interests.I must admit I know the author and shared some of this journey with him, he has helped me reflect again on my experiences on the campaign trail. I come away knowing more about myself and my country. Thank you Don for sharing your wisdom.

This book is an absolute must not only for loyal followers of a natural rights theory as basis of the US constitution. Every scholar who wants to research the foundations of American constitutionalism in depth should have this book in the personal library. It his here that he will find pure Lockeanism and is here that Zuckert puts forward his case of Lockean natural rights and social contract theory as ideological basis for the founders in such a concise way that it is difficult to argue against his case. Of course this is what avid Zuckert readers are used to. This book, however, in referring to Jefferson as a natural rights thinker argues the natural rights theory with one of the most convincing witnesses you can find in American history: Thomas Jefferson. Zuckert depicts the Declaration of Independence and American political thought from an interesting perspective, Jefferson's viewpoint. He succeeds in disputing the main opposing theories to the natural rights theory such as the exemplary role of classical Greece and Rome, the continuity theory based on Puritan thought and Bailyn's point that Locke was only one among others influential on American political thought, to name just a few. I did note, however, a certain tendency to neglect historical facts especially as far as the influence of the English common law and Whiggish thought on the framers is concerned. Finally, that Zuckert did not examine the Constitution itself as closely as the Declaration of Independence is not only excusable. It serves a good purpose: to underline the importance of the Declaration of Independence as an outflow of quintessential American thought, thus a document America should be proud of.

Yet again, Michael Zuckert has produced a forceful, challenging, and overly fascinating work of scholarship. His previous work, "Natural Rights and the New Republicanism," in many ways a "prequel" to this volume, was a historical and not to mention philosophical landmark. This work picks up right where he left off. Part I of the work consists of an in depth analysis of the Declaration of Independence. This interpretration bristles with new insight. Unlike many past scholars, Zuckert makes an overt effort to place the Declaration in context. He does this by examining other sources of information, e.g. Thomas Jefferson's "Notes on Virginia" for instance. The end result, I must say, is brilliant. Contrary to modern conceptions, he demonstrates what the Declaration was really meant to say, and, at the same time, how philosophically sophisticated it really was. In Part II, Zuckert endeavors to prove that the United States was indeed founded as the natural rights republic, in a modern, dynamic, forward looking philosophical climate. To begin with, he picks apart the thesis that the American Revolution was merely an extension of the Glorious Revolution undertaken by the Whig ruling class in the late 1680s. This however, is nothing new, especially if one has already read his account of the Glorious Revolution and natural rights philosophy in his previous work. Nevertheless, he shows conclusively the incompatibility between the two Revolutions, primarily, but not wholly, through a comparison of the Declaration of Independence and the English "Bill of Rights." Moving on, Chapters 5 and 6 address the issue of Puritanism and its legacy in early America. Many scholars have proposed that the American Revolution was merely an extension of ideals held by the early Calvinist settlers of the 17th century. It is this thesis, however, that Zuckert completely demolishes. He conducts and in depth analysis of Puritan ideology, as well as its sources. Of particular interest is discussion of Martin Luther's concept of the "Two Kingdoms," and its influence in American thought. To make a long story short, he demonstrates how dramatically Locke's ideas clash with those of the early Puritans. This contention is driven home clearly by an examination of important political/relgious thinkers in 18th centiry New England, Elisha Williams and Jonathan Mayhew in particular. Finally, in Chapter 7 finds Zuckert further pushing his case for the natural rights republic. He takes on the so-called "classical republican" or "civic humanist" thesis expounded by such scholars as J.G.A. Pocock and Gordon Wood, deftly making mincemeat of them. Pressing on, he examines Thomas Jefferson's evolving political philosophy to reveal the truly radical, natural rightist foundations of American republicanism. Although the book is by and large solid, I do have several misgivings about it. First and foremost, Zuckert's Jefferson scholarship is highy suspect, as can be devined through use of Merill Peterson's biography, as the small, unscholarly Library of America collection of Jefferson's writings. I was very surprised that he did not cite Dumas Malone's definitive 6 volume biography "Jefferson and His Time," or Julian Boyd's definitive collection of Jefferson's papers. Also, Zuckert's refutation of the Puritan "Continuity Thesis," strikes me as a bit odd, as it does not prove anything at all concerning the colonies outside of New England, none of which have any Puritan heritage whatsoever. Despite these shortcomings, the work as a whole is brilliant. This volume, as well as his previous offering, is an absolute must for anyone interested in the relevant disciplines.

If you have any interest in left or right extremist movements in the U.S., this book is indispensible, and it is without peer. The authors neither glamorize nor excoriate their subject matter. Rather, they present each group or movement, from the Spartacist League to Father Coughlin, as nonjudgmentally and factually as possible. You will discover obscure Marxist sects and strange racist splinter groups you have never heard of before, each of which has a fascinating history backed up with ample footnotes. Do not hesitate to buy this book!

this is a very informative book that compares and contrasts these "political groups" definately explores the darker side of out human nature. but this book mostly covers things like the nazi party in america and how it spread in the 1930's and how the kkk rose up out of the south. also covers the american communist movement in the early century. a must read

Having read this book twice now, I have come to understand the how's and why's people have this need to affiliate with either political party. I think most Americans are moderate's who are conservative on some issues and liberal on others. I wish more of my fellow Americans would read this book and try to understand that neither party has the best interest of the voters and that there is nothing wrong with being an Independant which would at least help keep the politicians a little more mindful of who they cater to. This is a book of ideas which goes beyond the normal bashing of political parties. For those of you who are "my party right or wrong" types this book will educate you and help you understand that the world isn't black and white but many shades in between.

Mr. Bradley has a great way of breaking down very complicated political concepts into a very easy-to-read, and sometimes even fun, book that really helped me understand my own political philosophy. I've always wondered why I wonder -- do I have my dad's political views or my own? I'm 45 and I think Mr. Bradley's book gave me my own direction for the first time in my life. I can now sift through the media-chosen snippets of what they say is important to get at what really matters to me. This book will be on my gift list for young and old friends and family. Thank you, Mr. Bradley, for sharing this insightful, clear, and concise tool for everyone. I figure if enough people read this book and demand change, the politicians are going to have to listen to us!

I bought this book as a Christmas present for my friend's child--Maya. Of course, I had to read it first. The message behind this book is wonderful. I hope that Maya loves it, not just because her name is in the title but also for the lesson that it teaches.

This picture book subtlety suggests to children that it is important to be an individual and not always follow the crowd. The little girl learns the value of accepting her parents' decisions. They could easily purchase the dress for her; but Maya's mother chooses to make one for her. Maya, like many children, thinks that the "store-bought" dress is better than the homemade one! How wrong she is!

The book is illustrated in beautiful watercolors; the characters are realistically drawn with expressive faces that add depth to the respective personalities. The author also has a balance of ethnic groups present at the party. This is an obvious attempt to promote racial tolerance - an asset to the storyline.

The text is written with simple vocabulary. Children should be able to read this particular book with a minimum of assistance, if any.

It is highly recommended for it tells a real story with concerns that face many youngsters.

My three year old loves books and music. This book is the best of both. Now she can play her music all by herself, while she "reads" the book!

I bought this for my soon to be 3 year old daughter... She loves playing with the music player.. All of her cousins fight over this book!! A big hit... Highly recommend..

She changes the discs and dances along... and we read the book together every night. It is easy for her to use the music player without any help.

This collection contains three novels from the Fear Street Series, written by R. L. Stine. They are "The Surprise Party", "The Wrong Number" and "The Cheater". Given below is a description of each of them and my review on the books.

The Surprise Party: A psychotic killer has just murdered a boy named Evan in the Fear Street woods and has gotten away with it. It is now a year later and Meg Dalton is living her life peacefully with her close friends Shannon, Lisa, and boyfriend Tony. One day, Lisa informs Meg that Ellen is coming back to town. Ellen was Evan's girlfriend and one of Meg's closest friends, and once he died, Ellen left all her friends and moved elsewhere. Meg decides that she should throw a surprise `Welcome back!' party for Ellen, so that Ellen doesn't feel awkward about her visit. However, someone else is insistent on making sure that the party doesn't take place, even if it means killing Meg. (Good: 4/5)

The Wrong Number: One night, Deena Mertinson and her best friend Jade Smith start making prank calls to people from their high school. Whether it's the school's biggest nerd or the most popular guy, Deena and Jade have fun calling and teasing them. Now Chuck, Deena's half brother is coming to stay with them in Shadyside because he got into a lot of trouble in Central City (where he lived before). At first, he is totally rude to Deena and her dad, and also starts causing trouble at his new school. One night, he discovers Deena and Jade making prank calls to some students, and blackmails to let him in on their game. Deena gets scared when Chuck starts making threats in his calls. In fact, things become worse when, one day, to prove a point, Chuck calls a random number and they all hear a woman about to be murdered! From this point on, the story turns into a murder mystery, where Deena, Jade and Chuck have to find out who the killer is, and which one of them is going to be his next victim! (Excellent: 5/5)

The Cheater: Carter Phillips has everything going for her; she's smart, she has the perfect boyfriend, Dan Mason, she has her best friend Jill Bancroft, her dad is the criminal court judge in Shadyside...well, almost everything. Her father keeps pressuring her to get a score of 700 or above on her math achievement test so that she can get into Princeton. Carter tries her best, but knows she cannot get a score like that. One day, a guy named Adam Messner overhears her cry for help, and tells her that he will take the test for her, in return for a date with Carter. Carter feels that it is an easy compromise and agrees. At first things seem to go well, and Carter actually finds herself a little attracted to Adam. But Adam wants more...much more! From dragging Jill into Adams gang, and putting an animal's heart into her bag, to blackmailing for money, Carter feels that Adam has total control over her. No matter what Carter does, Adam blackmails her further, to the point where Carter starts thinking of murdering him. Is she capable of doing this, and will all her troubles actually come to an end? (Average: 3/5)

Of the three stories, "The Wrong Number" is the best among them, and "The Cheater" is a little boring compared to the other two. R. L. Stine does a good job of scaring the reader, and you will find yourself turning the pages on each story, because they are so intriguing and suspenseful. All in all, this is a good collection for any teen horror fan!

3 of RL Stines gripping mysteries make up the book entitled No Way Out.
The Surprise Party, The Wrong number and The Cheater are all about teenagers who are threatened by someone evil on Fear Street, and have to find their way out of a maze of threats and deceit.

The Surprise Party... Meg could be in danger from her own boyfriend when she comes too close to accidentally discovering the murderer of one of her closest friends.

The Wrong Number... Deena, Jade and Chuck make a prank call to a random number on Fear Street and hear a woman call for help!!

The Cheater... Carter asks a sleaze to take her math test for her and is stuck in a hell of blackmail.

All of these stories will keep you glued to the page if you like mystery and suspense.
They are probably exciting novels for both teenagers and adults.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was very entertaining. A perfect summer afternoon novel. I really liked Darcy Lou's relationship with her mother. I also liked Lizzie's comments all throughout the book and the introduction and the info about the 'author' were very funny too. I liked this book very much. I would definitly recomend it!!

This book is awesome. It shows that mother's and daughters not only fight but get along too. Although Darcy Lou may seam to have a "perfect" relationship with her mother, the rest of the book is quite solid. It shows that kids aren't the only ones who make mistakes and somethimes the thing you need most is right under your nose. It also shows that you don't have to have lots of money to be absolutly rich. A group of people who care about is worth much more. Unlike money, they'll always be there and they are unreplacable. You must read this sweet little book!

I thought this book was really cool my little sisters checked it out from the library, I was bored one day so I decided to check it out I could'nt put it down I did'nt even want to stop for lunch I wish they would of told us the name of the Judd's Baby and Wade and Amelia finally tie the knot! I really like Robbie he seems so excited over everything just like Phoebe I hope that they tie the knot when there done with the next adventure I recommend this book to anyone it's great!

Oregon at last! Finaly, the Petticoat Party, after enduring more then the usual hardships on the trail, have arrived in the so-called "Promised Land" - Oregon. But for 13 year old Phoebe Brown, Oregon is downright boring. After a few days of farming, Phoebe is just plain fed up. She longs for the adventures and freedoms she experianced on the trail. Is she the only adventuresome person in the whole Oregon Territory?