Recreation Books

I did not enjoy Stanford and Emily's books as much as I did Millicent's but Millicent's is one of the best books I've ever read. These are easier reads than Millicent which is on an adult level. Very creative to tell the same story from 3 points of view. Will definately buy all her books.

My 12 year-old granddaughter would rather play basketball than read, however, this book captured her attention and she claimed it as the best book she has ever read! She laughed as she read it until tears ran down her face and said she could relate to the issues of the characters.

This book is awsome! I have read this series in order (Millicent Min, Girl Genius, Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time, and So Totally Emily Ebers.) I have to say, this book is the best in the series. When carrying this book around school, I have gotten a lot of comments about it from my classmates: (girls) "Is that the sequel to Millicent Min?!! I loved that book! You have to lend it to me!" and then boys: "*gasp* I saw a review for that in 'Sports Illustrated!' I want to read that this summer!" Finally, a book besides Harry Potter that both girls and boys like!

It's the last day of sixth grade, and Stanford Wong can't wait to get out of school and go to Alan Scott's Basketball Camp, the best camp any basketball player could dream of. This is going to be the summer of his life...

...well, that is until he receives his grade for English class: a big fat F.

An F means that basketball camp is over. Stanford needs to go to summer school instead. Not only that, Stanford will be tutored by the annoying genius Millicent Min.

What else can go wrong?

Lots more! Stanford's parents are not getting along, and his grandma recently moved into a nursing home where she's miserable. On top of all that, Stanford obviously cannot let his friends and the girl he likes, Emily Ebers, know that he flunked big time! This is certainly not going to be the best summer of his life.

Or is it?

Lisa Yee is not only a funny lady, but she has done something quite original: she's written three novels (that's not the original part), and each one of them tells the story from the point of view of a character that eventually shows up in her other books: Millicent Min, Girl Genius; So Totally Emily Ebers; and STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME.

Of the three titles, I have only read this one, but I'm sure that readers of the other two books will enjoy reading this novel to find out what Stanford thinks about girls, parents, friends, and basketball. And they'll also find out Stanford's biggest secret: when he gets nervous HE KNITS!

The back of the book contains a section with an interview with the author, a recipe for Stanford's grandma's Won Tons, and much more.

Reviewed by: Christian C.

If you like realistic fiction you are going to like Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time. This book is about a boy named Stanford Wong. He is good at basketball and he is the first 6th grader to make the A team but he is not that smart. It is the last day for summer break and Stanford is going to basketball camp for the summer. But when he gets his report card he sees that his English teacher Mr.Glick gives him an F in his report card and Mr.Glick says that he could flunk 6th grade and Stanford has to get it signed by his parents. When he shows it to his father, that is obsessed with education, his father says that Stanford is not going to basketball camp. His father calls Mr.Glick and then tells Stanford that he is going to summer school. Stanford tells his friends that he got an A and he can not go to basketball camp because he is going to help his dad. A days later Stanford's grandma was moving to a retirement home called Vacation Village. Stanford was getting tutored by Millicent Min, a really smart girl that Stanford does not like. Then one day when they were studying Stanford saw Emily Millicent's friend and he thought he liked her. Also one of Stanford's friends found out he was going to summer school and told him to let him beat Stanford at basketball. This story is set in the current time. The setting is in a city in the U.S. The author really did well. I could visualize the story. The way I felt about the story that it is a good and funny story. I recommend it to anyone who likes funny and realistic fiction.

My daughter is now 17 months old, ever since she started being interested in books (as early as 11 months) she has always loved this one. She gets more and more excited as we get closer to the end and she loves looking behind the door. I noticed all the little kids at the daycare also just stopped whatever they were doing when I read this book to them once. The best 'Peek-a-boo' type book we've seen.

If your child loves Maisy, they will love this book! My 20 month old never tires of "looking" for Maisy under the flaps and will sit for 15-20 minutes at a time "reading" this. Even her older sister enjoys it!

Both my son and my daugther LOVED this book from the age of 6 months on. It keeps them in rapt attention, and my daugther loves to "knock" on the door.

My daughter loves these books. They are simple, quick & colorful. She turns the pages & loves it. She is under 1 yrs old & has been reading theses with me for about 6 mo. Stays focosed since it is so fast, not so wordy!

My 21 month loves Maisy. She enjoys "looking" for Maisy and her friends in this lift the flap book. This book also introduces counting numbers, colors and shapes. A great book for toddlers. Another great Maisy book is Maisy's Playhouse.

Ok all I have to say is this is the best book I have ever read in my life. It's a great story that part of it made me cry and some of it made me laugh and smile. I highly suggest this book to EVERYONE!!! I gotta go buy the sequal to it now. Chris Platt is a great author. I couldn't stop reading this book it took me only a day to read the whole book. So buy it, read it, and love it!

This book was one of the best books I've ever read and if you read about horses and haven't read this book, you're missing out on something special. This girl Katie is born with one leg shorter than the other, so she's imeadiately touched by Willow King who was born with crooked legs. When the owner decides he should be put down, Katie begs to be the one to own him. Finally, Willow King is hers! Together Katie feels that they will be able to reach the top. But there are more bumps on the way then she expected including, teaching this foal. I absolutely loved this book and Chris Platt is at her best when she writes!

I borrowed Willow King from my local library and liked it alot. i personaly think that horse racing is rather mean, but this book was good. I reccomend it for kids 8 to 12. Enjoy!

This a awesome book that I absolutly have to reccomend. It is about a girl named Katie who saves a foal who is about to be put down because he has crooked legs. She feels a strong bond between her and the foal because she was born with one leg shorter than the other, similar to the foal. Katie trains Willow King, the foal, and straightens his legs. Along the way, ahe has to deal with her enemy, Cindy because Cindy is using Katie's beloved show horse, Jester so Katie can train Willow. She also has to deal with a boy named Jason, whom she befriends. I strongly recomend this book to anyone who would like a good read. Even if you are not a horse fanatic like me, I think you will like it.

A young girl named Katie Durham is born with one leg that is shorter than the other. She feels unhappy all the time until a foal with twisted legs is born. He's named Willow King and Katie feels a connection to him due to their disabilities. Katie begins working with Willow King to help his legs straighten and turn him into a champion.

This is an excellent book for all horse lovers.

This was an very useful book after I got hooked on backpacking. Specifically, the sections on gear let me make informed purchases when replacing my discount store equipment with higher end items from backpacking specialty retailers. The only nitpick I have is the need for some more details on types of clothing needed for certain environments, especially in the Rockies. My copy was well worn with use but still used for reference.

This is well-written and thorough guide to backpacking. It provides helpful ideas for backpackers at all levels, not just beginners.

Like any book, it has its biases. Townsend is a long-distance solo backpacker with most of his experience in western North America, Britain, and Scandinavia. He often hikes on snow, and spends a significant amount of time on skis. He is a vegetarian with a minimalist approach to backcountry cuisine.

What does this mean? First, the weekend backpacker will find a lot of material that goes well beyond his needs. This stems from the book's efforts to be useful to people at many different levels. At the other extreme, a highly experienced backpacker will find much of the book too basic, though as a long-distance hiker Townsend will provide various nuggets of advice even for her.

Second, Townsend almost completely ignores fishing. This is a popular part of the backpacking experience for many people and should be included. (I suppose a little advice for backpacking hunters would probably also be helpful.) Since Townsend doesn't hunt or fish, he may want to take on a coauthor in future editions who can help him a little in these areas.

Third, Townsend has nothing to say about experiencing the wildnerness by canoe. This objection may be unfair, since canoeing isn't exactly "backpacking." However, many people combine canoeing with backpacking and portaging in a way that probably belongs in an exhaustive guide to backpacking. Certainly, Townsend's extensive discussions of cross-country skiing is as much a niche interest as is canoeing.

Finally, this is not the book for backcountry recipes or cooking ideas. However, it is painfully thorough in discussing cooking gear.

Townsend reflects the Rockies-and-Sierras bias of most backpacking literature, though (like others) he acknowledges Appalachian Trial hikers. It's easy to forget that the largest wilderness area in the lower 48, and the most widely visited in the entire country, is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Some experience with North Country backpacking would serve Townsend and other writers well.

These criticisms aside, this is the best book of its kind that I have found. I hope that it continues to evolve in its third edition.

This is a perfect book for anyone getting interested in backpacking and doesn't have a lot of experience. Townshend goes over every aspect of backpacking that you need to know including shoes, socks, innerware, outerware, accesories, backpacks, food, saftey, sleeping bags, tents and the list goes on. He tells you the correct way to pack your back pack, what to bring depending on the season and the length of the trip, the different types of ways of cooking food on a trip, the inner working of a hiking boot and it just doesn't stop. When it comes to brands and specific models of products he names names and tells you what works and what doesn't work.

On top of all this his tone and wirting style make for semi-causal reading that doesn't feel like a pain to read. The chapters are organized in ways that are easy to skip around in if you want and he has some interesting personal anecdotes taken from his vast hiking experience. He also talks about building up stamina to walk long distances, how to survive on the water of the land and how to make an igloo if you are camping in the snow.

Get this book if you are looking for an introductory guide to backpacking. I expecially recommend it if you are thinking about buying any expensive camping gear as I used much of the information before I bought my own Backpack, Boots, and Sleeping Bag.

This book is all about experience. It takes you on an amazing ride through a concise drilldown of everything one needs to take their first walk. The author does a good job of giving not only his own perspective, but the perspective of other experienced backpackers that see things differently. This gives you more lessons than a single person could ever provide. Whenever you come to a junction point in the book where you might want more information about something he specificly states he's not going into (like power hiking vs. slackwalking, or gourmet trail cooking vs. survivial eating) he always gives references to other great books that give the extra details on those other subjects. Great must-read!

I bought a few books online without paying too much attention to reviews and I was often disappointed. This time I paid a great deal of attention to the reviews while trying to sellect the book that would best fulfil my expectations and I must admit that all the good reviews about The Backpacker's Handbook, 2nd Edition, are well founded! This book is excellent and everyone interested in reading about backpacking should at least acquire this one. Thank you Mr. Townsend for sharing your experience and passion with us in such a good book! and thank you, reviewers, for guiding buyers like me toward what truly is worth ordering.

Bill Wallace writes this book as though it's real life. Once you start, you an hardly put it down!
Luke, a young city boy, is the son of divorced parents. he lives with his mom on his grandfather's farm. because his mom lost her job. Luke never wants to do anything at the farm because his mom made him leave all of his friends when they moved.
After a long summer, Luke befriends an old horse called Beauty. They share a special bond with late summer walks and secrets. But when a terrible accident happens, Luke does something that may break that bond.
This book is great for children and adults. It has adventure, suspense, and funny, laugh-out-loud moments, too. It shows that when you have a bond with a clase friend, keep it for it will become one of your greatest treasures. I give this book a four out of five star rating.

This book is really sad, when the horse, Beauty died. Luke's horse, Beauty were best friends, and were really close. Until one night when Beauty escape from her pen and went outside into the stormy night. Then Beauty accidently went into a trap, that made her cried out loud. There was no chose for Luke. He had to kill Beauty. So he shoted Beauty in her head where her star was. At the end there was anther horse that looked like Beauty, with a star on her forehead. A memory of Beauty.

Beauty is a great book. Other than Harriet the Spy it's my favorite book. It teaches relationships. When I started this book I was crying and when I ended it I was crying. At first Luke and his Mother move to Oaklahoma to live with Luke's grandpa. Now at first Luke hates him, but grows to love him. Luke's favorite horse Beauty gets caught in a corral and... well you'll have to read it for the ending. But by how I read it I think you'll think the same "It's sad but Good"

This book is one of my favorites. I think that ever kid needs to read this book. It sounds kinda like the way I got my first horse. The book is very sad. I even cried at the end. This book is awesome. So Read It.

my sister made me read this book in the forth grade. I wasn't in to books much then. This book changed my mind. I have read it so many times I know the book by heart. I have not had the chance to read it since like the sixth grade as none of our other librarys have it. I recomend this book to any and all age groups and to anyone who likes to read or doesn't like to read.

excellent book. well written, and instructive without being stiff. It will definitly become a part of my reference library.

Very good book Chi Walking: The Five Mindful Steps for Lifelong Health and Energy

Both Chi Walking & Chi Running have helped me immensely. I no longer have knee pain when I run and walking has felt almost effortless. The body sensing and relaxation techniques have helped so much even if I feel little twinges since the twinges go away. I highly recommend both books for anyone struggling with walking and running hang-ups.

I bought this as a gift for my husband and he's been able to incorporate the information right away.

This book is interesting and well written. Along with its companion book, Chi Running, it provides a well-thought-out approach to walking to improve fitness and avoid injuries. My walking is easier, with better posture and less stress on my legs. I highly recommend both books.

As an adventure racer who recalls when Don Mann owned Odyssey AR, I recall his midnight encouragement at CPs. At Primal Quest in Moab in 2006 Don was just as enthusiastic. This books carries some of that sincere, enthusiastic voice. His energy kept me running for years. I recall running together on the backstretch of the JFK 50 mile ultramarathon. We talked about books. Some time later, Don shared his enthusiasm for me by writing a testimonial for my book. For anyone interested in learning about our sport I strongly encourage you to read this book. Doug Gray, PCC, and author of Passionate Action: 5 Steps to Extraordinary Success in Life and Work

I new to AR (3 races to date) and was looking for a good reference book on the subject. This book exceeded my expectations. It is well organized and filled with practical information and detail. It has section with tips and advice from experienced racers, there is also first person accounts of races and experiences. It is also a great price for all the information you get.

The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one. It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management. You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text. By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one. It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find. Buy this book and you'll see what I mean!

The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one. It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management. You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text. By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one. It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find. Buy this book and you'll see what I mean!

firstly this reviewer is a racer and has quite some experience in the various disciplines of AR (adventure racing) so bear that in mind.

The book is quite well laid out covering most things you might expect in AR. The exciting glossy cover belies the lower quality paper and pictures used within- no smart glossies inside, rather some average b/w photos.

The information inside is fine but can largely be found elsewhere with a quick google search. Still a good repository of information.

If you are looking for some guidance re AR equipment, training, techniques, tips and have not looed for the same on the web, this will be a useful book, if you have looked then it is something to have on the bookshelf. It is not of sufficient quality to have out on the coffee table as a conversation piece!
My 2cents.

an excellent book for those of us they may be advanced in years, but young at heart, and enjoy bicycling.

I expected some discussion of problems people over 50 have keeping their weight down. There is almost no mention of weight or weight loss, except to say that losing weight slowly, as advised, consists of not eating the equivalent of a small piece of cake each day. A lot of the book is for people who want to do more aggressive cycling than I will likely do. Still, it pushes the rider to be more aggressive for more improvement. The chapter on psyching is very good and highly recommended. The book also discusses using a heart rate monitor to know when a period of recovery has done its work.

Book was excellent, highly recommend it. The book contains lots of info and tips on how to stay motivated and proper conditioning/training. Liked it so much, I gave it as a gift this year.

The information in this book is vital to anyone that leads an active life. It dose not matter if you are over 50 or not, you should read this book it's very helpful. I wish that I would have found this book ten years ago. It could have saved me some pain and comfort.

Despite the title, cyclists of all ages will find this book useful. There is a great deal of both general discussion as well as specific recommendations for effective training. The sections which are age specific generally are of the form "If you were 20 you would train like this, since you are 50 you need to modify the training like this... (usually allow more recovery)". Thus the discussion becomes relevant for everyone.

Some will probably find the specifics more detail than they are interested in. Fine, take the bigger message (intensity + adequate recovery = ageless perfomance) and you will be way ahead of the game. The discussion of heart rate training is the best I have seen.

Again highly recommended for everyone.

This book is an excellent way to introduce the LOA to your kids. It's a sweet story for any age -young and old- and reinforces the idea that we do have the ability to change our circumstances at any given moment. I enjoyed the story so much and feel the message is so important that I have given the book to my daughter's teacher. I am hoping it will become a message that she agrees is vital to share with everyone.

After years of reading "Notes from the Universe" and dozens of other spiritual philosophies, I found Dandelion to be a little oversimplified. It struck me as the perfect read for a pre-teen or teen who is struggling with life's meaning for the first time, or perhaps an adult who has never explored spirituality before. With the right audience, this book would be very enjoyable and insightful, but if you have strong experience in spirituality, buy it for a teen in your life instead.

Every child and every Adult should read this book. It is a beautiful story, wonderfully told of a little horse growing up. Just like little anyone growing up she is subjected to the pressures of life. Parental, peer, job/school pressure and it shows the reader beautifully how to cope with that pressure. Dandelion, goes from being a misfit. She starts of in the eyes of those around her, a weedy little Dandelion. But, along with her struggles she emerges as a wondrous flower in full bloom.
Every age group will benefit from reading this book...those of us who have forgotten the wonders of childhood, those still in childhood or adolescence it's a must for those going through it and finding it tough. A wonderful gift for Grandparents to give to their Grandchild. A Real GIFT!

Amazingly simple yet so deep, well written, fun yet moving story, with incredibly powerful, inspiring reminder of this truth so many of us had forgotten. Well worth the short time to read it! I have purchased 15 books to present to loved ones- the message is that profound, life changing, and yet simple once we begin to consciously think about it. Horse lovers will love the picture the story paints in their minds, yet non-animal people will still be able to identify to the characters and appreciate and comprehend the message just as much, too. Cannot say enough good about this book!!!!

Dandelion is a book for all ages. I think this is a wonderful book for those that have children to encourage them to follow their own path in life. I highly recommend this easy and quick read for the kid in you, regardless of age.

Two books are tops for those who love the game and choose to continue learning how to play it well: this one and Every Shot Must Have a Purpose: How GOLF54 Can Make You a Better Player The stories, experiences, tips, and memories are superbly inspiring. Worth re-reading every year!

I don't play golf but I LOVED Ms. Vold's book, read every word, hated to have it end! I would recommend this book to anyone whether they play golf or not.

This book has it all....contemporary history of women who love the game and made the LPGA what it is today, nostalgia, technique and lots of food for thought. Any woman who has a passion for golf must read this one. I seldom read a book more than once...I'm on my third time through in less than three months. Do yourself a favor by buying it and keeping it near your nightstand to refer to again and again.

"If a person has any greatness in them, it comes to light , not in one flamboyant hour, but in the ledger of their daily work." Beryl Markham "West with the Night"

The women Mona Vold writes about in her book, "Different Strokes", are national treasures worthy of any reader's time. And although the common thread of their journeys is the world of golf, the passion of their hearts, the clarity of their minds and the strength of their voices both dig deeply into and transcend that rich and humbling game.

Without reservation, I highly recommend this wise and thoughtful book.

Fun to hear what the other half has to say about the game. Great stories a good read for any golfer. Not to sure about the technical information. You might want to purchase GOLF IS A WOMAN'S GAME to set you straight on that. Both books really elevate women's golf.