Adam Books

This was the first book I have read by this author - I found it to be a very pleasant, well-"organized" cozy mystery. The protagonist was likeable, the characters varied, and it had a plot which clipped along at a reasonable pace. While I am not the least bit organized, nor can I even a imagine a person whose closets or home have nothing out of place, Charlotte Adams was a fun new character for me, and I hope to see more of her in the future !! Perhaps I can learn a few things...

Mary Jane Maffini is a well-establish writer of mysteries in Canadian settings. This book, the first of a new series, and set in a small American town, appears to be her novelistic attempt to escape what is sometimes called "the beaver pile" up here in the Frozen North. On the basis of this outing, I think Ms. Maffini has made a successful transition--and good luck to her!

Ms. Maffini is no Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers, but she quite obviously is a competent and professional purveyor of cozy mysteries. She knows her business and she has cobbled together a perfectly acceptable and breezy book. She is also intimately familiar with the conventions of the cozy mystery, so familiar, in fact, that she makes riffs on those conventions and, more importantly, on the expectations of her readers.

"Organize Your Corpses" is the sort of book for which a published spoiler would, for once, be an actual disaster. I shall say no more than that I was surprised by not just one but two of Ms. Maffini's characters. What happens is not so shocking it itself, but so highly uncharacteristic of cozy mysteries that I was caught off guard. I admit that the rabbits that come out of Maffini's authorial hat are not half so astonishing as the one in "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," but they'll do--oh, yes, they'll do.

Speaking of riffs on cozy mystery conventions, and since the subject has already come up in an earlier Amazon review, it might be noted that a common convention in American cozies is that the always intrepid heroine has a close-by a female friend who was her best buddy from their schooldays. In a nice riff on the tradition and expectation, just such a character appears in this book--but she and the heroine have had a full-fledged falling out. They can't stand each other. And it is this very mutual loathing that the author cleverly uses to support even hoarier cozy mystery convention: the imbecilic refusal of the heroine to call the cops when she should be doing exactly that.

(I see that at least one reader is agitated by the fact that author Maffini never explains how or why the two former best friends became enemies. The second book of the series is soon to be published. I, for one, hope that this particular mystery becomes a running thread, never to be solved.)

"Organize Your Corpses" is a perfectly satisfactory cozy mystery of the American variety--not a masterpiece, but well-constructed and entertaining. On that basis, I'd normally give it four stars. But owing to the unexpected turns inserted into the stereotyped material, I'll knock that up to five.

a wonderful one while enjoying meeting all the characters in the first volume of her new series. Since other reviewers have explained the plot, etc., I would just like to say that I enjoyed this book to the extent that I will soon be the proud owner of all this author's other titles (not necessarily an easy-accomplished feat!).

Am I looking forward to volume 2--you bet!!

(Other favorite authors include: Carolyn Haines, Lee Child, Michele Martinez, Libby Hellman, Evan Marshall, Jan Burke,(just to name a few).

Charlotte Adams has returned to her hometown of Woodbridge, New York as a professional organizer. She has received a call of an old teacher known widely as Hellfire Henley. When Charlotte's returns to the Henley Mansion, Hellfire is found dead under a mound of old newspapers and Charlotte is drawn into a confusing and dangerous who-done-it, and being the prime suspect, she must clear herself before she becomes the next victim.

A larger cast of characters that gets a little twisty at times, you have to pay closer attention than most cozy mysteries.

This was a fun new series with an interesting cast of characters and a plot that left you guessing until the end.

I only had two complaints -- there were a number of errors in the book (mainly words being left out of sentences and spelling), and I don't feel like the animosity between Charlotte and Pepper was really ever explained. But I guess that's for later books.

Looking forward to the next installment!

This is an epic poem of some ten thousand lines composed by, arguably, Poland's greatest poet. It is a bucolic tale of country life with the background of the preparations for Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812. It's also a love story of sorts, with undertones of "Romeo and Juliet". There are star-crossed lovers, feuding families, comical characters, loyal retainers, and a mysterious begging friar. It's all quite well done, and even though I'm not particularly into sing-songy rhyming verse, the attraction of the story, and it's thinly-veiled air of Polish patriotism, kept me reading on to the end. If you enjoy little-known Polish literature (at least little-known in this country) you will enjoy this book.

In recent years many of the East European authors and artists have been rediscovered by the dominating Western sphere of writers, artist, and the litterature critics. This book is one of the jewels resurfaced in the circles of scholars and historians, but also among the everyday reader. The story is a description of the then social sphere of the society, where people are born within a class and are influenced by it, regardless of they likeing it or not. This is realism and romanticism at best, entangled in a passionate embrace. A delight to read.

This Polish masterpiece reads in English rendition as it was written in English in the first place ! I thoroughly enjoyed over again the story, even more so than in original Polish. Kenneth McKenzie has done a superb job to keep the rhytm, rime and the emotions so close to the original. This timeless piece is a must to everyone who enjoys a great reading adventure, where the highest human values are treasured. Our contemporary writers and poets can only dream to approach the greatness of Adam Mickiewicz. To bad that this book is so little known in the world.

It is a masterpiece , national poem of Poland.It portrays polish society in early XIX century , its turbulant existence and longing for freedom .His other works include " Konrad Wallenrod" and "Oda do mlodosci" but You can also check other polish writers , like Henryk Sienkiewicz , author of the famous "Quo Vadis " , Czeslaw Milosz or Wladyslaw Reymont , all three, Nobel prize laureates .You will never look at Poland the same way .Enjoy reading.............r.c.

Mickiewicz's 'Pan Tadeusz' is a very well written and engaging account of Lithuanian provincial life during the Napoleonic Era. Yet, it does fall short of the level of masterpiece, and 'Pan Tadeusz' doesn't possess quite the same timeless quality as Pushkin's 'Eugene Onegin' or Goethe's and Heine's epic poetry. Yet, I highly recommend it, and it is well worth the read, both for its glimpse into a long-lost time and place and also for Mickiewicz's elegant prosy.

There are books galore about spirituality, covering many aspects from simple How To's, to the mystical insights of past and current masters. Most of these have one thing in common: they are all written by a teacher targeting a student willing and eager to dive into the deep ocean on questions about life and the divine.

Far fewer are the books which cover the deep longing, the seemingly never-ending search for answers from the perspective of the student, and the many strange paths this sometimes can take during a lifetime. The Quest Seeking The new Adam is such a book. Written as a series of often strange encounters and the ensueing conversations with a native American medicine man, this story follows the tribulations of a man called Adam - a seeker.

This short novel so very well illustrates the agony, frustrations, and doubts of the beginning seeker, and it follows through all the way to the slow acceptance and understanding of who and what we are truly are, ending in the climax of the great inner revelation, the first glimpse of the divinity we are.

And the teacher, the "Old Man" as he is known in the story? Though naturally comming from the Native Americam Indian traditions, his teachings are universal, as all divine truth must be. This universality is exemplified in one of the names by which he is known: Phanes. A greek name - and true to the name he frequently uses the greek myth of Prometheus to help bring understanding to the student.

The latter alone is a good reason to read this short story, but certainly not its sole quality. As a seeker my self (and who is not, at one time or another?) I was able to easily empathize with the character of Adam. It could just as easily been me in this story, and not some distant personae. When I started reading this book, I was unable to put it down until I had finished it from cover to back. Though many of the concepts in the book were not new to me ("Thou art God", being perhaps the most important, and sometimes shocking one to some), the path itself taken by Adam is certainly different than my own and others, and so can give many an insight to the reader.

This book is not for casual reading, but for all seekers in the world, both beginners, and for those who may have already journeyed some distance. And as such, I would recommend it to any one, any time. A book I most certainly will read more than once.

With "The Quest Seeking the New Adam" Norman Wilson has created a modern vedantic epic in which a 21st century noble prince or son questions and receives instruction from a contemporary sagacious brahmin or an aspect of the deity. In a smoothly flowing narrative he introduces the reader to many of the great questions and ideas of philosophy and modern science and makes them accessible to almost everyone. I am eagerly awaiting his next effort.

If you have read and enjoyed Pirsig's, best seller, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," you will love Dr. Wilson's "The Quest Seeking the New Adam." Being at the stage of my own life where I am questioning what's really important, I found Wilson's book to be enlightening. It renewed my interests in self-discovery, mythology, and cosmic spirituality. Well done, and well received.

The Quest Seeking The New Adam by Norman Wilson is a well-written, easy to read, and thought provoking book about looking for the "I" of the "who am I". In this book, Adam asks his spiritual quide, Phanes, some of the universal questions that he hopes will lead him to the answer of who he is, why he is, and what his purpose is for being. As Adam journeys to transcendence and the search for his soul-self, so too, did I follow with some of the same questions. Norman Wilson weaved adventure and humor through Adam's quest. In my profession as a psychologist/therapist, the personal journey of the spiritual or soul-self is very important to knowing who you are. This is a must read for those seeking their own quest of the self.

The Quest is an adventure and success story that comes from a man's search for his inner most place in the miracle of life. A stimulating search begins with him as a child and developes in an amazing way thru exciting experiences with "characters" he meets along the way. It stimulates your interest in mythology and how one's life is related to it. An ultimate struggle that grows from bizarre adventures! And has a fulfilling triumph. It is a story that makes you feel happy to be part of this life in which we all seek to be complete. Be sure to read it and you will appreciate the result. My thanks to the author, Norman W. Wilson.

...this author did to the spy thriller--don't be put off by the number of pages, each is fast-paced and the writing style is both accessible as well as being completely original--with all the hoopla over Brosnan quitting the Bond series, Broccoli and co. could do no wrong using this character and series as a template--HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Quiller is a spy who uses his wits. His body and mind are his weapons. The stories are seen through Quiller's eyes. If you like tense spy dramas, the Quiller books are the best and Adam Hall is a master. We want more!

I have never read such an action packed book. Nor has my heart raced this much. This is an excellent spy book. I love that Adam hall chose first persson for this book. It gives you a better understanding of the character. And Quiller is an unforgetable character who uses his wits to get out of tight situations. Without that you know this character could not have survived in the depths of Russia. A good read, definetly reccommed it. And yes it is hard to find in the bookstores. Can't understand why this work of art isn't being ordered.

There is not a better writer of espionage anywhere. Read these books

Absolutely right, Quiller is one of the best literary characters & the only espionage character who didn't end up totally ridiculous or pathetic or just plain unreal. Quiller though, with his meticulous task solving a cerebral activity together with his ability in close combat ooze reality. This one has a special twist to it: from the very beginning we sense (through Quiller's thoughts) that there's something wrong with this mission & not because of the usual danger attached to such things. Just sit back & follow him in the maze of dnager while he unravels step by step the mystery & realizes how those who he should be able to trust betrayed him. (And then check out Quiller's Run for the immediate follow-up: Hall hardly does this, but he must have thought that this issue needed to be resolved.)

I don't know about making it a movie though. It's the reading & Quiller's inner thoughts that make it such a perfect read. Trabslated to action it may lose part of it's appeal - &who's going to get all that karate right without turning it into Crouching Tiger or something?

Of the three Straight Dope books I've read so far--this is the third in the series--I would say that this is the best one yet.
Cecil Adams is hilarious, even if Wikipedia claims he is a committee and not an actual individual...which I hesitate to believe. Slug Signorino's drawings are just perfect for the material and often laugh-out-loud funny. And in conversations lately, thanks to reading this, I feel as if I've had a lot more to say than I ever have before.
Five stars for "Return of the Straight Dope."
Another great read in a series of great reads.

The second book of Cecil Adams' Straight Dope is here...
A good follow up for the fabulous first part and full of astounding data...
Get ready for hilarious laughter and information absorbtion...

You have to love this guy - he gives you quality information and manages to do it in an entertaining way. He has found the perfect middle ground with the "Teaming Millions" who maintain endless dialogue over the weighty issues of life- He asserts his knowledged when challenged, ( even on the rare occasions when he gets it wrong)and injects a healthy dose of humour into the process to entertain us .

I have all these books - they are great - I just wish they were bigger

If you don't know who Cecil Adams is, its unlikely that you will find yourself purchasing this book. As the lucky initiated know, Adams has been writing his weekly column, "The Straight Dope" for alternative newpapers for nearly thirty years now. Adams is a good-natured arrogant know-it-all who uses reader questions both to show off his knowledge and flex his keen sense of humor. He is at the same time both hilareous and informative. He also tackles plenty of subjects that mainstream journalists will not touch. For example, in this book he discusses the little known practice of eating the human placenta. There is no one quite like Cecil. And for that we must be thankful.

Cecil Adams is a hoot. It's that simple. I'm the first to admit that his style may not be for everyone. If you don't enjoy the smart-alec humor of David Letterman, the irreverence of Saturday Night Live, and the take-no-prisoners approach of James Randi, than maybe the "Straight Dope" isn't for you.

For the uninitiated, The Straight Dope is a weekly newspaper column (appearing mostly in local "freebie" papers such as Madison's Isthmus) wherein Cecil (the smartest human alive) answers all manner of questions put to him by the "teeming millions." Do fish breathe? Do birds pee? Are there really 57 varieties of Heinz Ketchup? No question is too trivial for Cecil, and he applies a surprising degree of scholarship to all queries, mixing it all with a sharp-tongued wit and repartee with his correspondents that will leave you laughing out loud, guaranteed.

The books, numbering 5, collect the best of his columns into loosely organized chapters and include occasional updated information since the questions and answers were originally printed.

A few examples from 3rd book (Return of the Straight Dope, 1994), which is the one I happen to have from the library right now:

p. 338: Why do stars twinkle? Cecil supplies the correct answer, embedded as always, firmly within his razor sharp wit: "Ben, you amateur, stars don't 'twinkle.' They exhibit 'stellar scintillation.' The Pentagon isn't going to fund a damn twinkle study."

p. 63-64: A straight-down-the-pipe debunking of Uri Geller, as only Cecil can do. James Randi (whom Cecil sites as a source) has nothing on Adams. This is also a good example of Cecil's "dialog" with his readers. A reader wrote in to tell of his first hand encounter with Geller years before, and why Geller couldn't possibly have faked the spoon bending (or whatever) because this reader never took his eyes off the spoon, yada yada. Adam's reply shows his appropriately skeptical approach to such situations, where he stresses how many supposed "experts" were completely bamboozled by Geller's slight of hand and misdirection.

p. 349: The inertia of air, as seen in the helium balloon in a car experiment; p. 146 if you toss a ball in the air while inside the cabin of a flying airplane, does the total weight of the craft decrease by the amount of the ball's weight? (no, and he does a great job handling the physics involved).

The "Straight Dope" collections are a skeptical reader's delight, and totally entertaining to boot. I highly recommend them for casual reading, but don't be surprised if you learn something along the way.

By the way, there's apparently some debate about whether Cecil's a real person or not. I don't have an answer ... but it doesn't matter to me. The books are well written and right on target scientifically.

One more tidbit (this one from the straightdope.com web site), to a reader who asked what the deal is with Nostradamus, Cecil replied: "There are two schools of thought on Nostradamus: either (1) he had supernatural powers which enabled him to prophesy the future with uncanny accuracy, or (2) he did for ... what Stonehenge did for rocks. I incline to the latter view."

Cecil goes on to give a more detailed (and very accurate) response re: the whole Nostradamus thing, showing again his serious attempt to combat the epidemic of silly pseudoscience that so many of the "teeming millions" seem inclined to accept at face value.

And that really seems to be the bottom line for Cecil, and the best reason to read the column and the books.

I am a private school elementary teacher, and was given this book as a gift by one of my students. It is a superb introduction to the state, and especially appropriate for children in the third grade and above. Many of the subjects that are included in the book are part of the Rhode Island curriculum, and many of the places included are field trips that our class has attended.

The writing is clear, crisp, and clean, and the drawings are age appropriate and very engaging. I highly recommend this book as an adjunct learning tool about Rhode Island, as well as a fun introduction to our state. I plan on recommending it as a text book for our school system...

Even though I have lived in New England for years, I learned a great deal about Rhode Island from RIAtoZ. The illustrations are charming, and the text makes this much more than a typical kids book. It's written from the perspective of someone who knows and truly loves Little Rhody. There should be a book like this for every state in the Union!!

We had Adam come to perform his Acme Miniature Circus at our Theatre in Brookline MA. He brought some books to sell, and I wanted to comment on how great the books are. Our patrons really loved them. We get a lot of kids and parents as patrons, and they all thought the book was fabulous. We are not even in Rhode Island! The book is entertaining, informative, and well worth getting.

From beginning to end, a wonderful book filled with interesting tidbits to get you started on an adventure in Rhode Island. For being the smallest state in the Union, we have a grand amount of history and Rhode Island A-Z is a perfect introduction to local landmarks. Just trying to drive around finding everything in the book is entertaining. Well written with clean artwork,
I highly recommend this book for young and old alike.

We got copies for all of our friends because kids really seem to like it--the coloring part is really, really well done, and they like having the history stuff read to them (unless they're old enough to read it, themselves).

Highly recommended.

Excellent book compilation of short stories (six sentences!) from a wonderful web blog. Highly recommended, especially for writers who want to "tighten up their work." See http://sixsentences.blogspot.com/

Here's a piece I hope will be included in the next one:

Title: "It's not my Mom"

Well Mom leaves early so it's just Zero the friend and I. Already I've bugged a bit this evening because I've seen Zero sit and pout and complain about his Mom; it was kind of like watching myself. I was disappointed that it still seemed to have so much control over him after all these years. It seemed that that's the way it would always be. Why was that bothering me though - not my problem, right? It's not my Mom.

What fun this book is! Thought-provoking too. I enjoyed reading all of the stories. The range and variety is amazing, and the editor did a superb job organizing and formatting it into a wonderfully readable text.

A book that draws you in.
Each story in 6 sentences different from the previous one.
Beauty and art, pain and giving, all different walks of life written and captured, within the pages of this book;
It will drive you to try.
To try and master the art of the catchy new prose, only found in this volume one.
Six Sentences that will read to you a lifetime of different ideas!
You'll be asking Master Robert McEvily for more-perhaps in a 6Sentence format!

Does everyone who reads want to be a writer?
This book has given talented authors chance to be published.

If writing is a muscle, SixSentences is Gold's Gym; it's where strong writers congregate to exercise (in sets of 6 reps, of course), improve their form, share secrets, and maybe to show off a little, too. To admire the physiques of a talented group of writers, peel open a Powerbar and check out 6SV1.

March 19, 2004
I was trained to hit a Speedbag by my ex- Father-in- Law Raliegh Martin, when I was in my twenties. He also taught me street stuff he had picked up through life. Very different to the Taekwondo and wrestling I had previously studied. He began boxing at twelve years of age and boxed eleven years in the Navy, and he also learned Navy Jujitsu. My Ex-Father-In-Law used to take nitroglicerin pills after we worked out, but when his daughter and her mother would go to town we always forgot about any health problems or pain. He was disappointed when his daughter decided it was too much of a strain on his heart. He told me that his brother George was more skilled than he was, but that they both could hit a speedbag fast years prior. Well, that was years before I knew him. I have seldom seen anything close to what Alan Kahn shows you in his videos. The book breaks down the details of what you see in the videos. Your hands will know what to do when you include the speedbag in your workout, and you will know a real confidence!
Train hard and have fun!
Guro Dennis Servaes

The speedbag has always been the most technically baffling devices for boxing for me. I could never figure out how to hit the bag, the timing, and how to control it. But after reading this book, I have alot more confidence in my speedbag training. Alan definitely breaks down the do's and dont's to speedbag training right down from equipment to proper punching technique. He gives little tips on the advantages/disadvantes of wall speedbag platforms and freestanding platforms, s-hook/chain link swivels, speedbag covers, etc. He also deals quite a bit on proper safety and common injuries associated with speed bag training. Definitely answers alot of questions for those wanting to buy their first speedbag set. In his techniques section, he goes over all the basic punch/elbow combinations, their rhythms, and how to flow from one technique to the next. Let me tell you, the first four chapters deal mostly with basics but the later chapters are filled with different punch combinations that everyone from beginner to advanced people will be challenged. And he really does create an interesting technique of blending music like reading to his speedbag sets. At first it might seem daunting, but if you really do spend time in his techniques section, which he recommends, you'll be able to read and follow his routines like second nature. Near the end of his book, he'll also include some applications for the martial artist as well as setups on different workout devices like a stationary bike to include speedbag training. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it as a must buy for the basic boxing fan to the regular fitness enthusiast.

I bought the book and the DVD and I am thoroughly impressed with the level of detail Alan goes to in both. Anyone who has seen a demo of Alan hitting the speed bag knows he is exceptional at this skill, but what became clear to me after reading the book and watching the DVD is that he is equally skilled at teaching novices how to master the techniques and nuances of the speed bag.

I would recommend that you buy both book and DVD, as they support one another quite effectively. Watching the DVD took the mystery out of several techniques that I had been struggling with for a long time. I can honestly say that after watching the DVD once, my skill level at a couple of the more difficult techniques improved greatly.

One of the best benefits of buying this training course is that you can ask Alan questions on a forum he set up specifically for speed bag enthusiasts;

speedbagforum.com

Alan and others will answer all of your questions and I learned a lot simply by reading the older threads that contained many of the same questions or discussed some of the same problems I was having.

I think the combination of the book, DVD and the coaching you can get on the forum is superb and I commend all three to anyone who desires to become a highly skilled user of the speed bag.

Semper Fi,
Mike

I was trained to hit a Speedbag by my ex- Father-in- Law Raliegh Martin, when I was in my twenties. He also taught me street stuff he had picked up through life. Very different to the Taekwondo and wrestling I had previously studied. He began boxing at twelve years of age and boxed eleven years in the Navy, and he also learned Navy Jujitsu. My Ex-Father-In-Law used to take nitroglicerin pills after we worked out, but when his daughter and her mother would go to town we always forgot about any health problems or pain. He was disappointed when his daughter decided it was too much of a strain on his heart. He told me that his brother George was more skilled than he was, but that they both could hit a speedbag fast years prior. Well, that was years before I knew him. I have seldom seen anything close to what Alan Kahn shows you in his videos. The book breaks down the details of what you see in the videos. Your hands will know what to do when you include the speedbag in your workout, and you will know a real confidence!
Train hard and have fun!
Guro Dennis Servaes

I read the book and bought the video, the video is very effective at demonstrating the various techniques, but I couldn't take the video to the gym, so I used the book at the gym and studied the video at home. I recommend the video

Actually, this looks like a WONDERFUL course! As a homeschooling mom of 3 very bright girls, I give this a thumbs up. All the kids can use this course, despite their learning differences. My 8 year old and 9 year old READ way above their grade levels with wonderful comprehension - but ask them to spell "comprehension" and they're lost! This course with CD is a great tool to use for my sight readers AND my phonics reader. We're looking forward to completing it. Grade: A+

Whether you are learning or teaching, the techniques used in "Spelling Power" are very simple to use. Instead of the ole' Study, Test, Study method- you are encouraged to do the opposite. The first day is spent taking a placement test (about 10-15 minutes) to see where you start. The next day, you administer the test of ten words first, and only study those words that were incorrect. There are many study ideas, and games that help with the study process. The next day you give the next test of ten words, along with the words that were missed the day before. If more than 5 words were missed, then you only administer the test with the incorrect words, otherwise I could see how self confidence would be an issue if you had a 30 word test by the end of the week. We use this book with our 8 and 10 year olds. They no longer dread spelling, and have a great feeling of accomplishment by the end of the week when they can prove that they have "mastered" between 20-50 words. The reason that I gave this book a "4" instead of a "5" is because the teachers guide in the front (which is a necessity to read) is 100 pages of Blah, Blah, Blah, You need to plan on either a couple of hours of UNINTERUPTED reading (yeah right, not in this house) or, do as I did and use a highlighter and skim at 15 minute intervals. The book also comes with a CD rom, which I couldn't get to run on either of our two computers. The publisher is sending me a new one though. All in all we like this program, and even though it's $50, (for a Spelling Book!) It's not just a spelling book, it's 15 minutes a day towards being a sufficient speller which can be used all they way through High School. I recommend adults take the placement test and try it for yourselves, you will be surprised. I know I was.

Great book, very useful for diagnosing where your child stands in his/her knowledge of the rules of spelling. Once you've used the tests to see at what level your child spells, you have lots of creative ways to reinforce and upgrade their skills...this book is fantastic! I recommend it not only for those parents who homeschool, but for those parents and students who want a great teaching tool for improving spelling acumen in preparation for a spelling bee.

Although the program is designed for ages 8+, I bought it for my homeschooled 5 year old who has been reading since age three. The results were immediate and he is whipping through the lessons painlessly. Minimal time required per lesson, only 15 minutes for the student and 5 minutes for the teacher. I highly recommend it, though it is expensive.

My now fourth grader was using another spelling program in 1st grade and got really burned out. It was the traditional study the list all week, write the words, pre-test on Thursday and test on Friday. She and I both hated it! Since we switched to Spelling Power, she asks "Can I do my spelling first?" Everyday, you test them over a designated list of words. When they have spelled 3 wrong, you stop. They study the words they missed using a 10 point study program (all lined out in the record book they use). The next day, they first re-test on the words they missed, and then go on to the next set of words on the designated list. The placement tests show you exactly where to start and where your child is according to grade level. Although it is designed to use starting with 8 and up, I am using it with my 6 year old, too. She was jealous of her sister getting to do this spelling. She does great! We just move slower. The teaching of study skills is powerful! Get this program! Don't be overwhelmed with the text. Take the time to read it before you ever start. On a daily basis, no preparation is required. Annually, you give placement tests. That's it!

My two-year-old son has hundreds of books and most of them are a chore to read. Tree Ring Circus is a genuine pleasure. It's not a very long book, so it's a good choice when it's already five minutes past bedtime. The illustrations are lively and the writing is clever. Most of the characters never speak, but they all have their own personalities and you can tell exactly what each one is thinking from the look on his face. The text has its own sense of comic timing. The author fills up the book with all kinds of little jokes. Just reading the copyright page is fun on its own. Buy this book and add it to your collection. You'll be glad you did.

A clever imaginative rhyme, however the most outstanding part of the book are the beautiful illustrations to be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

My 4 and [...] boys absolutely love this book. We read it repeatedly and it never gets old to them. At this point, they finish the lines, particularly the "Whopping Big Bee" part. A fantastic book that parents will be glad to read over and over again.

We discovered Adam Rex after seeing his illustrations in "Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich," a book of amusing rhymes about familiar but disarming movie monsters (and their moster children) in compromising everyday situations. The illustrations of that book were half the fun, and so it is with "Tree-Ring Circus." The story is simple -- a few small animals assemble in a tree; a runaway clown joined by his animal cohorts from the circus, surreptitiously set free, climb up as well until an elephant climbs to the top bringing everything down. No deep meanings or lessons here, just silly fun, and the story moves quickly. Counting the animals in the tree as they're referenced in the story adds to the giggles.

I bought this book for my son and he absolutely loves it. We read it every night and he points and names all the animals and counts them. I think it's a great toddler book.