Big Books

Love this book!! We checked it out from the library and now my 2 year old refused to read anything else. He has also gotten so much better about sleeping in his big bed since reading the book!

Poor Jed. It's time for him to graduate from sleeping in a crib to a really, big bed, and he's just not ready for this dramatic step. When everyone in his family -- parents, sister, aunt, uncle, grandmother -- all join forces to persuade him, he remains resistant. It's not until they prove how comfortable the new bed is that Jed becomes proprietary. This is a delightful rhyming tale with perfect illustrations, and a comforting message to boot.

Jed hates the idea of a new big boy bed. He clearly prefers his old crib instead. Laurie Friedman's adorable rhyming book makes the decision to finally change from a crib into a bed...such fun! I think every kid trying to decide whether or not they even like the idea of such a move...will love reading about Jed and his determined-to-help family. From the delightful dialogue...to the
charming illustrations, this book makes BEDtime extra special.

Meeting Jed was a great experience for my toddler. A stubborn sleeper, much like Jed, she didn't want to sleep until she met this new bedtime buddy. Mrs. Friedman's insights in this book mix humor with a profound ability to get to the core of the matter. Her phrases are wonderfully put and my child was able to walk away with quotes from the story. The illustrations match the easy flow of the words and inspire a wonderful reading session between parent and child. Bravo to Mrs. Friedman!!

I really enjoyed the short version from the excellent anthology REVELATIONS (1997) and loved how joe took
this and made a great novel. This would make a great movie
someday!

Very interesting short novel written in Joe Lansdale's unique style. This story takes place in 1900 in Galveston Texas. Lots of characters for a short novel and the main character changes his name from Lil Arthur to Jack. It's boxing and a hurricane. Lots of excitement.

Joe Lansdale writes many different kinds of fiction - horror, westerns, mysteries and more "serious" novels like The Big Blow. He excels in all genres. There is a lot going on in this short novel. The two events central to the story are the great Galveston, Texas hurricane of 1900 and a fictional, I presume, prize fight between the famous black boxer Jack Johnson and a white ringer from Chicago by the name of John McBride. These two events track each other to their own respective climaxes. The novel is packed with well-drawn secondary characters and story lines that all fit together very nicely. Lansdale could easily have expanded this book to at least twice its actual size. The fact that he didn't do that demonstrates remarkable self-restraint as well as good judgment. Regardless of the genre, Lansdales stories are always gritty, insightful and humorous. Racism, prejudice and other consequences of ignorance are underlying themes of most of his work. Most importantly, Lansdale is a master story teller. The Big Blow exhibits all of these qualities. I recommend setting aside a few hours in order to be able to read this book in one sitting. The book is hard to put down.

This novella has one of the best opening lines of all time, and classic Lansdale: "On an afternoon hotter than two rats (making love) in a wool sock, John McBride... arrived by ferry from mainland Texas to Galveston Island, a six-gun under his coat, and a razor in his shoe". The rat metaphor (he doesn't use the term I did--if I quoted him directly, this review would get tossed) did it for me.

Be advised that this is a novella. 153 pages, very large margins. Not saying it's not worth picking up, or reading, just warning you in case you were gonna take it to the beach expecting a long read. The story is set in 1900--it originally appeared in a shorter version in the uneven collection Revelations --and covers five days, broken down by times (4 PM, 10:21 AM, etc. ) rather than chapters. A young black man, Jack, has beaten a white man in a boxing match at the Sporting Club. The townspeople are none too thrilled about a white man losing to him and hire McBride, a vicious and successful fighter, to face off against him, offering more money if McBride will kill him. Meanwhile, the storm of the century is brewing, a dangerous tropical storm blowing in from Key West. Will they even make it to the match? Will the townspeople the book follows live through it?

This is classic, wonderful Lansdale. We spend a lot of time with McBride, who is entertaining but not a likable guy. In fact, most readers will probably want him dead for at least three different reasons by page 20. Jack, his opponent, is not a saint, but he's fighting for his dignity in a racist town. Yes, the characters are racist--the n-word gets thrown around quite a lot-- but it's the characters, not the author,using the term and it's not exactly out-of-place for the location and time period. Offensive, but sadly realistic. We also follow a young couple with a baby, who have to keep moving to higher and higher ground as the flooding worsens... soon they're up to the second floor of their house, with their valuables and their poor scared horse. If you have a phobia of deep water or drowning (I do) some of the scenes, such as the description oft he furniture below them thumping on the ceiling, grating against the floor on which they stand, will make your blood turn to icewater. Actually, they'd probably make anyone's blood chill, phobia or not, especially when Lansdale follows some very unlucky men stuck out at sea on a fishing boat (shades of The Perfect Storm, but remember this story was first published in 97, way before the movie). No matter how bad off you think you are, you'll be thanking God you're not in their shoes.

Lansdale is that most rare and enjoyable of authors to read in that he fits all my criteria for an author who I'd spend my last 20 bucks on to read his latest: a great writer AND a great storyteller, plus this man writes with style (see the fornicating rat description). There's no-one like him out there. This HC may be pricey for the word count, but it's so well written I felt that even though I finished it in one evening, it was worth every penny.

Another great series of books for RL Stine. These keep kids attention and have them coming back for more. If you are trying to get your kids into Chapter books, then get these. They are entertaining and funny and most of them if not all are worth AR points. They are a fun read, so good your little will probably have it read before the end of the day. That is a great accomplishment for a child to read a chapter book in less than a day. These are super funny, cool, and entertaining and all the kids LOVE them.

I got this book back in 2005 when the series started. Personally, I think this is a very good book if you enjoy mysteries and smart stories. I think this book is a great start for a book series because you keep wanting to read on and on when you start to read it. In fact, I finished this book just in TWO days because I enjoyed it so much. As a fan of this book series for two years, I really recommend other kids to read this wonderful series. It has a lot of very funny and smart scenes.



The series is basically about a fourth grader named Bernie Bridges who got sent to a boarding school called Rotten School. There in the campus, he often gets in trouble. Also, he has a huge crush on a girl called April May June, so he often tries to get her attention and impress her. There are two dorms for the boys-"Nyce House" and "Rotten House". Rotten House is where Bernie and his friends stay at and Nyce House is where Bernie and his friends' enemies stay at. The two sides have a rivalry, so they often compete against each other in events.



That's basically all I can tell you right now because I don't want to spoil anything for you.

There are not enough good books out there for boys to read & spark there interest, but these did it. They loved the characters & their funny names. They were begging me to buy the rest in the series & I did. Try these out, you won't be disappointed.

This is the first in a new series from beloved children's author R. L. Stine of Goosebumps fame. Bernie Bridges wants Sherman Oaks' fancy new watch. How will he get it? He challenges the residents of Sherman's residential home to a pie eating contest. They will pick a representative for them and Bernie's group will choose a person to represent them. Of course, Bernie has a secret plan. Will it work? You will have to read the book to find out. The Big Blueberry Barf-Off will appeal to most school kids between 8 and 12 years of age. A departure from the Goosebumps style it is a good read filled with descriptions of the gross and messy stuff children that age like to read about while still providing an interesting story with plenty of twists and turns. This series should appeal to boys where other titles often fail.

'Big Book of Apple Hacks: Tips & Tools for unlocking the power of your Apple devices' is an incredible book for all computer tinkerers that want to find fun projects to do with their Mac products (computer, iPhone, iPod, etc). Weighing in at a massive 600+ pages with 130 hacks, there is plenty of things to do here that will keep hobbyists busy well into the night, week, months and beyond but there is one MAJOR sticking point that I cannot ignore.

NO
COLOR

For a reference manual that is dealing with code I can handle no color but with todays low print costs to get color pages out the door and into the hands of the reader, this is simply inexcusable when its a book that screams "DON'T PRINT ME IN BLACK AND WHITE!!!" I have read other MAKE books in the past that use color and its absence here is a terrible decision by the publisher.

The content on the other hand is fantastic and very fun and enjoyable. If you are looking for a fun use of your time and love making things do what they weren't intended, this is an easy purchase. Don't let my color gripes sway you away from this book, just know that it could have been a lot better and an easy ***** selection if it was printed the right way (imo).

**** RECOMMENDED

Excellent book. I highly recommend it to anyone who owns a Mac. If you don't own a Mac, buy this book; then, you can get a Mac.

I'm not through reading this yet, but I'm definitely impressed and happy to have it. This is not just the typical collection of "Tinker Toy" type stuff - yes, there's some of that here, but it goes way beyond and even gets into hacking hardware.

I feel like a kid in a candy store.. yes, yes, there's stuff here you'll find all over the web, but there are also hacks and tips I have never seen anywhere else.

And it's not just Macs, though that's a lot of it. There are also hacks for iPods and iPhones and Apple TV.

If you own a Mac, you want this. Period. Met and exceeded my expectations.

First off, a disclaimer: I contributed three articles/hacks to this tome, so I'm a bit biased. And I also must admit that Chris Seibold, the editor/writer of this book, was easy and inspirational to work with. That being said, I really can't recommend this book highly enough, especially for intermediate and advance Apple computer and software users. If you're ready to move beyond the sort of rudimentary features of your computer, the Big Book of Apple Hacks is just for you.

This book assumes you know how to open folders and applications, set up Mail and Address Book, and even how to add photos to iPhoto. You're wanting to get beyond the basics. You're ready to automate, customize, maximize, and better secure your Mac computer, software, and data.

You may be at the point of wanting to hide some precious files so no one but you can find them. You may want to kill the Dashboard because you never use it. Or you think the Dashboard is hella cool and you want to create your own widgets. In fact, you've downloaded a lot of great third party applications and now your curious about creating your own.

Apple Hacks assumes that you know how to use the Finder to get at stuff. So maybe you're ready to get underneath the hood of Leopard and have some command-line fun with the Unix system. You're not scared. You're ready know about Shell Scripting and Unix Daemons. You want to customize folder icons, the Dock, or even the freakin' Boot image. You wanta convert audio files using iTunes, rename the un-renameable. You're ready to hack your iPod or iPhone, partition your hard drive nondestructively, run Windows on your Mac.

Dude, you want to be in control your Mac, rather than it controlling you.

You want to get more out of iTunes or iPhoto, or use Apply TV with a standard definition television set. You want to get beyond the supposed limits of Time Machine, or tweak an existing Widget. You're ready to tear into your old or new iBook or set up a dual drive for your MacBook Pro. Shoot, you've heard about BitTorrent, but now you actually want learn how to access and use it. You wanta keep some web trafficking secure and private. You're a Mac addict, so installing an old Mac Mini in your car so you can run iTunes or the programs without a hitch is really not a crazy idea.

There's so much more to this mammoth guide of hacks. Like me you'll be marking selected pages with yellow stickies and discovering more "how-tos" each time you flip through the book.

Serious kudos to Chris Seibold for this well put together book. If you've found Mac OS X Tiger: Missing Manual powerfully useful over the years, you're now ready to move beyond it with the Big Book of Apple Hacks.

This is the most complete button reference book I have ever seen. It is well worth the money. Beautiful pictures and informative price guides.

Button Collectors.....YES! This is the button bible! Yes, this is the best book to have! Great for the button pro or the button beginner! For years now, button collectors all over the world have been trying to get their hands on this book: THE BIG BOOK OF BUTTONS. Many have spent hundreds of their hard earned money on it through online auctions. Many have written to the publishers several times asking them to please re-release this out-of-print book. The publishers declared that "no, it is too expensive to re-print", or "no, we are absolutely not printing this book again". Guess what? Save your pennies! THE BIG BOOK OF BUTTONS: 3RD EDITION IS BEING RELEASED SUMMER OF 2006! Information is accurate, as some retailers are already taking pre-orders an entire year ahead of time. I would recomend getting it at Amazon where you are guaranteed. 3rd edition is expected to sell between 225.00 & 275.00. Book will now have all new updates, including some plastic buttons. If money is no object to you, go ahead, spend hundreds on the first two editions. Or wait to pre-order it at Amazon next year for less! --review written Febuary of 2005.

This is "THE BIBLE" of button collectors. It is a huge volume loaded with color plates and detailed descriptions of thousands of buttons. The most informative button collecting book available.

Just about the best all around guide for the serious button collector.

I loved this book. It is fun for those who like to go done Memory Lane.

There is something to the fact that too many people today seem to think the purpose of a road trip is to reach the destination, instead of taking the whole ride in as part of the package. This book is full of beautiful and novel places that used to lure travelers to briefly stop and gawk, like gigantic duck- or shoe-shaped diners, bizarre little museums that refuse to advertise what you're paying to see (like the museum to The Thing! which was also frustratingly not revealed in the book). Wonderful little independent food stands--like the one that invented the corn dog--and curio shops that once stretched along Route 66 have now almost all disappeared due to travelers' preference to taking the quicker interstate routes, replaced by giant fast food chains that have nothing to lose by the decrease in traffic.

Great attention is also paid to the evolution of the modern automobile, with sections dedicated to the independent automobile inventors that paraded out design after design up until the 1950s, when the government placed regulation on the industry. The fantastically beautiful Duesenberg (ever wonder where the phrase, "It's a Duesy/doozy?" comes from?) is profiled, as is a variety alternative-powered vehicles, 8-wheeled cars, the Checker cab company, and the Ford Model-T. There's also a short section on the Harley-Davidson company and its founders and "electric bicycles" in general.

I just received my copy of this book and have found that it far exceeds my expectations. It is not just a sit down and read a bunch of boring history about cars book. It is loaded with short and interesting factoids on all sorts of miscellaneous auto-related subjects. I'm not a huge fan of classic cars but I am a fan of trivia and "useless knowledge" and I am just thoroughly enjoying this book!

This has to be the ultimate bathroom reader or coffee table book for the trivia buff. Quick, fact filled reads on topics as diverse as Model T Fords, crash test dummies, Route 66, Rock City, Mustangs, GTO's and the evolution of the gas gauge plus fantastic vintage advertisements, colorful pictures equals 315 pages of never put down, water cooler conversation starting fun.

Lots of patterns for a crochetlover. Easy diagrams to follow too. Just go on and try some of them.

Crochet and thread ... what more could an avid crocheter need? A completely wonderful book with absolutely lovely patterns. Enough to keep one happily busy for a long while.

This "big" book of crochet patterns will indeed become a "favorite" ! With so many and varied projects to try there is something for everyone ,whether you are new to crochet or an old hand, this book will whet your appetite !Ranging from motifs,doilies,placemats through to tablecloths ,all these patterns have the old~time heirloom appeal that is such a joy to make, for yourself, or as gifts for your loved ones !

Yes this is another reproduction (thank you Dover)that I just love. Alot of very elegant tablecloths that remind us when dinner was a big event.

This book has been very informative - especially for a beginner. It came new without any damage as I hoped! Very quick shipping also. Thank you-

A comprehensive review for how-to. Vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, composting, organic growing, greenhouses, etc. Well illustrated.

The first book any new gardener should buy is Barbara Damrosch's "Garden Primer," because of its plant info -- but this runs a very, very close second because of it's emphasis on how-to. I love the clear, helpful presentation of skills and techniques, the great illustrations, and the wonderful lists and charts.

Very good, informative book. Any gardener, expert or beginner, will find this book a great reference.

Happy gardening.

They're all here -- the ones you can name (Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax, Shawn Green) and the ones you can't (just about everyone else). This is the perfect Father's Day gift for Jewish, baseball-loving Dads everywhere and a great resource to have on your baseball bookshelf. At least, I'm sending a copy to my father-in-law and I love having a copy on my own shelf!

This is a great book to thumb through and read all of the interesting stories. It's well-written, entertaining, and extremely interesting. The stories rang from the compelling to the hilarious. You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy it. It's a great book for any sports fan!

I recieved this as a gift and found it very interesting. I also was able to use it in a research project for school. I recomend this book for anyone intrested in sports.

I absolutely loved this book. It's both fun and easy to read and fully thorough. It's definitly the standard book on Jewish baseball players.

This is a good book to have in your library when working with the children. It gives you good ideas, very informative and shows you how to get started.

This book has great ideas and lots of neat object lessons. Very excited to start using them!!

I love this book. It has great object lessons. I use it for time fillers during Sunday School. It is a wonderful add on to your curriculum.

This book is fantastic! I teach a group of about40-50 kids, and they love the lessons that are in this book.I had spent a lot of time searching for a book that would hold the attention of a group that big, and this is the first one in 3 years that has worked this well the entire year!