Boyd Books

This book and its companion, I Go to Sleep, are favorites of my two-year-old granddaughter. She loves the large, clear animal illustrations. The text is rhythmic and easy to read aloud, a boon for the adult who has to read the book again, and again, and again.

I have given this book to several young children, all of whom enjoyed the story and loved the beautiful illustrations. It has become a favorite !

A lovely set of poems for children - almost all centered on nature (birds, bugs, mammals, weather & seasons) but also some that are on pets (cats, dogs, horse) and family & friends (birthday, mother, neighbors, staying overnight). Really neat collection with simple drawings throughout

Edited by Bernice E. Cullinana, I Heard a Bluebird Sing is a selection of poems by NCTE award-winning poet Aileen Fisher, whose work was first published in 1933 yet is timeless in its simplicity, wonder, and joy. Illustrated with delightful black-and-white sketches by Jennifer Emery, the poems comprising I Heard A Bluebird Sing were selected and recommended by children for their enjoyable, simple, read-aloud fun. "Who tells the little deer mouse/before the year is old/that she should wear a warmer coat/to shield her from the cold?/I'm glad that someone tells her/and she does as she is told."

I can judge a book by its popularity with my first and second grade students. This book is NEVER on the shelf and when I ask my students which book they would like to hear during story hour, it's always If Dogs Had Wings. We've had fun writing and illustrating our own versions of this book and since I will have many of my students again in the fall, they've asked if they can make it their California Young Reader Medal project when school resumes. It's certainly worthy of nomination, and it will be fun seeing if the adult committee that oversees the nominations hears their voices. Here's to flying dogs and young readers who soar into books with them!

A delightful flight of fancy. In Brimner's If Dogs Had Wings, dogs perform loop-the-loops, spins, rolls. They glide above meadows. They howl at the earth from a faraway moon. Children will LOVE this book and will enjoy using it as a model to form their own stories of flying desks, students, pets, etc. In art, use it to teach perspective.

As the mother of two boys, I find this book to be close to perfect. Beautifully written and illustrated, it can also be used as a teaching tool to discuss the months of the year and the seasons. A really wonderful book!

I was looking for a special book for my newest nephew and was totally captivated by this book. It tells of all the wonderful things through the year that a little boy would do for his mother to show her he loves her. Each month he uses a different piece of "heavy equipment" to perform fanciful tasks.
Jean Patrick captures the hearts of little boys and mothers everywhere with this lovely book. Karen Dugan's illustrations are beautifully done.

Change to brother-Zack, sister-Carlee, province-Hubei. Everything else is exactly the same as our story. I cried like a baby while I read it. Everyone with a Red Thread connection will love this book.

Love the book. Great story, wonderful pictures. Our adopted 6 year old Chinese daughter is in the process of getting a new sister, and loves this book too.

My daughters, ages 4 and 2.5, are big fans of the books written by Lorianne Siomades. The bright colors are eye catching, the text featuring large font is easy to read. As a parent I am constantly searching for books that are not only fun to read but educational as well. This book packs in a lot in 32 pages. I can teach my girls the similarities between familiar animals, such as "Dog and squirrel...both bury things." I can introduce animals that are not so familiar, such as a badger and dragonfly. I can encourage my girls to find the wriggly worm on each page. AND - as an added bonus- the author has "hidden" another worm somewhere on the page (hint: look for the eyes). My girls are thrilled when they find those! Definitely recommended reading!

Our 19 month old daughter has two of Siomades' books - this one and "My Box of Color." Undeniably, among all of the books we've gotten her, and she must have 100 by now, these two are her very favorites. Tell her to choose some books to read, and invariably she will come back toting these two. She will want us to read them to her not once, not twice, but over and over again. Often I will find her even leafing through the pages, engaged by their contents, all on her own. Try to interest her in another book, and very often she'll toss it aside and reach for "Kangaroo and Cricket" one more time!

Although we also think they're darling, my husband and I have tried to guess at their great allure through a child's eyes - whether it's the brightly colored illustrations, the rhyming and rythmic text, or possibly the signature little worms on each and every page (some a challenge to find), which at every reading, our daughter takes great pleasure pointing out to us with squeals of delight as she shows us every one.

Whatever the reason, the two books have become a joyous daily ritual of interaction with our daughter, one that never fails to derive many smiles from all three of us at every reading. These are among the moments spent together that we all look forward to the most. This is clearly a toddler's choice for the perfect book. A good choice, in our opinion, as the lesson it teaches is that we all have something in common, regardless of our differences.

As a parent, we live for such things that delight and tickle our children. I would highly recommend this book, and we intend to seek out other books by Siomades as well in order to expand our daughter's "oh so very favorite" part of her library!

This is a truly fantastic book. I can't imagine how I went all these years without knowing about John Boyd but now that I've read this I'll be looking for more.

This book was written in 1968 and the thing that jumped out at me right from page one was how ahead of his time John Boyd was. He added words to his dialogue which gave the book a futuristic feel. That is common these days but in the sixties most authors used only the language common to the time. Here we find odd little slang words not used back then. Also, this is an "alternate reality" novel, again, common today but very rare back then. Add to this the fact that Boyd predicts the use of cell phones and you have a very interesting novel indeed.

As mentioned in the review above, this novel tackles many different topics. Boyd handles them all well and weaves them into a fascinating story. I would recommend this book to anyone. Sadly, the book has long been out of print. However, used editions are easily had. There are many for sale right here at Amazon. They should be fairly easy to find in local used book stores as well. I found mine at a library book sale.

The Last Starship from Earth is socio-political commentary, science fiction, an excellent mystery, and a romance novel, with even a small bit of theology. Serious fans of any one of these genres will genuinely enjoy this book. Those who prefer a story more focused on one of the above topics may lose interest, but for a wide variety of themes in one finely-told tale, I heartily recommend this one.

Reviewed by Anne Marie Medema (age 12) for Reader Views (3/08)

"Laura's Victory" is written by Veda Boyd Jones and is appropriate for children ages 8 to 12. Veda Boyd Jones cleverly winds a fictional family into the historic events of the Second World War. The author takes the tragic events of World War II and relays them to what is happening in America. The words chosen to tell the story are descriptive and understandable for a child. Veda Boyd Jones brings the history of World War II to a level that can interest and influence children. Veda Boyd Jones has a simplistic writing style that makes the reader want to continue to the end of the book. The whole book can be summed up in the final three words of the book, God Bless America. These words say that no matter what nationality you are, America is one melting pot of the world, and Veda Boyd Jones makes us understand that clearly.

In the beginning of "Laura's Victory" Laura's brother Eddie comes down with the deadly disease called polio. Eddie fights the polio and survives although the disease cripples one of his legs. Eddie is confined to a brace on his right leg. Laura's other brother, Bruce, is fighting for the United States Army during World War II in an undisclosed location. Laura wants to know where Bruce is fighting. So Laura devises a code that makes Bruce's letters look like simple letters. Yvonne, Laura's friend, helps Laura devise the code. Laura and Yvonne give the code to Maude, an old woman whose son is also fighting for the US in WWII in the Pacific Ocean. Maude helps Laura's mother run the family's hotel business. Class elections are held in school. Both Laura and Eddie became President of their respective classes. In social studies they are asked to find out their nationality. Laura discovers her father is from South Africa and her mother is from Germany. A boy in class ridicules Laura and others because their ancestors are the enemy. Laura's old friends, the Wakamutsu family, bring home a surprise. They adopt a 5th grade girl named Miyoko whose father is fighting in England for the United States. They learn that President Roosevelt is dead and Harry Truman, Vice President, takes over the office of President. Laura feels a special bond to President Roosevelt because he had polio just like Eddie, her brother. Later Laura finds out her family is moving to a home in the outskirts of Seattle, Washington. Laura is sad because she grew up in the hotel and loves the people she has known. Laura's family still owns the hotel. The Second World War ends. Upon hearing the news, Maude cuts open her pillow; and she shakes the feathers around the streets of Seattle in delight. A few weeks later, Laura and Eddie spot their brother Bruce coming home from the war. They are overjoyed. The book ends at a Thanksgiving dinner that Laura says is the best ever!

I recommend the book "Laura's Victory" because it is filled with suspense and adventure. I consider "Laura's Victory" to be one of the best "Sister in Time" books that I have ever read. It is a touching story because of how the war has affected Laura and her family who live in America. The author entwines the life of common Americans into a fascinating adventure during World War II. Laura is a character I can relate to because she is independent and devoted to her family. With every page turn there was a new twist to the story that made me feel like I was Laura Edwards. "Laura's Victory" is a must read.

I absolutely love this book! I got this book and two other books from a friend of mine for my 11th birthday last month. So far I've only read three of Sisters in Time books and this is my least favorite of the three, but I still really,really like this book. I would definitely recommend that you buy this book! I promise you will love it!

The words are fun to read aloud, and the pictures are darling. I don't mind reading this book over and over and over again.

Granny Whiteoak remembers the good old days when she was a big football star, the trophies, the awards, and all the press coverage. Now, sitting up in bed, she hears on TV that her team is in big trouble. She jumps up, grabs her cane, and dives into the television set, landing on the football field, ready to play. Not to worry, Granny's here to save the day..... Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson have written a rip roarin', high spirited picture book that will have little sports fans cheering, as Granny runs onto the field in her bedroom slippers, and takes charge of the game. Their joyous, rhyming, energetic text is just perfect for reading aloud, and complemented by Michael Chesworth's charming and amusing illustrations. Youngsters 3-7 will enjoy the hilarious details and marvelous facial expressions in each picture. Be ready to laugh and cheer, each and every time you open this book as Granny scores one for the home team. Little Granny Quarterback is a winner!

This is a warm touching story of a Christian dying from AIDS and how his faith prevails. I could not put the book down and have reread it several times. He transformed others lives as he struggled to live and die with AIDS. I would recommend this to anyone trying to come to terms with AIDS in their life or with interest in working with and helping those with AIDS through an AIDS ministry.

While this book is from the point of view of the author, his experiences are those of thousands who have lived with AIDS, whether Christian or not.

An easy read in an afternoon, each chapter is a vignette unto itself, that taken together enable the reader to get inside the mind and heart of a person living with AIDS. The world, with its many discriminations and frustrations for persons living with AIDS is understood through the eyes and ears of such a person.

The book is a must for the library of anyone who knows someone living with HIV/AIDS or who is dealing with any terminal illness.