Boyd Books

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!

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.

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.

I LOVED this tale. My daughter enjoyed it, too. Set in ancient Japan, the story unfolds like a centuries old folk tale that has been lovingly passed down through the generations. What a surpise to discover it is new and original to the author. "The Long Silk Strand" represents the life of an old woman as recounted to her granddaughter, a different tale for each silk thread wound into a ball. When the ball is complete, the grandmother dies, and her loving granddaughter goes in search of her in heaven. But the living and her life ahead call her home again. The story is beautiful and simple, its rich texture wonderfully rendered in the illustrations. I can well imagine this tale told by a storyteller in a candle-lit room -- how lovely to find it in a modern book.

The Long Silk Strand is superb! It is the ideal book for a child dealing with the grief for a lost grandparent. It focuses on the positive aspects of life, impressing the importance of the child not only to the deceased grandmother but, also to parents and others who love the child and would be devastated if the child were to join her grandmother. Williams' work is of profoundly superior quality and is accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Anytime a child I know loses a grandparent, I purchase this book for him.

Lost Treasures Of The Inca is a nonfiction picturebook written by Peter Lourie for more advanced young readers. Featuring simple yet highly informative language, and enhanced with a wealth of full-color photographs of ancient artifacts and modern-day people, it contains a brief history of the Inca empire and of modern-day archaeological expeditions, young readers will learn a great deal about this amazing past civilization. A highly educational and enthusiastically recommended book, Lost Treasure Of The Inca is certain to teach something new to readers of any age.

I loved this book. It's wonderfully written and right away I was pulled into the adventure of searching for ancient Inca gold. People of every age will not only learn from this book but they'll enjoy every minute of it. It is an artful blend of history and all out adventure. My son loved this book as well; in fact it was something we could appreciate together and from this book we shared hours of conversation. We are recommending Lost Treasure of the Inca to everyone we know. My son particularly appreciated the addition of the treasure map and now he is plotting his own search for lost Inca treasure! This is the kind of book that inspires readers to think about doing something adventurous in their own lives -- it is one of those stories that stays with you after you've put the book down. Peter Lourie is a terrific writer with a gift for making the spirit of adventure come alive on the page.

This book is well written with some wonderful photos to boot...I enjoyed this book thoroughly and very happy with the purchase. Great photos, nice layout. Definitely earned a place on my bookshelf!

What an awesome journey this was with Pete Lourie. I didn't know anything about the Chaco culture, but after reading Lourie's book, I was inspired to visit. When I got there it was exactly like Lourie had described it. I camped a few nights in the canyon. Lourie perfectly captured the mystery of the place.

I learned everything that I need to know about word processing using this book. I had no knowledge of computers when this book was first printed. I entered word processing shcool in the 90's and this book was issued as the premier text book. This book proved to be easy and changed my life forever.

This is the most outstanding book ever written on WordPerfect 5.1. The book is perfect for a beginner or an experienced user, with it's step by step instructions that really does teach you how to master the software.

This is the most outstanding book ever written on MS word perfect 6.0. The book is perfect for a beginner or an experienced user, with it's step by step instructions that really does teach you how to master the software.

This is the most outstanding book ever written on MS word perfect 6.0. The book is perfect for a beginner or an experienced user, with it's step by step instructions that really does teach you how to master the software.

If you spend any amount of time around me, and by that I mean about five minutes (sometimes less), you'll realize pretty quickly that I hate math. Hate it. Abhor it. Can't stand it. Oh, sure, I'm pretty positive that I use it occasionally, most of the time without even knowing it. But if you ask me a math-related question, I'm likely to give you a blank-eyed stare of confusion. Case in point: The other night my son, who will be ten years old in a matter of days, asked me the square root of 64. After the aforementioned blank-eyed stare of confusion, he proceeded to tell me that "square root" means a number that can be multiplied by itself to get the answer. Yes, there was more staring and more confusion. "Like the square root of sixteen is four, mom, because four times four is sixteen. And ten doesn't have a square root, because you can't multiply any number times itself to get ten." Oh, yeah, I knew that. Not.

So when I received my copy of MATH DICTIONARY (whose additional title, by the way, is "The Easy, Simple, Fun Guide To Help Math Phobics Become Math Lovers") I was hit with feelings of both trepidation and wonder. Needless to say, I'm still not a math lover, but I think that with the help of this book, I can at least convince my son that I do, in fact, know the basics of mathematics.

MATH DICTIONARY is an A to Z list of some of the most common terms you'll hear in a math classroom. Although the book doesn't cover advanced calculus or any of the hard-to-pronounce mathematical theories that the guy on the TV show Numb3rs likes to spout, it does cover basic mathematics, geometry, algebra, and even statistics and probability. It's all there, from abacus to longitude to zero property of multiplication--and everything in between.

Although MATH DICTIONARY might not turn you into a math lover, it will keep you amused with its "Did You Know?" facts, which are actually quite interesting. It can be used as a handy reference guide to all school-age children, especially those delving into the harder mathematical arenas. And, for parents like myself who are outsmarted by fourth graders, it can definitely keep you from looking stupid. Or as un-stupid as parents can possibly appear to their children!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Math Dictionary: The Easy, Simple, Fun Guide To Help Math Phobics Become Math Lovers by Eula Ewing Monroe (teaches mathematics education at Brigham Young University) is a straightforward reference to basic mathematical terms for readers of all ages and backgrounds, from junior high and high school students to adults in need of a quick refresher. From "average" (including mean, median and mode) to "partial products algorithm" to "zero-dimensional" and much more, the terms cover general arithmetic, geometry, algebra, graphing, probability, statistics, and much more. Advanced mathematical terms such as those used in calculus are not covered. Each definition is spelled out in plain terms, often with simple diagrams to illustrate, eliminating any confusion. Amusing "Did You Know?" quips spice up Math Dictionary with amusing anecdotes such as how the number "googol" (ten to the hundredth power) got its name. Enthusiastically recommended for junior high and high school libraries.

Reviewed by Anneliese Buenker (age 10) for Reader Views (2/08)

"Maureen the Detective" is a book about Maureen, who is an orphan. She lived in Ireland until she was adopted at age 3 and now lives in America.

Maureen and her cousin Mark are fishing out on a lake when Maureen finds a ladies handbag. When she looks inside she finds $96 and the name Mrs. Franklin Hoag. She goes to Mrs. Hoag's house to give her the purse. While Maureen is giving Mrs. Hoag the purse, Maureen hears a sound. "Put your hands up" the voice says. While Maureen and Mark's hand are up, Mrs. Hoag says that her bird Ruthie is a parrot and that is just her. Then Maureen gets a job working at Mrs. Hoag's house helping her organize her rooms. While Maureen is working some of the trophies and paintings are stolen. Now it is up to Maureen to find out who stole the paintings and why!

I really liked "Maureen the Detective" and hope you will too. By the time that I was done with it, I realized that I felt truly exhilarated.

My 10 year old daughter has read all of the American Girl books at least twice. She discovered this book and loved it! My curiosity was stirred by the obvious take-off from the American Girl concept. I see three main differences:
1. Christian values are deliberately used in making decisions.
2. Maureen's closest friend is a boy, not a girl.
3. The book does not close with a historical reference addendum.

I did not list the mystery element as a difference because often American Girl books have a strong element of mystery or secret.

The mystery is engaging and straightforward though almost secondary to the themes regarding immigration, class division and grieving. The book could be useful to a child whose family has been touched by the death of a loved one. The succession of emotions in grieving, how long the hurt lingers and how to move forward in life are sensitively and honestly addressed.

I would recommend this book for boys! My daughter lured my 8 year old son (who loves historical fiction) into reading American Girl books by reading aloud cliffhanger passages to him. He greatly enjoyed the books but I anticipate he will enjoy this book even more as a positive boy figure is one of the main characters.

Mr. Gary Boyd, does an excellent job capturing the rich heritage the McGuire Air Force Base has. His insight on the various units, aircraft and personnel that have either been stationed or visited there is very detailed. This book is a must buy if you want to know about one of the best and most productive Air Force Bases in the U.S. Air Force!

Wonderful history of one of the least-known, yet most important bases in U.S. Air Force history. The author knows his subject backward and forward, and is very skilled at writing. You get the feeling you're in his office, browsing through his picture collection. A must-read for any military or aviation history enthusiast.