Boyd Books

This book is quite useful for anyone who knows very little about the modeling industry, and wants to know exactly what to expect if they decide to persue modeling, as either a hobby or a career. This book is extremely thorough, answering any questions you may have about the modeling industry. It even gives names and addresses of popular modeling agencies around the world!!! The make-up tips were somewhat useful, as well. After reading this book, I had the confidence to send my portfolio to a local agency. I have been in 5 print advertising ads and 2 television commercials here in Detroit. I am so greatful I read this book!!!

My wife and I have been in the modeling business for over 15 years and have started thousdands of models and actors. Marie's book is one that we suggest to all our aspiring talent. It is a great overview of the industry!

I guess everybody's an expert, but I found the hair and make-up techniques recommended in this book silly and outdated. Models today wear no make-up (maybe moisturizer or lip balm)to castings unless they're coming directly from a booking. Ditto for hair-'do's. The book could have addressed skin care and healthy lifestyle for today's young people rather than touting superficial strategies from the 'experts'. Do you want to know how to become a model or how to get a date?

I've met Marie Anderson Boyd and listened to her speak at a model search. When I got back home from the search, I checked her book out at the library. I learned soooooo much from that book. If you're going to get into modeling, then this book is a MUST HAVE!! You will learn so much that you won't know what to do with all the information. Everything from how to get an agency to represent you to diet and exercise tips. It's not a dry read either, I COULD NOT put it down; very interesting and at times humorous too

A sensitive and thoughtful book that each of us can relate to. Most of us have all been "picked on" at sometime during our school days. Regardless of where we come from, what religion we belong to or what the color of our skin is, we can all relate to feeling alienated and like we just don't fit in. Learning to stand up for yourself and developing confidence in who you are some of the most defining moments in our lives. This book gives courage to children shows them that they are not alone.

Ho hum! Another dealing-with-bullies books like we had in the 70's where all you had to do was tell the bully to respect you and he did.

Except this one is about being Muslim, and written by a Muslim, a woman yet. I suppose this gives the story authenticity. It's still as hollow as a ping-pong ball.

Of course it is a bad thing to pick on people for their ethnic and/or religious background. I agree completely with the implied message. But this book won't help. "Standing up for oneself" is not a believable answer. In my considerable experience both as a former child and now a professional in children's services, I can say that impulsive "standing up for yourself" usually only makes the situation worse.

On top of which the author totally stacks the deck in favor of the protaganist. His teacher turns out to be Muslim. And his teacher is not only Muslim, but a very nice person. And this very nice coincidentally Muslim teacher just happens to have a book about the hero our protaganist is named after. And there's another Muslim boy (or two) in the school in need of somebody with whom to pray.

This has all the force and depth of those old books where the one who doesn't make the glee club is delighted to be able to pass out programs at the concert. It's contrived, unrealistic, and likely to give either false hope or a feeling of hopelessness to any child in the situation.

I can't understand why the professional reviewers listed didn't say, "We've seen this plot, and it didn't work last time, either."

The few things this book has in its favor are that at least it __is__ a book about Muslims for kids --there are not very many--the illustrations are pretty, and although the plot is a waste the structure of the writing itself is clear and soothing.

It was so nice to see a book that showed how difference can be overcome by simply standing up for yourself. I think every third grade classroom should have this book. It is also nice to see Muslims portrayed in a postive light for a change.

Portrays a familiar school situation with depth and sensitivity. Other kids at Bilal's new school tear off his sister's head scarf and make anti-Muslim remarks. Bilal feels he needs to hide his Muslim identity, and we (the readers) understand why. We all understand what it's like to be singled-out and afraid, even if our specific situation is not the same as Bilal's. Some concerned adults help Bilal feel comfortable about embracing his identity as a Muslim, but Bilal finds a way to make peace with the bully all on his own. Bilal's solution has to do with teamwork and sportsmanship, and it gives us insight into Bilal's developing character. Spirituality is built into the story in a subtle and satisfying way. This multi-layered story will appeal people of many faiths. Bilal's story transcends categories of religion or nationality.

First-rate edition of Elizabethan stage classic. Good on-page notes & scholarly introductory material.

Although some are better than others, I generally try to buy New Mermaids when I need a non-Shakespearean Early Modern play. This is a good edition for all student and most scholarly needs, with an up-to-date introduction and useful textual and footnotes (made even more useful by their position on the bottom of the page. I don't know about you, but I hate having to flip back and forth to endnotes: I'm talking to you, Oxford World's Classics). Another reason I like these editions is that one play per book means much more comprehensive introductory material.

The play itself is entertaining (I have actually seen it staged) and should be interesting to anyone interested in socioeconomic issues, since it takes the titular shoemaker from his shoe shop to being Lord Mayor of London (he institutes the pancake breakfast that the title refers to). The disguise of the romantic lead as a Dutchman and his "accent" and the way war haunts what is otherwise pretty typical of city comedy provide other points of interest.

Despite the passage of four centuries, Thomas Dekker's play, The Shoemakers' Holiday (1599), is still great comedy. Dekker's hilarious plot is not easy to summarize, but it centers upon a comedic Romeo and Juliet, one in which Romeo - that is, Rowland Lacy, a young aristocrat - disguises himself as a Dutch immigrant, apprentice shoemaker to circumvent his father's objections to his wooing of a middle class Juliet, a Rose Otley. Disguises, mistaken identities, and misdirection abound, and yet this convoluted plot comes together smoothly in the final act without seeming either unduly contrived or artificial.

Dekker's genial portrayal of the shoemakers' guild in London contributes to the charm of The Shoemakers' Holiday. However, colloquial Elizabethan dialogue can be challenging and good footnotes are essential. I recommend an edition published by Barron's Educational Series and edited by Merritt Lawlis.

Three characters pose especial difficulty. Firk, a journeyman shoemaker, spouts a continual flow of obscure sexual innuendoes and bawdy comments. "Why here is a good laced mutton, as I promised you." Also, the conversation of Sybil, Rose's personal maid, is filled with unfamiliar colloquialisms. "And the hare's foot against the goose giblets." And, the Dutch as spoken by the apprentice shoemaker Hans (Lacy in disguise) would be nearly indecipherable without footnotes. "Ik hab all de dingen voour mack shoes groot and cleane."

These examples taken out of context may make The Shoemakers' Holiday seem unintelligible, but actually Dekker's play is quite accessible to the modern reader. I did make frequent references to footnotes, but I never lost interest in the plot. Once having mastered Firk's innuendoes, Sybil's colloquialisms, and Lacy's comedic Dutch, my second reading was even more enjoyable.

July, 2006 update: I recently examined in some detail "A New Adaptation by Bernard Sahlins of Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday". The intent - judiciously editing Dekker's play to make it more readily accessible to modern readers - is not entirely misplaced, but I found the editing to be excessive. Aside from whether all deletions were appropriate, I was especially disturbed by the replacement of some 450 words. This revised Dekker is simply too different from the original. Perhaps one-third of the changes could be defended, but the other two-thirds is unnecessary. I strongly suggest that a potential buyer directly compare the original Dekker to this revised version before making a purchase.

My original recommendation still stands. I prefer Barron's Educational Series edition of The Shoemaker's Holiday. The editing by Merritt Lawlis is quite good.

'For nothing is purposed but mirth' Thomas Dekker tells us in his preface to this lively Elizabethan play, performed by the Lord Admiral's Players before the royal court and the Queen herself in 1599. Such mirth that was to be found in 16th century London and much that is sad and fearsome too is to be found in the story of a group of shoemakers living and working in the city. Their lives, loves and adventures are portrayed with unique historical insights of the journeyman shoemaker's trade in this fast-moving and humourous tale that eventually sees all loose ends tied, and culminates in the newly appointed Lord Mayor of London granting his shoemaker workers a 'Publicke Holiday'.

This is ancharming poetry picture book. Poems are cleverly arranged in stages of having a tea party: shopping, creating invitations, preparing, brewing, and entertaining. Teatime Tips accompany each poem, ranging from recipes to activities to placating party poopers.
Dugan's whimsical illustrations are faintly reminiscent of Tomie DePaola's soft rounded style, but have more color and action. The pictures, people with a multicultural cast of cheerful children, portray movement in every sense.
Spinelli's text has trouble keeping up with Dugan's smooth style. Some of the poems have odd rhythms due to forced rhymes, but in most cases, the desired effect is achieved, whether it be one of bustling preparation ("Pots clank/Glasses clink/Water gurgles/in the sink") or calm lazy afternoons ("Brown sugar sand is soft and sweet/This day is good enough to eat").
With curriculum connections potential in a variety of subjects, this book is a worthy purchase for any library serving younger elementary grade students - in spite of Spinelli's need for a bit more polishing in the poetry department.

Charming illustrations, delightful poems with delicious tea tips on every page! My grandaughter only wanted to read two of them at first, and then wouldn't be satisfied until we read the whole thing twice!

TEA PARTY TODAY

When I first read this collection of poetry for children by Eileen Spinelli, I was not just enthralled by the fine writing, but fascinated with the author's beloved memories of tea parties.

The poetry in this book is filled with charm, in lines such as "With clover all woven through braids in her hair," about the Beekeeper's Daughter (from the poem, "Market Day"). And, from the poem "Invitation," ". . .jam is a treat/ That butterflies taste/ On their flutter-by feet." Then, there's the poem, "Adventure," about the joy of reading and the imaginary trips it affords one, that can lead to ". . . tea with a dragon/ And lunch with a mouse." The illustrations by Karen Dugan are colorful, pert, cuddly, and capture the charm of the words. Some of the poems are humorous, and here again, the illustrator makes the most of that humor. An example of this is the page about the "Teatime Grouch." Another page, with the poem entitled "Please," features a mischievous child who puts his finger in his cup of tea, bringing about shocked reactions from his co-partygoers, who are appropriately wearing flowered, feathered and beribboned hats.

As we continue to read Tea Party Today, we realize that it isn't just the poetry that is inviting. At the bottom of each page, readers will find suggestions and ideas for their next tea party under the heading "Teatime Tips." These creative tips make the planning of a tea party so attractive that they are sure to make the reader start writing invitations and stock up on a variety of regular and herbal teas. The tips are both educational and fun, and one of my favorites is, "Invite grandparents and other older relatives to tea . . . Ask them to tell stories about when they were children." Doing this will not only help form a bond between generations, but also give children an opportunity to learn something about their older relatives.

This book, besides being charming and fun, is important inasmuch as it teaches children the fine art of being a host or hostess, of ensuring that everyone who comes to their home will leave with a warm feeling in their heart. After all, we are social beings, and what better way for a child to learn how to socialize than by reading Tea Party Today and putting its Teatime Tips into practice.

Charming illustrations, delightful poems with delicious tea tips on every page! My grandaughter only wanted to read two of them at first, and then wouldn't be satisfied until we read the whole thing twice!

This is as a nice reference for the blues guitarist. It's nice to have so many new ideas in one place. The only downside (more so for the beginner), is most of the turnarounds are in the key of C which means you'll need to transcribe them to different keys. This is not a bad thing as it is helps develop a better knowledge of how the blues scales are put together. It is a good investment as it is a reference and a learning tool.

(101 Razor-Sharp Blues Guitar Fill-In Licks)


Leading Book of Its Type

This is undoubtedly the leading book of its type on the market today. 101 authentic urban blues guitar fill-ins in the Chicago blues style, each accurately transcribed in notation and tablature. Each lick is recorded note-for-note on the companion CD and accompanied by a professional blues band (complete with singer Charles Atkins), and wonderfully engineered by Fred Chester, a well-known engineer in the Southeast who has recorded albums for jazz piano great Marcus Roberts and persons of similar caliber.

As a professional music teacher of many years, I have found Larry McCabe's music instruction books to be of consistently high quality, popular with students, focused and effective in accomplishing the particular objective.

Small wonder. Larry has one of the most reputable names in the music publishing industry. His resume lists over eighty published books for Mel Bay, Centerstream, and other big names in the industry. Two of his books were written for none other than Roy Clark. And he was the guitar writer for Living Blues Magazine for three years, and a member of the W.C. Nominating Committee for many years. This is a teacher who knows how to play and teach the blues.

The author, Larry McCabe, is a well-known and respected author of many instruction books and he has a strong background in the blues. I recall that in the 1990s Larry authored a popular blues guitar column for Living Blues Magazine.

Against the backdrop of a live band complete with singer Charles Atkins, each fill-in lick is played exactly as you would play it on stage or in a jam session. The licks are tasteful and performed in the authentic Chicago style-the licks are the real thing, played by a guitarist who knows how to play the blues and write blues instruction.

I would recommend this book to an early intermediate guitarist whose ambition is to play in the urban blues style. The incredible thing about this set is that the user is actually sitting in with a live blues band that includes a singer.

In the rush to play solos, fill-in are sometimes overlooked. This book is unique and unlike any other book on electric blues guitar. And in fact, Red Dog Music Books entire series of 101 Razor-Sharp Blues Books are enthusiastically recommended to all electric guitar teachers who have students who want to learn to play the blues.

This Book is suitable for Christmas. It explains step-by-step project and kids will love it. It's not too difficult to make it. Kids at age 5-7 years old will love it.

The crafts in this book are great. There are so many projects in this book that everyone is bound to find one they like. Some are so simple that they are almost ridiculus. Even if you do not think you are a crafty person you will find a craft you can do in this book. As a pre-school teacher I have used various crafts in this book as patterns for larger or more detailed class projects. This is a great buy at a good price.

I run a daycare in Darlington WI and we loved this book. I found crafts that 3 year olds could do and crafts that my older kids could do to. I also purchased the Thanksgiving craft book. Both books are wonderful and would recomend them to everyone,every age.The book uses usual household items so it is also cost effective.

The new series called Sisters in time are the same as many American Adventure titles. This is a great story of Ameican history. Fun to read too.

This is the thirteenth book in The American Adventure series. This series tells about the lives of children from many generations of a fictional family throughout American history, from the settling of Plymouth by the Pilgrims through the end of World War II.

When her parents decide that the family will leave Boston to travel west to the growing city of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the spring of 1808, thirteen-year-old Betsy Miller is unhappy. She will miss her home and her best friend, and since her aunt and uncle have also decided to move to Cincinnati, she will have to put up with her annoying eleven-year-old cousin George during the journey. George never misses a chance to tease Betsy, and seems to enjoy humiliating her. Betsy, who has always been shy and quiet, has decided it's finally time to get her revenge. During their long, difficult, and sometimes dangerous journey, will Betsy and George be able to call a truce and work together for the good of their families?

Young readers who enjoyed previous American Adventure books are sure to enjoy this one as well, which introduces a new generation of the family featured in the series. I look forward to reading the next few books in the series, and recommend this series to young readers who enjoy historical fiction.

... I really liked this book. Betsy and her cousin George and their families are traveling west in the 1800s. George does everything he can to bother Betsy. It works everytime! There was no T.V. or radios to enertain the children, they had to make up games. It was fun to read about how things where in that time of history. If you have to read a historical fiction for a book report, this is a good one to choose.

Often, when visiting books from our youth and recalling the wonderful hours spent as a child reading them, you feel the need to share those experiences with your children or grandchildren.

In 1942, Helen Boyd Higgins wrote Alexander Hamilton, Young Statesman and created a timeless tale of a youth raised in a far away land that only the imagination of the reader can envision. Tribulations and intrigue abound in a format designed to entertain and teach many life lessons. Young Alexander is bereft of a terrible temper and learns self control by many examples used by Higgins in her description of his rearing. The vocabulary is enriched by using words beyond the reader's comprehension, not to frustrate, but to expand a child's horizons. There is a dictionary of definitions at the end of the book which teaches new words. The audience for this book is 9 to 12 years of age. This story is of a young lad growing up in the Caribbean Islands, who yearns to come to America and be a part of the new land of opportunity by going to college to further his education.

The Young Patriots series is designed to 'Hook' kids on History. Other titles in the series include, Amelia Earhart, Young Air Pioneer, William Henry Harrison, Young Tipp, Eddie Rickenbacker, Boy Pilot and Racer, and Mahalia Jackson, Gospel Singer to name a few of the 14 books published thus far. Gifts for birthdays, holidays, or just plain old fashioned fun reading are always good books. A present of this type instills in our youngsters the desire to appreciate reading and to treasure exemplary literature. Reasonably priced, this collection will become the foundation of a cherished library.

Clark Isaacs
Reviewer

Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 on the island of Nevis in the British West Indies but, after his father's death moved, with his mother to her family's home on the Danish West Indies island of St. Croix. Receiving his earliest education at home from his mother, he later attended a small private boy's school conducted by a local minister named Knox and then came to New York colony as a young man just as the colonists were beginning to object to the heavy-handedness of the English government. The name may be somewhat familiar to us today because his picture graces our ten-dollar bill, but very few know much about him. His main claim to historic footnote fame is that he was killed by Aaron Burr in a duel. However, he accomplished much more than that in his short life (he was 49 when he was killed), and was one of our nation's most unheralded founding fathers.

As General Washington's aide-de-camp, Hamilton played a highly significant, though mostly unpublicized, role in the American Revolution. As the head of the Federalist Party, he was largely instrumental in achieving the ratification of the United States Constitution. And as President Washington's secretary of the treasury, he almost singlehandedly established the independent monetary program that guided this country for nearly 200 years, laying the groundwork for the capitalist economic system that enabled the United States to grow into the freest and most prosperous society that this world has ever known in less than 100 years. While Hamilton was not without his faults as a politician, all these are great reasons for knowing more about him and his part in our nation's past. In addition, lessons that we can learn from his young personal life include conquering fears, the value of a good education, controlling one's temper, perseverance, and the importance of hard work.

As a man, Hamilton's adult accomplishments as a military assistant to Washington, architect of the Constitution, first Secretary of the Treasury, and the face on the 10 dollar bill, were in part due to the experiences of his youth, and in Volume 14 of the Young Patriots Series, children can meet this noted personage from our nation's history as a young man. This slightly fictionalized account of Hamilton's childhood was originally one of the wonderful "Childhood of Famous Americans Series" published by the Bobbs-Merrill Company in 1942 and entitled Alec Hamilton, the Little Lion. Simon and Schuster publishes the "Childhood of Famous Americans" books now, but many of the older titles have been dropped for newer ones about more recent personalities. Thankfully, Patria Press is bringing back some of these out of print books in their "Young Patriots Series."
REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker

Reviewed by Emily Judah (age 13) for Reader Views (5/08)

"Alexander Hamilton" is a fun book filled with the adventures of young and energetic Alexander Hamilton and his pet parrot, Hurry-Up. Alec, as his mother and friends call him, is a boy living on the island of St. Croix in the West Indies. Alec is allowed to roam free, and basically lives the life of luxury, with servants and maids to come at his every call. Alec loves to read and is fascinated with the newly-formed colonies of America which he hopes he will travel to one day. When Alec learns that he will be able to go to school, he can't wait to learn more about America and meet boys his age. The only problem is his Uncle Peter will only let him go to school, if he learns to ride a horse. Alec is terribly afraid of horses because he once fell off of one while riding. But he falls in love with the spunky little pony his uncle buys him and is soon off exploring the island with his newly-found friend. As Alec grows older he is offered an accounting job by the leading warehouse owner of the island. Alec is so smart and talented that he is soon the head accountant for the whole company. Yet Alec desperately wants to go to America and attend a university. You have to read the book to find out all of Alec's adventures and see if Alec makes it to America!

I enjoyed reading "Alexander Hamilton." I would recommend it for ages 8 to 12, as it is a pretty easy read. It is a history book that is made fun so kids can enjoy learning about history but also have fun at the same time.

This handsome book would be a great addition to classroom or library poetry collections because it will inspire young writers to create a similar personal project. Each letter and full-page illustration is amplified by a haiku-like "poem". While there does not seem to be a unified theme that runs from A to Z, as in most alphabet books, this could be a good jumping off place for a teacher to urge kids to write and illustrate one page each. Even those who get "x" and "Q" will be challenged, no matter their age.

Alphathoughts: Alphabet Poems is a joyful alphabet picture book for kids. Each letter is celebrated with a word, a simple verse by Lee Bennett Hopkins, and enhanced with a full-color, full-page illustration artfully drawn by Marla Baggetta to bring dreams to life. A most engaging, original, and colorful picture book, Alphathoughts is appropriate and recommended for both school and library collections. P - Pencils: Magical implements waiting for stories, poems to pop out from head to lead.

My third grade students love this book.
Each Alpha thought is a small package of words
that surprise or delight. Within each poetic phrase
is another word to be found that begins with the
same initial. "P" is for pencil, but the word
"poem" can also be found. "L" is for library, and
includes the concept of pondering "lifelong" dreams.
The art is bold and fun, and the students are having
a grand time writing their own poetic alpha-thoughts.
I'm actually having a hard time making them share.
Great book for the classroom.

I like this book because the protagonist is not really a very likeable person. But I certainly have a sympathy for her at the same time. She's an individualist and odd. Great!

I loved this book when I read it a number of years ago It was my favorite of all of Elizabeth Taylor's novels. A film adaptation in English by french director, Francois Ozon ("8 Femmes")is coming out, but you must read the book first. I plan to read it again before I see the film.

The novel's heroine is described within as an exotic bloom from a cactus plant: the novel ANGEL itself might be described the same way. Its title heroine grows up spoiled and adored by her shopowning mother and mother's sister; indifferent to their ideas for her future (or indeed to just about anything else), Angel discovers her gift for fantastic fictions translates beautifully into the publishing world, where she becomes a bestselling author of contempibly popular potboilers. Angel accordingly re-invents herself as a glamorous author figure of the Elinor Glyn school, and we follow her through her successes, marriage, eventual popular neglect, and poverty.

ANGEL is a cult favorite among many British novelists, including Hilary Mantel, but is only really transcendent when it allows Angel to strive (at the beginning and the end of her career) against difficult odds. The scene, for example, where she tells off her aunt for planning to make her a ladies' maid is enormously funny and satisfying. But when Angel is rich and successful Taylor seems too invested in scoring points of of her heroine, as if she, too, feared what Angel might do if not kept in her place.