Clarke Books

I think I liked this book more than my children did. It does have alot of interesting facts and features. I recommend it for ages 8 to 11.

I am horrified that this book did not address the vast history of Afican American's in Washington, DC. No mention was made of U-Street, Howard University or Frederick Douglas' home in SE section of the city as places to explore.

Parents, Washington is a great place to visit with your children come off of the Mall and find out.

We bought this book for my 6 year old before a trip to D.C. He had just started reading over the previous year, and he read it during the entire drive and during our stay. He was able to look up all of the sites we planned to visit, and was so proud to share facts he learned with us. It was perfectly targeted to a young child, and he has picked it up to read many times since. He did not actually complete many of the activities (he is much more of a reader than a writer at this point). I only wish there was a book like this for every one of our trips! I would highly recommend!

We took this book along on our trip to DC and the whole family had fun and learned a lot from it. It is geared to kids of course, but was interesting and informative for adults to read also. It says for ages 4-8, but that means the activities, not the reading level. With our 8 yr old, she read some and we read some to her; it is probably too advanced for younger readers to read on their own. We learned a lot of things that were not found in any of our other (grown up) guide books. A great book.

I bought a copy of this book for my three daughters to use while we were in DC. And it proved to be a hit. The book gives good information in an easy-to-understand format. The graphics and games were fun, and it kept them entertained on the plane ride there. They are telling me to give it a thumbs-up, so anything educational portrayed in a fun format gets my thumbs-up as well. The only criticism I have is that some of the information was outdated (the book was written 17 years ago, with no apparent updates) and is badly in need of a revision. Since 9-11, things have changed with some of the sites. Perhaps a short section explaining this to the kids, including why there has to be a security check in pretty much every building, would be in order. The Pentagon and FBI are not accessible at this time, and great limiations have been made at other buildings. Other than this shortcoming, though, the book is highly recommended.

I just came across my ancient, yellowed copy of this book, which is literally falling apart, and re-read most of the stories. While some of them are showing their age, most remain fresh and thought-provoking. Several reminded me of similar stories by Fredric Brown, another writer whom I enjoyed a lot in my youth. Not the greatest SF short story collection ever, but definitely a classic.

PS: My copy is a first paperback edition from 1959,and the cover illustration is a hoot! It depicts an astronaut in a space suit that features a helmet that looks like a 1920s football helmet, and black rubber boots! Behind him, in the distance, is a classic 1950s flying saucer.

I agree, Clarke is better suited to the novel, but he is also a brilliant short story writer. The Nine Billion Names of God, as everyone knows, is one of the best SF short stories ever written, and has actually led several people to carry out the exploits in the story in real life, so compelling is the idea behind it. Not to be overlooked in this collection, are such masterpieces as the chilling Wall of Darkness, The Star (which is also one of the best ever), and All The Time In The World, yet another great story. Also included, among others, is A Venture To The Moon, a fictional pre-Apollo account of the first manned mission to the moon that is told is such striking detail that it comes off nearly as a documentary (and a factual one at that). Regardless of what facet of Clarke's writing that you enjoy the most, there is bound to be something here that you'll like.

The Other Side of the Sky was a great Science Fiction book. The stories of the joint moon exploration were funny and were not carrying "heavy" issues.

The Other Side of the Sky (1958) is a collection of classic SF stories and one fantasy. They range in time from tomorrow to a distant future.

The first story, The Nine Billion Names of God, is a tale of the supernatural, yet is probably the most famous story in this volume. A Tibetan monastery makes arrangements to acquire an Automatic Sequence Computer and two technicians to maintain it. The monks are compiling a list of all the names of God so that the universe can finally terminate.

The following stories tell of a royal stowaway, the building of the first space stations (and the founding of the Vacuum-Breathers Club), a wall with only one side, a future security leak, the end of the world, and the race to the Moon. Others tell of the non-invasion of Earth, the super gadget from the future, the gorgeous woman at journey's end, the most famous of novae, a strange solar phenomenon, and the coming of the Dark Nebula. This collection concludes with The Songs of Distant Earth, a tale of the infatuation of a native girl with a visiting spaceman.

This collection is probably the most representative of the author's works. These stories were written early in his career, yet subsequent tales usually expanded upon similar themes. Although the number of stories about the world's end seems excessive, remember that those were ominous times.

Highly recommended for Clarke fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of human reactions to advances in science and technology.

-Arthur W. Jordin

"The Other Side of the Sky" is a collection of short stories by Arthur C Clarke, an author whom many consider as an icon of both classic and contemporary science fiction. Frankly, I never agreed. I always felt that his work was pretentious - "literary" in the most pejorative sense of the word, mystifying, muddy and purposely deep, yet without clarity, for the sole purpose of achieving the lofty height of being arty.

No doubt others may disagree with me, but when I read the opening story in this collection, "The Nine Billion Names of God", my first reaction was disappointment - "oh, oh, more of the same"! Why would anyone, even those with an abiding faith in their god, believe that there was some sort of deep religious or philosophical ramification to the act of physically preparing a complete list of the permutations of an arbitrarily selected set of letters? What meaningless drivel!

I almost closed the book at that point and I suspect it was because the next story was only a few pages long that I decided to try it anyway. And what a lucky choice for me! From that point on, the collection was a thoroughgoing winner with everything a reader could wish for - charm, characterization, fun, pathos, warmth, wit, depth, twists, humour, human interest, solid science and thought-provoking questions - all of this without ever stooping to being either mundane or, worse yet, snobbish and superior.

A few examples will perhaps to serve to whet the appetite. "Refugee" manages to humanize the British royal family in a most appealing way. "Special Delivery" explains some of the difficulties of living in a satellite and the physical implications of a jammed autopilot that accelerates a rocket delivering supplies for just a few seconds too long - a very, very small incident that illustrates the enormous implications of such a tiny event. "Cosmic Casanova" is pure space humour with an unexpected ending reserved for the final sentence in the manner of Jeffrey Archer's "A Twist in the Tale". "Publicity Campaign" is tongue in cheek and humorous but it is also a clear and scathing condemnation of bigotry and man's xenophobia. "The Star" could not be perceived as anti-religious in its tone but this tale of a very special and unique supernova should provoke more than a little head-scratching and puzzlement in those that would interpret the Bible literally. (This was probably my favourite story in the entire collection)

If you're already an Arthur C Clarke fan, I'm sure you'll enjoy "The Other Side of the Sky". If like me, you were unconvinced of his right to icon status, try this one on for size. Plenty enjoyable enough that I'd be happy to pick up more of Clarke's work and give it a try again. Maybe I'll even go back and try some of his other stuff again to see if perhaps I missed something. It's happened before!

Recommended.

Paul Weiss

This book contains twelve short stories from Arthur C. Clarke, one of the masters of science fiction. It was first published in 1956 and contains Clarke's earliest published work which first appeared in 1946. Some of these stories are haunting, some humorous and some intriguing, but all are imaginative and beautifully written in Clarke's hard-boiled style. The subjects covered include the mandatory aliens, space exploration and amazing technology, but also more unusual topics are included, such as psychic phenomena in and the discovery of new intelligent Earth species in .

Despite being 50 years old virtually none of these stories have dated. is the only exception. Due to space probe fly-bys we now know much more about Jupiter's satellites, at least, enough to know that this story could not be true; but this did not spoil the story for me and will not for you if you can suspend disbelief.

The humorous story is perhaps my favorite, but it is hard to choose as they are all of such good quality. The shortest story is perhaps the weakest, but can quickly be passed over.

The length of these stories range from three pages to thirty four pages so the book is ideal to dip into if you have an hour which needs filling. This volume is an oldie, but still very much a goodie and can truly be dub a classic.

This book contains twelve short stories from Arthur C. Clarke, one of the masters of science fiction. It was first published in 1956 and contains Clarke's earliest published work which first appeared in 1946. Some of these stories are haunting, some humorous and some intriguing, but all are imaginative and beautifully written in Clarke's hard-boiled style. The subjects covered include the mandatory aliens, space exploration and amazing technology, but also more unusual topics are included, such as psychic phenomena in and the discovery of new intelligent Earth species in .

Despite being 50 years old virtually none of these stories have dated. is the only exception. Due to space probe fly-bys we now know much more about Jupiter's satellites, at least, enough to know that this story could not be true; but this did not spoil the story for me and will not for you if you can suspend disbelief.

The humorous story is perhaps my favorite, but it is hard to choose as they are all of such good quality. The shortest story is perhaps the weakest, but can quickly be passed over.

The length of these stories range from three pages to thirty four pages so the book is ideal to dip into if you have an hour which needs filling. This volume is an oldie, but still very much a goodie and can truly be dub a classic.

This is a great read. One of the best sci-fi books by Clarke.

If you are looking for a good introduction to the works of Arthur C. Clarke, start here. These stories sometimes funny, sometimes scary, but always thought-provoking.

Having previously read the two best stories in this collection ("Rescue Party", a masterpiece and Clarke's first published story, and "Jupiter Five", a believable exploration of Jupiter's closest moon) I did not like this book as much as I would have if I had not read those two masterpieces. If I hadn't I would certainly have given this book a 5 star rating. Anyways...

There are other good stories here too, of course. "Technical Error", "The Fires Within" and "The Possessed" are standouts, among others. In fact, there are a wide variety of SF styles in this collection. But it's the two stories I mentioned that are the centerpieces of this book. If you haven't read any of the short stories in this book then rack my rating up a star.

Ashley Clarke is a sports girl through and through. She's a great pitcher for her fourteen and under softball team, and she also plays soccer and basketball. Then her friend Kate persuades Ashley to join a different softball team, this one for sixteen and under. But adjusting to this new team is tougher than Ashley expected, especially because the other pitcher Christy seems to want to ruin Ashley's life. Ashley tries different methods of appeasing Christy but realizes she has to settle for just ignoring her, which is a little tough, considering her hot football-player boyfriend Andrew sometimes hangs out with Christy. Screwball is Ashley's story as she tries to figure out a balance to her life between sports, boys, and not-so-nice girls.

Screwball was a very fun and cute summer read. I really liked Ashley's character; she was a little immature at times but also witty and hilarious. It was interesting to watch her mature through the book, and I did notice it had something to do with the guy she was with. Ashley is a really lovable character because many girls can probably relate to all the "injustices" she faced during her first year of high school, and her coming out the other end just fine made me like her even more. Though I am not a sports or softball fan at all, reading along as Ashley played was really exciting; I could really feel her energy and enthusiasm through each game. You don't even have to understand anything about the game to get into Ashley's story. Screwball was definitely a very enjoyable book for me.

Screwball was a very fast, fun, and easy read. The story is more suited for younger teen girls, but older readers looking for a cute story may enjoy it also. I look forward to continuing Ashley's story in later novels.

I just finished this novel. I highly recommend it for a reluctant girl reader, especially one who likes sports (not necessarily softball, either: Ashley also plays basketball and soccer--and while softball is the sport with the most focus, it maintains the same general principals recognized in any sport).

I liked how realistically this book portrayed teenage life--especially first boyfriends and mean teenage girls. A great novel!

This fun, debut novel is sure to be a "hit" with young
girls from all walks of life. Ashley Clarke feels real and readers will
feel an instant connection to her and the choices that she has to confront.

Keri Mikulski brings high school and fastpitch softball to life in her impressive debut novel, SCREWBALL. Sports, romance, rivalry, mystery, and a strong first-person narrative make for a fast-paced story that readers of all ages will enjoy.

This first book in the Ashley Clarke series is sure to leave young girls everywhere clamoring for more tales of Ashley's struggles to juggle school, sports, and a social life in a small beachside community in New Jersey.

A great summer read, whether or not you're into sports!

Ashley Clarke knows what it's like to be under pressure. She's an athlete that plays on three different sports teams during the school year. That, on top of school work and trying to have a social life, keeps her awfully busy. And it only adds up when Ashley gets a boyfriend and feels pressured to spend more time with him, in between dodging Christy, a teammate who seems to hate her without reason. Ashley will have to find a way to juggle everything that's going on, and at the same time stay true to herself--something a lot easier said than done.

This novel speaks sports. Though dense with sports talk, strategy, and suspense, Screwball will appeal to both athletes and non-sports players alike. Ashley is tough, determined, and yet appropriately girly at the same time, making her someone that high school girls especially can relate to. This is one book ideal for the reluctant reader who lives and breathes any sort of sport. You don't need to go to the big game to experience all that fun and excitement--just grab some peanuts and this fast paced and entertaining read!

[...]

Cheryl Clark inspires the potential grant seeker with a thoughtful and innovative process for fundraising.

A fundraising consultant, trainer and short story author, Clark argues persuasively that fundraising -- and specifically proposal writing -- should incorporate the techniques of storytelling. A story sets a scene, has characters, and builds tension. A good proposal does the same.

Most people recognize a great story. Grant makers are not unique. By crafting your proposal as an opportunity to tell your story, the process becomes more enjoyable for both the writer and the reader. By allowing your passion to pervade the proposal's prose, becomes more enjoyable for the reader. It becomes more likely to be funded.

Story telling is powerful. Grant seekers need every edge. Cheryl Clarke does both grant writers and grant makers a favor by sharing the power of this age-old technique with them in this well-written and effective book.

Sarah S. Brophy

Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising is a solid basic proposal-writing book with a twist on how to develop a compelling narrative. Clarke writes in the Preface "I believe that grant seekers will be more enthusiastic about writing proposals, and that their proposals will be more passionate and consequently more effective, when grant seekers begin using the storytelling techniques described in this book."

Sometimes the author works a bit hard at her storytelling metaphor (with attendant heroes, antagonists and main characters), but she is careful not to lead you into the land of superheroes. For many readers a story-like style is preferable to a legal document, but take care that your proposal reads like a good New York Times piece, not fluff.

For those new to proposal-writing, the first three chapters address how to collect necessary information for a solid proposal; screen funders for a good donor-project match; and manage your relationship with a potential funder. The final three chapters cover budget description and the basics of how to format and package the proposal. Each is thorough, easy to understand and helpful.

The four middle chapters address storytelling in the narrative. They are great advice for beginning writers yet speak to next-level professionals hoping to coax their own style away from creeping grantese. Sample proposal text is very often excellent.

The author makes good points about an environmental scan to place your project in context for the reader and to strengthen your case; that the key need must be your clients' not your institution's; and how to make good use of data for reinforcement.

Storytelling for Grantseekers is a fine book to keep in your library for training new writers and for coaching colleagues in the proposal process. Anyone in a larger institution could very well make this book required reading for colleagues who say "I need a grant to do this". It is a comfortable read that will train them to give you good information for doing your job.

I've been involved with fundraising for over 25 years (from
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to the Bermuda Biological
Station
for Research in Bermuda) and this is, without a doubt THE
BEST BOOK on nonprofit grantwriting I have ever had the
pleasure
of reading! It has everything - it's intelligently written
with clear concise, step by step directions on how to bring
passion,
creativity and success to any fundraising/grantwriting effort! It is
"short" - just a little over 100 pages - so it can be read,
digested and put to
use by everyone - from the director on down to volunteers
and staff. It's entertaining, practical and, I would think,
an absolute
must for anyone involved in raising money. They say everyone
loves a good story - well I not only love a good story, BUT
also
- a great book on how to effectively and enjoyably write grants that will bring in the funds!
Bravo Cheryl Clarke!

Most grantwriting books cover the basics which, if you know how to read and apply grant application guidelines, you already have down.

Imagine yourself, for a moment, on the other side of the table, sifting through tens of hundreds of grant proposals to determine which ones your foundation will fund - and every proposal as tedious as the last.

BUT, if you want to craft truly compelling FUNDED proposals that ENGAGE the reader, "Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising" is a mighty fine start. In an enjoyable read, author Clarke shows the reader how to bring passion to their writing - an often missing, yet crucial element to the most successful writers.

Highly recommended!

An approach to grantseeking that can lead anyone with a good idea through the often complex process of putting a grant together. Storytelling is an innovative approach sure to achieve results!

This is a Detective-Superintendent Dalziel and Sergeant Pascoe novel. The title is taken from the writings of Sir Francis Bacon. The appeal of a student of her suspension from college discloses, seemingly, an improper relationship with a tutor, Mr. Fallowfield. The question arises, is Mr. Fallowfield to be permitted the use of the faculty room while he is relieved of other duties?

A monument to the deceased head of the school, Miss Girling, is situated in the way of a new science building and must be moved. In the process of the move, a discovery is made of the remains of a body. It is assumed that placement was made five years earlier. Thus, Dalziel and Pascoe begin to investigate their list of missing persons from the previous five years.

Pascoe has a reunion of sorts with a former schoolmate of his, Eleanor Soper, who is on the college staff. Next, the police are surprised to learn that the dental evidence of the remains points to Miss Girling herself. There is the death, too, of girl on the golf course. Investigative work is doubled.

The police find it is difficult to locate people in a college, although college employees do seem to converge on the police with lots of questions. Pascoe suggests to Dalziel that, particularly in a total institution, there is a shadow side to things. Coincidence provides a line of inquiry to the police.

Pascoe is not comfortable with his gruff superior. Each of the officers is, nevertheless, a keen observer and dedicated solver of crimes. This is an excellent offering in an excellent series.

The second Dalziel and Pascoe novel sees the pair at a college of higher education after the discovery of a corpse under a statue's foundation block. Naturally, life gets even more complicated, and not just because they have to wade through both student and staff politics in their pursuit of the truth. Fresh corpses are provided, and it's up to Dalziel and Pascoe to decide which were murder and which were suicide, ideally without becoming corpses themselves.

Dalziel has no time for students, and the feeling's mutual. But Dalziel doesn't let his dislike lead him into underestimating his opponents, while the students make the mistake of thinking that Dalziel's a fascist pig and therefore stupid. Pascoe's feelings are more ambiguous, as he was a graduate recruit to the police force. His former university friends don't approve of his choice of his career, and his liberal sympathies don't always endear him to his colleagues, but this case reassures him that being a copper was the best way for _him_ to change the world for the better. The pair's different experiences and views combine to form a formidable team in this setting, something they'll need to deal with the criminal they're trying to pin down. Even near the end, it seems that it may be a case of knowing who and how without having quite enough evidence to prove it...

This early entry in the series is a relatively simple police procedural, rather than the complex literary game to be found in some of the later novels, but still has Hill's characteristic style and wittiness. It's one for all fans of the series, whether your taste runs to the shorter novels or the long, psychologically complex ones, as it sets up some of the series background. Apart from developing Pascoe's character, it introduces two of the recurring non-police characters. Pascoe is reunited with old university friend Ellie Soper, whom he later marries: and this is the first appearance of Franny Roote, who reappears much later in the series as a major character in a story arc spanning several books. And it is, of course, an entertaining book in its own right.

"An Advancement of Learning" is the second Dalziel and Pasco mystery republished under the terrific Felony and Mayhem label. The revival of these early classics is a major service to readers who can't get enough of the D&P duo and other excellent mysteries from the 70s and 80s.

"An Advancement of Learning" takes the intrepid detectives to a small English college to investigate the appearance of a body that turns up when a campus monument is moved. The uncovered corpse turns out to be that of woman memorialized by the sculpture under which it had been resting for several years. With that novel beginning, the story moves on to explore the complex characters and relationships of the faculty members and antics of the student body. The latter component of the story feels a little dated--the book was written in 1971--but otherwise, the plot is intricate enough to provide a very entertaining read.

The Dalziel/Pascoe relationship was already well established by author Reginald Hill at this early date and their prickly but productive interaction is, as always, more than half of the reading fun. There are a number of other broadly defined characters here that bring piquancy to the book, including the appearance of Ellie Soper--lusty, outspoken and beautiful--who will eventually become Pascoe's wife and figure in several future books.

This is an excellent read that suffers only slightly from its 38-year old context. Well worth the money and time.

This second entry in the Dalziel and Pascoe series is a winner. It's got a good complex plot, and a very complicated murder. We also get to know our two detectives a bit more, as they work together to solve an old homicide at a College. Dalziel finds himself a bit out of his element in this scholarly setting, but his mind is still razor-sharp and he does manage to make sense out of the puzzle, but not before another body is found. Pascoe provides more of his truly insightful theories which helps them get to the answer. This is a great series - intelligent and well-written.

Some of Hill's earliest novels don't really compare to some of his later ones, but this is one of a couple of absolutely cracking exceptions.

It's got a wonderfully complex plot, some brilliant characters, a great setting, some surprising twists, and it is written wonderfully. Plus, Franny Roote is one of the best villains Hill has ever created. This one, indeed, is essential reading for those who intend to read the later books in the series, because it is Roote's first appearance, and he goes on to appear in quite a large role in all three of Hill most recent books ("Arms and the Women", "Dialogues of the Dead", and "Death's Jest Book"). It's also pivotal in that here Pascoe is first re-united with his former friend, and future wife, Ellie.

A body is found buried in the grounds of Holm Coultram College, and the police arrive, settling themselves in on campus. They meet a wonderful array of interesting and well-drawn interesting characters (students and lecturers alike), but then a new body turns up, and then another...

This is a wonderful crime novel, realistic and strangely chilling, that explores the underbelly of that bastion of the education system, the College, with its strong-willed students, and with it's lectureers all too ready to give in to temptation...

I would reccomend this novel to anyone, especially fans of the police procedural which not only entertains but challenges the intellect. The character, story, writing and setting are all marvellous. Fantastic. Certainly one of Hill's best.

This book is a novel that reads like history. It offers interesting insights of the history of Tasmania. This book is an Australian classic. Highly recommended.

For the term of his Natural Life is an Australian classic, a tale of inhumanity and suffering during Australia's early colonial history.

The more I read this, the more I see in it the emerging attitudes that play a very large part of Australian culture today. To start with, there is no significant reference to the Aboriginal people, the actual owners of the land, they seem to barely exist at all and when they do they are dismissed.

The characteristic disrespect for authority is here of course, for there's no attempt to soften the truth of the degradation and cruelty, it's a living, breathing image of the times. It broke my heart as a teenager for the prisons that Clarke describes in Tasmania and Norfolk Island are the prisons where my 12 year old great grandfather was cruelly tormented.

But Clarke doesn't attempt to persuade us with pity. Nor are we persuaded to to censure. Clarke merely portrays the atmosphere and attitudes of the period.

Please don't confuse the book with the fim starring Anthony Perkins. The only similarity is the title.

In the film, the working class Rufus Dawes becomes young aristocrat Richard Devine. The plot dives to the depths as the dashing young gentleman Devine is wrongly accused of murder and shipped off to the penal colony to suffer under the harsh prison conditions where he resolves to escape and restore his good name. Only the help of Sylvia, the prison Commandant's daughter, can save him. A nice, trite sample of maudlin mush.

Marcus Clarke would be spinning in his grave if he knew of this travesty

Clark's writings in this book give you an insight into penal life in Australia's early history. His writing style gives you an empathy with the characters,and his descriptons of the Port Arthur site make you feel as if you are there. Some time later I visited Port Arthur, and Clark's writings came back. When you have been there you realise how good the book is.

I am planning a trip to Tasmania and it was recommended that I read Clarke's epic tale. It is one of inspiration and great character and describes life, the conditions and environment in which those men and women suffered. I am particularly looking forward to visiting Sarah Island and Port Arthur so I can get a taste of what those people (both innocent and guilty) had to endure. Definately recommended reading for those planning a holiday to Tassie!

I read this book while in and returning from Tasmania. I found it to be a much better insight into the history and mentality of Australia than any tour/travel planner I read. It has survived the test of time because it is so accurate in its portrayal of the penal transportation system. It also serves to show that the recent tragedy at Port Arthur Tasmania is minor and almost insignificant if it is compared to what the "civilized" british empire performed at the same location

We own all of this series! Started reading them when my daughter was 4 (she just turned 5 now), and they are age appropriate. Not too scary and always a happy ending. One book only takes us about 4-5 nights worth of reading together. The longer ones are good too "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" and "Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand", but they are a little bit scarrier than the short books (more appropriate for ages 5-7 I would think).

My girls (3 and 4) LOVE these fairy books - my 4 year old reads them over and over and both love for me to read them out loud!

Never Land is a magical island very far away from this planet. You probably have heard of it before. You probably have seen movies about it or read books about it or both. As you should know, in Never Land you never grow old. And you probably have heard something about fairies living there, or something of the sort. Well, now you can learn more about the mystical Never Fairies. Learn their talents, abilities and personalities in the Disney Fairies chapter book series!

So far this is the first and only Disney Fairies chapter book I've read. However, I plan on reading as many as I can! Usually books don't hold my attention span very long and after the first few chapters, I stop and forget it. However, this was very captivating! I read it in a single sitting! Lots of things happen in the plot. Speaking of plot, I think I'll summarize it.

Beck is an animal-talent fairy. She understands the twitters, chatters, squeaks, and wimpers of animals and recognizes them as a language. She is one of the best animal-talent fairies there is, in fact. One of her friends is a hummingbird named Twitter. Twitter has a frantic personality and often calls for Beck, saying it's an "emergency". Almost always it turns out to be nothing alarming. However, not this time. A nest disappears - and the birds suspect the chipmunks nabbed it. Soon, every time a chipmunk walks by a blackberry bush, hummingbirds are flinging juicy berries everywhere and splatting everyone (not just chipmunks!) with dark purple juice. Finally the chipmunks decide to fight back. A huge war broke out! Can Beck help them to be at peace once again?

Pretty exciting, huh? Well that's not even the half of it. Lots of other things happen - you'll just have to read it yourself! The illustrations are also quite splendid. The animal pictures are touching and the expressions are great! This book is really good and even if it's not selling for cheap, it's worth the price! Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"

I like animal stories. When I found out Beck was an "Animal Talent" fairy I wanted to skip straight to this book. I controlled myself instead and read the first 3 in the series. They were GREAT!
Then I read "Beck and the Great Berry Battle". I kept having to check the title to make sure I was reading the right book. This book should have been called "Beck is Around When Stuff Happens."
Beck is the weakest character so far. The artwork for this book is excellent, but it is wasted on a ho-hum story where everyone gets to be a hero or solve the puzzle or do cool stuff except Beck. Oh and by the way, "Animal Talent" is a secret Disney code for "Good With Children".
Go ahead and read the story, don't let me stop you. But I'm still hoping someone will write a story about Beck who actually WANTED to write a story about Beck.

I gave Fairy Dust 5 stars. SO far the book I have read in this series deserve at least 6 then. I LOVED the magic started in Fairy dust, but they have stepped it up and made a wonderful world of fairies most people will love. I found this book to have more personality and character then Fairy dust. They elaborate more on the characters, the talents and everything. The fairy world just got more magical!!

I've listened to lots of Irish music, and have always loved the sound of the tin whistle, although I thought it would be too complicated for me to play. This great combo of tape/instruction book demystifies the process, and within a short amount of time one can play lovely pieces. Having the tape really helps to focus the player on the music. Recommend for the beginner and intermediate to advanced players as well.

This is the songbook and cassette combination that taught me to play the penny whistle! This book takes from the basics of playing the whistle, through advanced ornamentation such as crans, rolls, cuts, and strikes. Including several dozen songs, this book is an excellent resource for any whistler.

This was the first tinwhistle how-to-learn book I ever had. I have since added 3 others, but none is as good as Bill Ochs' book. I actually taught myself to read music with this book! For a simple instrument that will give a huge range of expressive possibilities, I can't think of anything better than a whistle. And the Clarke is the best-looking of them all!

This book got me started on the pennywhistle. It includes a Clarke tin whistle in the key of C (another version of the kit is available in the key of D). It's an inexpensive introduction to an easy and versatile instrument. I would recommend this book to anyone who's just starting out (and is ambitious).

I bought this book about three weeks ago and can already play a few simple peices.The accompanying cassette makes playing tunes all the more easy. I play guitar and am really into Celtic sounds. On a personal note, my grandfather used to play one quite well according to my mom but I was too young to remember. Now I am even more motivated ! BUY IT ! You won't regret it.

What a wonderful take on the classic Clement C. Moore poem. On the left pages the traditional poem is rendered, but on the right we hear from a little boy -- a creature who was stirring! Although he knows it is naughty, he can't help but take a peek (and maybe a little joy ride!) on Santa's sleigh. With brightly colored, page-filling, eye-catching illustrations, this book is a great way to introduce new readers to the classic poem or freshen up an old classic.

As a read-aloud, the left side/right side layout can be a little confusing, but should be pretty clear if you give the classic poem and the sections told from the little boy's point of view different voices and emphasis. The big, bright illustrations are also great for groups. But this would be a great little lap-read too.

A small boy knows he is supposed to be asleep on Christmas eve but he risks the "naughty" list in order to get a peek out the window when Santa's sleigh arrives.

Moore's well known poem chronicles Santa's visit on the left page while the boy's adventure with Santa's precariously parked sleigh develops on the opposing page.

One alert kindergarten lad pointed out that the boy's words were printed in white while Moore's poem is printed in gold. I was so pleased he had noticed and it makes the last page of the story even more fun.

Lovely golden end papers open the book. Goodrich's illustrations are humorous and the kids followed the story easily. It was a fun read.

This is a great take on the great old classic I love. I purchased this book as a Christmas present for my six year old great nephew, so I have not given it to him yet. I love the illustrations and think he will too!

Kids will enjoy this story, parents too, and everyone can marvel at the fantastic illustrations. Carter Goodrich is an amazing artist. In "A Creature Was Stirring" he captures a great Christmas feeling with his colors and the few characters of the book are full of life and personality. He has a particularly interesting take on Santa. The story is cool too, it offers a fresh spin on the old "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", telling the story from the perspective of a little boy, which I am sure kids will love. The original text is used in the story as well, so you get a nice new version with the classic there too, good deal.

Buy this if you want a great Christmas story for your kids and the child inside you, and also if you have any interest in Carter Goodrich, illustration, animation design, or great drawing and painting in general.

Magic abounds in Carter Goodrich's splendidly illustrated second story tucked alongside the familiar 'Night Before Christmas.' A little boy's insomnia culminates in his own brief flight in Santa's sleigh, while stockings are stuffed at the hearth below. Night and snow and reindeer and pillows are all illustrated with a deft colored pencil/watercolor mix that intrigues the artistic eye. Goodrich shows a new side of himself, a pleasant surprise to fans of his New Yorker magazine covers.