Fitzgerald Books

I thought this book was amazing! It was so interesting that Frank and Joe didn't even know their criminal until the very end. I also thought that it was very cool that Frank and Joe were able to see a tooth that was a voice transmitter called the Molar Mike. Soon after they see it, it is stolen and what they have to do to get it back gave me chills just reading it. When Joe got pushed into the way of an oncoming subway that would have scared me so much I think I probably would have quit the case! The way the author was describing all the wax figures in the museum was creating pictures in my mind because he was giving so many details! I would totally recommend this book to anyone: boy or girl. I enjoy them and I know that some of the boys in my class read them. The Hardy Boys Series are definitely one of the best series I have ever read because there is so much detail and specific word choice in it! I love the way the author describes things and makes them come alive! I also love the way he has all the clues leading up to the revealing of the criminal. I've loved reading this series ever since I was very young and I'm still reading them today!

I thought this book was amazing! It was so interesting that Frank and Joe didn't even know their criminal until the very end. I also thought that it was very cool that Frank and Joe were able to see a tooth that was a voice transmitter called the Molar Mike. Soon after they see it, it is stolen and what they have to do to get it back gave me chills just reading it. When Joe got pushed into the way of an oncoming subway that would have scared me so much I think I probably would have quit the case! The way the author was describing all the wax figures in the museum was creating pictures in my mind because he was giving so many details! I would totally recommend this book to anyone: boy or girl. I enjoy them and I know that some of the boys in my class read them. The Hardy Boys Series are definitely one of the best series I have ever read because there is so much detail and specific word choice in it! I love the way the author describes things and makes them come alive! I also love the way he has all the clues leading up to the revealing of the criminal. I've loved reading this series ever since I was very young and I'm still reading them today!

I thought this book was amazing! It was so interesting that Frank and Joe didn't even know their criminal until the very end. I also thought that it was very cool that Frank and Joe were able to see a tooth that was a voice transmitter called the Molar Mike. Soon after they see it, it is stolen and what they have to do to get it back gave me chills just reading it. When Joe got pushed into the way of an oncoming subway that would have scared me so much I think I probably would have quit the case! The way the author was describing all the wax figures in the museum was creating pictures in my mind because he was giving so many details! The Hardy Boys Series are definitely one of the best series I have ever read because there is so much detail and specific word choice in it! I love the way the author describes things and makes them come alive! I also love the way he has all the clues leading up to the revealing of the criminal. I've loved reading this series ever since I was very young and I'm still reading them today!

The Hardy Boys are in London visiting their friend Jax, who has just perfected a tiny radio transceiver capable of being fitted into a tooth! When a mysterious fire occurs at an exhibit Jax was working on in the Tower Of London, authorities are suspicious of him. Later, Frank, Joe and Jax are attacked and finally the invention is stolen from a hidden wall safe! Frank and Joe track down the clues which seemingly involves a Russian spy and solve the mystery is a twist ending.

I have to admit I was intrigued by the title of this book and the cover art. The story is one of the better Hardy Boys stories in a while. The writing is good and the author creates a good atmosphere for the setting, which is London England. The mystery involves one of the Hardy's friends, Jax who has invented a transmitter that can fit inside a tooth. Lots of suspects, red herrings and a surprise ending make for a great read!

Why are there not more Pip Squeak books!!! I bought this story thinking it was just going to be a simple tool to help get my daughter geared up for reading but I was pleasantly surprised to find a fantastic story with one adorable little mouse we never get sick of drips or drops or plips or plops in this house!

This is one of favorite books to read to my children. It has wonderful rhyming & tempo with illustrations that are also quite pleasant. It's a delight to read out loud.

I bought this book for my three year old and she loves it! It's a simple fun story about a mouse frantic to stop the drip drops and plip plops. It's easy enough that she can pick up and say some of the words while we are reading and energetic from start to finish.

A wonderfully repetitious yarn to read at home or in a barn! We never tired of each drip or drop nor all the plips and plops! Fifty readings the first three nights kept Gran and granddaughter giggling with delight! Eagerly awaiting the next Pip Squeak tail.

My first grader got this book for Christmas and loves it! It is easy enough for her to understand the story, and yet doesn't talk down to her or use words that are too easy.
Drip, Drop is beautifully illustrated and makes a child want to read! The illustrations draw you in and help make up the story.
It is well geared to a young reader who is just starting to read alone.

I rate this a 5. It is well worth it!
Marguerite 1/29/02

*Warning: there are some plot spoilers in this review!*

Jane Austen has a reputation as a witty, humorous writer with a keen eye for human folly and failings, and with this novel she certainly lives up to her reputation. While Emma isn't as popular as my personal favorite Pride and Prejudice, I believe that Emma is so popular, and can be considered "literature" (that is, a piece of art) because the story really has a universal quality to it. The fact that we can relate to the situations and characters in Emma some 300 years later is what makes it seem so timeless, and why the Emma movie with a "modern twist", Clueless, was so wildly successful. When you compare both Emma and Clueless they show how little has changed and that privileged teenagers (and young adults) will find themselves in the same situations and social patterns, whether they are in 19th century England or 21st century America.
Of course, while the wealthy and bored teenagers in Clueless might try to set up their friends on dates, the stakes were a bit higher in Emma. Emma (the heroine) attempts to match her new friend Harriet Smith with the new minister Mr. Elton not just for dating, but for marriage as long as they both shall live (remember, divorce was rare, if not nonexistent in early 19th century Britain.) Unfortunately, this plan backfires when Mr. Elton becomes interested in Emma, not Harriet. The problem was that Emma (already conceited because she successfully "guessed well" when she matched her tutor Ms. Taylor with a local widower Mr. Weston) failed to get to know Harriet and Mr. Elton well enough to figure out if they were, in fact, right for each other. Emma shows her class-snobbery when she (through some very adolescent mind games) convinces Harriet to reject the proposal that she receives from a local farmer (Mr. Martin, the man Harriet likes and eventually falls in love with), in the hopes that Mr. Elton will propose. Emma was too self-centered and (to steal the phrase from Amy Heckerling) clueless to notice that Mr. Elton was not, in fact, interested in Harriet, but in herself--a fact that leads to Harriet's heartbreak. Of course, this is only one part of the multi-faceted story that Jane Austen created about the life of a "handsome, clever and rich" woman living in Highbury, England, but it gives you a sense of the life and times of Ms. Emma Woodhouse (as we see them in the book)
Fortunately, all is well in the end when Emma learns her lesson about matchmaking and toying with emotions and discovers that she loves her brother-in-law and well loved family friend Mr. Knightly. This is a classic "happy ending by way of falling in love with the best friend that you had all along," but with a slightly dated feel. First, he is sixteen years older than her and he, in a way, helped to raise her (at least, in principles). The fact that he admits openly to having been "in love with (her) ever since (she) was thirteen at least," slightly bothered me. Who, in the 21st century, would admit to having a crush on their 13 year old sister-in-law? In the context and time of the novel it's romantic. Now Mr. Knightly might be described as a pedophile. However, the dated dialogue (like the above) is the only qualm I had about the book, and I hope that it doesn't discourage anyone from reading Emma. Overall, I would recommend this book to any Clueless fan, romantic-comedy fan, or anyone who wants to read the wonderfully universal writing of Jane Austen.

Though not her favorite novel, Austen's Emma shines as one of her most beloved. The character of Emma is both believable and lovable. This particular edition is a great keepsake, one you can pass down to your own daughter.

Emma is basically a darling snob. She has a kind, loving heart, and really wants to do good, but makes a tangle of everybody's lives, including her own. I'm sick of flawless, shallow, empty heroines, so Emma's faults and conquering of faults endear her. The unabridged book is slightly complicated (such as old-fashioned language) but if you savor it slowly it is well worth it. The plot is clever, sweet, funny and leaves a satisfied, warm kind of glow in the pit of your stomach. The perfect ending makes you want to cry. Don't spoil THIS novel with any trashy sequels.

TRY WATCHING the Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam "Emma."

Emma Woodhouse, to me, has always been the "truest" of Austen's heroines. Emma's flaws are so real. I don't know any woman who is completely innocent of vanity, so it's refreshing to find a character, like Emma, who is drawn out for us in all of her "princess syndrome" glory. The "good" Austen characters, like Jane Bennett or Fanny Price, often leave me with a false feeling that I can't relate to. Emma Woodhouse's story intrigues and envelops me. I've read it over and over again...and the book never stays on my shelf for long.

Jane Austen perfects the art of character development in Emma. The long, twisted plot carefully and slowly develops each character using rich detail that makes the characters come alive with personality. Without the rich detail and character development, I do not feel this book would have stood the test of time and become the classic that it is. Emma is a heart-warming book with enough orneriness mixed in to make it amusing.

What a life! Just when you think his life couldn't get anymore interesting you turn the page and presto, it's more interesting. Great life and great book.

Reading Bill Carter's book was like traveling through a time warp with stops at many of the important historical and social events that make up the history of the last half of the Twentieth Century. What an enjoyable ride! Bill Carter is a true American original. A fascinating personality.

Robert Kleine - Author, Copywriter, Website Developer
www.rapidarticle.com/copywriting

"Wow! Bill Carter's life can only be described as a giant thrill ride and one which everyone should accompany him on. Not only will you be held hostage by the historical events, famous people and gripping stories in this book, but you will be reading a roadmap to high achievement in your own life. Get Carter. Get Reading."

"Shedding light on some of the most intruiging events of the twentieth century, Bill Carter delivers delicious tales of someone privileged to have a rare view in one of the front seats of our world. Bill rode the events of history and tells you about them in his unique and entertaining way.

Read "Get Carter" and take a seat next to Bill in this enlightening book!"

Terri Marie - Award-winning author of "Be The Hero of Your Own Game."
www.herobookonline.com

As the leading civilian authority on the Secret service, I recommend this book from former agent William Carter (despite reservations I have about his post-assassination work--see chapter 12 of my book). Still, a great read and well put together. Worth your time and money. Get it!

A beautiful, well written, poignant story about a boy who wants to fly and does not understand why he can't. So, understanding birds the way he does, he wants to fly like a hawk. He decides to sneak off to Santos Mountain and steal a young Red Tail Hawk from of its nest. The boy, Rudy Soto, desires to be the hawk's brother so they can learn to fly together. But he finally realizes at the end of summer after all the other young hawks have learned to fly that the bird is unhappy living in a cage with a string tied around its leg. He realizes the bird will not give up and longs for freedom. The hawk wants to fly. That's all he's ever wanted, just like Rudy.

I won't give away the ending. You'll just have to read it with your children and share with them what this remarkable story has to offer.

Byrd Baylor's books are not just for children. Grownups enjoy them too. They are simple stories about desert life that offer great insight about living and what is truly important way beyond material possessions. This book is about sky and wind and freedom and the beauty that is unique to the desert.

I loved it!

My husband and I purchased this book because we are always searching for good books to read to our nine grandchildren..they have loved the Byrd Baylor books. "Hawk, I am Your Brother" is education and sensitive to being quiet and watching to learn. It is an easy read for all ages of our grandchildren, ages 18 years old to 9 years old. No matter the age they loved being read to, especially by Grandpa. They already watch TV that does nothing for their imagination or originality. We have found the local bookstores thin on Baylor books. :(

My five-year-old son loves to think about flying with hawks and loves to think about having a hawk for a brother. He gets upset with Rudy Soto (the main character of this book) for taking a hawk chick from its nest, but enjoys the end when he sets him free and the hawk and the boy "talk" back and forth to each other. Like Rudy, my son thinks maybe there are some people out there who really do know how to fly...

The Caldecott-winning drawings are simple line drawings that evoke the idea of flight (or being grounded on occassion). The text accents the drawings--

It is
broken
into
many
short
lines,
which
draw the
eye up to
the top of
the pages.

It becomes a single free-verse poem of flight. The combination of the story, the exact words chosen, and the pictures have let to many discussions with my son already and he has only had this book for a couple of weeks. Highly recommended!

Kids really like this book, what kid hasn't dreamed of flying and keeping a wild bird as a pet. The message is powerful, that humans can gain much from kinship with free wild animals--a glimpse into a broader view of life. Peter Parnall's illustrations are hauntingly lovely. Nice gift for kids of all ages, especially those who love nature and animals.

HAWK I'M YOUR BROTHER is a touching story of how a child learns that there are some things in life which cannot be achieved by enslaving that which holds the knowledge you seek but rather to understand the secret of this special freedom is how you will treat and respect the needs of the wild creature who holds the answers to your quest.. that to be trapped and held against its will is not the best way for the creature to teach what it knows. Each time I read it I understand Rudy's need to keep the hawk and the Hawk's need to be free and how Rudy comes to undertand the simplistic belief that to really be one with any creature it cannot be enslaved, it must be set free. By learning and letting go, Rudy can truly be as the hawk. Free.

My 7 yr old son chose this book for his school book report and he loved it. However, when he went to write his authors biography, there was none found in the book. After much research on the internet, we found all about the author, Jamie McEwan.
What we found out was totally COOL!!! ...

Our young bear hero, Bobby North, discovers that what was hip one day at his old school is now passe at the new one. But Bobby meets moose Harry Haller, the "Emperor of Cool" and copies his every move. "He ate cool, he slept cool, he walked cool, and he talked cool..." He becomes so cool, in fact, that one day he literally needs to thaw before he can move! Finally Bobby wins the acceptance he so eagerly sought..

After reaching the epitome of cool, Bobby discovers he no longer has to try being cool: "He already was cool. He'd been there. Right at the heart of it". Bobby seems to have discovered the zen of cool-- being cool is about authenticity and not playing to the crowd. But this moral conviction falters as author McEwan tries to have it both ways: At the contest for coolest skateboarder, Bobby both tries being cool and disdains it. Harry's sage advice that boundaries are sometimes needed tempers Bobby's free-wheeling but potentially dangerous freedom. (In a way, there's a mixed message, being cool means doing your own thing, but within limits imposed by a role model). Ultimately, the sage Harry whispers an understanding message about skateboarding and the art of achieving inner cool: "Many catch air. Only a few take flight."

Perhaps this review finds too much of a message in the book. At the level with which most kids will read it, "The Heart of Cool" uses authentic language(e.g."Okay, big man, your turn! Show us how Mr. Totally Cool does it."). There's a believable spectrum of characters, and Sandra Boynton's ever magical mix of soft line, beautiful, unusual coloration, and nuanced portrayal of emotion. 48 pages, buoyed by Boynton's graceful illustrations and a "message" that may, at least in part, alleviate some of the dangers of peer pressure.

This is nearly a perfect book. I have nothing negative to say about it, so perhaps that means it IS a perfect book. It communicates coolness to the 3rd/4th grade set smashingly.

Bobby North starts at a new school and finds the things that were cool at his old school aren't cool in his new environment. So he immitates the coolest kid, skatboarding moose Harry Haller(at first very badly). With practice he gets better and wins the appelation "cool." He becomes SO cool he chills completely.

Then his coolness is challenged (by warthog Siggy Sidewinder). (Usually the story ends here with the challenged winning out...) And he's so intent on feeling the coolness of his air-grabbing stunt that he plants his face in the shrubs.

When Siggy laughs at him the next day at school Bobby & Harry have a little discussion about what coolness is.

Sandra Boynton's cooly colored cartoon illustrations are just exactly right: cute without being cutesy. An excellent gift for young skateboard enthusiasts who may or may not love to read. OR an excellent gift for that teenager who is searching for cool.

Happy Reading!

I haven't been able to keep a copy of this book on hand because I keep finding people to give it away to. People that I think might love it as much as I did! So far it's been a complete hit. This book is fun, humorous, clever, wise and just the right touch of fulfilling for anyone that has ever wondered if they should fit in. Wonder no more... just hurry and order this slendidly illustrated book. Young, old and all the stages between will love reading this book. Just be sure to buy an extra one, so that you can keep one on hand.

Looking at the subject matter of this book, I figured it'd be the same ol', same ol'--don't try to be "cool", just accept who you are and learn to like yourself. The Heart Of Cool isn't so nearly so dull as that! Bobby starts off simply imitating his cool idol, Harry, but then truly transforms into someone so cool he's nice and chilled. Bobby eventually finds he doesn't need to show off to prove anything to the other kids--he knows he's cool. This is what kid's books should be: fun!

This book continues with the very successful formula of presenting an exciting adventure for children and an interesting parable for adults. As a family we enjoy rereading this book multiple times and reliving Hector's adventures. We are eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Hector Fuller is great. It is a book that you don't want to be over. You want to keep reading it and reading it.

I love these books. Once Hectors starts looking for a new place to live, he has one adventure after another.

We are in love with Hector the wumbelbug.What an endearing story and perfect addition to Hector Springs a Loose.My kids always reach for Hector and we all enjoy reading these wonderful adventures.We can't wait for the next one!

I am a school librarian and have been reading Hector Finds a Fortune to my first graders. They absolutely love this book! It's very funny and also teaches kids a good deal about insects. This is a great book to read out loud as well as an excellent chapter book for beginning readers. My students and I look forward to Hector's further adventures!

Ms. Shreeve's book is a wonderful and imaginative tale about the adventures of a wumblebug. In this delightful story, the wumblebug learns about his neighbors and matures through his experiences. Whereas some books for children are boring for the parents, this book is equally entertaining as a charming story for children and a fable for adults. Highly recommended.

We love Hector the wumblebug! This is a fun story that really paints a great picture of what it would be like to be a bug! The author puts a lot of the natural world into the story so you learn about real bugs that live with the imaginary wumblebug. My kid loved this and the other book "Hector finds a Fortune" - we hope there are more Hector adventures to come. A good read aloud or early reader. We did both in my house

My family is so glad we found Hector the Wumblebug!! These two books tell the adventures of this little bug and also give a great feeling for what it might be like to live in a bugs world. The author has a great way of talking about the natural world and still telling a story! My kid loves these books and we hope there will be more adventures of Hector. Good read aloud for a young one or excellent early reader. We did both in my house!

This book was nonstop fun!We enjoyed every minute of this adventerous tale.We also loved Hector finds a Fortune and my children can't wait for more!(me too)

I am a school librarian and have been reading Hector Springs Loose to my second and third graders. They love it! Not only is it very funny, but it gives kids a lot of useful information about insects. A wonderful read-aloud, as well as an excellent chapter book for emerging readers. The other Hector book in the series is just as fun.

It's also the best I own all of them and let me tell you this is a good buy. I bought it in the marketplace for $3.77, most places want to sell it for over $30. The way the pictures are laid out in the book it's as if the photographer is telling a story w/ pictures. Amazing, absolutely amazing.

After over forty years, the JFK mystique is still with us, tempered and expanded over the course of time. There are two main themes that strike you when reading this book. The first is that in the initial stages of his campaign for President in 1960, JFK did not generate a great deal of interest. He toured the primary states and in some cases addressed very hostile crowds. In other cases, it was a misnomer to describe his audience as a crowd. However, he persevered and by the end of the campaign the crowds to see and hear him were enormous. His was the last successful presidential campaign that began at the bottom and was not carefully orchestrated with the aid of political handlers.
The second main theme is how incredibly photogenic John Kennedy and his wife were. Not only were they beautiful people, but they were people whose good looks survived the often-harsh reality of the camera. While some of these pictures were posed, most were not and yet both of them still maintain a certain regal quality. Pictures with a small amount of explanatory text cannot truly do historical justice to the Kennedy presidency. However, this book is literally and figuratively a snapshot of his presidency and therefore is of historical interest.

A beautiful book on the former first family. The perfect book to share with family and friends. Highly recommended!!!!!! FOR QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ON JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEAE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

The text are complete, and there are a lot of rare and cute photos. The book tells about Jack, Jackie and bobby so it's great. I suggest it too all Kennedy fans. I enjoyed it.

I'm an italian student in Economy and I'm a great fan of Jfk. Probably I think this is one of the best book I have ever read. The photos are very nice and the text of Schlesinger is very interesting.

That Summer in Paris by Morley Callaghan is another version of Hemingway in Paris which is probably a lot closer to the truth.

If you need or want to know the truth, read this book. Hemingway sure made a seductive myth about himself. We don't fault him for improving on the truth. The Hemingway version is fun to read but this one is fun too.

By the way, Callaghan wrote an outstanding short story called "Luke Baldwin's Vow." You can see why Hemingway thought highly of him.

A perfect companion to Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast"...written about the same people and time, but with a different point of view...

I had never heard of Morley Callghan before reading this book. Which is unfortunate because the book is hard to put down. It is well-written, informative, amusing, thought provoking and gives insight into several notable literary figures from a first hand perspective.

Canadian writer Morley Callaghan (1903-1990) published 16 novels and more than 100 works of short fiction, and he was one of the first Canadian authors to make his living solely from his craft. Callaghan believed in capturing the bare truth and honest emotional content of people's lives, so his prose shuns stylistic busyness. Edmund Wilson called him "the most unjustly neglected novelist in the English-speaking world," and Maxwell Perkins called him the world's best short story writer.

THAT SUMMER IN PARIS, as a memoir of Paris in the 20s, is every bit as engaging a book, if more limited in scope, as Hemingway's A MOVEABLE FEAST. The book begins with Callaghan's inspiring story of meeting Hemingway while working on the same paper in Toronto--at the time Callaghan was in his early 20s (still in college), and Hemingway was a couple years older. Hemingway had temporarily left Paris and was in town working for the paper to provide his wife Hadley with the benefits of Toronto hospitals during childbirth. Hemingway quickly became a sort of literary patron for Callaghan and, when he returned to Europe, took Callaghan's short stories with him and passed them around Paris. Fitzgerald became enthusiastic about Callaghan's work and also began championing him with Paris and New York publishers. After Callaghan published 2 books of fiction (in no small part due to the help of his "Paris friends"), Callaghan finally made his own visit, with his wife, to Paris in 1929. The anecdotes he recounts are simply marvelous, and I can't recommend the book highly enough. Boxing matches with Hemingway, Fitzgerald's drunken histrionics, a strange evening with Joyce and a phonograph... it's priceless stuff.

They say that timing is everything and the fact that this particular writer just happened to be sitting on the Boulevard Montparnasse on the right evening of the right year, means we have a further insight into the lives of those Paris expatriates, Hemingway and Fitzgerald and others. At the same time, this may be an opportunity for some people to discover Morley Callaghan, who is a very fine writer in his own right. His life ran parallel to Hemingway's for some time, as they met in Toronto and later in Paris and remained friends thereafter, even if they saw each other only rarely. In a sense, he is just the person to give us a penetrating look behind the legends that were being created in the cafés and bars of the ville lumière at the end of the thirties. This is a delightful book as well; Callaghan is nobody's fool, which means he's not writing for the mundane reasons that might otherwise be expected, and you can trust him. He is painting a portrait of a world teetering on the very brink (it is the summer of 1929), and in his own artful way, he has succeeded in giving us a rare glimpse into the ill-lit streets and nightclubs just before it all fades away into the decade of hopelessness that followed. It's well worth finding this book if you can - it's a little gem.