Frank Books

I have read many medical memoir books and this tops them all! I also recommend "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe" by Dr. Katrina Firlik.

This book is phenomenal. The author's recount of his neurosurgery training is both gripping and funny. Some of the patients he treated and what happened to them will be forever engraved in my mind. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot. This is not a type of book I am used to reading but it is very well written. The subject is very intersting and Mr. Vertosick makes it very easy to understand for people like me, who does not know a lot about subject.

I highly recommend this book. I am an R.N. and my husband is an electrical engineer and neither of us could put the book down. I've read it twice already. It's very well-written and shows a side of surgeons you never see in the hospital.

Originally published in 1996, "When the Air Hits Your Brain," by Dr. Frank Vertosick, is a mesmerizing insider's look at "an arrogant occupation" whose practitioners operate on the spinal cord and the human brain ("a trillion nerve cells storing electrical patterns more numerous than the water molecules of the world's oceans"). A neurosurgeon must be supremely confident in his ability to get the job done; if he were to dwell on everything that could possibly go wrong during a procedure, he would be too terrified to operate. Because of the high potential for missteps, neurosurgical training is an arduous seven years of hell. Before he starts treating "brain cancers, spinal cord injuries, head trauma, [and] lethal hemorrhages," a trainee must endure a grueling regimen of study which includes repeated humiliation at the hands of verbally abusive mentors. This is not a profession for the faint-hearted, for when neurosurgery is unsuccessful, the results can be catastrophic. Even if the patient survives, his cognition, speech, movement, and vision may be forever compromised. In the words of Gary Stancik, a sardonic chief resident, the brain is like a '66 Cadillac: "It was built for performance, not for easy servicing."

Vertosick fell into neurosurgery by happenstance. He spent some time as a steelworker, majored in theoretical physics, and wound up choosing medicine by default. In the years to come, he would have to adjust to impossibly long hours, inadequate sleep, and hit-or-miss meals. He would become adept at performing quickly and efficiently under pressure. However, none of his earlier experiences would fully prepare him for the emotional roller-coaster that lay ahead. He was destined to endure a trial by fire when faced with such cases as a six-week old infant born with a malignant tumor, a twenty-two year old woman with devastating multiple injuries resulting from an auto accident, a Vietnam veteran with an intracranial aneurysm, and a twenty-eight year old pregnant woman with a lump of cancerous cells in her brain. Fortunately, Dr. Vertosick enjoyed some notable successes; he was instrumental in helping a number of gravely ill patients resume normal lives.

Although it is vital to care about and communicate with each patient, Vertosick argues that it is a mistake to become too personally invested in each outcome. Hardest of all, one must accept the unpleasant fact that even brain surgeons can commit colossal blunders. On one occasion, Vertosick sank into despair when one of his patients died because of what he perceived to be his incompetence. He could have given in to his torment and self-loathing and abandoned his career, but he ultimately decided to "stop moping over one postoperative death." In the words of the aforementioned Gary, "Yeah, it's a nightmare, but that's neurosurgery. Land of nightmares."

"When the Air Hits Your Brain" is impeccably and stylishly written, with fascinating asides about the complexities of medicine and the human body. Vertosick's wry and irreverent black humor serves as a welcome respite from the book's often grim subject matter. In his postscript, which was written in 2007, the author provides updates on the changes that have occurred in the last decade: by law, residents are not allowed to work more than eighty hours a week, aneurysms may now be treated without resorting to invasive surgery, and new technologies such as deep brain stimulation and "frameless stereotaxis (a kind of GPS system for navigating the brain)" are revolutionizing the field. This is an intelligent, moving, and enlightening book and one of the most powerful and intimate accounts that I have ever read on the making of a surgeon.

I'm a big fan of these annotated books, not only for their visual appeal on the bookshelf, but for their ability to transport me away from the everyday world. And you may think you know Oz because you can sing "Over the Rainbow" and "Follow the Yellow Brick Road", but I assure you, this book will take you farther into Oz than you ever went before. Unlike The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, which is dense with text, this volume is packed with art and illustrations, including a lot of full color pages. The movie images floating in your brain take on a different hue when you see the illustrations which actually brought the Ozian creatures to life. As with all the annotated works in this "series", this one has crisp, cleanly printed pages, an artsy dust jacket that is pleasing to behold, and tons of Baum biographical information, and of course, lots of notations. If you are an Oz fan to begin with, you owe it to yourself to buy this book. If you just like children's stories and the history behind them, this is also for you. And don't forget: the book is better than the movie, anyway!

This is a wonderfully informative book. It has its biases, but they're of the harmless, author-worship variety. The only caveat I'd add is that this isn't the book to have as your sole copy of The Wizard of Oz. It's nearly impossible to read the actual story amidst the annotations. That's not a criticism: that is, after all, the purpose of the book. But if you've never read the story, or want to read it to your children, get a simple copy of the book as well.

The "Annotated" series is simply wonderful. Best of all, they are getting better and better all the time. My first was The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition and since then, I've gained a small collection of annotated books. These books were the original DVD commentary track. Now, it just seems strange when I'm reading a book and there's no footnote for further insight!

This was the second Annotated book I bought. The first two books I bought in this series represents the top two lifelong obsessions within fantasy: Wonderland and Oz (now, if only they'd do Neverland to complete my personal trilogy!).

Upon first reading, I'll admit -- this was a bit hard to start. Sure, it was interesting, but compared to the introduction to the Alice book, it seemed a bit rambling. It seemed like I'd never get through to the actual book!

Recently, I decided to give it another go. So, starting from the beginning again, I read. Age must change my opinion on things. It was no longer so rambling. I rather enjoyed the introduction -- in fact, wish it was longer!

When your first introduction to the Annotated series is Alice, a highly satirical book with a lot of symbolism, you may have expectations of all the secret meanings revealed. Don't expect it here. As is stressed in the introduction, this was a story purely meant to delight. While there are similarities in the ultimate purpose of writing it -- a boredom with the children's books of the day -- the two are completely different in their approach. Carroll used the book to make fun of the children's books of his day. Baum just wrote a good story.

So, therefore, the annotations have more to do with what was going on around Baum at the time, things in his life that may have had some influence, and criticism rather than the hidden symbols found within. You'll get a history lesson of turn-of-the-century America that we may not hear much. You'll learn about changes to the book made over the years.

The greatest thing about this edition is that it's a facsimile of the first edition. The pages aren't perfect -- there are age marks every now and then. But you'll finally be able to see what exactly made this book so novel in 1900 -- colors and text are reproduced in a way most editions do not. Most other editions using Denslow's drawings are usually incomplete with a more modernized setting for the fonts. This causes many pages of illustration to be omitted as the illustrations are a bit more difficult to reproduce when the original text is overlapping.

The accuracy of the reproduction may be a huge downfall for the annotations, though. Unlike most annotated novels where you'll find the numbers within the text and the annotation in the margins of the book, the numbers have been moved to the edges of each line of text with the annotations on a separate page. Probably, this was done to interfere with the original text, but it means that some confusion might come in when to look at a note. Two numbers may try to squeeze into a single line, which is a little awkward. Or, because the note numbers are no longer attached to the text, we won't know what words those numbers are attached to until we look at the next page (or a few pages ahead, depending on how long the note is).

This isn't quite enough for me to take any stars off, though. It may be an inconvenience, but it's no way to judge the quality of the book. In fact, the rarities -- bonus story, reproductions, and art in the Deslow Index -- more than make up for the structure.

This is an over-sized book, so if you want to add it to your Oz collection, it might be out of place a bit -- if you want an edition to fit in perfectly with your other Oz books, I'd suggest getting The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Books of Wonder) along with this just for casual reading or completeness on the bookshelf.

This book was purchased for my grand daughter who is 18 years old. She thoroughly enjoyed receiving it as a gift. She liked reading the "annotated information" while reading the story. It was a hit as a Christmas gift.

This is a wonderful story told by a master. The illustrations are just beautiful. I've been watching the film since I was five years old and have always loved it. Now I love the book.

What an entertaining book! I'm half-way through it and enjoying every minute. You get a real sense of the various personalities that made up the Ramones roster, which changed over the years. Johnny - the hard-on; Dee Dee - the Crazy; Joey - the freak; Tommy - the oppressed; and Marky - the over the top alcoholic. I personally love the oral history format. Johnny, Joey, Tommy, Marky, Ritchie and Monte, their tour manager, all contribute their stories. For some reason, Dee Dee doesn't personally contribute but he comes through vibrantly in the stories of his band mates.

I'm not a fanatical fan, but after seeing the Ramones documentary: End of the Century - The Story of the Ramones, I knew I had to read this book. The only down side is realizing that the three core band members - Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee - all failed to see age 50.

The Ramones' popularity keeps growing--it's a shame that Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny didn't live to enjoy it. As a result of their popularity, so many--TOO MANY--Ramones books have been written and it seems like a new one comes out every month. If you are a die-hard Ramones fan, this is the ONLY book you need. Monte was with them from the beginning to the end and was partly responsible for making them the best touring band ever. He tells it like it was, and it is a fascinating read. Buy the book!

This is the best book on The Ramones, period. I absolutely loved it!! The pictures are so cool and the stories are even better. I recommend this book to anyone who loves The Ramones. Great purchase.

This book is a GREAT read for any Ramones fan, but it was very heartbreaking in the end to see how "the remaining band members" treated Joey at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. I only wish Joey's mom and brother would have stepped up on stage to accept that award for Joey. He indeed was the most kind hearted soul and he deserved more recognition then what he got that night. May he rest in peace.

The more I read and learn about Johnny, the more complicated and intriguing I find him. It could be easy to dismiss him as a jerk but then something like the "milk and cookies every night" story comes up and endears him to you.

This was a great book and filled in a few of the questions I had always had about Anne Frank. For it to be written by Miep added so much on a personal level that I loved. This book along with the Diary of Anne Frank should be required reading for the human race.

This is a well written and thoroughly moving memoir. Read in conjunction with the diary of Anne Frank you get such a feel for people from two different backgrounds on the same side of an abominable war. I loved her humbleness and it gives great insight into the pressure on those who were protecting others.

My son had to do a report on a historical character for his 8th grade English class so we picked up this book and several others at the library. I had read the Diary of Anne Frank several times in the past - mainly for school when I was younger. I started to look through this book and couldn't put it down. It is a very simply written and a straightforward account of the story of the Frank family, how she got to know them and their years in hiding. The last section when Otto Frank returns home (he was the only survivor of the original eight) is heartbreaking. Miep was there through it all and her strength and courage are incredible.

We visited the Holocaust Museum in D.C. last summer and all those haunting pictures and displays came back to me. If you visit D.C. you should go there. We must never forget what happened to these people.

Miep Gies does not consider herself to be a hero, although anyone familiar with her story would probably consider her one. In "Anne Frank Remembered" Gies (along with Alison Leslie Gold) tells of the role she played in hiding the Frank family in Amsterdam during WWII. She sets the stage with her own personal background and how she came to work for Mr. Frank, and the special connection that she almost instantaneously shared with Anne.

Thousands are familiar with the events that happened while the Franks were in hiding, thanks to the legacy of Anne's diary that Gies rescued when the families were finally captured and taken to concentration camps. Gies recalls what life was like in those days, when her husband played a role in the Dutch Resistance movement and they took a Jew in to hide in their own home while hiding the eight people at 263 Prinsengracht. Her story is one of almost unbelievable courage and audacity - to so boldly defy the German captors who invaded their land and to stand up against the evils that were being perpetrated against the Jews. Miep Gies believes that others would have done, and did do, the exact same thing that she did.

The story Gies has to tell expands upon the events put forth in Anne's diary. Although those in hiding knew the danger that awaited not only them but also their helpers, reading events from Miep's perspective adds another layer to the saga of the Frank family. One might wish that she expounded more upon the period after the war ended, but her focus is on Anne Frank first and foremost. So much hope was held out that Margot and Anne might make it. When news came that they didn't, it seems as if a part of Miep died, and it took her several years before she could bring herself to read Anne's diary. Even if these events are hard to speak about and hard to read, her story is a necessary addition to Anne Frank's legacy.

Millions of people around the world have been inspired and touched by the story of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl, who spent two long years in hiding, with family and a few friends, in Amsterdam, from their Nazi persecutors, during the second World War, before they were discovered and shipped off tho their deaths in Auschwitz.

Twenty years ago Miep Gies (98 years old at the time of writing of this review) revealed her own courageous and generous role in hiding the Frank family and others, and providing them with food, companionship, and most of all hope.

She gives revealing insight into Anne's life and of her own.

Miep had been a hungry child refugee from Austria, just after the First World War, and passed her own experiences of generosity and compassion on.

We read of the Nazi ocupation of the Netherlands, the decrees and attacks against the Jews, and of the deportations and hidings.

Ultimately every man and women must ask what they would do, when a world goes mad.

Thought it would have more written by Frank McCourt. Even though, I still appreciate great photographs, especially having to do with 9/11.

Simple and to the point, yet poingint and touching, this book shows like no other how the world's greatest fire department dealt with the aftermath of tragedy.

Outstanding It shows the amazing grief and resolve of New York and its firefighters. It is is visual history of the Sept.11 attacks and their aftermath

I was moved to tears reading this, not only having witnessed the 9-11 atrocities firsthand but as a widow I know the pain suffered by the widows of those brave firemen that perished that day. This book is a must-read along with the others that are listed. I cannot say enough about it, God Bless Those Brave men.

As you are reading though the tribute to the fallen, you see thenamesof each of the lost Firefighters scrolled across the bottom of the pages. Each page left me more and more with a sense of loss. I did not lose anyone that fateful day, yet, we all lost. The words you read are quite moving, the pictures mean more than the words and poems. Yet i am most moved by the names of those precious and brave firefighters name across the pages from the front cover to the back cover.

Frank Miller doesn't pull many punches when he writes. I use the word raw to describe his writing because honestly, there is no more appropriate word if you ask me. His characters exist and breathe unapologizingly in the world of Basin City and That Yellow Bastard is way at the top of the best Sin City books for a reason. You have a hero that doesn't have an ounce of quit in him and who's pushed beyond what's even amorally admisible. Hardigan is the type of hero everyone says they would be in a situation such as that but quite frankly, I don't think there exists someone who is as unbreakable as Hardigan. Moral dilemmas don't exist when it comes to saving a kid from a rapist but it all gets way complicated when push comes to shove comes to murder. The beauty of Sin City is that even though it's noir fiction, you can't help but believe these characters, feel their pain, feel their anger and silently nod as some questionable decisions regarding what's right in this world are taken by a hero that shows that being a hero sometimes means not giving a damn and taking your hatred for one Yellow Bastard to the brink of sanity.

A mostly honest cop close to retirement saves a young girl, foiling the plots of some crooked colleagues and other powerful men. He takes the torture, deprivation and long prison sentence to protect her, revelling in the letters she writes him.

They stop, he is let out. Finding the girl, he realises he has been played, and knows there is only one way to stop the little yellow bastard and company.

Frank Miller's Sin City is paradise for noir fans, nothing can't happen in these graphic novels. "Walk down the right back alley in Sin City, and you can find anything." Book 4 of 7, That Yellow Bastard is a tale of bravery and sacrifice. It's my absolute favorite of all the Sin City books, Frank Miller's dark and extremely stylized way of telling this masterpiece is electrifying. The artwork is tip top, the writing is crisp and smooth, and the characterization is excellent. I hope you enjoy this amazing book!

A fan favorite due to the movie, John Hartigan is probably the most unusual character in the Sin City roster - an honest and honorable cop in a very corrupt and dishonest city. Not surprisingly, things do not go well for him. Betrayed by his partner and set up as the patsy for a heinous crime, he represent the epitome of honor as he quietly and passively accepts his fate in order to protect the innocent.

On the other side is Hartigan's polar opposite. The title character is probably the single most despicable character in the series who tortures little kids before killing them, uses family connections to get himself off while framing an innocent man. The great thing about this book is that it really presents the two extremes of humanity and puts them at crossing paths to each other.

The story has more sticking power than many of the others by Frank Miller. No doubt this is due to the ending, far more poignant than that of others. It is too bad that Miller did not continue with this story line in other volumes as there are enough loose ends here for a number of good stories. Perhaps, though, the ambiguity is part of the charm.

Frank Miller gave noir a new, gritty face with the "Sin City" series, and his favorite is reportedly "That Yellow Bastard." It's another story where a hardened man goes down a dark path, regardless of harm to himself -- and Miller's exceptional art and storytelling are in their prime here.

John Hartigan is mere hours from retiring when he finds that little Nancy Callahan has been kiidnapped by murderous pedophile Roark Jr., who also happens to be a senator's son. Hartigan disarms Roark Jr. (both as a killer and a rapist) but ends up in prison, abused and hated, where his only comfort is his weekly letter from little Nancy. She knows the truth, and loves him for what he did.

But eight years later, Hartigan finally gets himself paroled, since he's concerned about Nancy. She's now an exotic dancer being pursued by a hideous, yellow-skinned creature -- Roark Jr., reborn as a horrendous, unnatural creature. Now Hartigan will do anything -- including sacrifice himself -- to save Nancy from her disgusting attacker.

A knight-in-tarnished-armor theme runs through the "Sin City" series, with deeply flawed men seeking revenge or protection for women. It started off the series, and popped up in many others. That story is at its height in "That Yellow Bastard," which also contains what may be the noblest character in the whole series -- and he's a broken-down cop with angina.

Miller's black-and-white artwork is as striking as ever, especially for a series where everything is a shade of grey. There are lots of shadows and stark faces, as well as the typical violence of the series -- guys, you may end up cringing a lot in the castration scenes. Yet somehow the violence seems appropriate, no matter how horrible it is, since it's being aimed at the deformed rapist-murderer.

Hartigan may be the noblest character in the entire series. The entire story is about him trying to protect Nancy, even to the point of suffering eight years of prison and beatings without a word. He's the only honest cop in Sin City, and similarly, Nancy Callahan retains a sense of innocence despite her raunchy job.

"That Yellow Bastard" is a raw, dark noir comic that somehow manages to be poignant as well. It's a disturbing ride, but still worth taking.

I just finished reading Frank Nappi's first novel after hearing about the second one, which is being released this April. I usually only read baseball novels, but I figured I'd give this WWII one a shot while I wait for the next one, The Legend Of Mickey Tussler, which sounds like a fabulous baseball classic. This book is all that everyone before me has said. It is powerful, well written, and informative. I honestly think that it reads just like a movie would play out. I saw everything so clearly in my head. If The Legend of Mickey Tussler is even half as good, I will be a very happy camper!

Yes, I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read. I don't understand all the gushing reviews. I did not find the book emotionally stirring. Nor did I find the writing that compelling. If you are looking for a great book on a soldier's journey in WWII -actually a pilot- I recommend "In the Shadow of War" by Childers. If you want a truly lyrical novel of a soldiers travails during war -in this case WWI- I would recommend "A Soldier of the Great War" by Helprin.

James McCleary has been attempting to put the horrors of the battlefield behind him for years. Unfortunately, his sordid tries have fallen flat, and the days of battle are still ingrained in his mind, rearing their evil heads at the worst possible times. All John McCleary wants, on the other hand, is to know his father. The father who has cast him aside. Who has refused to learn more about him. Who has refused to let anyone in. Memory has left James trapped in a world of his own. A world where he is locked inside his own mind, where the only person who is permitted entry is himself. He cannot embrace his wife, nor his children, he can only sit and ponder what happened out there. Out on the battlefield all those years ago. While James is in this infirmary of a world, John is in his own place. For John is wrestling with the memories of a life with a man he calls his father. A man he is related to - flesh and blood - but who he knows nothing about, and, in return, a man who knows nothing about him. Now, the death of John's mother has begun to change things. Suddenly, the two men, father and son, are being brought together for a final exchange. As John begins searching through family heirlooms and artifacts in his parents attic, he suddenly begins finding missing pieces to the puzzle. A puzzle that will give him a glimpse into the frozen battlefields that have left his father eternally scarred mentally, and of a secret romance that kept him whole as he traveled through wartime Europe, fighting for our country.

I will admit right off the bat that I don't normally read books in this particular genre, and rarely read anything related to war - fiction or non. However, I was sucked in by Frank Nappi's ECHOES FROM THE INFANTRY from the very first paragraph. Nappi's descriptiveness is uncanny, and hard to resist, from the way that he illustrates the lasting effects of war, and how it can tear apart a family; to the flashbacks of various war scenes that can easily choke the reader up. Nappi's character development was also a shining point throughout this particular novel, as it showed the maturation of characters as realization dawned on them regarding different situations, while at the same time gave them the chance to learn more about their family's history by "digging through the past," as opposed to confronting various people to learn more about their father's heroic, yet troubled life. Whether you're a fan of war novels or not, Frank Nappi's ECHOES FROM THE INFANTRY will leave a lasting impression upon you, and have you wiping a tear from your eye once the book is complete.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I decided to pick up a copy of Echoes from the Infantry. Echoes is not a genre that would typically call out to me while browsing the shelves but I was glad I was able to break away from Oprah's book club, if only for the weekend. Usually anything with war gets crossed off my reading list, but it was well worth the departure.

Nappi tells the story of James McCleary, a World War II veteran who survives the horrors of war, but he's haunted by guilt and memories for many years to come. Nappi's writing is so eloquent; I often read sentences twice, just to absorb the impact. While at war, McCleary encounters a young girl standing over her deceased grandmother which he tries to forget but, Nappi writes, "She was always there, a restless soul, just like him, sustained forever by the enduring vitality of his memory." Before reading this story, I had never considered how a sharp memory could be such a curse to a war veteran.

The story toggles back and forth between war time and present day. During war time, the character development is so rich that the soldiers begin to remind me of people I know. Although the war details are at times disturbing, Nappi weaves in enough beauty to balance out the horrors. The soldiers at one point are described as lying there, "clutching the ground like orphans seeking refuge in the maternal folds of the earth." I am reminded that, despite the historical subject matter, Nappi is indeed an English teacher. Only a master of the language can come up with image-inspiring similes like that (at least I think that's a simile).

It takes me a while to realize why this book struck such a cord with me. Beyond the beautiful language and the true to life the characters is an incredibly moving story. My husband is shocked to see me flipping through the pages of a historical fiction novel so quickly (he can't get me to watch a minute of the history channel). He smiles knowingly as I read parts aloud to him, love letters. Echoes may be historical fiction but in the end, it's a love story, not just between husband and wife, but father and son. I think it's a story about forgiveness, of ourselves and others. I wonder how many men and women returning from war have stories like McCleary's, and are now battling guilt and shame within themselves.

The only time I really think about what it must be like to be a veteran returning from war is when I see those signs hanging from the parkway overpass welcoming home a soldier from Iraq, or when we adopt a soldier at Christmas time and send over a basket of cheer. This book made me examine my conscience and think about how I will honor our war veterans, past and present, and more importantly how I will teach my students to do the same. I have always thought there is no better way to teach a lesson than through a wonderful story. This story taught me a thing or two about patriotism that will long be echoing through my mind.

It's easy to overlook writing flaws when a story like this is so good. I can't knock this book in any way. It was a well thought out story with an unpredictable ending. I would tell you in advance that the story jumps back and forth from present time to WW2 quite often so be prepared. Some of the time the authors transitions weren't done that well and a few more narrative set ups would have been nice but I was never lost except in the comfort of the story. I would recommend and I personally look forward to reading his second book whenever it comes out. He has a lot of potential.

I love all of the stories by Keith Graves. My kids laugh, tell people about the books, and read them over and over again. He is a fantastic children's author!

As an elementary, music teacher I will use this adorable book every year. It encourages less confident students to participate in creative movement. I enjoy it as much as my students!

This is a great book about Frank who just wants to dance. The pictures are great. It is funny for adults as well as kids!

My three kids, ages 6 to 3, absolutely love this book. We ran across it at the library one day and before we bought it we borrowed it about 10 times! The kids think it is just hillarious, especially if you tell it with enthusiasm. My oldest now knows it by heart and loves to retell it to her sister and brother. We even shared it with their schools. Great funny read.

My 18 month old just got this as a Halloween gift from her aunt. The illustrations are colorful, imaginative and full of interesting details. The rhyme is catchy and interesting - even for my toddler. This book can hold it's own with any age group. It makes a great read aloud. I'd love to see it in a board book edition.

My kids and I came to know Little Bear through the cartoons on TV first. Perhaps part of the appeal of the books for my kids is that they know these stories well from the cartoon, but the books are much more engaging!

Best of all, unlike the cartoons, you have the amazing illustrations of Maurice Sendak. They give the books a timeless appeal.

Perfect to read to little ones, and an excellent reader for K-2.

Other titles in the Level 1 - Beginning Reading series are:

- "Father Bear Comes Home"

- "A Kiss For Little Bear"

- "Little Bear's Friend"

- "Little Bear's Visit"

This is a warm, nurturing view of childhood. My children and many others have loved it for years.

I purchased the Little Bear (An I Can Read Book) for a first grader that I mentor and she had asked for this book. I have given her other books and can't wait to give her this one

Little Bear, first published in 1957, is a true classic in children's literature. The book is about a bear cub who is a good friend to Owl, Cat, Hen, Duck and Emily, the little girl who visits in the summer. Elsa Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak teamed up to create these stories. The stories are filled with quiet humor, affection and imagination as Little Bear and his friends celebrate birthdays, play games, meet new friends and explore their neighborhood.

The first of five classic Little Bear books, written for beginning readers, Little Bear contains several stories. In one story, "Birthday Soup," Little Bear can't find his mother and thinks she's forgotten his birthday so he sets out to make birthday soup for his friends only to find out his mother hasn't forgotten his birthday. In "Little Bear Goes to the Moon," Little Bear decides that he'll fly to the moon and Mother Bear lets him as long as he's back by lunch.

This book and the others will delight young readers, and encourage them to keep reading.

My 6 year old has listened to this CD a million times, reading along with the book, and still hasn't gotten tired of it. We even listen to it at bedtime, as it's very soothing and doesn't have a lot of distracting sound effects to startle her as she falls asleep. We couldn't be happier with it, and I plan to purchase other copies as gifts.

I have made it a habit this year to get through many of the classics on audio book during my daily commute. I picked Pilgrim's Progress since it was one of the most influential English books ever published, and I wanted to see what it was all about.

The audio book was published by Blackstone Audio and the reader was Robert Whitfield. The reader did an excellent job and was very easy to listen to. He did some characterization with his voice that made it easy to know which character was speaking. I was a little worried about the older style English, but it gave me no problem. It probably helps that I am familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. Overall, listening to this book worked out very well.

This is the first book length allegory that I have been through and I thought it was an excellent way to teach. There is no doubt which principal each character is supposed to represent by their name, and their actions represented that well also. I can understand why so many families had this book in their libraries. As far as Christian doctrine goes, there are a few things that some would disagree with, but most of the principals taught are still generally accepted today. The path to God's presence is filled with opposition, but there is help available and the reward is worth it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand an important part of our heritage, and to see what an effective tool allegory is.

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Enthralling. This book will help every Christian deal with the battles of being a Christian in this life and all the struggles that go with it. It teaches you never to give up even when you feel like you can't go on. Life's struggles are not a new occurrence, but as timeless as human existence itself. It teaches you not to be too concentrated on your struggles, but to look at the great prize which is Heaven and not be distracted or enticed by the struggles of life nor the easy way out. Excellent. It is a must read for every Christian.

The first time that I encountered Christian and his pilgrimage was as a preface and a family favorite in the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Unfortunately, it was not until twenty-something years later that I actually got around to reading the book itself. If I were you, I would not wait that long.

The first part of the current combined book appeared in 1678. Bunyan, a nonconformist Protestant minister who was imprisoned for preaching without a license, wrote at least the first part of the book in jail. The second part was first published in 1684. It is likely the most popular allegory ever written, and is still one of the best selling books of all time.

What makes it so popular? The obvious key to its popularity is its simple, crisp style. Even accounting for the language changes between the seventeenth century and now, it is not a struggle to read Progress and it flows well for the modern reader. Although the book is allegory, the characters are full of little realistic details that make them feel quite human. Incidentally, I was reading this book as I was walking some of the old pilgrimage trails of Europe and it was interesting to me how vivid and applicable his version of the pilgrimage experience is. The Slow of Despair rang remarkably true, as did characters such as Talkative and Mr. Worldly Wisdom.

The Oxford University Press edition is bound with a scholarly introduction which is, for a change, worth reading. It also came with explanatory notes and a glossary which were helpful for the modern reader who is not familiar with the everyday language of the period.