Libraries and Museums Books

Initially, one would think that a truly talented author's quirky, unique style could not be very nearly duplicated. But Brad Strickland is doing a fine job with the characters that Bellairs created, and this is one of his best efforts.

Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger have to participate in a talent show whether they like it or not. When they hit on the idea of doing a magic show (fake, not real), they end up consulting a friend at a museum who allows them to borrow some books on stage magic. But when Rose Rita picks up an old parchment scroll, she inadvertantly lets a drop of blood fall on some magic dust -- and the dust turns into a living spider. The two of them flee, but Rose Rita brings the scroll, with intent to return it.

Except she then starts acting oddly. When the talent show results in a dismal failure, Rose Rita is left with a burning hatred and a wish for revenge. Then she starts dreaming of becoming a giant spider, and hearing the voice of the scroll's previous owner -- Belle Frisson, a sorceress who now wants to use Rose Rita to rise again and live forever.

This is labelled as a "Lewis Barnavelt" book, but at least half of it focuses on Rose Rita. While fans of Bellairs will be well acquainted with Lewis's insecurities, Strickland takes the opportunity to delve into a few of Rose Rita's. He also manages to give us a message about revenge and hatred and grudges without beating the reader over the head with it. The Message is simply there.

How much of a "Bellairs" book is this? Very much so, and not just in terms of having creepy beasties and a megalomaniac villain. The pacing and tone are very correct, as is the usage of maybe-it's-real-maybe-not ancient magics. I could have used a little more bickering between Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan, but the comforting scene between Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman makes up for that.

Strickland does an excellent job with the evil sorceress Belle Frisson, and uses the ever-growing, evil-spirit spider very well also. The idea of a drop of blood turning powder into a malevolent spider is not just good spinechilling material, but it also is quite Bellairsesque.

This is an amazing spinechiller. I do warn you though: Arachnaphobics should definitely not read this book, or they'll never sleep again.

I think that Brad Strickland Did a good job with this title. The story has some depth, and the character development is good, as well. I think this is the best Bellairs' novel that Strickland Has written so far, and would give it a full five stars!

At first serving as a finisher for the late John Bellair's uncompleted DOOM OF THE HAUNTED OPERA, GHOST IN THE MIRROR, and VENGENCE OF THE WITCHFINDER, Strickland took those characters to new heights in the late 1990s by churning out books like THE HAND OF THE NECROMANCER, and THE BELL,THE BOOK,AND THE SPELLBINDER which mimicked Bellair's writing style down to the letter. In SPECTER, Strickland goes from mimicking the man to being the man. He captures the vocabulary and characterizations of Lewis Barnavelt and company flawlessly in a terrifying story darker than all of the other books combined. Please check out this book. I hope Strickland continues to write. He is hitting his stride now.

written to fascinate and proactively involve the museum-goer of all ages! This book is a must have for aanyone wishing to understand and appreciate the art of ancient Egypt. It is a fun trip even if confined to a cozy chair at home !!

This is a wonderful book and brings to life the world of Egyptian art in a way that is sure to fascinate children of all ages. Knapp and Lehmberg have created a book which will make museum going interesting for everyone in the family.

it's an excellent book about cultural tourism

it's an excellent book about cultural tourism!

What makes a family? This is only one of the questions that David Elliott seems to be asking in Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs. There are others, too: What is the definition of tolerance? What are the qualities that make a hero? (In Jeremy's case, rather than the knuckle-bearing, weapon-toting figures we hold up as models for boys today, it is keeping a steadfast heart.) But these important questions are asked subtly, embedded in a rollicking adventure that is both heart-warming and, at times, hilarious. Filled with a cast of eccentric, lovable characters, and with enough villians to make us curl our lips (in one case, one can't help but ask: Was Elliott thinking of a certain foolish but dangerous ego-driven President when he was writing the Baron?) Jeremy Cabbage would make a wonderful read aloud for any classroom or family. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be sorry when you've finished.

A bit droll. A bit daffy. A lot of enjoyment. In other words, another story by the imaginative, irrepressible David Elliott.

We meet Jeremy Cabbage, an orphan and resident of Harpwitch's Home for Mean Dogs, Ugly Cats and Strey Children (Ms. Harpwitch did not spell well). The day comes when he is adopted but rather than being clasped to the ample bosom of his new mother (and few bosoms are ampler), he hears, "Yeah, he's kinda scrawny but he'll do." That doesn't bode too well for Jeremy nor does his return to the Home and the adoptions that follow, including the pair that simply wanted an au pair for their sick goldfish.

Jeremy really misses Polly who cared for him after finding him, an abandoned infant in a crate of cabbages. However, they were separated when a city ordered raid gathered up all orphan children. The city is Metropolis and it is ruled by a heartless man, Baron Ignatius von Strompie. Jeremy wonders where Polly is, if she was taken to a place as horrible as Harpwitch's Home.

At last, there's a ray of light when Jeremy is adopted again - this time by human clowns or cloons as the Baron has dubbed them because he detests everything different. And these clowns or cloons are unique in Metropolis because they're happy and they make people laugh. - anathema to the Baron and he vows to get rid of them. What chance do Jeremy and the cloons have against such power? Will he ever see Polly again?

With fond memories of Elliott's Roscoe Wizzle (2004) this reader adds the irresistible Jeremy Cabbage to my list of favorite characters.

Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

This is truly the most fabulous book on Tiffany's works,including many illustrations of works not previously seen.  As a Tiffany book collector, I know that Nuestadt's book may have more lamps illustrated, but none have the incomparable colors and qualities as the images in this book.  They are truly magnificent pictures (over 400 color plates)on a black ackground and are of the same quality as Sotheby & Christie's catalog pictures.  Tiffany at Auction by Alastair Duncan may be a collectors item, but having seen it, most of the pictures in that book are in black and white and do not begin to compare with this book.  While the Sotheby and & Christie catalogs display beautiful pictures, they only show what people choose to sell, unlike this book that shows treasures that I have never before seen in any of the books or catalogs that I have collected.But this book has so much more.  Almost every lamp picture has a close up of the actual pattern.  As a stained glass worker, these close ups are sufficient for you to reproduce the design.  The outstanding and superlative index at the rear contains small thumbnails of each work of art in the book with illuminating information and page number shown for easy access to the item.  Actual copies of the Tiffany factory workbooks,similar to Nash's new Tiffany Notebook book, are included in this book.
Of course, this book also has the requisite biography of Tiffany.  One third of book is biography and windows, second third is lamps, and last third is vases, index and bibliography.
You will NOT be disappointed in this book - it's the best that is available as far as I am concerned.

This book gives a detailed account of Tiffanys works in most of the mediums he chose. The photographs are gorgeous.

my grandson is an advid reader and likes silly titles and books. he had this book read in one day and asked if he could get more of the series. I told him I'd get them for him. he has a wicked sense of humor and to watch him read and giggle though a story is heartwarming.

I teach 2nd grade and have met Dan Gutman. I have read most of his books and loved them. The Weird School series has been a hit with my class this year. I have read each one orally to them and they beg for more. I pause at certain places in the stories because they know what lines come next. I'm going to begin the Weird School Daze next.

debbi schmidt

You need 3 books to enjoy LA:
1) this book, the museum companion to LA (what to do in LA)
2) Jonathan Gold's Counter Intelligence (where to eat in LA)
3) the LA/Orange County Thomas guide (how to get around in LA)

You also need to listen to the traffic report, every 10 minutes at the 01, 11, 21, etc minutes on the clock, to AM 980 to avoid our traffic.

LA is a huge melting pot - you can see it in the variety of food and museum collections. There is the netsuke collection at LACMA, Blue Boy and extensive gardens at the Huntington, the porcelain collection at the Pacific Asia Museum, the bookstore (it is ther best in town for art and architecture related books) at the Armand Hammer, the La Brea Tar Pits, California Museum of Science and Industry (free admission) with the BEST science experiments for toddlers. The book also includes lots of beautiful gardens in the area.

This book provides a very useful overview of museums both large & small across the LA Basin. From the Norton Simon to the smallest, you'll get photos of major exhibit items, overviews of what's there, plus the stats & particulars to assure that your museum choice for a given day in not a wasted day. Buy it!

Sublime and enchanting is how John Hay has the reader feeling. It is truly a superb book, well written and thoughtful as well as thought provoking.

I first read this book in the early 1970s when I was conducting my Ph.D. thesis research, which dealt with the migratory behavior of a fish called the alewife, also known as river herring. Alewife are like small, silvery salmon. About 10 inches long, they migrate into small streams and rivers along the East Coast in the spring to spawn, and the juveniles then migrate to the ocean in the fall, where they live for four or five years before returning to their home stream to spawn. John Hay captures the mystery and delight of an alewife run. Unlike salmon runs that occur in large rivers where the fish can't be seen, alwife migrate into many very small streams, many of which pass through towns and under old mills, such that the fish are readily visible to people. To see thousands of fish stacked up at the base of a dam, knowning that they had traveled thousands of miles in the Atlantic for years before finding their way back to the location where their life began as an egg, is almost incredible. John Hay describes the essence of the alewife in a very informative but tremendously readable style. This is a must read for anyon who enjoys fine writing and has an interest in the natural world.

I recently came across this book when cleaning out a shelf at home. My son is now a teenager, but this series was his favorite when he was a young child. This particular book, along with "I'm Out of My Body - Please Leave a Message" were his favorites. So much so that I kept them to give to his kids. I can't tell you how many times we've read these two, but it has to be somewhere near 30 times each. They grow so fast, but I have many memories of us curling up on the couch with our Zack Files.

"Trapped in the Museum of Unnatural History," by Dan Greenburg, is number 25 in the "Zack Files" series for young readers. The book is illustrated by Jack E. Davis. In this installment, New York City schoolboy Zack becomes trapped in the Rosencrantz Museum of Natural History while on a school trip.

In the book's first paragraph Zack wonders, "And when the museum closes and the lights go out, do strange things happen?" Well, he finds out the answer to that question--an answer which is in keeping with the overall paranormal theme of the series. I found this mix of horror and humor to be a highly entertaining installment in the series. The suspenseful tale is well enhanced by Davis' whimsical drawings.

As someone who travels throughout New England for business, I am always looking for something new and different to talk about with customers. This book gives you that and more. There is something about most of the towns and areas that I visit in the course of my work. I was especially impressed with the amount of work and research that is evident in the book. The author not only has a gift for words, but he also took the time to present the information using clear and concise language. It was fun to just sit and read about the hidden treasures in cities and towns I thought I knew.

I am a New England-born history and trivia buff. I thought I knew everything there is to know about my favorite region, but I never realized just how much I have been missing! This book is chock full of fascinating, well-chosen facts, written in an evocative style that is at times touching, often funny, but always interesting and easy to read. The attractions and destinations the author describes run the gamut from educational to more than a little wacky. The book's organization -- by region and town -- makes it a great reference guide to use as a day-trip planner, or to keep in the glove compartment for quick reference when you find yourself out and about with some time on your hands on a crisp fall day. This is the perfect gift to leave on the bedside table in your guest room, and to give to your favorite New Englander -- I wish someone had given it to me years ago!