Lifestyle Books

This unique idea provides a quilt to represent each state, with an explanatory text about the state, each written by one of "50 librarians from across the nation." Another interesting National Geographic book for children. The teacher might be able to obtain and bring in some actual quilts and talk about the reality and symbolism of quilt making communities.

My late sister wrote the New Mexico segment of this book. Her publisher's copy arrived just days before she passed and we were charmed that she could be a part of such an amazing project. The illustrations are beautiful - the book is a "must" for quilters, libarians, and all children learning about their states. You won't be disappointed!

Rebeccasreads highly recommends QUILTS OF STATES as a superb way to learn both the history of how America came into being, the geography of our country & the bright & charming uses of quilting montages with brief stories as told by librarians of each state.

QUILTS OF STATES has an historical introduction with each state listed according to when they joined the Union, with two page quilts for how our nation looked in 1790, after the Louisianna Purchase, the Missouri Compromise, the Mexican War, Secession & the later inclusion of Alaska & Hawaii.

A magnificent addition to libraries of both patriots & quilters.

Author Adrienne Yorinks and fifty librarians across the United States have literally stitched together an exquisite, exceptional creation.

The book begins with a historical introduction. After briefly chronicling the arrival of the first Europeans up to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, Yorinks notes, "[E]ventually, all 13 former Colonies ratified the Constitution and joined a new nation. It would take more than 170 years from the creation of the first state for the U.S. to become the 50 states that it is today. Every state has had its own unique path to statehood. This is their story."

Each state is given its own double-page spread, beginning with the "First State," Delaware, and ending with the "Aloha State," Hawaii. Each spread features a colorful, illustrative quilt piece created by Ms. Yorinks as well as a brief state history written by a librarian from that particular state.

Readers will find appended four pages of state facts and an index. In the author/illustrator's note, Ms. Yorinks writes, "My goal was to create something special, something truly unique." In that she has succeed spectacularly! This is not just a book, but a work of art that is sure to become a classroom classic.

A definite "must-have." Suitable for district-wide purchase.

I am a proffessional illustrator and Bernie Fuchs is one of the very best.
Colourful, evocative,full of nuance and delightful accents.The story is
historically interesting and depicts the humanism of people working together.

I got this book from the library because of the beautiful illustrations but had no idea that the story would be as charming as the pictures. It is the sweet story of a community who rebuilds the Yoder's barn after it is burned in a storm. Told by a little boy in the Yoder family who is coming to the age of working with his father, the story has an innocent, simple quality. I highly recommend this book! A must for any good children's library!!!!

This book is a touching story about an Amish community which pulls together to help each other when a family is in need. It is a wonderful book to help teach children the meaning of community and our role in that community.

Jane Yolen has written a substantial number of picturebooks. She touches fantasy, the ghoulish, the comic, and also thecultural in her many titles. Some of her titles have struck me as too dark or gory for young children, and some have struck me as a little too political, but most of her work I have found quite enjoyable. Of all her books that I have read, however, Raising Yoder's Barn is the best.

It is an exploration of the Amish community way of life. The story is told from the point of view of a young boy, Yoder's son. He tells of a lightning strike that burns his family's barn to the ground, and the resulting "barn raising" that their Amish community holds to help the family recover from the loss. The text is beautiful, almost poetic, and Bernie Fuchs's paintings offer an emotional enhancement to the story. He uses slight blurring and an emphasis on light to make emotional statements with each one. It's lovely.

The story nicely conveys the religious faith of the Amish, with Yoder encouraging his family at the end of the barn raising to give thanks to God for His wonderful provision.

A poignant way to introduce children to the Amish lifestyle.

Mr. Houseknecht has the wonderful ability to put words to feelings that each of us has had at one time or another regarding many different aspects of our lives. His poetry causes the reader to pause, reflect and in essence relive many of the moments that he/she has tucked away in the recesses of the mind. His words ring true to life and will have you shaking your head in agreement as your eyes flow gently over the words. No one who reads it will come away empty.

A lot more than just a wonderful collection of great poems. It has something for everyone. From the unborn child to a golden wedding anniversary, from being alone to being involved. There's an experience that anyone can reflect on, and enjoy. A book that's great to own, and great as a gift to others.

"Wow! Such an awe-inspiring book of poetry. I have just finished reading this collection of poems and it has left me feeling much warmth and understanding.... "Reflections" can be read randomly wherever the book falls open. How wonderful."

Richard has a way of making each poem in the book touch your heart. This is a book you can pick up and put down anytime and each time you pick it up again you will find a wonderful surprise of words waiting for you. It is truly a thoughtful selection of poems that can be read and appreciated by all types of people.

Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo is a story about a rooster who wakes up one morning with a sore throat and can't wake the farmer so he enlists the help of the other farm animals.

The story is funny and entertaining. The illustrations are wonderful and hilarious. The moral of the story is teamwork.

Great story for young readers and one parents will enjoy reading to pre-schoolers.

The story is excellent enough to be made into a cartoon.

Highly recommend.

Bought as a baby shower gift for a Mom who loves Roosters. She absolutely loved it, illustrations were hysterical.

Rostoker-Gruber's collection of smart, cooperative barnyard animals is both clever and funny. Each group of animals displays an distinctive, and often appropriate, personality type, especially when faced with the challenge of completing a list of chores after Farmer Ted oversleeps due to Rooster's lack of "cockadoodledoo." The story moves at a quick pace, and the illustrations complement the author's sense of humor. This book will charm kids and make parents laugh, all while showing that if there is cooperation, a bad day can often turn out quite well.

A most delightful book and teaches an important lesson about everyone being a very important "cog in the wheel" and the value of helping each other out in times of need. The illustrations are wonderful and the story is captivating to a variety of ages in children - adults, too. Fun to read to little people.

i found this an endearing journey on strength and courage--masterfully told.

the fashionable and spirited Pepina by far my favorite protagonist.

i look forward to reading this tale over and over to the delight of my nieces and nephews.

i look forward to buying and gifting more copies of Rosa Farm and to Ms Wu's next work!

When Gallileon's father leaves for the county fair, it's up to Gallileon to wake up the sun by crowing - but his first successful attempt becomes a fiasco as some sly geese play trick on him and the sun vanishes at high noon. Can Gallileon discover the truth and save the day? Fun black and white drawings by Matt Phelan accent a funny barnyard drama.

This book is fun, cute and a great family read. A great bed time story or rainy day book. Quick read also. Great holiday gift!

I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my nephew, but read it before I wrapped it up. It's a fantastic story that's sure to please young readers (it made me happy, and I'm a grown-up). Great idea for a first "chapter book".

Poor Slim all he does is work. Now he has to fix the windmill so it can get the water for the cows. Something goes wrong when a sudden storm comes up and Slim is stranded. Can Hank save the day?

We as a family love Hanky and all his friends. We listen to him on long road trips. It makes the time go fast. The kids love him and the adults enjoy the humor. Keep writing!

We use the audio books to keep us all amused during long journeys.Our daughters (5 and 3 and a half) especially like them. We usually get them from the library and buy the ones that we have really liked. This tale is very funny and is, as always, enjoyed more because it's read by the author. Mr Erickson quite obviously enjoys doing the voices of all the charachters which I could never recreate having a British accent! Try the one eyed killer stud horse too!

I started reading Hank to my daughter when she was 3. I figured if she was going to grow up with an accent it would, darn it, be west Texan. We're still reading them 8 years later. She goes to sleep every night listening to one of th CDs. I'm pretty sure John Erickson was a dog in his previous life because he seems to have caught their thinking processes perfectly.

I remember reading this book when I was in second and third grade. I checked it out from our school library a million times and would read it over and over again. One thing that I loved about it so much was that I thought that it was a "chapter book" and I felt so grown up for reading it. Great stories are in it; I still remember them 9 years later. The doll, the haircut, the baseball game, and when Elisa was hiding underneath the table during her parent's dinner party. It's a book that is written so that even a second grader can read it on their own, with maybe a little bit of help. Also easy to understand, yet interesting and challenging at the same time. I definitely would recommend this book. (Infact, I now want to buy it because I loved it so much as a child.)

I remember reading this book when I was in second and third grade. I checked it out from our school library a million times and would read it over and over again. One thing that I loved about it so much was that I thought that it was a "chapter book" and I felt so grown up for reading it. Great stories are in it; I still remember them 9 years later. The doll, the haircut, the baseball game, and when Elisa was hiding underneath the table during her parent's dinner party. It's a book that is written so that even a second grader can read it on their own, with maybe a little bit of help. Also easy to understand, yet interesting and challenging at the same time. I definitely would recommend this book. (Infact, I now want to buy it because I loved it so much as a child.)

I remember reading this book when I was in second and third grade. I checked it out from our school library a million times and would read it over and over again. One thing that I loved about it so much was that I thought that it was a "chapter book" and I felt so grown up for reading it. Great stories are in it; I still remember them 9 years later. The doll, the haircut, the baseball game, and when Elisa was hiding underneath the table during her parent's dinner party. It's a book that is written so that even a second grader can read it on their own, with maybe a little bit of help. Also easy to understand, yet interesting and challenging at the same time. I definitely would recommend this book. (Infact, I now want to buy it because I loved it so much as a child.)

Another in a 'series' of Russell Books. My 5 year old begged me to read more. It is a family story centered around a seven year old boy with a three year old sister. This book brings out interesting subjects such as sleep-overs, cutting hair and attending a first baseball game. A young child will endjoy having it read to them - good discussion for parents. This is a humorous, family book that will be of interest to students from K through the 4th grade, as well as parents.

The previous reviewers did a great job! I just want to suggest you pair this book with Carole Boston Weatherfords "A Negro League Scrapbook" and you will be giving a great gift for a boy aged 10 - 16.
Enjoy!

Sharon Robinson's SAFE AT HOME (0439671973, $16.99) tells of Jumper, still reeling from his father's sudden death when his mother decides they should move back to her childhood home - in New York's Harlem. Jumper doesn't know anything about living in a city, and his mother signs him up for a city baseball camp, further complicating his life. He quickly makes an enemy of the team's bullying captain: can life get any worse, or can he make something of his problems? A fine story of handling bad odds.

I liked Safe At Home. This book is about making new friends and how important it is to try to overcome the obstacles in life. I liked this book because the story is just like mine. When I moved to CA, I had to make new friends and so did the main character, Jumper Breeze.

When Jumper moved to Harlem, he had no friends and was bad at baseball. Instead of basketball camp, like he wanted, he had to go to baseball camp. Jumper didn't like it at first, because it was too hard for him. But he kept working on his skills and got better and now, Jumper doesn't want to stop.

When he started camp he met Nia, Dakota, and Sabrina. He also saw Kelvin and Marcus who he met at the arcade. Kelvin was nice to him, but Jumper had a few confrontations with Marcus.
Unfortunately, Jumper became co-captains with Marcus on their baseball team. It was hard at first because they weren't friends. But the coach forced them to cooperate with each other. Jumper learned the importance of working hard as a team even if not all your teammates are your friends.

I give this book five stars. It was so good, I read it twice!

Ames
Age 8

Ten-year-old Elijah Breeze, aka Jumper, is going through a very tough time in his life. His dad just died, totally unexpectedly from a heart attack. Instead of staying in their Connecticut home with all the painful memories, raw reminders and empty rooms, Jumper's mom decides they'll move to Harlem in New York to live with Jumper's grandmother. So now Jumper faces a lonely summer in an unfamiliar place.

But that's not all. His mom and grandmother sign him up for baseball camp, even though Jumper despises baseball. Basketball is his game; he loves to play and he has a lot of talent. The only time he even attempted baseball turned out to be a disaster; he couldn't hit, was unable to catch, and even sprained his ankle. And to top it off, he felt bored. Jumper ended up quitting the sport, and that really upset his dad, who despised quitters. Jumper is all for skipping out on the four-week camp, but his mom finds a new job and doesn't want him staying home alone. Unfortunately, Jumper has no choice in the matter.

When Jumper arrives at baseball camp, he finds that it's even worse than he feared. Marcus is there. Jumper met Marcus briefly at the neighborhood arcade and found him to be rude, insulting and intimidating --- definitely not friend material. And as camp progresses, Jumper learns that Marcus is quite talented at baseball and not very patient with those who aren't. But their coach sees a lot of potential in Jumper, and pushes the two boys to work together. As Jumper slowly learns the sport and eventually starts to make some friends, he realizes that quitting something that's difficult isn't always the answer.

SAFE AT HOME is Sharon Robinson's first novel, though she is no novice at either writing or baseball. She proves her talent for both in this book that entertains as it touches the heart. She really captures the spirit of Harlem and her people, and especially young Jumper, who is dealing with the impossible situation of losing a parent and moving to a different place.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

When Chris, a city boy moves into the country with his divorced mother he is certain that he will never fit in; that is until he meets a girl named Gina with a real love for animals. At first he doesn't understand her, but changes his mind when he is introduced to the Rescue Ranch.

Emily the beef cow is forced to endure the cruel realities of branding, the cattle auction, confinement in a feedlot, and a frightening ride in a cattle truck. Unlike the other cattle, she wishes for a life where she is in charge of her own destiny.

While cats and dogs receive compassion, sadly it is not extended to farm animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens who live through the cruel industry by force. The problem with most industries is that they are too ignorant or caring about money to think about the feelings of these so-called "food animals" or how they should be handled humanely; as I have read throughout this book. If someone ever laughs or criticizes me or my friends for caring about farm animals like cats and dogs, I'll only say "sorry you feel that way."

This book is highly recommended for those with a love for all animals and an important lesson about dealing with the pressures of fitting in or trying to pull through in a cold, cruel, heartless world. That's what Emily did; but I won't say how. Read on to find out.

It's probably fair to say that there isn't another book quite like Saving Emily. While it takes its cues from Black Beauty, Watership Down, The Animals of Farthing Wood and other books that seek to portray the lives of animals in an honest, forthright way, Saving Emily is unique for its humble subject and hero.

Emily is a beef cow, a Hereford heifer growing up on the range in rural USA. Unlike the animals on Old McDonald's farm or the grinning anthropomorphized hamburgers portrayed by McDonald's, Emily lives it like it is. She's tagged, beaten, branded, hauled in cramped, filthy cattle trucks, sold at auction like a steak on the hoof, and sent to a feedlot for fattening.

Author Nicholas Read doesn't pull any punches where the truth is concerned. But nor does he belabour them.That's the gift of the book; it's not dogmatic. Yes, it contains a clear vegetarian message, but it's delivered with subtlety, not a sledgehammer. No one, regardless of his or her opinion on the ethics of eating meat, could ever question its validity as a straightforward children's story, filled with interesting characters - both human and animal - and situations. That's due not just to Emily's story, but also to Chris's, the book's human hero.
Chris is a city boy wrenched from the urban life he knows by his divorced mother when she marries the doctor in a small country town. At first, he is bereft and lost, a virtual fish out of water with no friends and no idea of how to fit into such strange new surroundings. Then he meets Gina, a free-spirited young girl with strong ideas about everything, including animals. Chris likes her immediately, but wishes, for her own good and his, that she weren't so different. The other kids in their country school make fun of her for her outspokenness, and while Chris admires her courage, he can't help feeling sorry for her. Why, he wonders, can't she just be like everyone else? Life would be so much less trouble that way.

It would have been easy - and probably was tempting - for Read to demonize the book's villains. Except even that isn't fair, since the only villain is cruelty. And cruelty to animals is not, as often defined by defensive farmers, a subject that pits "city" people against "country" people. The ranchers are treated fairly. The people fighting to save Emily are far from perfect. Everyone has his or her flaws and colours, and everyone's motivations are given a fair shake. That's what makes the book so readable and so non-judgmental.

Saving Emily is a gripping adventure story, a sympathetic tale about peer pressure versus individuality, and a heart-tugging plea for compassion for every kind of living creature, whether they have four legs or two. In doing that, it creates a niche in vegetarian literature, and fills it brilliantly.

Saving Emily is an engaging story about a girl, a boy and a cow named Emily. When Chris moves to the country he feels lonely and different - until he meets Gina. Chris thinks Gina is a little crazy because she cares so much about animals - but after meeting Emily and finding out her destination is the slaughterhouse, he begins to understand how strongly people can relate to animals!

I'd recommend this as a must-read for all children, since they seem to be born with an inherent love for all animals.

Many children are kind to dogs and cats. Unfortunately, this compassionate attitude isn’t always extended to wild animals or those that much of society callously regards as “food animals.” Many usually caring and thoughtful children (and some adults) don’t think (or don’t want to think) about where their burger or bacon & eggs come from. Some people mistakenly think, or are wrongly led to believe, that animals raised for society’s unhealthy and cruel diet live carefree, enjoyable lives free from any hardships until they are quickly and humanely killed for food.
Saving Emily is a wonderful novel for children aged 9 and up. In telling the stories of Emily, the heifer, 12-year-old Chris, and his friend Gina,Nicholas Read not only provides an interesting and enjoyable story, he also effectively informs the reader of the cruel existence that cows and bulls must endure until they are killed.
While Saving Emily is an interesting story and provides valuable insight into the business of growing and killing animals for food, it also deals with the important and common issues of dealing with—and overcoming, difficult childhood experiences. Chris must leave his friends and school in the city. His parents are divorced and his mother has married someone who lives in a small town. Gina is different from the other children in her school. She is a vegetarian and she helps out at the Rescue Ranch where dogs, horses and cows who have been saved are cared for. Her love for—and attitude toward, animals doesn’t sit well with the other students in the ranching community.
Finally, Saving Emily conveys the vital message that the efforts of a few can result in positive changes, making an often hostile and cruel world a little kinder. Children who like animals will enjoy this book. Children who aren’t as caring toward animals should read it! –Reviewed by Glenn Perrett

Scooby and the Mystery, Inc. gang headto the Lone Wolf ranch where Fred spent some summers as a kid. The ranch is celebrating it's 100th Birthday. However, the ranch is in some financial trouble and if the celebration isn't a success, the Lone Wolf might end up a dead wolf. Not to mention that people start believing a curse about a wolfman who has come to take curse the ranch. Zoinks! What's the gang to do? Figure out the mystery, of course.

I enjoyed this book. It's very simple to read and helps improve deductive reasoning skills, even in an old foggy like myself. It's a good story and seem just like one of the television shows.

This is a vintage scooby doo mystery. The gang is off to the Lone Wolf Ranch where Fred spent his childhood. They meet up with a strange man carrying a hammer and yelling about a full moon and the wolfman coming back. There's a story that the wolfman will come back you see...and of course he does! The gang is then off to find the real identity of this wolfman, save the gold horseshoes and the ranch and keep Scooby and Shaggy from eating all the bar b qued food. The book is set up in chapters which can be read by an older child or read to a younger one. My six yr old loves scooby and wants this read to him constantly. For any adult fan of scooby who wants to introduce their children to a great classic.

This is a vintage scooby doo mystery. The gang is off to the Lone Wolf Ranch where Fred spent his childhood. They meet up with a strange man carrying a hammer and yelling about a full moon and the wolfman coming back. There's a story that the wolfman will come back you see...and of course he does! The gang is then off to find the real identity of this wolfman, save the gold horseshoes and the ranch and keep Scooby and Shaggy from eating all the bar b qued food. The book is set up in chapters which can be read by an older child or read to a younger one. My six yr old loves scooby and wants this read to him constantly. For any adult fan of scooby who wants to introduce their children to a great classic.

I'm a 26 year old fan of Scooby, and also an educator. Althought this book was geared for younger children, I actually enjoyed reading it. The plot is reminiscent of the classic TV show, yet the story is simple enough that even younger readers can follow. As an educator, I se these books as a great way to introduce children to deductive reasoning, critical thinking and problem solving skills. And since the story focuses around a character with which the child is familiar, the interest level is bound to be higher.