Holidays Books

i read this story lats year i found it in my school libaray! i wasn't much of a reader i had to read this book a reading log for english class and i just fell in love with this book!! it was such a cute and moving story i love it and recommend it to anyone looking for a light easy and good read. if you are this is the book for you!!!

I still remember when I read this book in junior high school, and I'm getting ready to graduate this May from college, yet it still puts a smile on my face when I think about the book. It was one of those stories that you think could never happen to you, but it can, and it did happen to Melanie. I really enjoyed it, I suggest it to anyone looking for a lighthearted, good read. And for a little bit of a sequel, read "Eleven Kids, One Summer," which features Melanie, Justin and their families once again. But first, read "10 Kids No Pets."

This book was awesome. I never thought that Justin was a tv star. I was just as suprised as Melanie when I read the part about him being a star. It has all the things I'm looking for in a book. It has romance, twists, and it keeps you wanting to know more about their new found romance. I just wished it would have gave you a better picture of how their relationship worked out in the future. It needs a sequal.

I just read this book and i thought it was fantastic. I could relate to Melanie in so many ways. Justin is everything a guy should be because he was so sweet and kind and just a gentlemen. I knew something was odd with him going to "work" but i couldn't see it. Ann M. Martain it one of my favorite authors, so i knew this would be good. I hope theres a sequal coming.

I first read this book when i was in Junior High school in the 7th grade. I hated books, but one time i had to do a report in order to pass my class. The teacher gave us a few books and we had to pick one of them. I picked Just A Summer Romance because it looked intresting. I started to read the book, and from the first page i read i liked it. I liked it because it reflected my live. I loved that book so much that i read it in three days, i always read the book during math, spanish, social studies and english class, i use to wake up at three in the morning to read the book because i was wondering what would happen next. Now i'm a senior in High School and i still haven't forgotten about that love story.

The first few pages of this book drove me to my dictionary repeatedly. Hardly a single page left me without the intense need to dive into my dictionary - and an excellent dictionary at that. I found more often than not that the words searched for were not there, or that the meanings that made sense were obscure, or idiosyncratic. I realized quickly that I could not possibly get through the entire book that way and decided to just relax, understand what I could, and forget about struggling with what I could not. Mr. Millman is an independent soul and he makes up words, uses slang I am not familiar with and also uses obscure words in common and sometimes uncommon ways. I think this delights him. His travels delighted me. And Mr. Millman appears to be a delightful, jocular person who is comfortable in strange, lonely places. I am glad to have been taken on this trip with him through his book. I highly recommend this book particularly to people who are not so compulsive as to need to understand every nuance of what they are reading. Unfortunately for me, I am that compulsive person. Like Mr. Millman's journeys, it is often a journey into an unknown place.

As one who loves adventure travel I rate this as one of the best accounts ever for one chasing through this part of the world. It was especially meaningful as I have traveled the same route...The Shetlands, The Faroes, Iceland, Greenland and Labrador. How much fun to re-live it through the eyes of Lawrence Millman. Unlike Millman, I never had the chance to meet and live with the folks like he did. His encounters with the locals are so funny and engaging that you'll find yourself laughing throughout the book. If you are the least bit interested in this part of the world, read this book first and you'll hardly be able to wait to start your trip. This man is truly a great story teller and the kind of guy you'd just like to sit down with and rehash his adventures. What a great book!

There is a reason why every rating here (so far) is 5 stars - read it and you will find out why.

The best travel book I have ever read. I picked it up becasue I had been in a couple of the places covered in the book. Millman truly captures the sense of place, people, life and environment and is funnier than you can ever imagine travel writing being. He gets involved with the locals and this leads to our discovery of some very interesting local customs. He provides the best description of being sea sick that I have ever read - I could almost feel it!

I have loaned this book to so many people that it is dog-eared. It is the book we always talk about year after year and have great laughs.

A June through October vagabondage in the shadows of the Viking far-farers. Lawrence Millman wanders from Norway to Newfoundland by way of the Faeroes, Iceland, and Greenland. His engaging mix of descriptions of the local color and his own wry humour make for some fine and entertaining reading. Written in a journal travelogue style with just enough history and customs mixed in to tempt you to visit these "last places".
An excellent adventure story. Highly recommended.

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

As a polar regions travel junkie, I devoured Millman's account of his journey through the Faeroes, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, and places in between. I thought he did an admirable job of relaying the harships of life (especially in Greenland) while always coming back to the mysterious appeal that this region holds for many.

"The Life & Times of Baxter the Bat Dog" is probably one of the sweetest stories I've ever enjoyed reading to my children. This beautiful children's book is actually three short stories about the cutest little bat dog named Baxter.

* The first story tells of how Baxter finds a new family after being abandoned. This first meeting between the reading and Baxter is precious. His eagerness to embrace life endears him to your heart.
* The second story is Baxter's first Halloween. His kindness in remembering to share his treats with his new family is a wonderful life lesson for children.
* The last is Baxter's first Christmas. His desire to give his new owner a special gift is reminiscent of the "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.

Carollee Wagonlite is an extraordinarily gifted storyteller. Baxter's sweet spirit shines through the story with gentle grace. "Baxter" is based on a real-life little dog and his adventures. How such a sweet little baby was abandon is hard to understand but I can only rejoice that he was adopted by the Wagonlite family and through this book shared with us all.

The illustrations of Oswaldo Rosales are charming. Baxter's personality and joy of life was easily seen by children. I often find my toddler studying the pictures and giggling.
I have given "The Life and Times of Baxter, the Bat Dog" five stars! Not only did I love the stories and illustrations, but my preschool children did. And although the real-life Baxter is no longer living, we hope to see more adventures soon.
Reviewer name: Deven D. Vasko

The Life and Times of Baxter the Bat Dog is a cute exposé into the life of Baxter who experiences several adventures during his life. Although categorized for the 4 to 8 age group, the size of the book might be overwhelming for a young reader so it is nice that it is broken down into smaller volumes, bound together as one.

Volume One starts off with Baxter being hit by a car. After being abandoned by his family, a news story sends plenty of people his way, looking to adopt him. He finds a new and wonderful home with Merry Jones and her two cats.

Volume Two finds Baxter trick-or-treating for Halloween dressed as a bat. His pointy ears and black fur make being dressed as a bat the perfect costume for him. He attends a Halloween party and goes home to share his bounty with Merry's cats.

Volume Three brings Baxter to Christmas and his dilemma on delivering Christmas gifts to Merry and the cats, Cinnamon and Pearly-Mae. In the end Baxter learns the true meaning of Christmas.

Children and their caretakers will fall in love with Baxter. I hope there is a continuation of the series as it is encouraging to find an example of how to behave from a loveable creature that everybody can envision and relate to. Written in simple English whether a child is reading or being read to, equal enjoyment can be found in both the pictures and prose.

The Life & Times of Baxter the Bat Dog! portrays a cute, little dog who experiences some of the same events as most young children. Children love animal stories and many have pets. As children enter elementary school, they are encouraged to write creatively. They write about things they know and have experienced, and many times it is about a pet. Baxter would make a good story starter.

Baxter got his name "Bat Dog" because he had very pointy ears and booked somewhat like a bat. Baxter's first experience in the book results in a stay at the hospital after an accident, when he is hit by a car. Find out how Baxter becomes a TV star.

Chapters 2 and 3 are stories about children's favorite holidays: Halloween and Christmas. Children love to dress up in costume and pretend. Baxter experiences the same fun activities children do during Halloween. Christmas is a time of snow, sharing love and making special gifts for family. Baxter has a very special surprise for his special family.

The author shares Baxter's emotions and love with the reader. With the addition of beautifully illustrated pictures, this wonderful children's book will bring enjoyment to both young and mature readers.

As a mother of a ten and a thirteen-year old, I appreciate the quality of the writing and the superb illustrations in The Life and Times of Baxter the Bat Dog! My ten-year old son never reads a book in one sitting; but to my amazement, he finished Baxter the Bat Dog in one sitting. My thirteen-year old daughter also enjoyed reading about Baxter. I would definitely recommend this book to friends.

I have just completed reading and reviewing the book 'The Life and Times of Baxter the Bat Dog".

I am a pet owner myself, having a black long haired cat named 'Baxter' and a dog also rescued from the animal shelter named 'Aussie' - who is part Border Collie and part Australian Shepherd. I loved the dialogue between Baxter, Cinnamon and Pearly-Mae.

I think this book will serve it's purpose well, with children of all ages. The message is clear that we are all loveable, no matter that we are not 'perfect'. This should especially reach children with physical handicaps, or who have been abandoned, or adopted. It will even impact the child who is always picked on for having 'big ears' or other less-than-perfect physical features.

It is also important to note the gifts that our pets give back to us, the unconditional love and devotion, companionship, gratitude, and genuine happiness to see us each day, or the physical Christmas gift that Baxter gave his owners. When a pet is adopted from an animal shelter or an animal rescue group, the bond that is created between the pet and the owner is one of the strongest attachments I have seen.

I am grateful to Carollee for writing this book, and also benefiting the various animal charities.

There are 4 or 5 books in the Mercy Watson series now, all wonderful. My girls, 5 and 3, want me to read them to them every night. You can't go wrong.

I bought this book for my 1st grade daughter. She wanted chapter books. She is not too much interested in reading by herself but with this book not only she reads but she wants to keep reading to find more about the story. Plus the illustrations are nice and funny. I am on Amazon tonight to buy the other 3 books. In fact, I suggest buying this Mercy Watson: Princess in disguise first and if you like it then the box has the other 3 titles. Its more for K-1, it might be easy for 2nd graders. Hopefully the author will come out with more soon.

This is a great addition to the DiCamillo series for early readers. I've been recommending Mercy to every teacher and parent I know. Lots of humor, great story lines and characters, and delightful illustrations. A wonderful book for developing readers. More Mercy please.

Every parent/child should know Kate DiCamillo, a wonderful author with fabulous books. Mercy Watson books are so cute.

We loved this one so much that we went out to the library the next day to find the others. My son read them in no time and wanted to read them over again-something he hasn't wanted to do in a long time. Love it!!!!

there are a lot of "good" children's books out there. this is one of the handful of "great" ones.

it's extremely humane writing with quiet humor far removed from the "snark" common in many contemporary children's books.

it's also mercifully free of any ham-fisted "lesson".

while it doesn't really remind me of "The Wind in the Willows", that's the only other children's book i can think of offhand that stayed with me like this one did.

Although it is a long book for a 2 year old, my 28 month old son will listen to the entire book and he loves the illustrations. It is a great bedtime book for him. He doesn't ask to read it like he does the other books, but he listens very intently to this one. The book is lovely - I highly recommend it.

A wonderful story with beautiful pictures. If it doesn't warm your heart, you're not human! It is so good, I've bought a stack of copies to send out as Christmas gifts.

This is an extraordinary book. Antonia Barber has produced a superb story, based on the legend of the Cornish village of Mousehole. Tom is an old fisherman who lives with Mowzer, his cat, who is also aging gracefully. Their lives--organized around fish, firesides, milk, and scratching of ears--fill the first few pages, and then the Great Storm-Cat arrives, howling around the harbor and bottling up the fishing fleet. Food in the village starts to run low. Finally, the day before Christmas, Tom and Mowzer go out to fish together in the teeth of the storm, so that the children of the village should not be hungry on Christmas Day.

The text is powerful--remarkably so for a children's book. But Nicola Bayley's paintings are, if possible, even more astonishing. There is a gorgeous picture of the Great Storm-Cat and Mowzer at sea; fine, characterful pictures of Tom, Mowzer and the village of Mousehole; and among other treasures, one picture that always moves me to tears. Another reviewer said the book made them weep: I know the page they were talking about. It's where Tom and Mowzer sail back to the village, to discover that the villagers have realized they are gone, and are waiting for them.

Enough. It's a beautiful picture. Buy the book, even if you don't have kids, though you'll get far more pleasure from reading this to a child. The language is a little complex for a child under five, but you can simplify as you read. And you'll read it again and again.

When my children were young, this was one of the bedtime stories they loved best. It's particularly good for cat lovers! The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story moves through suspense to a beautiful resolution -- a feast at the end of a storm-tossed fishing trip.

Savoured the book from start to finish. It took me 2 weeks to read the last 20 pages because I did not want it to end. I am looking forward to reading the next Gillian adventure.

Everyone loves an adventure (or at least reading of one) and most of us will never take a boat from China to America. Envious of this one, I curled up by my fireplace and read Mr. Ding's Chicken Feet with a taste for the fascinating journey of a Caucasian woman on a boat full of Asian men. I was not disappointed.

The author sets sail on an ocean of cultural difference and wins over the hearts of the crew - a rough and salty bunch who sit spellbound by her in English class.

Because of the obvious vast expanse of ocean to cross, you know that the author is going to have to face a few things she has probably never had to before, and deal with them. There is, after all, no escape on a small boat in the middle of the ocean.

Kendall reveals the color of the crew over the course of the journey as if she were polishing up tarnished brass. It was great fun to read about the men as they blossom at the hand of their teacher...though the revelations were not one-sided.

Not surprisingly, I felt the poignancy at the sight of land, which meant having to say goodbye.

Kendall writes with an unpretentious clarity, humor and heart. I definitely recommend it.

Ji Lians book very good. Makes me laugh. Have to laugh and wake up husband to read good part. I like this book. I like especially page where I am mention. I am Li. I am beautiful asian/american. Not Chinese. I too, don't like chicken feet.

In Mr Ding's Chicken Feet, the author, Gillian Kendall, comes across at first as maybe a little naive and unwary. She is a risk-taker. Her apparent lack of serious doubt about the whole enterprise, her trust in her fellow human beings not to harm her and her faith that it would all work out made me a little nervous on her behalf. But she is vindicated by the experience and it is her empathy and geniality that are the keys to her success. Observing Kendall's openness to life and her willingness to reach out across cultures became one of the pleasures of reading the book. A cynical reader such as I am found it instructive to watch her interest in humanity unfold and be repaid.

Her story really takes off once the ship leaves shore. Then it leaves behind any experience I and probably most readers have had. Shipboard life with a completely male crew who mostly speak very fractured English seems so weird and challenging that you half expect the book to be a story of failure -- perhaps noble failure but depressing nonetheless. So it's very satisfying that she actually makes a difference to the sailors' English and lives. She is inventive in her methods and determined to give her employers their money's worth and thereby wins the crew's respect and affection.

Kendall can write -- just see her description of the terrible storm at sea. It had me rigid with tension. Shades of Conrad in Typhoon. She has a distinctive and likable tone of voice. The book tells an optimistic story in an unpretentious way and gives you faith in the power of empathic teachers (and English!).

I spent the academic year of 1999/2000 teaching English in Shenzhen. I spoke no Chinese, at the time, and had no formal teaching experience. So I could definitely relate to Gillian's frustrations, culture shock, and malentendus. It's 1991 and Gillian is a grad student in Galveston, TX. The semester is coming to a close and she spies an ad on the bulletin board for an ESL teacher aboard a ship sailing from Shanghai to Galveston. After a hard sell Gillian manages to land the job aboard the all male ship. The company flies her to Shanghai where she boards the ship. The reader witnesses her feelings about being the only woman on the ship; loneliness and some sexual harassment egged on by the only other American on board. She experiences a Sapphic awakening as she realizes in her state of isolation that she doesn't have any romantic feelings for her boyfriend. She manages to break through the cultural, gender, and language barriers to form some attachments to her students and especially Mr. Ding, the cook. The book is riddled with faux pas but the funniest part, I would say, is when she saves Mr. Ding by hurling the violent Panamanian vendor into the Canal.

... I have met the author. It is certainly true that I have met Lee. Indeed I've known him for several years. The fact is though, I like Lee's writing style. I have read his newspaper columns. I own his earlier book on Vietnam too. Lee has the ability to bring a full range of emotions to the surface in the reader. From sadness to anger to a feeling of smallness in awe of the power of nature, I can't help but be involved with his writing. Moving among the lights and shadows of this book is entirely pleasant, amusing and fulfilling.

From earliest childhood Lee Basnar loved nature. Basnar was born in Vermont in 1938. Stories of Alaska created a fascination for Lee. He wanted to experience the last frontier.

Lee's father had plans for him to graduate from college. Instead Lee married his high school sweetheart, Joan. He worked for his father as an apprentice carpenter. It was seasonal work. Tired of menial jobs and unemployment checks during the winter months, Lee again disappointed his father. He joined the army in 1961.

Lee's service career took him to Germany and France. In 1968 he was transferred to Viet Nam where he served as advisor to the South Vietnamese infantry division and later as an infantry company commander.

In October of 1971 Lee was assigned duty at Fort Richardson. His dream of seeing Alaska had finally come true. However, in 1974 he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. Soon Lee was seeking reassignment to duty in Alaska. An opportunity opened and Basner became senior advisor to the 207th Infantry Group of the Alaska National Guard, near Anchorage, for the remainder of his Army career.

As time drew near for his army enlistment to end, Lee began to plan his retirement. Together, with Joan, he looked for a site that would accommodate a cabin home. They both were ready to take on the challenge of the Alaskan frontier by living in the bush.

Lee is a gifted story teller. His descriptions of animal life, nature trails, mountains, and rivers in the vast Alaska wilds are spectacular. In breathtaking word pictures Basner creates new vistas for the reader. "Snow sprinkled the mountains like powdered sugar on cupcakes, and each new snowfall frosted the slopes a little lower." Each chapter includes a photo which depicts something of its contents.

Narrow escapes and life threatening experiences mount up as one after another Basner chronicles his story. He tells of a smoke filled cockpit in his small Taylor Craft airplane. After an emergency landing and repairs he had to battle river rapids for a dangerous take off at 2:30 AM to return home. After landing, securing the plane in a blinding snowstorm, having had no sleep for 24 hours, Lee, the master of understatement put it this way, "For some reason I felt a little tired."

Adventure stories of trapping, hunting, fishing, and photographing moose, wolves, bears, and other wildlife fill the chapters of this rapid paced narrative. The unpredictability of grizzly bears, a midwinter chimney fire, and other narrow escapes will keep you turning the pages of this fascinating account of the Basner's life in the bush.

Lee related how after surviving his tour of duty in Viet Nam, he was plagued by survivor guilt. He hoped to exchange combat nightmares from Vietnam for a new sense of freedom peace and contentment by living in the bush. After some years of roughing it, Lee wrote: "Vietnam intruded less frequently as the years accumulated...the demands of bush living shoved Viet Nam aside, leaving room for healing. The nightmares, less frequent now, retreated to a hidden place, emerging rarely. Drifting and pondering gave me time to realize that I had truly survived and shouldn't feel guilty because of it".

This is a book for everyone who ever had a dream of adventure on the last frontier. It is a book for Veterans, who experienced the ravages of war. Every school library should have a copy. It is for the sportsman, the hunter, and the environmentalist.

This is an incredible read.

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (08/06)

Ever since I read Jack London's Call of the Wild when I was a child, I have been enamored of anything to do with Alaska. If a book is set in Alaska, I'll buy it, more for the background and how people live than for the storyline.

Lee Basner was born in Vermont and in his early childhood developed a fascination with the Alaska Territory. It took him thirty years, but he finally achieved his dream of living in the far North. Sick with guilt over the men under his command who never came home from the Vietnam War while he made it through, Lee retired from the U.S. Army as a major at the age of forty-two and he and his wife Joan built a log home 200 miles from Anchorage. They moved in during a March blizzard and lived there for the next sixteen years, pitting themselves against the worst Alaska could throw at them and surviving to tell the tale.

They had no indoor plumbing, self-generated power and no telephone for the first years. Clothes were washed in a wringer washer and hung outside to freeze, after which they were brought inside to thaw in front of the wood-burning stove, the only source of heat.

Balanced against these inconveniences was wildlife at the door, breathtaking scenery and the chance to really live their own lives as they wished, with no one to tell them what to do.

Filled with anecdotes of their daily life from the mundane, like digging a trail to the outhouse, to the poignant such as a herd of caribou caught in an avalanche, many of them killed and injured while Lee was unable to reach them to at least put them out of their misery, I was unable to put the book down. I even took it with me to read while I waited in line at the bank. I loved this book. It's a real keeper.

Wow! Captivating from the beginning digging your way out of the cabin. Excellent imagery. Made me want to go there before it is all gone, to breath the air, to see the landscape, to feel the rush of the wind, the chill of the frozen tundra, to taste food that is fresh and wild, free from man's processing. To hear the sounds that nature sings.
This descriptive account of life in Alaska is an eye opener of the fortitude it takes to make it in the Last Frontier. The extreme conditions and the extreme rewards.
This book opens your eyes to the hardships and the little things a tenderfoot wouldn't think of in your survival in the Alaskan wilds. Dotted with humor, sprinkled with love and support of a life mate, along with the daily challenges of self-sufficiency. Here you will find many helpful hints if your dream is to live in the wilds of Alaska. And if it has been your dream it will open your eye to the reality of such a challenge. A marvelous read and an excellent way to experience the wilds vicariously in the comfort and safety of your own armchair, from wildlife survival, to the Elmer's, natures Christening, the antics of the wilds, this books is fascinating, one to read and re-read.
I can only say thank you Lee for writing your experience out in such vivid details.

A great book. The descriptions of the wildlife and landscape are insightful and accurate - I was informed as well as entertained. The book captures the feel of wild Alaska and allowed me to experience life in the bush along with the author and his wife. I felt as if I was in the plane when he was lost during a snow storm. I stood beside him and felt the excitement and fear when wolf or grizzly was encountered at close range. The book gives us an environmental message as well. Wilderness is ours not only to experience, but also to protect. The author's insights into how to live with the land and appreciate its beauty and harshness make this a valuable read.

Old MacDonald Had a Wdding is a delightful book for Children 2 to 100. The illustrations are bright, cheerful, humorous and full of surprises. The rhyme is cute and easy for a 6 year old to read. The older children enjoy guessing the tie-ins with the standard nursery rhymes. I find children (and adults) reading this book over and over to their friends.

Whenever you want to bring a few moments of joy and wonder and laughter to a young child, give him - or give her - a copy of Old MacDonald Had a Wedding. And if you want to heighten the fun, read it aloud to the lucky listener yourself. That way you'll share in the fun and the delight this charming book can bring. I've done it that way myself a couple of times and I cherish the experience even more than the giving. I've sent copies to the children of friends and relatives in Massachusetts, New Jersey and California. The reaction has always been the same. Parents and children love the book, especially the collection of familiar guests and their surprising antics. And they love me for sending it. Give this book and they'll love you, too.

Although I wasn't invited to the wedding, seeing the pictures and enjoying Ron,s captions was just as good...almost. It is good to share
happy occassions with family and friends...and everyone at the wedding
was a childhood friend and "fanily". What a delight.

Thank you Ron and Brian.

I even plan to read the story to the kids !

Mr. Berman has created another hit! He is a brilliant author and this
work is so engaging that all who read it will enjoy and smile all the way
to bed or naptime. The designs are so engaging you want to reach out and pet them. I am picking up a bunch for gift giving and hopefully attending a signing by the author.

Words and pictures so caring, thoughtful, and sweet - what a kind and funny way to refresh Old MacDonald. A heirloom to treasure - but also really one of those special little gifts for anyone special to you.

Excellent book for around the holidays. I know it is a kids book, but it is an all around family book.

This book is a wonderful keepsake. I feel it should be made a "classic". I want all my family to have it. I have started getting it for everyone special in my family as a keepsake for their children. It is a beautifully illustrated story about creation and will be loved by all ages. We display it in our home every year during the Christmas season. A must have for new babies!!!

I found my way to this book by accident in the form of a box of Christmas cards. I was shopping one Christmas season in a Christian bookstore I believe and came upon the most beautiful Christmas card I had ever seen in my life. The illustration was done by Richard Jesse Watson, and it happened to be of a shepherd boy bathed in the moonlight gazing at the sky. (entitled "O Holy Night") The detail was so realistic that it seemed as if I could reach out feel the roughness of his woven garments or pet the little lambs gathered around his bare feet. I felt as if I was there with him and all I had to do was look over my shoulder to actually see what he was looking at. It to this day takes my breath away. I bought the box with the intention of giving them to only the most special people in my life and saving a couple just to look at every Christmas.

After purchasing the cards and getting ready to send them out I noticed the caption on it saying that it was an illustration from this very book. I immediately headed back out the door to find it. I'm not sure what I expected the storyline to be of (not that it made a difference) because the cover art was so different from the card I'd bought, but once I saw it was written by Ruth Graham I knew I couldn't pass it up. The story about a boy who ended up having to stay at an elderly lady's home after getting stranded by a blizzard was sweet and endearing and I read most of it there in the store. The book, which depicts stories from the bible, meshes with the lush illustrations to turn out this highly acclaimed, award winning book.

I ended up purchasing at least 4 of them to give as Christmas gifts with strict orders to open immediately once the house is decorated for the season. All of the nativity (along with the other) illustrations make this book a pure slice of heaven. The richness and striking mood of every single picture is wondrous and fills me with more Christmas spirit than my heart can hold sometimes. I guess that's why I bought so many copies of it so I can share it with everyone I care about. Almost every Christmas I scan some of the illustrations to create my own Christmas cards for my friends making sure I tell them where the artwork comes from so they can pass this Christmas treasure on as well to their loved ones.

This is a great Christmas read that gives an overview of the gospel, from creation to Christ's resurrection. A boy is injured and must seek refuge with an older widow during a snowstorm. As he recuperates and waits for the storm to settle down, she tells him the story of man's fall and redemption through Christ Jesus.

This book does a good job of sticking to the true facts of the Bible without a lot of added fluff. I've read this aloud to my children a couple of times. It takes us a few sittings as it is fairly lengthy but it keeps them engaged.

The best part of the book is the illustrations. They are gorgeous! These are some of the most believable Biblical portrayals I have seen - not the stylized Italian sort or the comical characters which abound in Christian books for children. For instance, Adam and Eve are not lily white but look as if they could truly be the father and mother of us all. The portrait of Goliath is my favorite as he looks like a giant warrior might. His thighs are massive! And David is a young man, not a child, as Scripture would suppport.

I would only take issue with the picture of the angel guarding the garden of Eden. First, according to Genesis, there are angels (plural) placed at the gate. Secondly, although the American Indian woman is lovely, angels are only described as men and never as women in the Bible. Moreover, they always seem to invite dread (first words from angels are typically, "Don't be afraid") so I think a pretty angel lady is somewhat unlikely.

I highly recommend this book as a lavish picture book to be read at Christmas, or any time of the year. It helps children understand why the birth of Christ matters to them.

This charming Christmas story will warm your heart -- Ruth Bell Graham teams with Richard Jesse Watson to tell the story of a young boy away from home at Christmas. I love this book.

I am a pediatrician and have copies of this book in my exam rooms. It is the book most commonly commented on by parents as being a wonderful children's book.

THE ONLY ONE CLUB by, Jane Naliboff
Reviewed by, Joshua


The Only One Club by, Jane Naliboff is an exciting children's book. I liked this book because its about a little girl name Jennifer who is Jewish and everybody isn't. So she goes home and makes The Only One Club because she feels left out. In addition she made the club badge and I liked that.


The plot is interesting. Then Jennifer was happy now that she made a club but nobody was in it. So, everyone asked to be in it and she said, "no." I really didn't like that part.


The setting is at her house and classroom. That's not really exciting but the classroom is a little.
This book doesn't have any slang so that's why it's a good children's book.


The best part was at the end when Jennifer gave everyone a club badge. She then at the very end gave her teacher a badge too. So now, nobody was left out. Now everybody was happy even though they were different.


This was a great book overall but I didn't like the theme of the book. But I liked the very end when the teacher got the badge. This book is fun for kids 5-8. This story is good for kids who are left out in school. This story teaches kids a lesson not to leave other kids out.

The Only One Club explores our innate desires to be part of a group, all while we wish to celebrate our individuality.

Jennifer is in first grade and all the children are making Christmas decorations. When Jennifer wants to make Hanukah decorations her teacher encourages her in her project and allows her to proudly display her art. When she goes home that night she decides to start the "Only One Club" of which she is the only member.

"I want to be in it, too," Steven whined. "I must be the only one of something."

Soon all the children want to be in the club and start wearing badges to proclaim their individuality.

The Only One Club is a lovely book to teach children about diversity in a school setting. The art creates a multicultural setting and the true-to-life dialogue is creative and comforting.

~The Rebecca Review

Differences in race, religion, politics, ideas and lifestyles have given birth to such an enormous amount of negative media these days. In the newspapers we read and the news programs we watch, we are suffocated by it all. What an absolute pleasure to read such a positive expression of being different. Jane Naliboff creates a beautiful story wonderfully written which should be required reading for all!

Engagingly written by Jane Nailboff and nicely illustrated by Jeff Hopkins, The Only One Club is the story of a young girl named Jennifer, who is the only Jewish student in her first-grade class. When the other first graders are making Christmas decorations, the teacher tells jennifer that she can make Hanukah decorations instead, and be the first to hang them on the classroom windows. Happy to be singled out, Jennifer creates "The Only One Club". When her classmates want to join her exclusive club, she resists at first - then realizes each of her friends is also "the only one" at something, and makes badges for everyone, celebrating each person's unique qualities. The friendly illustrations emphasize an upbeat and positive message about the value of differences and the importance of tolerance and acceptance.