Travel Books

Have you ever felt like you stood out from the crowd? Like you were so strange and different, that people couldn't help but stare? Lately, Aimee's been getting that feeling all the time. Yes, she's a fangirl from California who has the ability to detect all things cute. She loves dolls, drawing, manga, and video games. In her spare time, Aimee and her friends like to cosplay, which is making costumes and dressing up as your favorite anime or video game character. But none of these things are the reason that Aimee stands out like a sore thumb. Aimee's 6' tall and, while that's not such a big deal in California, when you're visiting Japan, you might as well be Godzilla.

When you're 6' tall and in Japan, you tower over almost everyone else. People might mistake you for a monster out of a Godzilla movie. You don't always fit in every bathroom stall. Losing your luggage on the flight is a big deal, because finding cloths your height is almost impossible. People are scared to share a hot springs pool with you. And dressing up as a geisha means you need two people and a chair just to put on a wig.

Aimee's determined to have a good time while she's visiting Japan. It's her dream to see Kyoto, home of traditional Japanese culture, and Tokyo, a city that's all about the future. Along the way, she and her friends, A.J. and Judy, visit temples, watch musicals, get lost on the trains, cosplay in Harajuka, and adopt a doll. Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan is Aimee's sketchbook journal of the entire trip.

Cute. Simple. A lovely guide book to one girl's adventures in Japan. So don't look for millions of pages of details. This is about her and her two friends and their journey to the VOLKS store in Tokyo by way of Kyoto. The cartoonist happens to also be six feet tall. It is a sketchbook and guide to many of Japan's little delights and, sometimes, tiny problems. It has a glossary and a appendix of websites of hotels, food places, stores and so on.

"Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan" is the "story" (the term is used loosely here) of Aimee Major Steinberger's trip to Japan to visit her favorite doll maker. Along the way she goes to temples, tries strange foods, and does everything a good tourist should do. And she makes notes and sketches of it all, which she puts together into this book.

Aimee's style is distinctive: passionately cute, acknowledging a manga influence without kowtowing to it as so many would-be Japanese imitators do. Although most of the book is done in this cartoony style, a handful of more realistic sketches of people and animals suggest a versatile talent at work.

The book is not, nor is it intended to be, a penetrating social commentary on Japan, but Aimee does have an eye for what makes the country unique, interesting, and above all, fun, and she evokes these things memorably. Readers who are already familiar with Japanese culture will not find many surprises here, but they will find a kindred spirit, and readers without that cultural knowledge will get a personable introduction. In a word, good times all around.

~

Seriously love this book. It's a fun account of Ms. Major Steinberger's travels in Japan. Not only are you taken through her own experiences as a foreigner, but you're also given little cultural tidbits that are just as interesting. Plus, the illustrations are fabulous. I look forward to more from Aimee in the future.

I purchased this book because I had heard of it in a chat forum and was already familiar with the author/artist. Most books don't keep my interest long enough to get through the book in a day or two, but this was impossible to put down. Aimee's lovely sketches and playful comments kept me laughing at the turn of every page. Her useful information will fuel anyone dreaming of a trip to Japan into setting the date after reading this book. I am excited to visit the places she mentions and share in the wonderful experiences she wrote about.
What a brilliantly lighthearted way to address the ups and downs of tourism.

A+

I consider myself a well-traveled individual and was very impressed with this book. It is very well-written and is a fabulous resource for anyone who flies, whether or not you have a child with you. On the other hand, if you are traveling with a child, it is a "must read". The author has researched so many different avenues to assist the reader in traveling with little ones and has many wonderful ideas as to how to make the trip a smooth one. I highly recommend this book!

Safe travels,
Mary
San Jose, CA

This book gives a lot of good information about traveling with you kids. Things that I would not have thought about otherwise. Some of the information made our trip a LOT more convenient and smooth.

Jet With Kids completely prepared me to travel with my two young children! As promised...it took the "fear out of flying" with them! I highly recommend it!

Jet With Kids is not just a list of what to pack (though you will be hard pressed to find a better checklist anywhere else). Nor is it a 'best of' of parent advice. It is rather a combination of personal experience, aggregated data, professional input, practical advice, and frank honesty.

It is written one parent to another, and difficult to put down once it's picked up! It is well organized and easy to find just what answer one is looking for. I highly recommend this book for parents and Shae by Air for their toddlers.

I am a retired flight attendant (36 years) and am so pleased that this book is out. I spent a lot of time on the airplane educating parents regarding the safety of their children while flying. A large number of parents just didn't know how to travel with their children or what to expect. It even took me time to figure out the best way to travel with my own children! This book covers all the areas I can think of that need attention before traveling with children. Well done Anya Clowers!

Renee Taintor
Retired Flight Attendant

I read this book when I was 7. I loved it! Buy it for your kids and read it yourself, too! I'm so glad I read that book. It is about two friends, Jim & Luke, who live in this teeny tiny island. It was so tiny, that one of the people that lived there (i think there were 5 people, including Jim & Luke) would have to leave the place. Luke felt bad and he took his little train and left. Jim went along with him, and they had so many fun adventures together (in one of their adventures, i learned what a mirage really was). In the end, they came back home, with a little surprise. Read the book to find out.

I've read this book as a boy and it stuck with me - I remembered it fondly enough to track it down and re-read it as an adult. I am not a big fan of Ende's work, but this is really a charming little tale and a fine example of children's literature - full of imagination, adventure, and with two (actually three if you count the train) very sympathetic main characters. I warmly recommend it.

I love this book, I mean, my little daughter, 6, loves it :-)

Michael Ende was a master, perhaps "the" master would be more accurate, at crafting children's books that give the parents something to think about as well.

The most important thing about Jim Knopf (I've only read it in the original German) is of course that it's FUN. I can't imagine any kid not being totally engrossed in the story once it starts. Chapter for chapter, the story moves very quickly from one adventure to the next, always building up just the right amount of tension and suspense without ever becomming gratuitously shocking.

The story itself is about as original possible, it's all Michael Ende's imagination and there are no clichés, no "been there, done that" material. Of course, I can't speak for the english translation, but the language used by Ende in the original is a little advanced for really small kids. Personally, I see it a chance to "smarten up" as opposed to the usual "dumbing down" found in most (all?) modern children's books.

Like I said above, there's more to Jim Button than is first apparent. One example, among many: the Dragon City. I don't know how it's expressed in the English version but in the original, the dragons are mean and cruel and dirty and... UNHAPPY. Their secret wish is to be "saved" from the evil of their city and to become re-born as the "Golden Drangon of Wisdom". They are literally awaiting a "Saviour" and Frau Mahlzahn (the dragon that held the children captive, don't know her english name) is not so much "captured" in the way a superficial reading of the book would suggest but rather saved. She is transported through the cleansing waters of the Yellow River where her fire goes out and her evil spirit is extinguished. This is a baptism, and on a very grand scale.

Another: The "Scheinriese", the Giant who apears bigger and scarier the further away you are from him. When I read this part to my daughter, she said, "It's sort of like my swimming class". I thought, "Huh, how'd you get so smart?". She made the connection herself. Her first two swimming lesson have been horrifying for her, even though they're really completely harmless fun and the instructors are wonderfully gentle and patient. So, she recognized that sometimes things seem a lot scarier before we actually confront them and that most fear exists in our imagination and it can overcome. Rarely is anything as bad as we think it's going to be.

Michael Ende was in a class by himself. He wrote serious literature that also appeals to children. He invented a genre and he was the master. Although his other books are more "mature" than this one, Jim Button and Luke remain my, yes, my :-) favorite.

This maybe the finest story for children ever created, the events in this story are fictions indeed, but they are no complicated which demand you to think hard. Michael Ende created a "light" fiction story, because of that this story flies easily to your heart. And he also created all of his characters totally very humanly especially the two main characters: Jim and Lukas, ther are truly uniques: every person they meet, they help him, every bad situation they fix it in one way or another. All of these features, made this magnifient book a book of a life time! Michael Ende - your book is delightful - Bravo!

Ask readers what they connect with fantasy books for children, and most will come up with the answer Harry Potter. But there were fantasy books before Harry came. The German writer Michael Ende is one of the many writers who have written wonderful stories, both for children and for grown ups. The story about Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver is one of them.

Luke lives on a tiny, tiny island together with just a handful of other people. One day the postman arrives with a very special delivery, a small packet containing an even smaller little boy. The boy remains at the island and gets the name Jim Button.

Everybody loves Jim, but when he growns bigger the island becomes too small for the people living there. Luke decides that he is the one who has to go, toether with his tank engine. Jim goes with him, in secret, and from here on the adventures of the two friends starts.

The book is a wonderful tale of friendship and love, and also a story to teach children to overcome their fears, to believe in their own strength, and still be allowed to show your weakness. I have read the book together with my six years old daughter, and it has given us many great reading hours. Actually we are still enjoying being together with Jim and Luke, now reading the sequel to the book.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

My 4-year-old loves this! He has been through every train book at the library, and I am always on the lookout for a new "angle". Well, this had it!! Much of the lingo was new to him, so he learned a lot. The pictures are both fun and informative. We love this book!

This delightful picture book will thrill young boys and girls alike as they race down the tracks with an ole hogger on engine 417! They'll meet colorful characters along the way, from Ole Joe, the ashcat, to Mabel, the merry-go-round operator, as the illustrations perfectly capture the lingo of this fast-paced E ticket ride. Kids will absolutely love it!

This beautifully illustrated book about the glorious days of steam railroading is one which all proud grandparents will enjoybuying for and sharing with their grandchildren. Grandfathers especially will enjoy the old railroad lingo and the opportunity of sharing what it was like long ago. It isn't only granmothers who read to the children!

A definite must for your home library! Kids love the detailed watercolors and the almost-musical text. Who knew railroading slang was so fun? Pretty soon your kids will be asking for their milk as "whitewash" and telling your their "trick is up" at bedtime. Train enthusiast of all ages will enjoy this trip down the main line.

CAN YOU HEAR THE WHISTLE BLOWING? . . .ummm, yes, you sure can! It's coming down the track, coming down the track, coming down the track!

Patricia Newman delivers a zesty read about the world of trains. Told from the point of the engineer, you will learn train terms, facts, and just a fresh appreciation for the chugging world of transportation.

Perfect resource for a transportation unit in the classroom.

I also love the title. . .and I LOVE THIS BOOK!

I very much enjoyed Michelle Caffrey's honest and fresh account of the agony and ecstasy of barge life. Being a fellow bargee, I can well relate to both the fears and the exhileration she writes about in her account of their first year of barging. It also made me long to cast off the ropes of my own barge and go travelling again - something I will be doing very shortly too. Thanks for a fun and inspiring read, Michelle.

This review was posted on Amazon Canada by Jan Rehner:
You don't have to know anything about barging or boats to love this book. All you need is a desire to learn about Burgundy France from a unique perspective. Michelle Caffrey tells her true-life story of buying and refitting a lovely barge and lets you drift with her along the tree-lined canals of one of France's most beautiful regions. Textured with fascinating characters and the rich detail of food, wine, and countryside, this book lets you "just imagine" an intriguing and peaceful life style--with a good measure of surprise and humour mixed in.

Most books of this nature are re-hashes of the same story, but "Imagine...." goes a few steps further. It is well written and, for me, it was a good one-day read; not because I couldn't put it down....because I wouldn't put it down. It was that enjoyable. If you have ever thought about owning a barge, a boat, or even an RV, you will be able to enjoy this tremendously. This is a story of their first year. I hope there is a follow-up coming.

John Hardman

Like many of us, the Caffreys have a gipsie hidden deep in their soul. They were able to set theirs free. I'm extremely jealous. I've lived in Europe before and would love to find a way to return for extended stays. Barging is a recent lifestyle discovery for me and Just Imagine, has shown me the way to return to the old country and free my inner gipsie.
As something of a technical geek, the descriptions of the boats they looked at and the buying process they went through to find Imagine was of most interest to me. I now have a better idea of not only what kind of boat to buy but how to go about finding one. I did enjoy reading about the places and people they met but I'm also an explorer at heart, looking forward to my own discoveries. Their sense of entrepreneurship in starting Barge and Breakfast was also of interest as my wife and I both are involved in teaching entrepreneurship at Colorado Mountain College. My exposure to Roma people in Eastern Europe taught me that if you are going to be a gipsie, you also better be an entrepreneur. Sharing my boat with strangers in close quarters is not my idea of fun but it works for them. Proving that there are many ways to fund your dreams if you are creative. Seems like that is what "Just Imagine: New Life on an Old Boat" is all about anyway.
If there are any criticisms of the book it would be that the closer I got to the end of the story, the more grammatical mistakes I found. Not serious stuff but an indication that maybe barging is really more fun than writing about it.
Sail on friends. Some day we will gather by a campfire on the same riverbank to share a bottle of fine wine and a story or two.

I have been to france many times and Michelle's story brought it all back to me. Her descriptions of the trials and tribulations made me wonder if I could ever be as brave as they were to take all this on. It was fabulous as her words helped me to remember the beauty of the landscape and the thoughts of the food and wine made my stomach growl. What a great story and a very easy and fun read.

This Canadian woman fell in love with the north and its people. She took her kayak on a long perilous trip where many would fear to go. What courage. She tells about her trip and the many places she visited and the people she met. She continued her trip alone after the man along on the trip proved hard to get along with. But she continued. She was planning more trips to her favorite part of the world but it was not to be. Though she did not live to continue kayaking she did what she wanted. She enjoyed life to the fullest and was not afraid to go where others would be afraid. What a terrific lady. Her health was not good but that would not deter her from living life.

This book was an inspiration for me to buy a kayak and as an humble beginner to get out on the water at the age of 61. The author has the spiritual soul necessary to write such a magical accounting of her travels thru a land of kind people with smiling children. I know that writing is a time consuming task Ms. Jason...but could we have another episode please? I feel sure you will go back to this beautiful region again. Dan Chesser (Chess to my friends) Winston, OR ... In the 1000 valleys of the Umpqua River drainage.

A friend lended me Victoria's book a few years ago, and I am grateful for that. I found her to be such an inspiration. This book has had a profound influence on my life. Her experiences are fascinating, her inner strength is amazing, and her love for the beauty of man and nature is uplifting.

Victoria was a terrifically generous woman. In spite of the fact that she was battling a very aggressive brain tumor over the last year, she gave me the pleasure of her company for an afternoon during a recent trip through Winnipeg. She spoke of a second book she was working on about her return to the North. Unfortunately this second book remains unfinished, as Victoria passed away on May 20, 2000. She was a great lady!

I read "Kabloona" several years ago and have reread it again twice. Jason not only could write well and make me experience her trip vicariously, she also had the ability to spur me into new and different experiences of my own. Although I have not braved the Arctic as she did, I have conquered my own little fears and challenges. My mother used to wonder why cancer only got the most wonderful, caring, creative people. My mother was right. Jason may not have lived to write book number two, but her energy and her passion have been a road map to women in at least two countries. Thanks for the trip, Victoria!

Victoria Jason makes you feel like you are paddling the kayak. You experience the wind on your cheeks, the cold spray on your face, the pull of the current and strength of the waves on your boat. But even more powerful are the emotions which you share as you glide through the pages like gliding through the water. You sense her anxiety and vulnerability, her regrets and her doubts. She is independent and totally in control of her own destiny in a land where danger lurks in the water, on the land, and in the weather. She misses her family, thinking of her grandkids often. But she also experiences a sense of accomplishment since she is singularly in control. She is one with nature and gains inner peace and tranquility. In the few times she interacts with others, she is met with caring and sincerity, developing friendships and getting to know them better and deeper than one would in a "normal" setting. Unlike her short-time paddling companion, Don Starkell, who seemed to approach the trip as a task--as he against the elements--she embraces the elements and forms a synergy. She doesn't oppose the land, water, weather, or situations, she lets them work for her with finesse. And even when face to face with a grizzly and having a shotgun which could have been a more certain outcome, she chose a flare gun at the grizzly's feet. Maybe she's a paddling grandmother, but she's also an inspiration to all.

My first Leslie Lafoy, and I loved it very much! Now she became my favorite author. This is must-read for any time-travel reader. I highly recommend this book!

What a fabulous read! Once I started reading, there was no putting it down. Fast paced action, compelling characters, and a wonderfully intricate plot. And suspense up until the very last page!! It just doesn't get any better than this. Congratulations, Ms. LaFoy! I'm your reader for life. Please give me more!

My first Leslie Lafoy, and I loved it very much! Now she became my favorite author. This is must-read for any time-travel reader. I highly recommend this book!

I have read both of the books Leslie LaFoy wrote and I absolutely love them. She has fantastic characters. The women are strong, self reliant, but still hold on to their feminity. The men are strong and with great personality. I love her writing style....I am dying to read the next book she wrote. Leslie LaFoy...don't you ever stop writing, you are talented, clever, and have definitly found your calling! Mindy

When the bus pulled into the depot from my commute to work I was terribly dissappointed. I wish I had hit 2 hours of traffic becuase I did not want to put this book down. The story of Carrick and Glynnis was a delight to read. The fast paced, witty conversation, easy quips and light banter had me laughing with the characters. I had some idea how Ms. LaFoy was going to end this one, but I didn't care. I now have to go out and buy the previous book - the story of Carrick's parents, something tells me it will be worth it!!!

I got this book as a present. I wasn't sure about it because the character is a boy, but I LOVED it. It was a really great adventure and I loved the time travel part. It made some of the things I learned in school more real and interesting to me. Now I went back and read the first book in the series, The Enchanted Runner. Are there more books like thses?

Kendall, age 14, treasures his Native American heritage. His beloved great-grandfather had taught him the ancient Acoma tribal ways and the Keresan language, and when the old man died Kendall became the last living member of the Snake Clan. Kendall also mourns the death of his mother, and when his father remarries and his new wife displays pride in her Spanish conquistador heritage-though they were the enemies of his Acoma ancestors-Kendall is infuriated. He takes off for the reservation, and while exploring a crevice in the mesa he finds that he has somehow traveled through time, back hundreds of years to when his ancestors lived there and the conquistadors first came into the area. He is befriended by a young Acoma Indian and his beautiful sister, and becomes part of the tribe, participating in the ancient, dangerous snake dance ceremony, which involves capturing and dancing with live rattlers. When the conquistadors arrive, demanding food, a terrible massacre ensues and Kendall witnesses the subjugation, enslavement, and horrific amputations inflicted on what remains of his tribe. He returns to his own time at last, sadder and wiser, reconciled to the changes in his life. This sequel to Enchanted Runner can stand on its own, and the carefully researched details of Kendall's time with the Acoma, the snake dance, and the battle with the conquistadors in 1599 (further explained in an Author's Note at the end) will captivate readers who like historical fiction, gruesome details of violent deaths and amputations notwithstanding. Kendall's bravery, his love of running, and his respect for tradition come through clearly, and this dramatic story will inform and enthrall YAs. KLIATT: JS-Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2002

This book has everything!!!! Time travel, suspense, Native American folklore and history, woven together in a story that sweeps you away from the first page to the last. Little's depiction of the Snake Clan and the Acoma resistance was mesmerizing, the brutality of the Spanish Conquistadors was haunting, and the struggle for Kendall to reconnect with his heritage was gripping. I felt myself carried back in time, just like Kendall. Buy this book, but be careful, because once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down.

This is a wonderful book that weaves together brilliant threads of a boy's search for answers to unacceptable changes in his life. His Native American heritage leads him to the reservation and a subsequent sci-fi journey through time back to his ancient ancestors. Little's handling of one of the more chilling chapters of Native American history -specifically the fascinating culture of the Snake Clan and it's tragic fate at the hands of the conquistadors-is powerful and beautifully written. A fascinating book not easily forgotten!

Gr 6-10-A sequel to Enchanted Runner (Avon, 1999), this book stands on its own as a work of historical fiction and a time-travel story. Kendall, 14, has rediscovered his Native American roots in New Mexico at the Acoma Pueblo, ancestral home of his mother's family. He is the last of the Snake Clan, a long line of warriors and mystics responsible for carrying out the yearly ceremonies that propitiate the gods and bring rain. In his modern existence, he is struggling to deal with the death of his mother. When his father remarries, the teen cannot accept the woman, and he flees into the desert. Transported back to 1598, he becomes part of the vibrant life of the Acoma people, who live on a mesa and farm the surrounding land. The tribe's interaction with a group of Spaniards outfitted in armor results in tragic and devastating consequences, with Kendall a participant, witness, and one of the few survivors. The violence and brutality are powerfully portrayed in this action-filled story. Details of everyday life on the mesa and the people's strong spiritual connection to the land are what make this book stand apart from many other time-travel stories. An author's note explains that the historical events described are based on an eyewitness account by one of the Spanish soldiers. The novel succeeds as a fast-paced adventure and as a meditation on the consequences of a clash of dissimilar cultures.-David Pauli, Hillsboro Public Library, OR Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

The Lead Goat Veered Off is one of the most entertaining cycle touring narratives that I have read and there are plenty of them on my shelf. Neil Anderson has a wonderful knack for putting you right there next to him on the adventures that he and his wife share. From the hilarious to the absurd (being stuck in their tent for three days in a snowstorm with only oranges to eat comes to mind) to the sometimes arduous nature of touring (mountains that don't seem to have a summit) to the human stories that are both funny and touching. Something that this book communicates very well is that one of the best ways to see a country is by bicycle. Due to the slower pace and reliance on local products and services, interaction with the people and culture of the area are particularly rich. As is noted in many cycle touring books, there are people all over the world that are happy - if not insistent - to take you in, feed you, entertain you and live in your memories forever. This book is broken down into short chapters dealing with specific events or subjects, making it very easy to read snippets here and there during a busy life. Perhaps one of the most valuable things about this book is that it spurs you to think about your own life - is busy really what you want?

I cant wait for the next Biking Adventure...I've read both books by Neil Anderson..Wonderful writer, Excellent at conveying the adventure to words.
Neil and Sharon are so much fun to travel with. I love the interaction they have with others and each other and the area, real life!! Its so much fun to read. Neil is so honest in his writing.
Its not drawn out but its kept at a great pace life/biking adventure and just all around what a true travel adventure would be like. The GoOD tHe BAd ANd the UglY..:)
I hope another book is in the making. NEEd MOre!!

I read both of Neil's books and they are both ones I will never give up. I am an avid reader of cycling adventure books and Neil's sense of humor is second to none. Sharon and Neil share personal struggles and combine it with a simple way of seeing the world with a sense of awe and excitement. The book is broken into short stories and it is easy to read. You will only be disappointed after you have finished both books and now you have to wait for the third. Highly recommended.

I just finished "The Lead Goat Veered Off" second of 2 great reading
books by Canadians Neil Anderson (and his wife Sharon). This is an
entertaining read of their exploits as they travel though Corsica and
Sardinia on their 2+ year world cycling trip. If you didn't read the
first book "Partners in Grime" that's o.k. but it helps. They are both GREAT books. Really enjoyed them both.

I highly recommend this book - a good read by a pretty good author, and a fun story. I've thought of cycling just about everywhere in the world, but I never thought of Sardinia. If you read it, bear in mind that by the time these two got to Sardinia, they had to be fairly hardened cyclists, able to climb hills that might deter the rest of us. But again, good story, fun read, highly recommended.

What a great book to curl up with and explore! It's like a virtual vacation. I'm ready to call my travel agent.

This reference of Virginia's lighthouses will be indispensable anyone wanting to locate, study or identify lighthouses. It's concise format makes it possible to carry or store while traveling or keep within reach on boats,cars or aircraft. This colorful book will probably become a valuable rare collectors item, since it freezes in time a valuable set of pictures of both the interior and exterior of all the lighthouses in Virginia at publication. As I am retired U.S.Navy I have an acute interest and respect for historic documents related to maritime history.

I would like to commend Mr. Zaccaria on a wonderful job of showing us, up close, the beautiful lighthouses of Virginia. In the last few years, I have become an avid lighthouse fan. I have been able to see several of the lighthouses mentioned in the book, and I find them just as beautiful and interesting as the book describes.I recommend this book to anyone interested in lighthouses.

This book is a must for all lighthouse enthusiasts! It is an enjoyable book to read, and very informative. I recently took it on a "lighthouse hunt" while on vacation, and found the directions to be very accurate and helpful. If you have not already done so, you must make this a part of your lighthouse library!

Mr.Zaccaria presented the finest details of the Virginia Lighthouses. Even after spending four years maintaining some of the lighthouses listed, I learned a great deal about them after reading this book. Truely an amazing display of history.