Clubs Books

An eloquant and riviting writer, Jill Shure captures the 1990s and 1920s wonderfully. If you have ever watched the films "Somewhere in Time" and "The Great Gatsby" you must read "Night Jazz". You'll be happy you did.

I was Shure's publicist for "Jazz" and had the pleasure of working with her and the media to get articles, shows and whatever else profiling her first novel.

"Jazz" is a page-turner and leaves you on the edge at the end of the book wanting more. Will Shure write another novel with main character Jeri Devlin? I've been wishing!

Jill Shure's first novel Night Jazz is a highly readable light-hearted romp through the final days of the delightfully decadent Jazz Age. Reminiscent of Herman Wouk's Marjorie Morningstar, Night Jazz doesn't fit neatly into any specific genre. Not simply science fiction or murder mystery, it is also far more complex than most romance novels. Night Jazz is fast-paced fun. So, tuck into a box of chocolates, curl up on the couch, and give in to the pleasure of an old-fashioned love story. It's delicious.

Jill Shure chose an ambitious setting for her delightful love story between Jeri Devlin who finds her passion in the past, and the dashing Lex Rose. The details and facts about the 1929 people and events she sprinkles throughout this engaging romantic novel where well researched and add an interesting element to the story. The ending left me hoping that there will be a sequel.

The story pulls you in from the beginning. I found the premise unique and intriguing. The attention to detail and the emotional connection I developed with Jeri kept me going. I had to know what happened next. Would she find her bother, would he know her, would they get back to the modern day... did she want to return to the modern day? To me, a great story is one that pulls you in and doesn't let you go until it's complete. Night Jazz did just that.

The story is about a 90's executive single woman searching for her brother who has disappeared. She gets transported back in time to the days before the Stock Market Crash, and while searching for her brother meets socialites, gangsters and business people. She experiences discrimination for being an intelligent woman and has trouble finding and holding jobs. The relationship that develops between the gangster and Jeri is wonderful and unexpected and what transpires is incredible.

Night Jazz is not a typical romance novel! It is a fantastic journey that takes you away to the roaring twenties. I was so wrapped up in the story that I could smell the fragrances mentioned, picture the fabulous gowns the socialites were wearing and vividly imagine the hustle and bustle of the crowded city streets of New York.

I was hesitant at first - time travel and romance - probably typical girl meets guy, they hate each other, they fall in love - but NO! It was incredible, the surprises, the turn of events, the secrets, the mystery, the gangsters. It was totally romantic, exciting and unpredictable.

I highly recommend it for romance readers and people who like a good story with a little bit of mystery, time travel, history, fun intertwined with a little romance.

[Backcover Review]: "PEOPLE OF LEGEND by acclaimed photojournalist and author John Annerino is a stunning and evocative portrait of Native America and the mystical landscapes they call home. "This largely photographic essay...offers a rare glimpse of coming of age ceremonies and feasts, and vivid re-enactments of ancient dances."-San Francisco Chronicle. "Contemporary Native American culture is revealed by a photojournalist who spent over 20 years exploring the Southwest...a stunning visual display of modern tribes and people: a blend of cultural history and art book."-Reviewers Bookwatch. "Annerino's work is outstanding." -Arizona Daily Star. "PEOPLE OF LEGEND tells a history, in words and pictures, that we all need to know." -American Photo Magazine. "Extraordinary."-Sandia Review." [Backcover Bio]: "Praised by Newsweek as one of the finest photographers of the West, John Annerino has worked in the frontier of Old Mexico and the American West for two decades. The Washington Post has lauded his "reverant and ravishing photographs," The Denver Post described his work as "fabulous," Publishers Weekly calls it "stunning." Represented by Gamma-Liaison, Annerino's credits include Time, Life, Newsweek, and Scientific American, among many prestigious publications worldwide. The author of nine books, Annerino's works include the critically acclaimed 1999 border saga DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS and his new photo/art book on American cowboys and cowgirls, ROUGHSTOCK: THE TOUGHEST EVENTS IN RODEO."

[Backcover Review]: "PEOPLE OF LEGEND by acclaimed photojournalist and author John Annerino is a stunning and evocative portrait of Native America and the mystical landscapes they call home. "This largely photographic essay...offers a rare glimpse of coming of age ceremonies and feasts, and vivid re-enactments of ancient dances."-San Francisco Chronicle. "Contemporary Native American culture is revealed by a photojournalist who spent over 20 years exploring the Southwest...a stunning visual display of modern tribes and people: a blend of cultural history and art book."-Reviewers Bookwatch. "Annerino's work is outstanding." -Arizona Daily Star. "PEOPLE OF LEGEND tells a history, in words and pictures, that we all need to know." -American Photo Magazine. "Extraordinary."-Sandia Review." [Backcover Bio]: "Praised by Newsweek as one of the finest photographers of the West, John Annerino has worked in the frontier of Old Mexico and the American West for two decades. The Washington Post has lauded his "reverant and ravishing photographs," The Denver Post described his work as "fabulous," Publishers Weekly calls it "stunning." Represented by Gamma-Liaison, Annerino's credits include Time, Life, Newsweek, and Scientific American, among many prestigious publications worldwide. The author of nine books, Annerino's works include the critically acclaimed 1999 border saga DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS and his new photo/art book on American cowboys and cowgirls, ROUGHSTOCK: THE TOUGHEST EVENTS IN RODEO."

Acclaimed author and photojournalist John Annerino is known for his high-risk journeys through the frontiers of Mexico and the American Southwest, seeking stories untold and photos unseen. For the past two decades, with his pen and his camera, he has told the stories of indigenous people -- their struggles and triumphs, their political strife and quiet dignity. His chronicles about the Tarahumara [WHERE SPIRITS STILL DANCE, in press] and Inde [APACHE: The Sacred Path to Womanhood, Marlowe & Co.], and his journeys across the desert with Mexican citizens looking for work in the United States [DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, Four Walls Eight Windows], can be found in several books as well as in frequent articles. Annerino share[s] his journeys and experiences, reflecting on how indigenous cultures have retained their traditions while dealing with outside influences. -Heard Museum

PEOPLE OF LEGEND. Annerino's book examines Indians' ties to land...A dozen figures raise crooked sticks toward the twilight sky. In the shot, Annerino manages to bring an almost monumental quality to the circle of students at San Simon High School, on the western edge of the Tohono O'odham reservation, as they play the ancient stickball game. At first glance, it appears to be some ancient ceremony. In a way it is. "I wanted to show the spirituality of the game of toka for the Tohono O'odham," Annerino said. -Daily Star

I am a Norwegian journalist/photographer and I have just by chance discovered the impressive book PEOPLE OF LEGEND. Superb photographs -- all of them rich of dreams and poesi. I myself have always dreamed of visiting Arizona and especially the sacred mountains of my childhood heroes, the Western Apache -- and today centuries later -- I share a universal sadness for what happened to the indigenous people. For me their care and understanding of the nature/environment has been an important inspiration in my participation to preserve rivers and mountains in my homeland Norway. At this moment we are trying to save the last river system in south of Norway -- producing super 35 movie -- a documentary -- and hopefully a photoexebition next summer. There are a lot of people around who care for mother earth and this book is a valuable contribution.

Gods be feathered, how I love this book. The four-book Chanur series is one of the greatest SF epics of all time. (The fifth, Chanur's Legacy, is a fun afterthought but not as deep as the original chunk.) This first volume is a satisfying stand-alone read, but trust me, you'll want to read the rest. I always warn people not to start this series unless you have a large chunk of time set aside--even though I've reread it countless times, once I get started I still find its momentum impossible to put down.

Pride of Chanur starts with an unforgettable image--a mostly naked fugitive human writing numbers on a spaceship deck in his own blood to prove his sentience to the startled alien who has just slashed him with her claws in self-defense. From there it rolls along into an intelligent, funny, and utterly satisfying adventure. Cherryh achieves an amazing feat in telling the story entirely through alien eyes, yet still giving us completely satisfying, believable, and likable protagonists. She vividly depicts four entirely distinct and fully realized oxy-breathing species, each complete with distinct patterns of thought, traditions, and psychology, plus several other more mysterious methane-breathing species, in all their complex and troublesome interactions, plus humans (well, mostly just one) thrown precipitously into the mix. The human is the alien in this story, and we hear his perspective only through the often garbled and always incomplete computer translator, an approach which is unusually realistic (unlike so much SF where translation always works perfectly, instantly) and always leaves you curious to know more. The reversal of perspective is so convincing and complete that you'll find yourself looking at your own species' psychology as the strange one.

Plus there's the fascinating reverse-sexism of the hani, the main alien culture, which essentially follows the structure of a sentient lion pride: men are considered too volatile and unstable for everyday business, thus are kept secluded except during dynastic battles; the sensible, pragmatic females take care of commerce, law, alliances, and space-faring. (In the sequels, these beliefs get confronted and deconstructed in interesting ways.) The quintessentially feline temperament and mannerisms of the hani--vain, swaggering, hot-tempered, affectionate, physical, fierce, loyal--are convincing and irresistible, especially if you're a cat person anyway! And be warned, the pidgin and idiom the characters use for inter-species communication will completely infect your brain.

Dive right into this satisfying yarn, and know that in the next three books a far, far wilder, bigger, and more complex story will unfold...nail-biting action intertwined flawlessly with deep psychological and cultural insight, tangled intrigue, agonizing moral dilemmas, and extraordinary character transformations. Enjoy the ride!

Not many writers can do aliens as well as Cherryh -- bilateral, oxygen-breathing, most of them, but with minds and emotions and evolved biologies that are very, very different indeed from human. Pyanfar Chanur is the successful, wealthy captain of a Hani trading ship, a powerful figure in the powerful Chanur family, leading a crew composed all of family members, like all Hani ships. And then she's suddenly saddled with Tully, a refugee human escaped from the Kif, an opportunistically piratical race that evolved by blood feud. Humans are newly arrived on the edge of the space occupied by the member races of the Compact and trading rights with them will be worth a lot, but Pyanfar will have to risk everything. And the profoundly untrustworthy Kif aren't going to make things easier. Cherryh does a terrific job of gradually introducing the reader to the intricacies of the vaguely lion-like Hani society, in which females do the work and tend to the psychologically unstable, world-bound males, who are lords of the estates -- until they're challenged by younger males and finally lose. You'll come to know Pyanfar and her crew as individuals, too. The plot gallops, the characterizations are intriguing, and the dialogue is snappy. Yet the book is much denser than it appears. What more could you want -- except the three following volumes in this saga?

Yeah, this book was pretty cool. It's not quite as dense or sprawling as I've come to expect Cherryh books to be (not that that's a bad thing!), but that doesn't detract from it one bit. And this book moves, moves, moves. It's probably one of the most engrossing books I've ever read.

This is another one of Cherryh's first-contact type novels, and I think it's the thing she does best, really. It involves a lone human somehow lost in alien space who manages to sneak abord a Hani merchant ship, and how his presence upsets the delicate balance of power there. It's serious without being too oppressive, and it is without question the best of the series. I've read the other three, and really you can take those or leave them--the book is complete enough in itself. (With the others, I kind of feel myself playing the Star Trek 5/Aliens 3 game--if I didn't like it, it didn't happen. Trek 5? Nope. Went from 4 straight to 6....)

I highly reccommend this book. It's typical Cherryh, in that you'll have to wait for your gratification until the very very end--but then, it's always worth it.

After reading and enjoying Ms. Cherryh's "Cyteen" I started searching for more of her novels and decided to begin reading Chanur's Saga. "The Pride of Chanur" is its first volume.

Ms. Cherryh creates, once more, an astounding backdrop Cosmos full of intricacies, depicting the other end of the universe shown in "Cyteen".
Here she elaborates The Compact's Media where many alien races compete, trade and fight. There are oxygen breathers and methane breathers; big cat-like people and gray somber entities; aggressive races and peaceful ones; some species are deceitful and others are straight forward.
Just to make things more complex a Human show up demanding asylum from the Hani (Chanur's kind) and giving way to a feud between Hani & Kif (the bad guys of the story).

One astounding feature of the book is that the main character is Captain Pyanfar Chanur and her ethnocentric point of view is THE point of perception. All other races (including human) are strange and requires all her imagination to figure up what kind of entities they are. Are they friendly? Stable? Trustworthy? All these and many more questions she has to answer in order to survive.

The other bewildering aspect is that Hani kind is conducted by their females. Ladies are in charge of commerce, space travel, politics and any other significant activity (even war). Males are the Lords, pampered by females, sporting and hunting. Only one by Clan, he may be defied by other males (his own exiled sons are suitable) to singular combat and the winner takes all.

The novel has the typical Space Opera structure, enriched by new elements as character's depth and culture's coherence.
It is a very good sci-fi novel that will be enjoyed by fans & general public!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

I'm currently re-reading this in it's incarnation as the first part of "The Chanur Saga" "Omnibus edition." I wanted to put a separate review here since I intend to rate that "omnibus" low simply because it's not complete. "The Pride of Chanur" is an excellent book. Written in the standard Cherryh "from the gut" manner, it grabs on to your emotions and yanks them hither and yon from the first couple of pages all the way to the end. It's one of those books where you try to read faster and faster so that you can find out what's going to happen (even after having read it several times before). The best part of the book is the fact that it's stand-alone: it finishes what it starts. The remainder of the series requires this book. But, this book doesn't require the remainder of the series (though you'll definitely want to read that). Excellent book.

I was a student of Jess Moody at Palm Beach Atlantic and it thrills me to see him still at it in "Club Sandwich". His gift to tell meaningful stories in a memorable way shines through once again. He writes the way he preaches, short, succinct, and powerful. If you need a heart- warming lift I highly recommend you read "Club Sandwich".

I am Jess Moody's granddaughter,Jessica. Even if he wasn't in my family, I would always rate this book with 5 stars. It's a great book with wonderful stories about his life. Try reading it, it's awesome!

I have read all of Jess Moody's books. I think he has found his niche with "Club Sandwich." He is a superb spinner of stories! This is his best book to date, his personal Everest of human interest and insight. He dares to share himself with the reader in an audacious and attractive way that appeals to the voyeur in us that clamors for celebrity dope. Buy it, read it loan it, but get it back. Long summer afternoons are coming!

Jess Moody is a master storyteller. He writes with great wit and intellegence, and has the ability to touch your soul with truth and insight when you least expect it. Jess is really an American treasure and this book underlines that fact. I can't think of anyone quite like him. I hope he continues to write books in the future. His voice needs to be heard. For those familiar with his other books this is vintage Jess Moody. For those haven't had the opportunity to feast on his stories and the visual images they evoke, this is a great introduction to a master wordsmith.

Club Sandwich is so good, you'll be asking for seconds. Jess Moody is a masterful storyteller with a message of faith, hope and humor. You can tell he's related to Will Rogers, Jr. because he got the "story-telling" gene that captures audiences with rememberances of the rich and famous and common folk.

My husband and I have been reading Club Sandwich as a morning devotional and it's a wonderful way to start a new day. In fact, it's so wonderful, we just purchased 40 copies to give as gifts to our family and friends.

I recommend Club Sandwich to everyone.

THIS BOOK IS WORTH IT'S WEIGHT IN GOLD. IF YOU HAVE EVERY CONSIDERED RACING, THEN BUY THIS BOOK. IT WILL SAVE YOU ALOT OF TIME AND MONEY.

this book is incredible. For anybody remotely interested in car racing of any type they should read this book. It is the best source of information for getting started in racing with any budget even if if's a five hundred car. Must read !!!

I ordered this book expecting a great book, and I got one. When getting started in the club racing scene, whether it be SCCA or NASA, it's difficult to know where to go, what to get, and how much to spend. Dave's book is an awesome and straightforward read about exactly what you need to get started. He tells you flat out where you need to go and what you need to do. I loved this book!

THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTLEY FANTASTIC!!

I have a good friend that's been racing SCCA for the past 8-9 years and for the past couple years he's been on my case to give SCCA racing a shot. I've ALWAYS been a car guy and have always been big in to drag racing and American muscle cars. Well, this past August I finally gave in and took part in a PDX at Mid-Ohio in my daily driver SRT4. MAN-O-MAN what a blast!!!

SOON thereafter I started seriously thinking about picking up a full-fledged SCCA race car, but I initially resisted. That's around the time I purchased/read Dave's book and that was the "clincher", I was HOOKED!! Soon therefter I was on the lookout for a SSB/SSC/ITA/ITC race car and within a month bought an SSC Focus. I'm looking forward to driver's school this April. THANKS DAVE for a great book!!!!!!

A MUST read if you want to start road racing, have just started road racing or even have been turning laps for years. The book brings up a lot of great points often overlooked. Easy and quick to read, I couldn't put it down! This is real life information you need and won't get from any sanctioning body or how to drive book.

THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT LEARNING TOOL. IT IS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND I AM SURE IT WILL BE READ AND EACH CHILD WILL LEARN FROM IT!

An excellent message and a good chapter book for those readers who are starting to gain confidence.

I just got this book yesterday for my son who just turned 3 years old. He really enjoyed it and after reading it, he kept asking me to read it over. He was very interested because he started asking questions at the end. He just started preschool and I wanted to introduce him to possible situations he might go through while in school. This story gives a great lesson on how to handle a situation when someone says something mean to you. My son also enjoyed it because the situation takes place in school and at a basketball court, which he can relate to because he started school and he loves to play basketball.

I was looking for a book to help my 9 year-old deal with other kids who say cruel and demeaning things. My son and I sat down and read the book together and then discussed how saying "so" when mean things are said takes away the bullies power. We decided that "so" was his new secret weapon.

My son was so excited when the very next day at school he used his secret weapon and it worked. He has also shared the book with a few of his classmates and it has helped them too.

GREAT BOOK!

The Meanest Thing To Say is not about saying mean things back to mean people. And it isn't even about mean people. What it IS about is children learning self-control, level-headedness and heart. When the new kid, Michael, calls Little Bill names, and says he has to think of the meanest things to say back the next day, Bill is frustrated and anxious. This comes up at home and his dad tells him to just say, "So?" to everything. Little Bill does this and it halts Michael. It takes two people to fight. But the moral of the story doesn't stop here. Bill observes Michael is a new student and maybe just needs a friend. So he invites him to play basketball with him and they become friends.

Unfortunately it is reality that children can be very mean and hurtful. As parents, we need to teach our children how to handle bullies and it's equally as important to teach them not to BE a bully. Also, just ignoring mean actions and words doesn't always work. Everyone has good in them and we all, ages 2-102 need to offer kindness instead of anger. Great job, Cosby! Thank you and please keep writing. Peace & Soar!o8E

The Story of Me is a book like you have never read before. I really liked this book. It was a fun and easy read. Advocate (a.k.a Blayne Cooper) takes two lives and turns them completely upside down! Randi, a driving instructor, leads a pretty normal if not very boring life. One night that simple life she knew and trusted disappeared with a knock at the door. Enter Mac! Mac changes everything for Randi. Mac has been stalking Randi to see if she will fit nicely into her ideas for revenge against her ex-girlfriend. What Randi chooses to do will change their lives forever...will it be for the good or bad? This book has great characters,a good plot, LOTS of wicked humor,jealousy, sweet revenge, and a blossoming friendship. Did I mention two squirrels that happen to be really good listners? This is a funny book about finding out who you really are and what can be found on the inside. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did! It will stay in my collection to read again!

Tall, beautiful, straight (not to mention rather antisocial) Randi, a driver's education instructor, can't quite believe all that's happened to her in the last four weeks. First she was stalked by an unknown stranger. The "stalker" turned out to be Mac, an attractive, petite woman from one of her classes. Mac needs Randi's help. Mac was dumped by her girlfriend, Sandra. The gold digging Sandra used Mac has a stepping stone on the way to her brother, the doctor. Mac knows that Randi also has reason to hate Sandra and Mac has devised the perfect revenge for both of them. Mac wants to attend the next family gathering in Nevada and present Randi as her girlfriend. . . .

Despite thinking Mac might be crazy and not too bright (she failed Randi's class, although it turns out to have been the same week Sandra left her. ), Randi has agreed to help extract revenge from Sandra. When the date for the reunion is changed the two must begin a cross country trek by car that turns into a strange, wild romp. These two women are like oil and vinegar as they engage in a range of miscommunications as well as intentionally irritating behaviors. Indeed Randi even subtitles a portion of the trip "Thema & Louise had it easy." In the midst of ridiculous events, Randi and Mac draw closer to their destination and to one another. After all, add a few spices to oil & vinegar and shake and you have a lovely salad dressing . . .

Nothing is safe from Advocate (AKA Blayne Cooper)'s observations and most of them will bring a smile, if not an out right laugh. As she states in her disclaimer "No squirrels were harmed during the production of this story. Although priests, morticians, sluts, proctologists, Big Gulps, Debby Boone, Scottish names, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Volkswagens, `that ugly chic,' gym teachers, eating disorders, Dr. Pepper, and stalkers are all seriously maligned." p122 Indeed all these running jokes and more flicker (or stomp) through the story.

The same vein that pokes fun at these issues, turns others on their ear. For example, Mac's parents and extended family are totally accepting of Mac's sexuality and even more supportive of Randi as her new girlfriend. Neither parent thought the bulimic gym teacher, Sandra was good enough for their daughter. On the other hand, any living (as opposed to inflatable) girlfriend is the best they expect for their son, the proctologist. By the end of the journey Randi and Mac have developed a great deal of affection, companionship and (gasp) attraction. This situation embarrasses Mac and frightens Randi. The growing love between Mac and Randi as well as Mac's family's love balance some of the hard edged sarcasm and cynicism. The overall effect is a delightful if strange, little novel that brought many smiles and several laughs out loud. Occasionally the shifting narrative perspective between Randi, Mac and the squirrels is confusing. --Yes, squirrels. It's too hard to explain, just read the story yourself.-- However, there is fuel for lots of good endorphins here.

I've never written a review before but once I guit laughing I had to write one for this book. I have also never laughed so hard, out loud while reading a book. It was pure fun, the only down side being, it was way too short. It should have been another 300 pages, but then again, I don't know if I could have take that much laughing at one time. My face still hurts. I think I'm in love with Advocate, weelll her humor anyway. She has one warped mind. Thanks for the good time, and merry heart Advocate, and yes please, a sequal.

Time in jail, a car crash, a broken-down bus, and a mortician's mansion, all lead to the sweetest revenge a jilted lover and her traveling companion could hope for in this clever romantic comedy by Advocate. Throw in a pair of anthropomorphic squirrels who listen to The Story of Me, as told by one confused, but lovable woman named Randi, and you have the perfect formula for, well... one surprise after another. This was a delightful read from beginning to end, and just like those movies where you find out what happened to each of the characters after the credits have begun to role, you will find out where the humans and squirrels end up after the story ends. You do want to know what happens to the perverted proctologist, don't you? -Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Uncle Sean

Before you go on, please know that I'm a HUGE fan of Advocate/Blayne Cooper. My review is strongly biased in her favor!

Randi, a driving instructor, begins to sense she is being followed. Although she cannot see anyone there, the sensation doesn't go away. Late one night, there is a knock at Randi's door and she answers, much to her neighbor's chagrin, it in her birthday suit. Little does she know it's her stalker... a short, cute, blonde named Mac.

Leery of this stranger (who was once a student in Randi's driving class), Randi listens to Mac's proposition. Mac convinces straighter-than-straight Randi to play the role of her girlfriend at a family reunion to get revenge on Sandra, Mac's ex-lover and Randi's ex-best friend from high school. Sandra is currently dating Mac's brother. Many years prior, in high school, she cheated Randi out of a medal and a chance to go to college. They get their revenge and learn a lot about each other in the doing. By the end of the book, Randi does some serious soul-searching.

The author does a masterful job, using one antic or sticky situation after another to relay this hilarious story with a somber undertone. I laughed so hard while reading it, my belly actually hurt. It's a good thing it's a short book! The story is told by Randi - she's telling it to squirrels in the park during a rainstorm. The same squirrels also show up in 'The Road to Glory' and are a great tool for telling the story.

Very creative, very funny, very well-written... I highly recommend this book.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

When my son was 2, he could not get enough of this book - he asked for it every day and even carried it with him in the car. Of the many truck books for young boys, this one is especially appealing for a few reasons:
-Simple, bold illustrations are easy to look at.
-Just one sentence per page makes the book great for short attention spans.
-In very simple language, the book introduces different kinds of trucks and their purpose. (Oil truck, bucket truck, cement mixer, etc.)

Besides appealing to toddlers, I think this would be an excellent choice for boys who are beginning to read on their own.

We like this one... story is pretty cute, great drawings. Good book for toddler boys... my son enjoyed it from 18 months on.

Love this book for a 1, 2, or even 3 yo. Both my boys love(d) it. We just bought it as a gift.

We have about a half dozen Byron Barton board books, including this one, and they're tops in our house. I started buying them for my not-quite-4-year-old when he was about 9 month old. Then he loved to look at the pictures with me. Now, he and his little brother (18 months) both love them still. We have shelves and shelves of books, but these come out regularly for story time, particularly this one, Trains, Boats, and Planes. Highly recommended!

This little book is sturdy and uses vibrant colors to catch your little ones attention. The text is very simple, but there is a truck on every page! My two year old wants this one read over and over!!

I never really liked Abbey when she came into the BSC but after this book it really shows that Abbey has the power of a mum,a babysitter and a good freind all rooled into one!

I'm not going to tell the ending because it would ruin it for anybody who hasn't read it.For the people who have all of the questions are all answered.Anybody who has read a Baby-Sitters Club Book definitly has to read this one

One day, Abby (a BSC member) comes home to find a baby on her front porch. She naturally calls the police, but the police have no idea where the baby came from. It's up to Abby and the rest of the BSC to discover the origin of the mystery baby, whom Abby, sister Anna, and mother dubbed Eli. The truth about the baby is startling, yet pleasing to Abby and Anna.

When Abby comes from school one day and finds a baby on her front porch, she's completely mystified. Where did the baby come from. And why did they leave it at the Stevensons' front porch. Abby's mom convinces the authorities to let the baby, whom the family dubbs Eli, stay at their house. Abby and the BSC Needs more ansewrs for Eli!

Abby and the Mystery Baby was really, really good. One of my friends gave it to me, and I couldn't put it down. It has an incredibly surprising ending, and you would never know that Abby's mom was in on the whole thing!!!

I first heard of this book from a quick blurb on Sirius OutQ. I am fascinated with male strippers, so I knew I had to get this book. I rushed to work and ordered it the second I got online. The book arrived within a few days and I read it from cover to cover in no time flat. This was the most entertaining book I have read in a long time. Craig Seymour writes this book in such a way that you feel like you are right there with him, going through everything with him. It is like reading a graphic novel without the pictures. Every chapter tells another story and you don't want the book to end. As someone who missed the male stripper era in Washington DC, this book made me feel like I was there, but made me wish I was there even more! Told honestly and frankly, Craig leaves nothing out. He should be commended for a job well done. I recommend this to anyone who wants to be entertained. I give it my highest marks!

I found the book to be extremely engaging. It answered a lot of suspicions I had harbored for decades. We finally get the truth as to why Matt Drudge and Andrew Sullivan have been such close friends and the part that African-American men play in that bond. Absolutely riveting!

A no-holds-barred look into a part of Washington DC that never gets mentioned when discussing our nation's capitol in high school, All I Could Bare is as revealing as the title suggests. As a shaker of rump--all in the name of academic pursuits of course--Seymour uses his humor and wit to chronicle how stripping and other brief forays into sex work made him the confident, successful journalist he is today. Inspiring and totally entertaining, All I Could Bare is a must read and speaks to the daredevil in all of us; gay, straight or other.

Memoir fans---and anyone who likes a good story---rejoice. "All I Could Bare" offers an intriguing glimpse into a most unusual coming-of-age story. Craig Seymour's tell-all, bare-all tale shows readers of all persuasions how courage and confidence can be sought, and occasionally found, in the most unexpected places.

At a time when memoirists and memoir itself have fallen under suspicion due to recent scandals, Seymour's candor is refreshing and admirable. His commitment to telling it as it was, even when that means portraying himself in a less-than-flattering light, allows readers to relate to his fallibility and humanity and reminds us of the good things that happen when we meet a writer we can trust.

Seymour's story makes great summer reading, a funny and pleasurable trip through one gay man's perilous journey to find himself, overcome his insecurities...and make a few bucks. Yet the book and the man are also unexpectedly inspirational. Seymour captures the challenges and setbacks, the humor and triumphs, of our common search for the choices in our lives that take us from who we are to who we want to be.

P.S. I was lucky enough to hear Seymour read in Atlanta, an hour and a half from my home. The trip would have been worth it at twice the distance and even twice the price of gas. Seymour is an exceptionally charming, funny, engaging speaker and this was one of the best readings I've attended. If he comes to a bookstore near (or not so near) you, don't miss him!

Diane Miller, author of Freedom to Differ: The Shaping of the Gay and Lesbian Struggle for Civil Rights

On the surface, Craig Seymour's "All I Could Bare," is simply a coming-of-age chronicle of his adventures as a gay stripper in the late 80's and early 90's, in the notorious, no-holds-barred gay nightclubs of downtown Washington, D.C., a scene which had flourished in plain sight for more than two decades. The book briefly traces the neighborhood's historical development and notoriety as a gay mecca and offers up some interesting, if not entirely original, composites of characters. These range from (gay and "straight") chiseled poster boys--who gleefully profited from the attentions (and the hefty tips) of their rapturous admirers--to the largely diverse and self-aware crowd of "sugar daddies" who avidly sought, paid for and indulged in sexual fantasies elsewhere denied them.

But "All I Could Bare" is actually a time-honored search for self, identity, a sense of place and community, the quest to make sense of it all. Unlike the controversial author John Rechy, Seymour is not a nihilist: He inevitably manages to wean himself from the nightclubs (though never quite entirely), gradually morphing into a skillful entertainment journalist and, later still, forging a successful career in academia (Rechy also parlayed his vast experience as a gay hustler into a profitable academic sideline). All told, Seymour's journey is a bona fide--albeit improbable-- success story told with a great sense of humor and insight.

For all its merits, however, the memoir is not faultless. Despite his frankness, Seymour is pathologically selfish, as when he describes the painful break-up of a long-term relationship and scarcely pauses to acknowledge the shattering effect that his obsession with stripping had on his partner. I also wish Seymour had been more forthcoming about the minefield of race relations within the gay community. As a Black man light enough to pass as Latino or "other" than Black, Seymour himself appears to have been exclusively attracted to Whites. For all his self-examination, he offers little to explain his obvious compulsion to seek White (beauty-standard) validation--something that no amount of nurturing from his attentive Black family could assuage. Moreover, his tendency to skim over the persistent problem of gay racism begs the question of whether he would have had such a rewarding run as a stripper if he had not often been assumed to be any other nationality. Indeed, a less amiable writer might have challenged or at least pondered this unsavory aspect of the culture more deeply. These foibles matter, especially in a book that literally and figuratively proclaims full-frontal disclosure. And yet in all other aspects, "All I Could Bare" feels authentic and true. The book is so engrossing that I could not put it down, and it took only a few hours to read. For better or worse, this is one memoir that offers a relatively sunny tour of a very peculiar fun-house that is never less than fascinating.