Children Books

Of the many astronomy books I have used over the years, "The Stars" is the one I most often take on hikes or camping trips. The diagrams are simple and the text explanations are memorable and enjoyable. You can use the book as a guide for looking up constellations that you notice at night - the diagrams are clear and well-organized. You can also just sit down and read the explanations for a clearer understanding of constellations, planetary motion, the seasons, latitude, etc. I smile each time I pull the book off the shelf to review something I have forgotten.

The author's playful style does not at all detract from the wealth of information in this book. In fact, the simple style is remarkably clear and adds much to the charm and usefulness of the book.

I first started carrying around this lovely book over 25 years ago and it remains my favorite.

I got this book to use with a sixth-grade class. My subject is mythology, and I hope to use some of the constellation drawings as a starting point for an art project for them.

I have no real interest in astronomy, but this book is getting me more interested. The drawings do help you remember which stars are in which constellation, and the mythological snippets are good. The tone is warm without being condescending to kids.

This book was a real find.

I had this book on constant borrow from my public library when I was kid in the 60's. I learned the sky from this book and still use it for easy reference today. It's so well thought out and accurate that it provides a great introduction to heavens accessible to all ages. It doesn't have any color pictures from Hubble or triple fold out sky maps but just the information one needs to know to enjoy the sky persented in understandable terms. I reguard the constellations as my life-long friends due to learning them from this book so long ago. They are always there,something to be counted on, rare in todays world. I highly recommend this classic work for anyone wanting to know what those points of light represent. It will be well worth the effort.

This is a great book for beginning star gazers. It is easy to read and does not overwhelm me with scientific information...just helps me find the stars and constellations and learn their names.

The book is fun and easy. It is as good for adults, like me, as it is for any youth interested enough to use it. I have had more fun using it than any of my three large telescopes.

If you want to be able to go at night, look up and "know" the sky this book is a must. The constellations are drawn with shapes that make prefect sense. Once you use the book to find the shapes in the sky you will be able to find them on other nights without any problem because the shapes make figures that are very easy to remember. Taking the book out for 10-20 minutes a week is enough to learn the whole sky in less than a year. The only reason for it to take that long is because it takes a year for all of the constellations to cycle through. Anyone using this book will visually know the sky better than more than 90% of professional astronomers.

Now when I go out at night and look up, it is like looking at a group of old friends. You don't need to search for them you just know them when you see them.

If you want to learn the sky and constellations you can be confident this book will easily teach you.

Dreams in the Golden Country / 0-590-02973-8

It seems I like all the Dear America books, and this one is no exception. Although I read them for myself, and these books are certainly entertaining and interesting for adults, I try to review them as a parent would, to allow the concerned parent to understand what their child is reading.

The Good: Although I was expecting something a little more along the lines of "The Jungle" and a little less along the lines of "Fiddler on the Roof", this book does manage to neatly encapsulate the life of an immigrant to America in the early 1900s. The author skims briefly over their stay at Ellis islands, the perfunctory and frightening medical exams, and the cramped apartment living that waits them in the new world. This is dealt with in a light vein, and the overall tone is never dim or depressing. The life of the family is never terribly hard - the mother starts a sewing business more to stay occupied than to bring in money, and the father is offered a position at the local university teaching violin. Because the "immigrant hardships" are toned down so much (slightly to my disappointment, but it is a children's book, after all), the conflict in the book comes from the social changes within the family - one daughter becomes involved in unions and suffrage activities, another daughter romances and marries a non-Jewish boy, the father slowly stops following the Orthodox manner of dress and grooming, to the mother's horror and consternation. As the family is absorbed into this new culture, they have to decide - reminiscent of Fiddler on the Roof - which traditions are sacrosanct and which traditions can be abandoned for the new ways.

The Bad: This is the stuff that isn't "bad", per se, but that parents might want to be aware of, depending on the age and maturity of the child. Although the theme of "immigrant hardships" is largely ignored, the book does feature two sudden deaths - one a newborn infant, and the second a worker who dies from unsafe working conditions involving a warehouse fire. The imagery is moved over as swiftly as possible, but the concept is disturbing and may be difficult for a young child. One of the daughters routinely sneaks out at night to see her non-Jewish boyfriend. There is never any indication that the young lovers are doing anything more than holding hands and kissing, though. Lastly, depending on how "orthodox" your religious beliefs are, the mother can come off as an unsympathetic character. She routinely and openly alienates several members of the family for not being religious enough. Although this issue is resolved by the end, the mother can come across as caring more about her religion than about her family, depending on your own point of view.

I love the Dear America series of books and think that they are a wonderful way of inculcating a love of history amongst younger readers [8-12 years old]. In "Dreams in the Golden Country", we are introduced to 12-year-old Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish immigrant in 1903 New York City. The story, written as usual in a series of diary entries, traces Zipporah's life in the city for about a year and a half - her family life, her problems and how she copes in an alien environment. It is a riveting and poignant tale.

At the end, there is a historical note on the persecution of Jews in Europe that caused large migrations overseas, especially to the US. There are also many historical photographs, documents, a Jewish recipe and song etc that enhance one's knowledge of the Jewish culture. All in all, highly recommended!

Bought this for my tween daughter. She really likes to read books with an historical perspective. Would recommend for ages 10-12.

Have you ever encountered a book for young readers so good that it gave you goose bumps? This is such a book.

Told through the viewpoint of a twelve-year-old Jewish immigrant from Russia living on the Lower East Side of New York City, we see the very real struggle of people who came to America to find a new life, but struggle over giving up the old. Despite the fact that this is a fictionalized diary, the author provides us with an intimate look into the sometimes painful personal experiences that make up our history as a whole.

No matter what your own family's history might be, we can learn from the experience of Lasky's incredible characters.

Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl, New York City, 1903 (Dear America) is a book to be savored and cherished.

I thought the book was awsome. I couldn't put it down there was no part that was boring. I recccomend this book to every one. i read it so fast and i want to read it again

Bought this for my nieces and they love it as much as I did as a kid

This book belongs in every child's shelf. When I read it with my children I am transported anew.

Falliing is such a great book just like Shel's other books. I have so much fun reading it to my children. This is a wonderful collection of poetry for children. This is the perfect example of what children's books should be... fun.
Another must have book for any fan of Shel Silverstein is Boety by Beau Beaudoin. His books are often compared to Shel, Dr. Seuss and Tim Burton. What my kids love about his illustrations are they are in color.Boetry

This is a great book like all Silverstains books:
Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings
The Giving Tree
A Giraffe and a Half

Another author tha I love is Nowiki:
Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2

To be frank, I get a kick out of Silverstein's work. It is always a bit quirky, always takes a couple of readings to really "get," and is very entertaining while being quite insightful as to human nature. This work is no different from his other works, same quality, same odd way of looking at life, same delightful black and white drawings. Publisher's Weekly got it pretty right here, in their usual, rather snotty way, which is one of the few reviews I have ever agreed with them on. (except their little shot at some of his art that they felt may no be appropriate for kids...obviously the author of that review has never been around kids very much). This work consists of 171 pages of poetry rhymes and drawings. I first read Silverstein in Playboy magazine years and years ago when I wasted my time with such publications. I did not particularly care for him them, but over the years have developed quite a like for his work. I truely love this book and do highly recommend it.

one of the greatest books for ages from 2 to 6. so much to see, excplain and imagine. compatible with the books by shel silverstein for younger kids.
one of the most favorite of our grandson, 25 mo old.

Best Storybks. Ever...Reading bk. before sending to grandnephew. It's no wonder I like Scarry as this bk. was educationally fun, entertaining, exciting, etc. I'm sure that my grandnephew will love it! Thanks to Mr. Scarry.

I owned this as a child, and so did my husband. Both my son (9) and daughter (7) read (and were read to)this book. We just had to throw out our old copy because it was so well loved. I have to buy a new one. My daughter loves all of the chipmunk stories. I'm hoping none of the stories have changed. My favorite if "the polite elephant". Whenever my children go to friends houses I tell them to remember to be a polite elephant- and if you know the story, you know what a wonderful positive thing that is for children to know and emulate.

I used to spend HOURS just looking through the book at all the illustrations. The stories didn't always grab me, but the pictures did. There was SO much going on. I remember especialy the picture of the castle with the moat and all the mice. Man hours and hours of fun! Now, at 35, I have my first son. I bought this book 5 years ago "just in case." Looks like I get to watch him have fun with it too!

I have loved this book since before I was old enough to walk. I bought this book to have a walk down memory lane and to remember my own road to literacy. This book was instrumental in my learning to read.

I recommend any Richard Scarry books to anyone with youngsters. They contain wonderful stories and are very educational.

"I thought the book and discussion really went deep into a girl's life; boys, crushes and dealing with yourself. I learned that people should express what they feel inside and always be truthful." 5th Grader

"I thought our book discussion was helpful because if you didn't know how to deal with the kind of situations in the book, we talked about how to deal with them in a confident way." 6th Grader

Dr. Barbara Holstein is truly connected to this age group [4th - 6th grade girls]. During our mother daughter book club discussion, Dr. Holstein elicited positive, thoughtful discussion from the girls around some awkward topics such as family difficulties, trust and self-respect. It was a memorable meeting for our group. I recommend this book for anyone looking to find an effective way to keep the communication channels open with your daughter.
Maribeth Pelly, mother of three daughters.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to both mothers and daughters. As I was reading, I was reminded both of what I thought about as a pre-teen girl but also about my daughter was like at that time in her life. Sometimes parents think that they have an open and honest relationship with their children but reading this book made me think that parents do not always give their children a chance to tell them what THEY are thinking. This book also made me a little nostalgic for the times when diaries and journals were important vehicles for self-expression.

This enchanting, delightful, charming book would make a fine gift for girls ages 9-12. Written from the perspective of a clever girl who expresses herself from the heart. It reminds adult women of their universal childhood fears, and concerns.

As other reviewers have said, this story has stayed with me my whole life. I read it and re-read it many, many times as a child. A wonderful story showing how a young boy faces a personal challenge and the strength he gains along the journey. For German Shepard lovers, Leader is a dog that will stay with you for a long time to come.

I first read this in third grade. And re-read it at least a dozen times. I was enthralled by how the dog was trained, how the kid learned to read braille... I even checked out books on braille and tried to make my own using a pin to bump up paper. I'm now in my mid30s and still have vivid memories of this book. Along with "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," it's in my Top 10 of Childhood. Buy it, read it, love it.

My 3rd grade teacher read this to our class and I remember it to this day, and I'm now 53!! Recommended it to my youngest son to read in 4/5th grade and he loved it. This book should be on a required/recommended booklist for everyone in elementary school.

This was the very first book I actually read all the way through with out zoning out when I was a kid. It held my attention and captured my heart in its true way of expressing a new way one has to live in a moment of tragedy. I was 13 at the time.

I was the kid that always fell asleep in class because absolutely nothing interested me. But this book changed all that...

I'm James Garfield's granddaughter. He dedicated the book to my mother, Carolyn Lazarus, who is now 81 years old. My granddad lived to be 102 years old, living half of his life blind. He had a seeing eye dog, Coral, a golden retriever who was the sweetest animal I've ever met and she was so very attentive to him. He would have been very flattered to read these reviews so I thank all of you who have taken the time to write about Follow My Leader.

I saw that this was a golden book also and purchased it for my grandchildren. Some of the stories I had never heard. I will read to them everyday.

This is a beautiful fairy tale book with colour and black and white drawn pictures depicting the characters from each of the stories. A must have book in any home or library. I had a copy when I was young and was thrilled to be able to purchase a copy in great condition compared to my very read copy. I have read my original and now my newer copy to my children and look forward to reading to future family members.

How grateful I was, in the 1990s, to find that this gem of a children's book had been reissued. I first encountered the large-format volume as a child in the 1960s, and remember being thrilled by the lush yet sensitive illustrations, as well as by the wonderful retelling of these charming fairly tales--among them French, Russian, and Japanese classics. The illustrations by Adrienne Segur, some in color, others in pencil, are remarkable for their beauty and rich detail. If the exquisitely large-eyed, soulful faces of her fairy-tale heroines are primarily drawn from the same mold, the other elements of the paintings and drawings are unique to the stories being told.

I highly recommend this lovely book for children of 6 or 7 years and older. The wealth of text might be difficult for a beginning reader to deal with.

I received this book in 1959 from my Aunt and Uncle when I turned 4. The illustrations are beautiful and seem magical. I was surprised and pleased to see it offered on Amazon. This book started my lifelong love of reading and would STILL make a wonderful gift for young and old!

While the whole quality of the book is great -- printed in Italy, good binding, large type, heavy paper -- my favorite aspect is the broad variety of stories in the collection. Fairy tales from all over the world, representing many different cultures (though primarily European and Japanese), gives it a great well-considered "best of" quality to it. No doubt you can think of some stories that have been left out, but whatever might not have been included, this book doesn't suffer because of it.

I have absolutely no complaints about this book.

Our school did the musical Seussical this year, I bought all the books for the directors and some of the cast members. They did an awsome job and had alot of fun. Some of the kids are sad that it is all done. Thank-you for sending the books so fast. Amazon is the perfect place to shop when you are looking for hard to find or older books.
Thanks again
Sally

I purchased this book for my grandson who is just beginning to read. This Dr. Seuss book has become a classic. It's whimsical story line will quickly grab the attention and interest of any child. It's impossible to improve on great literature like this! I highly recommend it.

If you haven't seen "Suessical the Musical" by all means do so. This clever adaption of Suess books and characters is just wonderful. The Horton books are primarily the source of this children's musical. Horton again shows what a fine elephant he is by standing fast to his ideals. Children can learn a lot by reading this rhyming, entertaining book.

Very pleased with quick shipping, a quality product as described, and would do business again with Amazon. Saw the movie and read the book with grandkids. What a joy for them and me. Satisfied customer. psw - S.E.Oklahoma

Horton Hears a Who is a masterpiece. Often heralded as a book on friendship, it is much more than that. Theodor Seuss Geisel was an outspoken critic of Hitler and Mussolini, and Horton Hears a Who has been said to have been Geisel's call to support the fledgling democracy in Japan after World War II. But Horton is much more than that. Horton Hears a Who is a reminder of the importance of protecting those weaker than we and a timeless call for people to unite and speak up for themselves.

i really loved this book if i was born around his time i would have been his friend i love how he stood up for his beliefs and went back to school in stuff even though he didn't get to gradulate, but he still lived a great in fun life it was short but he did things with it i'm young but my aunt past away with AIDS and after reading this book it really touch me i was crying because i felt so bad what ryan went though but he didn't let it get to him. He was so strong he got people believing again.

In fifth grade we were introduced to an illness called AIDS. We also learned about a boy named Ryan White. I took an interest to this story because I have an illness called diabetes and have to deal with how different people react and treat me because of it. Just like Ryan and AIDS diabetes is not contagious and there are no know ways to prevent or cure it. I have heard many different reactions when they find out that I have Diabetes. The most commom being "Did you eat too much sugar or something?" Most of the time I just laugh at this and explain that you have no control over getting Diabetes. I took an interest in school that year and by doing so I found myself a role model...Ryan White.

When I was young I remeber a copy of People magazine that my mom had lying around with Ryan White on the cover. For some reason I always took an interest to him, and his life, and all the article that I could find on him. In high school I remeber reading part of it to do an exta credit project. Finally 2 year out of high school I decided to reread the story of his life. It is amazing how people really are. It really hit home, not living too far from Kokomo, Indiana where he was from, that people in my community would treat people this way. It is also amazing how much determination he had to be who he was and not let anyone or anything get in the way. This book is great!!!! Everyone should read it and put themselves in this families shoes!!

Today is World AIDS Day and each year I remember my childhood friend, Ryan White. His sister and I were both Rollerskaters and skated in the same skating rinks. Knowing Ryan personally and having his book for years now, it is still a story that resonates with me. It is true, thoughtful, and in his own words.

I'll never forget the hatred the spewed from the city of Kokomo against him. It was such a devastating blow to his well being. Not only did he have this death sentence, but the entire town was treating him worse than what you would treat a pig going to slaughter. I am not joking. I remember seeing him at the skating rink one day, it was a time when he wasn't as sick so he was able to be a kid. I went up to him to give him a hug because I hadn't seen him in so long and he said, "You want to hug ME?" He was shocked that someone would want to touch him. That's how bad it was.

Read his book. He is the reason people with AIDS are accepted now. This friend of mine had more courage than anyone I have ever met.

I read this book upon entering seventh grade. Ryan's story was so empowering and so honest that I often feel the need just to sit down and read a chapter by random. Everytime I read it I cry. This auto- biography has inspired me to help in the relief and research for AIDS. I have done reports on the disease and Ryan and teachers often comment about how passionate I am about the subject. This book changed the way I veiw life; a treasure that should'nt be wasted. Thank you Ryan.

More of the same from Jude Watson. The series is actualy intended for younger readers but I find the stories on an adult level. This book starts off where the last book finished and concludes the Merrida/Daan story ,with a twist!
All in all a lovely short read.

I read this book a few years ago because I had just seen Episode III in theatres and I was interested in anything Star Wars. At the time I did not realize thet this book was the sixth book in the series and as soon as I finished this book, I went back and started with number 1. Anyway, I LOVED this book. It made Obi-Wan my favorite character and even the sub-charaters were great. The relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan is truly special and this book will give you chills. I can't wait to see if/when/how Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship is mended. Even though this is a short and simple read, this book is great for any age. The emotion in this book was so well described and portrayed. I recommend this whole SERIES to anyone who has the faintest interest in Star Wars or good books in general.
-Murl

Overall, I've greatly enjoyed the Jedi Apprentice series. It's not Harry Potter, but it gets the job done. Defenders of the Dead was a highlight, with an ending that left this jaded, cynical adult gasping with shock.

Unfortunately, The Uncertain Path leads to too much boredom. Obi-Wan mopes and Qui-Gon sulks, while the Youth on Melida/Daan regress into the children that they are. A few things salvage the book. Yoda giving Qui-Gon a chewing out (sorry, "Yoda a chewing out giving Qui-Gon, hmmmm?"), a touching scene with Cerasi's father, and the lack of quick resolution to the Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon conflict. Hope remains high for book 7.

I am liking this series. I read the first 5 books last year, and started again just this week. I am a nut when it comes to reading a series in order, so I wanted to start with these books to see how Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon interact together before venturing into the prequels and follow-up novels to the movies.

This series is set towards young readers, but I find the story on an adult level. A good and easy read for someone wanting a short story.

Jude Watson brings to life the choices we face everyday. It shows how Obi-Wan Kenobi had to mkae one deceision between his home and when his friends on Melida/Daan needed him most.
When his friend is murdered and all his other friends, except two who remain loyal to him, turn into his enemies. He has no where to go and his former Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn isn't availible to protecthim, Obi-Wan must learn to be on his own with no one to help him.