Children Books

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

Bold artwork and simple text combine to offer an outstanding introduction to trains for young children. There are only a few words on each page, making it a quick read-aloud that will hold the attention of even very young toddlers. The text describes the different types of cars in a freight train, then follows the train through tunnels, past cities, in daylight and darkness. Satisfying and highly recommended.

My 3 yr old grandson loves this book. The "story" is so simple but allows the reader many way of expanding the story through sound effects, color recognition, parts of the locomotive, parts of the track bed, speeding train sounds, it's going,... going,... gone.

Freight Train/Tren de cargaSimple words with simple images. You can hear the "click clack" of the train coming down the track, the chugging sound of the steam engine, and the sound of the horn as it approaches and then moves away. My daughter loved this book before she could even say the words.

My oldest son loved this book. It was his favorite when he was little. It builds on vocabulary; you can count the cars, name the colors, and look at different scenarios. I learned a lot about trains by reading this book to them. I am raising my children bilingual and when I found it in English and Spanish I knew I had to get it for them. It also helped me remember the words in Spanish, which I had forgotten. I must have for any child that likes trains. Donald Crews again has delighted us with a masterpiece.

My 2 year old son is obsessed with trains - he loves this book. It is very short and the pictures are well drawn. This books shows the difference between a hopper car and a box car, etc so now when we see a real train he can tell me what kind of cars they are.

I specifically remember reading this book in the 1950s, particularly the story about the run-away automatic donut machine.

This is a collection of short stories about a midwest community of the 1930-1950. Think Norman Rockwell type images. The author, who illustrated the book is best known for "Make Way for the Ducklings".

I was struck how politically incorrect stories were then but still good.

I discovered this book in my grandma's bookcase around age ten. It was my dad's old paperback and was already well worn. I devoured it and got hooked on novels. A few years ago I was elated to find a hard bound copy of Homer Price and Centerburg Tales (which was new to me). Now I am sharing the stories with my six and seven year old daughters. We all enjoy the endearing characters, entertaining and often hilarious events, and colloquial style. I grew up in the country and these books make me nostalgic for that simple life and those sweet people of my youth.

I grew up on Homer Price (along with Danny Dunn and Henry Huggins). I don't even own a copy of the book and haven't read it in 45 years but I can still recite from memory: "Forty two pounds of Edible Fungus, in the wilderness a-growin, saved the settlers from starvation helped the founding of our nation!"

Make sure your kids read this book. And "Centerburg Tales" too!

The author of Homer Price, Robert McCloskey, has written six tales for readers to enjoy:

THE CASE OF THE SENSATIONAL SCENT: Homer catches a group of robbers with the help of his pet skunk, Aroma.
THE CASE OF THE COSMIC COMIC: Homer's friend, Freddy, learns what Homer already knows about comic book characters.
THE DOUGHNUTS: Homer can't stop his Uncle Ulysses doughnut machine! Now there are way too many doughnuts, and a lost bracelet cooked inside one of them. Let the eating begin!
MYSTERY YARN: Homer's Uncle Telly and the sheriff both save string. Whoever becomes the World's Champion String Saver is supposed to win the hand of Miss Terwilliger in marriage. But what does Miss Terwilliger think of this little agreement?
NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN: There's a stranger in town. Is he a nice man, or a fugitive in disguise? Homer is on the case.
WHEELS OF PROGRESS: A new part of town is built in Centerburg.

I loved this book ever since grade school, and The Doughnuts is the tale I enjoyed most. I remember that my teacher read this book in a way that made the characters come to life for me; especially the sheriff, who gets his words a bit twisted every now and then. And the illustrations done by the author are some of the best I have ever seen! Parents everywhere should add this book to their child's collection.

You'll roll on the floor holding your splitting sides when you read about Homer Price and the crazy doughnut machine. This is great midwestern 40s stuff, still suitable today for both early teens and self-actualized adults alike.

Homer Price is a kid who's oblivious to difficult challenges. His antics causes each of us to mentally return to the days when frutrations were few and obstructions to new dillemmas just simply did not exist. Homer just takes on each situation as it arises and, somehow, things always turn out okay.

Originally published in 1943, this is one of my two favorite books for young people, (the other being "The Trolley Car Family," by Eleanor Clymer, 1947). The six short stories in this Homer Price volume include:

1. The Case of the Sensational Scent

2. The Case of the Cosmic Comic

3. The Doughnuts

4. Mystery Yarn

5. Nothing New Under the Sun (Hardly)

6. Wheels of Progress

This book is also available in softcover, which is the one I own. You COULD get this book for your kids, especially for boys, but the heck with that idea -- get it for yourself and you won't regret it! My highest recommendation.

This book is a look at real people at the turn of the 20th century. I was introduced to it in a book club. I can't believe I had never heard of it. It is as precious to me as the Little House on the Prairie series. This is a series also and every book is wonderful. It's funny and sad and so tender. This young boy is growing up in a time of hard work and great imagination. You will be amazed at their ingenuity and "make do" philosophy. I love to read, but am very selective when buying. This is a set I HAVE to have.

This book, like the Little House books, gives a true look at what life was like in the past. I was amazed at what such a seemingly young boy was able to do. Kids really did grow up a lot faster then.

The story tells about farming, raising cattle, cowboys (real cowboys), making do, being neighborly, dealing with not-so-neighborly people, taking responsibility for your actions, and so much more.

The author tells a story that is believeable and satisfying. This is a great read-to-yourself or read-aloud. Please note there is some 'cowboy language' but nothing horrible and you can easily substitute other words in their place.

This book was read to our class when I was in the 6th grade. I loved it! When our kids were growing up, I read all of the series to our kids as we traveled. Because I am a speed reader, sometimes I would "read" a funny part and start laughing, before my out loud reading would be there. Who would think that modern-day kids would be entranced with stories about early 1900 kids, but they were. Ralph Moody caught the imagination as we could see this kid getting into situations before he was there. These are marvelous. Every child in America should read them. This is the stuff of the sturdiness, resiliency, & character we come from. Adversity happens, it is happening right now...the question is can we face it with strength and imagination. Laugh until you cry. Love greatly. This is a splendid series.

I just finished this book tonight. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. Every family in todays society needs to read and reread this book as it is all about character and goodness. I am a better person because I read this book. I will read it to my kids immediately!

Oh I am speechless. This is a book full of grace, character, This is the writers real life boyhood and apparently thought he could make a good book out of it. Boy was he right! I could read this book about three hundred times and then maybe think about putting it down! This man had such a life as a kid! man you would think it was fictional but when you know its not it makes you well... Speechless!

This is the most fantastic little book ever. My daughter is only 4 months old and loves it. She lights up whenever I sing it to her. I've only had it for about a week but I can tell that it is going to be a family favorite. It has a great beat to it. I honestly could go on and on about how amazing this book is. But to sum it up... I make A LOT of purchases on Amazon (a very frequent shopper for over 5 years) and this is the first review I've felt compelled to write!

We love to read this book and act it out with all the BIG KISSES AND HUGS AND SNUGGLES in the appropriate spots.

Well. The nieces also love to run away :)

Bought this for my daughter who was about a year old at the time..and she loved it! She especially loved the last part where you whisper the song, then yell out "woo~ I love you"!

My 16 month old son has loved this book for the last 4 months. We downloaded the song, and so he brings me the book at least once a day to sing while he turns the pages and dances. This is now one of our favorite gifts to give.

This is one of our favorite storytime books. We love Boynton books and this is one of her best. You should buy it if you have a little one.

I had a lot of fun reading Zollie Goes West and I even did a report in school on it. I learned a lot of different things from Zollie, especially that everyone deserves to be respected and accepted for who they are and that it would be very boring if we were all the same.
Hannah - 11

Great book to read and to share with your friends and family. Zollie makes it easy to see how we should accept and understand people who are a little different from ourselves. I know I will try to be more respectful toward different people and will continue to work at making myself a better friend toward others.
Jenna-12

"Zollie Goes West" is a fun book to read, is well written, nicely illustrated, and helps children and their families better understand diversaty and respecting each other. We even told the story to my youngest brother by using the pictures. After the story we all talked about getting along with people who are a little different from us.
My mom and dad were surprised how much the book helped us talk and understand others.
We are all anxious for the next books in the series.

Great job, Gary! Your Zebra Jeep is totally cool!

Melissa -13 and a little help from my mom - ( )

We all really enjoyed reading Zollie and he helps us see and understand who we really are as people. I like how he makes everyone feel like they are special.
j.t. and s. t. 12 and 11

Zollie Goes West is fun to read and surprisingly helpful. It helps you to look at others from different points of view and to be more accepting of others. It also helps us to see that it is more important who we are as a person instead of what we look like.

sarah-11

As a part-time bookseller and full-time parent who reads several books a week, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed these books. I was first interested in reading these books a few years back, about the release of the third or fourth Kingdoms book, which would have been about 2004. However, I was unsure at the time when the last book would be published so I held off awhile. For those who don't know, The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches is four books, the books are numbered sequentially #1, #2, #3 and #4, and this is the complete series. In the Service of Dragons is the sequel series, also a completed series of four books.

Having always been inclined to read series in rapid succession, and overall not liking reading open-ended series and waiting in anticipation for the next one, I did what many of others opted not to do - I waited until I could get all the books to start. My co-workers at the bookstore all hoped that I wouldn't be disappointed... I certainly wasn't. The Kingdoms/Dragons are such a fun and delightful reads how could I be disappointed? These books are right up my alley, and I look forward to whateve comes next.

Not everyone lives for fantasy. I however, grew up with Middle Earth, Narnia, Prydain and appreciate Stanek's addition to what can be a stagnated genre. I also appreciate that his work is helping to pave the way for the efforts of other authors who are taking the traditional and twisting on its ear like he has.

I enjoyed the Kingdoms books because they contained many wonderful adventures and many wonderful characters.

In the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #1, Robert introduces the world and its characters. I loved the bigger than life villains like the shapeshifting queen, Erravane.

In the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #2, Robert builds excitement as the kingdoms of men head toward war and the evil queen's plotting grows.

In the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #3, Robert takes the story in a different direction and shows the aftermath of the shattering of ancient alliances.

In the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #4, Robert reveals the true villains and much more of the great change taking place then brings the main story arc to a close.

In the Service of Dragons represents a major shift and a new start. The stories are less about the kingdoms and more about the greater world. I enjoyed the intrigue, the plotting and scheming of the evil king as much as the larger stories about the reaches and the dragon king.

Over all, to the author I say bravo. The pantheon of great children's literature has new editions in the form of these books. I am very happy to say that years of waiting on my part have been rewarded thusly. I am a tremendous "new" fan of the worlds of the author.

Every reader has a "first book" that captivated their heart and took them where nothing had before. Just like a first kiss or a first love, it is something that you always remember. For me, it was the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches quartet. Robert Stanek pulled me in with The Kingdoms and the Elves #1, then entwined me with the next three novels. Imagine my delight when I discovered the Service of Dragons quartet was a direct continuation of the other series.

I think I've read the series (start to finish) over ten times, and each time I find something new I hadn't seen before, and the delight starts all over again. On the surface it can seem like many other fantasy tales. Men and Elves, Dragons and Wizards, Good vs. Evil. We've seen it before but Stanek spins the fantasy standards in new ways and invents an entire fantasy uniiverse in the process.

He takes us on this fantastic journey through the eyes of the naive Seth, the innocent Vilmos and the dreamer Adrina. They are good, friendly, highly likeable folk caught in the middle of a cataclysmic change. Where as The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books are light hearted tales of adventure, Service of Dragons takes you on a deeper, darker journey.

I can't recommend any fantasy work higher. It will take you where only dreams can, and you almost hope you never have to return to reality.

You know it still surprised me when I run across a kid who hasn't read one of Stanek's Kingdoms or Dragons books yet. These books are so amazing and so descriptive, the comparisons to Lewis, Dahl and other great writers are right on. Kids is my classroom aren't exactly sheltered, but they often don't hear of all the wonderful new authors and each year I love introducing them to Stanek's books. I have five copies of his Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches #1 in my class library and after the first few weeks kids were already begging me for Book #2 and Book #3. They were thrilled when they found out there was a Book #4 and I saved the best surprise for last, this whole new series, In the Service of Dragons, with four more books for them to enjoy. The first in the Dragon series, Stanek raises the stakes, adds in a couple new heroes and villians, and basically ratchets up the tension while cutting down on the easygoing moments. We get to see the bigger scope of things through Noman, who's on a rescue mission to save nothing less than the entire world and all the magical realms. It's bound to make readers happy (and it does). "In the Service of Dragons," will satisfy its die-hard fans. A fine addition to a fun, fast-paced series.

Just a warning here, these books are like potato chips, it's very difficult to eat only one!!! ...and then you'll find yourself walking around singing Eldrick's song of the tree brothers or longing to reread the part where Vilmos plays Edward in King's Mate or wanting to jump ahead to get to the next trio match.

I bought this book around Christmastime and found the story to be fascinating. As soon as I finished, I found myself reading the next book and then another. After that I was ready for the fourth and final book. (I also recommend the Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books as the place to get stated.)

In the Service of Dragons is a fun and exciting book. I highly recommend it. 3 lives, 3 fates intertwined

VILMOS
When little Vilmos Tabborath (a village boy) flees a bear in the woods, he would've never guessed that it would set off a chain of events that would put him face to face with evil shapeshifters, enemy soldiers and magic-loathing priests.

ADRINA
When sad Adrina Alder (a princess) wishes for change, she would've never guessed that it would come so soon and that it would make her life even more miserable than ever, that she would have to face the dragon king, avoid killers, and escape kidnappers.

SETH
When unworldly Brother Seth (an elf) seeks to learn about humankind, he would've never guessed that it would mean he would lose touch with his own kind, that he would be ambushed, betrayed and left for dead.

My favorite things that I like about this book are the ancient heroes and legends who have returned to help restore the land

TITANS
Titans were the original rulers of the worlds. They ruled with iron fists.

EAGLE LORDS
Eagle lords were once a mighty people. They dwells in the mountain ranges.

MYSTICS
Mystics have powers of illusion and control. They were all but forgotten yet still feared like wizards.


These ancient powers return in the form of Amir, Ayrian and Noman. Amir, son of Ky'el, is one of the last and he uses orbs of power to travel the lands. Ayrian, the lord of the gray eagles, has returned to reclaim what his people lost and to battle the ancient evil. Noman, a master of illusion, has returned to form a company of companions that just may save the world.

In the Service of Dragons is a well-written and exciting book! It will keep you reading and reading. Two thumbs way up!

I love the message of this book, but it is sad when we look around at our world today and see so much "country" turning into city. Loved this one as a child and am reading to my son now.

This was my favorite book when I was little and still is one of my favorite books for children. I add this book to every gift I give at baby showers. A good book with a good lesson!

This was one of my favorites as kid. Then, sadly, I forgot about it until stumbling across it in the school library. It is once again one of my favorites. Cynics might roll their eyes at this tribute to good ol' days gone by, but I personally appreciate the nostalgia and the house with its subtle face parts is adorable. You feel so bad for the cute little house! It is also an observation at the change of time. I don't know how intense that is as a theme, but I found it touching and Burton tells the tale with such heart and care.

We live in a very old house in the country and this book was such a cute story about just that. We enjoyed it.

Another timeless classic by this author. It's an amazing story about appreciation. Completely entertaining and like the other books in this series, the artwork is phenominal!!!

This book is a classic, and the illustrations are magical. I was disappointed when I received my latest copy--the pictures are all washed out, as if they've been reproduced with a cheaper process or something. I suggest not buying a new copy--try to find an old one with the richness of the original illustrations.

First, let me mention that this is a pretty wordy book. Maybe a bit too wordy, because it does seem to drag on in parts. I'm constantly cutting out a paragraph here or there because it doesn't add much to the story and I really want to get on with things anyway.

And, you know, it is a nice story - about a woman who "makes the world more beautiful" by planting lupines - but there just isn't much to it.

It's not very compelling to me. We read it only occasionally.

A co-worker talked about this book at an event and after previewing it, I took it out from the library for then four year old. A few months later, when we are at a book store, she spotted it and had to buy it as a present to herself for turning 5 - with her own birthday money. I think that says volumes to the books lasting power. The story is sweet, the drawings are excellent, and the message is lasting. Nice read for a parent to a child at the end of a long day.

This is a great story about giving back something in life. Great gift idea when combined with a real Lupine plant or seeds. Then the story and flower will be remembered forever.

I just left home and school to live on my own as an intern in DC. I've been doing lots of responsible adult type activities, cooking, waking up early, cleaning etc and was feeling a little strange about feeling so old. As I was walking to work this morning, I took a slightly different route that had a house with lupines just covering their yard. They looked so beautiful in the morning. I immediately thought to myself "what was that book with these flowers??" and called up my lovely mother. It felt like a long lost dream. I could remember the symbolism, but not the specifics. When I was young, I think I was enthralled with little Alice being able to paint the clouds and even more so when she becomes a librarian and transforms the landscape by the sea. This is a truly amazing book. I'm going to walk to the library tonight and check it out again. It definitely made me appriciate beauty in the world as a child, and through my memory of it, as an adult.

This is one of my top five children's books of all time. It is impossible to read it without getting goosebumps (at least the first 100 times).

This was given to me as a baby shower gift for my daughter. It is one of our favorite books and I now give it out as a newborn gift to friends and family. The messages are powerful and simple. It is not a long book so it's perfect for bedtime.

This book is an awesome gift! It is a wonderful story that teaches children of all ages many important virtues and lessons!

This is a beautiful book about the wonderful gifts of birth! I have given this as a "new baby" gift to several of my friends, and they absolutely love the book. The illustrations and the words are done in a beautiful way. I highly recommend this as a great baby gift!

Every parent/grandparent needs this book and then every child needs to have it read to him/her over and over again so that he can know how very special the day is that he was born. This book celebrates the child's arrival to the family and helps to foster characteristics that should be a birthright to all children.

Young Adult Novel by Daniel Pinkwater is an amazingly witty story about five young dadaists, who are attempting to revolutionize the dull, strict, hyper-ordinary Himmler High School. One day, the main character (Kevin Shapiro) from a story they were writing is discovered to have the same name as a kid in their school. And that's when things really start to change at Himmler. One page of this hilarious short novel will make you want to finish the whole story. This book is for older children, but anyone will get a kick out of Pinkwater's ingenuous writing style!

by Clark

If you haven't read Pinkwater before, this is a good place to start. If you are familiar with his work then rejoice for here are five books in one. And not just any five books... oh no. This collection contains not only Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars and Young Adult Novel but the first and best of the Snarkout Boy books. Buy it, read it, and know that you and your children will never be the same.

I Loved these books. Daniel pinkwater is an old favorite from my adolescance. I fondly remember my older brother reading aloud from the "Snarkout Boys..." and "Young Adult Novel" on family car trips. More than holding up well with time, I found that now, at 32, I can finally grasp the great comic surrealism that is Daniel Pinkwater. This is a great compilation of old favorites and un-appreciated gems. This book is somehow bound with paper so light, I carried it on the subway daily until I finnished all 5 books and wasn't bothered by the size or weight. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who can appreciate inter-dimensional shopping mall parking lots, gourmets from space, enlightenment brought on by silly hats, socio-political revenge via soggy grape nuts and/or Psycho-kinetic guacamole. Yum...

The five novels in this book are genius. Alan Mendelson, boy from mars, takes youn through a boy going through being the new kid, goofing off with another weirdo, the wacky Klugarsh Mind Control, and... well I just can't give away the rest! I have to say i have a soft spot for The Last Guru, its so just... cool what happens to the boy :). This is an EXELLENT book for anyone to buy, I've read it so many times i tore off both covers and three pages. A great book to love and read again, again, again, and again.

This is an amazing, funny, incredibly random book with five comical masterpeices. Though I agree with the other reveiwers that alan medelsohn, boy from Mars is very good, my personel favorite is the last Guru. the idea of a self-made kid millionare is VERY intertaning. These books are, as I said earlier, random, and A Young Adult Novel is possibly the most random of them all. an example; the Dada's(the main character) beleive dishwashers should rule the world. Weird, isn't it? Any way, no matter wich story you read first, you'll laugh and have a great time reading it.