The Dead Girls' Dance (The Morganville Vampires, Book 2)

Book Description

Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Customer Reviews:

Great Follow-up.......2007-10-15

This was an amazing sequel to an amazing novel. Caine might just be the next best thing.

NOT MUCH OF A DANCE.......2007-10-05

I did enjoy reading it; however it did not live up to the 1st book. The character development is interesting though. Feels like it's slightly unfinished. Not a stand alone book-read book 1 first.

Couldn't put it down.......2007-06-15

I was lucky enough to pick this up just days after I'd read Glass Houses and had cooled off from facing the unwelcome cliffhanger that topped off what was otherwise a terrific book. As the other reviewers say, this picks up moments later and the action is non-stop until the end -- where we get another cliffhanger, though not QUITE as traumatic. I mean, this one you have to think about for the full scope of the potential trauma to set in.

The characters are getting more dimensional and interesting and the worldbuilding shows how intricate it is, hiding so many mysteries that we want to investigate. I don't usually like vampire novels, but this series has lots of original ideas in it -- and its characters carry them to even higher levels. The cliffhangers are frustrating, but I'm currently writing a series that has its own set so I guess I should welcome this as setting a precedent. Be assured that the basic plot of the book is complete within it; you won't be dissatisfied.

You'll also get some really good scares. Have fun reading it! (And Rachel Caine: WRITE FASTER!!!)

5 stars.......2007-06-12

Picking up right where Glass Houses ended, the story of Claire, Shane, Michael, and Eve not only continues, but turns up the volume and intensity. A cold war, cold as only vampires could make it, has been declared now that Shane's father and his vampire hunters have arrived. When one of the "leading citizens" among the undead is killed, Shane is implicated and his life forfeit unless his three friends can do something to stop it. Even those who claim to know he is innocent refuse to help, and so, Claire and Eve are forced to take desperate risks to save him. None of them could have foreseen the terrible prices that will have to be paid for the sake of love.

***** Book one in this series left me emotionally spent, in a good way. The intensity is cubed in this latest entry. It was hard to put this down for even the slightest break and, forget what happens to the kid with the scar and glasses, I want to know what happens next in Morganville. If you love to read about characters with whom you can get deeply involved, Rachel Caine is so far a one hundred percent sure bet to satisfy that need. I love her Weather Warden stories, and her vampires are even better. *****

Amanda Killgore

Much better then Glass Houses.......2007-06-06

I just recently finished this book and I definitely enjoyed it a lot more then Glass Houses. I sped through GH and didn't take it all in and on a second reading I was kind of disappointed (I would rate it 3 stars). But Dead Girls' Dance is a LOT better.

The story isn't as crazy this time around, all the introduction of the characters and the town is over and done with so you can now concentrate on the story itself which is turning out to be interesting.

I felt Glass Houses was a bit rushed, like Rachel tried to fit in too much stuff into the book. This one is much more even. The story is non-stop as it usually is in all of Rachel's book, but it doesn't feel rushed or overdone.

This book is short, but it squeezes a lot in - deaths, vampires, a crazy party and even a bit of romance. I'm glad Claire and Shane got together even though he still thinks Claire is a little bit too young for him.

When I finished Glass Houses I wasn't so enthused to read Dead Girls' Dance as I didn't enjoy the 1st book but I'm glad I read it now as it's a LOT better.

This book ain't no Weather Warden book (Rachel's other series, one of the best book series ever written), but it's still loads of good fun and a great quick read. I'm looking forward to the 3rd book, released in October. 4 stars.

Average customer rating:

Boynton's Best
cute book with interesting text
Barnyard Best
I have three books by Sandra Boynton for my four-month old
Best Baby/Toddler Books!

Barnyard Dance! (Boynton on Board)
Sandra Boynton
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1563054426

Book Description

Everybody sing alongâbecause it's time to do-si-do in the barnyard with a high-spirited animal crew! From Boynton on Board, the bestselling series of board books, here is BARNYARD DANCE, with Sandra Boynton's twirling pigs, fiddle-playing cows, and other unforgettable animals. Extra-big, extra-fat, and extra-fun, BARNYARD DANCE features lively rhyming text and a die-cut cover that reveals the wacky characters inside. Guaranteed to get kids and adults stomping their feet. Main selection of the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club. Winner of the 1994 Gold Medal from the National Parenting Publications Award. Suitable for ages 1-4.

Customer Reviews:

Boynton's Best.......2007-09-15

My wife and I received this board book from a co-worker of mine about three months before our first son was born -- almost nine years ago. A daughter and another son later, this remains my favorite children's board book and definitely a favorite of my three children during their first couple of years. The tempo, simplicity and fun illustrations captivated them. Even though the books has been chewed, drooled on and worn down, it is one of those books that we'll save for our grandchildren because it holds special memories of what must be nearly a thousand readings that produced joyful smiles and laughter from our three children. We love Sandra Boynton books and we rate this one the best of all.

cute book with interesting text.......2007-08-23

This children's book is cute with all of the barnyard animals dancing around and contains more content than typical children's books out there. The only reason I rated it a 4 and not a 5 is because the illustrations are pretty colorless and one-dimensional. They really don't hold my child's attention at all. Maybe they will when she is a toddler, but for now, they just don't appeal to her. Being an artist, I can't say that I blame her! The text on the other hand is very lively and imaginative, so I sing the words and act them out to my child with over-the-top gestures, and that seems to do the trick!

Barnyard Best.......2007-08-03

My baby LOVES this book. We can read the story and then go through the whole thing again just pointing out animals and making each animal's sounds. This one is a must have.

I have three books by Sandra Boynton for my four-month old.......2007-07-17

I plan to buy more from the Sandra Boynton collection. My four month old loves this book and the other two we have (Snuggle Puppy and The Belly Button Book). She has shown interest since she was two months. Her books rhyme which makes them fun to read.

Best Baby/Toddler Books!.......2007-07-09

my mother-in-law got my son the barnyard dance and my son loves the book! I love reading it to him because you can sing to it and its fun. I already bought him Pajama Time and I am off to buy some of the box sets.

Big Box of Boynton: Barnyard Dance! Pajama Time! Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!

Average customer rating:

We love Boynton
Boyton Rocks!
Fun for parents, too!
Great for reading over and over!
Little ones love these books!

Big Box of Boynton: Barnyard Dance! Pajama Time! Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!
Sandra Boynton
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0761139893

Book Description

What a perfect gift. Perfect for baby showers. Irresistible for a newborn, or for a one-, two-, even a three-year-old’s birthday. Ideal as a set that grandparents, aunts and uncles, in-laws, and close personal friends of the baby (babies have close personal friends?) will find particularly perfect to give. Housed in a bold, happy slipcase are three bestselling Boynton on Board books: Barnyard Dance!, Oh My Oh My Oh My Dinosaurs!, and Pajama Time!

It’s the wonderfulest introduction to the world of Boynton—square-dancing pigs and sheep, wide-eyed dinosaurs, and a sleepy, PJ-clad menagerie. The books, which in their chunkiness present a deliciously tactile handful for little readers, sport die-cut covers that reveal a glimpse of the fun inside. And what fun it is! Big, bold, humorous, rhyming verses, and those ever-whimsical illustrations that have made Sandra Boynton one of America’s best-loved artists. A box of pure read-aloud pleasure.

Customer Reviews:

We love Boynton.......2007-09-24

As usual, great books for kids. Boynton's sense of humor and the cadence of the words she uses keeps kids and moms intrigued.

Boyton Rocks!.......2007-09-24

Sandra Boyton books are always a big hit at our house-she writes some terrific children's books that all kids seem to love!

Fun for parents, too!.......2007-09-15

Since becoming parents 7 1/2 years ago, we have read MANY MANY MANY children's books and I can easily say that Sandra Boynton is our family's favorite author. The illustrations are adorable and the stories are funny, sweet, silly, and quick (which is a huge bonus if it's aready past bedtime). Our hands-down favorite is "Barnyard Dance"...it's especially funny if you can read it as if you're actually the caller at a hoedown. Another favorite is "But Not the Hippopotamus" and "Horns to Toes and In Between" which is great for teaching body parts. If you're looking for silly, cute, and funny, Sandra's books do not disappoint.

Great for reading over and over!.......2007-09-11

My grandson is 2 years old and he loves thes books. The illustrations are fun and colorful and the verses rhyme and are catchy. After I read one of the books to him he sits down and "reads" it to himself, explaining the pictures.

Little ones love these books!.......2007-08-25

I love Sandra Boynton, and this collection has some of my favorites. I read them to my 1 month old and she loves to listen. I know they will be her favorites for several years to come. THe art is fun and colorful without being too busy for young eyes, and the rymes are cute and pleasant for young ears. We even use some of the words from Barnyard Dance during other play time ("with a neigh and a moo and a cockadoodledoo, another little promenade two by two)!

Average customer rating:

Review
Wanted more of an autobiography
Intriguing,surprising insights about foucs & tenacity
The Women Who Raised Me
A wonderful book

The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir
Victoria Rowell
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 006124659X
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Book Description

The story of a remarkable woman's rise out of the foster-care system to attain the American dream—and of the unlikely series of women who lifted her up in marvelous and distinctive ways

Born as a ward of the state of Maine—the child of an unmarried Yankee blueblood mother and an unknown black father—Victoria Rowell beat the odds. Unlike so many other children who fall through the cracks of our overburdened foster-care system, her experience was nothing short of miraculous, thanks to several extraordinary women who stepped forward to love, nurture, guide, teach, and challenge her to become the accomplished actress, philanthropist, and mother that she is today.

Rowell spent her first weeks of life as a boarder infant before being placed with a Caucasian foster family. Although her stay lasted for only two years, at this critical stage Rowell was given a foundation of love by the first of what would be an amazing array of women, each of whom presented herself for different purposes at every dramatic turn of Rowell's life.

In this deeply touching memoir, Rowell pays tribute to her personal champions: the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, mentors, teachers, and sisters who each have fascinating stories to tell. Among them are Agatha Armstead, Rowell's longest-term foster mother, a black Bostonian on whose rural Maine farm Rowell's fire to reach for greatness was lit; Esther Brooks, a Paris-trained prima ballerina, Rowell's first mentor at the Cambridge School of Ballet; Rosa Turner, a Boston inner-city fosterer who taught Rowell lessons of independence; Sylvia Silverman, a mother and teacher whose home in a well-kept middle-class suburban neighborhood prepared Rowell for her transition out of foster care and into New York City's wild worlds of ballet and acting and adulthood.

In spite of support from individuals and agencies, Rowell nonetheless carried the burden of loneliness and anxiety, common to most foster children, particularly those "orphans of the living" who are never adopted. Heroically overcoming those obstacles, Rowell also reaches a moment when she can embrace her biological mother, Dorothy, and, most important, accept herself.

Ultimately, The Women Who Raised Me is a story that belongs to each of us as it shines a glowing light on the transformational power of mentoring, love, art, and womanhood.

Customer Reviews:

Review.......2007-09-07

This was a well written book. The author gives a heartfelt account of her life in foster care. She begins her story as a small child in rural Maine and concludes as an adult actress in Hollywood. This is a great book that deals with foster care, mental illness, achievements, and adversity in a young woman's life.

Wanted more of an autobiography.......2007-08-16

I know the title says the women who raised me, but I really wanted to read more about how she got into acting, what it was like to be on the young and the restless and work with dick van dyke. She spends many chapters about her ballet years, but doesnt mention what it was like to get into tv acting, which is really her career, not ballet. She is known for being a TV star. She did a great deal of research into her families/friends - I think too much. I had to skip many many pages because it got boring. She mentions her marriage, but never talks about getting divorced. I never knew if she married Wynton or not, had to look it up on the net. She doesn't get into her relationships with men much or her children. I got the impression Wynton was raising her son? but who knows. She seems very multi talented though and it was great that she put so much time into writing a book in addition to her other charities/career.

Intriguing,surprising insights about foucs & tenacity.......2007-08-10

This is an exceptionally touching journey through the life of a foster child that was exposed to a number of phenomenal women.

All their lives were woven together beautifully by the author [Rowell]and revealed that despite backgrounds that were so different, these women all exhibited determined, giving spirits through their own talents.

A must read!!

The Women Who Raised Me.......2007-07-28

A very touching story , well written and informative. So sad at times. I loved that there were pictures of these incredible women to put faces on the heroes! Inspiring too, that with love and guidance, our children can thrive in difficult life situations.
As a grandmother to a mixed race child, very distubing also, that we still have so far to go in the US.

A wonderful book.......2007-07-01

I could not put down Ms. Rowell's life journey. I knew very little about her, only that she was an actress in a soap opera. She is an incredibly strong woman. I have great admiration for her. She could so easily have turned her back on her painful past and distanced herself from orphans; but she chose not to. She embraces her birth mother and all who assisted her.

Rhinoceros Tap: 15 Seriously Silly Songs (Book & CD)

Average customer rating:

Good but...
Rhinoceros Tap
disappointed with this one
Fun for adults, too!
Wholesome family entertainment we can ALL sing along to!

Rhinoceros Tap: 15 Seriously Silly Songs (Book & CD)
Sandra Boynton
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0761133232

Book Description

Redesigned. Reformatted. Remastered. Resequenced. Ready for Re-release. And it was already great to begin with!

Before there was Philadelphia Chickens, the #1 New York Times and Publishers Weekly children's bestseller with 319,000 copies in print, there was Rhinoceros Tap, the collection of seriously silly songs. Now Rhinoceros Tap returns in an all-new package to mirror Philadephia Chickens, with a spiffy audio CD. Written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton and with music by Boynton and Michael Ford, the same team that created Philadelphia Chickens, it's a read-along, sing-along, dance-along, oink-along collection of truly delightful children's music. There's "O, Lonely Peas," to appeal to the finicky young eater. The five-year-old's lament, "Bad Babies" ("They whine and they bite, they chew on your toys/And oh, do they make the most terrible noise"). "Tickle Time." "The Crabby Song." A mouse's impassioned ballad to his beloved, "I Love You More Than Cheese." And "Barnyard Dance," the song that was launched by the board book dear to the hearts of more than a million young readers.

Customer Reviews:

Good but..........2007-07-25

This Boynton compilation is good but not as good as Philadelphia Chickens. My 5-year-old son has asked for this one repeatedly and we all know who should be the true reviewer here. It is, however, better than Dog Train which we have only listened to once.

Rhinoceros Tap.......2007-01-18

Great fun! Cute songs for the whole family. Kids like them because they're silly. Adults have fun with them, too, but the music is "real music", not kiddy stuff. Our two girls and their friends have fun making up dances to go with the songs - creative play at its finest!!

disappointed with this one.......2007-01-06

We bought this CD for our 7-year-old son (he already has "Philadelphia Chickens" and "Dog Train" by the same artist), but "Rhinoceros Tap" just doesn't have the charisma as the other ones by Sandra Boynton. The tunes just aren't catchy. Some of them remind me of old jazz/blues music, which I enjoy and appreciate, but the melodies are more on the somber side and it's hard to work in words that are suitable for children. As a result, my son loses interest after about the third or fourth number. The other CDs by Boynton are wonderful and we've just about worn them out, but somehow "Rhinoceros Tap" doesn't quite make the cut.

Fun for adults, too!.......2006-06-03

We received this CD for a gift a year ago and my kids(4 1/2 and 13mo) and I still BOTH enjoy hearing it! Fun, catchy tunes, with a bit of humor for adults, and silliness for kids.

Wholesome family entertainment we can ALL sing along to!.......2006-03-09

Despite some unevenness , this album and its accompanying book are a drive-time hit in our household - amazing considering my kids are 10 and 11 - oh, and a baby, who probably doesn't get all the subtleties, but enjoys the music nonetheless.

Our favourites include:
~Bad Babies
~The Crabby Song
~Tropical Sand
~O, Lonely Peas... which my daughter and I enjoy belting out together!

Others are not as popular, and we sometimes find ourselves fast forwarding through them... such as:
~Rhinoceros tap (particularly the instrumental version)
~Dinosaur round

We are mixed on songs like Bad Babies and Turkey Love Song - I like them, but the kids don't quite "get" the jazzy vocals, I think.

Our "greatest hit" from this album has got to be So Long Doggies, which is just the cleverest, funniest, well-sung thing I have heard for children in all my years of being a parent. Little kids won't catch all the references, but my big kids LOVE them! ("BONE voyage...")

Despite these unevennesses, this album makes a great change from all the commercialized kiddie schlock out there.

If you want something you can all sing along to and not have to worry about what kinds of influences your kids are being exposed to, grab this delightfully innocent album and be prepared to sing your heart out!

Average customer rating:

Nice book.
Awesome

Tarzan: The Broadway Adventure
Michael Lassell
Manufacturer: Disney Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1423100859
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Customer Reviews:

Nice book........2007-10-01

A very nice book. It is a very wide ranging overview regarding the creation of the musical. The books value was in its photographs. The actual text was fairly superficial. As a fan I would have enjoyed more details regarding the performers, more stories and quotes from the various creative principals.

Awesome.......2007-08-04

I love this book. It's arrived before I was expecting.
Also, better price than at the theater.

Wiggle (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))

Average customer rating:

Improves with "Do your ears hang low"
Not fun for a 15 month old
Funny Bedtime story
Funny!
Wiggle Review

Wiggle (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))
Doreen Cronin
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689863756

Book Description

Do you
wake up
with a
wiggle?
Do you
wiggle

out of bed?

For energetic toddlers (are there any who aren't?), here's a book that invites them to wiggle along with the story. Told in rollicky, wiggly rhyme that begs to be read again and again, Doreen Cronin's latest romp will have toddlers wiggling, giggling, and then (hopefully) falling into bed, blissfully exhausted!

Customer Reviews:

Improves with "Do your ears hang low".......2007-09-20

We got this book from a box of Cheerios. The rhythm is awkward, but it improves if you sing the book to the tune of one of my dad's favorite camp songs: "Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro? Can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in a bow?" I had to modify a line or two - for example, it says, "If you wiggle with your breakfast, it might wind up on your head." This is about one syllable too long for both the book's meter and "Do your ears hang low," so, when I sing it to my daughter, the line corresponds to "Can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in a bow," and I sing, "If you wiggle with your breakfast, it might LAND on your head." My daughter (she's two) requests this book frequently and now that I sing the lyrics, I have the book memorized. I used to memorize other things, but now I memorize children's books. My favorite books for creative rhyming will always be Dr. Seuss (read the highly sardonic one-star review of Green Eggs and Ham on this site - not mine, but I have copied it in full and sent it to friends) and also Sandra Boynton. I like Sandra Boynton's books - particularly Hippos Go Berserk - because her story lines are somewhat unpredictable. Enjoy!

Not fun for a 15 month old.......2007-05-30

I thought the simple, rhyming text and bright artwork would be great for my book-loving 15 month old, but he was bored stiff. I've tried it several times now, and each time he listens and looks at a few pages, then starts looking for a different book. I've tried silly voices, silly movements, quick reading, and everything, and this book is BORING for him. Weird, because he would sit still for almost any book....most of them at this age range or higher (no board books for this little man!)

It's a cute book for sure, but there are so many other better ones out there. Ignore the hype, and check this one out from a library before you buy. AND, if you must buy, get this author's "Bounce" instead. That one is similar, but better.

Funny Bedtime story.......2007-01-19

My children ages 4 and 2 absolutely love this book. They enjoy the zany characters and light-hearted rhymes. It is a fun way to get them introduced to rhymes for pre-reading skills in a child friendly manner. Definately a winner for a gift or for your own little one.

Funny!.......2007-01-15

I bought this for my Pre-K class and they LOVE it! Its a fun book that you just cant sit still while reading it.

Wiggle Review.......2007-01-09

I was rather disappointed in the book. The rhyme and rhythm of the verse were difficult at times. I was expecting it to be more fun, something that kids could mimic.

Average customer rating:

Dance like no one is watching!
Great story and art work
Beautiful Book
Charming with a great moral
Beautiful Book , great story!

Giraffes Can't Dance
Giles Andreae
Manufacturer: Orchard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0439287197

Amazon.com

Gerald the giraffe doesn't really have delusions of grandeur. He just wants to dance. But his knees are crooked and his legs are thin, and all the other animals mock him when he approaches the dance floor at the annual Jungle Dance. "Hey, look at clumsy Gerald," they sneer. "Oh, Gerald, you're so weird." Poor Gerald slinks away as the chimps cha-cha, rhinos rock 'n' roll, and warthogs waltz. But an encouraging word from an unlikely source shows this glum giraffe that those who are different "just need a different song," and soon he is prancing and sashaying and boogying to moon music (with a cricket accompanist). In the vein of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gerald's fickle "friends" quickly decide he's worthy of their attention again.

With this rhyming, poignant (in a cartoonish way) tale, Giles Andreae, author of Rumble in the Jungle, and numerous other picture books, shows insecure young readers that everyone can be wonderful, even those that march to the beat of a different cricket. The rhymes are somewhat awkward, but the bold, bright watercolors by Guy Parker-Rees will invite readers to kick up their heels and find their own internal harmony. (Ages 3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Gerald is a giraffe who simply can¹t dance. Try as he may, his long, spindly legs buckle whenever he starts to boogie. Every year he dreads going to the Great jungle Dance, until one night he finds his own special music.

Customer Reviews:

Dance like no one is watching!.......2007-07-01

The artwork in this one just pops off the page! The story is precious and it catches a lovely rhyme! Tango, Salsa and ChaCha are all within your reach as you cheer for this awkward giraffe to bust a move! A great read aloud!

Great story and art work.......2007-04-10

This is a great must have book for your child's library! It is good for ages 0-6 years at least! I checked this book out from the library and just had to buy a copy for home! Great for gift giving also!

Beautiful Book.......2007-02-05

This book is such an enjoyment for myself as well as my two year old. I love the illustrations, which is what caught my attention at the store and led to the purchase. However when I came home and read it to my daughter I also fell in love with the story. This is a definate must have in your library, and I think Giles Andreae's best book.

Charming with a great moral.......2007-02-01

This is such a delightful book. I love the whimsical illustrations, charming rhymes, and the moral of the story- "We all can dance if we find music that we love". Gerald the Giraffe (who doesn't seem to be able to dance) ends up finding his own unique rythm. This is one of the few books that I never tire of reading (oh, and my 3 year old son likes it too!)

Beautiful Book , great story!.......2007-01-10

I bought this book for my 18 month old son and I love it. The pictures are beautiful and it is a great story with a nice message. The story is a little long for his attention span right now but he loves looking at the pictures. It is one of our favorites!

The Sesame Street Songbook: 64 Favorite Songs

Average customer rating:

Great piano (guitar/vocal) songbook

The Sesame Street Songbook: 64 Favorite Songs
Ctw
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0025251414

Customer Reviews:

Great piano (guitar/vocal) songbook.......2006-10-31

Although the back cover states "Easy-to-play arrangements for piano, guitar and voice" this is not at all a beginners book.
Some songs are pretty easy, but overall the level is moderate to pretty advanced. There is quite a variety of "genre" as well I think. Some nice mellow almost ballad like songs, some bluesy tunes, some jazz, a little rock.
I will scan the back cover of the book and upload the image ( if I can ) so everyone can see what songs are included.

Average customer rating:

A Great Story for Self-Worth
Pretty Good, Not DePaola's Best
Great beginning, but fizzles out
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Will Herman
It's OK to be Different!

Oliver Button Is a Sissy
Tomie dePaola
Manufacturer: Voyager Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156681404

Book Description

A little boy must come to terms with being teased and ostracized because he’d rather read books, paint pictures, and tap-dance than participate in sports. “There is a good balance between the simple text . . . and the expressive pictures . . . an attractive little book.”--School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

A Great Story for Self-Worth.......2007-05-14

This book describes how Oliver is happy, not playing sports like all the other boys, but taking dance lessons. His parent support him, but at school, he is called a sissy. After a community talent show, which Oliver does not win, his schoolmates realize he is a winner. Oliver stuck with his dreams and desires, against the odds. To me, this story is great for kids, as it illustrates how to stick with something if it is what you desire. It has a great message for children as well as care-givers. The illustrations are wonderful, too.

Pretty Good, Not DePaola's Best.......2005-11-28

Tomie dePaola states in the liner notes that Oliver's story is partly autobiographical. "I could spend hours drawing, and nobody ever asked me to play on their ball teams because I was so bad at it."

Oliver's pursuits are less than gender-appropriate in the eyes of his male peers. He enjoys dancing, dressing up, acting, reading, and drawing. His father doesn't approve, either, but his mother and his female peers come to his aid. This help, however, works to Oliver's detriment: "Gotta have help from girls," the boys say teasingly. In the end Oliver, however, Oliver succeeds on his own terms.

This testimony to being oneself was written in 1979, and includes dePaola's signature drawings using a limited color palette. Though it isn't as charming as the Strega Nona books, it effectively delivers its message.

Great beginning, but fizzles out.......2005-07-27

I bought this book because Oliver Button is very much like I was at his age. He is more interested in playing with girls and doing activities that are not usually done by boys. I also thought it would be a good way to teach children that they don't have to conform to gender roles. However, having worked with elementary school children in various settings for years, I found the story to be very unrealistic.
The beginning is good. We are presented with a feel for Oliver's dificulties. Everyone wants him to be more like other boys. His father wants him to play sports, but he wants to dance instead. His mother enrolls him in a dance school, and he learns how to dance. He perseveres despite the fact that his peers are pestering him for being a "sissy"; they even write "Oliver Button Is A Sissy" on the wall (hence the title). The girls defend him by giving the bullies a talking-to. The bullies stop beating him up, which is a bit unrealistic; boys who are bullies hate girls as much as they hate boys like Oliver.
I was disappointed by the ending. Near the end, Oliver signs up for a talent show. His act involves tap dancing. The other children in his class, at the teacher's suggestion, go to see him perform. If you think this seems unrealistic (why would children who hate Oliver go to see him perform?), you will be even more disappointed by the last page, when Oliver goes to school after the talent show (which he didn't win) and finds that the wall no longer reads "Oliver Button Is A Sissy" because the word "sissy" has been crossed out and replaced with "star." Just because he does a performance doesn't mean those who formerly hated him will like him. I know this because I tried it myself at his age!
Though I like the ideals the author was trying to communicate, such a tacked-on happy ending is very misleading. You want a book about teasing, read Chrysanthemum. You want a book about prejudice, read Dr. Seuss's The Sneetches. You want a book about children who become successful, read Ibi Lepscky's Famous People series. You want a book about gender roles, read William's Doll. Anything but this book!

Oliver Button is a Sissy by Will Herman.......2003-03-14

I really enjoyed this book. It is about a little boy named Oliver Button. This little boy doesn't really care what other people think, he likes to do what he thinks is fun, and that is it. He doesn't do normal things like other boys, he dances, and jumps rope for exercise. He got a new pair of tap shoes and the older boys teased him and called him a sissy and wrote it on the wall. Oliver still kept going to dance school and practicing and practicing.
When there is a talent competition, Oliver signs up to be in it. During the competition he did a tap routine and ends up losing. His parents still thought of him as a champion and when he goes back to school, instead of Oliver Button is a sissy on the wall it says Oliver Button is a star. I would recommend this book to a lot of people because this is a very entertaining book. It shows that if you have fun doing something thats a little different, keep doing it no matter what other people say.

It's OK to be Different!.......2002-06-24

This is an excellent book that confronts gender stereotypes and the importance of accepting people for who they are. Oliver Button does not engage in the traditional activities that boys do, and thus, he is faced with repercussions and consequences (based on how others feel Oliver should behave/act). I teach fourth grade and - though a picture book - it is the ideal book to discuss self-confidence and diversity and the significance of accepting individuals while recognizing their accomplishments and contributions.

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