Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

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In all Mildred D. Taylor's unforgettable novels she recounts "not only the joy of growing up in a large and supportive family, but my own feelings of being faced with segregation and bigotry." Her Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry tells the story of one African American family, fighting to stay together and strong in the face of brutal racist attacks, illness, poverty, and betrayal in the Deep South of the 1930s. Nine-year-old Cassie Logan, growing up protected by her loving family, has never had reason to suspect that any white person could consider her inferior or wish her harm. But during the course of one devastating year when her community begins to be ripped apart by angry night riders threatening African Americans, she and her three brothers come to understand why the land they own means so much to their Papa. "Look out there, Cassie girl. All that belongs to you. You ain't never had to live on nobody's place but your own and long as I live and the family survives, you'll never have to. That's important. You may not understand that now but one day you will. Then you'll see."

Twenty-five years after it was first published, this special anniversary edition of the classic strikes as deep and powerful a note as ever. Taylor's vivid portrayal of ugly racism and the poignancy of Cassie's bewilderment and gradual toughening against social injustice and the men and women who perpetuate it, will remain with readers forever. Two award-winning sequels, Let the Circle Be Unbroken and The Road to Memphis, and a long-awaited prequel, The Land, continue the profoundly moving tale of the Logan family. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Unabridged. Six cassettes, nine hours.

Winner of the 1977 Newberry Medal, this is a remarkably moving novel—one that has impressed the hearts and minds of millions of readers.

Read by Lynne Thigpen

Customer Reviews:

My new favorite book--great for kids AND adults.......2007-09-14

I'm sad to say that I just now read this book for the first time (at age 30). I ordered it for my 5th-grade classroom and, of course, wanted to preview it first. I ended up reading it all in one night. I literally could not put it down.

It was a hard book to read, due to its unflinchingly honest nature. Although the official suggested target audience for this book is 9-12, I often found myself wondering if my students could handle this almost brutal look at racism in the 1930s. Heck, MY stomach turned at certain points. Still, I suppose that my students NEED to know what life was like for blacks in the 1930s--and the fact that the story is told from the point of view of a little girl about their age will make for an even stronger impact, I think.

I do give a heads-up to parents and teachers due to the repeated use of the "n" word; however, this book captivated me from start to finish and truly took my breath away. I think it's a story that every child and adult NEEDS to read.

This was an excellent book.......2007-08-31

I liked this book very much, because it had a good plot, explained a lot about blacks after the Civil War, and was very interesting. It was touching, and was hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anybody over 11.

perfect condition.......2007-08-23

the book arrived quickly and in perfect condition.
no problems at all.

Beautifully Narrated.......2007-05-09

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry is a masterpiece in its harshness of theme in family and heritage. Lynne Thigpen's narration of this story gives the listener a sense of the time period and culture that only a minority woman who lived during this period can understand. Great for classroom use!!!

Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry.......2007-04-17

Roll of Thunder hear my Cry is a great book with heart touching parts. The narrator in the book is Cassie Logan. She tells the stories on horrible things some boys do in her neighborhood. The is the time of segregation. Cassie tells how her family is losing some of the land and how one of her brother's friends is in a whole lot of trouble.

This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood

Average customer rating:

I respect, don't necessarily agree with, his defense of LBJ
Saint Jack
Good Read but Lacks Bite
A Truly American Story
Outstanding

This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood
Jack Valenti
Manufacturer: Harmony
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0307346641
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Book Description

With the nation at war in the 1940s, twenty-two-year-old Jack Valenti flew fifty-one combat missions as the pilot of a B-25 attack bomber with the 12th Air Force based in Italy. In the 1960s, with the nation reeling from the assassination of a beloved president and becoming embroiled in a far different kind of war in Vietnam, he was in that fateful Dallas motorcade in 1963, flew back to Washington with the new president, and for three years worked in the inner circle of the White House as special assistant to President Lyndon Johnson. Then, for the next thirty-eight years, with American society and popular culture undergoing a revolutionary transformation, Valenti was the public face of Hollywood in his capacity as head of the Motion Picture Association of America.

Been there, done that, indeed. Texas-born and Harvard-educated, Valenti has led several lives, any one of which could have provided ample material for an unforgettable memoir. As it is, This Time, This Place is the gripping story of a man who saw the terrible face of war while fighting with skill and bravery for his country; who was in the room, listening, participating, and remembering, as political decisions were made that would benefit or devastate countless lives in this country and on the other side of the world; and who championed the interest of the vast and globally influential movie industry with tenacity and vision. The list of boldface names whom Valenti knew and with whom he worked is as varied as it is astonishing in number. Aside
from LBJ, there were Jack and Bobby Kennedy, Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, Robert McNamara, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Julia Roberts, Cary Grant, Lew Wasserman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, Warren Beatty, and Bill Clinton, to begin a very long list.

The life of a man who earned both the Distinguished Flying Cross and his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is inherently intriguing, but Valenti’s warm, sometimes rueful, always engaging account gives this memoir a depth of humanity and a taste of life’s unpredictability that will linger long after you turn the final page. From growing up poor but largely oblivious to that fact in a hardscrabble neighborhood of Greek and Italian immigrants in Houston to rising to the highest summits both of national government and Hollywood, This Time, This Place is a candid and clear-eyed reflection of the joys and sorrows, ambitions and disappointments, of a life fully recognizable in its extraordinary variety. It is also a sweeping and important historical record, written by a brilliantly successful man who helped to shape politics and entertainment in the second half of the twentieth century, and who always found himself in the center of the current storm.

Customer Reviews:

I respect, don't necessarily agree with, his defense of LBJ .......2007-10-19

Yes, his descriptions of his childhood and family life as an Italian-American in Houston were interesting, especially after Valenti flashed back from Nov. 22, 1963 and shortly thereafter. Certainly, his remembrances of pilot service in Europe also were compelling. That said, and don't anyone take this wrong, neither of the above were particularly unique reading experiences. As much as I acknowlege our appreciation of our WWII veterans was long delayed and overdue, and I eat up those sort of memoirs, I had read similar recollections before. But as a backdrop and a context to his service with LBJ, it all was appropriate. That's the part I found fascinating, because as near as I can tell, Mr. Valenti's political leanings are the same as mine, and I tend to go along with the conensus -- that LBJ's unfortunate decisions to deepen our involvement in Vietnam outweighed all the good he did with the Great Society, because much of that involved ideas whose times were coming...sooner or later. LBJ deserves marks for courage and skill in pushing them through when he did, and we all should salute him. But it was going to happen at some point. I am open-eyed enough to take Mr. Valenti's defenses of LBJ's overall record with grains of salt, but I admire them. In describing the meetings in 1965, Valenti makes it clear, as others have, that Mike Mansfield and George Ball were the lone wolves in saying we should get out instead of get in deeper. Valenti runs down the roster of the LBJ advisers whose views turned out to be woefully off-target. Darn it, great leaders sense and see through misguided and bad advice, so I'm not letting LBJ off the hook, and Valenti did that a little too easily. I would have been interested, too, to know more about what he was thinking as he heard all these exchanges he describes. And he describes them in such depth -- virtual transcripts -- he either had a tape recorder, took great notes, or is taking some license in the reconstruction. But all that said, I did find that portion of the book fascinating. And if an obviously good man, such as Valenti, could be so passionately loyal to LBJ, who often has been treated unfairly (e.g., Caro), it gives me a bit of pause for thought. The rest of the book is interesting and as an overall work, I recommend it. It's funny, though, I got the sense he pulled the most punches in the movie portion.

And why do people quote from the book jacket here? I would rather read what people think of the book, and why.

Saint Jack.......2007-09-21

One must be a very dedicated movie or Jack Valenti watcher to plough all the way through this tome. Apart from the timing which cannot be faulted - he died shortly after the book was published: the book is more a diary than a literary work. Except for the opening chapter on the assassination of JFK, which is good and compelling writing, the remainder stretched incredulity a little too far.
If we are to believe what Mr Valenti tells us about himself, we should not be surprised that at the books completion, the Almighty whisked him off to heaven to be at his right hand. A more Saintly man never lived beyond the Vatican.
We learn that he started life very poor - not even any shoes. We also learn that his close relatives were very rich. That confused me. I thought these old Sicilian families stuck together. Or is that only in the Mafia? One of these relatives who did not feel able to buy little Jack any shoes, did give him a job however. The salary was not sufficient for the future $1.3 million a year boss of MPAA, so he lied to take the time off to solicit work at Humble Oil which was successful. Little Jack clearly had a talent for ingratiating himself into the affections of those who could help him. First it was the HR lady who gave him his first job at Humble. Then it was the head of the advertising department who put him to work there. Work: I use the word loosely as he seems to have spent his time travelling around the country keeping his boss from being lonely. He must have been a very seductive little chap.
Then the war intervened. Now I thought, this is where it gets interesting. He reminds us frequently that he was a war hero, so I was very keen to learn more. Unfortunately modesty prevented him from sharing with us any daring-do that he was involved in. Other than telling us that the Luftwaffe fighters held no terrors for him - indeed, he actually says that they were no problem to him. Well that's a first. I must have more than 30 books on WWII aerial combat, and I never read that before. Could it be that all the others were spoofing? We do learn at great length his mile by mile journey back to America from Italy. The war was over by this time, but low cloud and rain was more formidable than the Luftwaffe it seems.
Once back to civilian life, he takes advantage of the GI Bill and goes to Harvard. If he goes on about his time at Harvard to his everyday listeners as he does in his book, there can be few American who don't know that Jack Valenti went to Harvard. Upon completion of his course he goes back to Humble Oil. This is the second time they have him back. He learns as much as he can from them, sets up a company with a partner and promptly leaves Humble Oil. Using what he learnt from Humble he solicits business from Humble competitors. This is a life long habit of Jack's. He ingratiates himself with people until they are of no more value; then he drops them. He did that with President Johnson after he learnt that Johnson was not going to seek re-election. He would have done it to MPAA and gone to Columbia Pictures, but his devoted wife of God knows how many years wouldn't go to Los Angeles with him. Washington was more important than Jack it seems. She did offer to let him commute once a week from DC to LA.
It is at this point in the book that one loses the will to live. It becomes a page after page catalogue of the rich and famous who Jack loved deeply, and they him. Pick at random any Name from the A List, and they - and of course their gorgeous spouses, were close personal friends of the Valenti's. There is not an enemy in sight - he even had a good word for the Luftwaffe! But then this is a work more interesting for what it doesn't say than for what it does. He never mentions that he lead a crusade to prevent VCRs being introduced into America. He takes full credit for the `original' introduction of a film rating system. He expects the readers not to notice that the British Board of Film Censors has been rating movies since 1912. It is also interesting that Jack never ever mentions the British film industry. He mentions, and praises British actors and directors, but never identifies them as such. He does every other country that has a film industry. Perhaps under the overcast skies of grey old London lurk a few skeletons that Jack would prefer to keep in the cupboard.
After one has waded through pages and pages of Hollywood's `Who's Who', the book is completed with the unsurprising information that all of his three children are `...movie star beautiful, and they are all outstandingly successful.' No kidding. He even tells us that his grandchildren are perfect.
Jack Valent's life story could have been an enthralling read had it been an `unauthorised version' by Kitty Kelly or similar. Instead, it is a very boring exercise in self aggrandisement. It is said that before one writes a book, one should identify your audience. The only audience for this book is the Hollywood Hoorays who will enjoy what is written about themselves, and think kindly about Jack - and of course his children.
Well done Jack. Not so much a book, more an advertising brochure for the Valenti dynasty.

Good Read but Lacks Bite .......2007-07-15

In a sense this is two books in one. Valenti (apart from his war years) had two very different careers - as a valued aide to President Lyndon Johnson and latterly as President Motion Picture Association of America. He did sterling work in both roles.

Almost anything written about Johnson is fascinating and Valenti keeps that legend going. The author never fails to see good in people and like other Johnson aides such as Joe Califano, seemed to have a genuine love for the towering Texan.

Valenti's opening chapter on the dreadful events of November 22nd 1963 is compelling reading. The author also writes well on the meetings and decision processes that encouraged LBJ to enlarge the war in Vietnam. For those with rose tinted glasses who believe JFK would have taken the US out of Vietnam before it became a quagmire, Valenti makes it quite clear that the bulk of LBJ's Vietnam advisors were Kennedy people. Overall the section on Johnson and the White House years is enjoyable reading. The same can not be said for his MPAA memoir.

Part of the problem is that Valenti is so gushing in his praise of everyone. The number of "radiantly beautiful" or "dazzling" wives he met with adorable offspring is mind-blowing. This man would have something good to say about the devil! He alludes very gingerly to the excesses of and infatuation with Hollywood, but never provides any depth.

Valenti - who wrote a book on communication - is a wonderful writer with a flowing style that is a joy to read. It is a pity that he did not bring greater depth and I think honesty to his MPAA career.

A Truly American Story.......2007-07-05

Jack Valenti's memoir "This Time, This Place: My Life in War, The White House, and Hollywood" tells an authentically American story. Valenti, the grandson of a Sicilian immigrant, rises from his working class roots to:
* win the Distinguished Flying Cross (WWII)
* attend Harvard Business School (Veterans Bill)
* start his own successful business
* become the aide de camp to a US President (Lyndon Johnson)
* and, become the chief lobbyist and defender of the motion picture industry for four decades.

Valenti's book opens with a flashback to Dallas, Texas on November 23, 1963 as he rode in the fateful Presidential motorcade that passed the Texas Book Depository with Lee Oswald's rifle pointed at President John Kennedy. Before the day was over, he was THE confident and consigliore to a new US President, Lyndon Johnson, overseeing the president's speeches, decided whom he would see and where he would go to speak. His chronicle of his White House years reads like a fast-paced novel and has plenty of detail to satisfy historians.

"This Time, This Place" provides important events in Valenti's early formation which were the underpinnings of a remarkable life. As a working class kid from Houston, he watched his grocer grandfather practice local politics and made his own first speech at the age of 10, advocating the reelection of the Sheriff. He worked as movie usher during high school, and got himself elected class president as a night student at the University of Houston.

In 1943, he joined the Army Air Corps, taking his first solo flight only after nine hours of instruction. He piloted 51 bombing missions over Europe in a B25 winning the Distinguished Flying Cross. His descriptions of these years are among the most vivid in this book. His prose throbs with memories of an experience that was simultaneously exhilarating, terrifying and "brutal."

The section on the Hollywood years is looser. Valenti's good-old-boy Texas story-telling comes out. He is more willing to tell tales, poking fun at some of the pompous behavior and trappings of the Motion Picture Industry's celebrities.

"This Time,This Place" is told straightforwardly, acknowledging debts, sketching people he knew and giving a not entirely flattering view of himself. His self-portrait is one of restlessness, and a strong commitment to advancement.

This is a man that senators, congressman and presidents readily took calls from. His formula was simple, "It is rooted in the ability to engage in courtship, to cosset talent, to understand the human condition and to make decisions fast." He exuded charm and was able to establish relationships by being everyone's pal but he never left empty-handed.

Jack Valenti died two years after his retirement from the Motion Picture Association of America in April, 2007.

Outstanding.......2007-07-04

Jack Valenti was both a witness to, and an instrument of, history and his autobiography presents the fascinating elements of his life and all those that he came across. Written in a very easy to read, yet eloquent, style (you can hear Valenti speaking these words)the book should be read by anyone interested in the Washington, the Great Society, and movie industry scenes.

Average customer rating:

Great for English and Spanish learners
Beautiful pictures
A great book by a great artist

In My Family/En mi familia
Carmen Lomas Garza
Manufacturer: Children's Book Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0892391634

Book Description

Following the best-selling Family Pictures, In My Family/En mi familia is Carmen Lomas Garza's continuing tribute to the family and community that shaped her childhood and her life. Lomas Garza's vibrant paintings and warm personal stories depict memories of growing up in the traditional Mexican-American community of her hometown of Kingsville, Texas.

Customer Reviews:

Great for English and Spanish learners.......2007-04-16

I just had a baby and I want her to bilingual. This is a great tool to start with for both her and myself. Since I have to brush up on my Spanish.

Beautiful pictures.......2006-06-29

The pictures in this book are so detailed. It reminds me so much of many of my family's homes growing up in Texas. Great childrens book.

A great book by a great artist.......1999-04-26

This is a great book, and Carmen Lomas Garza is a great artist. Everything is so detailed, and she tells you exactly who's who. All her pictures are real memories. There is something going on in every corner

There's a Map on My Lap!: All About Maps (Cat in the Hat's Lrning Libry)

Average customer rating:

Great for young children
Map on My Lap
Fun way to learn about maps
The best of this series!

There's a Map on My Lap!: All About Maps (Cat in the Hat's Lrning Libry)
Tish Rabe
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375810994
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Book Description

The Cat in the Hat introduces beginning readers to maps–the different kinds (city, state, world, topographic, temperature, terrain, etc.); their formats (flat, globe, atlas, puzzle); the tools we use to read them (symbols, scales, grids, compasses); and funny facts about the places they show us (“Michigan looks like a scarf and a mitten! Louisiana looks like a chair you can sit in!”).

Customer Reviews:

Great for young children.......2007-08-13

This is a fun book for introducing young children to maps. I will use it in my early childhood classroom but I wish I'd had it when my own chldren were young. They would have loved it!

Map on My Lap.......2007-03-14

Children enjoyed this book. Used in map unit for PS and elem. settings.

Fun way to learn about maps.......2007-01-04

This book is classic Dr. Seuss...fun, silly, and children don't realize they're learning something. Great book for teaching about maps. I bought this for my 6 year old prior to going on vacation. We had been looking at maps and talking about what states we'd be driving through on our trip. He enjoyed listening to the book and because of the way the information is presented (fun and silly rhymes), he has retained what he learned. He has even referred back to specific bits of information we read from the book (i.e. Never Eat Shredded Wheat to remember North, East, South and West.)

The back of the book contains a glossary of terms mentioned in the book. Highly recommended as an additional tool for teaching about maps.

The best of this series!.......2006-07-19

The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library books are all great tools to get beginning readers to read and explore different topics at the same time.

There's a Map on my Lap is my favorite in this series. It explains in typical Cat in the Hat rhyme and stance all the different uses for maps.
It explains the difference between a globe and a map, what latitudes and longitudes and other features of maps are. You learn to read a map by using the windrose or a grid.
The book goes well beyond town or country maps. It features weather maps, topographical maps and even marine charts.

What truly separates this book from the crowd: it is shockfull of hands-on things to do. It begins with peeling an orange while leaving the skin in one piece to demonstrate what a world map should really look like - brilliant idea! Then it goes on to make a map of your room, town, imaginary countries. Or how to measure the length of a curved road on a map using a straight ruler and string.

At the end of the book you find a glossary that explains the "big" words like topographical map and others again. Also a list of more books about maps and globes for children.
If you like doing hands on things with your preschool through 2nd graders this book is for you! Hours of fun and education all rolled into one big happy Cat in the Hat poem.

Average customer rating:

My 14 month old LOVES to be read this book!
Not what you're looking for in a children's book...
Pratchett
If you know Pratchett, you NEED this book
I Love It!

Where's My Cow?
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060872675
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Book Description

This is a book about reading a book,
which turns into a different book.
But it all ends happily!

Customer Reviews:

My 14 month old LOVES to be read this book!.......2007-09-15

I have to disagree with those who said this is not a good children's book. We were given this book as a gift by my aunt who loves cows and has no idea who Terry Pratchett is. She was rather surprised by the book but sent it anyway. I have read some of Pratchett's other books so I knew more of what I was in for when I read it to my daughter, who now insists on hearing it several times a day. She loves the pictures, they are detailed and cartoony at the same time. And she loves all the different animal noises and voices as long as they are read with enthusiasm. I think children love being read to by the adults that love them regardless of the story, and wouldn't you rather read your kids a book you enjoy too? One of my favorite things is hearing how different people read the story, like my mother-in-law. I wish I could find more books like it.

Not what you're looking for in a children's book..........2007-07-25

While I love Terry Pratchett's witty satire in his DiscWorld books, I think he is out of his element in this "children's book". I have a two year old daughter, who like most children her age has a limited attention span. I was looking for something similar to the simple straight-forward version in Thud, something maybe 10-20 pages long (if that) that kind of went through different animals and maybe a dragon or a wizard and finally a cow, so that the young reader can shout "that's my cow!"

What you get is an increasingly convoluted plot that tells the story of Vimes reading to his kid. The illustration is an obviously computer-generated mish mash of busy images which do nothing to enhance the story. So instead of becoming a household name in children's books like your Maurice Sendak's or Dr. Seusses, Pratchett appears to be a money-hungry author looking to capitalize on some cross-merchandising, which he has done before with all the companion books to the DiscWorld.

It seems to me a case of too many people involved in this project, and none of them stopped the process and said, "I think we're trying to do too much with this. Let's remember who our target audience is."

But Pratchett is one of my favorite authors, and I eagerly look forward to his next work of ADULT fantasy.

Pratchett.......2007-06-14

What can I say, it is Terry Pratchett. As with all things written or produced by this strange man: It is outstanding.

If you know Pratchett, you NEED this book.......2007-06-01

So we're in the bookstore, and my husband says "You have to read this book... right now." And then he hands me a large flatboard picture book called "Where's My Cow?" I am baffled. I'm even further baffled when I see "by Terry Pratchett".

We're both huge Pratchett fans... but of course, I've never seen him write a picture book before. I am intrigued. I open it up.

I am laughing from the first page. The laughs get harder and harder as I progress. By the time I get to -- well, a certain city ruler, I have to sit down on the floor of the bookstore because I'm laughing too hard to stand up.

What an absolute treasure. In addition to being the funniest thing I've ever read, it's a fantastic children's book that rings true for any parent. My son loved it, and being ten, of course he's not read Pratchett... yet. We're starting him with Guards! Guards! this summer.

Needless to say, we purchased the book right then, and we're ordering more copies for friends. My only qualm is that I know some people who aren't versed in Pratchett, and will therefore not get it. I'm pushing them to start reading now in preparation for "Where's My Cow?"

Terry Pratchett, you are the MAN.

I Love It!.......2007-05-14

I am a big fan of the Discworld series. Now I can share it with my kids! Yay!

Average customer rating:

Overseas cousins LOVE it!
Must have!
excellent
Beautiful book; be aware of the promotional notes
Great Gift for a Child Visitor

My New York: New Anniversary Edition
Kathy Jakobsen
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316927112

Book Description

First published to critical raves and spectacular sales ten years ago, this extraordinary celebration of New York City is now revised and expanded in a bigger format, with over 75% brand-new or updated paintings, including Radio City Music Hall, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, and the New York Public Library. With a young girl guiding them to all her favorite places, readers are treated to a stunning, kid's-eye view of New York City. Full of details to pore over again and again, these paintings almost burst off the page. Seven oversized fold-out pages featuring the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History, and Rockefeller Center at Christmastime add to the fun, while a map in the front and fun facts in the back make this a helpful guidebook as well. A free greeting card is included with the holiday edition. My New York is a stunning visual celebration of one of the world's most fabled cities and is sure to be treasured by New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers, and young and old alike.

Customer Reviews:

Overseas cousins LOVE it!.......2007-07-06

Bought this for my little cousins overseas to help them understand where we live. Apperently their mother likes it more than them! Now they know where I'm talking about when i say we went to Central park today or the zoo. i'll be buying more for my friends children as gifts. Great book.

Must have!.......2006-08-16

The pictures are colorful, very detailed, and are a lot of fun to look at. It's narrated by a little girl who's venturing the famous sites of NYC. I had fun reading it and I'm
sure kids will like it. I got the new anniversary edition. I really recommend it. NYC may change years from now. This book captures and reminisces our exciting city during our time...2002.

excellent.......2006-08-12

I thought that this was an excellent book. The pictures are great. I read it to my kids before visiting New York and after reading the book my kids could not wait to see all of the places that we read about. My daughter was especially thrilled to ride the same horse on the central park carousel that the little girl in the book rode.

Beautiful book; be aware of the promotional notes.......2005-09-15

This is a beautiful book, full of detailed illustrations kids love to explore. Parents should note that not only is it littered with promotional messages, but that several of them promote Scientology/L. Ron Hubbard/Dianetics.

Great Gift for a Child Visitor .......2005-07-27

I've given this book to many little children who have come to visit me in Manhattan. Little kids love this book as well as Lisa in New York, and "big kids" (ages 8 to 12) love Melanie in Manhattan which is a children's novel about a double love story set in NYC. (The narrator, Melanie Martin, is 11.) All these books make great gifts for tourists (and natives), and My New York provides lots of fun for detail-oriented kids who really love looking at picturebooks.

Average customer rating:

for kids older than 18 months
I can't believe I don't love this book
WOW
My Big World Book
Great Book!

My Big World Book
Roger Priddy
Manufacturer: Priddy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0312491220

Book Description

Ideal for toddlers.Stunning large format brings images to life.Helps to build a child's vocabulary.

Customer Reviews:

for kids older than 18 months.......2007-03-18

My 18 month old (and I) loves the square books from this series (First Words, Animals, Colors). I bought this book thinking it would provide more images that we could look at and she could read. However, this book shows images that are much more difficult to understand at her age. We'll see when/if her interest kicks in....

I can't believe I don't love this book.......2007-02-22

Eh, not our fave Priddy book. My 2 y/o likes the trucks book much better. Pretty pictures and not much else. Save your $$ and try a DK lift-the-flap book--same concept but more fun and better vocabulary.

WOW.......2004-04-17

With the great variety of pictures in the book, and all the vibrant colors - it is an interesting book for babies and toddlers as well as children in kindergarten. Lots of words to learn, and each item could later be used to teach spelling, labeling, tacting, etc.
Very fun book to spend time with your child, going through the pages and oooh-ing and aahhh-ing at the variety of pictures not otherwise readily available in most households.

My Big World Book.......2003-06-10

My daughter is 3 and has loved this book since she was given it a year ago. It has beautiful pictures that really appeal to her and she now sits and reads it on her own. Very different layout and unusually sophisticated - more interesting to look at than most of this age. I understand the company is now called Priddy Books and I like a lot of their designs.

Great Book!.......2003-04-10

My 7 month old loves this book. It's much bigger than his other board books & he has a great time turning the pages. He loves looking at the photos of things. I'm sure when he gets older he'll like finding the things the "clue" at the bottom of the page has you look for. Has very nice pictures & a good variety. And it's definetly a good deal for the price, especially compared to a lot of the other board books I've bought.

Average customer rating:

Great book for adults and teens
syp
Trenton's Review
An American Living in South Korea
Is This Really How Life Was?

When My Name Was Keoko
Linda Sue Park
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440419441
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Amazon.com

Inspired by her own family's stories of living in South Korea during the Japanese occupation in the years preceding World War II, Newbery Medal-winning author Linda Sue Park chronicles the compelling story of two siblings, 10-year-old Sun-hee and 13-year-old Tae-yul, and their battle to maintain their identity and dignity during one of Korea's most difficult and turbulent times. In alternating first-person chapters, they relate their family's troubles under the strict fascist regime. The Kim family is stripped of their cultural symbols, only permitted to learn Japanese history and language, and forced to convert their names to Japanese. Sun-hee, now Keoko, struggles to reconcile her Korean home life with her Japanese school and friends, while Tae-yul, now Nobuo, attempts to convert his growing anger into a more positive passion for flight and airplanes. Both are worried for their uncle, whom they discover is printing an underground Korean resistance paper. When Sun-hee inadvertently puts her uncle's life in danger, she sets in motion a chain of events that results in her brother volunteering as a pilot for the Japanese near the end of WWII. While Sun-hee and her parents wait in breathless uncertainty to hear from Tae-yul, the war rushes to a close, leaving Korea's destiny hanging in the balance. This well-researched historical novel is accompanied by a thoughtful author's note that explains what happened to Korea and families like the Kims after WWII and a bibliography to entice interested young readers into learning more about a topic largely unknown to American audiences. (Ages 10 to 14) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Sun-hee and her older brother Tae-yul are proud of their Korean heritage. Yet they live their lives under Japanese occupation. All students must read and write in Japanese and no one can fly the Korean flag. Hardest of all is when the Japanese Emperor forces all Koreans to take Japanese names. Sun-hee and Tae-yul become Keoko and Nobuo. Korea is torn apart by their Japanese invaders during World War II. Everyone must help with war preparations, but it doesn’t mean they are willing to defend Japan. Tae-yul is about to risk his life to help his family, while Sun-hee stays home guarding life-and-death secrets.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for adults and teens.......2007-04-10

This is a beautiful and powerful book that every adolescent girl and boy should read. I especially loved the way Park weaves Keoko's coming-of-age story in a way that honored traditional Korean values. It would have been easy to use the story to disparage those values, an all too common technique these days. But Park resisted that urge and the result is a warm-hearted and endearing story that readers will not soon forget.

syp.......2006-12-04

The book "When My Name Was Keoko" by Linda Sue Park is a really good book because it teaches readers so much about a time in history alot of people don't really know about. The details in this book help in teaching readers about history without really researching. Also, even though the book is about Japanese taking control of Korea, Linda Sue Park managed to write the whole book without once insulting the Japanese. She managed to changed the theme from hate to helping our family and people all around us. This is why I think "When My Name Was Keoko" is a very good book.

Trenton's Review.......2006-10-25

This story took place during four years of WW2. Sun-Hee who was the youngest in the family was a girl so she had very little rights. But she had always wished that would change because she had very good ideas. During this book the japanese were being mean to the Koreans adn they started a rebellion. Sun-Hee's uncle was printer for the resistance newspaper. When the Japanese fouind out they went into hiding. During the war in Korea they didnt learn anything in school they only du gtrenches and made sticks into spears just in case o fa take over.
Tae-Yul didnt like building those things and he was the oldest so he went and helped build an airstrip for the japanese so he could get out of school. Then he signed up for the Army hoping he would get to fly a plane. He got his chance when he voluteered to be a kamikazee bomber. He went to a training camp and was there for 9 weeks and then he was told that he was to go on a mission. He went on a kamikazee mission but never flew the whole mission because of the weather. So his parents thought he was dead but he really wasnt. He finally came home about 2 and a half months after that happened.

An American Living in South Korea.......2006-03-08

This little book has had such a huge impact on me! Living here we Americans can get so confused on why the South Koreans are so "strange" at times. This book will give anyone an insight on how much change has taken place in this country over thousands of years. Read it and understand with an open heart and consider what our country would be like if it happened there. It will teach us to have compassion for this former underdog nation.

Is This Really How Life Was?.......2006-03-08

This book is about the life of two middle-class children who are living in Korea in the years 9140-1945. It tells the story of a girl by the name of Sun-hee which means "girl of brightness" and her older brother by the name of Tae-yul which means "great warmth." Many things happen to all of the members of there family. As the Japanese begin to gain more and more control over Korea the less people are allowed to speak and write Korean. Sun-hee and Tae-yul face many challenges, many they overcome and many they do not.
I really liked this book because you get a taste of what the Korean and Japanese think of us. You also get to learn a lot about Korean and Japanese culture and what life would be like as a child and adult, what struggles they would go through, and much more. I also liked this book because it was very powerful and it made you realize how good our lives are.

By Truck to the North: My Arctic Adventure (Adventure Travel)

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By Truck to the North: My Arctic Adventure (Adventure Travel)
Andy Turnbull , and Debora Pearson
Manufacturer: Annick Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1550375504

Book Description

"A bone-chilling silence filled the truck. We were north of the Arctic Circle on a road made of ice -- not pavement or gravel like a regular road, just a bumpy surface of frozen water. Under the ice flowed dangerous waters, deep enough to drown in -- if the shocking cold didn't kill you first. I glanced out the window and shivered..."

Adventure is just around the corner when you climb aboard an 18-wheeler and join Andy Turnbull on his eye-opening trip to the Arctic. You're along for the ride as he befriends a trucker's dog, views the Northern Lights, gets caught in a whiteout, and explores the ice roads of the Far North. Short sidebars of information that accompany Andy's story reveal what's inside a truck's cab, why camels once carried goods through this part of North America, what kids love about live in the Arctic, and much more. Colourful maps (essential traveler's tools) help you follow Andy's route chapter by chapter!

Me and My Place in Space (Dragonfly Books)

Average customer rating:

Okay, but inaccurate.
Me and My Place in Space
Great resource for home or classroom
Great non-fiction for young Children.
Wonderful for my 1 year old

Me and My Place in Space (Dragonfly Books)
Joan Sweeney
Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0517885905
Release Date: 1999-07-20

Book Description

Where is the earth? Where is the sun? Where are the stars?

Now in a Dragonfly edition, here is an out-of-this world introduction to the universe for children. With earth as a starting point, a young astronaut leads readers on a tour past each planet and on to the stars, answering simple questions about our solar system. In clear language, drawings, and diagrams, space unfolds before a child's eyes. Colorful illustrations, filled with fun and detail, give children a lot to look for on every page and a glossary helps reinforce new words and concepts. A terrific teaching tool, Me and My Place in Space is an easy and enjoyable way to introduce the concept of space to the very youngest astronomers.

Customer Reviews:

Okay, but inaccurate........2007-10-01

I liked "Me on the Map" MUCH better. I ordered the space book because the map book was very useful in explaining the concept of map representation to my four year old. This book simply wasn't as good. It is inaccurate, also, as it includes Pluto as a planet, though it is no longer considered to be one.

Me and My Place in Space.......2007-04-01

This book is great! Excellent teaching tool. Engaging for children.

Great resource for home or classroom.......2007-02-14

I bought this book to introduce a unit on Saturn for my third grade class. When I first scanned the book I thought maybe I'd made a mistake and bought something beneath their level. Not so! I read it aloud to them & they loved it. They all wanted to take it home to read again.

Great non-fiction for young Children........2006-10-16

Great illustrations, and informative non-fiction for preschoolers. I am a big beleiver in improving young children's vocabulary through non-fiction reading. This book series will help keep your youngsters attention while you talk to him/her about the world around us. A couple sentences per page. If you want to read another science series with more reading and more detail, but still great illustrations try the "Let's read and find out science" series including "Why Frogs are Wet" and many others.

Wonderful for my 1 year old.......2005-12-16

My one year old daugher and I read this book at least once a day. She loves the illustrations-like the space suit with pop beads for the oxygen line. It is not too wordy, so she stays engaged, yet provides all the basic information about our solar system and planets. She can now identify the pictures of the moon and the earth by name and knows that earth is where she lives. An animal lover, she also likes that the cat journeys into space. My daughter and I often look at the night sky, and she knows the ASL signs for moon and stars. I think that is why she loves this book so much despite her young age. This is a wonderful introduction to basic astronomy, and has spurred me to order more books on space for us to share.

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