Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book Review

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(More customer reviews)It is now seventy years since my father made Baloo and Bagheera and Kaa seem real and absolutely believable. The magic still works.

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The Jungle Book (1894) is a collection of stories written by Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893-4. The original publications contained illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six years of his childhood there. After about ten years in England, he went back to India and worked there for about six-and-half years. These stories were written when Kipling lived in Vermont.The tales in the book (and also those in The Second Jungle Book which followed in 1895, and which includes five further stories about Mowgli) are fables, using animals in an anthropomorphic manner to give moral lessons. (Wikipedia)

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Donkey-Donkey Review

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(More customer reviews)I had a very old, very worn, very loved copy of this book and just recently replaced it with this hard cover copy. The book is just as a remember it as a child. The art work is done in beautiful, soft watercolors. The story is about a donkey who is sad because he compares his ears to all the other animals ears in the barnyard. He takes advice from each of them on how to improve his appearance, much to his dismay. The story has a happy ending and is wonderful for teaching children to appreciate themselves and others just as they are.

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Donkey-Donkey thinks that he looks ridiculous with long ears that stick straight up, so he consults his friends on the farm. Each animal has its own idea of beautiful ears—all remarkably like their own. Poor Donkey-donkey becomes sadder and sadder as he tries to follow their advice, with hilarious results. Finally, a little girl visiting the farm admires his long ears and, with new self-esteem, Donkey-donkey keeps his beautiful long ears upright from then on. This charming picture book was first published in 1933 with black-and-white illustrations and then in 1940 with beautiful fullcolor pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations. Knopf is proud to reissue a fascimile of the 1940 edition that sold more than one million copies before it became unavailable about 25 years ago.From the Hardcover edition.

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The Perilous Road Review

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(More customer reviews)I read the book The Perilous Road by William O. Steele. If you like exciting books you should read this one. I really don't like to read but this book I really enjoyed reading. The story takes place during the Civil War. Chris Brabson hates the union troops for many reasons. He tries ro get them back for stealing their food through a variety of ways.

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Ruth and the Green Book Review

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(More customer reviews)"Ruth and the Green Book" tells the historically based story of how African American travelers in the USA avoided persecution, prejudice and danger by following advice about recommended service stations, restaurants, and places to stay called "The Negro Motorist Green Book." Written in 1936, the Green Book was sold at Esso stations, which were about the only stations that sold gas to African Americans until 1964. The story tells of a girl named Ruth who is making a trip with her family from Chicago to Alabama to visit her Grandma. Although the story is fictional, the Green Book and Jim Crow laws were not. "Ruth and the Green Book" is a needed addition to modern African American history that will appeal to children ages 7 and up. "Ruth and the Green Book" includes information about the history of the Green Book.


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The Ghost of the Grand Canyon (Real Kids, Real Places) Review

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(More customer reviews)Kids really enjoy all of Carole Marsh's books. Beware of factual inaccuracies, though. They run throughout her book series. In this particular book, the kids get off the plane in Flagstaff, AZ to find the air temp at 110 degrees. Welcome to the desert. The only problem is that Flagstaff is at around 7,000' elevation and even in July (the hottest month) the average high temperature is 81 degrees. In fact the hottest temperature ever recorded in Flagstaff is only 97 degrees. So while these books are fun and at the same time somewhat informative, I have found many instances in Ms. Marsh's books where she does not have all her facts straight.
I contacted Ms. Marsh after some of my 4th grade students read her books and found some mistakes. Here is part of her secretary's response: "The one thing that you might want to remind the students, is that the book is a fiction book" Therefore I would be wary of trusting anything presented as factual in her writing.

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The Lost Princess of Oz (Large Print) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Lost Princess of Oz is one of L. Frank Baum's most imaginative books. It begins with a serious problem, Ozma's disappearance, and with many of the favorite characters. Yet in a parallel story, an early chapter takes us to the Winkie Country and introduces us to some delightful new characters, The Frogman and Cayke the Cookie Cook. We know that Cayke's stolen magic dishpan is somehow related to Ozma's disappearance.
I love the role that Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, plays in this book. We meet some whimsical new villages and the beings who inhabit them. We pay attention to small details that are nonetheless important to those most affected by them, such as Toto's missing growl. Illusions are turned upside down and inside out, making us think. It's a delightful journey, all in all, one that I highly recommend.

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This classic large print title is printed in 16 point Tiresias font as recommended by the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

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Home Is Beyond the Mountains Review

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(More customer reviews)Celia Barker Lottridge's novel, Home is Beyond the Mountains, tells the story of Samira and her family who must leave their village in 1918 because of the war that is happening around them. While on their journey to safety Samira and her mother are separated from the rest of her family, and by the time they reach a home for refugees, only Samira is still alive. She is excited to find her older brother Benjamin who has made it there as well, but who must tell her that their father is no longer living, either. The two children spend several years in an orphanage with many other children who have been affected by the Turks attacking their people. At the orphanage they are taken care of by Susan Shedd, an amazing woman who has the goal of helping these children return to their villages in what will be a long and arduous journey.
While this book is a novel, it felt like a true story to me. Much of it is based on facts, and Lottridge's own aunt, Susan Shedd, is a central character in this novel. Much of this story is based on recollections Lottridge collected from her aunt about this period in time and her role in history.
As the orphans make their way home, organized in small units that work as a family, they are forced to determine where "home" really is and what constitutes a family.
This was an amazing book, full of suspense as I waited and hoped for these children to find happiness and family when they returned home. The struggles Samira and Benjamin went through nearly a hundred years ago are still challenges faced by many countries at war with displaced families and children.
Although I did not know anything about the Turkish invasion of Persia, Lottridge was able to write about this time period in such a way that previous knowledge was not a necessity.
This is a hopeful story, highly recommended for YA readers or history lovers.


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Badhat: A Wild Western Legend Review

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After crows destroy his crop, Badhat, a prairie dog, drifts around the wild west. He stumbles upon a small town called Dagnabit. Badhat scares off a gang of gophers, and he becomes a local hero. The town offers him a job as sheriff, and he takes it.
A young prairie dog calling himself The Kid, starts following Badhat around. The Kid wants to be a deputy.
Just when Badhat starts to adjust to the sheriff life, Rumpus and his gang of gophers come up with a plan to run him out of Dagnabit.
This is a hilarious spoof of the western genre. The author has done a wonderful job creating fun characters that kids will enjoy reading. Badhat: A Wild Western Legend is a fast read, just under 130 pages. It reminded me of some of the cartoons I watched as a kid. Reading Badhat was a pure delight.
I would like to thank the author for sending me this copy to review.


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A lone prairie dog named Badhat drifts through the lonely canyons and red rock mesas of the wild and woolly west. He has set out in search of his purpose in life. At every turn, trouble has a peculiar way of showing up unannounced.Ride along on this wild western adventure novel for kids and young adults, and find out why the life Badhat eventually stumbles across is a whole lot more than he ever bargained for!

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Abraham's Battle: A Novel of Gettysburg Review

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(More customer reviews)Abraham's Battle, by Sara Harrell Banks, is about the Civil War, more specifically, The Battle of Gettysburg. But that is only skin deep, it is a novel about equality, about hate, and about love. The story centers around a white northern girl, Ladybird, and a runaway slave man, Abraham, the best of friends, despite the time in which they are living, which may frown on such friendships. They are perfectly happy together, and enjoy walking with the mule, Charity. But their simple existence is complicated when a soldier for the south arrives at the farm, asking for food. Abraham, despite himself takes a liking to this homesick young man and is almost sorry when they part at the end of the day. Later on, Abraham saves his life. Throughout the entire book, Banks is constantly reinforcing the message that all men are created equally but in such delicate and subtle methods that the flow of the story is never once interrupted. For example: Ladysmith's friendship with Abraham, Abraham saving a man fighting on the opposite side in the war, and Abrahams conversation with the president that shares his name. Abraham's Battle is a flowing and poignant tale that is subtle and yet a still powerful narrative that should be enjoyed for generations to come.

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Tik-Tok of Oz Review

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(More customer reviews)Growing up, reading the Oz books, I found "Tik-Tok of Oz" to be one of my favorites. Rediscovering them now, as an adult, I find it still delights me more than most.
The plot, I must admit, is quite reminiscent of "Ozma of Oz" -- a girl and a mortal animal wash up on the shores of some fairyland, encounter the man Tik-Tok and find themselves trapped in a battle with the king of the Nomes. It has been said,in fact, that the plot of this novel came when Baum converted "Ozma" into a stage play, then converted the stage play back into a novel.
However, the book itself is still quite delightful. We don't meet too many really interesting new characters in this book -- not as many as most Oz books, in fact -- but it no longer follows the tired "someone tries to get to the Emerald City and meets interesting creatures along the way" formula that began in the very first book and crippled several books after "Ozma."
Tititi-Hoochoo and Quox the Dragon stand out as the new characters, and it is the sequences featuring them that I find most entertaining. Kaliko and Ruggedo in the Nome Kingdom again draw a grin from me, and the final few pages have a laugh-out loud moment that must have come when someone pointed out an inconsistency in the Oz books that Baum had to suddenly explain away.
"Tik-Tok of Oz" may not be the best of the Oz books, but it's probably the funniest, and it's certainly one of my favorites.

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Sooner Review

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(More customer reviews)I always read children's literature to decide if and how I will use it in my classroom with my 4th/5th graders. I can see that Sooner will be a valuable addition to our bookshelf right next to Bigger. Patricia Calvert creates believable characters who exhibit real emotions when faced with hardships and difficult changes in their lives.Thirteen-year-old Tyler's mother, brother, and sister are left to survive on their own when the father does not return home after the Civil War. They continue to hope that Black Jack Bohanan will come home until a friend brings them a letter Black Jack wrote just before dying. Tyler had already started taking care of everyone and everything, being the head of the household in his father's absence, so he does not understand when his mother begins to ask for and take advice from a neighboring widower. When his mother decides to marry again, Tyler wrestles with a full range of emotions: sadness, anger, jealousy, and confusion. Patricia Calvert gives children the opportunity to identify with the family's problems presented in the book as they get an insightful look into the post-Civil War past.

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The Legend of Zoey Review

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(More customer reviews)Alternating stories of Zoey, a contemporary girl who is transported back to the world of 1811, where she must save Prudence and Prudence's mother before a major eathquake destroys the area they live in, and Prudence, who is confused by this girl who appears out of nowhere, wears pants, and can't chop wood. Both girls are brought to life by Ms. Moonshower, and both of their worlds shine clearly and accurately. Zoey and Prudence share the need for their families to be closer together, and the resolution of their stories is positive, and may encourage students to ask about their own family history. A wonderful first novel!

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Go Saddle the Sea Review

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(More customer reviews)Aiken is in top form in this (sadly) out-of-print children's novel. Felix, the main character, is engaging without being perfect; the minor characters are drawn with an eye to the amusing improbable detail. As usual, the plot is wild and rapid, but the pace is steady enough to make it all feel satisfyingly real . . . The trilogy (Go Saddle the Sea, Bridle the Wind, In the Teeth of the Gale) shares many stylistic characteristics with her other alternate history series, which begins with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. In some ways these three books are even better, being a little slower and more coherent as a single narrative.Of side interest to Austen fans is Aiken's use of _Lady Susan_, which appears occasionally throughout the story. I won't spoil the details, but the series makes a nice companion read.

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Felix Brooke, the orphaned son of an English soldier and an aristocratic Spanish mother, has been raised in the strict, loveless household of his grandfather in Villaverde, Spain. When Felix gains possession of a letter that contains a clue to the whereabouts of his father's family, he gladly runs away form home to pursue the trail. His journey from Spain to far-off England begins the adventure of a lifetime.

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Josefina Saves the Day: A Summer Story (American Girl) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is another one of the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a ten-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824 (actually January of 1825). In this book, Josefina and her family travel to her grandfather's rancho to await the arrival of the wagon train from the United States. She meets her first American, Patrick O'Toole, a handsome scout for the wagon train. The family wants to trade blankets and mules with the Americans, but is this handsome young man trustworthy?
The final chapter is in an interesting and informative look at outdoor life in New Mexico in 1824. Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations, warm and filled with emotion, add a great deal to the story, and are a welcome addition.
My daughter and I both liked this book. The story has its scary parts, but it also has a nice lesson, and I enjoy the frank look at life then and there. This is another excellent book, a worthwhile addition to your library.

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Album of Horses Review

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(More customer reviews)I still have my original, well-worn, copy from my days as a horse-crazed pre-adolescent. I remember looking at the illustrations for hours, memorizing every detail of each breed pictured. I don't recall ever reading the text however, and now as an adult who is reading it to my horse-crazed six-year-old girl, I know why! While the descriptions of the various breeds are extremely well-written, it is definitely for older children and adults (if it is to be fully understood and appreciated). There is a lot of fascinating history, chronicalling the very beginnings of many of the breeds but the language and vocabulary is sophisticated and rather esoteric in its tone. And while I can appreciate it now, I certainly understand why I was less than enthusiastic about reading the lengthy text as a youngster.
Nevertheless, The Album of Horses is, and will always be, the definitive volume on the breeds of horses with which we are most familiar. It's a classic!

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How did the Morgan horse get its name? What are the differences between a Belgian and a Clydesdale? Why are the Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian, and Godolphin Arabian so important? Find the answers to these and many other intriguing questions in Marguerite Henry's Album of Horses. The award-winning author of the wonderful stories Misty of Chincoteague, King of the Wind, and Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Marguerite Henry describes in vivid detail the hardworking Shire, the elegant Lipizzan, the spirited Mustang, and many more. Never before have facts about horses been more accessible, and with Wesley Dennis's classic illustrations highlighting every page, this unique collection is sure to be treasured by horse lovers of all ages.

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The Great Turkey Walk Review

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(More customer reviews)Have you ever wondered what it would be like to cross the prairies to the Rocky Mountains in a covered wagon? Going west during pioneer days was always a daunting task. Walking a thousand turkeys to Denver is mind blowing! When a 15 year old boy graduates from third grade you certainly don't think he has what it takes to begin a business venture of this sort, but what Simon lacks in book smarts he makes up with heart and honor. Theives, locusts and other adventures wait along the trail. It was so much fun to travel along with this kid who genuinely loves his turkeys. Don't miss out on the adventure.

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Brighty: Of the Grand Canyon (Marguerite Henry Horseshoe Library) Review

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(More customer reviews)My father and grand parents started the Wylie Way camp at the North Rim in 1916. The Summer of 1918 was when Brighty became their water carrier and my father and Brighty made several trips a day to a water source 200ft. below the rim. The camp was about 100yds North West from the current Grand Canyon Lodge and held up to 100 people per night at it's capacity. My Grandmother did all of the accounting and was basically in charge of the people and the kitchen, including the ordering of food, cooking and purchases from Z.C.M.I. It was a pioneering effort, to say the least. Dad's encounters with Brighty have become synonymous with early life at the North Rim. Grandfather wrote an article on Brighty for Sunset Magazine and Marguerite Henry based her book on this article. The book is fiction but has some true things such as Brighty crossing the Bridge first and being independant. I'm not sure if Brighty actually was used by Roosevelt but another Burro was used and his name was Ted. Dad used Ted his first summer at the camp. Ted was stubborn so the following summer Brighty was given them by Uncle Jim Owen who had used Brighty off and on in his cougar hunting adventures. Owen was a resident expert who worked for the government culling the cougar population and raising cattle and buffalo. Thanks. M. Krueger

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