Birthdays Books

If you have a question about whether or not you need to great all the Max and Ruby books, don't hesitate to snap them up. These are the ones for buying, go get those other books at the library. This one is counting themed but not in any lame way. Max still wins and Ruby kind of does too and Grandma is still happy with everything.

That's what you need to know. Go buy now.

I have four young children. We love all the Max and Ruby books but this is one of favorites. Max's determination to invite his "friends" to Grandma's party is hilarious.

These are such cute books! They reinforce in a simple form the relationship of siblings. My daughter loves these two characters with sassy personalities. I reccomend the board books for the little ones.

Max and Ruby are my new favorite book characters in books for younger children. My kindergarten students love the short text, colorful illustrations, and of course, mischievous little Max. After reading the Easter book "Max's Chocolate Chicken" all Fall and Winter, I'm finally getting them some more Max books!

In "Bunny Party", Max's older sister Ruby, throws a party for their Grandma. Ruby's guest list includes her "Rapunzel", "Mr. and Mrs. Quack" and the "Tooth Fairy", but leaves no room for Max's favorite toys. Sneaky Max finds his own way to crash the party with his "Jellyball Shooter Spider" and several other guests.

I love Ruby because she is such a girl in the toys that she owns and in the type of party that she plans for Grandma. I love Max because he is such a boy in the toys that he owns and in the way he wants to be included in his older sister's party plans. And I love Rosemary Wells for creating characters that children will want to see to over and over again in stories that adults can also appreciate and enjoy.

I am rating this a 5-star book from the kids point of view. Kids just love the story, memorizing the names of all the toys that attend the bunny party, etc... My kids (a 4 year old boy and a 1.5 year old girl) drag out stuffed toys and a teaset at least three times a week to have a bunny party of their own.

If you buy this book, you will have to read it a gazillion times. From the parent's viewpoint, it's not the greatest book that you'll ever read a gazillion times to your kids, but it's way better than one of the books that you dread when they say, "Can we read it again tonight?" And hey, it's not our opinion that counts anyway, right?

When Flan Floods old friend, Liv, from elementary school comes to visit, she wants to show Liv how exciting and fun she is. Or how fun she is trying to be. When Flan attends Liesel Rieds sweet sixteen birthday party, she meets celebrity Sarah Beth Benny and they decide to have their own sweet sixteen for Flan, even though she's only turning 14. Girls We Love is a wonderful book and J. Minter does an excellent job of revealing the drama in a teenagers life, from boys to just being popular. For example, Flan just broke up with her boyfriend, Jonathan. She wants to get back together with him, but now she thinks he likes Liv, but Liv actually likes Flans brother Patch. This is a fiction book and is suited for young teens. Girls We Love is the first book in the Insiders Girls series, and even though I have not gotten a chance to read the other books, I plan to. I know tons of people will love this book just like I did.

When Flan Floods old friend, Liv, from elementary school comes to visit, she wants to show Liv how exciting and fun she is. Or how fun she is trying to be. When Flan attends Liesel Rieds sweet sixteen birthday party, she meets celebrity Sarah Beth Benny and they decide to have their own sweet sixteen for Flan, even though she's only turning 14. Girls We Love is a wonderful book and J. Minter does an excellent job of revealing the drama in a teenagers life, from boys to just being popular. For example, Flan just broke up with her boyfriend, Jonathan. She wants to get back together with him, but now she thinks he likes Liv, but Liv actually likes Flans brother Patch. This is a fiction book and is suited for young teens. Girls We Love is the first book in the Insiders Girls series, and even though I have not gotten a chance to read the other books, I plan to. I know tons of people will love this book just like I did.

When Flan Floods old friend, Liv, from elementary school comes to visit, she wants to show Liv how exciting and fun she is. Or how fun she is trying to be. When Flan attends Liesel Rieds sweet sixteen birthday party, she meets celebrity Sarah Beth Benny and they decide to have their own sweet sixteen for Flan, even though she's only turning 14. Girls We Love is a wonderful book and J. Minter does an excellent job of revealing the drama in a teenagers life, from boys to just being popular. For example, Flan just broke up with her boyfriend, Jonathan. She wants to get back together with him, but now she thinks he likes Liv, but Liv actually likes Flans brother Patch. This is a fiction book and is suited for young teens. Girls We Love is the first book in the Insiders Girls series, and even though I have not gotten a chance to read the other books, I plan to. I know tons of people will love this book just like I did.

Have you ever felt like no matter where you are, drama follows you everywhere you go? Meet Flan Flood. An average New York City girl who just happens to be having a sweet sixteen party when she's turning fourteen. In Girls We Love, J. Minter does an excellent job of pulling all teens into this girl's life. Between the parties, boys, and celebrities you can say it's anything but ordinary. With Flan's best friend from kindergarten Liv coming to visit, and Patch her older brother all caught up in his friends, Flan has no time for the constant worry about what her ex-boyfriend Jonathan is doing. With all that is happening will Flan's party be a success or a total disaster?


This realistic fiction novel is definitely one of my favorites. I can relate to events going on, like all the drama. But also there are things happening in Girls We Love that I love reading about because they interest me. Including the hot parties with celebrities and going shopping with your new movie star best friend. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone. I guarantee you will fall in love with this book just like it did.

Have you ever felt like no matter where you are, drama follows you everywhere you go? Meet Flan Flood. An average New York City girl who just happens to be having a sweet sixteen party when's she's turning fourteen. In Girls We Love, J. Minter does an excellent job of pulling all teens into this girl's life. Between the parties, boys, and celebrities you can say it's anything but ordinary. With Flan's best friend from kindergarten, Liv coming to visit and Patch, her older, brother all caught up in his friends, Flan has no time for the constant worry about what her ex-boyfriend Jonathan is doing. With all that is happening will Flan's party be a success or a total disaster?

This realistic fiction novel is defiantly one of my favorites. I can relate to thing going on, like all the drama. But also there are things happening in Girls We Love that I love reading about because they interest me. Including the hot parties with celebrities and going shopping with your new movie star best friend. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone. I garntee you will fall in love with this book just like it did.

I fell upon this book in my university library on a cold, miserable, lonely afternoon. I sat under a maple tree and reading it suddenly I am uplifted, inspired renewed and in love with the verse of Corso, so much so that I had to not only own it but write essays about it, I am, like so many others saddened and grieving that he is so understated. "Marriage" is particularly delectable, though my favourites would have to be "Hair" and "Park". Corso gives what so many poets do not; a joyous and truly wonderous love of words, such that my own writer spirit is awakened. I recommend this book highly to any with a youthful, playful spirit. This is for the artist's heart. Corso has moved me, for you I hope he will do the same.

This was the first Beat book of poetry I ever read, in my teens, and I felt compelled to read more. So I moved on to Ginsberg, and others. There's a poem in this collection that I get a real kick out of and I absolutely love. It's called "Marriage." Very funny and amusing. These poems are really unconventional and highly imaginative in their use of language and free form.

David Rehak
author of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

I recomend this book to everyone.it is funny,intellegent,and thrifting

Perhaps the man who along with Allan Ginsberg altered the way poetry was written and percieved. This is by far his most eclectic collection, featuring the masterful BOMB (perhaps the ultimate epithath for the 20th century) and the brilliant and moving MARRIAGE, POWER, CLOWN and POLICE more of the contents that show what a clever witty deep commentator Corso is. Poems you can mull ove? Definatly! Poems you can analyse? Undoubtable! But here is a collection you can read again and again and enjoy again and again.

Gregory Corso must have been sitting in an empty room, with nothing more to think of than the emotions controlling his mind. In this book of poetry, the reader will gain a new appreciation for his work. The Happy Birthday of Death is one of the most powerful, and intense collections of writing available.

Again, my daughter loved it and of course I'm right there experiencing Amy Hodgepodge along with her. And again, my girl learned something from the book. She learned to talk about her feelings, not hold them in and about a different culture, Japan. What cool little gifts we get inside each Hodgepodge book! My pre-orders are in and we are anxiously awaiting the other releases.

This is such a charming little story, very endearing and close to the heart. I love reading stories where the kindness of the main characters resonate so beautifully. this book is great for kids because it teaches all good things about friendship, loyalty and comraderie. it's good for adults because we need to remember those things too !!! i recommend this book to everyone, all ages shapes and sizes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with the others that this was even better than the first - definitely my favorite. It is smartly written with a surprise ending that kept me guessing until the end. :-) I also like how Amy's culture and ethnic background are woven into the story in creative ways (i.e. birthday party invitations!). While the book is primarily entertaining, there is also an educational component to it as well. Can't wait for the next books to come out!

Believe it or not, I actually liked this one better than the first book, perhaps because the first one had to introduce all the characters. I was amazed that the book was able to hold my attention, as well as my six year old's and wondered how the authors would come up with a solution to the problem,I won't give away the ending!

My grandaughter, who is seven, absolutely loves the Amy HodgePodge books. Amy is a delightful character, a girl who is easy to relate to and love. This particular book has a lot of surprises like what happens when you plan a birthday party with good friends and everything goes not as expected. Just like the first Amy HodgePodge book, the ending is great and a little unusual. Amy and her friends are good kids who have lots of fun together and come up with good solutions for kids' everyday problems and adventures.

I purchase this book to read to my children. I also bought 6 more to give to friends to read to their children. I appreciate a book for children that has an endearing story complimented by beautiful artwork. Nancy Willard wrote a nostalgic tale about a mother and a daughter and a perplexed father. It's Mom's birthday. She doesn't want a fuss "no presents please" but wait, maybe there is something. She remembers something from her childhood, but no, that was too long ago to be able to reproduce. Her daughter goes on a hunt to find that special present from her mother's childhood memory while Dad goes off to the mall. It's a happy story with a delightful ending, sure to please.

I am an elementary school teacher and one of my students - an extremely thoughtful and insightful 7 year-old - gave me an angelfood cake (with this book) for an end-of-the-year gift. She told me to be careful when I eat the cake and to look for the surprise. I was finishing up my room cleaning and had a piece of the cake, but unfortunately, the rest of the cake went bad in the heat. I looked through the rest of the cake to find a thimble. Puzzled, I read the book and cried through the last part of it. For anyone who is wanting to show good wishes, love, luck, modern angels watching over you or just a TERRIBLY wonderful and sentimental gesture towards someone...Read this book, bake an angelfood cake with a thimble in it and give book and cake as a gift. My thimble is in my china cabinet next to my fine crystal and Hummell figurines - it has that much heartfelt value. If you are "angel phobic" or concerned about religious undertones - it really has none. No preaching involved, just simply a FEEL GOOD story.There's no rhyme or reason to the illustrations which are detailed, subtle, yet bright and the storyline is quite cleaver and unpredictable. But it is the meaning woven into the words and storyline that is honest, loving and genuine. One to treasure for generations!

When I was nine, my favorite teacher gave me this book to read. It was incredibly imaginative and it put a smile to my face on even the worst of days. For my mother's birthday, i used the exact recipe and directions for the The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake to bake her the very best birthday surprise ever! Read it today!

What a perfect marriage of words and pictures! This is the story of a girl who wants to give her mother a birthday gift more precious than gold: something that blends love, nostalgia and magic with good cake. She is aided (and abetted) in this venture by her goofy, unwitting uncle, and a trio of the most endearing angels ever illustrated. (Check out how the oldest angel's socks don't match!) The finely drawn pictures are delightfully evocative and reward close inspection. The whole book soars with whimsy, glory, and love. A keepsake.

I was given The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake for my seventh birthday (which was about eight years ago) and it still has a special place on my bookshelf. Every few months, I take it down, read, and find something new in it. The story is sweet, innocent and capivating all at the same time. The intricate pictures are beautiful beyond words; they represent a merging of the real and imaginary. Every one, child or adult, should own this book. It is happiness in paperback.

This is such a great song to sing and the book is a fun accompaniment, as well as the CD.
These types of books are great to bring in the car for some family fun time!

This is such a great book. I've used it with many many preschoolers and children, and the remark I always get is "again, again"...

I bought this book for my nephew and the entire family has enjoyed his singing the pages, he had it memorized in no time and he is only 2 years old!!! I would recommend this book to anyone with young children, not just for their enjoyment but for the entire family.

The younger loves the beautiful pictures and singing along. The older loves looking for all the little details in the pictures. They both love substituting the names of the characters for their own friends' names! Both learned their colors through this book without realizing what they were actually doing. This is one book I don't mind reading over and over.

I remember reading this book back in kindergarten and the first grade. It was the first book I ever learned to read. I loved this book so much that I read it until I had it memorized. It's too bad the original cover is not printed in this edition. I'm going to pass this one down to my cousin, Adam, whose only 4. Hopefully, we can continue the tradition so this will be his first book he ever learns to read.

This is by far the cutest, most creative book I have ever had the pleasure of reading! My own three little monsters choose this book every night for their bed time reading. Not only does the creative story of three monsters making their mother a Birthday Breakfast of worms on toast pull both child and adult in but the artistic layout of the Dickinson's keeps the eyes interested as well. Every page is full of detail and lovingly crafted to keep all of its audience entertained! Cheers to Monster Cake and the all of Dickinson's work!

The recipe for this book works. Stir together three little monsters' love for their mother with some awfully ghastly ingredients (adults will wrinkle their noses while their kids squeal with delight), sprinkle in the stealth needed to surprise the mother monster and add a dash of macabre imagination, and the results is a delightful concoction that will have the kids clamoring for more.

The adorable little monsters on the cover of "Monster Cake" immediately attracted my little girl's attention. She even bypassed her current favorite, Blue's Clues, when she got an eyeful of this one. Uh oh, I think my weird taste in books may be catchy!

The story is a cute one with a sweet message at its heart. Three young siblings (who happen to be the most precocious little monsters) awaken early and decide to bake their mom a birthday cake. Only, since they're monsters, the cake isn't your typical Betty Crocker variety. They mix together all sorts of gross items including green smiling slugs (!) that fascinated my four year old, along with her six year old brother. The monsters make a big mess while having a blast along the way and Mom has a fabulous birthday celebration.

This is a fun book for all but especially for little ones because there is very little text and colorful, bold, funny illustrations that pre-schoolers can relate to. Many pages contain no text at all and my four year old loved making up a "story" for these pages. For the beginning reader the text is easy to pronounce. I recommend this book for those looking for an entertaining family reading experience. It encourages creativity and also a love of storytelling. ~ Laurie Shallah

This is an especially fun book for young cooks-to-be, just hope they don't use the same ingredients! This is a good read over and over, but the illustrations are better.

Rebecca Dickinson's lastest book is a delight! I use Monster Cake in my classroom to stir up the imagination for some Halloween writing and drawing fun. My students love Ms Dickinson's descriptions and illustrations of icky ingredients which they then use to brainstorm, write, and illustrate their own recipes for Monster Cake!

My son has recently began wanting more complicated books when we are reading and I found these while searching on Amazon. I purchased them and am very pleased.

The story line is simple but follows a natural, building progression that some of the other "early readers" lack. The short simple chapters have allowed me to introduce a more advanced format to my son and I feel has really enabled him to progress to more complicated story concepts.

I am looking forward to picking up the rest of the series and would definately recommend it to others.

This is one of a series of Mr. Putter books. I am a teacher and my first through third graders love this old man and his cat. I find that Mr. Putter and his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry with her dog, Zeke, help children to appreciate older people and to understand what aging involves.

I loved these books about Mr. Putter and is cat. They were the books i learned to read from. I always asked for the new ones that came out and read them all the time.

Mr. Putter decides he wants to celebrate his birthday in spite of being "too old" to do so. The humor comes to you through the story and the drawings.

Mr. Putter really wants to have a party for his birthday but he thinks that he is too old. He waits and waits for his friend from next door to come over with a surprise! When she arrives he finds that his birthday wish has come true. She brought cake, balloons and a gift! Happy Birthday Mr. Putter!

The cartoon- like illustrations in the book are really funny. Tabby is a cute kitty that always has a cute expression on her face.

This is a great book for early readers. There are pictures on every page and only a few sentences to each page as well.

This book was great--my coworkers took it when it was delivered to my office and wouldn't give it back for 3 days. It is fun and easy to use, and everyone says it is super accurate. Enjoy!!!

I have been an astrologer for 30 years and have seen quite a few astrology books that deal with all aspects of personality. I have never seen any "birthdate" book work so well. I have used it extensively and only once did it fail to describe the person. However, in that case, the individual would have loved to be exactly what the description said they were, but an impoverished childhood stood in the way. When we first meet people we all wonder what is facade and what is real. We wonder how much we ourselves are projecting on to them. This book is very good at describing the main motivation of any person you meet.

I have read astrology books for years.This one pinpointed my sign. Even my kids and husband.

Looked up my birth date and was blown away by how accurate it was. Was also right on about my boyfriend. My Mother said hers wasn't as accurate but I guess they can't get everyone right.

I'm a bit of a skeptic about horoscope books in general, but this one seemed to grab my attention. It was displayed at a local psychic expo that I went to. I picked it up and checked out my birthday first. For some reason I'm a typical pisces so it was right on the button for me... the real test was my boyfriend who isn't a typical aries at all. Surprisingly it was correct for him too! It was accurate for about half a dozen other relatives and friends I looked up. Even if you don't believe in this sort of thing or it isn't 100% accurate, it is still a really fun book that anyone could enjoy. It even includes gift ideas for the birthday you look up! I'm buying two... one for my mum and one for me!

What a consummate achievement this book is. Written by Sheila Key in a folksy, colloquial style, it imparts great wisdom to those who would like to know how to look at their 50's and beyond as a time of fulfillment and joy. Peggy Spencer also did a great job. I like the "doc in the box" feature - it adds intellectual and thought provoking elements to each of the "ways."

I highly recommend you buy this book and enjoy!

It wasn't so very long ago, when 50 was deemed the beginning of the end. Soon you'd retire and then wait to die. Fortunately, times are changing. Better health care options mean that we are not only living longer but our so called golden years can now be spent doing what we want to do.

50 Ways to Leave Your 40s is essentially about celebrating a new phase of life and making the most of it. Perhaps, this is something we should do at every stage of life. Just take a moment to celebrate and look to the gifts that each age brings. Still, for many, 50 is the start of a whole new way of thinking and being. They've spent there entire lives focused on making money, getting ahead, succeeding in their careers, and taking care of family. Suddenly, all of those things seem to take on a different hue. It becomes more important to take care of oneself and have a little fun. Sometimes, it can be a very difficult transition. 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s provides the reader with 50 ways to celebrate, enjoy, and explore this new existence.

Sheila Key's good nature, warmth, and wonderful humor sparkle on every page, and Peggy Spencer's wise advice balances it perfectly. This book is one of the best gifts you'll ever give any 50-something friend...or yourself.

Have you ever hoped to meet the author of a book you really enjoyed, thinking that you're just bound to enjoy that person? And then, you actually meet that author and think, YUCK?

Well, that's not the case with this book. If you are lucky enough to hang out with Sheila Key sometime and you're like me, you will come away thinking, "geez, not only has she actually LIVED this book, but she is a heck of a lot of fun, too."

I know, because I've known Sheila for 20 years, and even though we haven't seen each other in about 10 years, I've looked forward every New Year's to receiving her cleverly homespun newsletters. Through them, I've watched her beautiful children grow and seen how Sheila's smiling face has somehow retained that youthful look of mischief mixed with excitement--no doubt related to some new and interesting pursuit.

Sheila knows a thing or two about nurturing wonder, mental and physical health, creative stimulation, and a juicy existence. So I for one was thrilled when she told me about her book project. Having been her editor when she wrote for a newspaper, I grew accustomed to Sheila always exceeding my expectations (which are exceedingly high). And, since I was just entering my 50s and really needing such a book, I knew Sheila would not let me down.

I've just started reading, and if I wait until I finish it to write a review, that could take some time. As I figured out after the first chapter, this isn't a book you skim through. It's one you dip into on a regular basis, drink in inspiration, and, thus recharged, go try something new--or remember that long-forgotten thing that brings you joy and lightens your step.

I'll be back when I have more to report. For now, I just wanted to say I love this little book and am looking forward to knowing it better. As I slog through my long work days (finishing a book of my own), it is my reward at the end of one day--and an inspiration for the next.

Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stoppingthe Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHDRollerCoaster.com

Any mid-life reader will find plenty of enjoyable and worthwhile nuggets. You may not agree with all of the advice in this book but there is wide range of topics and they are all delivered with much wit and wisdom. The author plays the role of a good friend who is telling you just what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear. The truth is cushioned with optimism and humor and floats to the surface in bite sized pieces. Instead of telling your best friend that they need to floss, watch less TV, get a prostate exam or unwind with a road trip-- give them this book and let it do the work of telling the truth with pizzazz. By the way, get your own copy because you need the same counsel.