Birthdays Books

This could have been a good book. Really. It has a story that could have been really entertaining.

Unfortunately, the author has a quirky, sometimes ridiculous writing style. As long as he sticks to the golf, we're fine. He does a good job explaining things for the non-golfer without boring people who already know what he's talking about. Still, things get odd when he tries to get clever or funny.

You won't laugh when a golfer suggests that we should have spent money from the space program on teaching people to be like the Amish. If you're like me, you'll reread the section thinking you missed the joke somehow. It won't make sense the second time either.

Likewise, you'll be reaching for your dictionary trying to figure out words like 'aurae' and 'stamen' both misused over and over again throughout the book. To get an idea what I mean, use the Amazon search function to find 'aurae' in this book and check out the bizzaro sentences you get back. You can't even use contextual clues to figure out what word the author meant to use. Sentences with 'stamen' are downright indecipherable. Joe Redden Tigan needs a dictionary.

At one point, without any real connection to the story, the author writes, "Trees are not humid blue but are actually green and bright green." Huh? Get used to it.

This should have been a fun golf book but it is not. Use the couple of hours you'd have spent skimming this novel to work on your short game. You'll be happy you did.

I don't golf but many of the men in my life do...and some are pretty good at it. That aside, I loved this book! Hillarious, touching, colorful and intelligent, it is a thoughtful novel about life...on the golf course and off. This is an author who gets the whole notion of wanting to really amount to something in the grand scheme of things. Buckle up for this one! It's a great ride!

I enjoyed this book! As a Californian who once lived in suburban Chicago, I remember the...often challenging climatic events, shall we say, and how rare it is being on any Chicagoland golf course in the middle of July without having to tread humidity in 90-degree heat. Joe Redden Tigan employs rich humor, skillful character development and energetic dialogue to create an engaging tale that takes place during a round of golf on one of those rare July days. He delivers a powerful message involving true friendship, self-reckoning and civic responsibility that will resonate with golfers and non-golfers alike. A superb first novel from an important new American literary voice.

In reading Waggle, the first challenge the reader has is actually believing that Social Change could be used as a bet on a golf course. But considering the age of these four golfers, and the use of the word "Catharsis" to explain the changes these men are going through, makes the plot not only plausible, but indeed real.

I liked Tigan's use of humour throughout the book. He's really a gifted writer. His setup of the characters and the golf course gives you all you need to paint a perfect picture of the 18 hole game.

Highly recommended reading.

Waggle is a novel written by golf lover Joe Redden Tigan, for fellow golf lovers and suburbanites everywhere. One ordinary day in the summer of 2003, real estate appraiser Conny Bromenn decides to inject some change and meaning into the self-absorbed life he shares with his community. He decides to motivate his Saturday morning golf foursome by replacing their usual wager per hole with certain "pacts" that the loser pledges to adhere to. Hole by hole, the group of 40-year-olds is forced to reexamine their place in the world, and what they need to do. An involving novel about an awakening sense of social responsibility, highly recommended.

I bought this book for my 16 month old grandson......he just loves it and when I ask him to bring me a book to read to him he most often pick this one out of all his book.
Great Choice.

My daughter aged 2, loves this book, she sings along and loves turning the pages and looks forward to the party at the end.

This book was a super choice for my 13 month old grand daughter. When she comes over, she goes for this book and she studies each page as I sing the words to her.

My 13 month old daughter loves this book and likes to listen as I sing along when we read this book. She also likes to poke her fingers through the holes and has a great time. Overall a good book.

Very nice illustrations. Every time my baby reads it she notices some new character and thats very exciting for her. Each page is packed with action.

While the daily quotes are highly amusing at first glance, when I consider the source I don't know how he got there (hanging chads perhaps?) and I can only hope we survive until... and beyond!

This is great calender to commerate the end of the Bush Presidency. Many people know Bush has said and done stupid things but you get direct quotes of pure stupidity. It's hard to believe he actually said some of the things contained in the calender. This product will keep you laughing all the way into the next presidency.

We wonder where they got the fabulous quotations of our inimitable Prez. Very funny calendar. The count down cheers us up too.

This is so funny with a quote from Bush, his aides or actions for each day counting down to his last day as President. At the same time it is frightening - is he really so stupid? How did he get to be president of the most powerful nation in the world!

Bought as a gift for xmas.... Grandma loved it and I think the rest of the family went to get their own! Was a hit!

I bought this book for a friend who has trouble reading and now I can't even sell the used book on EBAY. I thumbed through the book. A very typical storyline with a typical ending written by a typical third rate writer.

I'm not a sports fan, I hate Ernest Hemingway, but Birthday Boy--which I read by happy accident--really moved me. Ogren can write like a piece of fine Chicago cutlery. His characters have heart and depth, his dialogue really sounds like the way they would talk. I saw by the cover that this book is for people who learn to read later in life. But I have to say, Birthday Boy is a little gem that any reader would enjoy--and go away richer.

Birthday Boy is an uplifting coming-of-age story - written intentionally for adult beginning readers. The story of Jackson Oaks Fernandez (the Birthday Boy of the title, who has never had a birthday party, or a lot of other things) is inspiring for any reader, as Jackson overcomes numerous obstacles and finally finds his place in the world. But perhaps he is primarily an exceptional role model for any young man who may be struggling to improve his reading, and who may very well see something of himself in this realistic story of a lonely tough kid who manages, mostly through sheer determination (and a lot of boxing!) to find love and happiness. There should be many more books like this one, and it's a pity it's currently out of print. Perhaps Mr. Ogren will write some more.

Birthday Boy is a statement about change of heart. It is a message of hope for our world troubled youth. Only a misanthropic racist would not like Birthday Boy.

I know this is one of those easy to read books for adults but nonetheless, it is still mighty good! A sweet, heartwarming story of a poor black kid who becomes a boxer and fights his way to a different life. I wish this book wasn't out of print because it's awfully good.

Wonderful story! Perfect for the Curious George Birthday Party! All the guests loved it!

This story follows the same story arch of all the others: Man with the yellow hat leaves George alone (will he never learn?), George inadvertently creates a disaster, and all works out in the end. My four year old loves Curious George and enjoyed a story with a birthday theme.

I recently purchased this book to read at my son's first birthday party....What a cute book.....soft cover....they loved the story!

The Curious George series of books is a wonderful addition to any youngster's library as the stories are brief, beautifully illustrated in vibrant colors, and the plot is simple and easy for young ones to understand. In this book, Curious George gets all excited over a birthday party, and wonders who its for? There are many fun parts as in when George decides to help frost the cake, and what he does with a mess in the kitchen.The activities at the end of the book is an added bonus. A must-have for any Curious George fan!

These were used as favors for my son's 5th birthday party. I added a little sticker inside to thank everyone for coming. It's a great story, a familiar and cuious monkey and it even includes some fun games in the back. Many parents thanked me for encouraging their kids to read and most of all for not giving junk and candy.

Everybody has to start somewhere, and it appears that Nancy Drew got her start as America's favorite spunky girl detective way back in third grade as a smart little eight-year-old!

Nancy and friends are pleased to be invited to their first ever sleepover party, but there seems to be a problem! The invitations and things for the party go missing. Nancy gets a notebook, starts recording all the clues and amazes all her friends by cracking the case of The Slumber Party Secret!

If you've got a little Nancy Drew fan in your circle, don't let her miss out on seeing how her heroine got her start! This is a fun read that will stimulate further interest in reading.

Loved it!

The three of my ten granddaughter's who are old enough to enjoy the "Notebooks" and "Books" about Nancy Drew's adventures, are still, nearly six months after Christmas, loving Nancy Drew. I was an avid fan from 11 to 13, and I can still enjoy the books I saved for almost fifty years! The only drawback, I've noticed is the vocabulary has been "dumbed down" somewhat for today's child whose education in English is simply "poor". I had hoped for the originals and perhaps they are available?--A GREAT tool for an increased vocabulary.

I was not expecting books for younger children when I ordered the two notebooks (1,2) but still its interesting to see how the detective got started. Its also interesting to see that she was "following dad" the whole time. I love the red herrings

Nancy Drew is a eight years old girl and a third grader.
She is invited a birth day's party one of her friends is going to have. But it seems that somebody want to ruin the party. She is asked to solve troubles from the friend because she is good at finding lost things. And she finds that she likes solving problems as she solve this case.

Nancy Drew is a very famous mystery series. They appeared 1929 as a detective story of Nancy Drew who was a high-school student. This series has over 170 books. The Nancy Drew Notebook series appeared 1994 for beginner readers. And this series have 69 books.
This series was made as first chapter books for children. But I think this book is not easy like other first chapter books. Also this book has too many words as a first chapter book.
Even so I had come familiar with the people in the book soon after I began to read. This may be because of the author's skill. Also the books in this series was written by simple and standard English. Recently many children books include many funny or dirty words and phrases.
I couldn't find this kinds of words and phrases in this book. Then I think the books in this series are good references for writing English sentences.

Happy Reading!

Rebecca Ramirez is having a slumber party. Her parents allow her only to invite eight guests. The next day she loses her party invitations and some more very important items for the party. Nancy, her friend, was willing to help her, along with Bess and George too. Some sneaky things go on before the party and during it.
Usually first books are not as good as the rest of a series, but this one seems to be very good. Actually it is the best one I read so far.

Have you ever wonder what your sweet sixteen will be like. Well read along in this amazing novel written by Kate Brian, as she takes us into a whole new different world. In this book, a girl name Tegan Phillips is turning sixteen and she wants to have the best party ever. She is the most stylish and selfish girl in Upper Sheridan, Pennsylvania. She has the most coolest stuff, cutest boyfriend, and the best Dj ever for her party. Her party starts out wonderful until she hears that the wine bar was canceled, making her very angry, but it made her even more angry hearing that her dad canceled it. She runs off, and finds a door with wine cellar written on it, and decides to go in there. In that room, many things happen, things that mad her party the most sweetest sweet sixteen of all. I would recommend this book to anyone, because it shows a lot about a life of a girl that got a little out of hand. It kept my attention a lot, because it starts out with everything before her party, then having a little twist in the middle of her party, and ending with the most wonderful party ever. This book was very interesting to me, because I saw how a girl can change just because of forgetting about her past. It made me realize a lot of things that I have forgotton about my past. Everything that you do now can effect you so much in the future, but you just have to be careful about what you do, make sure your making the right decisions, and to never forget about all the good times you have in your past. Read this book and see what you can learn from it, and always to remember that you should never judge a book by its cover.



~Goa Lor~
-Ms. Bain's Block 3 class-

This book was very funny to read about a spoiled girl getting a visit from a ghost to see her past and future if she doesn't change herself. It was a nice read and I recommend it to teenagers that would love to read a likable book that would give you a great moral.

Teagan's the kind of girl who won't talk to the shampoo girl at the salon and loves to get waiters fired, who will ditch her loyal childhood friend on her birthday to spend a day at the mall with the school's most popular size-two social climbers. She's been given everything and she's never grateful. Feel free to hate her. She's a bitch, and she's only 15.

If you've ever watched MTV's ridiculous (and kind of addictive) TV show My Super Sweet 16, you're familiar with the initial premise of this book. Teagan is turning 16, and she's having a blowout worthy of Paris Hilton: partying at Daddy's country club in a custom-made Vera Wang gown and Jimmy Choo shoes, snacking on filet mignon and gourmet hors d'ouvres passed by waiters in Gucci sunglasses, surrounded by her popular friends and super-hot boyfriend.

The party doesn't go exactly according to plan: in a search for alcohol, Teagan falls down a set of basement stars and hits her head. She is visited by a spirit, a la Christmas Carol or It's a Wonderful Life, and travels to her past, present and future. While this gimmick has been done with every archetype in literature, not since Scrooge himself has a character needed it more.

With the huge success of Gossip Girl, The A-List, and all the clones has come a backlash to the materialism and excess portrayed by that type of book. Enter Sweet 16, the perfect compromise. The GG audience will read for the sex, drugs, and name-dropping; their mothers will love the positive message. Kate Brian is a giant in the teen chick lit market, and she's going to have another hit with Sweet 16.

This book taught me a lot about life. It's about a snobby teenager that wants to have even more than she has. And beleive me she has a lot. Kate Brian is now 1 of my 3 favorite authors and I can't wait until sh writes another book like this one.

Teagen Phillips is a rich teenager that thinks that this will be the best party of the century. But what Teagan finds out is not what she expects! When trying to get wine from a cellar after she found out that her dad cancelled all alcohol from her party, she falls down the stairs and she is dead. When a strange woman in white appears above teagan when she is awoken she gets to look at few things she wasn't expecting. She finds out that her best friend and her boyfriend were secretly making love behind her back,and she is forced to find out what her future holds.When Teagen finds out what her future holds she is given a second chance to change things before she experiances an early death from cosmetic surgery. And her life was coming better by the time she awoken!

Carl is such a clever "dog".... this book makes Carl seem more human than in other stories. The first time i read it, I laughed out loud.

I like the Carl books more than other childrens books, because there aren't many words, which makes the interaction between parent & child so much better.
"What is Carl doing here?" then the child has to look at the pictures and explain what is happening.

We've got all the Carl books! If you're just starting out I'd recommend Carl's Masquerade or Good Dog, Carl. If you have to have all the Carl books (like we did!), then by all means, go for it.

The wordless story is always a hit with my toddler. We can make the story as short or long as she likes.

Be very careful if you intend to direct ship this to a recipient. No one loves Carl more than I, so I was eagerly looking forward to starting a new friend on her collection. My first book arrived and to my shock had page 10 one-third obliterated by a yellow ink swath. I returned the book and quickly received a replacement. WITH THE SAME DEFECT!!!!!!!!!! Frustrating calls to customer service only produced the suggestion that I try again and hope for the best. No one is apparently capable of opening this simple book and checking for the misprint. After notifying the publisher of Amazon's sale of second quality books, I cancelled and ordered from Barnes and Noble. I would be even more upset if this had been sent as a gift. You take your chances with this one. Sheila in NC

This is just the most beautiful children's book. The watercolor pictures are magical. The story is told mostly in these wonderful pictures. You can tell it slightly differently each time, and your child can make up words when old enough. The pictures tell a story that is full of love, humor, and happiness. It just warms my heart. My son and I love it equally. We received it as a gift and plan to buy the rest of the Carl books. What a joy of a book.

I'm a mission to purchase all the Carl books. I think it's a great way to show children how wonderful animals and pets can be. I especially like the board book format. It will allow my baby to enjoy it for a long time.

Crash! Is it the noise a new puppy makes or much, much more? Mayra Calvani's delightful book will keep children guessing about how to pick just the right name for a new pet as he tries to adjust to his new home. A sweet story. If you love Golden Retrievers you will love Crash!

Five-year-old Marcelo receives a puppy on his birthday. It's golden in color and has chocolate-brown eyes. A Golden Retriever! Marcelo wants a puppy more than anything else in the world, so he is quite happy with his new puppy. It's a boy puppy, and Marcelo wants to think up a special name for his special puppy.

Marcelo takes good care of his puppy and keeps him clean, well fed, and well exercised. Naming a puppy is a big undertaking, and Marcelo wants to make sure he picks out the best name. Mom and Dad give many names to Marcelo to consider, but he's not happy with any of them.

You'll just have to read this adorable book to see what the puppy does and what the perfect name is that Marcelo gives to his puppy!

Author Mayra Calvani carefully chose every word in this book. It just flows perfect, and I really enjoyed the care Marcelo put into giving his puppy just the right name. I was astonished that the colorful, kid-friendly perfect illustrations by Anna Pylypchuk are the work of a sixteen-year-old girl! She is a native Ukrainian and I found her very detailed illustrations just as charming as Mayra's text. This is a fun read for your little ones, and the author will be donating 50% of her royalties from this book to ALMOST HEAVEN GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE AND SANCTUARY, a non-profit organization.
Reviewed by: Gayle Jacobson-Huset, Managing Editor

Review by Douglas Quinn, Author of Blue Heron Marsh, etal
and Donna Higgins Colson, Professional Artist

With rights come responsibilities. Conversely, with responsibilities come rights. Crash! is a story that shows a child that if he or she is going to take on the responsibility of a new puppy, then he or she should have the right to name the pet. Fortunately, the parents respect this right and, while offering suggestions, allow the child to feel his way through the naming process on his own. Ultimately, by observing the new puppy, the child comes up with the perfect name that suits his new pal.

The illustrations are delightful. The red and green cover works well with eye-catching primary colors throughout the book. Composition and use of space are skillfully cropped and the space is nicely broken up with diagonals, creating motion with enough details to generate interest. The boy and the dog are well drawn in appropriate proportions for the target audience and support the story line. We were impressed how skillfully the illustrations were done by this young artist.

We enjoyed Crash! and recommend it for the targeted 3 to 6 read-to age range.

This is a sweet tale about a boy and his puppy. Crash! can be used by a parent to introduce and discuss with a child the challenges of raising a puppy before purchasing one. Also a child will discover the importance of finding the right name for your pet.

Anna Pylypchuk is a talented artist. The illustrations are wonderful. They seem very retro to me. They reminded me of illustrations in pictures book from the fifties.

I read this story to my five year old and she liked it. She even got into finding a name for Marcelo's puppy. She suggested Cutie. She enjoyed looking at the pictures and seeing the funny things the puppy did. But sad to say it did not discourage her in wanting a dog. Even though she learned that caring for a puppy is hard work; she stills wants one when we move into a house. When that happens, she just might get one.

A boy.
A dog.
A winning combination.
Mayra Calvani's latest picture book, Crash, is the delightful story of a boy named Marcelo, whose mom and dad give him a golden retriever puppy for his fifth birthday. Marcelo says "this is the happiest day" of his life. The puppy loves Marcelo as much as Marcelo loves the puppy.

Marcelo bathes his puppy, brushes his puppy, and feeds his puppy. They play and go for walks. Marcelo teaches his puppy to obey him. They are best friends. But the puppy needs a name. And not just any name, but the perfect name for this special puppy. Marcelo thinks and thinks. Mom and Dad make suggestions. But none of the names are right. Then one day, when Marcelo and the puppy are playing, Marcelo discovers the name that fits the puppy perfectly.

Oh, no. I'm not saying. You have to read the book to see what it is.

Crash will capture the attention of young puppy lovers who will read the story of Marcelo and his special puppy over and over, or have their parents read it to them. Watch out, Mom and Dad, because your child will be asking for a puppy just like Marcelo's. The accompanying artwork adds to the story with priceless expressions on the characters' faces, setting the mood and tone of the story. Give this book to all your little readers and pick up a copy for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

Author of Listen to the Ghost
Secrets I Have Kept

This book was well worth the $10 I paid for it. It has lots of fun ideas and easy recipes. The only problem is you need a copier machine to make most of the craft ideas. It also doesn't have color photos but it is still nice.

I purchased several party planning books for my son's 4th birthday. This book was by far the best. There are great ideas, recipes, games, projects, treats, you name it, this book has it. It does not have a bunch of dressed up glossy pictures. It does have lots of photo copy pages for invites, games and decorations. The suggestions cover a wide range of ages as well.

I very rarely write reviews, but this book is so great that I felt it deserved it. So many ideas that I never even thought of and step by step ways to incorporate them into the party. I took this out of the library but definitely want to buy it so I always have it on hand. This book also has a lot of fun recipes and games that don't have to wait for a birthday party.Very highly recommended

From the American Library Association Booklist (Denise Donavin) Vangsgard's party plans follow common themes: cowboy, pirate, dinosaur, circus, space, etc. However, these are party plans often called for by younger children, and Vangsgard exhibits much depth of planning and creative detail. She has ideas for making your own stickers and face paint, building game structures, and fashioning cakes in original patterns. For parents not motivated to these depths of do-it-yourselfism, there are plenty of suggestions for adding a personal touch to purchased prizes, cakes and other items. The general planning and scheduling guidelines are excellent as is the advice for gearing the party to the child's age.

From Jeane Voltz (former food editor of Woman's Day) This book has everything you'd want to know about how to throw a children's party, and has projects worked out to the tiniest detail, including how-to-drawings. This is not just for parties. The play-crafts will come in handy for Cub Scout dens, Brownie packs, rainy day entertainment and a host of occasions when the complaint is, 'What can we do now?'