Childrens Days Books

This effervescent story, with its vivid, carefree illustrations and its protaganist's refreshing win-win attitude, is a rousing celebration of individuality and joie de vivre. We love Suki!!

This is a great book for showing the importance of treasured possessions and how they can be shared effectively with others. Suki loves her kimono and wears it to school with pride. The author, Uegaki, does a fine job of showing Suki's spirit and respect for her grandmother. The text is easily understood and the addition of humor lends to the usefulness of the book. It can be used as a catalyst for sharing time and discussions of favorite relatives. The illustrations are done with ink and watercolor and are especially delicate, yet expressive. They portray Suki as a spunky young Japanese girl with a mind of her own but a love of tradition and family.

This charming story is one that every child should read (or have read to them!). Not only does it have an encouraging message and introduce aspects of Japanese culture; it's also VERY beautifully illustrated, and Chieri Uegaki's writing is a pleasure to read. I love the way she phrases things, like when Suki sits close to the taiko drummers and feels "like she'd swallowed a ball of thunder and her whole insides quaked and quivered." Buy this book -- you won't be disappointed.

Suki's Kimono is the heartwarming picture book story by Chieri Uegaki of Suki, a young girl determined to wear her favorite blue cotton kimono to school because it is a cherished gift from her beloved grandmother. Suki's friend warns her that it seems weird, but young Suki is determined to follow her own heart. A delightful tale Suki's Kimono is an exuberant story which is wonderfully enhanced for young readers with the brightly colored illustrations of Stephane Jorisch.

This has been a great family devotion to use with my boys 5 & 7. It guides us in applying scripture to our lives and fighting the temptations we all battle. My boys do struggle with "what do you think about..." type questions, largely due to their young age. It opens up opportunities to talk about all kinds of temptations to sin like being stubborn, or rude, or prideful to mention just a few.

This is a fun and easy way for kids to not only learn and memorize the scriptures, but understand what they really mean and put them to use. My 7 year old, whom I have to fight with to do simple math or other lesson, LOVES doing it every night. I have seen a lot of growth in him. His abilities to deal with the, uh, challenges of an older brother have greatly improved. There is less bickering and nitpicking in the house since we started this. Even for families that don't read the scriptures on a regular basis, this is really a good thing for the youth of today to fall back on when given the pressures that they can come across. The lessons refer to passages in the bible and really put them into an understandable context. There are hands on types of things to help to reinforce the lessons. I would recommend this book to any family that is concerned about the moral strength of their children.

This is the best devotional for boys I have seen! (I have no doubt girls would enjoy it too, I just have no personal experience to share). Lots of fun ways to memorize scripture and apply it to daily life. Not a lot of prep. time on parent's part to use this book.
However, instead of cutting out paper swords for each lesson, I made one cardboard sturdy one for each child. We laminated it with clear contact paper, & the boys had fun decorating the handle with old jewelry etc. Then each week they wrote the verse on a strip of paper & taped it to the "blade". One side always had the verse from last week, with the current verse on the other side. Laminating the "blade" made it last longer & made it easy to remove old verses to add new ones. Highly recommend this book!

A great book that helps kids learn the importance of memorizing scripture (after all, Jesus did!)and how and when they can apply it to their life.

My husband, who is a teacher and home with the kids all summer, has a hiking morning with them once a week, using this book as his guide. Everyone loves it. The kids were 4 and 6 last year when they started and I think this is something they will enjoy for years. I can't believe how many trails are so close by and so interesting in different ways, and I can't imagine how we'd know about them otherwise. No one with kids wants to just set off on a walk and have no idea how far it will go before looping back!

Never hiked with young kids? Doesn't seem fun? Try it. They love looking for the trail blazes, and feeling like they are exploring. Let them lead and explore, and rather than dragging their feet grumping about the walk, they are peaceful and happy. (However, our kids do not consider it a hike unless it is in the woods. Fortunately, this book describes the scenery and terrain.)

I appreciate this book even more since the kids have wanted to hike while we were visiting my parents south of Buffalo. That area offers a lot of interesting parks as well as Zoar Valley and Allegany State Park, but getting information about trails is tough. My biggest complaint about this book is that we got spoiled and we want the same sort of information about every park and trail in the state!

5 minutes after receiving this book I learned something that I have shared with friends as far as New Jersey! Great book, I look forward to hitting some of the trails listed. The only thing I wish this book had that it doesn't is child friendly. I travel with a 3 year old and 10 month old and would love to know just how "child friendly" the terrain is. BUT since that is ever changing I can see how that type of information would be difficult to track and the book does allow sections for notes :)

Bought the book yesterday and did the 8.2 mile hike on the Hojack Trail in Webster where I live. It was easy to find, the history about the trail in the book was interesting and we are looking forward to finding other hikes around our home we didn't know were there! Very user friendly book. After each hike there is a place where you can jot down notes, great for keeping track of hikes you want to repeat.

There is a new edition of this book. It is fully updated & expanded to cover 60 trails. The new edition is ISBN # 0965697479. Type this number in the search field to read about the new edition.

There are only a few books specifically on the Wampanoag Indians suited for pre-K through elementary. While the text it a bit too much for a large group of children in the pre-K range (one on one would be excellent), the photos are great. Please check out Kate Waters other books which are excellent companions to the era: Sarah Morton's Day, Samuel Eaton's Day and the Mayflower.

We are big fans of Kate Waters' books about the Pilgrims (Samuel Eaton's Day, Sarah Morton's Day and On the Mayflower). When we discovered "Tapenum's Day", we were thrilled ! I found the 'point of view' from a young Native American boy to be both fascinating and educational, as did my children. We enjoyed seeing this historically accuate slice of life, written from a balanced perspective. I think this wonderful book rounds out the collection, including the other four, that no study of the Pilgrims should be without.

I am continually amazed at how children's books offer detail and insight into daily life that no stout history book can provide.

Writing the same review for the other two in this trilogy. Excellent all!

Another great book by Kate Waters. This book shows the daily life of a Native American child during the time of the Pilgrims. This book goes great with Sarah Morton's Day and Samuel Eaton's Day. Also, check out On the Mayflower also by Kate Waters.

In fast-paced rhyming text, at the young girls' request, the mother rattles off memories of her six uncles while they wait for their arrival for Thanksgiving dinner. The uncles are described by their looks, actions, and personalities.

A cute story that seems to end too soon. It is nice to see both the girl and her mother happily anticipate the arrival of the six lively relatives. It is refreshing to see family relationships described in a positive manner. The illustrations are colorful and detailed-lots to look at and enjoy.

I've enjoyed reading all of Margaret Willey's young adult novels. Illustrator, Lloyd Bloom,captures the essence of a "rollicking" Thanksgiving. Enough worrying about the size of the turkey and what to wear--let's get back to the basics!

I absolutely ADORE this book! As a K-8 elementary school librarian, I love to share this book with all my classes during the Thanksgiving season. I must admit, I always get a "catch" in my throat at the last page! It reminds me of my "red-headed little brother"! Margaret Willey captures true family attachments - the attachments that last through years and miles. Even though I see recommended ages to Grade 2, my 4th and 5th graders ask me to read this book every year. I highly recommend this book!

A nice change from the usual "What size turkey should I buy?" and "What should I wear?". Don't get me wrong--I'm not against pilgrims, but this is a fresh book to cherish. Whimsical art. Rythmic storyline. A welcome addition to our library and my library at home. Margaret Willey, it's been a long wait for this children's book!

This is book which deserves to be seen AND heard. Everyone remembers the classic game of "telephone," when a simple message whispered from one child to another gets garbled. Such is the inspiration for Laura Ljungkvist. Give a second look to her illustrations. Each twisted telephone cord curves about, making a variety of shapes. And the never-ending line connects every illustration from one page to another. This is a fascinating, fun book for ages 4-8.

Toni has decided to have a potluck party and calls six of her good friends on the phone, to tell them what to bring. Unfortunately, they all live or work in noisy environments and can't quite hear her instructions clearly. Ruth lives near the airport and instead of punch and lemonade brings a pooch and a maid. Vera, the dogwalker can't make out steak for kabob and brings a snake and a snob instead. Fiona was supposed to supply the salad and juice, but she lives by the fire station and brought a sailor and a moose. And so on... Now Toni has even more guests than she knows what to do with, and no food for her party. Her quick thinking and noisy friends solve the problem by calling and ordering pizza, but even the pizza man can't quite hear the order correctly..... Laura Ljungkvist has written a delightful and inventive story that anyone who has ever played the game of telephone will easily identify with. Her humorous text is only outdone by her amazingly creative and innovative illustrations, full of bold colors, geometric shapes and a telephone line that literally connects the entire assemblage from the beginning of the story to the end. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Toni's Topsy Turvy Telephone Day is a winner the entire family will enjoy and is sure to have everyone giggling and laughing every time it's read.

Our daughter (5 years) cannot get enough of this book. She loves for us to read it out loud, and to trace the illustrations with her finger.

The book is about Toni's potluck dinner party. She calls and asks her friends to bring things to her party, but every request is misunderstood and the story grows from there.

The wonderful illustrations consist of a single line. The colors are spectacular.

Laura Ljungkvist's book is a winner with both my daughter and my cat. It is a very clever and engaging story (did she think this up on her own??) but also beautifully illustrated. I like the color development from start to finish. It is a very inventive and beautiful book. Its also very funny.

Laugh-out-loud funny! The kids loved it and the adults had their funny bones tickled as well. Read this one out loud to the whole family, then plan on having tacos for Thanksgiving.

This "Thanksgiving comedy" highlights gratitude of an unusual sort--that of not ending up basted on a Thanksgiving Day platter. Which is important if you happen to be a turkey on "Wishbone Farm."

Turk's parents are proud of their big, strong son. His mother thinks he'll be a dancer. His father is sure he'll be a star athlete. No one listens to Runt when he warns that his brother "is a goner."

While his family is blissfully ignorant of the impending signs around them, Runt, small but smart, devises ways to keep them from the roasting pan.

This sassy wobble-gobble of a story is stuffed with word play, energetic drawings and imagination.

Lisa Wheeler writes some of the most delightful children's books around today. "Turk and Runt" is a gigglefest! What child can't relate to Runt, the younger brother, who just can't seem to measure up to "perfect" Turk. No-one ever listens to Runt and it nearly costs Turk his life. Read this book to your children or just read it for your own pleasure.

This is simply the story of a family of turkeys, not unlike many human families you may know. Mom, Pop, The Golden Boy and of course the Runt. This is an absolutely hilarious Thanksgiving tale. The illustrations are great and the story line will keep you snickering from front to back. This is actually quite a useful book for the class room. After reading the book and finding out how runt saves the day, have the children write you a letter, as a turkey, talking you out of not having him or her for your feast. Out of a class of third and fourth graders, you get some very interesting stories. I enjoyed this one, thought it was funny and well done.

I thoght this book was really good. Joan Lingard wasn't afraid to show you what things are really like. All in all it was EXCELLENT.

By John Pears Cleveden Secondary Glasgow Scotland.(Oban Drive Campus)

I'm still giving this 5 stars, though Across the Barricades was better. It was really good the way they become friends at the end.

What I enjoyed about this book was that it shows no matter how different people they can get along. Kevin and Sadie became friends in the end.

This is a book for young teenagers, set against the backdrop of Northern Ireland just before the outbreak of the Troubles.

The plot is simple: a feisty Catholic boy and a feisty Protestant girl, living in inner-city Belfast neighbourhoods separated only by a main road, lead alternate mischief-making expeditions into each other's territory until things get out of hand and a sacrifice, Romeo and Juliet style, is required to bring the sides back to their senses. The characterization is a bit perfunctory (Kevin is feisty; Sadie, on the other hand, is feisty) but the setting, leading up to the Twelfth, is well drawn. The book was written in 1970 and is unobtrusively matter-of-fact about being poor at the time: no-one has a phone, cars break down all the time, and chip pan fires play a prominent role. The police are not reacted to in an openly sectarian way, as you imagine they would have been if the book had been written only a few years later, but it's noticeable that the Catholic parents are spoiling for a fight with them more than the Protestant parents are. Missing from the book's even-handedness is any strong sense of the real asymmetry of rhetoric that you experience on the ground (Catholics are inferior, Protestants are oppressive): actions on one side are almost exactly mirrored on the other, and when the symmetry is broken it's done against type (the Catholic girl is painstaking, the Protestant girl is careless). The best parts are the set pieces: a trip to the zoo, a trip to the beach, and especially the climactic scene where, without it ever having been explicitly stated, everyone becomes aware that a big fight's coming up.

Enter the wonderful world of Victorian New York! If your child is studying this period of history, there can be no better way to encourage greater exploration of history than with this amazing publication.

This is an opportunity to see the era through the eyes of the Hobarts, a very wealthy family and the Kadinskys, a recently arrived family of immigrants from Poland. The families are fictional, but the history is quite real and well researched. You can experience their era in great detail as the seasons pass and their work and play change accordingly.

You can make the same arts and crafts that the Hobarts and Kadinskys make, including a Victorian folding fan, a decoupage box and some Christmas ornaments. You can also taste the same food that they ate, including bread sticks flavored with cinnamon, rock-candy, and "New York cheesecake!"

This is a learning experience that will change your child's appreciation of history and be cherished forever. Could you ask for anything better?

Great book for homeschoolers. It has lots of crafts for this time period. Nothing too impractical.

This book by David C. King who has written similar books really has provided an entertaining and informative way of educating students about the Victorian era without them getting bored by predictability or turned off by the subject. These books in his series allows us to help students understand life before television, radio, telephones, etc. in another time. This book answers the questions about life in the Victorian era where life was so proper.

This book is another in a series that includes very easy activities for children to do in class. Working with these activities children will be able to discover a different lifestyle than they are used to today. David King has written a book that would be perfect for culminating activites to demonstrate this historical period of time.

This is really a great read. Every child and adult I know who's picked this up can't put it down. Weather Boy is the story of a 10 year old boy who plays an important role in the landing of D-Day. The book is full of adventures (including an exciting parachute jump with his father, who is a paratrooper), humor, poignancy and, of course, history. My grandchildren have learned a lot reading Weather Boy, as have I. I recommend this to all. Enjoy!

History and fun in the same book - what a concept! My kids, and my friends' kids, couldn't put it down. Weather Boy is the story of 10 year old Frankie who is shocked while listening to a weather report on the radio. The U.S. Army finds out and brings his family to England, where Frankie helps predict the weather for the D-Day landing. I loved his adventures - especially the parachute jump with his dad - and the characters. Be sure to share this book!

A wonderful read for kids and adults. The story has everything - great character development, a powerful father-son relationship, humor, adventure, and of course an important historical event. I wish Middle Schools would pick this book up, particularly for those kids who are still struggling to read - the book presents a lively history in a fun, easy-to-read manner that doesn't talk down to anyone. And as this generation of WWII vets sadly dies out, we need to pass this history along. I recommend the book highly to anyone and everyone!

What a find! I was looking for something for my 8-year-old to read when I came across this fantastic novel. The protagonist is a young boy, Frankie Brown, who lives in Cape Cod in 1944 and who magically can predict the weather. Word gets out about Frankie's "gift" and pretty soon General Eisenhower is enlisting his services to help the Allied Forces in WWII. I bought this for my son and we couldn't put it down. Suspenseful (wait to you see what is in "the magic case")! Great characters (like Dr. Proctor, Dr. Stagg, and Cap)! Tremendous climax (Frankie helps to rescue his father who is behind enemy lines)! Funny! Educational (readers learn about Churchill, Normandy, the London Bombings, and Paratroopers)! I would recommend this book to readers of all ages, not just kids. My son always asks me to read it to him and to be honest I think I enjoy it more than he does.