Reviews (99)

Nice story, awful pictures!
What is the criteria for a Caldecott winner? I see nothing in the illustrations of this book to deserve an award. The story is nice, but I don't get it as far as the illustrations are concerned.

Say hello to an absolutely wonderful book!

Good Book
A cute book- beautiful illustrations. People need to chill out with their overly analytical ideas about the Caldecott Medal. Beauty (and art) is in the eye of the beholder. The important thing is that children love it-period. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children's Books/All Ages    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Family - Multigenerational    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Grandparent and child    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Preschool Picture Story Books    10. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    11. Windows    12. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

For the first time in a decade, Willy Wonka, the reclusive and eccentric chocolate maker, is opening his doors to the public--well, five members of the public to be exact. The lucky five who find a Golden Ticket in their Wonka chocolate bars will receive a private tour of the factory, given by Mr. Wonka himself. For young Charlie Bucket, this a dream come true. And, when he finds a dollar bill in the street, he can't help but buy two Wonka's Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delights--even though his impoverished family could certainly use the extra dollar for food. But as Charlie unwraps the second chocolate bar, he sees the glimmer of gold just under the wrapper! The very next day, Charlie, along with his unworthy fellow winners Mike Teavee, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, and Augustus Gloop, steps through the factory gates to discover whether or not the rumors surrounding the Chocolate Factory and its mysterious owner are true. What they find is that the gossip can't compare to the extraordinary truth, and for Charlie, life will never be the same again. Read more

Reviews (413)

SCRUMDIDLEUMPTIOUS!
The mysterious candy maker ''Willy Wonka'' is hiding five golden tickets in his famous ''Wonka Bars''. The children lucky enough to findthese tickets will be taken on a tour (hosted by Mr. Wonka himself) of the enormous Wonka factory. The world is searching frantically for the tickets, and the first person to find one is ''Augustus Gloop'' a greedy German boy is addicted to chocolate. The second ticket finder is ''Veruca Salt'' a spoiled little girl who quite literally gets everything she asks for, no matter how absurd her request is. The person who discovers the third ticket is ''Mike Teave'' an irritable boy addicted to TV. ''Be quiet'' he tells whoever is foolish enough to ask him a question while his show is on ''THIS is the life''. ''Violet Beauragrde'', a dimwitted gum chewing girl finds the fourth ticket, (she had to give up gum-chewing for a while so she could switch to chocolate. And the title character ''Charlie Bucket'' finds the fifth and final golden ticket which was quite a miracle, considering how poor his family was and how little money they had to spend on luxuries such as candy. This motely crew of children are allowed to discover the wonders of Mr. Wonka's factory.
It's about just desserts and not just about desserts
Reading a novel after having seen a cinematic adaptation is always a challenge. One of the deepest joys of reading---relying on one's imagination to create the characters, their voices, the locales, etc.---is preempted and nullified by the choices made by directors, producers, casting agents, and set designers. Thankfully, the best books which have been adapted for the screen are complex and spacious enough that they allow some free play in spite of this imaginative preemption, and such is the case with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. THE CHOCOLATEY BOOK EVER!!!
*FLASHING LIGHTS*
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Subjects:  1. Behavior    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Fiction    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    10. Fantasy    11. Humour & jokes    12. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Multigenerational    13. Science fiction   

Reviews (263)

Wonful
I love that book it was a very instead on the last chapther I cry

Stone Fox
I really liked this book. My favorite part was during the Race when Stone Fox was in last place and he came up right next to Little Willy. I thought the Ending was very sad because Searchlight died.

Stone fox
I loved the stone fox the book it had sad parts and happy parts but the thing i liked the best was the race and how stone fox was a Indian. I also liked how at the end stone fox was nice to little Willy.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Animals - Dogs    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Family - Multigenerational    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Sled dog racing    9. Sports & Recreation - Winter Sports    10. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Dogs   

Reviews (16)

A way to connect
I read When I was young in the mountains, then took it to my father, who read it.Rylant is slightly older than me, but she grew up near where my dad was born and raised.My father said after reading that he'd pretty much grown up the same way.He left the poverty of Appalachia as a teenager via the poor man's college-- the service.I was born and raised in Utah.Books such as When I was young in the Mountains were a way for me to connect with a way of life I knew very little about, and I am very thankful for Rylant's work, especially since Dad died recently.

West Virginia
Growing up in West Virginia myself, I relate to to this book. Although I'm now 20 and currently attending college, I still love to read it. It is something I plan to read to my children.

Memories of the Mountaina
This book showed us what is best about the mountains and the traditions of those living in those mountains.It has been so easy for our society to stereotype Appalachian mountain people as ignorant, backwards hillbillies that it is refreshing to see a depiction that shows mountain people in a different light.The old ways are disappearing.So are the mountains.The Appalachian mountains are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, containing one of the most diverse hardwood forests on earth.Mountain top coal removal, strip mining, and valley fills are destroying these mountains.Soon, the only way we will be able to show our children the beauty and wonder of these mountains will be through books and memories. "When I Was Young in the Mountains" will be a treasure in our house for generations.I encourage everyone to not only read this book, but also to support efforts to stop destructive, non-sustainable coal mining practices so we will be able to show our children and grandchildren more than just beautiful pictures of what once existed! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children's stories, American    4. Children: Kindergarten    5. Family - Multigenerational    6. Fiction    7. Mountain life    8. Early learning / early learning concepts    9. Juvenile Fiction / Lifestyles / Country Life   

Editorial Review

The year is 1963, and self-important Byron Watson is the bane of hisyounger brother Kenny's existence. Constantly in trouble for one thing oranother, from straightening his hair into a "conk" to lighting fires to freezinghis lips to the mirror of the new family car, Byron finally pushes his familytoo far. Before this "official juvenile delinquent" can cut school or stealchange one more time, Momma and Dad finally make good on their threat to sendhim to the deep south to spend the summer with his tiny, strict grandmother.Soon the whole family is packed up, ready to make the drive from Flint,Michigan, straight into one of the most chilling moments in America's history:the burning of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church with four little girlsinside.Read more

Reviews (557)

Ali
The Watsons Go To Birmingham was a story about real life things. In the beginning, Byron and Kenny are outside scraping ice off of the Brown Bomber a.k.a. the Watsons car. Then Kenny hears a noise coming from the other side of the car where Byron is. He doesn't go over there because he thinks Byron will trick him, because a few days before Byron and Buphead (Byron's best friend) played a trick on Kenny and hit him in the face with snowballs. When Kenny goes to the other side finally he sees Byron's lips stuck to the mirror. He then ran in to get the family. Daniel (their dad) started laughing because he had never seen anything like that. Daniel and Wilona (their mom) were trying to think of a way to get Byron's lips off of the mirror. Daniel decided to get water so he could pore it on Byron's lips but it just made it. Wilona tells the family to go inside then. When they were all inside Wilona pulled on Byron's lips until they came off. When Kenny was in school he got picked on by Larry Dunn because he had a lazy eye and he was a good reader. One day a new kid named Rufus came to school at Clark. Rufus started getting picked on more than Kenny because Rufus talked different (he had lived in Arkansas) and Rufus didn't have a lot of clothes. Kenny and Rufus became good friends but one day somebody said something about Rufus and Kenny laughed. Since Kenny laughed at him Rufus stopped hanging out with Kenny. They ended up fixing the problem and became friends again. When winter came, Kenny shared his gloves with Rufus for awhile but then decided to act like he had lost them so his mom gave him his other pair of leather gloves and Rufus got the old pair. Then one day, Kenny's gloves went missing and Larry Dunn had gotten a pair of leather gloves instead of cheap plastic ones. Kenny found out that Larry had stolen his gloves so Byron and Buphead beat Larry up. Kenny then got his gloves back. When Byron kept lighting matches in the house Wilona got mad at him and said if he would do it one more time she would do something to him. Then one day, Kenny saw that Byron went into the bathroom and locked the door so he went and looked through the key hole. He saw Byron in there making Kleenex's into parachutes and then lighting matches and burning the parachutes to where they would fall into the toilet. When Wilona came upstairs she smelled smoke and saw Kenny looking through the keyhole so she got Byron out of there and took him downstairs. Then Joey started crying because Mama had gotten out matches and Vaseline. She knew that Mama was going to burn some part of Byron. Joey then got scared and kept getting in front of Byron so Mama couldn't burn him. When she got Joey away she lit a match but Joey ran over and blew out every match that Mama lit. So Byron never got burned. Since their dad only paid for groceries at one time Byron and Kenny thought they were on welfare but then found out they weren't. A few days later Kenny found Byron in a tree behind the grocery store with a full bag and an empty bag of Swedish cream cookies. When Kenny realized what Byron had done it was too late because he couldn't tell on him since he had eaten some of the cookies. A few days later, Byron came home with his hair straightened and permanent red gunk in his hair. Wilona was in shock because she and Daniel had told Byron not to put that stuff in his hair. Wilona knew he had gotten the stuff from Buphead because he was the only other kid with hair like that. Daniel then shaved all Byron's hair off! A few weeks later the Watsons started packing for Birmingham. They were going to Alabama to see Wilona's family. They decided that Byron would stay with Grandma Sands for the whole summer and maybe the school year. The family drove straight through all the way to Alabama. While they were down south the kids went swimming and Kenny almost got pulled under but Byron saved him. Joey went to Sunday school with some friends she had made. Then there was a loud boom. A bomb had gone off at the church. Joey ended up being safe because she had followed Kenny home. Wilona and Daniel decided not to leave Byron in Alabama. When they went home Kenny decided to give his dinosaurs to Rufus and Cody (Rufus's little brother). The Watsons lived there lives like they had before they went to Birmingham. The bombs going off at church made them rethink about there lives and feel good that they had everyone still in their family. I thought that this book was really a good book and I would reccomend it to anyone.

The greatest book in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The book Watsons go to Birmingham 1963 is the coolest book ever.I don`t know anyone who dosen`t like this book.I love this book,it`s soooo funny,except the true part that was sooo sad.My favorite charactor is Byron he`s very funny.I love the part when Byron got his lips stuck on the window of the brown bomber.And dad was making fun of him.When I get a chance I`ll buy the book becauce it is awesome.

The greatest book in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The book Watsons go to Birmingham 1963 is the coolest book ever.I don`t know anyone who dosen`t like this book.I love this book,it`s soooo funny,except the true part that was sooo sad.My favorite charactor is Byron he`s very funny.I love the part when Byron got his lips stuck on the window of the brown bomber.And dad was making fun of him.When I get a chance I`ll buy the book becauce it is awesome. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afro-Americans    2. Children's 9-12 - Family    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Family - General    6. Family - Multigenerational    7. Family life    8. Fiction    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. People & Places - United States - African-American    11. Prejudices    12. Social Issues - Prejudice & Racism    13. Juvenile Fiction / Ethnic / African American   

Reviews (20)

Definitely In the Top 5 of All Children's Books
Almost everyone else has said it already--this is as good a book as you can read to your kids.Not, contrary to what an isolated review suggested, stilted at all.Just beautifully evocative of a family living complete and joyful lives, with their ties to the land still unbroken.

Touching, beautiful, full of love
I love this book!I bought this book for my son (then 3) when I was expecting my daughter.Admittedly, this is MY favorite book.My son would much rather read something silly than poignant.But this book is GORGEOUS!The illustrations are achingly beautiful.The love in this multigenerational family leaps off the page.There is a home birth, love of the land/ nature/ farming, and sibling love.The boy in the story is taught by his mother, father, grandfather and grandmother about "all the places to love."The story closes with him teaching these things to his new sister.Every once in a while, my son asks me to choose the books I like best for our reading and I always choose this one.Don't get me wrong, he likes it too (he's now 5) he just doesn't usually choose it.You won't regret buying this book!

Passing on the things we love
I am not only a Book junkie, I am a grandma who wants to pass on the Passion. I fell in love with this book not only because I grew up in rural Michigan, on a dairy farm, with my grandparents up the road. But because this book captures the love and family bond that I want to pass to my grandchildren. Mike Wimmer did an exceptional job of bringing this lovely story to life. I Dare youto read this out loud to any child you love .. and not shed a tear! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Country life    5. Family - Multigenerational    6. Family - New Baby    7. Farms    8. Fiction    9. Lifestyles - Farm Life & Ranch Life    10. Juvenile Fiction / Family / New Baby    11. Picture books   

Reviews (18)

Delightful from beginning to end
As a parent, this may very well be my favorite bedtime story.Don't judge the book based on the TV show-- it is much better!Max and Ruby are making birthday cakes for Grandma.Max is making an earthworm cake but Ruby wants to make an angel surprise cake with rasbery fluff frosting.Despite Ruby's increasingly restrictive instructions, Max keeps knocking her ingredients off the table, and Ruby keeps sending him to the store with a shopping list for replacements.Max wants red hot marshmellow squirters to top off his cake, and his attempts to communicate this to the grocer make up the heart of the story.
Bunny Cakes
This is an excellent picture book for young children. The story line is simple and easy for kids to connect with. Many children have siblings and can relate to Max and Ruby. The illustrations are heart warming and draw the reader in. Rosemary Wells repitition of events within the plot make her an excellent storyteller. Bunny Cakes is an endearing story.

Favorite Max and Ruby
My children are Max and Ruby(practically) and this is our favorite. A friend's daughter even demanded a Max cake for her birthday complete with gummy worms. This is a favorite of my 3 &5 year old. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Rabbits    2. Baking    3. Brothers and sisters    4. Celebrations - Birthdays    5. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    6. Children: Preschool    7. Family - Multigenerational    8. Family - Siblings    9. Fiction    10. Humorous Stories    11. Juvenile Fiction    12. Rabbits    13. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Rabbits   

Reviews (218)

Hardship, determination and a strong will enable this young woman to develop into a noble woman
Shabanu enjoys the pleasures of her childhood with her playmate and camel, Gulaband.Shabanu draws alot of strength and encouragement from her Auntie Sharma, a single-parent, when it becomes a matter of survival for the family and the adults begin making decisions of major consequence.
Shabanu: great read for some.
My son is 12 and had to read the book for a 7th grade project on diversity. He loved the book. It truly depends on the child, and his/her reading abilities if it is going to be a great experience or a boring one. I think it is a appropriate book for a middle school reading list.

Jillian's review
Shabanu is the story of a girl named Shabanu and her sister Phulan, who lived in India. Both girls will be promised to marry a man when they are of age whether they like it or not. Shabanu was to marry Murad and Phulan was to marry Hamir, and both were happy. That's the end, right? Wrong! When tragedy strikes, Shabanu is forced to marry a 53 year old man named Rahim-Sahbib, who she does not want to marry. If she refuses to marry him, Nazir Mohammed, Rahim-Sahbib's brother,will make Shabanu and Phulan's lives miserable. Will Shabanu go against her families beliefs and follow her heart, or will she do what she is told? Read it to find out! I liked Shabanu a lot, because it has a great message. Also, I really liked the character of Shabanu, because she was a strong character and I like how she wanted to be herself. I would recommend this book to [...] and up, because of some hard to understand language and inappropriate content. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Cholistan Desert (Pakistan)    4. Family - General    5. Family - Multigenerational    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Pakistan    9. People & Places - Africa    10. People & Places - Asia    11. Sex role    12. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    13. Juvenile Fiction / General    14. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (30)

Has its problems, but still works.
Witi Ihimaera, Whale Rider (Harcourt, 1987)
The film is certainly better
Like most people, I bought the book after watching the film... in fact it took me ages to find the book because here in Spain it was called "the legend of the whales". Anyway, I thought the film was very moving and since when I'm obsessed with a movie I buy also the book, I did.
Excellent coming of age story
This is an excellent coming of age story for a young girl, or boy! Readers will find delightful lore and learn something of New Zealand. The movie wasn't a disappointment, though I'm glad I read the book first.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Family - Multigenerational    4. Fiction    5. Girls & Women    6. Human-animal relationships    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Maori (New Zealand people)    9. People & Places - Australia & Oceania    10. Whales    11. Juvenile Fiction / Ethnic / General   

Reviews (231)

The War With Grandpa
Tammy.You should read this book! We just finished this book.It's amazing!This book is about a boy named Peter Stokes and his grandpa Jack.They get into a fight. In other words Peter calls it psycholgical warfare!You should read this book to find out what happens.

The Funniest War With Grandpa
The book "The War With Grandpa" by Robert Kimmel Smith is a wonderful book for the age level of 9-13.This book is about a boy named Pete that is 11 years old, and his Grandfather was lonely down in Florida because Pete's Grandmother died.
The War with Grandpa
This was a very interesting book.Pete throws a fit about Grandpa having to take his room and this leads to a WAR!Pete and Grandpa square-off against each other.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Family - Multigenerational    5. Family life    6. Fiction    7. Grandfathers    8. Humorous Stories    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Multigenerational   

Reviews (4)

Belle Teal
This story is about a girl named Belle Teal. It's the first day of school. They are having new kids come to the school. The adults don't like it. The new students are colored. Belle teal and her friend Clarice are starting the 5th grade. They are very excited because they get to be in Ms. Casey's class. She gets on the bus. She sees a girl she has never seen before; People call her "Her Royal Highness", HRH for short.She doesn't like Belle teal that much. They get of the bus, She
Bell Teal
Belle's fine life
Excellent Read
This is a wonderful young adult novel by Ms. Martin.Belle Teal is a thought-provoking and beautifully told story of one child's experience with desegregation.Belle is a strong female character who gracefully stands up for herself and her beliefs; a terrific role model for girls (and boys) learning to navigate a larger world in which people don't always agree. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Family - Multigenerational    4. Family life    5. Fiction    6. Friendship    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Martin, Ann M.    9. Race relations    10. Social Issues - Friendship    11. Social Issues - General    12. Social Issues - Prejudice & Racism    13. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Prejudice & Racism   

Reviews (13)

A great book for kids
I recently bought this book for my 7-year-old, and was really impressed by both the story and the beautiful illustrations.I felt it was a good story for my daughter to read as it told how the young girl, her mother and grandmother survived a fire that destroyed their home and built a life for themselves afterward.The reward to being able to buy a comfortable chair after all their hard work and savings drives home the point of how much we have and how little we may sometimes appreciate it.

Making the Best of a Bad Situation
Told in the words of a little girl, this story tells of a family making the best of a bad situation.After a fire totally destroyed everything in their house, the family moves to an apartment.The neighborhood brings many things to fill their new home, but they have no couch and no chair.Grandma is old and can't get comfy in the hard kitchen chairs.Plus momma needs somewhere soft to sit after a hard days work.Find out how they get the money to buy the most wonderful chair of all.

One of the Best!
We have read this book numerous times and always consider it among our top ten books ever read - even though all of my children are now teenagers! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chairs    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Children: Kindergarten    6. Classics    7. Family - Multigenerational    8. Family - Parents    9. Family life    10. Fiction    11. Juvenile Fiction    12. People & Places - United States - African-American    13. Preschool Picture Story Books    14. Saving and investment    15. Saving and thrift    16. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    17. Social Issues - Values    18. Social Situations - Emotions & Feelings    19. Juvenile Fiction / Family / General   

Reviews (6)

Buy this book! It's worthy
This book has touched me very much. I have read it three times and I bought the book. I think this book is a must in every classroom and in every house. It powerful describes how people struggle with the daily paid, not only in the US but in the world and it also teachers about important vales as family values and honesty. A beautiful book for all ages.
An Honest Story about Honesty and Hard Work
Let me begin by saying that I am a big fan of Eve Bunting and admire her for writing about people who otherwise receive little attention in stories."A Day's Work" is worthy of that reputation.It is a story of day laborers from Mexico; moreover, it describes how the whole family pulls together to make ends meet (a theme that Francisco Jimenez beautifully explores in "The Circuit/Cajas de Carton). Though it's a simple story, there are several surprise twists. As with her other stories, Eve Bunting tells this one with her characteristic sensitivity without indulging in, you know, the mushy stuff.This book will enable children and adults alike to take a new look at honesty and, as the title says, a day's work.

Good Book!
This story describes an American lifestyle that most of us will not experience.It avoids criticism of that life and presents a situation in which honest people are trying to survive.The author provides a human face to the characters.Very nice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Family - Multigenerational    4. Fiction    5. Grandfathers    6. Honesty    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Mexican Americans    9. People & Places - United States - Hispanic/Latino    10. Social Issues - Values    11. Work    12. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Multigenerational   

Reviews (22)

Good Book!
This is a good book because the author described it very good. All of her books are great. It's about a girl and her brother who go and try to find their dad and find out who they really are. Naomi starts out thinking she is one way and by the end of the story she thinks differently. This story is about a dysfunctional family being reunited with their dad. If you like this book then try Esperanza Rising by the same author.

Wonderful Cultural Book
What a great upbeat book that still covers the struggles of a child of a divorced family, living in poverty, and being of a mixed race.Great great read with a great ending that wasn't to unbelievable.It left you with a good feeling even though the struggles of the children were very real.Great life lessons as well as cultural lessons in this book.

Becoming Naomi Leon
It was a great read.I enjoyed it throughly.I am telling friends about it.I will read other books by this author, soon. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Brothers and sisters    2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Family - Multigenerational    6. Family problems    7. Fiction    8. Great-grandmothers    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. People & Places - United States - Hispanic/Latino    11. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    12. Social Issues - General    13. Social Situations - General    14. Juvenile Fiction / Family / General   

Reviews (18)

The Keeping Quilt
What a beautiful family story.Our children need to know their heritage and family history and this is a beautiful way to share the events of the past with them.Patricia Polacco is a master at connecting us to our families!

The Keeping Quilt is a great book.
For a long time I searched for information about Russian quilt history. I gave up when I went to St. Petersburg, Russia and could only find new publications on how to make a modern quilt. I was very glad to see in this book the quilt made by a Russian lady. I was glad to find that it was made of fabrics of used garments of loved ones. It affirmed my conviction that women everywhere will make something beautiful of whatever they have. Russia is a very large and cold nation there must be other quilts stories. I would like to hear the stories and see the quilts.

Wonderful book!
I'd give this book six stars if I could!The story is heartwarming.I originally bought it because I'm a quilter who was lucky enough to inherit some family quilts.But I also loved the lovingly-drawn portraits of Ms. Polacco's ancestors.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Emigration and immigration    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Jews    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Quilts    10. Social Issues - Emigration & Immigration    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / Family / Multigenerational   

Reviews (5)

A Moral in a Mystery
This story, simple on the surface, embeds a major moral of loyalty to friends in a gripping morph thriller.

Excellent for teaching spatial relations!
This book is NOT for babies and pre-schoolers!This creative story shows children how to use a puzzle set of math manipulatives called Tangrams to create pictures.It could be used in ANY grade to improve children's comprehension of spatial relations.A pattern for the tangrams is included in the back of the book to make teaching easier.Any child would love to play with these picture puzzles!

Not Up To Par!
This book should be used as firewood not to entertain or educate kids.How did the author get it published. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Preschool    3. Fairies    4. Family - Multigenerational    5. Fiction    6. Foxes    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    8. Storytelling    9. Fairy tales, folk tales, fables, magical tales & traditional stories    10. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Multigenerational   

Editorial Review

Home becomes elusive in this story about immigration and acculturation, pieced together through old pictures and salvaged family tales. Both the narrator and his grandfather long to return to Japan, but when they do, they feel anonymous and confused:"The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other." Allen Say's prose is succinct and controlled, to the effect of surprise when monumental events are scaled down to a few words: "The young woman fell in love, married, and sometime later I was born." The book also has large, formal paintings in delicate, faded colors that portray a cherished and well-preserved family album. The book, for audiences ages 4 to 8, won the 1994 Caldecott Medal. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Great Selection!
The cover illustration is what initially drew me to this book; watching a young man stand on the deck of a steamship while the wind and waves thrash about. The color of the sea beckoned me to turn the pages and find out more about where this man was going and whether or not he would get there.
A Wonderful Story
Allen Say's autobiographical Grandfather's Journey's beautiful illustrations won the Caldecott Medal, but that is only half the reason to recommend this book.This story is about a Japanese man struggling over what his home is--the United States or Japan.
This book is ok.
This book is about a boy's grandfather who goes to America.He likes California the best.He goes back to japan and gets married then he goes back to California and has a daughter.Then he goes back to Japan. The daughter grows up and gets married. Some time later she has a little boy.When the boy grows up he goes to California he gets married and has baby girl. I think kids from 6-8 should read this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Family - Multigenerational    4. Fiction    5. Grandfathers    6. Homesickness    7. Japan    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. People & Places - United States - Asian American    10. Preschool Picture Story Books    11. Say, Allen    12. Voyages and travels    13. Description and travel    14. Japanese Americans    15. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Multigenerational    16. Picture books    17. United States   

Reviews (16)

Thundercake
I Love This Book!I read it to my Toddler daycare class and they were so into this book. It held their attention. Now when they hear thunder they want to make a thundercake.

Thundercake
Patricia Polacco did a wonderful job on this book!The illustrations were very helpful to teach the setting of a story.This was also an educational link to teach along with weather.My students loved this book and comprehended it very well because each student was very interested in the story line.I would suggest to any elementary teacher to integrate this book within their literature or science lesson in some sort of way.

Ariella Saltzman
I love Patricia Polacco's books, especially this one. I enjoyed this book immensely. She writes about herself as a little girl, visiting her grandmother in Michigan. As a little girl, Polacco was terrified of thunderstorms. In this book, she recalls her times with her grandmother, Babushka. Through her detailed description of her time spent with her Babushka, the reader feels as if he/she is walking along side Polacco as a little girl and her grandmother, right before a storm. The reader is cheering Polacco on, as her grandmother helps her get over her fears of the storm.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Kindergarten    3. Family - Multigenerational    4. Fear    5. Fiction    6. Grandmothers    7. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    8. Thunderstorms    9. Juvenile Fiction / Family / General   

Editorial Review

Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother has disappeared.While tracing her steps on a car trip from Ohio to Idaho with her grandparents, Salamanca tells a story to pass the time about a friend named Phoebe Winterbottom whose mother vanished and who received secret messages after her disappearance. One of them read, "Don't judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins."Despite her father's warning that she is "fishing in the air," Salamanca hopes to bring her home. By drawing strength from her Native American ancestry, she is able to face the truth about her mother. Walk Two MoonsRead more

Reviews (677)

A 1-day read!
I was at my usual trip to the library, shuffling through the books, and this book caught my eye. I picked it up, and read the inside, which honestly, I think was lamely put. Well, I took the book home and started to read it. By the third chapter, I was hooked. It was interesting, and what really was neat to me, was how it sounded like an actual 13 year old was telling the story!
A waste of time
I read this book for school a while ago, and from the moment I started I knew that it was going to be a long, long, long read. The characters in the book were a bunch of annoying brats that seemed far too full of themselves to actually exist. The plot was also terriable for the fact that it was almost as if there wasn't one. A girl goes looking for her mother (which the outcome is clearly easy to spot since the book puts too much of it's time on the buildup of"Whats going to happen?")
Simply put: Beautiful.
This book is truly one the best that I have ever had the privilege to read. It flows from one chapter tot he next, never skipping a beat, with vibrant characters that I can certainly identify with: the irritating friend, the homey grandparents, etc.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Classics    6. Death    7. Family - Multigenerational    8. Family life    9. Fiction    10. Grandparents    11. Juvenile Fiction    12. Social Issues - Adolescence    13. Social Issues - Death & Dying    14. Social Situations - Adolescence    15. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Editorial Review

Ever since David Yaffe was acquitted of murder in the accidental deathof his girlfriend, he has felt that "for the rest of my life, over and over, I would have to convince everyone--including me--of my harmlessness." To escape media attention and the prying stares of the curious, he is sent to finish his senior year of high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he lives in the attic apartment of his Aunt Julia and Uncle Vic. They receive him coldly, and his 11-year-old cousin, Lily, is openly hostile. (The apartment previously belonged to their older daughter Kathy, who died an apparent suicide at age 18.) With a haunting series of episodes--including a sporadic humming and a fleeting shadow--David begins to sense Kathy's eerie and powerful presence. Read more

Reviews (47)