false 26 793 777 true 5637788 read 4 true 1359555 currently-reading 12 true 1359554 to-read 97 false 1362974 fiction 97 false 1362969 history 67 false 1362970 non-fiction 57 false 1362990 science 54 false 1362991 and-or 54 false 1362992 fantasy 44 false 1362996 academic 43 false 1362979 medieval 42 false 3742285 arc-review-copy 40 false 1362982 children 38 false 1362973 source 38 false 1362972 primary 38 false 1362997 work 32 false 1362968 american 31 false 1362994 european 25 false 1363003 west 20 false 1362986 ancient 14 false 1362971 north 12 false 1362983 poetry 11 false 1362981 classics 11 false 1362980 penguin 9 false 1362993 humor 8 false 1363000 roman 7 false 1362988 mindfulness 7 false 1362987 historical 6 false 1362978 philosophy 5 false 1362975 literature 4 false 1363094 john 4 false 1363095 gregory 4 false 1363096 bourke 3 false 1362999 classic 3 false 1363099 how-to 3 false 1363009 excellent 3 false 1362998 loeb 2 false 1363117 cahokia 2 false 1362989 us 2 false 1362995 modern 1 false 1363068 war 1 false 1363066 physics 1 false 1363093 msb 1 false 1363067 civil 1 false 1363061 parenting 1 false 1363100 tbr 1 false 1363065 complexity 0 false 1363005 is 0 false 1363004 this 0 false 1363088 reader 0 false 1363087 easy 0 false 1363006 ours- http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76567470 to: Luke On The Loose (Hardcover) by Harry Bliss
"Luke On the Loose" is a cute illustrated book by Harry Bliss. The story has Luke going on a big adventure as he chases birds in the park. He ends up essentially dashing around town, causing funny chaos as he and the birds interrupt diners and engagements and other events.

The artwork is good and kid-friendly, and the story is one that most people will enjoy --regardless of age -- at least once. My son, who's 7, found it amusing, but he didn't really laugh out loud or anything. My daughter, 9, thought one read-thru was enough.

Talking Points:::
Cute story. Cute art. This book is a good "Library Find".

AR (accelerated reading) = 1.4

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76385101 to: Tinker Bell's Tea Party (Disney Fairies) by Lara Bergen
"Tinker Bell's Tea Party" is a cute book that ought to appeal a wide age range. The story is charming and begins simply enough with Tink making herself a pretty silver teacup. Well, you know how it is with new things, you want to try them out. And so Tink decides to make herself a simple cup of tea, and that's when the ball gets rolling that ends up creating quite a bit of chaos before it settles down to a lovely teaparty.

It's starts out like this -- Willow, the table-setting-talent fairy, tells Tink that it's too close to lunch and she'll have to make the tea herself. Tink flies off for water, where she meets Rani who insists that she needs 'special dew' for a good cup of tea. Well, they set off to find the dew and in the course of events they run across Lily, who insists they they'd be silly to make tea without good honey. And in this way Tink keeps getting 'advice' and picking up friends until at last it's assumed that a major event is underway. The story ends nicely with everyone thanking Tinker Bell for bringing them together.


Additional Considerations::: The artwork in this book is very nice. The backgrounds are top notch, with rich colors and excellent details. And the characters themselves are pleasing. A very nice touch are the little asides that talk about fairy facts. For example one of the first ones says, "The language of snapdragons is easy for garden-talent fairies to learn, since these plants only say two things: 'I am biting something!' and 'I wish I were biting something!'"

Talking Points:::
Very nice artwork and story in this Disney tale. Tinker Bell's Tea Party ought to be pretty well received by young girls from Toddler on up to 7,8, or 9. Very young boys will probably enjoy it as well.

I could not find a reading level for this book. My guess is that the book would be on the 3rd grade level. I should also add that some of the text --the fairy facts-- is in a handwriting font, which might stymie some youngsters, but there's not enough of it to really detract from the value of the book as a practice reader. Besides we can always consider that 'special' reading practice.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10243372 to: Oh What a Slaughter: Massacres in the American West: 1846--1890 (Hardcover) by Larry McMurtry
bookshelves: academic, american, history, west, work
I've read quite a few reviews of "Oh, What a Slaughter" and I have to say that I'm surprised that most reviewers seem to have missed what this book is really about (my humble opinion, of course).

"Oh, What a Slaughter" is not a popular pulp book about the Old West, nor is it your standard military or political history. If it was, McMurtry would have talked more about the famous individuals that were involved in these incidents, and/or he would have written more about how these events changed the course of American history.

But he basically ignores both of those prospectives and we find instead a much different analysis, principally a focus on the intimate circumstances that allowed the massacres to occur.

Oh What A Slaughter is, in other words, a study of Violence. But not the professional violence of organized armies that meet on a field, nor the personal sort of violence that erupts when two people come to blows. But rather the sort of violence that can emerge when small groups are overcome by fear and stress.

McMurtry asks what happens to men that they can get so worked up that they act out of character to what they profess as their standards. How it is that ‘normal’ men can find themselves in a state of mind where murdering unarmed women and little children is acceptable. And where skinning the 'enemy' and wearing their private parts as a hatband or using them a tobacco pouch becomes a symbol of pride.

McMurtry examines these questions and builds a case that connects these violent episodes to what scientists now know about human physiology and psychology.


The most interestingly aspect of this book for me was McMurtry's arguments that related to exaggerated historical records. I'm sure you know what I mean if you are at all acquainted with ancient or medieval sources. There are simply circumstances where otherwise reliable individuals quote figures that are just unbelievable -- be it the numbers of ships launched, or the numbers of opponents met. McMurtry argues that the exaggeration is perfectly understandable if you take into account what modern science knows about human biology and physiology.

If you take the problem of body counts as an example, McMurtry would say that inaccuracies stem from two effects. The first being the actual physical difficulty of counting people who have been thoroughly dismembered. And the second being that adrenaline serves to alter how events are perceived.


To conclude, I'd say that if this type of approach to history interests you at all, that you pick up this little volume. It's a quick read and one that illuminated some aspects of warfare that I hadn't considered before.


Talking Points:::
Oh, What a Slaughter is an astute study of fear and violence and how these two emotions work to affect the perception of historical events. It's a thought provoking book that focuses on the psychological, physiological, and cultural elements that make massacres possible.

The book is a quick read and has many interesting old photos.

McMurtry makes quite a few smart observations that are worth applying to other historical contexts. [A point made more or less in the introduction where McMurtry points out similarities between events in the 1800's and more recent events in Rwanda and the United States (9/11/01).:]

It should be noted that while the author outlines the events of different massacres, his focus is not on historical details. Or to put it a bit differently: Students of humanity and war-in-the-abstract will probably find the book of interest. Readers expecting a detailed history will probably go away unfulfilled.

Recommended to students of history.



Here are the Chapter Headings:

The Meat Shop
The Vulnerable Pioneer
The Big Massacres and Some Others
The Moral Taint
Did Kit Regret?
Counts
Images, Heroes, Stars
The Sacrament River Massacre, Spring 1846
The Mountain Meadows Massacre, September 11, 1857
Mountain Meadows (II)
Sand Creek, November 29, 1864
The Marias River Massacre, January 23, 1870
The Camp Grant Massacre, April 30, 1871
The Broken Hoop: 1871-1890
Wounded Knee, December 29, 1890
Wounded Knee (II)
Wounded Knee (III)
The Waning Moon
Bibliographical Note
Index

Pam T!
opinionated person and reviewer at http://www.pageinhistory.com/ ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75990256 to: Johnny Appleseed: My Story (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3) by David L. Harrison
This book is a Level 2 Reader which is defined as being for Grades 1 to 3. And despite being a Practice Reader this book by David Harrison does as fine a job as any book we have read thus far in teaching young children about Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman).

The book begins with Johnny's arrival on a farm. Everyone is excited to see John again and they invite him to dinner. The two children, Will and Beth, want John to tell them one of this stories, and he says 'sure' but not before he helps dad with the wood splitting.

When they do all settle down after dinner, Johnny tells of his own boisterous childhood. How he found relief from the noise of ten siblings! in the woods and how the woods became a second home to him.

The story goes on to describe how he set off from Massachusetts to go west, and how he fell into apple planting by accident when a cider mill gave him free apple seeds. The book covers the harsh winters in Pennsylvania and how John planted seeds there and in Indiana and Ohio too.

Five Stars. Very Good read-aloud. The book gives some history and explanation of how and why Johnny ended up traveling the wilderness. In addition, it points out in a fun, non condemning way that many of the stories told about John are more myth than truth.

Text is included below so you can judge reading levels for yourself.

"I sold sprouts to folks
heading west in their wagons.
I sold sprouts to settlers living in log cabins.
One sprout cost
six and a half cents.

"Sometimes I traded sprouts
for clothes or food.
Some folks were too poor
to trade.
I game them sprouts for free.
I knew how it felt
To be poor.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75990213 The Story of Johnny Appleseed (Paperback) by Aliki
Who knew? I picked up "The Story of Johnny Appleseed" at the library on a whim, and my children (boy and girl; 3 and 5) love it.

Normally we just read regular children's' fair (fairytales, Thomas stories) and I wasn't sure how this 'biography' would go over but they simple adore it. My 3 yo even wants to go as Johnny for Halloween.

Perhaps it is the friendly drawings, or perhaps it is Aliki's way with words, but I couldn't be more pleased at being able to introduce some Americana into their lives.

Five Stars. A 'just right' dose of American myth and legend that young children can absorb and appreciate.

Pam T~ ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75990147 From Shoot to Apple (Hardcover) by Geoffrey Trease
This is a nice book for children that uses bright photographs to explain how apples make it from the fields into our homes. It begins by saying "Yum! An Apple!" How does it grow?". And then the author gets down to the nitty gritty of the matter and explains to us that farmers use parts from two apple trees to start a new apple tree. This is when the book discusses "shoots" and we get to see how the grafting is done.

After that, book describes, in simple terms, how a 3-year old tree will flower, and how after the petals fall that the nascent apples are left behind. It quickly shows how apples grow, are picked, and then make their way to markets, where finally they reach us.

Talking Points :::
I have to say that I learned some things from this book. Not so much from the text but from the photos.

To that end, I thought the pictures were well chosen. Including macro and more close up shots when appropriate.

The age range for this book would is fairly wide. Children as young as 4 and perhaps as old as 8 or 9 might get something out of it, even though it it is written at a First Grade level (see AR info below).

The font is large, and there isn't a great deal of text per page. As minimal as it is there is still enough to adequate explain to children what they are seeing.

From Shoot to Apple would be good for the classroom or for homeschoolers. It's a quick read that covers material nicely.

Accelerated Reading Level: 1.7

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75990110 No More Blanket for Lambkin! (Hardcover) by Bernette Ford
No More Blanket for Lambkin! is all about a 'blankie crisis'. In this case Lambkin's little blanket gets washed and is never the same again. It comes out softer and clean, but also smaller and with some holes!

Lambkin is pretty unhappy about this at first, but then Lambkin's friend, Duckie, transforms it into something else and thus saves the day.

Talking Points :::
No More Blanket for Lambkin! is what I call a specialty book. That is, it can be used for a special purpose, in this case, helping very young children to cope with the need to give up their 'lovey'. The soft colors and gentle flow of the story will help sooth, while Lambkin's ability to adapt to change will help 'show the way' and set a good example.

Very sweet artwork that is very appealing.

The text is in VERY large print, although there is too much of it for most beginning readers.

**Above Average** 3.5 Stars

Pam T~
mom and reviewer for BooksForKids-reviews.com ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75990036 to: Big or Little? (Library Binding) by Kathy Stinson
"Big or Little?" is a book that's been around for quite awhile. In fact, it's celebrating it's 25th Anniversary, and on this occasion it's being reprinted, this time with updated artwork by Toni Goffe. [Toni's artwork is gentle and fun and has little features that make me laugh -- like the mom's car is full of the debris one accumulates as you transport kids to and fro.:]

The reason "Big or Little" has stayed in print is because it manages to perfectly capture children's ambiguity about growing up. Yes, they want to be big boys and big girls, but sometimes their desires get ahead of their skills. Thus they feel BIG when they pour their own milk; but small when they spill it.

They also aren't necessarily ready to give up the comforts of 'babyhood'. They can feel BIG and self-assured one moment, like when they are holding the door for someone older, or they can feel small and powerless, like when they are lost in the grocery store. As Dr. Brazelton has said, 'sometimes it's two steps forwards, and one step back'. And this is what Kathy Stinson has caught on the pages of her book.


"Big or Little?" is a delightful book that's a great read aloud. A wonderful book to read while snuggling. I think the both younger and older children will delight in having this read to them. Younger children will see themselves and understand 'the struggle'. Older children will smile to remember how 'it was back in the old days'.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10243762 to: Little Black, a Pony (Hardcover) by Walter Farley
bookshelves: children
Just add me to the pack of people who loved this book as a child, and who are now reading it to their own children.

One of the things I want to add to the accolades is that this makes a good book for children to read. It is particularly satisfying because it has a good story -- something that is sometimes lacking in beginning readers.

As far as level I would say that it is at a first grade level which is to say that the print is still fairly large, but that there are more sentences per page than the very beginning readers are used to.

Big Red got back up on the
bank.
I tried and tried to get there too.
But I could not.
My feet were cold.
My hands were cold.
I was cold all over.
"Help! Help!" I called.
But Big red could not help me.

Five Stars. Classic story with wonderful artwork.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73723818 The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan
As there are umpteen reviews I won't say much except that of the 4 books in the "Percy and the Olympians" series that I've read thus far, this first one is the weakest. "The Lightening Thief" drags a bit, as if it's not confident in where it's going, and isn't as tightly plotted as the following books. But do, DO! read it and the rest of the series if you love a good, intelligent adventure. The book is suitable for any one and is a most satisfying read. The characters are fun, there's frequent laughs and some subtle drama.


"The Lightening Thief" might be slightly flawed, BUT it is better than the 95% of the books I've read in this age range/genre. If you aren't totally enamored of the first book, get the second one and be prepared to be blown away.

HIGHLY recommend.

Pam T~
reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com ]]>