5 comments about The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (Adventure).

1. I got this from another source in MP3CD format and only paid around $15! I had heard of G.A. Henty before, but WOW was this fun to listen to when knitting. In the future I'll buy the book format so I can start a collection. I learned a lot about culture and customs, the story was interesting, and the language was rich. My 6 year old son also listened with interest.



2. The BrandenburgStudies ebook edition is obviously not edited for Kindle. The line breaks after a few letters, often in the middle of words. Too expensive for such poor quality, no wonder there was no sample.



3. If you're looking to provide historically-rich literature for your home, the Henty series is an excellent option. Besides the obvious of reading an enjoyable book based on historical fact, these stories are an easy way to increase the reader's patience and attention span. Additionally, immersing oneself in skillful writing is a simple method of promoting good grammar.
   
   If you're a homeschooling family who intends to school through high school, reading these stories (silently or aloud) is an effortless way to prepare your students for more demanding authors such as Hawthorne or Shakespeare. Even though our children are grown and are attending college, we've opted to keep this series of books because they really are a great read.



4. I have two boys between 5 and 8 years old, and read this aloud to them at bedtime over the course of a month or so. They stayed very engaged and eager to hear what happens next. In fact, it was hard to stop reading sometimes and get them to calm down and go to sleep!
   
   The language was a little "old fashioned" and needed some explaining at times, for kids their age. The very detailed descriptions of Egyptian agriculture, hunting, and embalming, as well as other religious customs, was a bit long and tedious at times, even for me (the reason for taking off one star.) But that is typical of Henty.
   
   I would recommend using this as a good history suplement, that will allow you and your kids to connect the facts of history and remember them better, because they are set in the context of an exciting story. Moses makes a small cameo appearance, but the book is not overtly Christian. It ties the pantheism of the many Egyptian "gods" to the individual attributes of a single monotheistic God, in a remarkable scene between the high priest of Egypt and his son, who must flee Egypt to save his life. The connection is later made to the God of the Hebrews, when a Hebrew slave girl joins the group.
   
   The values and morals of the lead characters are strong and timeless and great for boys particularly, which I believe was Henty's intent in most of the stories he wrote. We are now reading The Treasure of the Incas, which is also rich with culture and history, but the story is a little more exciting, as it involves the search for a secret treasure, something all little boys love.



5. This is one of Henty's more readable books. All my boys enjoyed it. There is enough action to keep them focused and much less battle descripton than is usually in his books. There is also a volume of information about life in this ancient time which is such a fun way of learning history. I think it should be on the 'must read' list of any child's study of ancient Egypt.

5 comments about Four Paws Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats and Dogs.

1. This book is a constantly used handbook for me. I bought this copy to replace the one that I have given away most recently. It is wonderful to be able to help your pet feel better, in addition to what your vet can do, with relatively inexpensive remedies available at the health food store and with accupressure which also helps you bond with your pet. I was even able to get remarkable results from an inexpensive & common TCM patent remedy for my dog who had great difficulty moving her hindquarters after a life-threatening infection. it worked within hours!



2. This is an excellent reference book for both beginners & experts. It is well organized, easy to understand & contains a wealth of information.



3. Although I must say that this is a well-written book, and very useful for those people who don't know much about Traditional Chinese Medicine, the author did not seem to have an in-depth knowledge about TCM.
   
   Filled with little mistakes that can mislead a practitioner, I'd recommend picking up a different text to learn from. (For example, the author refers often to "Kidney Blood," which is NOT a term used in Chinese Medicine.)
   
   Fun to read, but too inaccurate for an alternative medical doctor.



4. Not necessarily the easiest book to follow for the lay person, but this book contains very comprehensive information on treating your whole dog rather than just a specific symptom.



5. If you want to get empowered to understand Traditional Chinese Medicine and help your cat or dog, this book will launch you into orbit with theory, charts, and information you can put to work quickly with acupressure massage, diet and supplements. The diagnosis charts are a great starting point for training yourself to observe your pet's symptoms. The only negative for me is that hypertension and blindness are not in the index.

5 comments about The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat.

1. Hi I'm a Pima Community College student and, I read the book to a friend's daughter for homework. She loved the book because it was a cat doing and solving math. The book had a lot of short stories about Penrose doing math. Some of the topics she didn't get but, that was because, she was not to that level of math in school.



2. This book is a good resource for teachers! It is full of fun, interesting, and relatively simple activities that make abstract mathematical concepts come to life. Math is made less intimidating, because the mystery behind it is revealed by a curious cat with whom children can relate. The book takes mathematical concepts that might otherwise be too complex for children to grasp and simplifies them, making them more "kid friendly." Younger children, who are more likely to enjoy the cat's stories, may not fully appreciate the mathematical content. They will, however, benefit from the books pleasant introduction to mathematical concepts. Similarly, older children, who are more likely to fully appreciate the mathematical content, may not enjoy Penrose as much (or at least they might not admit that they do). However, learning with Penrose will still make the experience less intimidating. The book is clever and a great tool for teaching math, while easing and/or preventing math phobia. I will definitely use this book in my own classroom!



3. This book is a great resource for teachers! It is full of fun, interesting, and easy activities that really help its abstract mathematical concepts come to life. The book takes concepts that might otherwise be hard to grasp in their complexity and simplifies them, making them more "kid friendly." Learning from and with a cat, who is just as curious as they are, also helps make things less intimidating for children who are slightly math phobic. I will definitely be using this book in my own classroom!



4. My son really enjoyed this book for its interesting presentation of math.. he even named a cat puppet after Penrose.



5. This book is so much fun. It has mathematical concepts I had never even heard of. For someone who lost their love of math through public school, I thoroughly enjoy reading the fun ideas presented here. It makes higher math skills available to non-math people without being threatening or overwhelming. I love this book.

5 comments about Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats.

1. This book saved my dogs' life. We struggled with a very serious allergy for years, one day I saw Kymythys' book and decided to go with the raw diet. My dogs' health turned the corner and he has never looked back. He will be 10 this year and I could not be more grateful.
   I have read loads of other books on raw feeding but keep coming back to this one.



2. If you are looking for straight forward, sound information on providing a raw diet for your pet this is a fine resource. The section on nutrients is very good. In it you will learn what food sources provide what nutients and what parts of the bodys health they aide and supportThe 'shopping list' is also a nice spring board for the newbe. There is a ratio guide that addresses serving size to weight balance. The book includes a significant resource guide as well. If you are interested in providing a Raw, natural, BARF type diet for your pet this is the book I would recomend.



3. This book contains good information on how to feed a raw diet based on Billinghurst's barf diet. I think it would be helpful for people considering switching to a raw diet, as well as beginners.
   
   My problem with this book is that the author annoyed me. The first quarter of the book is about how wonderful she is. The last quarter of the book is full of amazing anecdotes about animals on her diet. I don't have the patience for either. It you like anecdotes about how wonderful the author and her diet are, you will probably like this book much better than I did.
   
   While I agree with most of the things the author says about nutrition and dog food companies, she doesn't back up anything she says. If I was starting out as a new raw-feeder, I'm not sure I would find this book very convincing. I definitely wouldn't recommend this book as your only resource.
   
   For beginners, I would recommend "Raw Dog Food" by Carina Beth MacDonald. For people who want to understand the nutritional principles behind a raw or homemade diet, I would recommend "Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets" by Donald Strombeck. They're a better investment of time and money.



4. This book provides a very eye-opening and eventually obvious insight into what a dog or cat's diet should consist of. It alleviates all of those unwarranted fears of feeding the appropriate foods to our four-legged friends. I bought a bunch of copies to give out to people who needed to re-evaluate the way they are feeding their pets.



5. this is a quick easy read and a great place to start for raw diets, after reading I felt confident to start doing this on my own.

5 comments about Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

1. Tennessee Williams was a genius. This play runs the full spectrum of human emotion-desire, frustration, depression, denial, grief, longing,need, inadequacy. Its all laid right out in shocking bursts of deep naked revelation. This is my favorite play of all time.



2. Only Williams could have gotten away with naming his hero "Brick," as names were always his strong suit. He found comfort in names, and a wild exotic beauty, and even in his last faltering years was usually able to pull a final name out of his hat, something perfect. I remember seeing CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF on stage, with Elizabeth Ashley, some time before I read the play, so naturally my experience of the text is colored by Ashley's sizzling interpretation of Maggie the Cat, all hisses and feral screams. She was so strong I can barely remember who played Brick or Big Daddy in that production. I think it was Keir Dullea from DAVID AND LISA. Maybe Big Daddy was the man from the MUNSTERS TV show. What we, the audience, cared about was if Maggie was going to get her wway and triumph over all the mendacity and the "no neck monsters" that were swarming the plantation.
   
   Maggie gets angry, but mostly we value her for her tenderness. Even when she knows her husband has lost his heart over a long-gone teammate, and that he's probably gay, she never gives up the ship. She knows that without her in his corner 100 per cent, he'll give up, drown in his own sorrows. He needs her to kick his ass and bring him back to the land of the awake. She wasn't going to be an enabler, she would always discourage him from drinking from the time he got up in the morning till he passed out at night, his crutches tangled up in his boxer shorts. For Brick, drinking is a way out of his tortured memories of Skipper, the boy he loved in high school and college. Taking a drink is "like a switch, clickin' off in my head. Turns the hot light off and the cool one on and all of a sudden, there's peace." Secretly the family has a plan to ship his butt off to Rainbow Hill, sort of a Betty Ford Clinic without the mercy.
   
   We love Maggie trying to semaphor the truth into his thick skull by screaming, "Skipper is dead but I'm alive! Maggie the Cat is alive!"



3. This play is the usual extreme histrionics that I have come to expect from Tennessee Williams. In this book set on a Southern Plantation we have the obligatory hysterical woman, an alcoholic and a homophobe. After a while one cannot help but get the impression that Mr. William's works all consisted of the same stock, cardboard characters and he only changed the settings and their names.I do give this book 5 stars because I have always liked Elizabeth Taylor who starred in the movie of this play although she is in fact a Real Life Serial Monogamist as the Sociologist would refer to her .



4. I believe Tennesee Williams is the most versatile modern playwright who truly exemplifies the dysfuctionality of family morals. The Glass Menagerie, Streetcar Named Desire, and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof are indeed his masterpieces. I found Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to be my most favorite. The characters were memorable (who can forget Margaret "aka Maggie The Cat," Brick, Big Daddy, and Big Mama?) and the lines truly classic ("What's the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof? Just staying on it, I guess, as long as she can..."). Also, just like Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on A Hot Tin Roof touched upon subjects that were controversial then and just as controversial now (homosexuality, child molestation, prostitution, etc.), which makes Tenesee William's works highly relevent. His plays age well with time. Not to mention that there have also been INCREDIBLE movie adaptations of all of his famous plays. After you read Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, or Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie, watch the movie as well. There is no other modern playwright (except Oscar Wild and Anthony Wilson)whose plays will truly have a place in my heart for years to come.



5. Like the other great American playwright Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams was not afraid of creating controversy through his work. Touching on themes of money, social status, and sexuality, Williams presents the dark side of each character. While it is hard to like any character, it is difficult not to be compelled by them.
   
   Brick Pollitt is the favored son. Failing to recover from the death of his best friend and fight the demons that come with booze, he has no desire to gain the good graces of his dying father and inherit his wealth. His brother Gooper and his wife Mae, that "monster of fertility", are engaged in a competition for the father's favor. But even nearing a sixth child, they can not measure up to Brick. The climax comes as Big Daddy and Brick attempt to reach the resolution that Brick has no desire to attain. Accusations of homosexuality and an inability to let go of his days as an athlete are among the reasons that Big Daddy suggests for Brick's inability to settle down and expand his family. Yet the resolution is not Brick's choice.
   
   The explosion at the end is hardly as stinging as the process of getting to the conclusion. The ultimate question is whether the cat (Margaret) will choose to stay on the hot tin roof or seek refuge. The fast paced drama moves at an unflinching pace that will make readers anticipate the direction of each page. It may be difficult for some readers to disengage from this drama.

5 comments about The Fire Cat (I Can Read Book 1).

1. My daughter (she's six) just finished reading this book herself, out loud to me at bedtime. It took her four or five nights to read the three short chapters.
   
   In the middle of the book, when Pickles the cat has a small triumph, she said "it makes me cry!" and at the end she said "I wish it just kept going". I felt so glad for her to have the experience of what it's like to read a good book - these are the feelings that make one a real book lover for life!
   
   Like another recent reviewer I thought the pictures a little crude but the cats were remarkably cat-like; there was no effort to make them cute or cuddley. Yet, perhaps because of that simplicity, Pickles invokes a strong sense of feeling/identification as the he "grows" into a better cat through the three short chapters.
   
   I think this was the perfect book for my daughter to read at this time. Just challenging enough, a great story and illustrations that work very well with the story. I'm also am glad to find a good children's book that's NOT about a boy (though Pickles IS a "he"); I'm sure all parents with daughters know that the vast majority of kid's books are about boy hero (yes I know there are some excellent exceptions) so a wonderful book that's not about a boy is a great find.



2. Even though it isn't a "funny" book, I find myself utterly amused
   with the pictures. The story is simple and charming.
   The book is a classic in my eyes, and very special to me. I hope it will be for you too.



3. my daughter enjoyed this book when she was small. so much so that it looked very well used now my granddaughter is enjoying the book and it fast becoming her favorite book to read



4. This book was handed down to us from other family members who read it to their kids years ago. We loved it as much as they did and ended up buying a copy to give to our school. Highly recommended.



5. Recently I was reminded of this awesome book, which I loved to have read to me when I was a young child. I'm so excited to share it with my new niece and nephew! Wonderful story line of determination, and emphasis that one can be whatever one chooses to be.

3 comments about My, Oh My--A Butterfly!: All About Butterflies (Cat in the Hat's Lrning Libry).

1. This is a great book for kids -- lots of interesting information presented in a fun way.



2. My 7 year old son loves these books. Especially since he's learning a lot of these subjects in 1st grade. He keeps checking these books out at the library so I know it's a safe bet. I catch my 10 & 9 yr old girls reading them too! My 4 yr old will listen to them occasionally being read aloud. I am excited that there is a fun way for kids to learn about science.



3. I recommend this book and all the others in the series. They are each around 45 pages of fun facts that our grandson, not quite 3 years old, loved. He kept asking for more, and sat through three books in one sitting. He later repeated facts from the books, showing that he was really listening and learning.

5 comments about Skippyjon Jones: Color Crazy (Skippyjon Jones).

1. I have all of the Skippyjon books for my grandchildren and they just love them...even the newest for the very young one I surely hope there are more coming from Judy Schachner.
   
   Thanks from Katie and her grandbabies....



2. Reviewed by Cayden (age 3-1/2), Max (age 18-months) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (3/08)
   
   "Skippyjon Jones: Color Crazy" is a non-conventional 12- page board book designed to teach young children their colors. In Skippyjon Jones' world the sun is blue, a bunny is green and a tree is orange.
   
   This was our first Skippyjon Jones book and at first my children did not know what Skippyjon was.
   
   Cayden: "I like him. Is he a bunny?"
   Mom: "I think he is a cat with big ears."
   Cayden: "Oh yeah, he is!"
   
   Cayden: In response to Skippyjon coloring a big blue sun on the ground: "He's drawing on the carpet??"
   
   Cayden: "Skies aren't pink!"
   Mom: "Sometimes when the sun sets they are."
   
   Mom: "Which picture did you like best?"
   Cayden: "The one where he is coloring on himself because that is funny!"
   
   Parent's comments:
   
   After the second time reading "Skippyjon Jones: Color Crazy," Max went through and was able to name some of the colors. He did not get into the book as much as Cayden did though. Cayden wanted to take the book and go "read" it by himself and Max did not have any interest in it once we were done reading.
   
   I like how the words for the colors were printed in the corresponding color as this helps preschoolers learn how to read. However, whereas a 4-year-old knows what color certain things are, I think this book may be confusing to a younger child when it is telling them that a puddle is purple.



3. My daughter saw this book in a bookstore and asked for it---a rare thing for her, so I bought it. She has adored it every minute since! I would guess I've read it about 500 times, and she has looked at it about a thousand more. I didn't realize when I first got it that there were bigger, fuller books about Skippyjon, and I've since gotten some of them, but this book still rules for her. And I have to admit I've gotten to love it too. Part of it is that it's just fun to say Skippyjon Jones! Another part is the wild pictures---drawn with abandon, and without regard for what color things really are---yellow grass, a purple puddle, etc. The last page, where Skippyjon enjoys the world he has drawn, engages my daughter for a long, long time. I can't say she's really learned colors from this book, but that shouldn't really be the goal of an enjoyable book---you can just read it for fun and to start discussions! It IS hard to tell just what Skippyjon is supposed to be, and that's part of the appeal. Janey calls the Chihuahuas "bunnies" every time, and that's fine with me!
   
   Overall, a book that sneaks into your consciousness and you enjoy the ride!



4. This may seem wierd, but my turtle, jeni, is a huge fan of skippyjon! she has alot of the books and i bought her this one to teach her her colors. i have know idea if it worked but i think she liked it! and my turtle can dance. who dosen't take a dancing turtles advice for books? haha!



5. My 2 year old daughter LOVES Skippyjon Jones... I've bought all the board books for her that are available & am planning to buy the picture books as well. I personally love & enjoy the drawings, they are SO life-like to how a cat acts & looks, right down to the mischievousness in his eyes & his little front teeth. She loves his antics and all the things she can look at, point to, and the words she can try to repeat.
   
   Can't recommend these books enough for toddlers. Don't know about yours, but even though she LOVES for me to read to her, her attention span doesn't hold long w/ very many books. These have consistently been her favorites for a long while now, I'm quite certain she'll enjoy them for a long time to come.
   
   Cheers,
   
   Single Mama of Dexy Girl

4 comments about Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today?: All About Weather (Cat in the Hat's Lrning Libry).

1. I think this is one of the best of the books in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library. In this book, the rhymes are crisp and interesting. Some of the concepts introduced/covered include: meteorologists, weather maps, clouds, evaporation, condensation, snow, rain, thunder, lightning, tornadoes, and climatology. This book covers a lot in the simple and effective Cat in the Hat style.



2. My grandson was very happy with this book. He loves reading books by Dr. Seuss and knows when he comes to Grandma's house a new one will be waiting for him. The book was presented as "used" but it looks brand new! Delivery time was as promised. Only negative comment for all the used books I have purchased thus far is that the postage charged has been far more than the book.



3. This series probably counts as my toddler's first real science books, which is saying a lot for a very young person. This book is a hit, along with the one on butterflies. Recommended.



4. This book is a great way to introduce your kids to some basic weather info and langauge. I would say it is for 3 1/2 and up -- nice rhyming with a famliar character.

5 comments about Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy, Book 1).

1. Warriors are my favorite books. I'm trying to get them all. Thank you for your help in my quest. Midnight is actually one of my favorite Warrior books.



2. All of the Erin Hunter books are great! I just love them and have read them many times over. I am not a reader, I hate to read!!! But give me a Warrior series book and leave me alone for a few days. They are the best. Thanks Erin for opening up a new world for me.



3. How would you feel if you were a cat who has lived in peace in the forest with a clan for many months. But, a prophesy from your warrior cat ancestors is now haunting your dreams, saying that you must save your fellow cats from utter destruction. This is how Brambleclaw, warrior of ThunderClan, must now embark on a journey to find the answer he needs to figure out the prophesy.
   The setting of the story is present day and takes place in the forest, a small town, and the coast. The main characters of the book are Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw, cats of ThunderClan, Stormfur and Feathertail, cats of RiverClan, Crowpaw, young apprentice of WindClan, Tawnypelt, a she-cat of ShadowClan, and Leafpaw, Squirrelpaw's sister.
   The plot of the story is about Brambleclaw, a warrior cat of ThunderClan who must find the answer to a new and grim prophesy foretold to him by his warrior ancestors in his dreams. He later finds out that he must now journey to the coastline to seek the answer he needs to save his clan and all the other clans of the forest. He is accompanied by cats from the other clans, for they have had the same dreams as him. Now six cats must journey to the coastline so that they can "listen to what midnight tells them" before all four clans of the forest are destroyed by an unpredicted threat.
   The theme of the book is about how important teamwork can be. Unfortunately I don't know what the title of the book stands for. The pacing of this book is really fast and the authors craft is excellent because the author leaves cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, encouraging you to keep reading. I don't think this book is in a Christian perspective because when cat die they don't go to heaven, they go to StarClan. I have no negative opinions of this book. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and fantasy books.



4. WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH ERIN HUNTER? Why did she switch the viewpoints like that? All Bramblepaw is is a even better Firestar without all his errors... He is just a goody goody freak. Why change viewpoints when you have already made your audience love the character you gave them in the first book. In this book Firestar is a dumb, old cat who is just mean. She also pretty much takes out all the other good characters like Graystripe, Dustpelt, Sandstorm, Ravenpaw, Barley, and lots of others.



5. This book really captures my imagination, says Taima, age 8 1/2. I think it would be good for kids from advanced 7 to kind of below 9 years old. Anyway, I really think you should buy this book for a present or just to read. Even older people could read it and I'm sure that it would be good for them too.