5 comments about The Birthday Box.

1. I purchased this for my 2-year old niece for her birthday. She loves "Yummy Yucky," "Blankie" and "Binkie" books by the same author so this was a perfect birthday present. She calls it the "big Yummy Yucky." Like the previous books, this one is very charming and funny. I definitely recommend it for the younger set!



2. Ms. Patricelli does a wonderful job of capturing the thoughts of toddlers and preschool age children. Her stories are adorable, and the artwork is well done. My daughter loves her books, and I don't mind reading them over and over again. This one is the first of her larger format books, as the rest are board books. I love when he climbs into the box! So cute!



3. I took this book out from the library based on the great pictures and I am so glad I did. My 2-year loves it (and so does my 8-year old)! It is magical in it's simplicity and really captures the sweet imagination and tenderness of early childhood.



4. My 2 year old LOVES all the Leslie Patricelli board books. He has almost all of them. However, I didn't like that this book wasn't a board book. So this means he can't sit and read/look at it by himself. The board books are perfect for little toddlers such as my son. He LOVES to read and be read to. The story is great and so are the illistrations. I just think it should have been a board book like the others. Leslie is a GREAT writer!!



5. This book is so cute. I bought it for my son for his birthday. He likes the book and I read it to him along with all the other Leslie Patricelli books that I have bought. Definitely recommended.

5 comments about Sweet Sixteen Princess (Princess Diaries, Vol. 7 1/2) (Princess Diaries).

1. I won't delve into the plot, since many other reviewers have already done so. Instead, I'll say that Mia is progressively coming into her own, as this installment proves. She may be nervous addressing parents and school officials, but finally she has learned to emphatically lay down the law with her friends, something she certainly had trouble with at the beginning of this series. However, I found it frustrating that the book was over so quickly, especially at full cover price. I highly suggest you purchase a used copy if you don't have lots of money to burn.
   
   SPOILER!
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   .
   .
   I also wonder if this book is setting up a possible future romance between Mia and another guy...



2. This book was great! Meg Cabot really outdid herself. However, I wish it were longer. There is certainly enough plot, but only 96 pages? Really.
   All in all, I would say it is a great book. You would be best getting it at a public library, because for $9, you only get 96 pages[hardcover].



3. I'm not going to go over the plot with you,I'm just here to tell you what I like and dislike. What I like? That's easy. Meg Cabot has once again outdone herself with this novel. Like I said, I'm not going to go over the plot, so you will have to read it or wonder for the rest of your life(okay, exaggeration). Dislikes: Just one. IT IS NINETY-SIX PAGES! I know, I know. Book 4 1/2 was fifty pages. What is the problem here? I'll tell you: This isn't a in-between book. It is supposed to be equivalent to 150 page novels previously written by Meg Cabot. Not to mention the fact that 4 1/2 had pretty much NO plot, whereas this one has a real setting, story, and more than ten characters.
   That is all I have to say. Oh, yeah, one more thing:
   READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



4. This is a very short story about Mia's 16th birthday. It is very cute and filled with lots of moments between Michael and Mia that make you feel warm and fuzzy. Very Cute!!



5. Short novella about Mia's 16th birthday, her grandmere's attempts to film it for MTV, her best friend's craziness, and issues with her boyfriend. Just another day for Mia. Short, sweet, fluff book that reminds me why this series continues to be a guilty pleasure. Grade: B+

1 comments about Mother's Day.

1. I read this book to my class for Mothers Day. We visit Mrs Madoffs class as we have just about every holiday. (I want to be in her class, she is so nice)! The children discuss the different ways that they will celebrate the holiday, making breakfast, snuggling, and various other ways. The children were asked to bring in a button for class. The children used the button to make a tissue paper flower as a gift. The book gives step by step directions. As always Anne deals with the difficulties of the holday with a student who was celebrating with her grandmother as her mother had passed away. The craft is really cute, the children and mothers spent lots of time picking out their button and had little stories about why they chose that button. Mom's didn't know what the button was for and were so surprised that it was to make a flower. Really great!

1 comments about My Weird School #16: Ms. Coco Is Loco! (My Weird School).

1. My sons and I have been reading this series. This has to be one of the best! My oldest read it by himself first and then asked me to read it out loud. I honestly had to stop reading at times because I was laughing so hard.

5 comments about A Box of Treats: Five Little Picture Books about Lilly and Her Friends.

1. I am a big fan of all of Kevin Henkes' children's books. This little book set is bright and colorful and looks good enough to eat!
   
   They are a good introduction to the rest of his stories. Not only are these written with little ones in mind, they are smartly written. I enjoy them as much as my son! Henkes really knows how to capture the innocence and whimsy of children everywhere.



2. This is a great set for anyone teaching the Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Primary Grades!



3. first, these are great little stories. kevin henkes is a fabulous author. my only issue is that i would have liked to have known ahead of time that all the stories were about sugary sweets and the characters hording their sweets in some way. it's turned out to be fine - my daughter still loves the stories. i just would have liked a heads' up.



4. As mentioned in other reviews; this set of books is nicely smallish (5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches), and beautifully drawn, and the 5 stories are lovely. What no one has yet bothered to mention is the answer to "What do you get?" in this smallish, prettily drawn and nicely written set?
   
   You get 5 small, hard cover books in a nice, slick board box;
   Lilly's Chocolate Heart, Owen's Marshmellow Chick, Wemberly's Ice-Cream Star, Julius's Candy Corn and Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick.
   
   Each short story involves a 'treat'; an Easter Marshmellow Chick, some Halloween Candy Corn, a Forth of July ice cream, etc, that barely mention the holiday to which they owe their existance. For example, although Owen does get an "Easter basket", there is no mention of Christmas in Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick and no mention of why a red, white and blue star-shaped ice-cream would be Wemberly's special treat "on a hot day".
   
   All of which is fine with me, I thoroughly enjoy reading these with my 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 year old kids, even our 18 month old seems to enjoy these stories, but I feel if we were not a Christmas-and-Easter-celebrating household, this set would have been a bit of a bummer. So, consider yourself warned. :)



5. My 3 and half year-old loves this collection -- one book is never enough, all five have to be read in one sitting, preferably twice! Luckily the stories are not wordy, but charming and whimsical and some even have a little lesson, though delivered so as to barely notice. The illustrations are superb as always.

2 comments about Flower Fairies Magical Moonlight Feast (Flower Fairies Friends).

1. I think this is a sweet book. Not very elaborate for a pop up book. There is a plot to the story. The last page is beautiful.This book is worth buying.



2. my 10 year old grandaughter in AZ. loves this beautiful book, the pictures are awesome. and the pop-ups are great, glad i took a chance and got it for her.

5 comments about I'm in Charge of Celebrations (Aladdin Picture Books).

1. I stumbled upon this book recently and, as an avid reader of children's literature, believe it is one of the most amazing books I have seen -- for readers of all ages. It is lyrical, humorous and quiet. The illustrations are spare--and that's all that's needed. Life in the desert is depicted beautifully. I felt like the book was speaking me, calling me to a more mindful way of life. I plan to buy it as gifts for all my friends this year, no matter their age.



2. I use this book in the beginning of each school year with my fifth grade students. It always leads to great discussions about what is important to them and leads into interesting writer's notebook entries. The book is a great tool for inferencing, noticing details, and celebrating the little events in our lives that make us who we are. A good book to use when teaching about differences that make each of us unique and how we all have our own set of priorities.



3. One of the best picture books ever. I'm one who believes picture books are not just for children and this one proves it! It reflects a wonderful attitude that there's always something out there to celebrate. A most uplifting book. Byrd Baylor is really tuned into nature and Peter Parnell turns those words into unforgetable images.



4. This is a memmorable book for a child



5. Byrd Baylor's book "I'm in charge of Celebrations" is the best "any age" book I've ever known. Everyone I know has started keeping a celebration book modeled after hers! What an absolutely marvelous journey! And Parnell's illustrations are magnificent!!!

4 comments about Cinco de Mayo (Rookie Read-About Holidays).

1. This is a great teaching source for young children learning about Mexico.



2. Another great Rookie Reader! These books are great for ESOL students of all ages who read at a beginning level. This book provides a very clear idea of how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated.



3. I teach First Grade and I find the Rookie Read-About Holidays series to be a good starter for a lesson. The holiday is explained in a simple way and can lead into a Social Studies or multicultural lesson. I used the Cinco De Mayo book this past Friday. I have about 8 books and I highly recommend them.



4. I love this series. Great photos, appropriate vocabulary, rich language. These books are an excellent resource for teachers.

5 comments about If You Give a Pig a Party (If You Give...).

1. My grandkids loved this book---they ask over and over to have it read to them. The story is very entertaining and the pictures are very colorful.



2. What I like the most about these books is the illustration. The stories are fun too!



3. This book is creative, colorful and easy to follow. I've been reading this with my daughter since age 2, she's almost four and it's still a fast favorite. The storyline follows Pig on her adventure to have a party; along the way you meet her friends snake, mouse, moose, cat and dog (did I forget anyone?). We have fun spotting the friends and picking out which hat we'll 'wear' to the party. I aways pick the same hat, so my daughter says, "Don't be a party pooper, mommy --- Try something new"! Wonderful times.



4. This comedy book is a wonderful childrens book full of fun and laughter.
   "If You Give a Pig a Party" is about a pig who asks for a party, gets mixed up in other fun, and in the end, asks for another party. This colorful book is full of silliness and irony. Highly recomended.
   Grades 1 and up.



5. My class adores this book as well as the others in this series. It offers great opportunities for the kids to come up with things the pig will want if you give them something else. The kids can't put these books down. A real crowd pleaser.

5 comments about Yay, You! : Moving Out, Moving Up, Moving On.

1. I am an elementary guidance counselor, responsible for planning our promotion program yearly for our fifth grade students as they move to middle school. I'm always looking for meaningful things to add to the ceremony, traditions the kids will look back on with happy memories. We do a lot in my school with "Oh the Places You'll Go..." so I was looking for something of this genre to use. "Yay, You" is just the right length. I read it to the kids just before the ceremony and then include a quick reading as a prelude to the processional out of the gym. Because the kids have heard it already, they know what is coming. The parents and guests absorb the meaning of the "moving up, moving out" very well. It's WONDERFUL and a number of parents have purchased it for their children to commemorate the event. It is indeed now a tradition.



2. I'm a high school teacher and have found this book to be the perfect gift for my graduating seniors. The carefree illustrations and silly rhymes ease anxiety and nerves at a time when graduates are forced to consider their world with excessive seriousness. It's also a terrific gift for acknowledging promotions or career moves.



3. I purchased this book as a high school graduation gift for my neice's boy friend, and the kids loved passing it around. It may be a children's book, but you're never too old for the message or to enjoy Boynton's artwork.



4. I have bought multiple copies of this book for my kids' friends for graduation gifts. I also bought it for my aunt when she recieved her doctorate degree. I decorated the inside of the kids' books with pictures throughout their kindergarten and Pre-K years at school. It has the best ending telling the person that no matter what they do in life they are special!



5. A great book but it was describes as "like new" and there is a whole letter written in the front cover:(