This is a wonderful book for ANYONE interested in children's theatre and civics education. The writing is sensational--and the subject matter is timely, meaningful, and handled with great care. Don't miss the Islamic grandmother and the snake!

This book will capture your imagination and inspire you at the same time. Every page offers a new suprise and new unexpected delight! This is the "Free to Be You and Me" for a new generation. It speaks to children and adults both while never talking down to either of them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in bringing smart and fun theatre to children. Plus the artwork is fabulous!

This incredible book is not only an amazing tool for getting kids to open up about and annihilate prejudices of all kinds, it's also wildly funny, at times, very moving, and a joy just to look at. With gorgeous photos and artwork by both children and adults, "Cootie Shots" is an anthology of theatre and poetry for everyone. Some pieces are from emerging artists, some are from pros like Tony Kushner (Angels in America). When I got my copy I expected just another trite collection of writing "for kids". Finally there's a theatre book on the market for kids with DEPTH. BE SURE to check it out!

In this book, Mr. Alster uses language that is easy for children (the intended audience) to understand. The art in the book is stimulating! Not only does he give easy-to-follow advice, he gives pointers and tips throughout the book that readers may find quite helpful. Jason's no-nonsense approach is a breath of fresh air. I urge anyone interested in this book to also check out "Being in Control", also by Jason Alster. Together, these two books are sure to encourage any child to be creative!

Creative Painting is a book for reluctant young artists of all ages. Written by a multi-talented author who has a treasure box full of affirming tips and techniques, this little book will inspire you to dive head first into art. Go ahead, take a chance. "The most valuable coins and stamps are the ones double minted by mistake. So don not try to please everyone, just yourself first." This is one of the most empowering statements I've read.

You'll find tips, techniques and affirmations to encourage your child (or you!) to muzzle negative thinking and replace it with positive affirmations. You'll read how the author began exploring the world of art, and suggested stepping-stones to begin your own journey.

This is a nice, neat and colorful book to own. You'll find yourself referring to it often.

"Creative Painting for the Young Artist" is an excellent guide for teachers of art students of any age. The book presents a comprehensive outline that instructors can adapt to the age and experience level of students in a particular class. Each principle has helpful illustrations included."

When reading this book I was really surprised by its accuracy and liveliness. The author succeeds in putting everything I would like to tell my non-Belgian friends in an extremely readable book (I finished it in one night). The point of view of the author is unique in the sense that he is a foreigner (British) but is married to a Belgian and has been living there long enough to know the small things of life. I would recommend this book to anybody remotely interested in Belgium. For those that are not, I can assure you that your interest will be certainly piqued by reading this book. For me this book is a great gift for a friend interested in my country.

As Belgian myself it was funny read this book which is humorous but too much accurate about many things that we know is true in our people but surprised to read in a book!
Book is a very nice introduction to my country for people coming to live here and know about, but don't worry - not all the drivers are so bad and dangerous!

Mark Elliott has written a very entertaining - and if my Belgian friends are to be believed - accurate account of Belgian culture. Not a classic guidebook with lists of places to visit and restaurants to patronize, this book truly lives up to its title. The book contains a great deal of humor which makes the Belgians come alive for the reader. The book has definitely made me put Belgium on my list of places I wish to visit.

The Inferno is a record of Dante the Pilgrim's first trip through hell. It was Virgil's second. This was my fifth trip through the Inferno, and having Musa along for the ride made it wonderful. Whether this is your first time through or not, you ought to have this critical edition as your guide. As another reviewer noted, Musa isn't nearly as fettered by the rhyme scheme as translators like John Ciardi and Robert Pinsky. Even Ciardi apologizes often for his liberties in the name of rhyme. Musa has gorgeous footnotes on lines that Pinsky and Ciardi neglect for the rhyme. If you have the great fortune to teach the Inferno, it makes great sense, of course to have multiple translations before you, but Musa's critical edition will be the most weathered edition in the end. Your students will gain a great understanding of the importance at looking at multiple sources as well.

Musa is a scholar, not a poet, at least not professionally. But the authenticities of his translation's thunder, juices, epiphanies, and whiffs would indicate that scholarship makes a successful move to a new language more probable than do poetic gifts. Dante, now, was a poet. The infinite riches of his simple simple lines glow from each line of Musa's. While the essential deep love for the poem glows from each line of his commentary. Pinsky, a very good poet, spent his powers on reproducing the virtually unreproducible--the never-ending aba bcb cdc terza rima rhyme scheme. And he did an expert job. But the poetry is the loser. It's in the back seat, trying to stay awake. The real surprise is how careless Pinsky's rhythms are. Musa's pound right along-a fairly consistent, and unobtrusive, iambic pentameter. Dante, of course, rhymes and rhymes and rhymes, but always to profoundest purpose. (It is said he wrote three lines a day. The deeper one goes into the Commedia the easier it is to believe this.) What rhymes with what was clearly something Dante cared a lot about. Take Inferno 34, 34-39. Dante's final six words (and I should point out that my Italian is very limited) for these six lines are: UGLY, EYEBROW, SORROW/ WONDER, HEAD, RED. Pinsky's are: beautiful, brows, well/ was, head, this. Musa's: foul, Maker, him/ up, faces, red. The parallels the rhymes convey, as I see it, are these. Lucifer, now UGLY, is the source of the world's SORROW. (Musa faithfully pairs "foul" and "all grief should spring from him." Pinsky pairs "beautiful" (reversing Dante's careful sequence of beautiful to ugly) with "then all sorrow may well" which depends on the next line to mean anything, which sort of weakens the parallel: Like saying 1 plus 1 = 1.2 and uh oh another eight tenths.) And the second parallel: Lucifer, whose fall to hell began with the raising of an insolent EYEBROW, has become hideous, a three-headed WONDER. From beautiful to UGLY, from the happiness of Eden to a world of SORROW. Musa's "Maker"/"looked up" is admittedly not terrific. Pinsky's "brows"/"How great a marvel it was" is more successful. But compare the two translations' net impact. If you saw what Dante saw, and he was very much writing so that you would, which set of lines below would better convey your reaction?

"If he was truly once as beautiful / As he is ugly now, and raised his brows / Against his Maker--than all sorrow may well /

Come out of him. How great a marvel it was / For me to see three faces on his head: / In front there was a red one; joined to this, /

. . . "

"If he was once as fair as now he's foul / and dared to raise his brows against his Maker, / it is fitting that all grief should spring from him. /

Oh, how amazed I was when I looked up / and saw a head--one head wearing three faces! / One was in front (and that was a bright red)."

The Inferno is a book that everybody should read (if they can even read). Mark Musa translates Dante's original pros. into a cloak wheel which is very easy for almost anybody understand. The poetry is lost(as with any translation), but the story Dante will tell shall live forever.

Entertaining, easy+to+read and inspiring. It would make an enjoyable collection for elementary, high school and college, not only that adults.. and can be used as text or supplement for Deaf Studies, Sign Language Classes or American History including Deaf American Indians. Happy Exploring! A very few book like DEaf Esprit where you can find that they have challenges to overcome... being Deaf may be among their challenges.. what a way to lift up the spirits..finding page after page of inspiration like Henning C. F. Irgens, Majoriebell S. Holcomb, Damara Goff Paris' and Glenn Alfred/Karen B. Johnson, The Dine and the others.

I strongly recommend that you read this book! From Charlotte Wilhite's struggle to determine whether her deaf son should have a cochlear implant and Jake Donnell's frank discussion on how his family should accept, rather than fix him, to Henning Irgen's life as a deaf teenager in Norway during the Nazi occupation. Also of note is Damara Paris' vivid description of an India-born deaf man and his struggle to prove his independence, Donna Platt's humourous take on her Phillipine name sign and the poems written by Rusty Wales, Carrie Pierce and Marianne Decher. A MUST read!

This book was one of the best books I have ever read! It is a potpourri collection of different deaf perspectives and perspectives from their family. Charlotte Wilhites moving story regarding all sides of the cochlear implant controversy as she considered whether to implant her son moved me to tears! Equally good was Henning Irgen's story about growing up deaf in Nazi-occupied Norway. Damara Paris (also an editor for this book) wrote beautifully of the struggle for independence for an India born deaf man.

You won't be able to put this book down!

Dr. Meyers does a fantastic job of presenting information that teachers can take into the classroom. Students are faced with situations and dilemmas that they must work through with critical thinking skills. This is a useful book written by a man who believes in bringing the "real" world into the classroom. After reading the book thoroughly, I would honestly fill an entire Strawbridge's bag with copies for distribution among my peers.

Dr. Meyers presents an interesting, hands-on way of tacking childhood dilemmas that is easily adaptable for all ages. Surely anyone dealing with children on a regular basis will find numerous examples to suit his/her environment.

I had to get this book for a class, and I thought what you just did, "great a required book." But surprisingly, this was a great book. It presents a format which is not only needed by students, but should be required reading for teachers and parents as well. I have returned back to school to get my teaching certification, so I practice some materials out on my kids. They love the talking about the dilemmas, but I really like how they started thinking that way about real life situations as well. Get this book!

I couldn't put this book down. As a life-long New York Democrat, I thought I was leading-edge sensitive to women's issues. But couched in one of the most exciting pieces of technology fiction I've ever read is a disturbing spiritual gem: Women could well be the intended solution to all the world's problems."

A good friend gave me a copy of the book. I was skeptical but the first page hooked me. Rick is the master of the high-tech action novel like King is the master of the thriller.

I never have time to read, given the pull of family and work responsibilities. But the storyline intrigued me, so I picked it up and started reading. It's a cross between Robert Ludlam and Stephen King -- and the fun part is that I fought off sleep every night so I could keep reading. I haven't had that much fun in a long while. When the story was done, I could say "Whew!" because now I could get back to regular sleeping hours. A great story, thought provoking and well-written.

I thought the Devils Tower was a great read. This sequel is even better!!! I literally could not put this book down! It was like a roller coaster ride. Full of twists and turns everywhere. You cannot go wrong by taking the time to read this book.

I really enjoyed Sumner's DEVIL'S TOWER, so much so that when I came across this one I was almost scared to read it. But it only took a chapter for me to know this book was even better than the first one. Jake Bird and the citizens of Medicine Rock are back. This time they're facing an evil scheme meant to drain all the "talents" from the land. More action, more crazy characters, more wild magic and stunts than the first one. Hey, Hollwood! This would make a great movie!

Devil's Engine was a very stimulating read in that the concept is one that hasn't been heavily used or explored. I am now trying to find Devil's Tower, the book before this one in sequence, and I cannot wait to read that one either. The characters are all very realistic, everyone will have certain people in their lives that will correspond to the characters' traits. A very fresh idea backed up by a strong plot,very good storytelling prowess and the aforementioned convincing characters. I'm not really a big fan of westerns, but this one does not disappoint

hi me just want to say that me really liked you book. it make me laugh and smile, and at the same time it maked me cry. you be a good writer. one day maybe you teach me to right a good book too. my teachers at me school say that me the best writter in the whole school. my favorite character in de book wuld be that mr travesty, cause me like dogs a lot, i mean cats. see yuh!

Hey Markie Warkie how's it going? I'm so proud of you for getting your book published for people to buy all around the world. That's so awesome! You probably don't know who I am, but I am your biggest fan . . . this is Stan! Just kidding. Good luck with everything, and once I get a chance to actually read this wonderful book of yours, I will write you a great review! I mean it will be wonderful!!!! It will be the great most fabulous review you've ever gotten before, I can guarantee it! Unless I hate the book, then I will write you a nasty review, and leave my name anoymous! Just kidding, I'm sure I will love it! Well I'll let you go, so I guess I'll see ya soon . . . or something . . .

From start to finish the outlook and philosophy of the writer is very on target with today. The characters and story line bring you right into a very amusing world with lively characters who are making their way through a very difficult world. The momemnt you start reading this book, it makes you think and it makes you laugh.....the humor is outstanding. This book would be a great movie, or a series of movies!

This is the short of it... If I had to burn my books to stay alive, this would be the last one I would burn.

Mark has done a excellent job in reproducing the original "Shipbuilder" articles. If you are interested in oceanliners from the early 1900s, buy this book.

I gave this book and the Volume 2 companion to my husband for his birthday and he hasn't put them down since. These books may not be for those who have merely leaped onto the romantic bandwagon of the Titanic movie. These are for people who want to learn about the materials the floors were tiled with and what went into making the boilers. If you're into authentic details, these are wonderful books.

This is and excellent book for those who are interested in the great ocean liners of the early twentieth century. It features the original articles from the trade magazine "The Shipbuilder" with beautiful photos and detailed engineering drawings of great ships like the Olympic, Titanic, Mauretania, Lusitana and many others. It's all done on high quality acid-free paper making it a long term reference book. It's a very expensive book, but a must for any maritime enthusiast.