Our daughter has loved all of the I Spy books since about 20 months of age. (Before that we only gave her the board book versions). She "reads" them even more than our 4 year old who loves them too. Little ones this age enjoy sitting with an adult identifying familiar objects while learning new ones. She gets so excited trying to find all of a paticular multiple object on one page. I would give the I Spy books ten stars if I could!

A+++++++ books!

The I spy school Days is a great beginner book from this series. This doesn't mean it isn't challenging by any means but the pictures.... the wonderful photos even the youngest child can relate to. I know it sounds simple, but you will have to see for yourself it sound easier said then done but these are so much fun! It is very challenging, fun, and social, an excellent family event! There are extra credit riddles at the end of the book but it also is fun to make your own. The youngest little learner can really benefit from the photos in this book as it gets them going on letter, numbers and objects which they know or soon will! I can't rave enough about these books they totally intrigue me!

I love this so much because it's fun, it's awesome, and now I want all the I Spy books. The I spy school days book rules. The coolest part was where all the toys were. This review was dictated to me by my 7 yr. old son.

This is much more than just a children's book (although I'm sure it delights kids.) Amazingly detailed and photographed scenes draw you through a series a pictures detailing a journey through a spooky house. Along the way you search for items in the pictures, but it's much more than a simple find-the-hidden-objects puzzle because the scenes are filled with dozens of weird things that you aren't even asked to find. This book is great fun with friends of all ages!

i liked it so much... i bought 5-6 and gave them as gifts..... then i found they had a christmas book...... then the little books for baby's.... can't wait for the little baby christmas and numbers..... i have spent so much on marzollo & wick books.... i should buy stock

When I tried to donate this book to a local library, the children screamed. No way were they going to give up their spooky looking book, with lots of riddle limmericks and hunt-and-find fun to keep them busy into the wee hours. Betcha can't find all the candles and cobwebs, spiders and witches' brew in this year-round Halloween gem. Alyssa A. Lappen

Much like her journalism style, Carper has written a clear-cut text on the variety of ways we can create Miracles for ourselves. I purchased this book earlier last summer and have found it to be a wealth of information as well as advice I can depend on. She has shown the link between herbal/vitamin/natural remedies and science despite the constant "warnings" from the pharmaceutical corporations we all hear and read. I have long been a proponent of healing myself and taking supplements that enhance my body's ability to keep the effects of aging at bay. Several years ago I found a site, iHerbLtd. that has such a tremendous job at supplying me with the herbs and supplements I need. Between iHerb and Carper's book, I'm in good hands--my own!

I own an Herb Shop in West Chicago, Illinois. Finally, someone has come out with information that the average person can understand. I tell my customers to read this book, so they will get reliable information about natural food supplements and herbs. There is such a fear out there, still, about these products and there shouldn't be. Herbs, vitamins and minerals, etc. are FOOD, not drugs. People should be as leary about the drugs their doctors prescribe for them as they are about herbs, etc. Hopefully this book will be read by Millions of AMERICANS and they can lay their fears to rest.

This is an excellent book. It introduces people to the idea that natural medicine can be effective and scientifically viable at the same time. What I found really useful in this work is her emphasis on all of the scientific studies which have been done in Europe. By so doing, the author explodes the myth that natural medicine is voodoo medicine, with no scientific merit to recommend it.

The author also presents the material in an objective and nonsensationalistic manner. This helps keep the remedies in perspective. False hope is not given is not fostered, but the healing powers of the remedies she covers are presented in an even-handed manner.

My only criticism of the book is the emphasis on tablets. This is not bad per se, but I would have liked to see a description of foods which contain some of the substances found in these remedies. For example, in speaking of vitamin E, or calcium, it would have been nice to have a list of foods which contain decent quantities of these substances.

Despite this criticism, however, I highly recommend this work to anyone who is interested in natural remedies. No matter how much you know, or think you know, this book will open your eyes to a new world of possibility and science.

I have not only recently read, but also studied, Part I of L. Edward Hazelbaker's unabridged revision of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Last summer I taught Pilgrim's Progress in my elementary Sunday School class and I wish I would have known of this book then. I have also done a college level research paper on Pilgrim's Progress. Not only does Hazelbaker make Pilgrim's Progress reader-friendly, he includes Bunyan's annotations in the text, as well as many annotations of his own. The annotations help the reader to experience more than a pilgrimage with Christian to Celestial City, but an in-depth Bible study as well. Other features the book includes are a brief description of Bunyan's life, a comparison outline of events in Parts I and II, and an index.

Access to Bunyan's scripture references gives the serious reader the opportunity to better his or her understanding of Bunyan's work while Hazelbaker's references and annotations also compliment the text. Hazelbaker, for example, elaborates on the importance of the seal that a Shining One (an angel) places upon Christian's forehead and on the Document given to him. Hazelbaker also offers his audience a clear and detailed understanding of the "Family" that resides in the palace called Beautiful. The reader will appreciate Hazelbaker's explanation of Bunyan's reference to "the goods of Rome" at Vanity Fair and why it would have been significant to the first readers of The Pilgrim's Progress. Hazelbaker also takes the time to explain to the reader why he uses the word "coat" for "bosom." These are only a few of the many helpful annotations Hazelbaker includes in his work.

In studying Hazelbaker's translation I referred to an early edition of Bunyan's several times. Each time I found Hazelbaker's translation true to Bunyan. Hazelbaker has made special effort to maintain the characteristic qualities and message of Bunyan's original work. In the translation process, he manages to preserve Bunyan's work by keeping himself removed from the text. This is his duty and obligation as a translator. His translation is, in all honesty, unabridged and non-paraphrased.

Of the 215 pages I have studied to date, I have found only one minor word choice in Hazelbaker's translation that I wish he would not have made. He translates Bunyan's "cartloads" with "truckloads" in the Swamp of Despondence episode. Although, by definition, "truckloads" is acceptable, it too easily causes confusion for the modern reader who thinks of pickups and tractor-trailers when he reads "truckloads." This is certainly a minor concern, but I mention it in an effort to objective.

Hazelbaker has done an exceptional job of making Bunyan's beautiful classic more appealing to the modern audience. This unabridged version is suitable for readers from middle and upper elementary ages to adults. I am glad to see that Hazelbaker has taken the time and made the effort to offer his audience a version of Pilgrim's Progress that is not watered-down and compromised. It definitely deserves a place in any library.

This was an enjoyable read for me. The allegory of Christian on the road to eternal life was interesting for the sense of adventure. It was also revealing in its depiction of experiences common to myself. I was surprised to see my own journey described so clearly in some parts. Just knowing that I am not alone in my experience is a great source of comfort in my spiritual relationship. John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a remarkable and courageous individual. He was a tinker inspired to preach the gospel. He was rewarded for his effort with a prison term lasting 12 years. His time in prison was well-spent because he wrote his first book "Grace Abounding" and started "Pilgrim's Progress" during his incarceration. Up until the 20th century, there was hardly an English-speaking household which did not own a copy of this book. It was often used as a reading primer. After the Bible (KJV), this classic allegory has been the best-selling Christian book and has influenced English literature and thought through the four centuries in which it has been in print. There are so many delightful and thought provoking tales in this book, there is not enough room to tell nearly enough of them. I will relate but one example: Presenting the subtle diversion which a desire for worldly success can bring, Bunyan writes, "'First,' said Mr Moneylove, 'becoming religious is a virtue, regardless of the means he employed to be so. Second - it's not unlawful to get a rich wife or to bring more business to his shop. Third - the man who gets these by becoming religious gets things that are good from them who are good by becoming good himself. So then, here are a good wife, good customers, and good gain; and he has gotten all these things by becoming religious, which is good. Becoming religious in order to get all these things, therefore, is a good and profitable intention.'"

To which, Bunyan counters, "Then Christian said, 'Even a babe in religion may answer ten thousand such questions. If it is unlawful to follow Christ to obtain loaves, as shown in John six, how much more abominable is it to make of Him and religion a stalking-horse to get and enjoy the world?'" If you are interested in Protestant preaching as it existed in 17th century England, or you would like to understand what the Christian journey is about, this book will be interesting to you.

I'm in the middle of reading this wonderful classic and am so excited about it that I am going to host a weekly Bible Study and use the book as a powerful study tool. The revised version edited by L. Edward Hazelbaker makes the translation as simple as reading a children's novel. At the end of each chapter there is a list of specific scriptures and notes for Biblical reference throughout the entire book which I found extremely helpful.

John Bunyon's insight on going through troubles and trials is inspiring. He points out that although we may think we are taking the "easy road" off the "Path of the Way" which is uphill, it ends up taking us to a dark, dreary, dangerous place instead. If we persevere with "Faith" and "Hopeful" up the hill, we will eventually reach the top of the mountain in our Christian Journey with God by our side. I highly recommend this book to EVERYONE not just people who call themselves Christians...For it is a book filled with powerful lessons all can learn from.

I read this book when i was 5 or 6 and loved it.My love of unicorns started with this book and i think its a good start for young kids.

I first read this book when i was about seven and in the "fantasy" stage of life. LOL. it struck me as cute when i first read it.
Star the baby unicorn presents the perfect character for a child to focus on.
on the first page it tell about Star's birth, and then goes on to tell about why the unicorns and the dragons are enimies. after, star is requiered to learn about courage so she can be the final unicorn in a spell to make the dragons friendly(it requires eight unicorns but there are only seven). i recommend the book "the cabbage moth & the shamrock" by Ethel Marbach, in addition to this book.

First off i would just like to say that this was a book of my childhood. I grew up with this book. What some may call a fantasy, but what i have learned was reality. My favorite book by far, and i can still say that today at the age [I am now]. ANY UNICORN OR DRAGON LOVER SHOULD OWN THIS BOOK.

A fabulous book that gives anyone a number of dicrections to search. I feel inspired to go ahead now because I've been give a starting point!

After spending 2 years in college, ill with something doctors were unable to diagnose, I knew it would be up to me to find my medical history. This book was the MOST HELPFUL BOOK in terms of helping me get started...where to look for information, agencies to contact, etc.

If you're an adoptee and looking for your biological parents, I HIGHLY recommend this book! It is an invaluable reference you definitely need.

I am a birthmother in the 18th month of my reunion with my birthson, and have read probably 15 - 20 books on the subject of adoption, just to try to get a better understanding of where the adoptee, the adoptive parents and the birthparents are all coming from. They all have a something to add to this very unique experience, but many left a lot to be desired. I found this book to be well grounded, well written and thought it had tremendous insight into the very emotional stages of reunion, and think it would benefit all connected to adoption. I wish I had found this book a year ago! Betsy

This isn't really that bad a book. The text was well written for each individual mentioned and the photographs were quite good, my favorite was the one with Mikhail Gorbachev hand feeding a squirrel on a tree. Still, there are certain individuals this book left out who I thought should have made it. Below is a list of those who I feel should have been in this book.

Pope John Paul II
Nikita Khruschtev
J. Edgar Hoover
Ayatollah Khomeni
Wayne Gretzky
Vince Lombardi
Howard Stern
Jimi Hendrix
Thelonius Monk
The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen
Lenny Bruce
George S. Patton
Joe Montana
Gloria Steinman
Janis Joplin
Harrison Ford
Irving Berlin
Bill Clinton
Charles Manson
Howard Cosell

The clear, concise and lively text that accompanies this information packed book is a pleasure to read. The beautifully reproduced photographs are unusual and surprising. Not the stock pictures you would expect in a more common end-of-millenneum tome. The people here range from the well known like John F. Kennedy to the less well known but important Emmeline Pankhurst (look her up). A most enjoyable and informative book that you'll go back to again and again.

All kidding aside, this is a fantastic volume for the end of the century. The one-page articles are informative and well-written, and the b&w photographs are quite striking--I never imagined I'd see a photo of Mikhail Gorbachev hand-feeding a squirrel! I was, however, taken aback to see "Queen Elizabeth I" listed as an icon of the 20th century. I'm sure Elizabeth Tudor (1533-1603) and The Queen Mother would get a kick out of that! (Actually, this is pretty funny, coming from a book published by "The Overlook Press".) Enough of my carping: I highly recommend this book to every home in the country, and imagine it being a treasured posession in fifty years or so--especially by the children now who are too young to have known of any of these fascinating people. Thanks, Santa Claus--great choice!

Before I read this book I looked at nature a different way.I didn't know one survival tip. Now I know alot and I'm looking at nature as a place to live.It isn't just a free time book, it's a good to read anytime.It's better than the sequel, & most other books. It shows bravery, wisdom,inspiration and ,for me humor. I'm lucky this site has it because I can't find it anywere else.I recomend you read this book, it's crushal to your health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would have to say that it's quite possibly the best fictonal book on survival. I've also read 'Hachet', but would have to put that second to this book. Sam Gribley is one with an 'iron will', defying the hardships of cold winter in the mountians and his own desire to go home. Bando and the many vistors he encounters are lively characters. His ingenuity is keen and fresh throughtout the book. It has taught me a lot about survial and nature in general. I love the book, quite suitable for anyone who loves adventure and freedom.

In 1959, Jean Craighead George invited us all to visit the Catskill Mountians. She introduced us to a boy who lived there with a weasel, racoon, falcon, and an assortment of other friends. His name was Sam Gribley, and his year there would change his life.

That is the plot of the modern classic "My Side of the Mountain". Sam's coming-of-age is contained within the pages of that novel. The reader will feel like he/she is Sam when they read it because of all of the vivid descriptions. I wasn't me when I was reading it. I was on Sam's mountain, with his falcon, living his life. I didn't want it to end--and pleased to discover the sequel, "On the Far Side of the Mountain".

While the book isn't as classic as "My Side" is, (and a bit disappointing because of much change) it's good in its own way. Female fans of the author (Jean Craighead George) will enjoy this very much because of the spunky new herione, Sam's sister Alice, who has come to live with him on the mountain--or has she? The plot thickens when she disappears (just a day after Frightful is confascated by the confasation officer!) While the book can bug you at some times, finish it. The last three chapters make up for any and all of that with a powerfully heart-wrenching ending, which will strongly move you. I even cried after it, even though I know what happened--I'll leave that a mystery--was for the best.

Jean Craighead George has done it again. These two books are genuine treasures. This gift set is a must-have, and any nature lover would love to be given it. I'm as sure of it as Sam Gribley's falcon is Frightful. It also may be enjoyable to compare Sam to Julie (from "Julie of the Wolves") and Liza K (from "The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo"), both also authored by Jean. Any way you look at it--I don't see one reason why this isn't a good buy. You won't ever forget Sam, Frightful, The Baron Weasel, Jessie Coon James, Bando, Zella, Crystal, Miss Turner, Mrs. Strawberry, or Alice. I know I'll return to their mountain again soon.

ALSO RECCOMENDED: "Frightful's Mountain" "The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo" "Julie of the Wolves" "Hatchet" (by Gary Paulsen)

There is a lot of good information in this book, but most of it can be found toward the beginning. The tips on predicting the weather alone could be worth the price of the book. However, the maps of the various waterways were absolutely terrible. I would recommend this book for a general overview and lots of tips and tricks for paddlers, and the two "Canoeing and Kayaking the Streams of Florida" guides for detailed information on specific waterways.

Book Review- Paddler's Guide to the Sunshine State by Sandy Huff

Coming from a whitewater paddling background, my first thought on looking at the river descriptions in Huff's book was, "Hm, not very detailed." On further reflection, though, this makes sense. Details of how to run rapids aren't needed in Florida, and the lack of details makes visiting the waterways described much more of a voyage of discovery- as paddling should be.
Huff has logically divided her book into three major sections. The first part contains tips for paddling in Florida, and includes chapters on gear and clothing and how to pack it, staying healthy, staying safe, and camping in Florida with sections on cooking and camp activities, all delightfully written by someone who clearly has had an abundance of paddling experience.
The second section describes in detail all the wildlife you might encounter on any trip on Sunshine State waterways, and your best strategies for safely dealing with those critters (Do NOT feed the wildlife!). Aunt Sally from Ohio will survive her first alligator encounter if you follow Huff's advice. There is even a short chapter on fishing.
Finally, the last section contains descriptions of over 200 trips on 91 waterways across the state. Every description contains all the information you'll need to make that trip: a map, where to put in, where to take out, the length of time and/or mileage involved, skill level needed, and local emergency phone numbers (great idea!). The descriptions are also keyed to the corresponding DeLorme atlas page numbers, and include a brief outline of what you can expect to encounter, all written in a tastefully understated manner.
It's difficult to find any flaws in this book, or figure out how to improve upon it. For every Sunshine State paddler or anyone who wants to become one, Huff's book is a must read.

-John Kumiski

If you want to have just one book on paddling in Florida then this is the one to get!! It has easy-to-read maps, web sites, addresses and phone numbers for further information. Paddling a river or creek is more than just knowing where to put in and take out. Sandy gives you all kinds of information on the area, fishing, wildlife, weather, safety and much more. I must have every book there is on paddling in Florida but they're going on the bottom shelf because this is the one I'm going to reach for when planning my next adventure!!

I never like Tasha Yar in the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series. I thought the character was written badly and acted worse. So it was a surprise to me that I found the character so engaging in this book.
There are essentially two stories running through Survivors, the tales of Yar's present and her past - and they gradually converge. Yar and Data are sent on an away mission to Treva to assess a request for Federation assistance from a questionable planetary leader. Prompted by his resemblance to Data, Yar finds herself recalling her past with her lover and mentor, Darryl Adin, and how the future they planned together went so horribly wrong. It is a tremendous shock to her, then, when she is kidnapped and finds that she has fallen into Adin's hands. Once a Starfleet officer, Adin was convicted of treason and murder but fled the Federation before being sent to prison. He is now a mercenary leader, the Silver Paladin, on Treva to help topple its corrupt government. From that point onwards, Yar finds herself caught between her duty to Starfleet - which means completing her mission on Treva and forcing Adin to face justice for his crimes - and her rekindled love for Adin. Knowing that this is a story that has to have an unhappy ending just makes it more poignant.
Lorrah does misrepresent her own book somewhat. Early on, we are led to believe that Yar will take steps to resolve any lingering issues between her and Data after their romantic encounter. But she never does. Once Adin is on the scene, she seems to forget about it altogether. Data is something of a problem in this book. Lorrah does not write him well (on the other hand, neither does anyone else), and his role never goes beyond that of information-gatherer and spectator - his usual roles in the TV series. There were suggestions that he, too, might come to some resolution about his feelings for Yar (Lorrah portrays him as jealous over Yar and Adin), but that was left too ambiguous for my liking. There is a hint at the end that he has realised that Yar is no more than a friend to him, but the situation seems to be ambiguous again in Metamorphosis. It is as if Lorrah wants to see Yar as the unacknowledged love of Data's life, but for continuity reasons cannot say so. This book could have done without Data altogether, though it is easy to see why he was included. Someone needed to be there to witness Yar's troubles, and to provide a point of view that carries on after her death.

The flashback parts of Survivors are particularly good, and the present-day scenes start off well. But I could almost believe that Lorrah was under a strict deadline with this book, or was suddenly told she could only make it a certain length, for the ending becomes very rushed. The resolution on Treva comes with a battle around the rebel castle that is silly and hackneyed - definitely a cut below what had come previously.
I read this book hoping for a new fictional take on Data. I was very disappointed on that score, but enjoyed what I found instead. It's a pity that Survivors was let down by its ending, but it's still well worth reading for the tale of Tasha Yar - even if you aren't a Star Trek fan.

I never did forgive the writers of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" for their treatment of Tasha Yar, easily the most interesting character on the show. First they radically underutilized her, then wrote her out of the show entirely. Okay, they wrote her out because the actress wanted out, but perhaps if the character hadn't been so underutilized, Denise Crosby wouldn't have wanted out. And in any case, if they were going to write her out, they could have done so without killing her, and if they absolutely HAD to kill her off, they could have done so in a way that wasn't so completely trivial and worthless.

This book gives us a wonderful look into the character of Tasha Yar, as well as a bit of insight into Data and the interrelationship of the two. It is a marvellous precursor to "Metamorphosis", another Next Generation Novel by Jean Lorrah. It is easily the best "Next Generation" novel I've read to date. The ending seemed a bit rushed, as Ms. Lorrah takes us through the story of the end of Tasha's life, without being willing to go into great detail, assuming that we've seen the episode that tells that story. But that is my only complaint, and it is a minor one, because she DOES tell enough of the story to fill in someone who isn't familiar with it. It simply felt a bit rushed, as I say.

When the Enterprise receives a distress call from the planet Treva, security chief Tasha Yar and android science officer Data are dispatched to investigate. What the two discover, however, is far more than a simple conflict between the government and a group of rebels. Data must escape from the clutches of the exotic Trevan president Nalavia, while Tasha is forced to confront painful memories when a member of the resistance turns out to be the first man she ever loved, Darryl Adin, a former Starfleet officer convicted of treason and murder six months before they were due to be married. With time running out, Data and Yar must discover the truth in order to save both the planet of Treva from destruction and escaped criminal Dare Adin from life imprisonment in a rehabilitation clinic...

Of all the Star Trek books I have read so far, I would rank "Survivors" as one of the highest. Tasha Yar was my favourite of the Enterprise-D crew up during the first season and I always felt that her death in the episode "Skin of Evil" was a disappointing end to the one of the strongest female characters seen on Star Trek to date. There were so many aspects of the character that could have been developed or were never explained and this book at least provides some consolation. I'm not completely sure, but as far as I know this is the only novel to focus on Tasha and for that reason alone "Survivors" is a must-have for all fans of the character. Very little of the remainder of the Enterprise crew is seen: Data and Yar are the principal characters and much of the novel is set in flashbacks to Yar's past. There are a few minor continuity errors of course, no mention is made of Tasha's sister Ishara and her home planet is given a new name - not the author's fault because these facts were revealed long after the book's publication. Overall, this was a fantastic book and I definitely recommend it to all Star Trek fans and especially to those of Tasha Yar.