This book brings back fond memories of when I first heard these songs/stories back in grade school. I really think they are wonderful, motivating stories and songs that truly inspire children. I had to get it for my first baby so he can also experience the magic.

I first heard of FTBY&M in 5th grade(1979) the whole school watched it in assembly. I loved it-all the stories and most of all the music. It touched me like nothing I had seen or heard before. The title song had our whole school singing for days! Years later i just happened to come across the book in our library, and WOW! all those memories came rushing back!! THEN, two years ago, i was given the soundtrack to FTBY&M, and I have not stopped singing since. The music and stories got me thru a serious illness and a horrible breakup= and when I one day have kids of my own, I will pass the legacy on!!!!!

I grew up in the late '70s playing the record of "Free to Be you and Me" over and over. My mom actually had to buy me a second copy because I lost the song book and couldn't live without it. I still sing "When We Grow Up" and "It's Allright To Cry" in the shower and to my nephews. Now I share the wisdom of Atalanta and William's Doll with the teenage mothers I teach. While it doesn't take a genius to figure out the songs on the record were recorded in the '70s, they are timeless treasures for all of our children. Buy this book and the CD for the important children in your life. You'll never be sorry!

Molly's Pilgrim is an excellent story of the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Molly has just moved to America from Russia, and is not enjoying it one bit. Kids in her third grade class make fun of her all the time because of her clothes and accent. She can't stand it, especially her worst enemy, Elizabeth. When Molly's class starts a project on Thanksgiving, they are told to make a doll. When Molly tells her mother this, her mother makes a doll for her, and the doll looks exactly the way her mother did when she was a girl. Her mother tells her that the Pilgrims fled England because they wanted to practice their religion freely, this is exactly what Molly's parents did, making them Pilgrims. That day, Molly takes it to school, but it looks very different from everyone else's. The children make fun of her, but they have a very big lesson to learn; the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Anyone will enjoy this story, old or young, because many can relate to it.

The only negative thing I can think of to say about this book is that when I read it aloud, I have a very hard time not crying. It is a short and simple story (longer than a picture book, but an adult can read it aloud in one sitting, and most second or third graders could read it to themselves), but one of the most moving children's books I know of.

Molly is a turn of the century Jewish immigrant girl from Russia. She lives in a small town, where no one understands her, and other children make fun of her clothes, and accent and her ignorance of American customs. In November, her classmates are appalled that she has never heard of Thanksgiving. But as we get to know Molly better, we, and eventually her classmates, realize that this child, who left her country and moved to America so that she and her family could practice their religion without fear is no different from the first pilgrims.

By the time they reach second or third grade, most children have heard the story of the first Thanksgiving many, many times. This is a wonderful way to renew the meaning of the story for them, by reminding them that people are still coming to American for the same reasons they came hundreds of years ago.

Mrs. Stickly asks the class to make a pilgrim for Thanksgiving. Molly's mother makes one that looks like her. Mollys Pilgrim is a great book! At the end Molly understands that being different isn't bad. by Barbara Cohen

This wonderful 1972 story recalls the days in Brooklyn when most families had to share their bathrooms with neighbors and everyone managed.

The narrator recalls a particular year, perhaps during the 1930s or 1940s. Rosh Hashonah and Passover, aside from more important things, then also meant eating Mama's gefilte fish, which she made from fresh carp. By the day before the holiday, the market had no more big fish, so Mama always bought her carp a week in advance, and stored it, fresh, in the bathtub.

This particular year, though, Harry and Leah fell in love with the carp. "Some carp are much more lovable than others, and that Passover, we had an unusually playful and intelligent carp in our bathtub," says Leah. To save the carp, they brought the fish downstairs to Mrs. Ginzburg, who agreed to put the carp in her bathtub instead.

They hoped their father would save "Joe," but Papa would have none of it. He went straight to Mrs. Ginzburg's apartment, and retrieved their beloved fish before their mother even knew he was missing.

The children in the story never ate gefilte fish again, but a few weeks after their favorite carp died, their father brought home a cat, which they also named Joe.

Aside from teaching kids about bygone traditions, this story explains that they cannot always have what they want. No surprise, they love it as much as most kids love gefilte fish. Alyssa A. Lappen

I loved this book growing up. I agree with the previous reviewer...I am not Jewish and this ranks up with one of my favorite children's books. (My favorite being Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter). I always thought it was so neat that they had a carp swimming in their bathtub!

I think that Carp In The Bathtub is a great book for ages 4-13 the pictures were very funny ,and creative. It was interesting. It was entertaining also you can picture it in your head like you were in their shoes. The characters were pretty average people. I think the ending was a surprise. Like the rest of the normal books it starts off as a normal day some of it is boring. also some of it is exciting to. The basicage spain is about 4-13 on average ofmost of the readers would find it entereasting most of the book and so do I.

A dear friend had let me borrow her copy. After reading it, I had to get a copy. This book will warm your heart and the images are just wonderful. It's great to know others feel the same way as I when it comes to their dogs. Dogs share such a wonderful unconditional love and these stories are just one example. Get it for the dog lover in your life.

A wonderful book! I bought this book when seeking solace following the death of my first dog companion. It gave me comfort and hope to see that there were many more special dogs out there, (and I have since adopeted another one!).

This is a book that could be read all over the world, and be loved. (In fact, an international version would be a nice idea.) Any of us who have had or known a special dog find ourselves in this book. My dog Dilly writes her own page every day. You must read about these common and uncommon women and their extraordinary dogs!

Forever Friends is a delightful look at the close relationship between a pet dog, Petey and his boy companion, Skip. The text is warm and concise and reads aloud very well. The playful illustrations match the writing precisely in both spirit and content; an essential criteria for a great book in my children's estimation.

My nine year old opened the book initially thinking it was for "babies" but found herself highly amused that the story is told from an animal's perspective. She re-reads it often. We love Forever Friends!

Yes, children 2-8 will love this quiet book about friendship between a boy and his dog. Rolls are blurred and we're never sure who is taking care of whom--not that it matters. This book makes a great gift with which to celebrate an adult friendship. Especially one that has surmounted role reversals and faded boundaries.

Simply and engaging written by Barbara S. Cohen, Forever Friends is a warm, highly enjoyable children's picturebook about a young boy and his dog - forever friends, as seen from the pooch's point of view! Easygoing, simple caricature color artwork by Dorothy Louise Hall illustrates this delightful picturebook book for young readers ages 2 to 8 -- and most especially for boys and girls just learning how to read.

This book gave me so many hours of happiness (and fear!)as a teenager -- scary to think that that was about 12 years ago. The stories are urban legends that you may have heard before, but updated for the time period in which it was written (mid-80's). There's a scary story about babysitting, one about going on a date, having roommates...you name the teenage experience, there's a scary story for it in this book. I remember reading this under the covers with a flashlight and being terrified -- there is plenty of gore to go around, but put within a real enough context that it will send shivers down your back.

I highly recommend this book to teenagers of today who may enjoy the R.L. Stine books, or to any of you Gen-Xers out there who want to relive a piece of your youth. Great book!!!!!!!!

i thought this was the ultimate in terror i wish i could find a copy to buy i loved it!!!!

This book contains heartstoping, body cringing stories such as the title story The Headless Roommate, and others The Furry Collar, The Boyfriend's Death, The Man in the Back Seat, Frat Man and the infamous The Hook. Other than Helen Hoke you can't can't get more suspensful and frightning than these stories. Danial Cohen is the MAN! Even though it's a hard to find book, it's well worth the search.

I read this book when I was in elemntary school, that was over 15 years ago and the magic spell it has cast on me has never worn off. Now I'm buying it to read to my son, hopefully it can open up a world fantasy for him too!

I love this book! I read it in 5th grade, and decided it wasthe best! I'm in seventh now, and I still enjoy reading it. Ifanybody liked this book, they can read "Ella Enchanted", another good book.

This was an awesome book! Spectacular and interesting for ages 9 and up. I'm willing to recomend this book to anybody. But this book is pretty much just for girls.

This is a wonderful, large & colorful volume full of interesting and often unusual photos. There are pictures and text of everything about the fair from the greatest, most popular exhibits and events to the smallest details. Included are color photos of posters, collectibles, toys, souvenirs, postcards & etc. Trylon & Perisphere is an authoritative and definitive book recommended for anyone with an interest in the subject matter of the 1939/40 world's fair. If you can find a copy, let me know; I would love to own it myself! Thank you for this great work.

This beautiful book met nearly every expectation and desire I had for it when I first heard of it and requested it. I was looking for authoritative and definitive text and photos of this wondrous event, the 1939 New York World's Fair, and this great, big colorful book has it all. There are many unusual views of the various exhibits, buildings, details and paraphernalia (collectibles) from the fair. It is an absolutely fascinating reference for anyone interested in this slice of cultural history. Thank you for it!

Jamie Wyeth truly captures the spirit of Nureyev! The essays by Barnes, Phyllis Wyeth/Larsen (with intimate photographs by Susan Gray) and Lauren Raye Smith are enlightening, informative and truly moving.

I just read this book as a school project but now I have read it over and over. This is a great book about a girl named Buran who lives with her six sisters and her poor family in ancient Baghdad. Buran wants to help her family's money problems so she dresses up as a boy and joins a caravan across the Sahara to Tyre. There she sets up shop and soon she is making a good living. But soon she makes friends with the prince of the city. Buran secretly falls in love with him but she can't tell him that because the prince thinks that she is a he.

This book tells the story of a young woman with six sisters. Her rich uncle has seven sons and is considered blessed, while her father, a poor man with seven daughters is considered cursed. One of the daughters dresses as a man and makes a fortune as a merchant. I've read this book innumerable times and each time found it better than the last. As the only daughter in a family of six children, I took the story to heart the first time I read it and the main character became my personal heroine. She makes herself look like a man to succeed in a man's world, but she never loses sight of feminity. She is able to overcome the subservient role which is expected of women in her culture with poise. It is a truly inspirational story for any young girl to read.

I read this book as a young adult and thought it was wonderful. This book is about a very capable girl that sets out on her own to save her family and in the meantime finds her freedom and self-worth despite the restrictions of her moslem culture. Her father sired 7 daughters, and her uncle 7 sons and the whole book revolves around the irony that the man considered cursed with only girls later becomes wealthy and happy while all the rich cousins bankrupt their father. The heroine joins a caravan dresses as a boy as she leaves her home town to make her fortune. The work is hard but she is very skillful and inteligent at trading and becomes a pillar of the community in her adopted city. As a spice and herb trader she becomes famous (as a young man) and becomes close friends with the city's prince and his companions. It is only a matter of time before a the young men suspect their effemate young friend who doesn't go to the public bath house or go out drinking so they set up a series of hillarious tests to decide if he is really a she! Then story ends with a delicious series of punishments for the greedy cousins of her uncle that prevents her father from marrying her to any of the seven sons and the arrival of just the right prince for this extraordinary woman. Great book that reads like a popular fable that everyone has heard off but nobody really knows and that is great for contemporary audiences