I originaly bought this book through a book club at my daughter's school, but it became very worn and I had to seek out another copy. I actually bought two new copies. One to read to my two year old son and one to put away and pass on to his children. It's a wonderful book to read to any child about the love of a mother and a child. The illustrations are amazing. I highly recommend this book to anybody with a child in their life or as a gift to a soon to be mother. Enjoy!

It's been a while since I've come across a book that mychildren ask for every night. And for once I haven't tired of thestory. Even my 8-year-old begs for me to read it to him. Amazing, endearing illustrations. I've never seen such love in a monster's eyes--all three of them. I just want to be THAT mama who loves her little monster that much. It's a gentle nudge to remember what's important. Your kids know it, you know it. My boys go to sleep with the biggest hugs, knowing that their monster mama loves them too.

It's about time! I'm so glad there are books out there like this to help children see that monsters don't have to be scary! (Now parents all over the world can sleep better knowing their child won't wake them up at 2:00 am saying "there's a monster in the closet; I'm scared!" Well hey, one less thing!)

Bravo to Laura Leuck and Mark Buehner! The story and the illustrations are both hiliariously entertaining! Plus I think it helps kids relate to the fact that there are lots of different and yes even unusual types of people and families but hopefully they all love each other the way THE MONSTER MAMA loves her little monster! Also it reminds me as a parent that spending QUALITY TIME with my child is what lets her know I love her! It is truly all the countless "little things" you do for your child that add up. So go bake some cookies (but hold the bugs please!)

I highly recommend this book for adults as well as children! You'll both enjoy MY MONSTER MAMA LOVES ME SO, I guarantee it. Childrens' books have come a long way since I was a child! Adults can get a laugh and moral out of them too! After all, that is what books are for--to entertain and to teach.

As an educator, this book is one of the best. My kids and I both find this book excellent for children who are going through the changes of a new sibling. I read this book every year and my students always love it! The illustrations are simple, but expressive. A definte buy for the elementary school library!

I first heard of this book through Reading Rainbow on PBS. It's fabulous -- and fits my daughter to a T. When you're buying a baby gift for the new Julius in your circle of friends....don't forget this book. It's simply my daughter's favorite.

Kevin Henkes has written some wonderful books but Juilus steals my passion for reading. Everytime I read this story and act out Lilly's intolerable personality towards her baby brother Julius my students go wild. They especially love the part when Lilly is bending over the crib telling Julius the wrong order of the ABC's and 123's. I plan on buying all of Kevin Henkes books. I already have Chester's Way, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Shelia Rae the Brave, Chrysanthemum, A Weekend With Wendell, and Jessica. He is a great author and his books exhibit his talent.

'These Happy Golden Years' is an excellent book. One of the best in the Little House series. Laura is growing up and life for her is getting very interesting.

The book starts off rough for Laura. In order to make money for Mary's schooling, Laura is going away from home for the first time to teach school. She is staying with a family that has a very bitter wife who is not exactly friendly!

When Laura finally returns home she is happy to go back to school, but she is eager to earn more money. So, she helps the town dressmaker on Saturdays.

Mary is coming home for summer and Laura is so excited! The only problem is that she is staying with the dressmaker and her daughter out on their claim. Will Laura be able to go home and see Mary!?

As the book progresses Almonzo Wilder becomes even more a part of Laura's life. It is so sweet to read these two getting closer and more interested. Laura even helps Almonzo break some horses!

This book is interesting and sweet and the ending is wonderful! Pick it up today!

This book tells of 3 years of Laura's life between ages of 15, when she first goes out to teach school - to 18, when she gets married.

We witness Laura's growing up and realization that life is changing all around her. Mary is in college, and is independent enough to want to stay with a friend for the summer instead of coming home. It's obvious that Laura's relationship with her sisters and friends in school are changing - in 'Little Town on the Prairie' her school life for example, and her after school or weekend social activities with her friends are a large part of the book, but now we only hear of a few remote incidents, and we hardly hear anything about the going ons there, for instance we don't really get to know Florence, the new 'big girl'. This is partly due to the increasing role of Almanzo Wilder's part in Laura's life, but I think that is also partly due to the fact Laura isn't attending school full time anymore, but rather teaches school herself for a term or two a year.Except for Ida's small part in Laura's wedding, we don't hear of them any more for the rest of the series.

We also see Laura herself change: part of it is what I just mentioned about the change in what she describes in her social life. Another one would be her very detailed description of her clothes and fashions - even though we do hear about her dresses in previous books, she seems much more occupied with them this time, like any teenage girl... In betwen the lines, we do see that the Ingles family is doing better financially - they are improving their house, and can often afford luxuries such as a sewing machine and an organ for Mary.

I did find a few points I didn't like in this book, compared to the previous books in the series:

1) Instead of giving an account of a relatively short period (a year or 2, like in the previous books), we are now covering 3 years, and we usually get an 'in depth coverage' of a relatively short period, or a few remote incidents, then run through a long period which is skipped. Laura only described her first school with as much details as I was used to in her previous books, but the next 2 schools are hardly mentioned... It isn't as bad as her descriptions in 'The First Four Years', but it's still noticeable.

2) We get a lot more of Almanzo, while we get less of the pioneer life of that era... This is an autobiography of Laura's life, not a history book, I admit, but I think that the historical and cultural element of these books has been a major attraction for readers, especially the older ones.

This book, which was a 1944 Newbery Honor Book (that is, a runner-up to the Medal winner), continues the autobiography of Mrs. Wilders (1867-1957) through the years 1883 to 1885 when the author was 15 to 18 years old. It begins immediately after the events described in "Little Town on the Prairie"; she immediately begins her career as a school teacher in a very small schoolhouse about twelve miles to the south of De Smet, South Dakota (although South Dakota doesn't become a state until 1889). Through experimentation, practice, and management, she becomes a good school teacher and is able to keep up with her own studies. And, at the same time, earn enough money to help keep her sister Mary in a college for the blind in Iowa. Almanzo Wilder (1857-1949) continues to court her and drives her home each weekend in a horse-drawn sleigh. As time goes by their friendship turns to love and they are married and Laura goes off to Almanzo's homestead to have her own little house on the prairie. Throughout the book, the author continues to include details of frontier/homesteader life that brings that part of our history to life and shows how people worked hard to overcome difficulties, never giving up. In my opinion, this is the best written of all of the books in the series. It also shows the love that Laura and Almanzo truly had for each other.

This large format board book is a re-issue of the same title originally published in 1993. Each page has a double-spread illustration of an animal mother and baby, with the mother telling the baby how much it is loved. The final illustration is of a human mother cuddling her newborn infant, saying "I love you as much as a mother can love." The poem is sentimental, which in terms of the subject is quite alright, and the illustrations are lush and beautiful. Young children will enjoy the animals; their mothers will get teary at the words. This larger board book format will work very well in group sharing, such as toddler storytime, and is likely to be easier and sturdier for small hands to hold than the original paper edition was.

This book has not received the credit it deserves. I had never heard of it before my mother-in-law bought it for my son. It is an absolute MUST have book for new parents. The soft illustrations are beautiful. My 19 month old son loves this book. He seems to enjoy the rhyming words, and he loves to point at all of the animals. I can't read it to him without feeling that tremendous rush of motherly love. It can quickly make you forget all of the temper tantrums of the day. My husband and I both enjoy sharing this book with our little one.

I HAVE READ THIS BOOK TO MY 1 YR OLD DAUGHTER AND ALL THOUGH IM SURE SHE DOESNT UNDERSTAND THE WORDS, SHE UNDERSTANDS THE TIME WE ARE SHARING TOGETHER. SHE LOVES THE PICTURES AND POINTS TO EACH ANIMAL WHEN I TELL HER WHAT THE ANIMAL IS.SHE THEN POINT TO THE SMALLER ONE AND SAYS BABY.THIS BOOK IS SHORT ENOUGH TO HOLD HER ATTENTION.BUT LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON HER. WHEN I PUT IT DOWN SHE PICKS IT UP AND HANDS IT BACK TO ME. I BELIEVE READING TO CHILDREN IS VERY IMPORTANT AND MY LIL GIRL LOVES THIS BOOK. SHE HAS MANY BOOKS AND ALWAYS BRINGS THIS ONE TO ME.

A very exciting book
Everything is going great at Plum Creek. Pa makes a new house out of wood and it has glass windows. a will pay for the wood with the money from their first wheat crop. One day a huge cloud covers the praire and grasshoppers fall from it. Laura is very exciting and daring while Mary is more ladylike than Laura is. Pa and Ma are very loving parents. Read this book to find out what happens next. This is a very catching book. Once you turn the page you'll never want to stop reading it. I liked this book because after every chapter you just want to keep going. I also liked thes book because it told what real people had to go through. The characters do amazing things. I would rate this book from one to five a six. The age group for this book I think is 8 and up. I hope you read this book!

On the Banks of Plum Creek is a really good book. Laura is seven like me. Her big sister Mary is eight. The little sister Carrie is two. They moved to the banks of Plum Creek and built a house. There was a town three miles away so they got to go to school. They had lots of fun in the water. You should read this book.

Laura and her family have moved to a small farm near Walnut Grove in Minnesota. They will have to adapt to Minnesota, the sod house, and a lot more. Laura Ingalls is a seven year old girl who loves to explore the creek, and is daddies little angel. Laura lives with her Ma, Pa , her two sisters Marry and Carrie, and their loyal companion and bulldog Jack. Pa goes out to get lumber and builds a beautiful new house with windows and he farms wheat to earn money. One day Pa said that in a couple weeks the wheat would soon be ready to pick. Then they see this peculiar sparkling cloud that filled the sky. Shortly after countless numbers of grasshoppers cover the field, the creek, and the rest of the farm, including Laura and her family. The grasshoppers consumed every plant including the wheat that Pa worked so hard to grow.
Mary and Laura start to go to school and on their first day they met many friends and some foes. one of their rivals was named Nellie who had a party and invited all the girls from school. Nellie was very rude and very cruel to Mary and Laura. Laura decided to have a party as well, and invited all the girls from school. Laura invites Nellie particulary to get back at her, and boy did she do a clever and a funny prank on Nellie. Then the Ingalls experienced blizzards, storms, and prairie fires which were very devastating. After all the work the family put into the farm and the wheat, their work finally payed off.
This book had lots of surprising, unpredictable, and very exciting events. If I could rate this book on a scale of one through ten, I would give this book a ten. Once I started to read this book I couldn't put it down, because I was so hooked on it. This book is fantastic and is great for every age, and great for every age, and should be enjoyed by everyone. If your looking for a great book that will excite, delight, suprise, and grasp your attention, On the Banks of Plum Creek is just the book your looking for.

I wish this was Book One of a very long series...unfortunately, it currently stands alone. The story is delightfully imaginative and unique, told from the perspective of a porcelain family of dolls who surreptitiously live with the fourth generation of their beloved human family. Aided by the recent discovery of a secret journel, Annabelle, the little girl doll, resolves to decipher the mystery of her Aunt Sarah's disappearance from the house forty years before. Along the way, she learns the values of courage and friendship, determination and family love. Filled with adventure and truly interesting perspective, the book also teaches children about the differences in society today versus life 100 years ago. It's accompanied by wonderfully drawn illustrations that are featured throughout the book on practically every page. My daughter, aged 6, really loved the story and insisted upon sleeping with the book at night in place of her usual stuffed animals! In our family, this book ranks right up there with Charlotte's Web and Harry Potter.

What a terrific story! My daughter (10 yrs) and I read this book together during our nightly ritual for reading before bedtime (together), and each night we had difficulty putting the book down, wanting to just keep reading to see what would happen next! The author writes in such a way that it makes one feel as if they are right there, living the story along with the charecters. When everyone at Kate's house is fast asleep the Doll family comes alive, inspiring the imagination and for some of use remembering a time when we too wondered if our dolls ever came alive when we weren't looking!

A great story, with wonderfully animated charecters, a good mystery and fun suspense that'll keep tickling your funny bone, especially when the Captain (a real live cat) decides to investigate the dolls, or a real spider almost the same size as one of the doll charecters, crawling a wee bit too close for comfort, truly awakening the imagination with the authors knack for giving just the right amount of detail to keep your mind wanting for more...

I'd recommend this book for anyone who enjoys sharing great stories with their children, especially moms and daughters.. even for adults who have a passion for dolls. Excellent, will be one of my favorites for a long long time.

I am a doll lover, and am always looking for books like this. I got lucky here; a favourite author, favourite illustrator, and a favourite subject. The story is a lot of fun too; Annabelle, an eight-year-old doll made nearly 100 years ago, has to deal with two events at once; worrying about the mysterious disappearance of her Aunt Sarah fifty-five years ago, and dealing with a family of plastic dolls that has been bought for the younger sister of the girl who owns the old dollhouse. It is funny, lively, and a lot of fun to read. I loved it and hope they write more books about the two doll families.

I really enjoyed this book. I was on vacation and read it in one day, and was sorry when it ended. I hope it's not too long before Ms. Levine graces us with another Jaine Austen mystery. It is a laugh out loud, fun book, and I like the fact that a person who is not really a detective, trying to solve a crime, seems like a person who is not really a detective. Mistakes and all! Read it and enjoy!

Jaine Austen runs a (mostly) successful freelance writing business. In between promo material for commercial companies, she gets a request to write a love letter. Geeky Howard Murdoch has a crush on Stacy, one of the instructors at his fitness center. Jaine figures Stacy will never agree to the date and is shocked to learn that her letter actual was successful. But the biggest shock is when Howard arrives for their date to discover Stacy bludgeoned to death with her thigh master. The police are sure Howard did it, and Jaine feels responsible for getting him in this mess. So she starts digging into the case herself. She finds no shortage of suspects, but can she figure out what's happening before something happens to her?

This series debut was an absolute delight. The story is well plotted, and the pace never lets up. The main characters are fleshed out well. What sets this book apart, however, is the humor. Written in the first person, the pages drip with wit and sarcasm in all the right places. I constantly had a grin on my face, and several times found myself laughing out loud. Yet, it never looses sight of the fact that it's a murder mystery first; the humor never gets in the way of the story.

Anyone looking for a light, fun mystery for a relaxing weekend or trip need look no further. I've already added this series to my favorites and look forward to Jaine's further adventures.

I am slways on the look out for a book that can successfully blend a good mystery with humor and a touch of romance. This book hits a home run in all those areas. The cover alone was enough to catch my eye, but what lies between the covers is a fun, fast-paced read that introduces us to amateur sleuth Jaine Austin. Jaine is great and her perspective on life, love, food and the LA scene will keep you laughing while you go with her on a journey to find out whodunit. As is the sign with a book you really enjoy, I was glad to reach the end of the book, and yet sorry that it was over. This is definitely a keeper and, I hope only the first book in what promises to be a very promising series.

WOW! Start with the cover with its dawn view across Baltimore's famed Inner Harbor of Domino's "Sugar House." Inside it gets even better. Laura knows Bawlmer and brings it to life. Throughout the Tess Monaghan series, she brings you the sights; the smells of McCormick's spices wafting across the harbor; the taste and diversity of the ethnic neighborhoods and foods (although I think I'll pass on the 'green pepper rings with powdered sugar'). Combine this with a well rounded mystery story with well developed and believable characters (including the animals) and you have a great book. Each of her books can be read individually, but I recommend starting with the first of the series, BALTIMORE BLUES, and following the series in order. And it's not just for Baltimoreans -- most other cities have similar neighborhoods, so no matter where you're from you will ENJOY!

Tess Monaghan is a blue collar woman in Baltimore, the ultimate blue collar city. She agrees to take a case for a friend of her father's--trying to find out why the friend's brother died in prison. Her investigation leads her into both the upper reaches of society and down to a strange underworld of prostitution, unethical centers for treatment of eating disorders, and crooked politicians.

Laura Lippman has surrounded Tess with a charming assortment of friends and family members. Their obvious affection for Tess makes her more compelling to the reader. As Tess steps more and more deeply into danger, you'll find yourself turning the pages faster and faster. The mystery is well crafted and Lippman dangles clues, one by one, leaving the reader like Tess certain that there is a way of connecting them without actually able to do it.

This book is especially popular in Maryland which is great--as a longtime resident of Maryland I felt at home reading it--but it is far to good to be missed out on by the rest of us.

THE SUGAR HOUSE may be the best mystery you read this year.

As a mystery writer with my first book in its initial release, I genuinely admire Laura Lippman, an author who is clearly at the top of her game. SUGAR HOUSE is Lippman's first hardcover mystery, and it is a fabulous novel. Lippman's protagonist, Tess Monaghan, agrees to her father's request and attempts to identify a nameless dead girl whose murderer himself was murdered. To accomplish this task, Lippman takes us on a tour of the Atlantic coast. Tess journeys from her usual stomping grounds of Baltimore to Annapolis, Philadelphia, and Maryland's Eastern Shore. Lippman continues to develop her Tess character, as well as several supporting characters. SUGAR HOUSE's plot is first-rate, and Lippman's writing is smooth. It is difficult to believe that it has taken five paperback books for Tess to reach hardcover. SUGAR HOUSE is a great mystery, and I recommend it highly.

I just finished Laura Pedersen's Beginner's Luck and found it to be hysterically funny. Ms. Pedersen seems to have a gift for finding humor in the most bizzare situations. Her characters are believeable and well developed. They all seem to share a very special humanity that binds them together in a most charming way. This book would make a teriffic movie because it has such a broad appeal. Anyone from 16 to 75 will enjoy it. The writing is clever, wicked and touching !! A great read !!

As a bookaholic with no intention of recovering, I'm telling you the last writer who made me laugh out loud AND left me weeping at the end with joy was Dickens -- until I encountered a marvelous new novelist named Laura Pedersen, author of the just published coming-of-age fable, BEGINNER'S LUCK. This is one great read, notable for the vitality of Hallie Palmer, it's heroine; for its irresistibly off-beat cast of characters, canny wisdom, total lack of pretension, "wish-I'd said-that" wit, and a plot that races along like gangbusters.
Although this may sound strange, BEGINNER'S LUCK reminded me of THE LOVELY BONES. Certainly, the subject matter couldn't be more diverse, but -- in both cases -- the first-person narration by a teenage girl who grows up in the course of the novel glows with a universality which explains its appeal to readers who'll never even remotely see fifteen or sixteen again. A perk: sitting around with friends and casting the movie while waiting for the next installment of Hallie Palmer's excellent adventures. I can honestly say that BEGINNER'S LUCK is one of the most satisfying reading experiences I've had in ever so long.

It's a delight to discover a wonderful new book -- with a nice story, fantastic characters and terrific humor. This is a gem of Americana showing daily life in this country, but how it can easily be made colorful, exciting, and interesting with the addition of a few crazy friends. The good news is that we almost all have a few eccentrics around, either friends, teachers, or Uncle Ed who sleeps with his fishing pole. However, the author combines all the elements like a perfect recipe for dinner, complete with dessert. If you're tired of all the bad news, read this book and regain your sense of humor, or just escape for a few hours. I haven't laughed so hard since Erma Bombeck and Florence King were writing. Especially when Olivia hits the ceramic deer and Bernard runs around shouting WWMD -- What Would Martha Do?

"Living Your Best Life" is a practical guide on discovering what you want while presenting the skills it will take to get it. The foundation of the book is the belief that each person has their own innate wisdom that can be used as a resource. Once you have tapped into that resource, a change in attitute and perspective can help you create the life your wise self desires.

I purchased this book as an informational companion to my role as a coaching client. As someone in the midst of many personal and professional decisions, I found the client success examples illustrating each idea to be energizing and inspiring. Fortgang's perspective is a breath of fresh air in a world that tells you to push for your goals. Fortgang supports allowing your innate wisdom to pull you toward your passion and purpose.

"Living Your Best Life" is not about making lists, or even making plans. It is about knowing what you really want in life, instead of what you think you can have. It is about being who you are so you can do what you are meant to do in order to live your best life.

If you are looking to take your life or your business to the next level, Laura Berman Fortgang clearly shows you how to create your own roadmap to get there. This extraodinary guide provides a process for tapping into your own wisdom using empowering "Wisdom Access Questions." My personal favorites are: "How have people used you?" and "Who have you been for them?" -- questions that help determine who we are and what we are built for.

Strategies, tools and techniques for creating success (in your own terms) and living a life that is passionate and purposeful, are also provided in this brilliant book. Laura is truly a guru in the world of coaching, and she shares her considerable wisdom and coaching experience in this wonderful book.

Living Your Best Life is a "what-to" manual for building a life that not only feels right but is supported by a solid foundation.
Laura Berman Fortgang has provided all the required tools to escavate the raw materials, that are within all of us, to create a meaningful and productive life. Her book is the perfect guide to finding your own personal wisdom and is full of self-directed exercises to design your best life (worth buying just for the appendix). Laura Berman Fortgang is the real deal. She knows from where she speaks. Her book has had a profound and lasting impact on my life and the people who I care about. What is your dream?