In Happy Holidays Jessi, Jessi wants to have the kids in the neighborhood celebrate Kwanzaa. But then when Jessi, her sister, Aunt Cecelia, and Squirt get in a car accident, Squirt gets hurt. Will the Kwanzaa celebration happen? Or is it history?

I really liked this installment. Jessi, the narrator describes Kwanzaa, the African holiday and the history and traditions about Kwanzaa.

Jessi's redoubtable Aunt Cecilia is just as overly punitive as ever, until her father intervenes and reminds her that as long as she is living in HIS house, she will have to abide by HIS rules and not try to enforce her own. He defends his children and reminds his sister yet again that Jessi and her 8-year-old sister are still children and to cut them some slack. Chastened, the girls' aunt vows to do an about face and once again takes them Christmas shopping. Instead of chewing them out for being hungry or clowing around, the aunt bites her tongue. The only thing I had trouble with was her allowing the girls' baby brother to ride outside of his car seat when he becomes restless and fussy.

Unfortunately, they are involved in an accident and Squirt (John, Jr.) has to be hospitalized. Distraught over the baby's injuries, the parents chew the aunt out for her sheer irresponsibility (why would any ADULT allow a baby to ride in a car without being properly harnessed)? The Kwanzaa gatherings with other members of Jessi's family are strained and everybody is up in arms over the harm done to poor Squirt.

The subplot is excellent. Ann Martin has a real gift for creating dialog and scenes. The other members of the BSC plan a Kwanzaa skit and the BSCers and charges alike all get into the spirit of Kwanzaa and actually learn a few things. I laughed at the hilarious story of Malindy's Soul, the story the group put on. It was a delightful farce and really quite well woven into the story.

Fortunately, Squirt recovers and everybody has a wonderful holiday. Instead of Santa, everybody follows the Kwanzaa celebration. This book is really good.

I love this book! It's December again and Jessi, one of the two junior members of the Baby-sitters Club, is really looking forward to Christmas and Kwanzaa. Read this book to find out what happens!

I absolutely adore this book--not only as a cookbook, but as good basic reading material! It is full of delightful stories, quotes, helpful hints, etc....The recipes are very straight forward, and call for loads of fresh produce, which makes for healthier eating. Granted, some of the recipes are a bit 'far out' for me, but seeing as how I am a native Georgian, it is only natural that foods from 'up north' be a little odd for me. But, I try them none-the-less--this book is a favorite of mine!!! Don't put it on a shelf--leave it out on the coffee table!

Hollyhocks & Radishes is a delightful journal that originated with Judith Chard's Summer roadside vegetable stand in the Upper Pennisula of Michingan. Not only were fresh-grown vegetables available, but also the delicious recipes that could be created with them. Soon customers became friends corresponding with their own recipes and anecdotes. The book is illustrated with handwritten letters and drawings along with Mrs. Chard's wisdom and advice about the season's, birds, flowers, and, of course, her recipes. It's a great book to read on a cold winter's day when you're longing for Summer. Out of our collection of probably 100 cookbooks, this is our favorite. It's always my gift for a Bride-to-Be.

The minute I started reading this cookbook it instantly became my favorite! It is full of the best recipies...practical ones that use the freshest ingredients. It is set up so that you can create favorites for each season using what is most readily available. Along with the recipies is a delightful story that is so heartfelt it brought tears to my ears many times. I intend to buy many more copies as gifts.

This was one of my favorite books 30 some years ago, and have looked for it off and on for years. I was thrilled to see it in print again, though I admit I miss the old hard orange cover. This book helped shape my concepts, taught me at an early age we don't live on this planet alone, and everything we do effects others. It also helped shape an appreciation for the off-beat and odd humor of the world. The illustrations had as much influence on my building a solid sense of humor as Bugs Bunny and Monty Python did years later. A truly funny, and insightful book that every child should get a chance to pour over for hours.

This book was published in a bright orange cover back when I was a kidling. I remember pouring over it's poetic rhyme and realizing many moral truths just by it's incidental teaching. What my mother bought as simply a "bedtime" book has, as an adult, shaped the way I think, and I find myself even saying to my husband, as he leaves the faucet running "what if everybody did?"

As we are preparing for our first child, I rushed anxiously around my parents home for that original version, and although we found it, it was in too much distress to use for our child's moral compass building, so we have purchased a newer addition.

This is a wonderful book, light and yet a positive reminder of what really would happen if everybody did what THEY wanted!

This book is a wonderful way to introduce young children to the concept of "cause and effect," by stretching their imaginations to visualize what would happen if everybody did things like...

...make tracks? ...spill tacks? ...pull off a bud? ...jump in mud? ...slam the door? ...stomp and roar?

...and much, much more!

The illustrations, although in black and white, are absolutely hysterical! The book has a simple and gentle message of personal responsibility and introduces the child to a sense of community as they are asked to consider what would happen if everybody did...?

Highly recommended for children of all ages! A great way to help a young child extend meaning, and make text-to-world connections between them, and the larger world.

I bought this book 2 years ago and it is still good reading. It gives easy-to-follow instructions on how to clean, card, and spin other animal fur as well as doghar.....And it has made me more comfortable to know that there are others who do this and not that I am just spending too much time in the woods (As I have been accused of by neighbors)

Golden retriever scarves, Grand Pyranees hats, Siamese socks,and Samoyed sweaters! Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery force you not only to examine the logic of what materials to use for knitting, but also offer a new yardstick of the knit value of household pets. I have to admit that if I ever seek another dog, I'm going to be looking at the silky haired retrievers instead of short haired varieties that offer little more than dander and love. No more bulldogs or boxers for me--I want a dog that I can brush, spin, and knit big soft golden retriever sweaters. Truly a breakthrough in pragmatic thought!

Everyone in my house thought I was crazy until I brought home Kendall Crolius' book. She goes from start to finish, with suggestions for every step and every breed that you can use, to help you do it yourself. If you want your chore to be only the "colection", then she will point you in the right direction for sources for spinners & knitters. (This is the tack I took.)The book proved most helpful, making it possible for you to have a truly unique & cherished product either for yourself or for loved ones.

I got this book as a freebie when I worked in publishing, and after ten years using it I'd be glad to go back in time and pay full price.

Clear, well-directed photography shows you exactly what to do and what your ingredients should look like. The focus is on methods and techniques, not recipes, though there are some recipes too. The skills described range from boiling an egg to making the most sophisticated souffle, so there is useful information for really plain cooking to fancy gastronomie and everything in between.

The only area this book falls short on is the nitty-gritty basics like how to measure flour or bake a potato or calculate how many tablespoons in a quart. For that, get yourself a copy of the Joy of Cooking (1962, 1963, 1964 or 1975 edition much better than modern "improvements"). With these two you'll have virtually all the info on how to cook (aside from specific ethnic cooking techniques), and can focus on collecting recipes to your liking.

I bought this book when a friend recomended it to me. I used this book for everything dealing with cooking and baking and have been for a long time now. My brother-in-law came to me last week and asked me if I could recomend a good over-all cookbook and I didn't have to think twice. La Varenne Pratique is the only way to go. It covers everything dealing with techniques, cooking methods and general information on practically all foods. I also had the chance to go to France and work with Anne in her cooking school at the Chateau du Fey. It was by far the best experience that I ever had in the cooking field. Bon Appetit!

If faced with having only one cookbook, this would be it. I have seen no better reference for finding not only the answers to the simple day-to-day questions, but also, the answers to those wierd questions questions that crop up from time to time.

I believe that this book is the perfect book for the beginning cook with step-by-step instructions for making omeletts, peeling shrimp, chopping onions, etc...

I also believe that this is the perfect book for even the most experienced cooks as it demonstrates complex techniques in very straight-forward, illustrated terms. Topics like making aspics, pastries, cleaning monkfish, piping chocolate decorations...

This is the book I go back to time and time again. Pretty enough to be on the coffee table as long as your living room is close to the kitchen!

Having travelled a lot using the LP guides with no problems I can only recommend them... but even if your not planning a trip to Lebanon- this book is amazing as a reference to the region; making order out of the chaos of Lebanon's recent history in an unbiased and moderate historiography- unswayed by religous or cultural persuasion and remaining sensitive to Lebanon's unique history of generally fruitful co-existance and co-operation between some 15 different religous/cultural groups who inhabit and interpret such a dramatic and tiny country, especially in a region characterised by the sometimes not-so-happy collision between east and west. This is an extremely valuable guide for travellers, people with an interest in the Mediteranean and the Near East, or for that matter, any one of the 13 million Lebanese descendants living outside of that tiny piece of heaven. The section on Mount Lebanon was particularly good, though the author could have covered more of the awesome hiking trails and forest overlooking Beirut to be found in the Metn valleys (midway between Jenkins & Jousiffes Mt Lebanon & Chouf)... but no body's perfect!! :) This book is excellent and very well written- the authors deserve great credit.

I'm not going to tell you how good of a touristic guide this is, because you don't need a book to tell you that Lebanon is beautiful. If all you people who know nothing about the middle east, and how the conflicts came about, and how the wars that happened there within the last half century occured get this book. This book I believe, has the most realistic, unbiased, and totally true account of the crisis thats plagued the middle east since WWII. It goes into much detail, and outlines many sides of the story. It is extremely beautifully well told, and I'm incredibly indebted to this author, and I hope she publishes a book entirely dedicated on the war. The book also contains many beautiful pictures concerning then and now pictures that will literally blow you away. There are so many misconceptions about Lebanon its drives lebanease crazy. But gradually Lebanon is making a come back to what it originally was. The paris of the middle east.

I returned to Lebanon after many years away. This book had everything! My family (who have never left Lebanon) were also amazed by the detail and accuracy of the book (even the cost of a Taxi from Homs to Beirut to within 50 cents US). Insightful and straightforward. Arranged very well. There is very good detail, even on places that the Ministry of Tourism is scant on. Highly recommended!

This book is a near-vegan treatise on southern cooking, and the dishes are truly authentic. Jackson's style is friendly and easy to follow, and she and I share the same cooking philosophy -- that every dish is an experiment and every recipe is just a launching pad.

The recipe for Greens is a testament to its merits. Somehow Jackson manages to recreate the rich taste of salt pork that is normally used in traditional Southern greens recipes. Other standout recipes are Flawless Cornbread, Wild Woman's Bar-Be-Que Sauce and Big Bubba's Tofu. Another treat that makes the book worthwhile is the section on household hints, from how to season a cast-iron pan to how to ripen an avocado.

I was excited to come across this cookbook and am very glad to have bought it. Lots of comfort foods, and all really really tasty. Haven't made a bad one yet. Fried okra is just like my dad used to make (minus the bacon fat)

we use this one alot... the greens and the cornbread are perfect, if you want good ole southern food. Also love the trailer trash recipes, and the descriptions of picnics and summer nights. Good tips for using leftovers, and last nite's leavings.

This book spells out easily and completely the way to take charge and improve your health now. If you never start, you will not begin to reverse the years of food, chemical, and environment poisoning that your body has become accustomed to leading to the onset of the major diseases and ill health conditions that his generation is experiencing in proportions never before known.

In conjunction with other Wheatgrass and Ann Wigmore books, I feel better without medicine or pharmaceuticals of any kind in only a few short weeks. I lost 15 pounds the first two weeks without strenuous dieting. My craving for sweets has disappeared without any thought or struggle. Understanding these simple practices of biology is made easy through these books fromthe Hippocrates Institute.

This is one of the few books out there which teaches you how to take charge of your health in a very simple approach. No matter if you need to loose weight, want to save money in the kitchen or have more serious health problems such as cancer or chronic fatigue; Ann Wigmore gives you a clear picture how to get started.
Basically it's all about enzymes which metabolize your food and which are needed for every function in your body. Without enzymes there would be no life in your body. Where do you find these enzymes? They are avaiable by eating fesh organic fruits, vegetables, sprouts and nuts/seeds.
After 20 years of trying diffrent approaches to become healthier, this is the most significant one I've taken. It really makes a difference. Do you ever feel tired or bloated after a meal? Try her recipes and you will feel light and energized afterwards. I can really recommend this book to everyone who wants to be healthier, happier and more loving.

My Natural Medicine practice specializes in the recognition and utilization of diet, nutritional supplements, acupuncture and detoxification. One of most patient's problems is understanding what to eat and when. This book COMPLETELY describes the types of food and why and how to eat them. Cancer, depression and autoimmune disease (to name only a few) like rheumatoid arthritis are the end result of chronic exposure to environmental toxins like solvents and pesticides AND chronic nutritional deficiencies from eating fast food and junk food. This is the most important book you can buy to teach you how simple it is to regain your health AND prevent chronic illness like cancer.This book forms the basis of how we should eat AND understand the life-saving principle of intestinal and liver detoxification. Read, learn, and live a healthy life!

I've read many learning books -- I just finished Emotionally Charged Learning by Eric Schiffer which was one of my favorites. I also like this one very much because it equally is very strong and powerful! If I also had to train a group of people or point an organization towards achieving its goals as a learning organization, I would rely on both Emotionally Charged Learning and this book as my bible. Great writing style, great examples!

As someone reading this outside the US, I found the agenda in the book quite interesting. Unsurprisingly about one third of the text is taking up with issues in mathematics and science teaching - a source of major concern in the industrialised West. Lots of advice on principles and techniques (more limited) are offered to the reader. The book's style is that of a report. Topics are numbered and flagged in bold print for your attention. The subsequent text expands on the issues at hand. A valuable component of the book is the number of case studies it references, and one presumes these have been carefully selected. Overall as a review of 'learning sciecne' I found this a most impressive work. My major quibble with it is that the chapter of Brain and Mind sticks out like a sore thumb, and personally I didn't take it to bring anything to the debate in the rest of the book.

The book starts at a place appropriate for someone who never taught before, and presents convincing arguments from the beginning, to the very end. Whenever they introduce important concepts and ideas, they describe studies that really make them come to life. In fact, it would have sounded like a liberal opinion piece had they not provided an extensive bibliography for their findings. Theoretical ideas are weaved into practical advice to create an excellent introduction for an aspiring teacher.