I have read two guides to Baltimore, this one being the much better of the two. Several differences between the two guides, the most striking being that this has a much more positive take on Charm City, and expresses the importance of the people as well as the attractions. After reading this book I was prepared for the fact that Baltimore people are very friendly, like to talk' and expect you to talk to them, whether you are in their store just looking around, or walking past them on the street as they sit out front on the marble steps. And really you should take the time to do it; people are interesting.
This book is $2.00 more and 150 pages longer that the City Smart guide, and well worth the extra money. If you are going to Baltimore, this is the book.

This is a great book for out of towners and also the residents of Baltimore. It really gives you a good out look of the city.

Baltimore has been needing this book for along time! Whether you're visiting or you live in the area (because when visitors come you can never think of where to take them!) this guide has it all. This really is the "insiders" guide, with all the information only a local would know, it even has info on neighborhoods to visit! Baltimore is such a great place to discover, make sure you take this with you and won't miss a thing!

Benny is an endearing pup I immediately fell for, after seeing him heading off down the railroad tracks with his things. The story is clever and the illustrations are heart-warming. Benny's adventures are realistic enough to engage everyone: his unfortunate firing from his job as a magician's assistant, to his finding a new family who loves him. This book is a thumb's up for all readers.

A wonderful book for the preschool set, with enough humor in both illustrations and text to appeal to the most jaded adult. Teaches lessons about accepting oneself and finding love. A great read-aloud -- Bob Graham does it again!

I bought two books for my son (7) and daughter (5) to help continue their developing interest in chess. The two books are Chess For Children and How to Beat Your Dad at Chess. The latter turned out to be too advanced for my kids, but Chess For Children is exactly what my kids needed to learn about the game. Written by teachers in Lincolnshire, England, the book uses great techniques to help children understand basic skills. My children already know how to set up the board and how each piece should move on the board, but the methods in Chess For Children help them go beyond "how" a piece moves to "why" they should move it.

For example, the book features the Lincolnshire System, or the "Pawn Game", teaching kids to play with only the pawns. This method develops an understanding for how to use pawns in concert and how quickly the picket line can dissolve when a player doesn't ensure the pieces mutually support each other. The authors also present several other interesting techniques for teaching youngsters how to maneuver (instead of move) knights, rooks and bishops around the board. My daughter's favorite game is the Mad Queen, pitting the queen on one side against all of the pawns of an opponent. The opponent must attempt to get one pawn to the far side before the queen kills them all.

My kids love the games and techniques outlined in Nottingham's book. The authors weave a mix of chess history, years of enthusiasm teaching youth, along with the basics of chess. The product reflects a wealth of experience and a passion for both children and the game of chess. Bravo! Highly recommended!

I bought this book because I did not want to teach my son poor chess habits. He did not read it (to the best of my knowledge), but I was able to extract a few important things in an appropriate order to tell him as we played. I enjoyed reading it too! Results? My son presses me very hard at chess: if I don't concentrate he trounces me. Sometimes even if I do not have a break in my concentration he still wipes me off the board.

Wallace and Gromit rock! They are the stars of some of the cleverest animation around. Great story to go with the film.

diabolically entertaining and cleverly humorous--this is my favorite "Wallace and Gromit". the penguin adds the much needed tension that seperates the mind set of the crafty dog Gromit from his simpleton owner, Wallace. it is an enjoyable narrative for all ages.

My daughters love this book about Charlotte--the capricious little girl who is "looked after" by her friend Henry. Bob Graham's illustrations of these characters celebrates childhood in it's very essence. Charlotte and Henry are very basic kids without prescribed gender roles imposed on them. It's unfortunate that this book and many other of Bob Graham's books are out of print!

This is the only anthology of poems that we currently have formy 1 1/2 year old daughter and I am not sure it can be topped. Theillustrations are wonderful, from lyrical fish, to beret-wearing little girls throwing tantrums. The poems are from all over, and from all time periods, some by established writers, like Robert L. Stevenson, and others by unknown authors. Not all of the poems are big hits with us, but 85% are right on the money. "Dr. Stickles Tickled Me" really helped break the ice at recent trip to the pediatrician, and "Silvery Silvery, Over the Trees, the Moon Drifts by on a Runaway Breeze" makes a great bedtime verse. I bet most of us don't remember much poetry from our childhood, but this book makes re-learning it all great fun.

i thought this book was very educational and full of information.i've read this book 3 times now and i really love it.i think that is a book for all ages and i would defenantly recommed it to a friend.it tells you some very intersting things that i found very exciting.that is why i rated it at five stars because it was nearly perfect.

What a surprisingly great book! We chose Queenie, One of the Family on site from the library because of its whimsical illustrations. Now, after reading it to our three year old, again and again, we're constantly surprised by the new things we discover together. Now a family favorite, it's a thoroughly engaging book: the detailed illustrations are a delight for children as well as adults and provide a starting point for endless discussion. The text is easy to follow, thoughtful and melds seamlessly with the pictures. The book as a whole is funny and charming.

I love all of Nick Park's characters in his movies I absolutly love the character Gromit because he aks so civilized. I also enjoy Wallace's loving,care free,and sometimes comical moods.

...P>The story is well paced, with succinct text. When the family goes to the pound, They fall in love with a puppy - then meet a big old stocky dog, that they don't take home, but can't stop thinking about. The story is both funny and very poignant. Don't worry, the ending for all, is a happy one.

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Really, this is a wonderful book! ...

My grandson and I adore this humorously poignant story of love between humans and canines. It makes me laugh, but I also get a little teary. The illustrations are just plain wonderful--endearingly chunky parents with tattoos and nose rings. I love it!

This wonderful book won the 2002 Boston Globe - Horn Book picture book award and for good reason. Brimming with love and appeal, this charming story will tug at your heartstrings and remind you of how pets adopt us as much as we adopt them, and how they return with gratitude the love and comfort that we give them.

Here is a *real* family, with children's drawings taped up around the house and the occasional sock hanging out of a drawer. The love and caring that the family members feel for each other is palpable. As for the dad's shirts, they often reflect his mood: the shirt bearing the image of a lit match changes to an extinguished one when the family wistfully leaves the shelter without Rosy. And when the family hits upon a new idea, the dad's shirt shows a lit bulb. As for messages, in one scene, the mother is wearing a shirt with the familiar "No Smoking" image of a red line through an encircled cigarette. Bob Graham is a warm, sincere and caring man (and father) who would *never* send unhealthy messages in his work.