The inaugural volume from a series loosely based on Henry Winkler's own (less than comforting) childhood as an undiagnosed dyslexic/dyscalculaic pre-1970's civil rights laws, this story introduces Hank Zipster---and subsequently implied radical educational pedagogy missing components to educational equality for students with disabilities.

Conjuring up TV images of street demonstration and angry mobs, "radical" actually means to get at the root cause of something.

Unlike the open isolation and secrecy experienced in Winkler's youth, today's students have disability rights laws on the books ensuring their equal educational access, but the same statues can only reach full potential when students with disabilities are not formally/informally stigmatized for their "difference" against non-disabled peers.

The default trying nature of such topics may potentially shock readers whose 'juvenile fiction series' reads are confined to traditionally light-hearted and easy-going fare, but the presentation arrangement is obligatory because even when appropriate services are rendered, students with disabilities leave American schools with low self-esteem engendered by classroom and cultural stigmatization as the 'bad' other to be avoided at all costs.

That this series is written by a person with a disability himself (who just happened to be a cultural mega star) is infinitely better than having a person (however well intentioned) second-hand guess what such childhood experiences are like.

Lucky that I could talk with my own parents about some of my own experiences, I also knew this option was unavailable for other people, and sometimes even I needed to network with others like myself.

Exposing me to the inherent inequities in the American educational system, this very same difference had also made me a target of peers (and sadly, teachers) who did not want to acknowledge me as a full and rounded person with many of the same general goals and dreams they also possessed. My place in the world was ultimately contingent upon my knowing and standing up for disability rights.

Also true to his own personality, Winkler never talks down to his audience during the adventures, instead reassuring the normalcy of wanting to fit in while being different from others in the immediate environment. The fast-paced dialog helps kids find both themselves and a voice.

Because no civil rights law can actually require a child to have self-esteem (or respect such boundaries of others) these books are important corollary to a still-relatively untouched subject. Narrowly constructed definitions of 'smart' and 'progress' continue to impede truly constructive nation-wide special education policy discussions.

Politicians from all across the political spectrum have rendered themselves hoarse pontificating on 'academic success' and 'leaving no child behind' but Winkler's efforts clearly demonstrate actual willingness providing these very tools to the audiences needing such tools the most.

If only this series were out when I was in public school.

Congratulations and thank you to Henry Winkler!!! These books are fabulous for everyone... children... parents... and a must for every teacher! The books are hysterically funny, well written and do not talk down to kids. Most important, without being heavy handed, Hank Zipzer has a universal message that every child will relate to. Buy this book! You will love it and your kids will love it!

To be quite honest, I wanted to read this book because when I was growing up, Henry Winkler was one of my favorites. Now that I have read the book, he is still on my list. This book would be an excellent classroom read aloud. The fast paced dialogue and eye for detail kept my interest. Hank Zipper, the narrator, is such a well thought out character. Anyone who has been around ADD, AHDH, or other children with learning disabilities will recognize him immediately. Winkler is right on with this book. I just hope that as a teacher, I am more like Mr. Rock than Ms. Adolph!

I remember as a kid, the power the Fonz had on American kids. When his character got a library card, applications for library cards increased nationally. Now that Henry Winkler has turned author, I know he will be impacting more kids in a positive way.

Hank Zipper is a kid with learning disabilities that aren't diagnosed yet. But he doesn't let that stop him. This book moves quickly and is full of vivid descriptions of Hank's adventures. The scene with the two dogs and the chase through the mansion is a hoot!

Kudos to Winkler on this latest venture. This book would be a good classroom read aloud!

This book is hysterical. It helps to have read NIAGRA FALLS, OR DOES IT first, just for the sake of continuity in the story. The description of how the report card ends up in the meat grinder and the meeting of Cheerio the Dachsund and the big dog are hysterical. This book would make a great classroom read aloud for grades 2-5. I think that even the most reluctant of readers would be caught up in Hank's adventures and might even see some familiar traits. Winkler and Oliver vividly and realistically show the struggle that kids like Hank have each day in school. I know that Arthur Fonzarelli would find Hank Zipper to be a cool guy. Aaaay!

I thought this book had a very gentle way of telling a beautiful story. I highly recommend this book to any fan of Beauty and The Beast.

This beautifully illusrated and simply written story of the birth of Christ is a perfect book to share with young and old alike. The pictures are large and vivid, and the story simply follows the biblical account of the nativity. We enjoy reading it aloud together on Christmas eve, maybe you will too!

Cosgrove weaves a masterful tale that is captivating for adults and children alike. There is a magical quality about the story. The illustrations are whispy and soft, perfectly complementing the mystical feeling. It really is a wonderful book (although I caution that it may be disturbing for the youngest readers). In addition I highly recommended any books in the Serendepity Series, also by Cosgrove.

Excalibur is a wonderful book, a real treat for the eyes. The story is a straight-forward, easily understood retelling of the story of how King Arthur came to possess the sword Excalibur. What makes this book unique are the illustrations. Rich, deep, vibrant colors draw the viewer into a world where fantasy and reality are intertwined. This is the world of Arthur as I have always imagined it to be: mysterious places, beautiful people, uniquely detailed settings and creatures. A wonderful book to share with a child.

This lively book based on the same-titled hymn follows the adventures of a young boy and his faithful parrot as they explore God's kingdom. Written for kids ages 3-7, the text is lyrical and engrossing and the animals in the illustrations look completely real. The book ends with song lyrics and music.

This is an easy review - the book is simply great! If parents are willing to sit down with their children and read, especially starting before they are two years old, this book will help to spark the imagination of practically any child. The song couldn't make a better subject for a book. The story should help form the foundation for a strong moral and religious background. The illustrations are beautifully done and our twenty-two month old picks out things that we hadn't even noticed. I recommend the book to all parents and encourage them to read it nightly, taking the time to discuss what they see in the pictures. I sincerely hope the author has more projects in the works!

All creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all... This is a great hymn, one of my favorites (especially the arrangement by John Rutter). Reading (singing!) this book to my children has given them an appreciation for the beauty in God's world. The illustrations are the kind that a child is drawn into - the kind they can gaze at and imagine themselves in the scene.
A carefree country girl goes on a ramble as the hymn unfolds. My children (me too!) want to kick off their shoes and share in the child's absorption of the beauty around her.
Great way to children-ize a hymn.

Just as Clement Moore gave us the definitive Santa Claus in "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (a.k.a. "The Night Before Christmas"), Charles Dickens gave us the definitive Christmas spirit in his simple but charming novella "A Christmas Carol". First published in 1843, this supernatural story of an elderly man's redemption from his mean-spirited, miserly ways takes place in Victorian London, but its universal theme of charity towards our fellow man has endeared this classic to many a generation around the globe. In addition to its priceless role as a morality tale, the book colorfully describes the Yuletide customs practiced in England during the early nineteenth century. This Washington Square Press edition of "A Christmas Carol" is unabridged, yet you can understand why so short a book is yet published in abridged versions, especially for schoolchildren. Not infrequently, Dickens veers from the main story line and goes into tangents of a philosophical or descriptive nature, much like the converser who abruptly changes the subject only to return to it with the familiar "Anyway, ... ". I assume children (and some adults) may find these tangents cumbersome and distracting, but they are still useful in that they reflect Dickens' thoughts while writing the book. It may still be difficult for some of us to think that cold-hearted Christmas-bashers like Ebenezer Scrooge exist, but look at human nature around you, and it will be difficult no more. At a time when "Merry Christmas" is being supplanted by a more vague "Happy Holidays", and the season gives way to coarse behavior and unchecked materialism, "A Christmas Carol" is the perfect guidebook to put things into perspective.

Master storyteller and social critic, Charles Dickens, turns this social treatise on shortcomings of Victorian society into an entertaining and heartwarming Christmas ghost story which has charmed generations and become an icon of Christmas traditions. Who, in the Western world has not heard, "Bah, Humbug!" And who can forget the now almost hackneyed line of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!" or his cheerfully poignant observation, that he did not mind the stares of strangers in church, for he might thus serve as a reminder of He who made the lame, walk and the blind, see. Several movie versions: musical, animated, updated, or standard; as well as stage productions (I recall the Cleveland Playhouse and McCarter Theatre`s with fondess.) have brought the wonderful characterizations to the screen, as well as to life. This story of the redemption of the bitter and spiritually poor miser, and the book itself; however, is a timeless treasure whose richness, like Mrs Cratchit`s Christmas pudding, is one that no production can hope to fully capture.

It's hard to think of a literary work that has been filmed and staged in more imaginative variations than Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"--there's the excellent George C. Scott version, the delightful Muppet version, the charming Mr. Magoo version, etc., etc. But ultimately true "Carol" lovers should go back to Dickens' original text, which remains a great read.

"Carol" tells the story of cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who despises the Christmas holiday and scorns all who celebrate it. But a visit from a series of supernatural beings forces him to reevaluate his attitude--and his life.

With this simple plot Dickens has created one of the enduring triumphs of world literature. It's a robust mix of humor, horror, and (most of all) hope, all leavened with a healthy dash of progressive social criticism. One thing I love about this book is that while it has a focus on a Christian holiday, Dickens puts forth a message that is truly universal; I can imagine this story resonating with people of any religious background, and also with more secular-oriented people.

This is a tale of greed, selfishness, regret, redemption, family, and community, and is enlivened by some of the most memorable characters ever created for English literature. Even if Dickens had never written another word, "A Christmas Carol" would still have, I believe, secured his place as one of the great figures of world literature.

Anna Sewell's novel Black Beauty is a timeless classic for readers of all ages, but has a main demographic of females from the age 9 to 16.
The story takes place in 19th century England. IT follows the life and experience of a horse named Black Beauty. The horse is born on a farm and sold at the age of four. His first owner Squire Gordon is a great loving man. Black Beauty is treated with respect and dignity. The story follows the horse as he is then sold from owner to owner. He becomes neglected and abused by carriage owners. A loving and gentle man finally purchases Black Beauty. He cares about the horses and treats them well. Black Beauty is finally happy as a carriage horse when tragedy strikes. His owner is struck with illness and is forced to sell the horse. Black Beauty is sold to a poor owner and is neglected. He longs to go back home to squire Gordon's farm and live a happy life once again.

The book is uniquely enough from the horse's point of view. This helps children connect with the horse, and makes the book more interesting and easy to follow along with. The heart breaking tale of a horse's life that will readers leave on the edge of their seat wanting to keep reading, dying to find out what happens next. The book goes into detail about how animal abuse used to be in the early 1900's. Older children have and will continue to enjoy this book for generations to come.

What girlhood would be complete without reading this tearjerker classic? As a child, there wasn't much I loved more than books, horses and a good cry -- and this provided all three.

For those of you who don't know the story, Black Beauty is horse in England during the 19th century. He begins life with a loving master, but due to circumstances is sold several times -- to owners both kind and cruel.

Sewell, a Quaker woman, wrote this book (first published in 1877) to enlighten the public. Horses at the time were often beaten, starved and overloaded. Sewell's book, however, became a catalyst for change and ushered in a new way of thinking about the treatment of animals.

Since pictures & illustrations are as much a part of a child's imagination as the written word, then this book beautifully combines both, with the abundant B&W line illustrations by illustrator Lucy Kemp-Welch, in addition to the 12 colour plates included - all in keeping with the time period this novel is set in. A wonderful edition to any child's library. I've been reading horse-topic related books for as long as I can remember; but the very 1st horse story that left an indelible impression on me was ANNA SEWELL's " BLACK BEAUTY ".

It really openend my eyes as to the abuse and cruelty - and majestic fraility - that these wonderful creatures suffer at the hands of their human counterparts.

Ms Sewell opted to write this book from " the horse's point of view " and she was one of the very few authors that was able to pull this off with such great success.

This book also, laid the cornerstone for the ASPCA aims and goals, and brought to light the conditions and treatment of working horses in 20th century London, England ( and elsewhere ).

The story is such a wonderful tale of a horse's life from start to finish; told with a quiet dignity and warmth - and serves as a successful analogy also, as to how humans should interact with one another.

This book also laid the cornerstone for my interest and love of horses, and further spurred my interest in reading about all things Equine.

From there, and I went on to read all of Walter Farley's "The Black Stallion" series ( I used to collect the hardcover editions), and Marguerite Henry's books, and National Velvet(which really wasn't about a horse per se, but more about a little girl who's dreams come true), and anything else I could get my horsey-hungry hands on!

I now keep a copy of Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty" in my library at home, and have given a copy to my daughter to read.

This is a tale that sensitizes the reader to the plight of horses at the hands of their human caregivers, trainers, etc - all told from the horse's mouth ( so to speak )..!

And lest we think that the inhumane treatment of horses has abided since this book was written - one only has to follow the controversy surrounding the use of "Premarin", or abusive training methods of gaited horses, or the Thoroughbred racing industry, or rodeo...etc.

There is still much to be gleaned about the exploitation and abuse of animals from this book - which will always remain a timeless classic.

Kim C. Montreal, 05/2000

"When I was a young girl, I had long braids, and always wanted to be Rapunzel," confided a colleague at a recent meeting. Paul Zelinsky's Caldecott award-winning retelling of this age-old tale of a mother-to-be's craving for the forbidden rapunzel, a possessive sorceress, a beautiful girl with an unending cascade of silky hair shut away in a remote tower, and a handsome prince just might reawaken those desires. In his informative "Note About Rapunzel ," Zelinsky relates how he drew on elements from the early French and Italian sources as well as from the better known Grimm version of this tale to create his own compelling version. Thus, some details of the story are less familiar. Rapunzel naively reveals that she has had a visitor in the tower when she asks the sorceress to help her with her dress for, "It is growing so tight around my waist, it doesn't want to fit me anymore." Other elements, retold in their familiar spare rhythm, such as "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" retain ther original power. Zelinsky uses the formal beauty of Renaissance art to evoke both the physical beauty of the characters and the Italian landscape. His large oil paintings overflow with softly muted colors, billowing folds of finely detailed period costumes, ornate architecture, and majestic landscapes. His masterful use of glinting and filtering light illuminates every page. Zelinsky's Rapunzel is a book to be treasured by anyone who appreciates a timeless tale and delights in an object of visual beauty.

An excellent choice for many ages. This book is a beautiful and rich rendition of a traditional tale. Zelinsky has filled the pages with orderly, exquisitie details that are reminescent of Renaissance paintinings. The illustrations merit review closely and the reader will find new wonders each time they visit the work. Children of all ages will find enjoyment in these pages. Readers may particularly enjoy the intricate tower Rapunzel is locked in. The text has just enough suspense and evil and good strike a comfortable balance for chlidren.

This past weekend, our 3-1/2 year old daughter's grandparents came into town. Her Nonna told her a bedtime story about Rapunzel, a story she had not heard before. She was enchanted. Needless to say, Nonna went out the next day to buy a book and she came home with Paul Zelinsky's beautiful book.

I can't comment on the accuracy and literary side of the book - I'm not an expert on the original tale. However, the writing is wonderful; the story is an easy read with younger children. But clearly, the illustrations are what set this book apart. Many children's books use child-like pictures - but each page of this book is a new and different work of art. Detail and texturing worthy of an art gallery make this a pleasure to view as well as read. Highly recommended.