this book saved me hours of translation time in college. I had to use it at the library, now I'm building a personal library of my own and it is a must have. I will also get the italian word by word as well.

My four-year-old loves this book. The story moves and has the right level of detail. It avoids setting unrealistic expectations; some other picture books about ballet have little girls dancing on toe and doing big solos or directing - things which are unlikely to happen in life and cause disappointment when they start real ballet classes.

my children love this book about different animals mothers'loving, but showing how to survive in the world too. A sweet bedtimestory.

This book covers the period from 11th to 15th century. It offers a very good and profound summarizing study of the European travellings and discoveries to Asia, Africa and America before Columbus. I, personally, liked it very much for the detailed account given for Asian countries visited by Europeans (for me it was especially Odoricus de Pordenone, that I liked, but I got some new information of Giovanni di Piano Carpini, William Rubruck or Johann Schiltberger). Very interesting is the account about African travels and the American pre-Columbian voyages. There is a numerous summary of literature, but there are no editions of sources in original cited, only English translation. At least the writings in Latin or other European languages should be there. I highly recommend it to anybody who is interested in the Middle Ages and especially the East (the Asian part is the most detailled).

For an initial adventure into the world of mini-quilts, this kit made for an interesting trip. The instructions were not flawless, but could be followed with minimal effort. Guerrier gives you a choice of patterns to complete with the given materials, and follows with directions and photos for many others you may want to make once you've caught the inspiration. I chose the Trip Around The World pattern and was quite pleased with my journey!

Page Talbott with Katharine Martinez have done their homework to reveal more than a family history. They have revealed a city, namely Philadelphia, during an enlightened time in America. The Sartain family not only supports and encourages creativity and independence among the citizens of Philly, it reaches out to the world for inspiration and knowledge. The authors of this collection of reports have researched and visited their subjects with passion and vision. It is apparent in each essay.

I had not read any of Ms Kerr's works before I read this one and I'm glad. Polar City Blues is not Celtic mystical warriors and elves--it is a good solid science fiction\fantasy\murder mystery with a plot that doesn't stop, interesting people and locations, and a subtlety of humour that slips by almost without being noticed. The planet of Hagar has a capital city of Sara. There is an over-controlling computer, a wimpy baseball player, a mysterious alien with the highly politically incorrect name of Mrs. Bug. Gender and colour roles are reversed without hindering the plot in anyway. The only flaw is that so much is going on that we get a touch confused. The action is non-stop, the writing is lucid and I'd like to hear more of these people.

Puppies is a great book. I am currently looking to buy a puppy and this book is great. It has tips on how to find a breeder and questions to ask a breeder. It also shows the development statges of puppies, the personalities of puppies,the arrival of your puppy at home,the first weeks at home,feeding your puppy,your puppy's health and even training. This is a must have book if you are in the search for a new puppy.

For those who are wondering, this is the same book that was published as 'Sorceries' by Voyager in Australia and England.

A wonderful mix of authors, and a wide variety of stories and setting. It was a great introduction to me to authors who are not available in Australia, and a welcome homecoming to some of my favourite fantasy authors. I was only sorry that there was nothing by Kerr herself in the collection, although her co-author of the Pinch novels, Mark Kreighbaum is represented, along with another of my favourites, Charles de Lint.

My most favourite story in the whole collection was Connie Hirsch's 'Wicked Cool'. A fun story in an absolutely luscious setting. I hope she writes some novels or perhaps a collection of short stories in that world, as I would love to visit there again. The setting is a university in Boston where the students study magic as part of the curriculum, encounter ghosts on the stairwell and fly around on broomsticks. More please!

Two skunks (yes, SKUNKS!) find friendship on a tropical island, overcoming the "But he's a BOY!" and "But she's a GIRL!" stage of development. My sons and I enjoy reading this book together, and I use it every year in school for a project on friendship.

Sweetie is a little girl skunk, who likes to play dress up and take care of her doll Leilani. Petie is a rough and tumble little boy skunk who likes to climb and play pirates. What happens? Well, when loneliness overcomes the little skunks, you will find it amusing to see how funny Leilani looks in an eye-patch! I know my boys did. It is straightforward, and not cluttered with too many different incidents. Perfect for reading out loud to very little children, or special education students whose attention might wander. Gets right to the point, so that you have time to expand on your own. Some people might have a problem with the gender stereotyping, but it is a sweet story that shows how children can play together.

I have to admit, I first bought this book because I found it in a bargain pile, but it has become a family favorite, and a tool that I use again and again at work.