The Demon in the Teahouse is the riveting sequel to the Ghost in the Taikado Inn. This book is irrisistable with the many suttle details all leading to different people. The books plot is seamless and all of the clues do add up in the end. I would recomend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction, mystery or suspense, or asian culture.

Before reading this book however I would recomend the Ghost in the Taikado Inn. This first book is also excellent and will help you understand everything in the second book.

Demon In The Teahouse (the sequel to Ghost In The Tokaido Inn) again takes the reader back in time to Ancient Japan. Sekei returns as the adopted son of Judge Ooka. Sekei's dream comes true when he is adopted away from his Merchant Father, and to a samurai. This book easily matches the excelence of Ghost In The Tokaido Inn, and possible even passes that level of greatness. I loved this book because it really gives you a feel of Ancient Japan, and the book also has a creative mystery.

The author of this book takes a uniquely different approach to putting together a collection of daily biblical devotions. This is an excellent book for young adults because it speaks to them from the extreme point that many find themselves in and then provides a scripture reference. The book is outlined for daily reading, but offers an alphabetical subject index for those who can't commit to daily reading.

This is a great devotional for teens. It's written like we talk. Topics like chat rooms and extreme sports make it totally not boring. I really recommend it if you are looking for a new devotional.

Thanksgiving is given a new point of view and retelling in this very special picture book. Jean Craighead George, the Newbery Medal-winning author of JULIE OF THE WOLVES, as well as nearly 100 distinguished nature books for young readers, presents the story of the first Thanksgiving with warmth, fascinating detail, and lyrical as well as informative storytelling. Thomas Locker's colorful, classical paintings beautifully complement the author's words. The story begins with the formation of Plymouth Rock, a huge, two-million year old glacial mass that comes to rest in Cape Cod. Then the Pawtuxet tribe arrives, earning their living from the land, including Squanto, who is later captured by Englishmen and sold into slavery. Across the ocean, Pilgrims seeking religious freedom set out on a perilous voyage to America. Upon reaching the New World, they must deal with many hardships including disease, starvation, and death. Still the Pilgrims endure. In the springtime, Squanto, freed from slavery and now a member of another Indian tribe, arrives, bringing peace to the people of Plymouth. He teaches them how to grow crops, catch fish, hunt deer and turkey, showing the Pilgrims the importance of respecting the land and using it wisely. In 1621, after a bountiful harvest, a great celebratory feast takes place for three days, in which the people gather and eat and play games--the first Thanksgiving. This story is a unique portrayal of historical events, always keeping the reader intrigued and awed, with its terrific writing and inspirational illustrations. As she does in every one of her books, Jean Craighead George reminds us of the need to honor our natural resources and every living thing on the planet. In this story, too, she sends a message of peace that will inspire every person and reach beyond one day in November, to give thanks every day for what we have.

Want to know where Plymouth Rock came from and what it has to do with the pilgrims? What happened when the Mayflower finally sighted land? This is the book for you. The First Thanksgiving is history, community, geology, and science in a very beautifully illustrated and believable story of the colonization of Massachusetts. The pilgrims came to the New World looking for religious freedom only to be met by fear, death, hunger, and an insightful and helpful Pawtuxet, Squanto. It was from his willingness to share his knowledge that we have the celebration of Thanksgiving.

Grandfather's Christmas Tree is a beautifully written and illustrated non-fiction book. The story is about the author's grandfather and a tall spruce tree outside his home. The illustrations are done in oil paints. This is a wonderful story about family and should be included in everyone's Christmas reading collection.

Beautifully illustrated story of family 100 years ago moving westward to Colorado and making a new home and battling the elements. Saving a family of geese, one injured, from a rough winter, and staying committed to each other thru rough times makes story engrossing and rewarding.

In the style of "The House That Jack Built", this book employs delightful repetitions and stunning illustrations to give children a picture of the animals who inhabit the African savanna. I read this book on a regular basis to children of all ages (and lots of adults), and they all enjoy it. In fact, I have worn out my initial copy, and have had to order another!

This is a wonderful example of a circular story with excellent repeated lines and incredible pictures. It shows the connections of the various animals and plants of the Savanna.

A must for teachers and parents!

This is the ONLY children't book available on the market teaching the importance of water safety. It's beautifully illustrated;children immediately identify with the lively, fun fruit characters. Louie and his friends are delightful, but more significantly, underscore a crucial message about the importance of water safety. This book should be 'required reading' for any small child exposed to open water. This beautiful little book makeslearning fanciful and fun, while imparting a potentially life saving message.

Written by Jeana Thomas, Camp Of Champs is a children's picture book about water safety, illustrated by Lisa Allen Triefenbach in vivid color. Since drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death for children under age 14, the message of SAFE - Stop and Find an Adult before you Enter the water is a welcome "must" for every young child, regardless of whether he or she already knows how to swim. Camp Of Champs teaches children to wear a life vest while learning to swim, to always have someone good at swimming watching, and never to chase after a toy that falls into the water. The eye-catching, playful, full-page illustrations help drive home the potentially life-saving message of water-safety. Camp Of Champs is a superb gift book excellent for being read aloud to very young children, and more importantly, carries the highest recommendation for its contribution to child safety.

This book has to be the best, along side Totally Jtt. It is a perfect handbook, with stunning facts, and the cover is so shiny.

I would recommend you get the paperback version, because, lets face it, you don't want to spend too much on a book, and it's simply just a waste of money to get a hardback.

Going back to the quality of John. F. Grabowski's work- It has good, understandable language, and the titles of sub headings are really professional. For example-

"The Boy Who Would Be Lion King, and "The Life Of A Star." Jonathan Taylor Thomas is truly amazing, and with this guide, you will see that the handsome young actor is even more stunning then when you first set eyes on him.

It is a great book for sketching from. Trust me, this is no ordinary book, you will immediately be on the hook. Happy reading!

It contains every thing that a biography needs. The pictures are great. There are no baby pictures, the picture where he is the yungest, is a pic of him when he played Kevin in "The Bradys" from 1990. The rest are HI pics, movie pics and other "normal" pics. It's a must have for every fan (even though we all now every thing about him.)

Jude wants to get ahead in the world. Starting at a young age he studies the Classics; learns Latin and Greek, and opens his mind wide to knowledge in general. He is preparing himself for Oxford, but Oxford won't have him, nor undoubtedly will any other university. You see he is poor, and poor people aren't admitted to college in Victorian times.

After exiting a short-lived dismal marriage Jude then meets and falls in love with his cousin who ultimately leaves her husband and moves in with him. There is no "happily ever after" in this novel. Sue, his lover, has sexual problems that need the ministrations of Dr. Ruth, who unfortunately was not available at the time. Sex is repellent to her, and so she and Jude live fairly platonic lives; lives that are not made easier by society's negative reaction to their living in "sin".

Jude and Sue are nice, if not psychologically whole, individuals. You wish them well, but Thomas Hardy has decided to sacrifice them to his philosophical views. He burdens the poor couple with society's repressive attitudes toward women, the lower classes, and marital nonconformity. A novel that begins with the hope of springtime, ends in a winter of despair.

It is a pessimistic, depressing story that examines Victorian sexual and societal mores, and for this it was condemned by many critics. Hardy was so affected by this criticism that he never wrote another novel. Instead he successfully turned to poetry, although his pessimism was again apparent in some of his verses (Read for instance his elegant poem "God's Funeral"). Some of the novel is a bit melodramatic, but that is a common trait of many works of the period. My credulity is strained somewhat by the basically non-sexual relationship of Jude and Sue. Sue is described as an attractive, intelligent and even flirtatious woman. Put simply, I could not fall in love with such a lady, and live with her as brother and sister.

I enjoy many Victorian novels because they combine outstanding literature with an exposition of the society of the times. Hardy is one of England's best. Highly recommended, and I strongly suggest that you buy the Norton Critical Edition of this work. In addition to the novel text you are provided with interesting information about the author, and a collection of contemporary and current reviews of the novel.

For an author who considered his poetry to be greater than his prose, Thomas Hardy clearly demonstrates his unswerving ability to create a masterpiece. Characters from the ambitious Jude to the spineless Sue paint a poignant picture of 19th century Victorian society. For those who collect banned books, a must have. This critical example of Victorian England is a great thesis to expand one's ideas on. Overall, a magnificent book.

I don't know who enjoyed this book more, the children or the adults. Everyone we have shared this book with can relate to the feelings of the children interviewed. It reminds adults of what it's like to be a child and shows children that they are not alone in their thoughts.

A fabulous book that I am happy to have stumbled upon. I will keep checking for more work by Thomas Baldrick.

Kids Rule is a great vision of the hopes and dreams of kids today. It is sometimes funny and sometimes sad, and it will leave you feeling that there is hope for the world that has such thoughtful kids in it.

The Littlest Tall Fellow not only addresses the concerns of children who may be small in stature,but also hits home for anyone who was the youngest in a family.
It speaks to the human spirit in all of us.

As a teacher, I found this to be a totally uplifting book to use with kids of all ages. Its message is simple. Don't give up on your dreams. It is written in easy to read rhyming patterns and children seem to relate to it easily