Paula K. Byers (editor), African American Genealogical Sourcebook (1995) is an excellent general reference book - but, at $95, also the most expensive. Its strength is that is gathers the expertise of several specialists; each chapter is written by an expert with specialized knowledge of different types of records and historical eras. There are numerous illustrations and examples. The separate contributions are expertly edited and transitioned, so that the book moves smoothly from chapter to chapter. The result is an authoritative book of uniformly high quality from cover to cover.

I like this study guide. It's very useful for test preparation and to get familiar with the primary characters. The guide is well organized, with information about the plot and themes. There's lots more, too--like original critical essays by established writers. This is great for paper-writing. I couldn't find any of this free on the 'Net, so it's worth the price, for sure.

This book is all about the Soviet Union under Stalin. The study guide gives lots of information about life at that time, and about the meaning of Solzhenitsyn's themes. A big help if you want to understand the story better. I tried to get this kind of information on the web but couldn't find it. I think I'd like to read more about the author now.

P is for Painter. Determined to be a Painter, Perfect Stewart Pickyly searches for the Perfect model. Childlike illustrations offer the reader a glimpse into the world of this Perfect child Painter. Although he has painted kittens with mittens and dogs wearing clogs, Stewart has never seen or painted a wild animal while living in the city. So he heads for the jungle and posts a sign: "WANTED: Hansum wild animal to sit still for painting. Must have all your own teeth and a nice big smile." After cruelly rejecting an elephant, cheetah, giraffe, and hippo to sit as models because they were all ugly, Stewart finds the Perfect model with bright shiny teeth. But little does he know what the Perfect model will cost him, for he has finally met his match. The ending may be shocking for younger children, but along with barrels of laughs, children will learn the moral of the story - treat others with kindness even though they may not offer you what you want because if you are too picky, you may pay the price. The sturdy cover ensures that the book will stand circulation well, and the age-old moral will teach a valuable lesson and remain a timeless story that children will long remember.

This book contains career biographies on thirty-one of the leading hard-boiled mystery writers such as Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Mickey Spillane, James Lee Burke, Bill Pronzini and Joe Gores. The entries appear to be meticulously researched and highly readable. The volume is a very respectable addition to the award-winning Dictionary of Literary Biography series.

This is my 18 month old son's FAVORITE book! His grandfather read it to him for the first time a few monthes ago and he LOVED it...we've gone through two copies already (they've been worn out by pure love). He knows the name and sound of each animal and it now keeps him busy on his own for hours, it was truly the book that made him love reading!

Though the text is over 20 years old, this little book is still a highly valued and regulary-opened part of my library. Anyone wanting to be well-informed on the birds of Arizona should have and read this book.
The distibutional and subsepecies information is impeccable. Nothing newer has come along to replace it.

I was assigned a role in this play for school. This study book gave me all the background I needed to play the character better. My teacher (who is director of the play at school) had all the class read the description of the plot. It helped me know what to do on stage.

This book introduces students to authors and artists, but does so in a clear and concise fashion. My daughter found it extremely enjoyable, and also very informative. Mr. McMahon did a wonderful job in focusing on the important people of our time.

Filled completely with images and information of Hepworth's pieces in the Tate Gallery and Barbara Hepworth Museum in St. Ives, this book (known as the bible to Hepworth researchers) provides key background information and provenance on a large portion of her works. With so few accurate resources for Hepworth available, this book is crucial for comparing other resources and for providing images of her work in all mediums in one collection. This is a valuable research tool.