I remember reading The Mad Scientists' Club for the first time when I was only about eight years old. I must have read and re-read that book from cover to cover over a dozen times since. It is a collection of stories about the escapades of six boys in the town of Mammoth Falls who use their wits and scientific knowledge to get in (and out) of all kinds of fun mischief, including "haunting" a house, creating a lake monster, and entering a hot air balloon race. Essentially, these six young men dive head-first into all the kinds of adventures that I longed to have as a young man. Brinley's book influenced my own adventures and ideas as I grew up, and my own stories and writings have been heavily influenced by the memories I have of this book. If you ever get a chance to read this book - DO IT!!! You will discover the adventures you always wanted to have become real in The Mad Scientists' Club.

I sincerely believe that The Mad Scientists' Club was the reason I started reading voraciously as a kid and that the trend has continued into my adulthood. A series of stories first published in the popular 60's magazine Boys' Life, the words practically leap off the page with thier exuberance and brilliant ingenuity. The club is comprised of six 'junior geniuses', with our narrator as one. Each is given a distinct personality, and by the end we know (and in the case of former club-member and now sworn arch-enemy Harmon Muldoon, despise) each one of them like they were old friends. I still have my copy, completely tattered though it is, because I've re-read it at least 100 times. Even now as I write this review, I have to be careful not to start reading for fear of being swept up in the fun.

And each tangled situation our boys find themselves in (or in fact, help to create) is more outrageously inventive than the last. The real kicker is how authour Bernard Brinley keeps the prose totally accessible to youth but throws in enough engaging characters, thrilling action sequences and hilarious dialogue to entertain even adults sick of reading thier kids sugary-sweet Disneyized junk. He even sneakily gave me an education in basic mechanics by expertly describing the various machinery the boys build to wreak their harmless havoc on the citizens of little Mammoth Falls.

And I see here on Amazon.com that Brinley has continued the series with other books. If he brings even 10 percent of the sheer brilliance he displays in the first one, no adult should have a problem inducting thier children into this club.

I sincerely believe that The Mad Scientists' Club was the reason I started reading voraciously as a kid and that the trend has continued into my adulthood. A series of stories first published in the popular 60's magazine Boys' Life, the words practically leap off the page with thier exuberance and brilliant ingenuity.

The club is comprised of six 'junior geniuses', with our narrator as one. Each is given a distinct personality, and by the end we know (and in the case of former club-member and now sworn arch-enemy Harmon Muldoon, despise) each one of them like they were old friends. I still have my copy, completely tattered though it is, because I've read and re-read it at least 100 times. Even now as I write this review, I have to be careful not to start reading for fear of being swept up in the fun.

And each tangled situation our boys find themselves in (or in fact, help to create), is more outrageously inventive than the last. The real kicker is how authour Bernard Brinley keeps the prose totally accessible to youth but throws in enough engaging characters, thrilling action sequences and hilarious dialogue to entertain even adults sick of reading thier kids sugary-sweet Disneyized junk. He even sneakily gave me an education in basic mechanics by expertly describing the various machinery the boys build to wreak their harmless havoc on the citizens of little Mammoth Falls.

And I see here on Amazon.com that Brinley has continued the series with other books. If he brings even 10 percent of the sheer brilliance he displays in the first one, no adult should have a problem inducting thier children into this club.

This is truely a modern classic. The illustrations fill the pages with curious children playing, pretending, sharing and enjoying all the things that happen in a busy day. Please reprint this book so I can experience it all again!

"Oh, What a Busy Day!" is the best children's book ever written as far as I am concerned. My grandmother bought the book for me when I was a child. I am 25 years old now and wish it was still in print so more children could enjoy this magical book. I still tend to flip through it from time to time and remember the days when I would sit for hours reading this book, looking at the pictures, and pretending I was there. I don't have any children yet, but when I do this will be the first gift that I will buy for them.

I have two children but three copies of this book, each tattered and taped and torn from reading and re-reading. The book claimed the kids' imagination when they were barely a year old, and held it for a long, long time. The pictures are the kind that children who can't walk yet can walk into to create a world of their own. I now have nieces and nephews that I want to give this book to, but sadly it is out of print. Please reprint it!

I am now 32 years old, and this book remains vivid in my mind as one of my all-time childhood favorites. The story of the mute stable boy Agba and his travels with 'his' beloved horse Sham exposes young readers to a variety of cultures and stressses the value of faithfulness and loyalty without being at all preachy. Sham, sent as a gift from the Sultan of Morocco to the King of France, is mistreated during the voyage and arrives looking like an old nag instead of the young, well-bred Arab stallion he is. The king's rejection of the horse is the beginning of a new journey as Sham -- with Agba always there to care for him -- passes from one owner to another, eventually becoming "The Godolphin Arabian" one of the three founders of the Thoroughbred bred. This book is worth buying in the hardback form, especially if that means getting Wesley Dennis' gorgeous illustrations in color

This book was given to me when I was barely eight years old, almost thirty years ago. I learned how to read books that took more than one sitting with "King of the Wind".

The story is of a mute Morrocan stable boy, Agba, and a foal, Sham, who is born to one of the royal mares Agba cares for. Sham...and Agba...are selected to be part of a gift to the King of France. Their adventures in Europe are filled mostly with despair and cruelty, until Sham sires a foal that becomes the beginnings of the Thoroughbred breed we know today (this part is true; Sham was renamed "The Godolphin Arabian"; all Thoroughbreds must include in their pedigreeone of the three specific founding sires, and the Godolphin Arabian is one of them).

There's a lot here: adventure, triumph over adversity, a respect for other cultures, the care of the creatures that share our lives, and a healthy dose of humor about the absurdities of the powerful or elite.

As a kid, I eagerly devoured any Marguerite Henry book I could find. It's well worth it to get hard-cover editions that include the wonderful full-color illustrations by Wesley Dennis.

this has to be the most wonderful book ive ever read.from the moment i read it,my mind was instantly taken to the stables of morroco(sp?)with his beutiful horse.it is so imaginative,adventorous that you'll want to read it over and over.i think its one of the best books ive ever read.im reading it for the..........20th time i think:)you'll love this book if you love horses.it is very discreptive and i highly recommend this book to people,horsey or not.hope you read it.buy it,you won't regret it:0)

The Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh...in his 100 Acre Wood Eden...are celebrations of friendship and loyalty. Maurice Sendak's WHERE the WILD THINGS Are, startlingly glimpses into fun; adventure and beckoning unknown dangers inhabiting the seemingly guileless imagination of children. THE VELVETEEN RABBIT might be thought to complement these major modern works of CHILDREN MYTHOLOGY. "How Toys become Real..." is subtitle and theme of this superbly crafted fable about LOVE: its promise; pain and overwhemling power to miraculously transform. Like all great fairy-tales, cuentoes and parables, the story is Once-upon-a-Time simple. It can be read to any child over three, and read by any child eight or older(3.5 g/e). It is told from point of view of a "really splendid, fat and bunchy Velveteen Rabbit...with coat spotted brown and white...real thread whiskers...and ears lined with pink sateen." The toy rabbit "quests" the love of his playmate master(BOY)that can...according to Mentor and friend THE SKIN HORSE...grant REALITY.
"When a child loves you for a long, long time...not just to play with...but REALLY loves you, then you become REAL."

Adorning this story is the wonderous art of illustrator Donna Green. In this 1995/98 edition, the "picture book" is illuminated with beautiful oil, acrylic, and lush pastel paintings that glow, and shimmer Life-like and LOVE-like. It is beautiful art work intrinsically conveying Margery Williams' mythical message to the young and young-at heart. (10 Stars)

Daughter Anna (now 19 years old) loved this book. It was her favorite above all others. As we sorted through some old kid things for give-away purposes, we stumbled upon this old, well worn copy of "The Velveteen Rabbit." She insisted we keep the book for HER children.

This was her book that Mama (me!) had to read to her again and again and again. As soon as the last word was read on the last page, it was "Mama, please read it again!"

(how I miss those days, by the way!)

The book also has a powerful message about Love that children understand and cherish.

This is a wonderful book. No child should be without their own copy of "The Velveteen Rabbit."

This is a heartwarming story about a toy rabbit filled with sawdust that wants to be real. He realizes what the meaning of "real" is when his owner, a young boy, gives him the answer for which he searches. My wife bought this book for me last month. I missed it as a child. I've learned the lesson in this book in traditional ways, by trial and error. I would have loved to have this treasure as a child and thank my beautiful wife, Lori, for giving it to me, now. Only real love has any meaning or longevity, at all. I ask you readers to not pass up this gem of a book. It is a must for children and adults alike.

This book is about a little girl Maureen and her brother Paul who live with their grandparents. A ship called,The Galleon has a whole bunch of ponies on it. The ship gets shipwrecked in a storm and everybody drowns except most of the ponies. The ponies swim ashore an island called Assateague Island. There they live a good life for hundreds of years until humans come. Paul and Maureen are some of them. There's a day called Pony Penning Day. A pony called, The Phantom. Paul and Maureen want want to buy the Phantom but she has a colt and they don't know if they have enough money to buy both horses. On Pony Penning Day they find out that the Phantom and her colt are already sold. They go to the fire cheif and see a young boy and his father. They stop and say they are looking for a little boy and girl whowere going to buy the Phantom and her colt Misty. I liked this book because it tells you that when you want something the best thing to do to do is heip someone. If you want to find out the end of this book ,read it !!!!!!!!!!!!

JESSICA REEVES

If you have a child that loves horses, you've probably already seen this book.......either brought home from the library... or in their own collection. This is one of the staples of any horse-lover's collection.

The story of Misty, a wild pony from Assateague Island off the coast of Virginia who is captured as a foal and adopted by Paul and Maureen Beebe. True story of a truly wonderful foal and her family. This story sparked three sequels that still sell millions of copies around the world.

This book takes place both in Assateague and Chincoteague islands. Maureen and Paul Beebee happen to go to Chincoteague Island with Grandpa Beebee. As they are there they come across the beautiful wild herd of horses! Suddenly the most wild mare, The Phamtom comes racing across! As Pony Penning Day is nearing both Maureen and Paul decide to raise enough money to buy the Phantom. When Pony Penning day arrives Paul not only rounds up the Phantom herself...but her filly Misty too! As Maureen and Paul are ready to buy both the Phantom and Misty, tradgedy strikes. Misty is sold!!! How can this be? Will Maureen and Paul ever have their wish? Read and find for yourself!!

A fast paced book that you will not be able to put down! A little too predicting and easy but a great book for any horse lover. I definatly suggest you buy this book today!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Those elegant downtown department stores that close at 6pm are getting fewer and far between, but this book takes you back to a time when a visit to one could fulfill a child's most fervent wish or dream. Corduroy is sitting on the shelf in the toy department when Lisa spots him and, of course, wants her mom to buy him. Her mother says no, because he's missing a button from his suspenders. Well, Corduroy goes looking for the missing button that night, thinking that's why he hasn't been picked to go home with someone yet.

This story is almost a primitive variation on "Toy Story," where the toys come to a life of their own when humans aren't around. . .and of course, like Woody, Buzz, and even the Misfit Toys from "Rudolph," Corduroy knows that his purpose in life is to love and be loved by a child. If your child watches the "Corduroy" shorts on PBS, get this book and let him or her see how he first found a home. I hate to say it, but I nearly always cry when I get to the last two pages. I just love happy endings:)

I first read(well, had it read to)this book when I was in pre-school(1984-ish) and I loved it! My favorite illistration was of Corduroy pulling the "button" off the matress and flying in the air!

Anyway, I saw this book in a child's consigment shop nearly two years ago(May 27th, to be exact). I didn't have any money to buy it, but my friend was willing to buy it for me(it was only a dollar)and I read it and enjoyed it all over again.

Since I was older, I understood the story more(and I paid closer attention to the drawings, even noticing that in the night after the store was closed, all the dolls had their eyes closed as opposed to their eyes being open during the day).

This teaches the lesson that every toy you buy for your kids doesn't have to be perfect. Kids and adults will appreciate this story(the adults moreso).

Cordoroy is the perfect children's book. It is a gentle, sweet tale of a little bear in cordoroy overalls waiting to be purchased in a department store. A real little girl sees him and falls in love with him, but her mother says she doesn't have money to buy him and he's missing a button. After the store closes, all the toys with faces close their eyes except Cordoroy. Instead, he travels the department store searching for a button because he didn't know he was not perfect. He does not solve his problem. Cordoroy is back on the toy shelf the next morning. The little girl, Lisa returns to buy him. She takes him home, sews on a button, and provides him with his own little bed right beside hers. "I've always wanted a friend!" he says. This beautifully illustrated book has a simple text and huge appeal to anyone with a heart.

I love everything about this book -- the extra charts she provided, the wonderful stories, the positive attitude -- but especially the compassion Linda Goodman projects to every reader with every word she's written. (Being a Pisces, I am impressed by this quality most of all!) When I meet new people, I check out the descriptions of their signs and they are 9 times out of 10 dead-on accurate. (Usually, I've got my birth dates mixed up if it's wrong!) I've read Sun Signs (also a great book), but this is my dog-eared and beloved bible -- buy it today!

A book for anyone who has relationships with others--in short, all of us. Linda Goodman, in her usual delightful writing, paints clear and certain pictures of each Sign's relationship, love or otherwise, with each other sign. Ms. Goodman, from a dedicated Leo, I have to say I liked the Leo parts best. (The rest was good too!)

This book belongs in any library or treasury of reference books, astrology books, or books for you and your loved one.

I remember this book from when I was a little girl and my mom bought it home. I just remember liking the cover. Then as I got older and began to like to read, I discovered what was inside that cover and the rest was history. I love it. It was a great read from start to finish. Over the years every member of our house has consulted it to plunder its wisdom. I don't know much about astrology but the writing is what keeps me coming back for more. I love it's whimsical spirit and whisdom. The bits of poetry are wonderful and inspiring. Of a rainy evening you could do worst than to sit down with this one. There are no boring parts. You will enjoy reading about every sign and combination trying to glimps discriptions of yourself or people you know. I just dont have a bad thing to say about this book except that is too short. I wish there were more signs in the zodiac just to read what Linda Goodman has to say about them.

Her other books are good but this one is definately the keeper of them all.

Wright, Betty Ren. (1983). The Dollhouse Murders. New York: Holiday House. I like this book because it is a simple mystery children ages 9-12 can read and enjoy. The book is a very interesting realistic fiction book. While visiting Aunt Clare in her Great grandparent's old house, Amy discovered a wonderful dollhouse in the attic. It is the replica of her Great Granparent's house. Everytime Amy visits the attic eerie things happen. Strange noises come from the dollhouse, lights are on in it and the dolls have been moved from where she had left them. Amy is very frightened, but she wonders if the dollhouse is trying to tell her something about the murders of her Great Grandparents 30 years ago. Amy wants to solve the mystery. On a stormy night Amy and her sister make one more visit to the attic. They watch as the Grandmother doll gives them a clue about the murders. They tell Aunt Clare what the doll revealed to them. Together they solved the murder mystery of that fateful night 30 years ago.

In the beginning it takes place in a town called Claiborne. Later in the story the setting moves to the countryside near Claiborne where Amy's Aunt Clare lives in an old house. Amy, the main character, feels like her parents treat her unfairly, so she runs away to her Aunt Clare's house. At Aunt Clare's house Amy notices that dolls in a dollhouse move mysteriously all by themselves. The dollhouse is a miniature copy of her Aunt's house. But nobody believes Amy about the dolls, except her sister Luanne who also sees them move. It's like the dolls are trying to show the girls how their grandparents were killed a long time ago. What's not to like about the book! It kept me guessing right up to the end. I also liked that it was a mystery but was not full of violence and lots of people dying. It was also interesting to see how the characters change in the story. In the beginning of the book some people expect Amy just to play with her sister and other people understand that it's hard for her. Amy is frustrated. By the end of the book, Amy learns to appreciate her sister and her mom.

This is about a responsible girl named Amy who got tired of watching her sister Louann Treloar. In the beginning Amy runs away because she is losing friends because of Louann. When Amy finds out that she is going to stay for a few weeks at her aunt's house, she asked her how her grandparents died. Her Aunt didn't seem to happy about talking about her parents. But when Amy finds out about the dollhouse she lies so her aunt won't worry. I would recomend this book to others because, it's scary at some parts, but it is a wonderfull mystery book that is cool.

Picking up right where she left off, my favorite little girl has just started half-day kindergarten. She must deal with her older sister making fun of her, not being allowed to pull a little girl's curls and walking to school with Howie (the boy from down the street whom Ramon could do without).

Ramona is just like any other 5-year old. She gets confused and throws fits. She is such a loveable character because a most wonderful author creates her so deftly and realistically.

The text is appropriate for students in grades 2-5. It also works well in a read-aloud setting with this age group. These students (and teachers and parents as well) will get a kick out of remembering how confusing a time kindergarten can be. I recall hearing it read to me in 2nd grade and now have done the same with my students. A good laugh was heard everyday from our room.

Why 5 stars?:
Cleary repeatedly made young people reflect upon their own days as an even younger person with a string of books about experiencing the world through the eyes of a curious little girl with a will all of her own. This book is the second in the series that predates Junie B. Jones and was much better written.

This book is a brilliantly, hilariously accurate insight into a five-year-old's mind. I know because I read it when I *was* five. (Another reviewer said it was intended for ages 9-12... cripes, was I THAT precocious?)

I'd really recommend this book for any child, but especially for children who are always in trouble. It really is therapy for a pest.

I think it's also therapy for precocious readers - this isn't something adults often think of, but a kid who's ahead of her age can get very sick of reading books about much older children. I absolutely fell on the Ramona books because she was the first heroine I could really relate to. :)

Ramona Quimby is a timeless character. I read this book when I was a kid (too many years ago to mention) and this has to be one of my all time favorites.

Beverly Cleary is an author who really knows what kids are like. Now that I am a kindergarten teacher, I see a room full of Ramonas most every day and each character in this book, from Susan with the "boinggg" curls, to Davy, to Howie, and, of course, Ramona herself, are real!

This is a book that I pull out and read again from time to time when I need a laugh! I would highly recommend it to readers of all ages!

I love reading this book aloud to my now 14 month old daughter because it's alot of fun. She's owned it since she was 9 months, and, at first, would simply listen to me read. Now she points, tries to make animal noises, and has me read it several times in a row. It is currently one of her favorites. I would put it in the same category as other predictable/cumulative books such as "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?," "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," "If You Give a Mouse A Cookie," and "Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom." Unlike these books, however, there is more street language than the ritualized formal speech of these other books. Some other reviewers are critical of the use of "go" instead of "say" and "went" instead of "said." I'm not convinced that it is not proper to refer to animals making their respective noises in this manner. Visually, the use of color, the sharp outlines, simple backgrounds and humor (check out the vet's ponytail)are outstanding. I would recommend this as a great read-aloud story.

I got this book for my son, who is 2 years old. He requests it eagerly, and enjoys saying "silly DOG" each time George belts out the wrong sound. This is the type of kids book that will have your child repeating with you, and adding things on his own interactively. It is a fun book with cute illustrations and punchline. As a mom who loves to read fun books, I recommend it for all parents with young kids.

This book is chosen by both our 4 yr old and our almost-2 yr old *all the time* for reading (and we have 4 shelves of kids books). The 4 yr old laughs with the "No, no -- dogs don't say 'quack'" and the 2 yr old loves any book with animal sounds -- whether they are the correct ones for the animal or not. Fun reading and the twists still make us laugh each time we read it.