If you're looking to expand your horizons into the world of poetry, this is an excellent place to start. A wonderful collection.

"You Come Too: Favorite Poems for Readers of All Ages" is a wonderful collection of Robert Frost's work. An interesting foreword by Noel Perrin discusses Frost's life and career. The book contains some poems which will surely be familiar to many readers--"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "Mending Wall," etc. But that's just part of the treasures in this collection.

Overall, this collection shows Frost's concern with nature and rural life. Many different animals and plants are celebrated: ants, cows, birch trees, etc. Many of the poems have a beautiful musical quality, and the collection as a whole shows an interesting variety of meter and rhyme schemes.

I'll just mention a few of my favorite poems. "Acquainted with the Night" is a hauntingly melancholy sonnet. "A Patch of Old Snow" well demonstrates Frost's keen observing eye and way with figurative language. "The Rose Family" has a comic playfulness that I found quite Seussian. "Fireflies in the Garden" is a humorous short poem with an interesting AAA BBB rhyme scheme. Overall, an enjoyable and rewarding collection by an essential American poet.

I couldn't let April go without digging out this old favorite. This particular edition of Robert Frost's poetry--I mean, this particular one, with illustrations by Thomas W. Nason and in this particular format--is five years old, and you may have already come across it. If you haven't, I can't recommend it highly enough. Designed especially for young readers, the collection includes the most accessible of Frost's poetry, including the "You Come Too" of the title--which, as a phrase, seems one of the most magical and evocative in the language of childhood. Like Frost's work in general, many of the included poems nod knowingly at nature, and Thomas W. Nason's illustrations have a botanist's eye in their design and execution. This is perhaps my favorite book of poetry for older children.

This book is a great science book! It has some experiments that lots of kids will like! I rate this book four stars only because the pictures in the book aren't really good.

An outstanding collection of simple experiments for children of all ages. Can be used from elementary school on up using simple materials available at home to illustrate chemistry basics.

I liked this book because it shows how two people can talk about baseball for hours at a time even though the boy is in his teens and his aunt is in her 70's. I also liked the book because Tate the boy had to adjust to a new lifestyle after his all his family members had passed away in a plane crash. I didn't like the book because the story just talked about his aunt's life and her traveling with this baseball team.

I loved this book, it kept me interested all the way. I just read SIGHTS by susanna Vance, and it was good in the same way too. Hard times done well and a sense of magic in the setting.

A whole book of frog fiction: Who thinks of these things? Nancy Springer, apparently, and I, for one, am glad she did. These eight stories are a hoot, each focusing in some way on frogs. The majority of the stories are humorous, as one might expect, but every once in a while one of the authors throws us a curveball. Stephen Menick's take on the Exodus story as told by Pharaoh - plague of frogs included - has as much power as any short story I've ever read. What a nice surprise. Janet Lisle's story of a little girl who enacts revenge on a cat-eating coyote by making up a tale of mutant frogs in emminent danger has a delicious dark edge to it. And fans of Brian Jacques' Redwall books will get a kick out of his contribution about a blustery frog king whose lazy pond receives a surprise visitor. Illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi clearly has fun with these stories, producing a Rockwell-like charm with his black-and-white art. I am withholding one star for the simple reason that the stories begin to feel a bit repetitive, but that doesn't change the fact that this book is a frogful of fun. Give it to the frog fan in your life, or simply enjoy it yourself.

This is a whimsical collection of daft and not-so-daft stories about - well, yes, OK, frogs. Nancy Springer, the editor, has brought together a terrific bunch of writers and the results reflect the quality of the contributors. Springer's own story is a delightful heart-warmer with a good twist. Robert J. Harris' creation, Jim Croaker, deserves a series of his own, and the story is reminiscent in some ways of Mark Twain. Janet Taylor Lisle's contribution is a lovely piece of work, the central character is so very endearing, if very humanly prickly! And Jane Yolen, America's answer to Hans Andersen, delights as ever with a very different kind of Green Plague, and she manages to weave her serious points invisibly into the fabric of her tale.

All in all, this is a wonderfully quirky slim volume - slightly outre in places, but well-written, clever, hugely enjoyable and, yes, I found it - ribbiting - sorry - YOU try reading this and NOT making frog jokes for days!

This book is about a young girl named Kelly who is unable to beleive that her loving teacher is dead. Kelly is an only child and lives with her mother and step-dad, Doug. Doug is abusive to Kelly's mother and one day hits Kelly. Although Kelly's mother is a cop she is somewhat afraid of Doug. Kelly's teacher Mrs. Hanson is not only her teacher but one of her best friends. Kelly's mother is also a little jelous of Mrs. Hanson. After the teachers' death a young, beautiful, attractive woman comes to Kelly's school to teach. Kelly is the only one that finds Ms. Anders "weird." All the males are daised and in love with this woman, she seems to want something from them. Kelly is a very brave and strong girl who discovers that the Mrs. Hanson's death was not an accident, but something more! Kelly is not willing to give up, she will do anything to find out how Mrs. Hanson died. Overall the book was really interesting and fun to read. Though the begining is not very interesting, I think the end gets better. At the end of the book there is a big surprise to the reader. I would recomend this book for anyone but a person who enjoys horror books might enjoy this book. I might compare this book to "Dying To Know," which is also a horror book.

I borrowed this book from my friend. At frst I didn't really want to read it, but I started it anyways. I loved it! But if you are one of those people who has to be drawn in right away, this book is probably not for you.

Great book, but the new book - 17 years later! is much better. It is with Seaside Publishing and is beautifully designed.

A superbly presented specialty cookbook, Joyce Lafray's Underwater Gourmet showcases an "underwater" culinary tour of Florida seafood delights. From Dominique's Simmered Fresh Tuna; Shrimp Suzanne with Dill; Key West Crab Cannelloni; and Miami Beach Spicy Ceviche; to Fried Alligator; Drunken Fish Casserole; Brothers' Cold Avocado Crab Soup; and Escargots Emile, Joyce Lafray's Underwater Gourmet is a compendium of wonderful recipes that would grace any table and provide wonderful elements for meal planning in celebration of any occasion.

I came close not to buying this book in a second hand book store. I read Anson's views on Richard Nixon, and found them not very objective, so when I saw this book about the Vietnam War I was not sure. The book is very readable, and Anson makes sure to detail his own weaknesses in the book, especially his rocky marriage and use of drugs and alcohol. He details his coverage of the war. Also details his views on the Cambodian government and their Vietnamese massacres. He is sypathetic to the NVA, even though several of his friends were killed by them. His personal stories are the best in detailing the corruption of Cambodian and South Vietnamese governments.

A memoir detailing the experiences of an idealistic young war correspondent in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Running the dangerous roads of 1970 Cambodia in pursuit of both news and personal fame, the author allows his readers a special insight into his soul. Anson's accounts of the deaths of his friends and colleagues, as well as the details of his own capture and detention by revolutionary forces, are remarkably vivid and painful to read, but at the same time filled with a special sense of black humor. No emotion, no matter how unflattering, is hidden from the reader. The author would certainly not be surprised to learn that the attitudes of US Embassy bureaucrats toward the death and disappearance of these same journalists was no different twenty years later than it was during the course of the war.

For a young adult novel this story captures the imagination and heart as the movie it is a companion piece too did. Paiting and even more rich and vivid depiction of the world the main character Ryan falls into. It is rare to find a novel that can fill one with the nostalgic happines and leave one longing for more.

A sure-fire page turner. I just coun't put it down. You could really feel for the heros and cheer them on. I'll definately be seeing the movie May 2nd

This is an accessible entry into Arthurian tales, though a child reading it (rather than being read to) may need help with the vocabulary. The story is a simple one, but has substance. Lancelot has the fighting skills to be the greatest knight in the world, but he can't reach that level unless he has compassion too. It's not until he runs into a battle that he (seemingly) can't win that he begins to sympathize with the sorrows of others. Though the book stands on its own, I'd recommend following it with one or more of its companion books, The Young Arthur, The Young Merlin, and The Young Guinevere. The well-done illustrations are sometimes richly and sometimes subtly colored, and include intriguing details based on Celtic art. Kids will be rewarded for looking at the pictures carefully, as they notice the barely visible herons engraved on a shield, the jewel-like decoration on a scabbard, etc. I disagree with the Kirkus reviewer's charge that some scenes are melodramatic. Indeed, I would rather see more expressiveness - it's mostly the bad guys who smile in this book! Yet it is fitting that Lancelot is serious throughout. I feel many young readers will respond well to the intensity of the young knight who gazes out at us, as well as to his foster-mother's joy at the change he has gone through by the end. (If this book strikes a chord with the child of your choice, by all means check out The Kitchen Knight, by Margaret Hodges, Trina Schart-Hyman (illustrator). That story also emphasizes the importance of knightly humility and compassion, and the illustrations, while in a very different style, are exquisitely done. Trina Schart-Hyman has also illustrated a version of Saint George and the Dragon, which may be too bloody for the under-6 crowd, but gets rave reviews from many kids and parents. See the reviews here on Amazon.)

Author Robert D. San Souci has used many excellent sources and deftly compressed them into this brief but colorful introduction to Arthurian legend, in particular the legends surrounding the bravest knight of the Round Table, Lancelot. The scope of this book takes place prior to Lancelot's relationship with King Arthur and the Round Table. It focuses on his youth and several of the mystical and magical experiences he encounters as he grows and develops in his knightly skills. The full-page illustrations are absolutely grand and will serve well to ignite youthful interest in these great sagas. Do not assume that because this is a picture book that it is for very young children. The vocabulary is geared more toward 5th, 6th and 7th graders. Don't miss a companion title, Young Guinevere. It's excellent as well.

I wrote a review criticizing this book several months ago, but after reading so many reviews in its favor I started to feel guilty. So I read the darned thing again. My conclusion: I was being NICE the first time! A flaw in the Pattern? Hah! How about a gash, a rip, a total mutilation! Even the stuff that seemed so amazing the first time, like Mat`s relationship with the 'girls' and the stunning opening scenes of the book, are totally drowned out by the awful stuff. And there`s plenty. No, I am not WHINING about the length of the series--even if I am so petty as to want to know the outcome of the Last Battle before I die--but length has to be justified by the quality of the content. While the earlier books weren`t perfect, they were beautiful, and I devoured them at the speed of light. I don`t even want to think about the money I threw away for this piece of junk. I needn`t get into the fact that the bulk of the descriptions were unnecessary and boring as heck--it`s been mentioned even by those who feel this book is God`s gift to planet Earth. But I can`t believe I used to think RJ wasn`t the type to stoop to soap opera scenes to impress the morons and sex-starved teenagers in the peanut gallery. The scene with Rand and Min was so forced, contrived, and downright dumb, it sounded like it was coming from a first-time author with marriage problems ('Oh Rand, I need WARM flesh'--spare us, please--I`ll watch The Bold and the Beautiful if I want to see corny romances enacted). They were so artificial, if you hit them with a piece of styrofoam they`d both fall over. Min, dazzled by Rand`s fabulous eyebrows, can`t stop thinking about him or making slutty remarks to him for two seconds--an instance where it becomes painfully obvious a man wrote this, a man with a case of wishful thinking. If only, oh if only women would do what they`re supposed to do--moon over men and make themselves available at every possible opportunity.....or so, I suppose, runs the male mentality, at least judging from this book. Robert Jordan can`t possibly expect anyone with intelligence to take the relationships seriously, not when the deepes expression of love is kisses stolen in corners. Notice there is seldom that good old-fashioned technique for developing relationships--anyone remember dialogue? As for the scenes with Tylin.....anyone who thinks that rape, just because it`s in the reverse, is funny, is a pervert. Period. I`m predicting (and I hope I`m wrong) that the same thing is going to happen again, only with Elayne and Rand with Aviendha holding the knife, and in that case I`ll probably end up quitting this series. The women in general have become shallow stereotypes, and while people seem to think they`re expressive of feminist views, actually it`s just the opposite. Women don`t sit around thinking about how unearthly beautiful their boyfriends are ( Guess what, guys? Most women don`t even care much about looks at all. If they did, the world wouldn`t be populated) and Rand with three women dangling on his shoulder is one of the most sexist plot devices ever encountered by this reviewer. Lastly, I was amused at the comments praising the GREAT PLOT, when I hadn`t even noticed, even after twice reading it, that there *was* a plot. In comparison to the other books, which had plots intricate as any tapestry, this thing is little more than a loose thread. And frayed at the edges for good measure.

After a lot of soul searching, I've decided to submit my comments on the Wheel of Time series to date. I want to start off by saying that I am a big fan of Robert Jordan. In the WOT series, he has opened up all kinds of new ground with his incredible imagination. Eye of the World was absolutley fantastic. Interesting, exciting, you name it. The Great Hunt was also wonderful, as was The Dragon Reborn and my personal favorite, The Shadow Rising.

Then, all of a sudden, kaboom....the last three volumes have ground this once-great series to a halt. Some won't admit it, but it's true. I'm actually questioning whether these volumes came from the same author. Lots of pages, lots of details, but little of consequence or interest. The problem many of us have (based on several other reviews I have read) is that we've all been sucked into the series by the earlier volumes and feel obligated to see this thing through to its conclusion (which, incidentally, may not happen in our li! fetimes).

I recently read George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones and Guy Gavriel Kay's A Song for Arbonne. One is destined to become a great epic series, the other is a great single-volume epic. What impressed me about both of these books is how there is no waste or tedium in the telling. They are interesting and absorbing throughout. I don't like the idea of criticizing Robert Jordan, because I honestly consider him a genius. All I'm saying is that about halfway through the WOT series, the flavor that initially made it great just sort of disappeared.

I was a bit disappointed by this book. I enjoy Robert Jordan's WOT series and think it is the best series written to date, but A Crown of Swords was a bit of a let down. Starting with The Lord of Chaos, the books have just had the feel of setting up for something bigger, but nothing ever happens. This book was consideribly smaller than the others and I personally think that Jordan put it out just as a quick fix for his impatient fans. The series has become so immense and is constantly expanding it is hard to see it ending anytime soon. Not that I want it to end. I just want some closure on at least some of the issues. I have read nearly all of the comments from the first book to this one and I must say to all of the losers who rate this series with 1 star "What?? Are you on Crack". This is wonderful reading for anyone! Unfortunately, since we have to wait so long in between books, our anticipation and expectations grow so big, nothing Mr. Jordan could! possibly write will live up to those expectations. None the less, I shall remain a loyal and die-hard fan. Last comment - To all of you who have recommended 'A Game of Thrones'; I totally agree. Anyone who like WOT will love it!