This is one of the funniest children's books I have ever read. I would recommend it to adults!I understand that Ms. Pennypacker is about to publish some new material. I hope to see more writting about Ivy and all the other zany crew in her new books. Bravo!

Dumbstruck is one of our favorite books. It stretches our imagination and takes us into the best kind of childhood fantasy. Borage and Armilda Clott get what they deserve when their orphans exact their revenge... We can't wait for Sara Pennypacker's next book and hope it's just as good. 10 times better than James and the Giant Peach

This was an incredible book. I read it several years ago and still recommend it to others. It is so informative, and makes you very aware of the dangers of E. coli. I am the Chairman of Health & Safety at my son's elementary school. I think part of the reason I am doing it is to educate parents on issues such as this. It touched me deeply.

This is a well written, informative book. My heart went out to the Heersink family, as I have children of my own. As a nurse, I read this book from a professional view and as a mother, from an emotional view. It is very fortunate that Damion's father was in the medical profession and that he knew that transfusions were necessary to help his son recover. E-coli is normally found in the intestines, however new strains are emerging and they are deadly, if not identified quickly and appropriately treated. This book is well written, and understandable from both medical and layman perspectives.

This is a great resource book for early childhood nature studies. Great for family or school use. It lists activites and books for many nature topics. The cycle of the day, endagered species, protecting the environemnt and more are all covered with books and activites for ages 3 and up. (probably to about 3rd grade)

This book is an excellent resource for parents and educators who wish to develop environmental awareness in young children. It is filled with LOTS of activities, stories, songs, and resources which help children to establish a spiritual connection with the earth and all its creatures. Through reading this book and utilizing its ideas, parents, teachers, and the children in their care can't help but develop a greater respect for the world around them. I have also found the Dream Starter section in each chapter to be an excellent relaxation tool for myself as well as my children.

The book was difficult for me to read, but good for me as well. I needed to know the beginning of the story. The beginnings are so important, because the ending is never reached without a beginning. Like sudden accidental death, people think being involved in a cult could never happen to them. This is especially true of devout Christians. But this story is of an ordinary family who unintentionally spiraled into the destructive cult whirlpool through entirely good intentions. Thus, I believe all people who live above the plane of cynicism must take heed to the beginnings of such stories, and not just the gruesome inner-story details. They must understand how good intentions can be misused by evil people intent on achieving their own malicious ends. I should know because in the book, I am the daughter, Louise. I needed to know the beginning, because I saw the middle and the end.

The Evilweb This true story ( a must read )saga starts out innocent enough, and progresses slowly into a mindboggling descend into the quagmire of mindcontrol, and the unbelievable relinquishing of self will. Mary Rich and her husband, apparently normal people leading successful lives, allowed the diabolical charismatic figure Ronald Larrinaga to assert his will on them to the point of diabolical madness, involving physical, mental, and depraved sexual abuse on Mary Rich, and her children. All the while her husband remained inert to what was engulfing his wife and children, as he drowned in an automaton state. This family criss crosses the country growing into a group of 30 or more men, women, and children. Some how Mary's husband manages to leave the cult, and eventually convince's Mary to also abandon Larrinaga and his flock, however, the scars ingrained on them and their children will follow then for the remaining days of their lives. Mary then seeks to pursue criminal charges against Larrinaga, and subsequently Larrinaga is brought to justice and sentenced to served 180 years in a Texas prison. This story makes one wonder what personalities is susceptible to total domination, and subjugation to the most deprived living conditions beyond the realms of reality. The recent San Diego Heaven Gates Cult mass suicides of 39 people reveals such anomalies are still breeding in our society, and the evilweb may be spinning right next door to you.

I also am a cancer survivor and found this book very inspiring. Mrs. Walker's positive outlook was in inspiration. If she could smile through her ordeal so could I. It's a must read.... If I could have given it 10 stars I would have.

this is truly an inspiring story of one woman's long fight against almost insurmountable odds. She is able to find humor in the most unlikely situations. She writes in a breezy, upbeat style

"A Forbidden Passion" is an excellent collection of short stories by Uruguayan writer Cristina Peri Rossi. The stories have been translated from Spanish into English by Mary Jane Treacy.

Rossi's work reminds me of the stories of Jorge Luis Borges: she frequently plays with notions of reality, psychology, and geographic dislocation. "The Trip" in particular is a Borgesian gem in which she writes about an imaginary language that has some remarkable characteristics. Other tales satirize religion and politics, or reflect on artistic creativity itself. Overall, this is a richly imaginative collection that is full of irony and witty absurdism.

This collection of short stories is an excellent example of the literature of Cristina Peri Rossi. A master of language and logic, CPR constantly undermines them to spare the reader from his or her own inclination to fall in the trap of cliches.

Language and logic are only tools for simplification. Once readers free themselves of the binds that trap them on a linear logic, the circularity of language and its meanings, they can capture the stories as an image. Unlike other famous Latin American writers, who tend to take the reader by the hand on a wonder journey, CPR leaves the reader defenseless to the image.

In GHOST OF PORTBYRON AND GHOSTS ALONG THE ERIEI HAVE SELECTED MOST OF THE FAMOUS STORIES.P.BHAPPENS TO HAVE A WEALTH OF THEM.MOST OF THEGHOSTS RECORDED CAN BE CONNECTED WITH SOME PERSONWHO DIED THERE.IN MY STORIES I HAVE PRESENTED ONLYTHOSE ACCOUNTS SUBSTANTIATED THRU OLD FAMILY RECORDS AND THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF RELIABLEINDIVIDUALS.HOW THE READER CHOOSES TO INTERPRETTHEM IS A MATTER THAT ONLY THE READER CAN DECIDE,IF YOU MEET UP WITH A GHOST, JUST EJOY THE HAPPENING. DON'T BE AFRAID. MARY ANN

This book is absolutely ravishing. It's obvious that the author put her heart-and-soul into writing it and has a keen sense of recording the stories from around her town. Maryanne Johnson must be a wonderful woman to know and must be the best and most beautiful Grandmother in the world.

that not that long ago in this country someone was found wandering the streets and there were no means to identify him. How sad that someone had raised him for 16 years and then "lost" him. This is a story about one man's dignity. Unlike a lot of stories involving institutions, it seems as though John encountered an awful lot of caring people employed at these places. I find it interesting that although he learned to communicate with others, he never discussed his past or gave any real clues as to his beginnings.

It's a well written book about a sad subject. I recommend it.

On October 11, 1946, a black boy of indeterminate age was found wandering the streets of Jacksonville, Illinois. When police discovered he was deaf, mute, and suspected to be retarded, he was sent to the Lincoln State School and Colony, a state facility that bore little resemblance to its name. Had he been permitted to stay at the School for the Deaf, his life would have been completely different, but that school was not permitted to take retarded people.
The Lincoln School was a self-contained city having a farm with price-winning cattle and a dairy processing plant. It generated its own power and returned thousands of dollars to the state treasury, thanks to the free labor provided by the residents (really inmates). These people varied from the very severely retarded to those of borderline intelligence. The place was vastly overcrowded, and the pecking order among residents was often established violently.
John Doe, as he was called since they were unable to identify him at all, was given an I.Q. test, but much like any test, if you don't understand the value or importance of the test, there will be little incentive to do well, even assuming you can understand what is expected of you. A special test was used that had been designed for the deaf, but the examiner had difficulty conveying the purpose and instructions for the various tests that were disguised as games or puzzles. John's deafness and inexperience were a huge impediment, and, not surprisingly, he scored very low on the test. This result was to haunt him for years to come. After several unsuccessful escape attempts, John gradually adapted to his surroundings. He had no known relatives so there was no one to claim him nor to send him packages or money that might help alleviate his situation.
By the mid-sixties, thanks in part to JFK's commitment to improving conditions and education for the mentally retarded and an Illinois commission, facilities and conditions were improving at the Lincoln School. John Doe had now been there close to two decades. Unfortunately, it was also the time of Chlorpromazine that the psychiatric profession had discovered could turn unruly or violent patients into virtually catatonic, but untroublesome, individuals. It soon became the drug of choice for nearly everyone in an institution. Despite regular doses, John was becoming one of the best students in the ASL class that had been started for the deaf residents. He became a trustee and was placed in charge of several other patients, helping them to dress and to get ready for the day.
By 1973 the side effects of the drugs began to manifest themselves and John was inflicted with diabetes and glaucoma. In 1975, the Lincoln School was converted into a state prison, and John was sent to the Jacksonville Developmental Center. He was now totally blind, but thanks to a few dedicated individuals, his talents were recognized and he was sent to the Helen Keller School. This provided him with the skills he needed to subsequently live in a series of group homes.
He died a few years later, but to this day no one has still been able to track down his identity.

hey, i don't even have kids & i luv this book! (that should tell you something right there ... )

the back cover says & i quote: "Written in the bouncing rhythm of the easy-to-read books you loved as a child, each tale has a lasting Christian message on an important topic ... and it's fun to read!" (actually the message is not overtly christian -- the word "God" is only mentioned twice & jesus is not mentioned at all: "God gave us animals we can eat," & "No one but God can speak for the trees or the wind, or the waves, or the clouds, or the breeze" -- this would make a good interfaith children's book for anyone who believes in god, not just for christians.)

i just love the lilting rhyme of this book & i love the message of a greenie who is, quite frankly, a meanie & who is obnoxious & pushy about his ecological beliefs ... but all turns out well in the end! it's a great lesson about how we can all be concerned about the environment without being pushy & hypocritical.

i wish this book was still in print ... (heavy sigh)

This book is about a boy-creature who notices air pollution around his home town. He is then befriended by The Greenie (who looks suspiciously like John Muir) and recruited into eco-activism. But the Greenie goes way too far (as do many modern groups) when he tries to prohibit eating meet, wearing leather, and even going to parks and the beach (only wildlife allowed). Finally the Greenie becomes physically ill and sees the error of his ways. Environmentalism is good when practiced sensibly and in moderation. This book provides a good way to teach children that we can be good stewards of what God has given us without going to either extreme (wasting resources or restricting our freedoms). --- Paul H!

I laughed so hard that I thought I was going to burst something and become the first entry in an appendix to this book

This is a truly gross, yet very educational book. It is full of small facts of human anatomy you never learned in school. (i.e. fecal halitosis) I recommend this to anyone who is interesed in his/her body enough. Not recommended for those who are squeamish.