ABC'S OF FOOD encyclopedia is one of the most interesting and informative books I have. For example, I assumed in eating the abalone that we ate the body. In the ABC'S OF FOOD I learned it's the foot we eat. It even explained how to cook and tenderize the foot. Most fascinating were the how and where foods, such as Hot Cross Buns, originated from. With the explanation of terms, such as Dry Water, I can now answer customer questions. I work in the food area of the largest retail chain in the world and I am asked about lots of products. Now if I don't know the answer, I use my ABC's book!
Also,reading about such down home wild foods as chinquepins
(chinky pins), hickory nuts, muskadine grapes, and pawpaws brought back childhood memories of following my daddy through the woods, looking for these, along with sassafras roots for the tea in the winter for better health. And if I got hungry while there, we ate veenie weenies (Vienna Sausages)with crackers. I wonder how many of the readers have some of the same fond memories. It would be very interesting to hear from them. I hope there is a follow up book VERY soon! Linda Clark,
former Bakery Manager for Ingles, Consumers, Wal-Mart.

It is a pleasure to read a food book with such vast information. With its tightly written entries, I can absorb knowledge while relaxing. I have worked with freshly prepared food and fresh produce all my life. My father is an avid gardener.
With my past 30 years of experience in restaurant work and as a produce specialist, it is uplifting to keep learning from this book. The ABC'S OF FOOD has fascinated and challenged me to broaden my horizons. I highly recommend THE ABC'S OF FOOD to any age group. --Joan Harness, Wal-Mart Superstore Produce Specialist

Ulmer and Calhoun have presented a comprehensive food library that is sprinkled with stories and anecdotes that keep the reader at full attention. It is easy to read, concise yet useful by its brevity, and gives the reader what he is looking for. It has both utility and entertainment. Bravo Ulmer and Calhoun!

Holly inherites a mysterious key from her Aunt Matilda, along with a letter with clues. Her family plans to move cross country into Aunt Matilda's house, and the mystery makes the move much easier for Holly. Not only does she want to learn what the key leads to, Holly also wants to learn more about her aunt.

The house hadn't been lived in for two years. When Holly and her family arrive, the house hides behind a jungle of growth. The neighbor impresses Holly as being rather creepy with a woman who talks to herself, a man who spies from a white car, a cat who won't make friends, and a lack of kids.

As Holly explores her new home, she learns more about her aunt. She even discovers an old Maytag ringer washing machine in the basement and another clue. Clues lead Holly not only to her legacy, but a wonderful understanding of her aunt.

THE FOUR O'CLOCK MYSTERY by Louise Ulmer provides an interesting mystery for middle grade readers. Appropriate for both boys and girls, Holly's mystery will keep the pages turning. Fans of THE FOUR O'CLOCK MYSTERY will also enjoy THE GLOBSTER OF GLASSY BEACH. Highly recommended.

Jimmy becomes a living legend when a giant "blob" or "globster" washes up on the shimmering black sands of Glassy Beach, Maine. The globster looks like a beached whale, from a distance, but doesn't have a head. It does have gills.

Jimmy stands guard over his discovery while his sister Ashley runs home to his parents' bed and breakfast to get their Dad. Soon people begin to wander up, asking what the object is. Some folks think it's part of a dead whale or maybe a a giant oyster without a shell. Jimmy's dad has other ideas: "If it's what I think it is," Dad said, "it's loaded with microscopic sea life and bacteria."

The globster is considered one of the "great unsolved mysteries of the world." Lots of people want to see it, including a magazine reporter, fake and real scientists, and tourists. Jimmy finds himself camping on the beach to protect his discovery. But there are some things he can't protect the globster from.

THE GLOBSTER OF GLASSY BEACH provides a very interesting read for children ages 8-12. Based on fact, THE GLOBSTER presents a fascinating mystery from the sea, as well as insight, on this age level, into the origin of myth. Indeed, this book confronts the origin of myth and how science displaces myth when scientific answers become available. Yet THE GLOBSTER maintains a tone of wonder, filled with deep respect for the mystery and the magic of a new discovery, thereby honoring the Creator. While including biblical overtones, they are subtle and nicely appropriate. Highly recommended.