I have a copy of this wonderful book..After reading the comments on others trying to get a copy, I feel very fortunate to still have my battered, but readable copy of Mr. Pudgins to share with the children in my life.. I would be willing to photo copy the pages for anyone wishing to read this story..(That is legal isn't it??)For anyone interested..Please e-mail me. This classic book will give your children a memory they will carry with them into their adulthood. I read this book to my nephew over 20 years ago and when I found the book in an old box I called him to see if he remembered, and of course he did. He is now trying to get me to give him my only copy. This book should be reprinted for circulation, Does anyone know if the author is still with us?

Mr. Pudgins probably saved my life as a child. I read it over and over and virtually lived with Mr. Pudgins and the children. I always wished that I could have a babysitter like Mr. Pudgins, but, of course, it never happened. My favorite memory of the book is the christmas ornament bubbles that he blew with live scenes of all their adventures. Unfortunately, several years ago, when I went to retrieve it from the box it was stored in, it turned out the whole box was missing. I was devistated and have been searching for a copy ever since. I consider it one of the best children's books ever written.

I have been trying to locate this book in bookstores and haven't been successful...Now I know why: it's out of print unfortunately! This was my favorite book as a child, and I would encourage EVERY parent, babysitter, grandparent, uncle, aunt, ect. to locate it and spark a child's imagination with Mr. Pudgins. I am now a college student who will be graduating in two short weeks. As an English major, there are a few books from each stage of my life that stick in my mind. Mr. Pudgins is one of those books. I vividly remember wishing I was one of the children in the book, traveling along with Mr. Pudgins on his wacky adventures, some of which include flying in a bathtub and having a circus with a Dodo bird...you can just imagine how much a child will enjoy reading this book! I hope that perhaps a publisher will read this review and put this great children's book back into print for all to enjoy! Good luck and good reading!

Chester Racoon and his mother prepare for Chester's first "night" at school. He is a little apprehensive, and, of course, he wants to stay home with his mom. Mrs. Racoon shares a secret with Chester called the Kissing Hand. She kisses Chester's palm and tells him to put it to his cheek when he begins to feel lonely at school. This book makes a great gift for a child entering school or going to camp for the first time, or for any occasion where a child will be temporarily separated from home and loved ones. It can also be used to help a child through the death of a parent or special loved one, and for children placed in foster families and residential facilities. For teachers, this book would be super to read the first day of school. It could also lead up to wonderful science, social studies, and reading/writing activities.

Chester is about to start school and he's terribly nervous. In a single, calming gesture, his Mom helps him feel loved and secure by kissing the center of his hand. She reminds Chester that her love is always right there and if he should feel frightened or scared or lonely he should simply hold the hand to his cheek and he will feel her love.
We read it just before our son began kindergarten on September 5, 2001 for several days in a row. Although he had been attending Day Care since birth, this was still a new experience for him and he was naturally nervous. So now, each morning we kiss his palm and send him off on the bus. It's a wonderful new ritual.
September 11, 2001 began a tremendously difficult time in our country. Our children are 4 and 5, and we have been reading this nearly every night since then. A friend's daughter was having terrible nightmares and great fears about not seeing her Daddy (he's a Police Officer currently assigned to Ground Zero). We lent them the book to read to her. Her Mom now tells me she is sleeping soundly as long as she has been kissed in the palm of her hand.
Sweet Dreams, America and the world.

Poor little Chester, the racoon, it's time for him to go off to school and he doesn't want to leave his mother. Mother knows that Chester will love school once he gets there. There'll be new friends to meet, new toys to play with, new books to read and even a new swing to swing on. So she tells him a special secret about the "kissing hand". She takes his little hand, spreads the fingers and places a kiss right in the middle of his palm. Now when he feels lonely and needs a little love from home, he can press his hand against his cheek and know his mother's love will be with him. And, before he scampers off to school, he gives his mother the kissing hand too, so that she won't miss him too much, while he's away..... Audrey Penn has written a sweet, endearing story to help little ones face those scary feelings on their first days of separation. Her gentle text is complimented by expressive, detailed illustrations and together will let youngsters know that they're not alone out there in the world. The Kissing Hand is the perfect bedtime story, pre-schoolers will want to read again and again and makes a wonderful addition to all home libraries.

Nearly 40 years ago, as a 15 year old girl, I took this book from my parent's bookcase on a cold, Sunday in March. I held out little hope because it was my mother's book, but I was bored and had run out of library books. From the opening page I was enthralled. I read all afternoon and into the evening. The love story of Kathy and Mike appealed to my young, romantic heart. But as I moved into the middle of the book, I missed the romance and found it less exciting. Their married life was not as romantic as their courtship. I read it again twenty years later and saw a different book, one about a maturing marriage and the problems it faced. It seemed much more relevant as a 35 year old mother. I read it again a couple years ago and saw even more in the story; it became a much richer novel each time I read it.

This book was a wise purchase by my mother in 1947 for it has continued to live, and grow. As a girl it was a love story, 40 years later it is the portrait of a marriage. I found a copy in a used book, just like my mother's. I will read it again.

I am 13 years old. I just finished reading Mrs. Mike. My mother found the book at our public library and told me I should read it. I didn't bother to find out what it was about. You know how people always tell you not to judge a book by it's cover? That is exactly what I did. Since it was old and worn I expected it to be a book that I wouldn't find interesting, or very good. I was SO wrong! I have read many books and this is the VERY BEST book I have ever read. My mother told me that the book has stuck with her ever since she read it! I can see why. I couldn't stop reading it! It is a very well written book telling about a young Boston Girl, Katherine Mary O'Fallon and Sergent Mike Flannigan, a Canadian Mountie, who fall in love and start a new life in the Canadian Wilderness. There life is full of love, hardships, and friends you will never forget. I recemmend this book to anyone who can sit still long enough to read it!!

I literally can't remember when I read this book for the first time. What I do recall is how much I enjoyed it, although I certainly was too young to understand the romance between Katherine Mary O'Fallon of Boston and Sgt. Mike Flannigan of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. To me it was simply a grand adventure set in the Far North, with (always a plus!) a young woman protagonist.

I finished re-reading "Mrs. Mike" last night, and I know exactly why it's considered a classic. Everything I loved about it in my girlhood is still there, with the grand adventure even more powerful to my more realistic adult imagination - but now the rest of the story is accessible to me as well. And I can only say: Magnificent! Because this is that rare and wonderful thing, a love story about women and men as they really are. The stark realism of life as Kathy and Mike face it, in a land that's isolated, dangerous, and at times nightmarishly brutal, makes the happiness they find together shine all the more brightly. It also gives new meaning to the phrase "dearly bought." The same applies to the friendships Kathy finds with other women, each of whom is a memorable character in her own right.

I am so glad I visited these old friends again!

Ben Gill's 'Random Thoughts' is a great gift to the business leader or manager. In this book, humor and hard-hitting insights are combined to create a memorable lesson in leadership.

I read the book cover-to-cover, then have been re-reading chapters ever since. One of my favorite things about the book is that each chapter is a stand-alone concept using a separate story to illustrate a point. Though there are themes that are present throughout the book, each chapter can be enjoyed on its own. This feature makes it a great candidate for one of the 4 or 5 books you should be reading at any given time according to Ben Gill. The only tough decision is do you keep it at your office or on your nightstand. Mine has been commuting with me for the last two weeks because I can't decide.

Ben Gill's messages about integrity and the importance of team commitment are high-impact for any business leader (or manager or employee who wants to become a leader). And his delivery style means the information really gets in and stays with you. It's like no other business book I've ever read. I mean, how often do you see books that are included in the categories 'business' AND 'humor'?

I work with business leaders every day, and I have purchased copies of 'Random Thoughts from a Wandering Mind' for every client (and several friends and family members) to share Ben Gill's gift with them. Don't miss out on this entertaining lesson on leadership!

Ben has touched my soul with this book. In the chapter on "Reality Checks," he shared the story of my friend, Ed Sample. If you read nothing else, read this chapter. It will help you put things in perspective just as it helped me. Thanks, Ben, for a great book.

Jack Stone PWS Group Dallas, TX

I came across Ben Gill as a TEC speaker a number of years ago. He started speaking to TEC groups to share his experience as a founding owner of a Company: how he did it, lessons learned along the way, mistakes made, etc.

Gill is a compelling speaker with down-home charm coupled with pragmatic advice and practical insights. I don't even hold it against him that he is from Dallas. His Company, RSI, became one of the most successful and largest religious fund raising firms in the country. Gill, I believe, literally founded the fund raising industry.

The book is a compilation of anecdotal stories. Each chapter is a story, followed by his insights, followed by questions for the reader to consider. The book is engaging, funny, poignant, touching, gritty, visceral, and philosophical. While it is almost 300 pages, it is any easy read. I found once I started it, I could not put it down.

The Message

While the book offers no theoretical premise, each chapter builds on an experience to build a "plank" into Gill's platform of how to run and grow a successful Company. Each chapter "story" can be a "stand alone module." In fact, it struck me that you could read the book of 30+ chapters in random order, without missing any of the message.

The book is waiting for the business gurus to distill Gill's wisdom into a theoretical premise on the principles of building a great enterprise.

Many of the themes are common to what we have heard in our Group and from our speakers. A few of these include:

1.Absolute integrity of the leadership: sharing the good and the bad news, admitting your mistakes, walking your talk. 2.Attracting the best and the brightest: smart, highly motivated, decisive. Talent is the ultimate differentiation of company performance, in Gill's assessment. But, the best and brightest have to be able to work in a cooperative team environment. 3. The critical role that coaching and mentoring make early in the career of a person. 4.People who are very successful have a higher calling: it's more than about money, it's about making a difference. 5.If you are not a life long learner, then you are dead(and may not know it.)

All in all, this book is well worth reading. In order to get the most from it, it does require you to spend some time with his questions at the end of each chapter. Therefore, I recommend that you read it twice: once straight through as an easy read, and note the chapters of particular significance for yourself. Then, go back and re-read the short list of highest relevance chapters for yourself, working the questions posed at the end of each.

For me, personally, the most compelling chapter is Chapter 16, called "Having Enough." The question posed is "what do you stand for?"(what do you represent). I struggled with that question for a long time. About a decade I evolved to my answer: making a difference every day in people's lives. How? By teaching people to fish.

John Gallagher

Certified Management Counsultant Paoli, PA

My Fathers Dragon is the first book out of a series of three. It is a fiction story about a kid named Elmer, who loves to go on adventures. One of his adventures is rescuing a baby dragon that has been captured by animals, and taken to Wild Island to be used as a way to get across the river there. Elmer hears this news from a stray ally cat that he finds one day, and decides he's going to run away and go to Wild Island to free this dragon. Elmer has to outsmart a bunch of animals to get to the dragon, but it's easy for him because he's really clever. I thought the book was very exciting and fun to read. It's the kind of book you don't want to put down and want to read it over and over again. I gave this book such a good rating because it was fun; I never got tired of it. It was a great book!!!! I would recommend it to anyone that likes thrilling and adventurous books. I liked this book because it was easy to understand, it's funny, and exciting. It's a fun book to read to your self, or to a little brother or sister. No matter how old you are you will always enjoy it. This book is ten chapters long with about 5 to 6 pages each chapter and the chapters are very easy to read. This book would be good for kids that are starting to read chapter books because the words in it are easy to understand and it has pictures in it and they are very detailed. Also in every book there is a detailed map showing where things are and where Elmer went and it's really fun to look at them. I had a great time reading the book.

This was the first chapter book I read to my son, when he was 4, and I couldn't have found a better choice. The story is simple and easy to follow — a nine-year-old boy saves an enslaved baby dragon and then flies home on the dragon's back. The book's language is simple and direct. And there's a black and white drawing on almost every other page, which is perfect, because most young children still need a picture to look at while they're listening.

The best thing about the book for me was that even though there's plenty of action (mostly involving the little boy outsmarting a series of wild animals in order to reach the dragon), there's nothing the least bit scary here. That was very important to me as the mother of a four-year-old. The book was written in the forties, and it has a sweet, gentle, old-fashioned quality that it's hard to find in any form of entertainment for young children today. (Even Disney is too intense for a lot of four-year-olds.) It has the kind of innocence most of us would like our children to be able to hang on to for a few years.

My son loved the book so much we read it over and over again, and went on to read the other two books in the series (Elmer and the Dragon and The Dragons of Blueland) many times as well.

Years later, when he was in third grade, his teacher mentioned to me that she was hunting for a chapter book to read to the class, but wasn't having much luck. Everything she looked at seemed beyond the attention span of many of the kids in her class. I told her about My Father's Dragon, but I also said it probably wasn't exciting enough to hold the attention of third graders. But she tried it anyway, and later told me that kids who had never shown any interest in books were reminding her every day to read another chapter. She, too, went on to read the whole series.

It's a great introduction to chapter books. More important, it's a lovely, gentle book to share with a child.

This Book is a fiction story about a kid named Elmer, who loves to go on adventures and one of his adventures is rescueing a baby drogon who has been captured by animals, and taken to Wild Island to be used as a way to get across the river there. Elmer hers this news from a stray ally cat that he finds one day, and decides he going to run away and go to Wild Island to freethis dragon. Elmer has to outsmart a buch of animals to get to the dragon but it's easy for him because he's relly clever. I thought the book was very exciting and fun to read. It the kind of book you don't want to put down and want to read it over and over agan.

While much has been written on the topic of workplace violence, much less attention is paid to a more widespread problem - workplace bullying. Gary and Ruth Namie claim that one in five workers in the U.S. have been targeted by a bullying colleague or, more commonly, a bullying boss. The authors flesh out this claim in The Bully at Work by describing the prevalence of workplace bullying and the corrosive effects that such behavior has upon its targets. But the real value in this book comes from the detailed advice it provides to bullying victims. The Namies tell victims how to cope with the stress and other psychological wounds that bullying can cause, and then unveil a step-by-step action plan. This plan stretches from initial internal measures that victims can take to defend themselves to - employers take careful note - legal recourse. This eminently useful guide elevates the book beyond the reach of self-empowerment literature and into the realm of practical knowledge. As such, we [...] recommend this book to any employee who has been bruised by a workplace bully, and to managers who are - like it or not - responsible for spotting and eliminating bullying behavior.

I admit I did not buy this book from Amazon.com. I actually bought mine in a book store. But what a buy this was!!! I was subjected to bully-tactics as well while working at "a famous name brand," and I thought it was all my fault. After I found this book and read it thoroughly, I knew it was not my fault but was the work of a bully. I was his Target, and it nearly cost me my marriage and sanity! It did help lead me to a new company and a better job, so not much for me to complain about there. But as this book repeatedly says, there is no reason, NO REASON WHAT SO EVER, for any person to go through bullying at work. If you are in a tough situation at your job (where ever it is and what ever you are doing), you may want to look this book over. I am not saying that this book will point out EVERY ONE's problem, but it may help to answer some questions about what is happening to you and your career. If you do buy it and it does not apply to you, keep it 'cause I bet you will have a friend/spouse/co-worker who will need this book..................

I had reported (as required by the small city goverment where I work) a nasty incident by my boss who is the quintessential bully. My report was really banal--just the facts. Then, just in the nick of time, I found this book! The actions by HR were precisely as the Namies said they would be, textbook almost. HR will go to any length to protect management and blame the bully's target. Further, weaker co-workers will not tell the truth and all bullys lie. Thanks to this book I have been able to laugh at the absurd results, keep my sense of humor, and chalk it up to "bureaucracy as usual." Otherwise, it would have been devastating, but instead this played out just as the book predicted. Buy it and think of it as a survivor/sanity manual. I also learned that having stood up to the bully, he will now set about finding another target. I can hardly wait! Until this country gets anti-bully legislation (and it's coming) there will be plenty of workers who should read this book. Sadly, it won't be the workers in HR since the truth is not their priority.

I started to read books when I was 3 years old. When my dad read My Father's Dragon to me, I was. . .well, I don't know, but I think 5. I have a dragon doll and I really recommend the book. It was an exciting adventure and I really like the cat. The cat is real nice and talks about her journey to Elmer. Please enjoy this book. Do you think others would recommend the book? Well, I would. This book is so incredible. Share this book with friends and family.

My Fathers dragon written by R.S.G, may be the best book ever! Elmer is a boy who lives in Evergreen city. One day he meets a cat who tells him about a Dragon .The was trapped on Wild Island and Elmer goes to save him, On the way he tricks a lot of animals. One of them was when he gives lollipops to crocodiles to make a bridge. Does he save the dragon? Read this book to find out!

I love this book and recommend it to anyone who likes to imagine, loves excitement, adventure and danger! It's celebrating 50 years in print, I think it is perfect the way it is! With this book you can experience the magic!

Much like Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, the My Father's Dragon trilogy is a fun read, and has a mixture of absurdity and humor that appeals on multiple levels. It's an easy read to a toddler, with several pictures throughout, and journey maps on the inner covers.

Since the chapters are short, you can do two or three a night without losing continuity. At the same time, the story has enough depth and cleverness that the parent can remain engaged. Thus, it's a catalyst for bonding.

One of the things that makes it special is the main character. Elmer Elevator, on the advice of a stray cat, starts out on a noble odyssey to free a baby dragon from its animal tormentors. In his preparation, Elmer packs dozens of seemingly useless items, including a magnifying glass, brush, sandwiches, and lollipops. While he travels across Wild Island, all these items become essential, and you wonder if the story was being told by MacGyver :-)

We've read the trilogy to completion five times and it's still a hit with everyone.

I bought this book second-hand in a bookstore during the late 70's. It has been my 'staple' nostalgia reading since then. I'm delighted to be able to get a fresh copy. If you attended high school in the 50's and early to mid-60's (before drugs and computers), this reads like a classmate's diary - or even your own. The New England atmosphere is dead-on, as well as the high school society and academic setup (like students during the 50's in college course required to take only four courses a year; starting in the 60's, it was five subjects in most schools). The author is especially accurate and super-descriptive with the thoughts and actions of teens during that time era. While the general feelings and attitudes of teens expressed in this novel can be applied to teens of today, the world is so different now that this is best read as a how-it-was-then-coming-of-age story. Whenever I tire and get overwhelmed by the ways of the 90's, and wish to remember what it was like in New England (I am a native) during those years, I turn to The Cheerleader and tuck myself into the past, warts and all.

I am ecstatic this book is back. I "borrowed" my copy from a friend in approximately 1983. She has never quite forgiven me. Then my copy got lost somewhere. I have read this book so many times, I feel as if I know every word. I have always loved the vivid details in the description of life in the late fifties in a small New Hampshire town. I have always felt somewhat sorry for Snowy- she seemed so lonely. Bev was not a true friend and she did not seem very close to Puddles. Perhaps that is why she became so attached to Tom. I read that there is a sequel ... I must have it! I would love to see what happened to Snowy, et al.

This is a re-release of the book I loved the most when I was growing up! It is the story of Snowy and the choices she must make about cheerleading, college, boyfriends, girlfriends and her family. Although set in the 50s, the story has a timeless appeal. Many of the challenges the fictional Snowy had to deal with are the same challenges facing today's teenagers. A wonderful, must-read book for anyone 13 and older.

In preparing our list of Christmas books to share with others, we had to search far and wide on amazon to find this particular book, a paperback edition of the classic Night Before Christmas.

This is the book I've used for years when reading this story to my own children, passing on Tasha Tudor and other illustrators. Why?

Although we can find the same poem and pay a lot more, with award winning illustrators, the illustrations provided by Douglas Gorsline are surely the best. They are quite colorful, and offer details little children love looking into...cats lie sleepily on the window sill, we see an overview of the town, the presents spilling from the open sack are intriguing and plentiful, and Jolly St. Nick is -- well, quite Jolly (as you can see by looking at the cover!)

The story is an "abridged version" - I'm not sure about other parents, but we read this on Christmas Eve, and we only have so much time and energy. Everything we remember from the classic poem by Clement Clarke Moore is in this version.

(From "'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse" to "He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!" In between we have everything, from the names of the eight tiny reindeer, to a belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly, including dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky".

In other words, don't be scared off by 'abridged'!)

Perhaps a hardcover edition might be more appropriate if you're giving a gift (unless you're giving to more than one child), but this book is one of the best offers we've found!

A classic done simply and inexpensively!

I discovered this book 31 years ago, for my daughter and it is still loved by all the family. The illustrations are wonderful, warm, charming and delightful and bring a special meaning to the story. We still read it to all the young children on Christmas Eve and for adults we read the story and pass a grab bag gift every time the word THE is mentioned. It would not be Christmas without this book. It is magical.

We have an inexpensive paperback version (see our reviews) of this classic poem, and we said that's enough for us. That was before we looked through this beautifully illustrated (by Bruce Whatley) edition of The Night Before Christmas.

The lyrics are the same, from book to book, but the fanciful illustrations in this one are enough to engage adults and children as they read this book together.

The perfect gift for any family whose Christmas tradition includes reading this classic!

The story of Blue and Ellie is simply irresistible. I enjoyed this book tremendously. It is slow, sensual, and poignant. It's a smooth blend of pure romance and fascinating mystery (What happened to Mabel? Who is Ellie's father?).

The relationship that develops between Blue and Ellie unfolds first as friendship over the Internet, and then as strong attraction when they meet face to face. The setting is irresistible: a charming, small southern town, hot southern nights, blues music, orchids, and alcohol. The cast of secondary characters is varied and wonderful. Ruth Wind has written a keeper!

Biographer Ellie Connor sees an opportunity to provide personal comfort to herself while researching the life of blues singer Mabel Beauvais. Ellie heads to Pine Bend, Texas where Mabel simply vanished while on the verge of superstardom. Over three decades ago, her mother became pregnant in the town, but never revealed the identity of Ellie's father.

Ellie stays at the home of attractive widower Blue Reynard, an individual she met via E-mail. As Ellie makes inquiries into the life and disappearance of Mabel, she hesitates about searching for her own roots even though she knows she needs closure. Even more stirring to her already over-boiling emotions, Ellie and Blue begin to fall in love. She is not sure she can deal with her feelings for him and her search for her father while he has never recovered from the death of his first wife.

IN THE MIDNIGHT RAIN is a poignant contemporary romance that shows how talented an author Ruth Wind is. The gut-wrenching tale will evoke strong emotions from the audience, who will want Ellie to find what she truly seeks. The charcaters are complex as they demonstrate how complicated modern day relationships have become even between two people. In her mainstream debut, Ms. Wind blows away much of the competition with a remarkable rousing drama that touches the inner soul of the reader.

Harriet Klausner

If you want a book you can really get into, that draws you in like a slow, Southern night . . . that seems to last forever, that gets into your soul so deeply you can't put it down until you've turned the final page, then read this book! It's not a book to be gulped down quickly, but gently swallowed and savored, like the Bourbon the hero is fond of drinking in the novel.

Ellie is a biographer, coming to Pine Bluff, Texas to find her roots, and the true story behind a mysterious Blues singer who disappeared decades ago. In the process, she slowly unravels the mystery, and falls deeply in love with a fascinating sexy man nicknamed "Blue" for his love of the Blues.

I can't say more without spoiling the plot, and the love story, but rest assured, I am now a Ruth Wind fan for life! I've always enjoyed her category romances, but am grateful she's now writing bigger, longer books to savor all the more.