nancy and plum was written in 1952 the year i was born i read it in junior high school and was transported by ms macdonalds warming story and prose she was definitely a "word painter" i slept with this book and delayed finishing it by re- reading the previous chapter befor starting the next i have checked every library i have entered in the last 20 years searching for a copy of this story of the two orphaned sisters (i had only brothers) reading nancy and plum was like finding a sister now i will have her again my plum ( i was nancy) i cant wait to get my hands on this book now at 47 years old i will read it to all the little girls in my life and the boys too thanks to the macdonalds for the timely reprint! i have created and lived on a beautiful farm for 22 years and would welcome nancy and plum if they came along!

I read this book as a child in 1957 and fell in love with it. I found it again at the library in 1982 and read it to my children, who also loved the book. I am thrilled to find that it is still in print. It was not until today that I realized that this is the same author that wrote "The Egg and I", another favorite of mine. I now have grandchildren and look forward to reading Nancy and Plum to them, as well.

My fourth grade teacher, Miss Morris, read this book to our class in 1960. We were all mesmerized and couldn't wait for reading time everyday to find out what adventure Nancy & Plum were in for this day. They were truly inspirational children. No matter what happened to them, they could find humor and gratitude in all things. I found this book again in 1990, when I called the publisher and they gave me the number of Betty MacDonald's daughter. We chatted and she sent me her personal copy. I was thrilled. My daughter, now 22, has cherished this book, as well, since she first read it. Nancy & Plum takes me back to a time when life was innocent and uncomplicated, times were good and fourth grade was the best place to be!

I've got a lot of BBQ books, maybe 40 or 50, and I would have to say this one has moved to the top of my list! Its got it all over the others. This book has "the vibe" its got soul, funk, rock and roll and some of the best damn barbecue recipes you'll ever come across. I'll have to settle for having to recreate the recipes as I am nowhere near this juke joint (but I am putting it on my BBQ Mecca list!)but just flipping thru the pages of this gaw-jus book I get a feeling like I can hear the music, smell the 'que and meet the characters that inhabit this place. Who says Dinosaurs are extinct! Chow time! Get cookin' get smokin! This is one 'Saur that Roars!

I bought Dinosaur's book not expecting much, given that it's "just" BBQ (forgive me) and that it's a restaurant cookbook (since books by professional chefs are often not feasible for home cooks to use, or else poorly written/edited/tested). I purchased it mostly because I'd been to the Syracuse restaurant, had a great time, and figured this book made a nice "souvenir" if nothing else. What a pleasant surprise: I've tried at least a dozen of the recipes (many more than once -- the real sign of a great cookbook) and all of them turned out wonderfully. And I'm not just talking BBQ -- I've made seafood, stews and braises, vegetables, and desserts from this book too. It's fun to read, and the instructions/layout are clear and comprehensive. A worthwhile purchase even for those who have never heard of the Dinosaur and have never set foot upstate.

I must admit that I avoided purchasing this book as I have been disappointed in the past with cookbooks that are written for a particular restaurant. Too often, the recipes in such books are only close approximations of the real items. Alas, this book forgoes that tendency and gives the actual menu directions. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que cooks traditional 'American cuisine'. The recipes for 'Not Your Mama's Meatloaf' and 'Macaroni and Cheese Shepherd's Pie' were big hits. Each section (Beef, Poultry, Seafood, Pork etc.) contains some suggestions for the barbeque novice. But what separates the 'Dinosaur' from other cookbooks are the recipes for sauces, rubs and marinades. I have grown habanero chiles in my garden this summer and used them to make the hot version of the Mutha Sauce. Problem is, I can't get enough of this stuff. The combination of tastes will just dance on your tongue and you too will use it in more and more recipes. The Creole Rub is also an easy to create but versatile spice combination. On a lighter note, the compilation of the best of Dinosaur graffiti is hilarious. It is obvious that this establishment takes its food seriously without taking itself all that seriously. Buy the book....make the sauces....assemble the rubs and try the recipes. As the authors suggest, this will be only a guidebook for you. Feel free to experiment with your own spices and flavors. If it isn't already, barbeque will become an indispensable part of your culinary experience!

This is one of the first books that I can remember owning and reading. In fact there are photos done (i.e. Sears like) of me when I was about 3 or 4 and the photographer posed me holding that book. I would love to find a copy of that book so that I might be able to read it to my daughter.

Ann Likes Red is the first book I remember reading, and I even remember much of the text 30-odd years later. ("Ann likes red, red, red, red. A blue dress for Ann? No, Ann likes red...") I had a daughter in March (my first), and I can't wait to share this book with her. I'm delighted it's being republished in October.
I'm now an editor who reads books for a living, so this book definitely started me on the right track!

Ann Likes Red was my sister's favorite book as a child. I read it to her so many times, I had it memorized. (Ann likes red; red, red, red). I look for it at old book sales and libraries. She just had her first daughter and I would love to find a copy as a gift.

I've heard it said that using a thesaurus can poison your style. When applied to some of the older books in this category, that may be true, but never Rodale's. It's a treasure trove! I work from the 1978 edition in which Laurence Urdang begins his Introduction with the curious statement that "...there is no such thing as a true 'synonym.'" So use the book with caution!

No other thesaurus I've seen facilitates that caution. Rodale's enables you to look at the word choices with enough objectivity to see the wealth of nuances of meaning reflected in each one.

This book is indispensable, reliable, accessible, and fun reading!

As a professional writer, I am always on the hunt for the best dictionary, the best thesaurus, the best tool to assist me when I am working at the word craft. Someone shared their Synonym Finder with me at a retreat. I fell in love with it so much that I briefly left the retreat so that I could go and buy one of these myself. I'm still hunting for dictionaries and various other reference books, but the search is off for THE Thesaurus.
It's quick and easy to read and refer to. It cross-references, has antonyms and has words and phrases from the mundane to the highly obscure while remaining easy to read, refer to and comprehend.

Roget's thesaurus was never real quality. The Synonym Finder beats it cold. I write books for a living. Because of my love for words and desire for variety--I use this book constantly. I encourage my students and everyone to secure a copy of this new classic.

I don't believe I've read a more compelling book! It was purchased from a bargain table as something to read while recovering from a foot injury. The therapy for my soul and mind was worth far far more than the few dollars I paid.
So many times I've been disappointed in the quality of "Christian Fiction." Not so with "SOUTH PACIFIC JOURNAL." The characters are believable and very interesting. Descriptive passages place the reader on location in the South Pacific. I've never read such compelling "flash-back" passages. Even though the narrative left many unanswered questions about the characters (What happened to the lieutenant? How did Sarah try to contact her family? When and how did she return to Manila?) I feel as if I really know the characters personally. I hope David & Nancy French write a sequel.
My gratitude goes to the authors for such excellent writing and to the publisher for printing this book.

I just finished reading the wonderful story South Pacific Journal by David and Nancy French. I recently started reading Christian fiction as I am so sick of the filth in secular reading. This story made me smile and cry and praise the lord all at the same time. It was beautifully written and the characters all seemed alive to me. If more of our young people would read these kinds of books maybe the world wouldnt be going to hell the way it is!!. I hope these fine new authors will publish another story soon. I will rush to the bookstore to get it!! May God Bless all who reads this wonderful book.

South Pacific Journal was definitely worth the day I spent reading it. This story is about a brother and sister, Jacob & Sarah Levine. They are separated by unusual circumstances, but Jacob finds out about Sarah through a phone call, a fax and a trip half way around the world where Jacob finds a priceless treasure. The tale is skillfully woven and drew me in on the first page and release came too soon at the final sentence - so sweet was the journey from cover to cover. Rarely would I expect to find such a seamless story line and so strong a purpose in any book, especially by new authors. Believability, passion and God's loving mercies were echoed throughout this gripping tale. As page after page of masterful storytelling unfolded, I cried, I hoped, lost hope and found it again. Finally, if you've ever wanted to introduce someone to your dearest Friend -- let this book help you. They'll be glad that you did... Bernie Siegel said in one of his books, "Tell a story. No one is offended at a story." Thanks Nancy & David French. Your story will find it's way into the hands of some of my loved ones this year so that the Story will never die....

I came home from a very trying day at work and found this book had arrived. I began reading it immediately and found it so interesting.

You must read the text between the recipes to get the full impact. What a story. One can't imagine the life and times of these people, but Marta gives you a good idea.

The recipes aren't that difficult and I'll be trying some soon. They are very healthy sounding.

What is sad is to see all of the family pictures and to realize that so many of them are gone.

They had a magical life with "Madam". Grand Jackie fits her best.

This book is a delight for the loyal Jackie-ite, as well as for those that don't follow her. Marta Sgubin, long-time housekeeper at 1040 (Mrs. Onassis' Fifth Avenue address) writes a warm book full of antecdotes, recipes and great snapshots. Pictures of Jackie on Christmas morning or of John Jr strumming his guitar or Caroline blowing out candles on her birthday cake, make you feel like you were there. What is especially intriguing is that this book was sanctioned by Mrs. Onassis' two children, with John even writing the foreward. Obviously they want this more personal side of their very private mother to be known by the general public. Now, if only Nancy Tuckerman would write her memoirs (are you listening Tucky?), the ordinary side of an ordinary woman who happened to have lived an extraordinary life will be almost complete.

I loved this book! In addition to providing delicious recipes, the author recounts family stories which pay tribute to the Jackie branch of the Kennedy family. Marta's recollections read like an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," yet throughout, the family always seems warm and down to earth. Also included are many family photos of John, Jr.

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!

This has got to be the best book I've ever read...and I've read Artemis Fowl, the Harry Potters, and the Lemony Snicket books. In a sense, it's Harry Potter without the magic. It focuses on Matt, a boy (or should I say clone?), living in the drug country of Opium. Because he is a clone, he is treated badly, because 'real' beings feel that he is inferior. He is raised by Celia, a slave, and is the clone of El Patron, the leader of Opium. He is also taken care of by Tam Lin, one of El Patron's bodyguards. He finds out that El Patron made him only to use his organs as transplants, and just in time he escapes to the country of Aztlan (present-day Mexico). There he is taken by an orphanage, and meets two new friends, Chacho and Fidelito. The three are moved to a plankton factory where they meet Ton-Ton. The keepers there treat them terribly, so they plan an escape plan to San Luis. They make it there, and Matt finds out that he is the actual leader of Opium, because El Patron has died. He goes back to Opium and finds out that everyone except for Celia, one of El Patrons other bodyguards, and Mr. Ortega, Matt's music teacher, had been killed. It's a gripping book just BEGGING for a sequel. Recommended to anyone who likes the Harry Potters and those kind of books.

The House of the Scorpion is what you would call a book 'beyond its time'. Not only is the setting a century from now, but the sensation of feeling as if you were in a time warp flying through the future (well not quite as expressive as the Jetsons') is accompanied with reading the book itself. Nancy Farmer gives the life story of a young 'boy' who is actually a clone of a 140+ year old drug lord named Matteo Alacran, (or El Patron as he is more locally called throughout the book) ruler of the country of Opium (an area within 'former' Mexico and the US). Of course, the clone is also given the same name as well (Matt). In the beginning, Matt was grown within a cow (yes cow) from DNA given from El Patron. Despite his old age, El Patron creates his clones as a way to help him live on through the use of a clone's organs once his own grow bad. However, clones usually have their brains destroyed so any form of rebellion would be prevented. As for El Patron, he does exactly the opposite. Instead, he gives his clones the lap of luxury to give them confidence until it's too late.
As a young boy, Matt is shielded from the outside world from his caretaker Celia, cook of El Patron's mansion. As time progresses, Matt is later discovered and winds up in the Big House (El Patron's house). From here on Matt begins his long journey of self discovery to find out who and what he really is. However, no journey goes without obstacles. Tom, a son of a US senator's wife (ok the wife cheated a little), terrorizes Matt's life by doing whatever possible to make his life a nighmare. Likewise, the entire estate of the Alacran's segregate Matt from itself for what Matt is. On the other hand, Maria, daughter of the US senator (no cheating this time) ends up being Matt's secret crush, that is despite some difficulties in the beginning. Tam Lin is another of Matt's favorites. Originally being a 'terrorist', he is one of El Patron's top bodyguards and becomes Matt's as well. Tam Lin teaches Matt of nature and survival as he (Matt) soon learns these techniques and lessons would come to great use in the near future (You'll have to read why...hey I can't tell everything :)]. Secret passages, hospitals, exploration, captivity, love, self-discovery, and an all out war of mind over body plus much more is what one would find in this guaranteed Farmer classic: The House of the Scorpion.

Other info:
Reading Level: Middle School +
Recommendations: Great for school reports and projects or just for fun!
Overall: Guaranteed to send shivers down the spine and tears in the end! Will keep you begging for more!

This book is the best book I've ever read I love how this book has everything. I was hooked the whole time it all starts out with this kid named Matteo Alacran who lives with a girl named Celia who live in a poppy field the size of 4 football fields combined Matteo (or matt) had been cut off from the world in which case he never played with kids the only thing he had was Celia who one day left for the market. 3 kids walked up to the house and asked him to play he couldn't answer knowing through the glass they couldn't here them so he grabbed a frying pan and took it through the window he ended up cutting his feet so one of the kids named Steven picked him up and brought him to the house where he found out he was one of the most hated creatures by man... a clone. He was kept in a room full of chicken litter and the only toys he had were old chicken bones his keeper (Rosa) who hated him more than anything. One day Celia was walking by and looked in his window in which case she saw he had been starved. Celia demanded the person who made matt come see what had happened turns out Matt's owner El Patron is one of the most powerful people in the world so he gave Matt the feast of his life but the creepy thing is that El Patron is 142 years old and in two days he's going to turn 143. But to Matt's surprise its also his birthday when he is turning 12 but then he try's to embarrass one of his best friends named Maria by making her give him one thing that would embarrass her beyond belief... a kiss. When she did it El Patron was overwhelmed with joy Matt finally realized he was beginning to be bossy but the only way he could calm down was music. In which case he demanded a music teacher everyone was so surprised because no one ever knew the El Patron had a musical side to him. Matt became the best music player in the house. One day Matt became curious when he was riding threw the poppy field with his best friend Tam Lin, Matt saw a person lying on the ground he asked Tam Lin what was wrong Tam Lin explained how that person was called an "Eejit" which is a person who can not think for themselves not even if it could save there own lifes.

The fantasy elements in this story are Matt being a clone they're being a man who is 143 yrs. And being so rich you have the best house and doctors in the world. I think this story's elements are just fine but I think there could have been more elements in this whole story which is 380 pages long I really do think if they added about 10 more fantasy elements then this book would be more popular then Harry Potter himself.

Hal Lifson's 1966! is essential reading (and viewing) for anyone interested in 1960s U.S. Pop culture. The book is well written and the illustrations comprise a great and thoughtful selection of pop "icons" from 1966: From images of tv's Batman to advertisements for toys, comics, music albums, films and other mass-marketed products, the book provides an excellent travelogue through a sometimes overlooked facet of a unique and explosive period in U.S. cultural history. The book is great fun (and that's enough) - but it also provides some keen insights into the visual context that gave rise to the work of Andy Warhol and many of the pop visual and media styles that still resonate today. The introductory writings by Adam West and Nancy Sinatra are great "bonus material" that add to the book's thoughtful approach to it's subjects.

To even flip through this book is to become deeply enmeshed in the time that was (and for author Hal Lifson, still is) 1966!

If you grew up in the 60's like I did, you will gasp in delighted recognition with each turn of the page as you peruse this wildly colorful book.

This is not a highly inclusive record of everything from 1966; this is the author's own personal recollections of his youth and culture growing up in Encino, CA and all those things that comprised his environment during that time. Luckily for the rest of us, whether you grew up in that time or not, you will enjoy and very much relate to the stories Hal Lifson tells. For those of us who had a similar childhood, or those who want to get an idea of what it was like to be a kid in the 60's, this book provides enough detailed and factual captions to make it an educational must-read for anyone interested in 60's pop culture.

The pictures of the toys and products alone (remember using a real potato for Mr. Potato Head? Hey! I had that Mary Poppins lunchbox!) make this book worth getting, but Hal Lifson's observations and comments truly make you feel as though you were reminiscing with an old childhood friend about all the things that were important to you back then.
Extremely fun and highly recommended!

With this gorgeous book '60s expert Hal Lifson has distilled the turmoil and triumph of 1966 to its very essence. Far from a "dry" history, "Hal Lifson's 1966!" is a bouncy, irresistible read that will leave you pining for the Whamm-Os and 45-RPM record changers of your youth. From the cereals we ate to the cars we drove, Hal's richly evocative study of this pivotal year is exquisitely researched and beautifully designed; a definitive portrait of the people, places and things that irrevocably changed our lives. Once you begin poring over its amazing color photo spreads and reliving the memories that Hal so brilliantly captures, you won't be able to put this book down.

I have spent the past 25 years in the field of health care and working with chronic depression. The two "Letters From a Nut" books have broken ground in the field of comedy and healing. I have used the books with many patients who have laughed so hard that they forgot about their pain. What a great gift this nutball comic genius has given to the world. Ted, you can't even begin to know the impact that you have had on us all. Laughter heals, and you sir are a genius. I can't wait for the next book. Please don't laugh, but I was once attacked by a woman with a shrimp fork. I lost.

This was just as funny as the first "Letters from a Nut," even though Ted can't top Don Novello, aka Laszlo Toth. My favorites are the letter to a hotel chain repeatedly demanding the "respect due me," and the one warning the hotel owners about the uncontrollable bedding-eating urge. I also liked the Fat Beatle. But nothing can top the Pip the Mighty Squeak letter in the first collection! Ted, how about an "Emails From a Nut" collection? That way, you could treat us to a new book every two months....

I am a big fan of Seinfeld, and after reading the first installment of these books (See My Review) I had to get the second one. Seinfeld writes the introduction to the book, but after reading this second one, I am sure he is the true author. There is nobody else who could think of such wild and outlandish stories.

Again, as America's favorite pen-pal, Ted L. Nancy writes to hotels, governments, cities, casinos, and the military. He wants to know if he can graft his big toe onto his nose, why his wife left him while he was in a coma..for another man in a coma, and if he can consummate his marriage in the administrative office of the chapel. He writes to hotels telling them he eats his mattress, and is a chronic kleptomaniac. He writes to casinos to ask if his band the "Fat Beatles" can perform and if he can stay in their hotel dressed as a bladder.

As funny as Mr. Nancy's letters, the dead serious responses are often funnier. The casino manager things the "Fat Beatles" are a great idea, and the military would love to have his one man show about Yoko.

This book is laugh out loud funny. It is best read aloud with family members or friends so they can join in on the fun. Buy this book and you will laugh very hard.