I liked the book because it is helpful and gives good tips for buying horse

After reading Lesley's Young Rider Magazine for a year, this book was extra cool! There are lots of good tips for me and my pony!

The "Rough Guide" series is primarily intended for a British/Australian audience, but American readers will nevertheless find them very good resources. In fact, the different perspective may make it more valuable than the Fodors/Frommer's standards. The Guide for the Sunshine State is no exception. Much more honest and balanced than most guides, it pulls no punches and comes off genuine in its recommendations. When the writers don't care for something, they say so. It's a refreshing change from the glossy chamber-of-commerce copy that is typical in most travel guides. While nothing revolutionary, this series is definitely a cut above the norm.

Rough Guides are really good at telling it like it is and the Florida one is no exception. I had it on a recent trip with me and it never led me astray.

Since he wrote these stories during the several years he spent in Brattleboro, VT, we of the North Country have a particular affinity for Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books. The most familiar are the Mowgli tales, basis for the very good Disney movie. Mowgli is an Indian infant who is lost in the jungle after Shere Khan (the tiger) kills his family. Bagheera (the black panther) places him with a wolf family that has a newborn litter. Mowgli's new "parents" and Bagheera and Baloo (the brown bear) sponsor him for membership in the Wolf Pack and, much to Shere Khan's chagrin, he is admitted. Mowgli is raised according to Jungle Law, but all the while Shere Khan is plotting his revenge and ingratiating himself with the younger wolves. Eventually, he leads a rebellion against Akela, the pack's aging leader and attacks Mowgli, who beats him away with a burning firebrand. In these and the several other Mowgli stories--there are some prequels--Kipling strikes a nice balance between anthropomorphizing the animals and understanding Mowgli's natural superiority.

Also appearing in this collection is a story I've loved since I first saw the Classic Cartoon version--Rikki Tikki Tavi. It tells the story of an intrepid young mongoose and his life or death battle to protect an Indian villa from a couple of particularly unpleasant cobras. Rikki Tikki Tavi has always seemed to me to be one of the great heroes in all of literature.

These are great stories for young and old. For folks who worry about Kipling's potentially imperialist, racist or racialist overtones (see review), rest assured, these tales are free of such themes. They offer an excellent opportunity to introduce kids to the work of a true master storyteller.

GRADE: A

This was probably one of my most favorite books as a young child if not my favorite. The way Kipling shows the struggle of this young boy in the jungle is amazing. He fails to leave out any detail and throughout the whole story your totally caught up in it without one point of boredom. I recommend this to any parent looking for a good book to read to their children or to have their kids read. Kipling is a great author and after doing a report on him and reading some of his other works I recommend those as well, especially A White Man's Burden. If your looking for books by a author who mixes fiction with truth, action and adventure with tales that bring in more serious aspects Kipling is the author for you.

The story of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the jungles of 19th century India, charmed me when I was young no less than it does today. Kipling wrote this to celebrate his love of India and it's wild animals as well as to show again some of his frequent themes of honor, loyalty, and perserverance. While his writing may seem 'dated' to some, to others the truths he includes rise above politics and 'current correctness'. Baloo the Bear, Shere Khan the Tiger, Bagheera the Panther, Kaa the Python were all childhood friends of mine, and reading these Jungle Book stories to your own children today will result in their exposure to such old fashioned concepts as sticking by your friends in adversity, helping your family, relying on yourself. Good lessons then, good lessons now. Mowgli learns the value of 'good manners' early on, learns that 'all play and no work' leads to unexpected troubles, learns that thoughtless actions can have devasting consequences. By showing Mowgli in an often dangerous 'all animal' world, we see reflections of modern human problems presented in a more subtle light. Kipling leads children down the jungle path into adventures beyond their day to day imagining and along the way, he weaves subtle points in and out of the stories, he shows the value of 'doing for yourself', of 'learning who to trust'. All of this in a tale of childhood adventure that's never been equaled. The book is over 100 years old now, and there are terms & concepts from the age of Empire that aren't 'correct' today. Parents can edit as needed as they read bedtime stories, but I've found that children learn early on that the world changes, and that some ideas that were popular long ago did not prove to be correct. Explaining this, too, is a part of parenting. Some of our current popular ideas may not stand the test of time, but I suspect that 100 years from now parents will still read the Jungle Book to their children. And the children will still be charmed, thrilled and instructed in valuable life-lessons.

"MapHead" is one of Lesley Howarth's fictional books. It's about, Boothe (MapHead is his real name) and his dad, Power, who are from outer space. They are on a challenging journey to the Earth, to find Boothe's mortal mum. Because they have to get used to the human life and surroundings, they undergo a bunch of weird incidents. Like when Boothe visits a man named Mr. Bandy for breakfast...Mr. Bandy then questions Boothe "Don't you have boiled eggs at home?" and Boothe answers "We just crack 'em and drink 'em down." "MapHead" with no doubts, is a book filled with comical events!
Personally, I think that this amusing book "MapHead" is worth a try reading, for people who like fictional stories filled with a great mix of destination, trust and friendship! I found it a slightly bit confusing to understand because I didn't feel that I was into the book when I read it. After reading "MapHead", however, I started thinking about what kind of things I'd do if I ended up on some kind of Subtle World. It's pretty cool to read, in the omniscient point of view, what Boothe's opinion is on the human planet, Earth.
For English readers aged around 11-13, "MapHead" would be a splendid and entertaining book to read. If u already have read "MapHead", and you liked it, then Lesley Howarth has written other children books, like "MapHead2", "Mister Spaceman", "Paulina", "The Pits" and a lot more. Lesley Howarth has a numerous way of expressing her writing. Though she describes things a lot in her writing, I think there still could be more describing to do. "MapHead" has won the "Guardian Children's Fictional Award".

Though I am years (regrettably) from being a young adult, I was still dazzled by the writing and images put forth in this sci-fi coming of age novel. Maphead's subtle world of catshakes, teleportation and invisibility exists alongside what seems are own too normal world. It is in the normal world that Maphead's pursuit for his mother and for his life's meaning takes place. His amazing talent to flash maps across his face along with his unease in the normal world make him an instant outsider. Sadly, Maphead can find no map for happiness. During the course of the novel, he must decide in which world he truly belongs. Maphead is perfect for young adults searching for their own identity and place in the mundane adult world. The novel also shows that a good, well written novel is ageless. Fans of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy will enjoy Howarth's take on coexistent realities.

This book has a lot of fine points and the authors should be commended for trying to bring some civility into modern manners, however I was instantly struck at the dictatorial and arrogant tone of the book, as well as the large amount of non-etiquette content.

This is not an Etiquette Book - it attempts to be a 200-page reference work on Savoir Vivre. It seems to me that the authors are trying to mold their readers into the ubiquitous East-Coast English Lit student. There is quite a large section on 'Movies you should see' and 'books you should read' etc. This is all well and good if you believe that the authors have it Figured Out in terms of the Great and the Good. A note to the authors: there are more amaizing composers, authors, singers out there than just those that came out of the British Isles or France or New England! Even your favorite - FSF - was from (gasp!) Minnesota.

It always strikes me how surprisingly similar the "East Coast Prep" aesthetic is. And how Boring. After reading this book, I get the impression that an Etiquette Grrl "soiree" would consist of a bunch of women wearing Little Black Dresses, men in Brooks Brother's blazers, drinking Gin and Tonics and listening to Jazz. What would they talk about? The Met and Tennyson, of course. How verrrry interesting and original. Been there. Done That.

For all their self-important opinions about how superior their behavior is, I find their non-etiquette-related advice remarkably limiting. I'm not talking about listening to Cajun music (but why not?), but there is a heck of a lot more out there besides The Met, Shakespeare, and Vintage. Take a chance, Grrls! Break out from your safe worlds and try some non- "Lisa Birnbach approved" activities! I went to Prep School, too - but I Graduated when I was 17.

Here's the deal, "Grrls". Your audience, the young ladies and gents of the world, could care less about your breeding.

Breeding does not a refined person make, nor does wearing a black dress and pearls, urban decay nail polish, or a twinset.

Refinement comes from treating others with dignity, and from knowing the difference between advice and insult. Etiquette comes from respect not only for tradition, but also from a love of others, and a desire to be kind and gentle in your dealings with others.

Etiquette is not about whether or not you follow trends or like Andrew Lloyd Webber. Etiquette is simply treating other people well, something in which these Grrls could use a few lessons.

This book is nothing more than a diatribe against anything the Grrls don't like. These "Grrls" suggest that if one doesn't care for the same books, movies, music, TV, etc, that one is somehow lacking in social grace.

I suggest a different perspective: The Etiquette Grrls hide behind such snobbery under the guise of "Etiquette" when really it is to cover some inferiority complex with which they struggle.

I suggest that you look at this book as a warning: this is exactly what can happen if you let a string of pearls or an overpriced education determine your self-worth.

Leave this on the shelf, then go out into the world, say please, say thank you, bite your tongue in anger, and use your own two hands to help a stranger in some way every day, and you will be more polite and refined than these Grrls could ever hope to be.

Powered by stiff G&Ts and the Etiquette Volvo, the Etiquette Grrls have returned with a Top Notch follow-up to the highly acclaimed "Things You Need to Be Told," the Official Preppy Handbook of the New Millennium (and that is not a compliment I give lightly!). Covering only some previously visited ground, the New Handbook of all that is Decent and Holy also covers required Reading, Music, and Film. The Connoisseurs of Cultivated Living make even larger strides against the Uncouth and Ill-Mannered in such chapters as Boys and Chivalric Behavior, It's Money Baby, as well as a Very Important Update on Burberry. A must have for any person who has their Mother's Pearls and is not afraid to use them!

I'm sure its a good book, but I really can't get past the first page! I think it's so bad or badly written that i am able to get distracted so easily and it the subject really doesnt appeal to me

I found out that Weather Eye was a futuristic science fiction set in October 1999, so I thought it would be interesting to read it at the time when it was actually meant to be happening. Actually, it turned out to be a very good story for itself--not only because of why I originally picked it up. It is quick-moving and very readable. The author tends to employ very unusual adjectives and imagery, which is occasionally annoying but often startling and appropriate. By the end the plot does not fulfill all the promise of the beginning and becomes too controlled by the message the author wants to get across (Kids can do it! Everyone work together and let's save the environment!) and the writing gets a little preachy. This is unfortunate but does not spoil a mostly great book. The characters are well-drawn and interesting, and it is refreshing that there are no bad guys or perfect people--they are all human. Overall, a very good book for ages 10-14. Recommended. Actually, I'm a little surprised it isn't more famous than it is.

While some passages in this book appealed to me, I did find their style of writing and their opinion to be nothing but pretentious.
I was myself raised in Paris till my late teens, and have travelled quite a deal around the world and mastered several languages, including Latin and Classical Greek. However, I consider it outmost pretention and rudeness to drop in foreign words in my English conversation in order to sound "sophisticated".
Also, what is up with all the capitalized words? Improper use of grammar is tacky.
As far as choosing which cocktail, I consider it ridiculous to judge who you are by what your taste buds crave for at the moment. There are times that I enjoy a blue Hawaiian, and others when I could get by with a French 75. It all depends on MY mood, not some other person's opinion.
Real sophistication and class is within. People who look for material things to seek validation are extremely insecure, and that is the outmost lack of style.

_Things You Need to Be Told_, the Etiquette Grrls' witty, urbane and, yes children, often satiric handbook on modern manners, combines a good read with sound etiquette advice that never goes out of style.

Leticia Baldridge, no slouch herself when it comes to courtesy and the right way to do things, enjoyed the book enough to endorse it. And, I am reliably informed that it is favourite backstage reading for Tony Award winner Robert Sean Leonard. Closer to home, several of my friends regard it as a valuable
reference, and wouldn't dream of planning a party or accepting an invitation without consulting it.

For myself, I find the book at least as informative as Miss Manners, and a good deal more enjoyable. Is it perfect? No. As a non-smoker and non-drinker I find their references to liquor and cigarettes annoying. But I can live with that. The practical advice on dressing, comportment, etc. and the well-laid-out and simple guides to such essentials as the properly set table more than make up for any discomfort I may have with the authors' sometimes freewheeling style.

And, just a word about that style. I am dismayed to find, as I found with most of the reviews of Glass Hammer's _Chronometree_, that a good many of the reviewers just don't get it. Wake up, guys! These are characters here. TYNTBT belongs to that relatively new genre, Creative Non-fiction. The facts are straight in this case; it's the speakers, the narrators, the Etiquette Grrls themselves who are the put-on. Nobody's really like that! They're over the top for a reason - a reason that I'm sorry to say many of the previous reviewers don't seem to grasp - to make the dry subject of courtesy and manners enjoyable. This simple fact seems to have gone over a great many heads. This is unfortunate, since those heads belong to precisely the people who need the Etiquette Grrls' help the most.

Who would have thought it was possible?

As a fan of the Etiquette Grrls' website I've been familiar with their style of advice, dishing out humor hand in hand with etiquette advice for some time. Indeed they helped me by answering my questions about some sticky situations that arose when I was planning my wedding. I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of their book from the day I preordered it last spring. It finally arrived a little over a week ago and I wasn't disappointed.

Here is the perfect etiquette book for the younger generation, my generation. Yes, the tried and true etiquette books have a lot to teach us, I myself enjoy my 1952 edition of a venerable book on the subject, but the Etiquette Grrls bring etiquette to the twenty-first century. Cell phone and email etiquette (at last!). How to dress for a job interview, how to be fashionable without merely being trendy and "subversive" nail polish colors, are all covered.

My one (very small) problem is one the Grrls themselves seem to recognize, they're From New England (see the entry in the glossary regarding this term for a giggle) where some things, indeed a great many things are done more traditionally than in other parts of the country. Because of this they have a slightly different background and outlook from those who are not "From New England". However this background is what gives the Grrls the knowledge of what all those forks are for, or when to wear white shoes and a multitude of other every day dilemmas.

I know I thoroughly enjoyed the conversational tone of the book, the amusing etiquette examples and stories. The glossary is a highly amusing feature, especially for those who follow their website. A light, yet informative read that explains things well, "Things You Need to Be Told" has earned its place on my bookshelf.