I read this book after receiving it at a conference that Lenka Peterson spoke at. In reading the book, I realized that she had put most of the information covered in an 8-hour session plus enough to fill another week of 8-hour sessions. The book truly takes actions and in-person teaching lessons and makes them readily available to anyone anywhere.

In this wonderful new book, Lenka Peterson and Dan O'Connor draw on more that 30 years of experience to reveal how to teach and direct plays with children. Their sophisticated yet accessible guide covers everything form the basics of acting to mounting and staging a production. It includes plenty of child-friendly sample scenes and relaxation techniques for kids. Perfect for established children's theater groups as well as churches, schools and camps, Kids Take the Stage shows how we can help kids realize their creative potential...and, in the process, create a new generation of theater lovers.

This is a magical book, full of exercises and anecdotes that teach children to celebrate what they have to offer as potential artists, but mainly as human beings. I recommend it to anyone who wants to introduce children to acting and the theater. It is joyful, rewarding, wise and a lot of fun to read. Bravo/Brava!

My family is from Mackinac so my mom got this book for me. It did not take me long to read because I could not put it down. This was the first out of the three that I read and I'm in the middle of the first novel. They are both very good! I liked how you put some history of Mackinac in there but I don't like too much history so it was perfect! KEEP WRITING!!!!!!!!!

For those in the Great Lake States who spend time on the water, this is great fun. Don't let your parents start passing it around you may never get a chance to share it with your friends. Great reading for young and not so young!

Summer island friends from Cincinnati and Michigan sail to Mackinac Island and look for a lost treasure ahead of a deranged treasure hunter. Historically accurate. Spoon fed history in a fascinating format. Kids and their teachers love this book from an educational standpoint.

We LOVE this book!
The world of quality science books for very young children is sadly lacking. Mudpies to Magnets definitely fills a huge void. The book is detailed, clear, accurate, and age appropriate. Don't think this book is strictly for young children, older ones enjoy it as well. It really helped reinforce concepts in a real, fun way. If your kids are struggling with science or think its 'boring' you definitely need this book.

I love this book! It is a great introduction to science for young kids, beginning with pre-school age. Sensible focus on asking questions, observing and measuring phenomena. Uses a child's natural curiosity about the world all around and harnesses it to encourage the systematic thought on which science is based. I will be teaching a science class for my daughter's Montessori class every two weeks and will take many (most?) of my lessons from this book!

This book and the original Mudpies to Magnets are my best choices for simple, one-page science activities. These science books and experiments were clearly written with the parent or teacher in mind. Although the books contain a wealth of knowledge and experiments, none of the material is overwhelming for the adult participant. The experiments themselves require only inexpensive, household materials. And each of the experiments that we have tried are fun. One caveat: Ignore the age rankings as a wide variety of children (up to age 10) can enjoy all the experiments in these books...from The Science Spiders(TM) Newsletter.

This small selection of some of the delightful children's poems by Robert Louis Stevenson is a real treasure. What will capture the fascination of all children (as well as adults like me!) are the illustrations by Lucy Corvino. This artist's beautiful illustrations are perfect for the magic that all children love in these classic poems. You keep returning to each picture, and always discover more fascinating detail. A lovely job - a lovely gift book for any small child, and for "grown-ups" like me who can't resist such perfect art work.

When I showed this beautiful book to a friend, she wanted one for both her children (so they can keep it when they grow up) and also one for her mother. The poetry is timeless--it takes you back instantly into your childhood imagination--and the illustrations are superb. These pictures are funny, mysterious, comforting, poignant, all at the same time, and filled with gorgeous soft color and intriguing details. As a child, I would have spent hours looking at them.

As an elementary school teacher, I found "Poetry for Young People" by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Lucy Corvino, a wonderful book. It's a great way to introduce poetry to children because the poems are short and easy to understand. The illustrations have magnificently detailed illustrations without being overly complex or confusing. The children are drawn to the pictures, which heightens what is being read to them. They unanimously respond with great enthusiasm, and they eagerly ask for more. I highly recommend this book to parents, teachers and anyone who regularly spends time with children.

At first, Sydney is sure her boss at SD-6 is joking. But Wilson was serious when he tells her to join the sorority Alpha Kappa Chi. Seems that Jen, one of the sisters, was also an SD-6 agent, and she recently died under suspicious circumstances. With Francie in tow, Syd heads out to try to get in at this late date. Soon, both girls are the newest members and headed on their trip to Hawaii, where Syd has a two-fold mission. She must find out what happened to Jen and carry out Jen's mission, retrieving an atomic bomb trigger prototype that was sent to the bottom during the Pearl Harbor attack of World War II. Can Syd complete her mission safely without blowing her cover with Francie?

Overall, the plot of this novel was fairly easy to guess. I had most of it figured out long before Sydney did. However, that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Francie gets a much bigger part, and it's nice to see more of her. And watching Syd try to maintain her cover added another layer of excitement. Frankly, I'm also enjoying the love triangle that is building with Noah and Burke.

Like the others, this is a fast read that will appeal to fans of the TV show.

This book is really well written. It's a great read for teenage girls and anyone who loves the TV show Alias that the novels are based on. For an avid adult reader, this book can be finished in one sitting.

Unlike the last installments where half the book is Sydney's adjustment to college life and the next part is the mission she goes on, this book is one seamless story -- which is because it revolves around a sorority from her college and the trip to Hawaii they go on. I never pledged a sorority, never went to Hawaii, and never went skin diving; I enjoyed reading about Sydney doing all these things.

this book was just as good as the rest of them, i can't wait for the next one to come out...it has vaughn in it!!!!!

What a great horror story! No, it's not gross, not bloody, not overtly spooky, and the Terminator does not make an appearance, but Westall's subtle writing and build up of true horror make for a literally hair raising read. I read "Stones..." as an adult, over 30 folks, while between "real" jobs while working at a children's bookstore. I took this with me to lunch and was glad I had my back to the wall, even at that I kept looking over my shoulder... Not for under 12, but a great scare! ...Enjoy and read read read!

If someone were to ask me why I read so much fiction, I'd hand them this book. Although it is short, this book is one of the best I've ever read and re-read. From the eerie but gradually intensifying strange occurences, to the uncovering of the cathedral's secret history, to the jaw-dropping climax, this book ROCKED!

...this was one of the scariest books that I read at the time. I still have the book, and have re-read it only a few years ago. The gargoyle is what scared me the most; anyone who reads this will see why I say this. This is like a combination of "The Shining" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say, read this book. It is very, very short, and one can finish it in one sitting. Don't get too scared though...

My four year old grandson has this deck. He picks out a card and brings it to me to tell him the story. After he hears the story, we talk about the life lessons the story holds. What a wonderful way to spend "quality time" with my grandson!! I highly recommend this deck to anyone with children or grandchildren!! This deck is wonderful for all ages. It brings back memories of the fairy tales and nursery rhymes we loved as children, and brings the stories into new light. The story or nursery rhyme that goes with each card fits in excellently with the meaning of the card. For instance, the Lovers card is Beauty and the Beast. How perfect!!

To create a divination tool useable by adults and children alike is no small feat and Dorothy Morrison has accomplished it incredibly well. Children will find all the images easily recognizable and something to which they can relate. Adults will be pleased with the reader-friendly imagery and the pragmatic, light hearted writing Ms. Morrison is so well known for. I cannot say BRAVA loudly enough since I have sought a deck that I felt comfortable with for over 10 years.

Patricia Telesco, Author: How to be a Wicked Witch & Other Books

Tarot cards allow the user to access their subconscious / intuition through the use of archetypal imagery. Most Tarot cards use medeival imagery, which actually makes the cards less accessible for people in this modern age. We deal with very different issues than the people of 400 years ago. The same ideas are presented to us visually in very different ways via television, movies, etc.

What better way to re-connect the user with the cards, than using imagery we became familiar with in our childhood? The author of this book and the accompanying cards takes the unusual approach of replacing the medieval imagery with characters from fairy tales (including Grimm's and Mother Goose). The choice of characters for each card is very appropriate, making the deck very easy to use (for those of us who remember the fairy tales of our youth, at least!). ^_^

I don't read Tarot often enough to have the meanings of each card memorized, so I usually have to consult the accompanying books, etc., when doing a card-casting. However, after reading through the Whimsical Tarot book, I found that the meaning of every card was clear from the imagery-- and stayed clear over time. I believe that the issues represented in more traditional decks (such as Rider-Waite) are parallel to the issues respresented in fairy tales and nursery rhymes. However, fairy tales have been presented to us with characters, a plot, and (often) a lesson to be learned, whereas the traditional Tarot images are just that-- images. The use of storybook characters really brings the Tarot to life!

As an added bonus, the "Advice" explanations of each card are so well-written that they can be taken individually as topics of meditation or daily "points to ponder". Many Tarot books provide the briefest of descriptions for the related cards, leaving the reader confused as to how to interpret the card. The Whimsical Tarot book provides not only the storybook explanation, but also a couple of paragraphs of advice for each card.

Overall, this card and deck combo (note: Deck sold separately!) is one of the best I have come across. For those who find the Rider-Waite decks a bit too abstract, this deck is perfect! If you'd rather try something a bit more "adult", then check out the Rohrig Tarot deck-- but beware, there's no book for the Rohrig deck.

Graphs, Tables, Schedules and Maps Students Can Understand!

I am a high school special education/alternative education teacher in Oregon, working with special needs youngsters. Contemporary's "Number Power 5: Graphs, Tables, Schedules and Maps" by Bob Mitchell gives the clear instruction and practice necessary for students to obtain the relevant information from graphs, tables, schedules and maps. The book is an excellent resource for students as a basic life skill or as preparation for the GED and SAT tests. An invaluable resource!

"Number Power 5: Graphs, Tables, Schedules and Maps" uses relevant and real life applications and examples that students will find engaging. The pages in this worksheet format booklet are laid out clearly, very clearly, and are easy for the student to negotiate.

"Number Power 5: Graphs, Tables, Schedules and Maps" gives the student plenty and frequent opportunity for them to check their understanding. This is one of the strengths that sets "Number Power 5: Graphs, Tables, Schedules and Maps" apart from other textbooks. Here, students don't have to suffer through pages and pages of instruction before their comprehension is tested. Students will find the book engaging, trust me.

I recommend "Number Power 5: Graphs, Tables, Schedules and Maps" without reservation! A great bargain for the price.

-John Bain

As with the other books in this series by Contempoary Books, Book #5 gets right to the point to help struggling students in extracting information and interpreting graphs, schedules, tables, etc. An excellent resource for Special Education or competency education programs. Well worth the money.

This is a book you should try

This cookbook offers up more than 200 wonderful recipes that might just been found in Genoa City's famous eateries. Many of the recipes have been donated by the actual stars of the show, such as Melody Scott Thomas, and creator William J. Bell. With such cute chapters like "Foods for Devastating Breakups" and "Cravings" (food the characters craved while they were pregnant), there are recipes here to satisfy any mood.

Full of great photos from the show, and lively character biographies, COOKING WITH THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS is a treat for show fans and cooking fans alike.

This is really good stuff. Wallace Wood, Gil Kane and company certainly helped raise the bar on comic book art in the mid-sixties. The work is beautifully colored and the reprint quality is superior. However, if you are looking meaningful work from some of comicdom's true masters you may wish to look elsewhere. This work falls far short of Gil Kane's and Wallace Wood's best comic book work. The stories are entertaining but overly simplistic and predictable. There are continuity flaws throughout the THUNDER Agents series.

There are four enjoyable issues in this volume. That's right--only four issues. I was hoping for more. Volume #2 only takes you through issue #7. For this price, the original issues of The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents can readily be had in decent condition. I'm glad someone, DC Comics in this case, has finally given us a archives version of this series. ...

Any student of comic history who hasn't read THUNDER Agents (as I was...) is clearly missing a significant part. It's like studying American History and skipping WW I. Yeah, most people find the Civil War and WW II more interesting, but WW I, as an event, gets more influential as time passes.
So does THUNDER Agents. Trying to imagine this sort of comic book coming out in the era that it did...it must have been head-spinning to some kid casually picking it out of the circular, rotating comic rack down at the local drug store. Interlocking stories, "personal" touches, fallible heroes...retrospectively hugely impressive.
Add this to your collection...and save space for the next few volumes. You've been warned.

I, like many others, judging from reading some articles in the comic book magazines, eagerly awaited this latest release in DC's Archives editions once I knew it was coming out. To be honest, I did not know DC Comics had the rights/were negotiating on them and even if I had would never have expected T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents to be one of their choices for 2003 release.

I recall when I first saw the original comic book on the racks back in England being curious due to the number of pages it contained (way more than usual, albeit at a higher price than comics back then,)the vibrant colors and not least the illustrations by Wally (Mad Comic/EC Comics) Wood, among other stars of comic books at the time who's work graced the pages; Gil (Green Lantern) Kane being another.

The introduction to this volume really says it all - and better than I, so I won't go on too long! Suffice it to say, in addition to eye-catching art, the reader is treated to great stories and much better characterization than the DC heroes at the time (maybe not as good as some Marvel characters of the day, but without their overly-done angst and problems).

I might be sounding a little heretic here, but I must admit I found some of Wood's poses a little wooden even at that young age, and still do. His heroes just don't have the fluidity of movement as say Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four, Steve Ditko's Spiderman, Gil Kane's Green Lantern and Carmine Infantino's Flash. A bit like Mike Sekowsky's Justice League of America - legs and arms a little stiff. Still, the rest of his work more than make up for this small quibble.

The stories are great - in my view better than most of the comic books of the time - certainly up there with Stan Lee's work on the Fantastic Four and Spiderman. The villain is sort of like Nick Fury, Agent of Shield's, Hydra - a head bad guy who never confrnts the good guys -having his minions get bowled over like bowling pins each issue. Not so good as the Flash's, Batman's or Spiderman's varied crews of miscreants, but you can't have it all.

The quality of DC's Archive Editions is top notch - collecting and reading many of them bring back my first exposure to the comics way back in my pre-teens. I heartily recommend them, irrespective of what some feel is a high price, judging from some of the reviews on Amazon. I feel they are reasonable - the $34.97 Amazon price compares favorably against the $19.95 one pays for many/most Graphic Novels/Trade Paperback collections of more recent comic books, that have many less pages/stories.

There are several other Archive collections I hope DC publish, all of them a little "left field" - Metal Men, Metamorpho, Eclipso, Kirby's Challenger's of the Unknown, to name few. However, I know which one I'll be eagerly awaiting - Volume Two of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, featuring Dynamo, Noman and Menthor, due out in the late Spring!