Seasons of Delight

Product Description

These are the words in Charlotte's web, high in the barn. Her spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, as well as the feelings of a little girl named Fern ... who loves Wilbur, too. Their love has been shared by millions of readers.

Amazon.com

An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things.

Customer Reviews:

All Time Classic.......2007-10-03

This is a timeless coming of age story and an all time classic good read. Farmgirl Fern saves the pig Wilbur, the runt of the litter. She raises him like one of the family as much as possible. Wilbur is horrified, afraid and lonely when he's sold to Fern's uncle. To help him through this difficult time, Charlotte the spider becomes his friend and undertakes the writing challenges of her life when she spins words into her web to help save Wilbur's life. Meanwhile, Fern is growing up, becoming interested in boys and spending less time with Wilbur. Wilbur is taken to compete at the county fair and Charlotte goes along, even though it's the twilight of her life. She gives her all for Wilbur at the fair and in return, Wilbur saves her egg sac and takes it back to the farm with him upon her death. The next spring the little spiders hatch and begin to leave and Wilbur, who desperately misses Charlotte, believes he's destined to be alone. However, three of Charlotte's offspring decide to stay at the farm with Wilbur, insuring that he will have friends in the future. Wilbur welcomes them to the farm and tells the baby spiders about their mother and her legacy.

Along with the main characters, there's a cast of additional farm animals that help move the story along. It's good read for kids, and I've reread it as an adult. I liked it just as much then as the first time I read it. So will you.

Life Lessons.......2007-10-01

What a great book. One of the themes of this work is the reality of death. The author approaches this topic with the delicacy required for the young audience.

Wilbur is faced with possibility of an early demise because he is the runt of his litter. His wise and caring friend, Charlotte, devises a plan to save his life and though it works, she looses her life in the end.

The book is much more than this theme alone, but it is the most salient and captivating.

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A very good children's story that use the mechanism of talking insects,
as well as arachnids, of course, to discuss friendship, life, and
death, and the roles of things in the world.

Perhaps a little sentimental, given the amount of pig saving antics that are found within. People have to eat, after all.

Great Book.......2007-05-29

Thanks for the fast delivery and good condition of the book. Perfect satisfaction!!!!!!

BOOKREADER.......2007-05-27

THIS STORY IS A TRUE COLLECTOR. THE ANIMALS IN THE STORY IS THE BEST PART AS THE SPIDER AND OTHERS COME TO LIFE AND HAVE TRUE FEELINGS...............

Average customer rating:

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
Utterly Meaningless Fabricated Music For Obnoxious Children
A carload full of fun
Fun!
A present for toddlers AND their parents

Philadelphia Chickens
Sandra Boynton
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0761126368

Book Description

What an event! What a show! It's catchy and quirky. Tuneful and toe-tapping. Exuberant, unexpected, and utterly endearing. It's what happens when you take America's beloved illustrator and children's author and combine her buoyant genius with some of the most talented people on the stage—presenting Philadelphia Chickens!

Created by Sandra Boynton, Philadelphia Chickens is a family musical in a book, bringing together a full-color songbook of 17 1/2 illustrated story-poems with a full-length, fully orchestrated CD of original songs performed by the likes of Patti LuPone, Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep, The Bacon Brothers, and Laura Linney, who pleads "Please, Can I Keep It?"—it followed me home. / What exactly it is/ I don't know. Also joining in are Eric Stoltz, Natasha Richardson, Scott Bakula, and two Boyntons, including daughter Caitlin McEwan, who performs a piece that every little listener will relate to—a love song to the chocolate chip cookies that are just out of reach. With the collaboration of composer Michael Ford (known to Boynton fans from Rhinoceros Tap), Philadelphia Chickens is that rarest of kids' musical discs—one whose inimitable lyrics and music make it as sing-along, dance-along, cluck-along for parents as it is for their children.

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-10-04

My daughter loves music and this is a fun, lively, entertaining album that we listen to all the time. Tunes are catchy and I find myself still listening after she goes to bed and am often still singing/humming the songs after I've turned it off.

Utterly Meaningless Fabricated Music For Obnoxious Children.......2007-09-14

My children love music. Our home is basically an opera house with all four of us singing about everything as we go through the day. As a homeschooling mom, I am looking for beautiful, creative, and meaningful music that will inspire us and bring joy to our day. The many good reviews for this book-album had me all happy about it. When I found it at our library, I was so excited!

My elation fell when I heard the opening number, Cows. "It MUST get better," I told myself as the droning/moaning "we're remarkable cows..." continued for nearly 3 minutes. Sadly the remaining 16.5 songs continued with only slight variations of obnoxiousness.

My almost 4-year-old daughter declared the music to be "Creepy," a word which I can't recall her ascribing to anything else in the world. It was like a bunch of automatons singing soullessly about random animal-related topics. I like silly stuff, I like animals, and I even can get along with pop culture to an extent. However, the lack of feeling in the singers' voices, the similarity of the songs to one another, and the overuse of meaninglessness immediately gave me the impression that the music was fabricated for sales, contrived not for love of music and beauty and art and children, but for success.
...And with me, it failed.

I give it 2 stars simply because the idea is good and it COULD have been well executed if the writers and singers were more creatively and passionately inclined.

But don't take my word for it...
Just borrow it from the library before you make the commitment.

A carload full of fun.......2007-09-10

My daughter borrowed this book from the library and didn't want to give it back. We borrowed it twice and then bought our own copy. She loves to dance and sing the songs...especially the one that the lion sings about being very busy! She almost has it memorized! I hope they make a DVD to go along with the songs!!!

Fun!.......2007-08-27

My kids love this book and CD, mostly the CD. It is fun! You can sing and dance and enjoy it as a child or an adult. It can be fun for the adults to guess the celebrities singing the songs. It is great for either dancing with the kids around the room or the kids singing themselves to sleep listening to it. I bought copies for my 2 nieces to enjoy too.

A present for toddlers AND their parents.......2007-08-19

This CD/book set was an impulse purchase for my granddaughters when they were six months and two-and-a-half. What an incredible find! You just have to laugh out loud at the funky lyrics, set to music that will have the whole family dancing. Seriously! Oh, you don't think you'll really dance? Well try it and see!

The older sister claimed at least six of the songs as her favorites ("Nanna, I like THIS ONE the best!") and the baby would drop everything and listen as soon as "Belly Button" started playing.

"Philadelphia Chickens" won't wear out its welcome -- many thanks to the brilliant Sandra Boynton and her cast of amazing performers. I've bought two copies of the CD for myself and wound up giving them away -- well, I meant to lend them but couldn't seem to get them back. DO give a toddler this wonderful gift, but you'd better get your own as well. It's a real ray of sunshine!

Average customer rating:

Great learning book!
One of our favorites!
Better Offerings Out There
Love this book!
Great Book

Big Red Barn Board Book (rpkg)
Margaret Wise Brown
Manufacturer: HarperFestival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0694006246

Book Description

By the big red barn
In the great green field,
There was a pink pig
Who was learning to squeal.

There were horses and sheep and goats and geese--and a jaunty old scarecrow leaning on his hoe. And they all lived together by the big red barn. In joyous and exuberant

Pictures, Felicia Bond lovingly evokes Margaret Wise Brown's simple, rhythmic text about the cycle of a day on a farm, where a family of animals peacefully plays and sleeps.

In the barnyard there are roosters and cows, horses and goats, and a pink piglet who is learning to squeal. Margaret Wise Brown's lulling story about a day in the life of a barnyard is now available as a sturdy board book. Felicia Bond's atmospheric illustrations add to the tranquil simplicity of this story.

Customer Reviews:

Great learning book!.......2007-08-01

Our 18 month old daughter loves this book. Easy to read, easy for her to follow. We enjoy it at bedtime. Words and pictures teach animals, some numbers, colors, etc. Much to gain from this book! Highly recommend!

One of our favorites!.......2007-06-14

This book is such a classic. My kids love it, but it is also one of my favorites. As with most Margaret W. Brown books, the words just flow and capture the kids' attention. My son loves horses, so he really loves the pictures of the farm animals. I like this book even more than "Goodnight Moon."

Better Offerings Out There.......2007-05-13

The illustrations in this book are good but too small in the board book format for little ones. If you really want this book, purchase the traditional sized hardback edition.

Love this book!.......2007-05-12

I can recite this book by heart and so can my 2 1/2 year old grand daughter. Sometimes we will be driving or playing in the yard and I will start reciting and she will join in. At night when you read it together and look at the beautiful pictures, it calms you and relaxes you (and the child) and gets you set for a nice nights sleep. I can not give it more then 5 stars but I would if I could. Every good grandmother should have this in her arsenal!

Great Book.......2007-05-09

This is a great book to read to your child beginning at an early age. The colors are wonderful for them to look at. As you read the story you can teach them all about farm animals. Highly recommend this book to all parents.

Average customer rating:

A Darling Book!
Great read for kids and adults!
Cows on Strike!
Kids LOVE this book!
Great Kids Book

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Doreen Cronin
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689832133

Amazon.com

The literacy rate in Farmer Brown's barn goes up considerably once his cows find an old typewriter and begin typing. To the harassed farmer's dismay, his communicative cows quickly become contentious:

Dear Farmer Brown,
The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets.
Sincerely,
The Cows

When he refuses to comply with their demands, the cows take action. Farmer Brown finds another note on the barn door: "Sorry. We're closed. No milk today." Soon the striking cows and Farmer Brown are forced to reach a mutually agreeable compromise, with the help of an impartial party--the duck. But this poor, beleaguered farmer's "atypical" troubles are not over yet!

This hilarious tale will give young rebels-in-the-making a taste of the power of peaceful protest and the satisfaction of cooperative give and take. Witty watercolors by award-winning illustrator Betsy Lewin (Snake Alley Band, Araminta's Paint Box) will make this a favorite for one and all, even if words such as "ultimatum" and "neutral" throw the younger set. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Farmer Brown
has a problem.
His cows like to type.
All day long he hears

Click, clack, MOO.
Click, clack, MOO.
Clickety, clack, MOO.

But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes....

Doreen Cronin's understated text and Betsy Lewin's expressive illustrations make the most of this hilarious situation. Come join the fun as a bunch of literate cows turn Farmer Brown's farm upside down.

Customer Reviews:

A Darling Book!.......2007-09-29

I love this book! It is so creative and fun to read and it has a sweet message. Children will love it. It is also available in Spanish. Another one of her books, "Dooby Dooby Moo," is also an absolutely wonderful book!

Great read for kids and adults!.......2007-09-26

This book is fun for kids with real-life humor. The cows and farmer are feuding over electric blankets. So, of course, "Being a neutral part, duck delivered the message."
It doesn't get any better than that!!!!

Cows on Strike!.......2007-09-04

This is one of those childrens books that I probably enjoy a lot more than my children -- and they enjoy it quite a bit. The cows are going on strike, typing letters to Farmer Brown to negotiate better "living conditions". By the time Farmer Brown relents through his intermediary, Duck, he's got another problem on his hand. Guess who? The Duck. Utterly enjoyable, this book makes me and my kids laugh every time I read it to them.

Kids LOVE this book!.......2007-08-18

This book has been read so many times at our house! Okay, honestly, the first time I read it, I thought it was just okay. -But, since I'm a grown up, I can be a little rusty on the kid wisdom of what's great and what's not. This book was an instant hit with our daughter and for a while she would request it every night! So then I was thrilled that she loved a book that much and since I was reading it so often, I came to love it too.

The story is about some sly cows that type out their demands and hold their goods till they get what they want. The hens are in cahoots as well. Farmer Brown types out his reply of noncompliance. Finally, a deal is struck and everyone is happy. -Until the ducks get a hold of typewriter and make out their own requests.

Recommended ages for this says 4-8, but I'm thinking this is more along the 2-6 range.

Great Kids Book.......2007-07-22

I don't have kids, but have given this to a number of friends' kids who are around age 3. It has been a big hit. It is fun for the adult to read also. One of my friend's little boys started "demanding" milk after hearing it a couple of time!

Average customer rating:

Boynton's Best
cute book with interesting text
Barnyard Best
I have three books by Sandra Boynton for my four-month old
Best Baby/Toddler Books!

Barnyard Dance! (Boynton on Board)
Sandra Boynton
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1563054426

Book Description

Everybody sing along—because it's time to do-si-do in the barnyard with a high-spirited animal crew! From Boynton on Board, the bestselling series of board books, here is BARNYARD DANCE, with Sandra Boynton's twirling pigs, fiddle-playing cows, and other unforgettable animals. Extra-big, extra-fat, and extra-fun, BARNYARD DANCE features lively rhyming text and a die-cut cover that reveals the wacky characters inside. Guaranteed to get kids and adults stomping their feet. Main selection of the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club. Winner of the 1994 Gold Medal from the National Parenting Publications Award. Suitable for ages 1-4.

Customer Reviews:

Boynton's Best.......2007-09-15

My wife and I received this board book from a co-worker of mine about three months before our first son was born -- almost nine years ago. A daughter and another son later, this remains my favorite children's board book and definitely a favorite of my three children during their first couple of years. The tempo, simplicity and fun illustrations captivated them. Even though the books has been chewed, drooled on and worn down, it is one of those books that we'll save for our grandchildren because it holds special memories of what must be nearly a thousand readings that produced joyful smiles and laughter from our three children. We love Sandra Boynton books and we rate this one the best of all.

cute book with interesting text.......2007-08-23

This children's book is cute with all of the barnyard animals dancing around and contains more content than typical children's books out there. The only reason I rated it a 4 and not a 5 is because the illustrations are pretty colorless and one-dimensional. They really don't hold my child's attention at all. Maybe they will when she is a toddler, but for now, they just don't appeal to her. Being an artist, I can't say that I blame her! The text on the other hand is very lively and imaginative, so I sing the words and act them out to my child with over-the-top gestures, and that seems to do the trick!

Barnyard Best.......2007-08-03

My baby LOVES this book. We can read the story and then go through the whole thing again just pointing out animals and making each animal's sounds. This one is a must have.

I have three books by Sandra Boynton for my four-month old.......2007-07-17

I plan to buy more from the Sandra Boynton collection. My four month old loves this book and the other two we have (Snuggle Puppy and The Belly Button Book). She has shown interest since she was two months. Her books rhyme which makes them fun to read.

Best Baby/Toddler Books!.......2007-07-09

my mother-in-law got my son the barnyard dance and my son loves the book! I love reading it to him because you can sing to it and its fun. I already bought him Pajama Time and I am off to buy some of the box sets.

Average customer rating:

Perhaps more funny for adults than for pre-schoolers
This version will blow you away!
A New Point of View on an Old Story
Grandmother's input
Hilarious-One of My All Time Favorite Books

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Jon Scieszka
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140544518

Amazon.com

"There has obviously been some kind of mistake," writes Alexander T. Wolf from the pig penitentiary where he's doing time for his alleged crimes of 10 years ago. Here is the "real" story of the three little pigs whose houses are huffed and puffed to smithereens... from the wolf's perspective. This poor, much maligned wolf has gotten a bad rap. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, with a sneezy cold, innocently trying to borrow a cup of sugar to make his granny a cake. Is it his fault those ham dinners--rather, pigs--build such flimsy homes? Sheesh.

This 10th-anniversary edition of Jon Scieszka's New York Times Best Book of the Year, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, includes a special, impassioned letter from prisoner A. Wolf himself and a snappy new jacket by Caldecott Honor artist Lane Smith, whose quirky perspectives still color the illustrations throughout. As with The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, the collaborators take a classic story and send it through the wisecracker machine, much to the glee of kids young and old. (Ages 4 to 8 or much, much older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

In this best-selling collaboration between author (and performer) Jon Scieszka and illustrator Lane Smith, with music by noted composer Kurt Hoffman, you will hear Alexander T. Wolf tell the story from his point of view. Side one features narration and music, while side two has music alone, so that you can read it out loud by yourself.

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps more funny for adults than for pre-schoolers.......2007-08-30

I really like Jon Scienszka - especially _The Stinky Cheese Man and other tales_; but I suspect his stories are geared for a slightly older audience (age 5 and up) than for younger children, as the humor in _The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs_ is a bit sophisticated for younger (and more literal) children.

With that said, the premise - that the Big Bad Wolf is misunderstood, and the deaths of the 3 Little Pigs was just a big misunderstanding - is great: I like the idea of teaching children to empathize and think beyond the literal. And certainly children will develop this as they grow. I do recommend the book - the art, the story and the telling of it are masterfully done. However think about the relative intellectual maturity of the audience before buying ... it may be good wine before its time.

This version will blow you away!.......2007-08-19

Poor Big Bad Wolf - he always gets a bad rap. But now he is here telling his side of the story. According to him, it's all about a sneeze and a cup of sugar. Once again, Smith's illustrations are highly amusing, as is the story of a misunderstood wolf who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (Riiiiiiiight). I love how the story has been jazzed up with phrases such as - "Can you believe it? I mean, who in his right mind would build a house of straw?" (as said by the wolf). This book really is short and sweet and hopefully it will make readers think about whose side of the story is correct.

A New Point of View on an Old Story.......2007-08-03

My children (ages 12, 8 and 5) had gotten this book from the library, but since they continued to read it over and over again, I thought we should have our own copy. It is a very clever story of the Three Little Pigs told from the wolf's point of view. As enjoyable it is for the children, it's just as enjoyable for the adult reading with them.

Grandmother's input.......2007-07-28

I bought this for my grandchildren, a boy who is eight and a girl who is seven. They like books so I was curious about their reaction. They both liked the story and the pictures. Their mother was particularly impressed. The humor is appropriate for children and for adults so I would recommend this for any age. It will make you smile.

Hilarious-One of My All Time Favorite Books.......2007-07-09

This is one of my all time favorite picture books. I have read it and used it as a teacher with children from grades K-3 as well as with my own children. Reading the story always sparks great debate as to whom children believe--the wolf's account or the pig's, and children of all ages can see the humor in this account of the wolf's version of the story of the 3 Little Pigs. I couldn't get through a school year without reading The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

Average customer rating:

It's a Jeep thing...
Sheep in a Jeep
Beep Beep....
ANOTHER WINNER FOR THESE TWO FOLKS.
Laugh and Laugh

Sheep in a Jeep
Nancy E. Shaw
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 039586786X

Amazon.com

"Beep! Beep! Sheep in a jeep on a hill that's steep."

This story, much like the jeep, gathers momentum from page one. When five foolish sheep cram into one jeep, their high spirits and occasional lack of foresight (like forgetting to steer) combine to make a riotous, if ill-fated, road trip. Plummeting over a hill, tumbling into a mud puddle, yelping for help, these muttonheads just can't get their act together, much to the delight of young readers.

Nancy Shaw's Seussian rhymes are guaranteed to tickle every reader's funny bone, while providing a great little learning tool, as well. Who wouldn't want to learn how to read, after hearing lines like this: "Jeep goes splash! Jeep goes thud! Jeep goes deep in gooey mud!" Well-loved illustrator Margot Apple humorously captures the dopey expressions and preposterous predicaments of Shaw's sheep. More wild and woolly misadventures can be found in any of Shaw and Apple's other sheepish titles, including Sheep on a Ship and Sheep Take a Hike. (Ages 2 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

What could be better than a misadventure from that rambunctious flock of sheep in board-book form? Two! Now sized perfectly for even the smallest hands, two of Nancy Shaw and Margot Apple's enchanting titles from their sheep series are board books. In Sheep in a Jeep, the hapless flock goes for a drive in the country. In Sheep in a Shop, the sheep are off to the store in search of the perfect birthday gift. With these muttonheads, a normal outing is sure to turn into a joyous lark. Rhyming text and disarming illustrations make these shear delights!

Customer Reviews:

It's a Jeep thing..........2007-09-10

As a Jeep owner, when I saw this book at my library's book fair - I just HAD to get it for my toddler. A year later, we still love reading it. The rhymes are great and so memorable that we find ourselves using some of the lines whenever a mishap occurs in our daily lives. Whether you're a Jeep owner or not - this book is a MUST have!

Sheep in a Jeep.......2007-08-11

Good basic rhyming vocabulary with plenty of humor. Nicely done lesson on consequences of not focusing on the task at hand. Good clear illustrations. Good to hear now with lots of sound effects and to read alone later.

Beep Beep...........2007-06-11

Excellent rhyming, good morals, sturdy construction. The favorite book of my 18 month old, for almost a year now. Allows kids to empathize and show emotions as the characters traverse their misadventure. I wish I could give it 6 stars.

ANOTHER WINNER FOR THESE TWO FOLKS........2007-05-12

The team of Shaw and Apple is seemingly a winner and they are in the process of creating a collection of children's classics. With this offering, our funny band of sheep take a jeep ride and you can only imagine the results, or better yet, let these two ladies imagine for you. The rhyming text is one that will stick with you and you will find many of the lines going through your head later in the day after a couple of readings with your child. The illustrations are of their usualy high quality and, as always, go perfectly with the text. This is a good one to read to your child one on one or is a great one to read to the entire class. I do home these two keep turning them out.

Laugh and Laugh.......2007-01-23

I read this to my 4 month old and he loves it. It rhymes, has lots of onomatopoeia, and plenty of opportunities for adding sound effects and emotional expression.

Out Of The Dust (Apple Signature Edition)

Average customer rating:

Gritty
Jacky shares his thoughts
Not just for Children
Billie_Joe's escape
back to the prairie

Out Of The Dust (Apple Signature Edition)
Karen Hesse
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590371258

Amazon.com

Like the Oklahoma dust bowl from which she came, 14-year-old narrator Billie Jo writes in sparse, free-floating verse. In this compelling, immediate journal, Billie Jo reveals the grim domestic realities of living during the years of constant dust storms: That hopes--like the crops--blow away in the night like skittering tumbleweeds. That trucks, tractors, even Billie Jo's beloved piano, can suddenly be buried beneath drifts of dust. Perhaps swallowing all that grit is what gives Billie Jo--our strong, endearing, rough-cut heroine--the stoic courage to face the death of her mother after a hideous accident that also leaves her piano-playing hands in pain and permanently scarred.

Meanwhile, Billie Jo's silent, windblown father is literally decaying with grief and skin cancer before her very eyes. When she decides to flee the lingering ghosts and dust of her homestead and jump a train west, she discovers a simple but profound truth about herself and her plight. There are no tight, sentimental endings here--just a steady ember of hope that brightens Karen Hesse's exquisitely written and mournful tale. Hesse won the 1998 Newbery Award for this elegantly crafted, gut-wrenching novel, and her fans won't want to miss The Music of Dolphins or Letters from Rifka. (Ages 9 and older) --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Introduce your students to a Newbery Award winning book with this engaging teaching guide. Includes an author biography, chapter summaries, creative cross-curricular activities, vocabulary builders, reproducibles, and discussion questions.

Customer Reviews:

Gritty.......2007-10-08

Wow, this powerful book left me thirsty and choking from the grit of the Oklahoma plains. A great coming of age story, Hesse gives us the feminine perspective of what is important - what is worth living for - during a time of extreme poverty and hopelessness. The drought, the dust storms, the grasshoppers, "The Path of Our Sorrow" (p. 83-84) has taken away any hopefulness for a fruitful harvest. But Billie Jo and her family are some of the more fortunate ones. They are able to keep their farm; they have a house and some food, even if they have to "chew" the milk because of the dust. (p. 22) The piano offers some comfort, too, until the accident.
In addition to the Great Depression, Billie Jo has to deal with her own depression, a result of the accidental death of her mother and the disfiguring hurt of her own injuries. Was it Billie Jo's fault? Her Father's? Will she be able to forgive him, or herself?
Billie Jo is bitter. Bitter from the dust, from her father's silence, from her mother's absence. She tries to run away from her hurt, "Out of the Dust" (p. 197-8) but she finds that the hurt follows her, and it is in this realization that she is finally able to forgive her father and herself. She is ready to begin living again.

Jacky shares his thoughts.......2007-08-30

This book has a lot of poems about the main character, Billie Jo's childhood. She has many sad stories that make me feel upset; also she has some happy stories too. Her poems are really good. I can imagine the area that she wrote about and feel the way she feels. Finally she was happy, which makes me really glad. I really love this book. I sympathize with the experience of her mother and brother dying, her friends leaving, and her hand being burned. These poems really describe Billie Jo from her outside to her inside. Her life wasn't happy most of the time, because she couldn't even play piano or forget the pain in her hands and heart. Her stories to the world make me feel very touched; when she is happy I can feel it, when she sad I share that with her. The last part is my favorite because they are finally out of the dust and they have their family back together. She described it perfectly; I can see the picture of the story. While reading the book, I looked up information on the internet and watched a movie (The Grapes Of Wrath) to learn more about the time period and understand more.

Not just for Children.......2007-08-07

Though "Out of the Dust" is marketed at a YA selection, it is no more a children's book than "The Grapes of Wrath" or "To Kill a Mockingbird." With a series of perfectly rhythmed prose poems that capture the sensations of the 1930s dust bowl, "Out of the Dust" tells the story of a young girl in Oklahoma who must overcome her own guilt when her mother is killed in a house fire. This is one of the most vivid, painful and, in the end, joyous stories I have ever had the great fortune to find.

Billie_Joe's escape.......2007-06-03

I thought that this book out of 10 was a 10.It was a great book and I just hope that after reading this book review that you will want to read it, too.I hope that everyone will read this book(if they like my book review about it).Well this book was my favorite book that I've read so far and i hope that you will love it, too.

back to the prairie.......2007-06-02

Out Of The Dust (Apple Signature Edition) is the 2-year diary of an adolescent Oklahoma girl, Billie Jo. Each 1-2 page entry is a prose poem that relates the dust-bowl setting to the lives of Billie Jo, her family, and community.

Karen Hesse's free-verse prose is serviceable, reminiscent of Masters' Spoon River Anthology (Signet Classics). It serves simply to control the flow, tempo, and idiom of the narration.

Through most of the book, I feared that the story would seep away into despair and inevitability. Instead, at the end I recognized the toughened and tangled strands of Billie Jo's life rising from the dust in a perfect metaphor of the prairie sod.

For a completely different, but equally wonderful treatment of this metaphor I recommend PrairyErth (A Deep Map): An Epic History of the Tallgrass Prairie Country.

Average customer rating:

same book you read as a child
No one should leave childhood without this book!
Great reading with your little one
A Special Friendship
Garrett's Best Review

Charlotte's Web Read-Aloud Edition
E. B. White
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060882611
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

In his classic and beloved novel, E. B. White tells the memorable story of Wilbur, a little pig who becomes famous with the help of his clever friend Charlotte and their chatty animal neighbors. As the runt of the litter, Wilbur struggles to survive from the very beginning. Fern fights her father, Mr. Arable, to raise Wilbur and nurse him to health. Fern succeeds and Wilbur moves to the Zuckerman farm, where he learns the true meaning of friendship from the wise grey spider Charlotte. When it becomes apparent that Wilbur is being well fed for a reason, Charlotte and Wilbur are determined to foil Mr. Zuckerman's plans. With the help of Charlotte and her "terrific" webs, Templeton the rat, and other colorful barnyard friends, Wilbur becomes the prizewinning pig of the County Fair and the most famous pig ever.

Lessons of friendship, loyalty, and truth bind this story together and show readers that friends come in all shapes and sizes.

Illustrations by the artist Garth Williams bring to life these lovable characters. He is also the illustrator of E. B. White's Stuart Little.

Customer Reviews:

same book you read as a child .......2007-07-28

This is the same book you read as a child but in a hard cover, with giant print. I am really happy with the high quality of this book.

No one should leave childhood without this book!.......2007-06-06

Charlotte's Web is a terrific book to use when your child is ready for read-aloud novels. What a life time memory this will create for you both as you read chapter by chapter aloud. It has a perfect theme of friendship to encourage so much dialogue. Don't let your child leave childhood without it in his/her memory!

Great reading with your little one.......2007-06-01

This was one of the first "long" books that my 5 year old and I have read together, as opposed to picture story books. He absolutely loved it. Our only issue was sticking to one chapter a night, as he was always begging me to continue for just 1 more page!

The story is tender and realistic; a little sad in places, but good life lessons for even sensitive listeners - and a happy ending. My only very minor negative would be that in places the vocabulary and dialogue are a bit specific to time & place (American farmland), so culturally diverse young readers might need some explanation. I was easily able to substitute or explain a word here or there, and my son followed the story just fine.

A Special Friendship.......2007-03-30

Hey kids! If you like pigs and adventures, you should read this fantastic book. It's called Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. The pig's name is Wilbur. He is born on a farm during the springtime. Fern rescues him from being slaughtered. She gets to keep Wilbur and take care of him. Wilbur loves to follow Fern around the yard but later, Fern finds out that Wilbur has to be sold. This crushes Fern's heart. I cried at this part. It was super sad.
Some good news came along Wilbur got sold to Fern's Uncle Zuckerman. Wilbur gets transferred over to the Zuckermans' farm just up the road from Fern's house. On the farm Wilbur meets an interesting friend. A spider named Charlotte. She makes webs that have writing in them. Later, Mr. Zuckerman enters Wilbur in a contest.
Do you think Wilbur will win the contest? If you want to find out hop over to your nearest library and grab this book. This book made me cry, laugh and wonder what would happen next. I thought this book was the best book ever. I think you should read this book.

Garrett's Best Review.......2007-03-07

Charlotte's Web

This action packed and heartwarming book was great! Fern, an eight year old farm girl, saved a young pig from being killed. She named him Wilbur, the main character, who is a runt piglet, and he is friendly and sensitive. Wilbur lived in a barn, the setting, in the barn cellar, and there were many different animals such as a rat named Templeton. After one restless night, he awoke and found a grey spider named Charlotte. Wilbur didn't like her appetite. After Wilbur got to know her, the oldest sheep said, " Wilbur, they're going to kill you at Christmas." When Wilbur panicked, he started sprinting around his pen. Charlotte was making a plan to save Wilbur's life by making them think he's special. She will put words like "some pig" in her web. This attracted tourists, and they were amazed. Lurvy, the ranch hand, read the web and was speechless, happy, and excited. Will Charlotte's plan work and save Wilbur's life? I recommend Charlotte's Web for every age. It was exciting.

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