Staff Picks Books

Where the Red Fern Grows

Wilson Rawls, Wilson Rawls

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1209 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Ozark Requiem - Where the Red Fern Grows 5 out of 5 stars.
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Being an avid reader my whole life, I don't know how I skipped over this book as a kid. Recently I decided to brush up on some classic literature, and I grabbed this off my bookshelf...wow. This has to be one of the most AMAZING American tales of all time...and it's definitely in my top five books ever.

Warning: it has a little flavor of Bridge to Terebithia in it because of it's terribly bittersweet ending...but it is well worth it.

The writing style is so easy to read and so engrossing, it's like the author is actually sitting across from you telling you the story.

This is a slice of Americana that all kids should read...it captures the Ozarks and the heart of a little boy who loves his dogs so well! The fact that the main character had to work so hard for what he wanted is such a wonderful message to kids today.

Where the Red Fern Grows is a little piece of the American dream, and it is a must read for everyone. No questions asked.

Editorial Review:

Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann -- a Boy and His Two Dogs...

A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country. Old Dan had the brawn, Little Ann had the brains -- and Billy had the will to train them to be the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. And close by was the strange and wonderful power that's only found...

An exciting tale of love and adventure you'll never forget.


From the Paperback edition.

Go, Dog. Go! (Beginner Books)

P.D. Eastman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 89 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I remember reading this one as a child :) 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

So of course it thrills my heart that my two nieces (2.5 and 5) like it too.

This book is really an early reader, it's not *intended* for children under that age, though of course it can function as a read-aloud for little-little ones. (Not always - my younger niece won't always sit through this one, it's a bit long!)

There are two running plots in the book, one about hats, and one about where the dogs are all ultimately going; these two plots meet marvelously at the end of the book. (For *months*, I couldn't go a day without having to re-enact "Do you like my hat? I do, I like that hat, what a party hat!" with the older niece!)

Most of the book, however, is caught up with just basic vocabulary words, mostly about dogs - "One dog going in, three dogs going out" or "The sun is up, the sun is yellow, the yellow sun is over the house".

This can be a little tedious, but I the kids don't seem to think so - even at their fidgiest, they want me to say every word.

Editorial Review:

Illus. in full color. Many kinds of dogs in a variety of fun-filled activities.

Dog Heaven

Cynthia Rylant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 165 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Dog Heaven 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Dog Heaven
We have sent this book to several friends who have lost their much loved pets over the years. It seem to let them know someone else cares for thier loss and the book does this in a very up lifting way.

Dog Heaven 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Beautifully illustrated with bright, bold colors, this touching text will make you smile at the same time it brings tears to your eyes. It is perfect for anyone, adult or child, who has had to say good-by to a much loved and faithful companion.

Love this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

When my dog passed away last November, a friend sent me this book. It still makes me cry when I read it to my 3-year-old. But I love it. It's very sweet. I'm NOT religious at all, but I still got a lot out of the book.
Recently, my mother-in-law's dog died, so I sent it to her. She loved it, too.

Editorial Review:

A comforting and smile-inducing poetic text speculates on the place where all good dogs go, describing Dog Heaven as a wonderful location filled with countless ham biscuits, good meals, lots of petting, and endless stretches of fields to run in.

Good Dog, Carl

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 62 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

We LOVE Carl! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I wasn't so sure about this book but my 4 year old ADORES it. She laughs out loud every single time we "read" it. I say "read" because there are only about 2 sentences in the whole book but we have a great time discussing all the pictures. We have the hard back board book which has held up extremely well and the pictures are very clear and beautiful. She goes to sleep with it every night and totally "gets" that it is a silly story (i.e. people do not leave their babies with the dog in charge!!) For the joy it has brought my children I give this book with its beautiful illustrations a 5 star review. I had no idea there were other Carl books but will likely pick some of those up too.

Editorial Review:

This is a tale of timeless appeal--the original "Carl" book. Its pictures are so vivid and alive that hardly a word is needed to tell the story. An infant is left in the care of a dog while Mother is out. The two get into all sorts of mischief, but trusty Carl puts everything in order in time for Mother's return. Full color.

Shiloh (Yearling Newbery)

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 312 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

a poorly written book! 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is a poorly written adventure. From the start you know that he is going to get the dog in the end. It is not an enjoyable reader its just a book torchering you to stop all the way through it. Its insigneficant charecters have no meaning they all seem to go against marty, and are all cruel. This is a book of pain, dont read it. It will waste your money and your time.

A Great Read for All 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Title: Shiloh
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Date: Paperback edition 2000

This is a fantastic book for all ages. Shiloh deals with important ethical issues that anyone can relate to. I especially recommend this book for middle school students, as I think they will find its message especially compelling.

In 1990, Shiloh won the coveted Newbery Award. It is a quick fiction read, with only 156 pages. According to Scholastic, the book is at a Grade Level equivalent of 4-6, a Lexile Framework of 890, or a 5.6 Reading Level.

Shiloh tells the story of Marty, an eleven-year old boy living in rural West Virginia. His family has close relationship and strong values. Living in the country, there is an established set of social norms that all families live by. When Marty stumbles across a young beagle hiding behind a bush, he is forced to grapple with these strict social norms in his quest to define right from wrong.

After spotting the Beagle, Marty notices that the dog won't stop following him. The dog is skinny and desperately in need of a meal and some love. After coxing the dog into his arms, Marty quickly falls in love with his new found friend. He names him Shiloh, and because of his owners apparent neglect and abuse, Marty vows to take care of him.

Marty quickly discovers that the dog belongs to ornery man by the name of Judd Travers. After taking care of Shiloh for some time, his parents discover the dog and demand that Marty return him to his owner. In spite of his better instincts, Marty returns Shiloh to Judd Travers.

Adding to the plot, Shiloh manages to escape again and find his way back to Marty. This time Marty is faced with a difficult ethical dilemma: should he return the dog to his abusive owner, or should he defy his parents to keep and protect Shiloh?

After an accident in the woods, Marty's parents once again discover his secret. Despite their growing affection for the dog, his parents demand that he return the dog again to its rightful owner. At this point , Marty is so desperate to keep the dog, he offers to do almost any thing for Judd, so long as he can have Shiloh back.

The book is riveting and keeps the reader engaged all the way to the last page. The characters are well developed; the reader truly feels Marty's pain as he grapples with his difficult situation. This book is a must read for all animal lovers or anyone learning to make difficult decisions.

As a caveat, children without a rural background may have trouble understanding or relating to Shiloh. The book uses beautiful imagery to describe the scenery of rural West Virginia; however, this may not appeal to someone who grew up in an urban setting.

Editorial Review:

There's nothing eleven-year-old Marty Preston enjoys more than spending time up in the hills behind his home near Friendly, West Virginia.

But this time is different. This time Marty sees a young beagle on the road past the old Shiloh school-house.

Marty feels sure the dog is being abused by his owner. When the dog runs away to Marty's house, his parents say he must bring him back. But it hurts Marty to return the runaway dog to his cruel master.

That's when Marty secretly decides he'll do anything to save the dog he names Shiloh.

Clifford The Big Red Dog (board Book) (Clifford)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Clifford makes toddler happy! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fast delivery... toddler lost original and replacement arrived fast enough to avert major crisis!

Clifford the Big Red Dog 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is definitely one of the classics of modern literature. The humor is infinitely sharper than that of all other children's literature. The illustrations remind one of the early days of Ted Degrazia. Buy this book and your life will be changed for the better.

extremely disappointing 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Empty CD (3 min twice - what a rip off!)
bad pictures, flat reading and not educational at all.
I'm giving a rating of zero.
Try the excellent stories by Arnold Lobel,
"Stories of Pirates" by Russell Punter, or Bear's series by Else Holmelund Minarik.

Satisfied Customer 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Book came fast and in great condition. Would recommend for early twos and younger, because content is VERY simplistic.

Clifford... well... 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Frankly, I can take it or leave it. My nieces love Clifford, so I've added a star to my review and gone with the "take it" option. And if you or your kids like Clifford, you can rest assured that the entire series is inexpensive.

The original book, at least, is simply written. That's something.

Editorial Review:

A durable board book edition of the original classic celebrates Clifford's thirty-fifth anniversary and, in the voice of young Emily Elizabeth, celebrates the Big Red Dog's foibles and misadventures."

Old Yeller

Fred Gipson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 123 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

What Movie? 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I know that this was made into a movie but I am not sure that I have seen it. I have some vague recollection that it's a Disney movie (so it must therefore be heartwarming, and also be the topic of a ride somewhere), and the actor who plays the protagonist Travis looks goofy. Most folks know the story already or will know it well enough after reading one or two of these reviews. Yes, it's about a boy and an unattractive yellow dog, and yes it has a sad turn of events. I can't say that this story or the storytelling is masterful, but there is a style of delivery in this book that is quite intriguing and no one comments on it. The circumstances of the story are quite rough. A young boy is left in charge of his mother and little brother in the wild Texas hill country while his father, relunctantly, must pursue a little gain on a cattle drive to Kansas. This is no small task, and long before the book is over, we see that at least two or maybe all three of the mother and kids would have died but for the happenstance appearance of said yellow dog (also noteworthy is the generosity and insight of the cowpoke who actually owned the dog but let Travis keep him). The life is hard and matter-of-fact, and the writing reflects it. The animals live in a practically different world, where life depends on instincts, species hate and kill other species and sometimes their own, and even bloodborne diseases have a scent that only dogs can detect. It's brutal. Old Yeller, our hero, bridges this world, and willingly devotes all of his animal kingdom powers for the protection of the humans that he inexplicably adopts and serves. The relationship between boy and dog is always a bit beyond the reader's reach. We never see these two playing fetch or lounging around under a tree. Their bond is one that is forged in combat and hard labor, and this hard practicality might ultimately explain Travis' ability to rationally and quickly make the hard decision to kill his pet. I don't think that it's a spoiler to state here that Travis must, in the end, destroy this animal - Gipson reveals that ending in the very first page of the book (and it is at the point of that destruction where the four great characters of this book - boy, dog, gun, and disease - collide). So, this is a world where the animals are the most cunning, strong, and fearsome, but it's a world that is dominated by Man, and in the end the loyal Old Yeller doesn't even know what hits him. That scene is revealed without sentiment or unnecessary drama.
One other thing. I wonder if it is this book, printed in the late 1950's, that "taught" popular culture everything that it knows about the dreaded hydrophobia. Growing up in the 1970's, I thought that rabies was everywhere, and that the only thing between you and going mad with foaming thirst was the time it would take for any old squirrel to drop on your head and dig in. Of course I also thought that finding a dead Bigfoot was only a matter of time, and that eating Pop-Rocks and drinking a Coke would make your abdomen explode. There must have been some other sources of this rabies phobia though, as this book did not go into any detail about some three week regimine of shots to the belly button in order to cure the disease once afflicted.
Anyway, good book. Read it to my three pre-teens and they loved it.

Editorial Review:

Set in the rough wilderness of early frontier Texas, Old Yeller is the timeless tale of a boy left in charge of his family's farm, and the big yellow dog who helps him with his many responsibilities.

Sounder

William H. Armstrong

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 225 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Stunning, moving, richly detailed 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read this book a few summers ago, and I couldn't put it down. O'Neill's exhaustive research--including many personal interviews--helps solidify this book's place in the pantheon of great historical non-fiction of the 20th century. "The Firecracker Boys" picks up after World War II when the United States government, eager to find peaceful uses for nuclear power, proposed building a harbor near the remote Alaskan village of Point Hope using megaton nuclear explosions in a plan called "Project Chariot." The ambitious plan, which supporters felt could redeem nuclear weapons before the very eyes of a generation who saw its horrific power demonstrated on Japan, met fierce resistance among biologists, anthropologists, and most importantly local Alaska Native villagers of the region. These opponents feared radiation, debris fallout, and that the government continued to deny or downplay dangers of Project Chariot. O'Neill charts, in beautiful detail, the high-minded idealism of Project Chariot supporters against the burgeoning grassroots resistance which demanded fair recognition of Project Chariot's irreversible damage.

While Project Chariot first arrived, and met its doom, in a remote quarter of the globe, this story is firmly fixed on the world stage. This is not the anecdotal story of a failed gimmick; rather, this is the genesis of the movement towards limiting nuclear power, recognizing environmental impact, and treating Alaska Natives as more than haphazard bystanders to industrial progress. People, personalities, subplots, and larger impacts for the whole of humanity enliven this story and give Project Chariot a rich context. I whole-heartedly recommend this book.

Editorial Review:

A landmark in children's literature, winner of the 1970 Newbery Medal and the basis of an acclaimed film, Sounder traces the keen sorrow and the abiding faith of a poor African-American boy in the 19th-century South.

Winner, 1970 Newbery Medal
Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)
1970 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
"Best of the Best" Children's Books 1966–1978 (SLJ)
Outstanding Children's Books of 1969 (NYT)
Best for Young Readers (NYTBR)
1970 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Children's Books of 1969 (Library of Congress)
Children's Books of the Year (CSA)
Some Select Children's Books of 1969 (Publishers Weekly)
Notable Books for the Portrayal of the Black in Children's Literature (Top of the News)
Mark Twain Award (Missouri)
1973 Nene Award (Hawaii)
1975 Sue Hefley Children's Book Award (Louisiana)

The Adventures of Taxi Dog

Debra Barracca, Sal Barracca

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Buy it now! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This story is adorable and the illustrations are great. You will smile from the first page to the last. Definitely a great addition to your picture book library.

A wonderful book for children about New York City 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you know of an older toddler or preschooler who plans to visit New York or lives in New York, this book makes a wonderful gift.

Most children who visit/live in NYC will ride a taxi. So, the book's topic is very relevant to their own experience. Things about the city are subtly tied into the the wonderful rhymes of this book (e.g. dogs, Central Park, the Circus, Broadway) without being too "touristy."

we LOVE this book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Its simple...we LOVE this book. We got this when my daughter was about 1 and at 6 she still loves it. Now my 2 year old son enjoys reading it with us.
Its a great story about companionship. The rhymes roll off the tongue and the pitcures are rich with color and detail.
We have since shared this book with many of our friends and we have heard great things about it from them as well.
Howie NYC

Editorial Review:

A stray dog in New York City is adopted by a taxi driver, with whom he thereafter rides and shares adventures each day.

Dog (Eyewitness Books (Knopf Hardcover))

Julie Clutton-Brock

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

It's a Dog's World 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 18 people found this review helpful.

Discover the world of dogs, wolves, jackals, and forxes - their natural history, behavior, and domestication.

Chapters:
What is a dog?
Evolution of the dog family
Dogs' bones
Coats, tails, and heads
Sight and Sound
On the scent trail
Behavior
Cubs and puppies
Leader of the pack
Jackals and coyotes
Asian and African dogs
Red fox, gray foc
Hot foxes, cold foxes
South American mix
Early domestication
Feral dogs
Development of breeds
Hunting dogs
Herding dogs and sheepdogs

Helper dogs
Dogs in sports
Hounds
Sporting dogs
Terriers
Nonsporting dogs
Working dogs
Toy dogs
Crossbred dogs
Caring for a dog

Chapters are very brief but packed with infomation about the history of dogs.

A great book if you are interested in learning about the history of dogs.

Editorial Review:

Full-color photos. The natural history, habits, and domestication of the dog are described--how it evolved from the wolf, how social behavior enables both wild and tame dogs to survive, and how each breed is different from the others.