United States Books

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie

Amazon Price: $10.20 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 81 new & used starting at $7.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 98 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I bought the books and it was in excellent condition. I would buy again and the fast shipping. thanks.

Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Arnold Spirit is a freshman at a high school on the Spokane Indian reservation in northwest Washington. All his life he's been picked on because he looks strange: his head is large because he was born with hydrocephalus, he has seizures, too many teeth and he wears thick glasses. But Arnold is very smart, and he likes drawing. When a teacher counsels him to find hope in the form of attending a white high school off the reservation, Arnold makes a bold move toward a future he didn't think was possible.

Through Arnold's eyes we see the problems faced by many on modern Indian reservations: alcoholism, poverty, lack of opportunity and despair. Yet, we also find acceptance of the shortcomings among those we call family and a way to follow your dreams without denigrating those you leave behind.

Arnold's story is for anyone who chooses to follow a different path than the one clearly laid out before him. Issues of race, friendship, love and community should provide great discussion for mother-daughter book club members.

Editorial Review:

In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

High Tide in Hawaii (Magic Tree House 28)

Mary Pope Osborne

Amazon Price: $3.99 List Price: $3.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Random House Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 275 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Buy this book 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My children have several books in this series (Magic Tree House). I bought this one for my 9 year old. This one is about going back in time and learning about friendship. It's a nice story.

The only part I didn't like was the peer pressure for one character to surf (a child who was afraid to surf) with no lessons or safety info. At least they did show some danger in doing so later on in the story. (I don't think you should stop kids from learning new sports but there should be parental supervision, "how to" lessons and safety instructions.)

Overall, I feel this is a great book.

Editorial Review:

When the Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie off to Hawaii it’s for more than a vacation–they’re in search of a fourth kind of magic for Morgan! On the way they help an island community survive a tidal wave and, of course, take some time out to surf! Ultimately, they discover that the magic that they have found in this set of four books are everyday magics: the magic of the arts, the magic of the natural world, the magic of community; and the magic of fun.

The Scrambled States of America

Laurie Keller

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $2.60

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 67 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

One day, Kansas wakes up grumpy. The other 49 states are stretching, yawning, and pouring maple syrup onto each other's pancakes, but irritable Kansas announces to his kindly neighbor Nebraska that life is dull and changes must be made: "All day long we just sit here in the middle of the country. We never GO anywhere. We never DO anything, and we NEVER meet any NEW states!" Nebraska, sick of hearing North Dakota and South Dakota bicker all the time, agrees to help organize a party for all the states. It's a hit! Late into the evening, Idaho and Virginia get up onto the stage and suggest that all the states change places. What a state of affairs. Minnesota, who switches places with Florida, gets a sunburn. Kansas, having traded places with Hawaii, gets lonely and sings some soggy blues so sad that a shark sheds a mournful tear offshore. Nevada and Mississippi fall in love. Despite the initial excitement, the new arrangement just doesn't feel right. The states manage to swim, fly, bike, and hitchhike their way home, and everyone goes to bed in the right place--even Kansas is happy to be home after such an adventure. This wacky, thoroughly engaging tale of mixed-up geography is a good bet for some awards. Perhaps best of all, the large format and riot of detail allow for plenty of amusing asides. Books that claim to "make geography fun" usually have to be taken with a dose of skepticism: so often, the teaching is there and the entertainment isn't. This delightfully quirky and original book shows how it should be done. (Ages 4 and older) --Richard Farr

Gossip Girl Boxed Set

Cecily von Ziegesar

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A delicious series that will definitely give you something to talk about! 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.

The Upper East Side used to be overrun with plastic surgery happy society women, and spoiled tots torturing their high-priced nannies. But times have changed. While these people still occupy a small portion of the sidewalks, they have been pushed aside for a new generation of beautiful people. Teenagers brought up in the lap of luxury, who spend their days buying overpriced La Perla undergarments at Barney's, and indulging in frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity. But spending money isn't all that's on their mind. There's always...gossip.

GOSSIP GIRL: Ever since the flawless Serena van der Woodsen departed from New York City to take up residence at a boarding school in Connecticut, sixteen-year-old Blair Waldorf has ruled Constance Billard School for Girls. As the daughter of a prominent lawyer turned gay, Blair has always gotten her way. And, with Serena out of the picture, was able to snag the gorgeous, green-eyed Nate Archibald for herself. Unfortunately, as much as Blair would like to deny it, Nate has always had a thing for Serena. A secret passion for the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty. And now with Serena back in the picture, Blair doesn't know where their relationship will stand. So she has to take drastic measures...hand Nate her V card and he'll be hers forever. The only problem is that Nate is a stoner who has a very short attention span, and even sacrificing herself to Nate won't let him forget the passion he feels for Serena.

But he's not the only one. Dan Humphrey isn't your typical rich kid. For one, while he attends school with some of New York City's most privileged, he actually resides in an apartment on the Upper West Side with his chesty younger sister, Jenny, and his eccentric writer father, Rufus. Dan is a dark, brooding poet, whose penchant for cigarettes and Folgers coffee crystals leave much to be desired. But, like Nate, Dan is infatuated with Serena. The only difference is that he has never so much as spoken to her before, and she doesn't know he exists. Now that Serena's off the A-List, and treading outcast waters, however, the only thing he can hope is that she'll find her way to him and they can live happily ever after. In his dreams, of course. 5 stars.


YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME: Everyone is in the midst of applying to Ivy League Colleges, but Blair Waldorf is planning a little something extra...her seventeenth birthday. Unfortunately, her mother has sprung a big announcement - she's getting married to Cyrus Rose, and the wedding will take place on Blair's birthday. So much for special days. Then there's Serena, who is being constantly pursued by Dan, a disturbed poet with intense affections. Sure, Serena is used to being pursued by guys of all ages, but Dan is slightly creepy with his morbid poetry. Of course, Serena is a girl, and what girl doesn't love having poems being written about her.
Although these teens are rich, obviously money can't buy you everything. At least it can't buy Blair Waldorf everything. For Blair's seventeenth birthday bash is coming up, and she knows that the only thing that she can possibly wish for is Nate Archibald, her troubled, yet gorgeous, boyfriend, of course. But little does she know that while she's sending out college applications, Nate is fooling around with Jenny Humphrey, a ninth-grader! Looks like Blair's birthday is destined to be a blowout of epic proportions. 5 stars.


ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING:
Blair Waldorf is having the worst time of her life. She has just completely flubbed her Yale interview, even going so far as to kiss her interviewer; she must contend with a dreadlock-bearing new stepbrother named Aaron, who seems to have some ulterior motives up his sleeve; her mother is marrying a loser whom she has known for hardly no time at all; and, to top it all off, Nate has ditched her for a chesty ten-year-old - well, she looks ten. Luckily, she and Serena van der Woodsen are back on speaking terms, and living it up as BFF's once more. But who knows how long that will last.

The holidays are just around the corner, and with the Upper East Side absolutely freezing, everyone who's loaded is planning on ditching their Marc Jacobs coats, and slipping into their Missoni string bikinis for a Christmas in a tropical place. With Nate Archibald having called it quits with Blair in order to take up a romance with freshman Jenny Humphrey, Blair is anything but ready to say goodbye to the city, and head off to St. Bart's with Serena, where they can sunbathe topless, and, perhaps, have a winter fling. Unfortunately, Serena is being stalked by Flow, the hottest rock star on the planet - at least at the moment - and can't seem to shake him off, and Blair, armed with her iBook plans on holing up in the hotel room writing the essay for her Yale application. Looks like this vacation won't be as sizzling as originally planned. But with Blair's new stepbrother, Aaron, and his pal Miles in tow, you never know when the sparks will fly.

Back in the city, Nate and Jenny are having the time of their life. But with Blair's sudden appearances at every turn, Nate finds himself more and more drawn to the girl he has known and loved for so many years. But then there's Jenny. Sweet, innocent, voluptuous Jenny. Maybe if Nate spent less time being baked, and more time being straight, he'd be able to decide who he's truly lusting over.

Then there's Jenny's older brother, Dan. Since admitting their passion for one another, Dan and Vanessa have been having a whirlwind romance - albeit a dark one - filled with foreign films, cigarettes, strong instant coffee, and lots and lots of black. But since falling in love, Dan finds himself at a standstill regarding his poetry. Suddenly, he's experiencing writer's block firsthand, and it's not a pretty picture. But when Vanessa supposedly does something that betrays both him and Jenny, he wonders if this is the push he needs to get his writing back on track - and to get even. 5 stars.

Let's put it bluntly, Cecily von Ziegesar is a genius. She has taken the simple subject of rich, spoiled, troublemaking teens, and managed to produce a series that is both irresistible and infuriating. Each of the characters bring a sense of upper class to the table, along with a bit of scandal, and, dare I say it, trashiness. They have created a virtual playground of the Upper East Side, and dominate every hotel, club, or bar from Manhattan to Williamsburg. But they're oh so delicious. Serena is carefree and easygoing, however, she possesses a selfless and tragic air that makes her irresistible. Blair, on the other hand, is stuck-up and pretentious, but she knows how to let her hair down. Unfortunately, she usually lets her hair down at approximately the same time that her claws come out. Nate is a bad boy in good boy's clothing. His gorgeous looks make up for the fact that he has little between the ears due to how much of his time he spends high. Jenny and her older brother, Dan, on the other hand, are artistes who add a sweet touch to the series; and Vanessa manages to turn heads by brandishing her bald one. Each character converges together to weave an amazing story that leaves you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A delicious series that will definitely give you something to talk about!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

America the Beautiful: A Pop-up Book

Amazon Price: $17.79 List Price: $26.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little Simon Amazon Marketplace: 72 new & used starting at $3.62

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 55 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Every Robert Sabuda pop-up is a marvel, but America the Beautiful is singularly remarkable for its inspired interpretation of the classic American anthem. Each page presents a magnificent pop-up featuring a line from the first (and best known) verse of "America the Beautiful." Sabuda has included the song in its entirety, featuring mini pop-ups, in a small booklet on the final page. Beginning with the Golden Gate Bridge, and ending with a spectacularly regal Statue of Liberty, Sabuda's America the Beautiful is a lovely keepsake that also serves as a patriotic primer for teaching young ones about America. --Daphne Durham

Amazon.com's The Significant Seven
Master paper engineer Robert Sabuda answers the seven questions we ask every author.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?

A: Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. I specifically remember feeling as if I'd become a grown-up reader because many of the pages did not have pictures.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?

A: The Stand by Stephen King
Madonna's Greatest Hits
Strangers with Candy: Season One

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?

A: That I'd be finishing a book project on time.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.

A: I live in New York City, so anyplace that's quiet.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

A: "Robert Sabuda--Bookmaker."

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?

A: Benjamin Franklin

Q: If you could have one superpower what would it be?

A: Invisibility

The Scrambled States of America Talent Show

Laurie Keller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Travel across the country with Laurie Keller's wacky, clever cartoon drawings. Keller brings each state to life and gives them all unique personalities. Take a look at the comic adventures of Vermont as he tries to learn the state abbreviations.

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All the Places to Love

Patricia Maclachlan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Two other reasons to love this 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The other reviews did a great job describing this book. I agree with what they said about the beauty, emotion, and love in this book. Here are my top two reasons why this is an important book:

1. Richness of language. Developmentally, if children are exposed to language rich in vocabulary, structure, and grammar, it helps in so many ways. If you read a sentence each out of stack of random Disney, Sesame Street and other character books they all sound the same. If that is all children hear they miss the richness of our language, and actually their ability to think in complex ways is affected. If you read a sentence each of books like this, you hear the difference.

2. Exposure to experience. If you read Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, you are familiar with the theory that children today have much less real contact with the natural world, and it is affecting them. Even in my own experience, I got to poke in creeks and catch crawdads, hike in woods by myself, eat warm tomatos and corn right out of the garden, and ride my bike all day and stop by the side of the road to eat the lunch I packed. My kids won't have those experiences, and even a school trip to Sunnydale Farm so the kids can line up and pet a cow won't make up for not having the experience of being alone and self-directed in a natural environment. This book doesn't, of course, replace a first hand experience, but I believe can give children some sense of an important experience in our cultural history that most children will not get any other way.

Editorial Review:

Within the sanctuary of a loving family, baby Eli is born and, as he grows, "learns to cherish the people and places around him, eventualy passing on what he has discovered to his new baby sister, Sylvie: 'All the places to love are here . . . no matter where you may live.' This loving book will be something to treasure."'BL. "The quiet narrative is so intensely felt it commands attention. . . . a lyrical celebration."'K.

1995 Teachers' Choices (IRA)
1995 Notable Trade Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)
Notable 1995 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

Silver Packages

Cynthia Rylant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

This one will bring tears to your eyes! 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

A dear teacher friend recommended this book and said she couldn't read it to her class without crying! I thought I would be able to read it to my grandson without tearing up, but alas...he had to finish the last few pages! (Much to his delight!) It is such a gentle, tender story. Even when you KNOW what the outcome will be, you can't help but FEEL the emotions the writer conveys so well! Outstanding illustrations put this book in a rare class!

Kelsy from Ashley River Creative Arts El. 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

If you want to read a great book then read Silver Packages because it will just touch your heart. It all started when no one had anything so every Christmas a man came and threw silver packages out the back of the train. Chris Soentpiet's illustrations are colorful and interesting.

Editorial Review:

In Appalachia each Christmas, a boy named Frankie waits beside the tracks for the Christmas Train, which will bring presents to the children who live in coal towns and hollows. Year after year, Frankie hopes that one particular gift a very special gift will be tossed to him from that train. It is this enduring hope that will guide him to the true meaning of the season. Full color.

Urban Babies Wear Black

Michelle Sinclair Colman

Amazon Price: $6.95 List Price: $6.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tricycle Press Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $1.42

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Could there be any beter indication that civilization is doomed? 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 17 people found this review helpful.

I need to talk to the head librarian, and inquire why unbelievably shallow tripe like this is being stocked in our library. "Urban babies wear black" - what sortof narrow thinking spawned something so petty and worthless? It's one thing to teach babies about colors and animals, but to teach children to be shallow?
Awful.

Adorable boardbook! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I love this series! The artist has a style that is adorable. Finding a board book that is worth buying isn't easy, and this is one that I would recommend for little ones. Moms and Dad won't mind the humor either. When I gave this book to a friend, she had a fit over it - loved it!! I went on to buy several of the others.

A must-have for today's modern babe! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

As soon as I saw this book (before my daughter was born), I knew I had to have it! The concept alone sold it on me, and the clever copy and cute illustrations are fabulous! It's unique and refreshing--a breath of fresh air. I love it! A perfect gift for contemporary couples ... for city-dwelling playmates ... or for yourself! Very cool!

Editorial Review:

Infantus urbanus (defn.): Young mammal raised in city environment. Infantus urbanus love nights at the opera, modern architecture, and fine cuisine. Difficult to spot at night due to their penchant for black clothing. See also URBAN BABIES.

Sweethearts

Sara Zarr

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $7.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Leaves it's mark in your heart 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

What attracted me to this book initially was the cover (I saw it at the Little Brown stand in Bologna) - doesn't that frosted cookie look yummy? I also liked the jacket copy: "Sweethearts is about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts." So yeah, not exactly high concept, but I like to read "quieter" books every now and then too. And this one was just lovely.

High School Senior Jenna Vaughn has a cute boyfriend Ethan, tons of friends and seems to have it all together. But she still carries the scars of a solitary childhood - one in which her harried single mother didn't seem to have time for her and she only had one friend - fellow outcast and first love Cameron Quick who disappears one day without explanation.

When Cameron suddenly reappears years later, Jenna must come to terms with a traumatizing event in her past, confront her mother about her abandonment issues, and figure out what place Cameron, Ethan, and her new friends have in her life.

I found the story and Jenna's character arc to be very authentic. I have to admit, my first instinct was to scoff when I found out how relatively tame the "traumatic event" was - I mean it is very far from Cupcake Brown's childhood as she describes in her memoir A Piece of Cake (I urge you to check it for a great true story of triumph over adversity). Upon further reflection, I realized that within Jenna's scope of experience and from her narrow point of view, this one event was in fact earth-shattering.

The writing is top notch throughout and I'd be hard pressed to come up with a last chapter that is more beautifully expressed than this one. This book really makes you think about how certain people have touched your life and left a lasting mark in your heart.

Editorial Review:

As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend.

When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

From the National Book Award nominated author of Story of a Girl, Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts.