Editorial Review

Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up. But is getting older really all it’s cracked up to be?

Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities, and even the awkward changes that come with getting older—all without his best friend, Rowley, at his side. Can Greg make it through on his own? Or will he have to face the “ugly truth”?

Reviews

Excellent book! My niece loves this book too!
*** Dec. 6, 2010
My niece loves this book too. She loves the humor, the simple amusing cartoons, and the funny jokes in it.

*** Nov. 30, 2010
Greg and Rowley are best friends.
But Greg's dad didn't like Rowley too much, because he thought Rowley was an accident prone kid, so Rowley may ruin his 'warfield' accidently. And Rowley's dad didn't like Greg, either, because two kids liked to do silly things together at home. Nowadays, many parents hope that their kid behaves properly. Reading good books are very important for kids. A good book is a good teacher.This book presents humorous stories that could make kids become more considerate. I feel very happy when my kid read this book and talk to me about the stories in the book.

*** Nov. 27, 2010
Greg's mom and dad had very different interests. She tried to train him to become more romantic while he only wanted to play his war games. He had to sit beside her to watch the romantic movies as she said so, then he'd try to slip out whenever possible. This is what happens to many couples every day. Reading this book makes me think about own daily life more objectively.

*** November 9, 2010
Greg's a very self-centered smart young schooler. His Dad wanted him to live up his potential, but often he had his own ideas. Greg had to learn how to communicate with his brother, though it's not a easy job. First he had to think and learn how to talk to his brother, because his brother was the person picking up Greg after school everyday. Greg's brother became really mad after Greg talked to him about how to drive his car. Finally Greg and his brother had a fight. Greg's mom had been a preschool teacher, so she thought she was very good at handle the situation. But Greg thought it didn't work at all. The book successfully illustartes Greg's thought processes. It seems like an actual diary in words and amusing pictures about Greg's daily life at home and at school.
My son is a reluctant reader, but he really likes to read this book. I also enjoyed reading it! I would like to recommend this book to all schoolers, parents, teachers, and librarians.

Last book of the series (so far) didn't disappoint!
Another very funny installment. If you haven't already read all of the previous books, you must read them first! The story of Greg's life continues. My favorite part from this book is, "When you're a little kid, nobody ever warns you that you've got an expiration date. One day you're hot stuff and the next day you're a dirt sandwich." :-) Great, funny stuff!

He loved it.
My son has all of the books in this series. He says, 'It's one of the best series' ever.' He was very excited to get the newest book.

Great!
Read in one sitting when it arrived. It has bee re-read and re-enjoyed. If you liked the others, you will like this one.

Thank You Jeff Kinney!
For any of you who have a child who does not want to read, I suggest any of the Wimpy Kid books! I wish Jeff Kinney could come out with a book a week! My son does not like to read and fights me tooth and nail to read, however, he usually reads these books within 24-48hours now and asks to "Pre-order" them when he knows there is one coming out.

Thank you Jeff Kinney! and continue the great work!

my son's review (age 9)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth is AWESOME!!!!! This book is very very funny. It involves Greg wanting to grow up too fast. Things go a little wild at Uncle Gary's wedding. Also, he has to have "the Talk' with his grandma Gammie, but after "the Talk" Greg might have to take her advice, or he might have to face the 'Ugly Truth." I recommend this book for people who have a good sense of humor. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Jeff Kinney Doesn't Wimp Out with Diary 3, January 13, 2009
Fantastic - as much fun as the first three. I was a real-life wimpy kid and I did end up at West Point so this installment was even more fun for me. My daughter loves this series. Jeff Kinney delivers again - the "Diary" is so funny and fast-paced that even "reading wimps" can't put the book down. The format of fun cartoon drawings and true-to-life stories that kids & adults alike can relate to make this a must-buy for your young reader. (Or adults that didn't totally grow up)

My Sides Hurt and Water Came Out of My Eyes, January 16, 2009
This is an amazingly funny book. The Wimpy Kid series should not be confined to people under 18 so I highly urge adults to read all three as soon as possible. My sides hurt and yes, my eyes watered. The book is so funny and each one is better than the last which means The Last Straw is the funniest so far. The author has a knack of mentioning things that kids and kids who have gotten older can all identify with. It's great. My favorite scene in this book was the gym class in which middle school students are urged by their gym teacher and other teachers to dance the Hokey Pokey! What a nightmare! What fun! Rowley is the sad sack friend who is embarrassing to be with and makes a great stooge for our hero. Mom is supposedly "hip" and so uncool that she needs to be kept in the house and not let out for activities that involve being "with it". Dad can't stay on a diet and Greg's New Year's Resolution is telling everybody else what's wrong with them! Just a wonderful book and I think that we will see more of them. This is truly a classic series and too good just to be isolated in the kids' section. Adults get your "Young Adult" reading done now! My excuse? I teach middle school.

My son loved it....of course!, January 14, 2009
My 10 yr old son just loves these books. Yesterday was his birthday and what a great gift. I even braved white-out blizzard conditions just to make sure he could have it. He just cracks up when he reads these and has me stopping what I'm doing so I can laugh with him. We are both huge fans and hope to see more in the series.....keep 'em coming please!

Kinny doesnt "wimp" out, January 18, 2009
i purchased diary of a wimpy kid once again after my son Loved the first 2 books. he is not an everyday reader but when it comes to these series, he Loves reading. He laughs out loud all day. i myself also read one of the books and it was great. not only was it good for my son, it was good for me too.Also it was delivered 4 days earlier than the due date so i was very happy.

Kids love this series!, August 28, 2009
Parent Review:


Diary of a Wimpy kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney is the 3rd book in the series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I've read all of the books in the series now. To be honest, I understand why kids are drawn to them but as an adult reading them all back to back they got a bit old. As I've shared in my reviews of the other books in the series, this is one of my son's favorite book series. My son who is 10, was so happy that I read the first book and when I finished it, he lined up book 2 and 3 in the series on my nightstand. It was nice to know what he was reading and talk about the books with him.

This book, continues the story of Gregory, a middle schooler who started writing a diary one summer when his mother bought him one. He's continued writing his stories and complementing them with comics. The comics definitely add a lighter, fun feel to the book and kids seem to love this part. Gregory continues to get himself into embarrassing situations and learns lessons the hard way. This book starts off on New Year's Day where he tries to help other people improve and then it ends at the start of summer vacation. His father seems to be a bit disappointed in his son's and the antics they get into. He decides that they need to learn how to be "men" and threatens to send Gregory to military school. Gregory ends up doing all he can to "bond" with his father and of course, ends up in many precarious situations and not at all what he intended in the first place. The book also details ways that Greg tries to get along with his brothers, his attempts to impress a girl named Holly in his class, and how Greg attempts to get through being placed on a soccer team he doesn't like. It's obvious in the book that Greg is doing all he can as a kid to get through life. He tends to be self centered and socially awkward and kids can definitely relate to that as well as the theme that grown ups really don't get it. I think that is a universal rule in childhood...Kids don't think that their parents or any grown ups "get it"!

Five star comedy, if not five-star literature...., January 14, 2009
If you are 9 to 12 years old, you will think this book is laugh-out-loud funny. Our family has enjoyed the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and today the arrival of the third volume was greeted with high-pitched screaming when the package landed on our doorstep. Four hours later the book had been devoured by two family members.

Jeff Kinney didn't write these books just for kids, so they are actually quite funny for everyone to read. The comics remind me a bit of Matt Groening of Life In Hell and The Simpsons fame, but pitched firmly at a middle grade level.

For any of us who were once or future awkward, clueless middle schoolers (and really, isn't that all of us?), Greg Heffley is a convincing hero/anti-hero. It's time to grow up but Greg hasn't figured that out yet, and he takes "wimpy" to new heights as he flunks out of soccer, watches one channel of TV all day because he's too lazy to even pick up the remote, and ends up locked out of a hotel room in his underwear during a camping trip gone awry.

When he finally saves the day, will it involve his Mom's fluffy bathrobe? Greg's mortal terror of children's poet Shel Silverstein? Or Greg's Wonder Woman Underoos? Read it to find out! (Bonus: With Greg's lack of self-awareness, he hilariously illustrates the concept of an "unreliable narrator.")

Jeff Kinney scores big, again! Hysterical! Same strong, honest voice!, January 13, 2009
Jeff Kinney scores big, again!

Kids, teachers, and parents alike have all been anxiously awaiting the third installment of the Wimpy Kid series. If you were worried the third book of Greg Heffley and his wimpy ways would be watered down, worry no more. In DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LAST STRAW, Kinney maintains his fresh, unique humor that easily connects with adolescents or anyone who still remembers his or her adolescence.

As a sports enthusiast, I particularly loved how Greg's father Frank thought getting Greg active in sports would toughen him up. The sports world creates a number of interesting settings and story lines for Greg's awkwardness to shine.

Anybody ever been affected by the threat of military school? Well, you will relate to the fear that Greg must endure.

This book follows the same successful formula you loved in the other books (It is not like the Do-It-Yourself book) and you will have plenty to laugh about and discuss with other Wimpy Kid readers.

Enjoy. I sure did.

"I'm Already The Best Person I Know.", January 15, 2009
Greg Heffley, star of the Wimpy Kid books, is back in his third outing and he's brought a super-sized bag full of giggles and belly laughs with him. Just like the previous two books, he's not taking prisoners. He attacks readers, kids and adults, with commonsensical and unadulterated observations on how the world should work from a kid's point of view.

Jeff Kinney, the author and illustrator of the series, still hasn't given up his day job as a computer game designer despite the fact that all three of his books have ended up on the New York Times bestseller list. I've read interviews with him and he talks about how much he loves the job. But thankfully he also enjoys writing about the times and troubles of Greg Heffley.

Much of today's 9 to 12 year old fiction centers around fantasy and magic. I enjoy a lot of those stories as well. Most kids do. But the grandest fantasy of all for a kid, and maybe for some of us who've never grown up, is our own lives. Kinney really understands that and presents Greg's story with honesty and a real imagining of the world.

You don't find magical weapons or quests in the Wimpy Kid books. Well, unless of course Greg happens to be playing a role playing game with his friends (and sometimes his mom, a story you'll find in the second book). What you do get is a wonderful look into a kid's world that young readers will instantly recognize as their own and older readers will remember going through.

The books don't really have plots. They meander through things and Kinney manages to link threads of stories, making gags play over and over again by raising the stakes or giving them subtle and sneaky twists. Greg's perception of self and his place in the world is amazingly dead on. Not only that, but the author hangs out his own dirty laundry (literally, when Greg goes to school and a pair of dirty underwear with his name on it falls out of his pants leg because he's too lazy to do his own laundry) on the pages.

My eleven year old, who discovered the books first, got dibs on reading the book. He was home sick for the day and I took him with me to get my weekly allergy shot. I knew the book was out, had to have it, and picked it up at a local bookstore. I also picked one up for my wife's coworker's daughter. I had to share the goodness.

Chandler started and finished the book on Tuesday, then went back and reread his favorite parts. Several times during both readings he would come get me and share something that was going on. Normally that would irritate me to a degree. I like to read books on my own, without previews. But the Wimpy Kid books can be read again and again. They're even better when you share them with other people. We've also been calling each other PLOOPY for the last couple of days. You'll have to read the book to understand that reference.

One of the themes that Kinney returns to again and again in the book is the relationship between fathers and sons. As a father of four sons myself, I know there can be a lot of misunderstandings and disappointments. On both sides. But this book, and I don't know if Kinney intended it on purpose, presents a great argument for both sides--as well as a chance to get to understand each other. Sons need to know that their fathers were once upon a time boys like themselves, and fathers need to remember what it's like to be a boy. Boys don't really know how everything works or why everything's not about them or how they're supposed to fit in the world. And fathers...well, actually I guess that doesn't change much. Kinney provides enlightenment and reminder in one great and funny package.

The trick that the author manages to pull off so well is the presentation of serious material in a slapstick environment. People just reading the books for humor will get that, but Kinney writes so honestly that readers can't help noticing how much real life is packed into the pages.

I loved Greg's plan to learn to become a jumping king by digging a hole three inches deep in his backyard then jumping out of it a hundred times. The next day he would dig the hole twice as deep and jump out of it a hundred times again. By the end of the fifth day, he hoped to be jumping like a kangaroo. Of course, any adult would realize this was ridiculous, but it only takes a father about five seconds and a good dose of honesty to realize that at Greg's age he would have believed the same thing.

My wife is fourth grade teacher. She was out of town on Wednesday, but when Chandler and I talked to her, we told her about getting the new Wimpy Kid book. She was appreciative of my getting a book for her coworker's daughter, but she also asked me why I didn't pick up a copy for her class. At the time, I didn't think about it because my son and I were so involved flipping through the pages. So that went on my To-do List. Her class loves these books as well and they're always gone from her classroom library.

I also told my allergy nurse about them. She has a six year old who is an aggressive reader and likes to draw. Chandler and I even showed her our copy of the book. She was going to pick them up on her way home.

I tell everybody with kids about these books. They're written in a journal format, complete with lined pages. The art doodles are fantastic, simple and compelling. They're also easy enough that they can inspire the budding artist in every young kid. Young writers and artists both get a good role model to follow in these books while trying to express their own talents.

The beauty of these books is that you don't have to read them in any particular order. You can pick up any one on an impulse buy and rest assured that you or your child will enjoy it. The first two are out in paperback, but I'd really recommend picking the books up in hardcover. These are books that will sit on your shelves for a long time and will be constantly reread. They're excellent gifts to give to other children or grandchildren.

One thing that my son noticed that I didn't is the fact that the books each cover a season. The first book centered on Greg going back to school for the new year. The second book led up to Christmas. And the third book covers from New Year's to the end of the school semester.

Kinney is contracted for at least five of the books. That leaves two more to come, but in a recent interview he stated that he may do as many as seven of the books. I hope so because I'll be sad to see the Wimpy Kid grow up and no longer share his adventures with us.

My son's review of DOAWKTLS, January 15, 2009
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last StrawThe first 4 pages are funnier than the whole 1st book. I give it 5 stars. And -- "Does my scab smell funny?"

My kids love Wimpy, September 2, 2009
I have purchased several copies of all of the Wimpie Diaries for my grandchildren, little friends, library fundraisers, etc. These books are GREAT, children WANT to READ them. As a read-aholic I firmly believe that children should own their favorite books for a lifetime. The Wimpie Diaries are imaginative, entertaining, and kids love to read them. What a great idea, kids reading. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Another Instant Favorite with Son!
My son loves this series so of course I pre-ordered this book for him. It just arrived today and boy did he gush when I surprised him with it after school. I even got a hug and an "I love you!" before he disappeared with it for the remainder of the evening. He's about halfway through with it already and stopped himself so he would have more to enjoy tomorrow. He rereads them all anyways. I also flipped through it before he came home and chuckled at the parts, the boy reminds me of my own and is probably why he loves this series so much. It is very relatable to kids without being a bad influence. I love the humor and that it keeps my son reading!

Not only fun
First of all the whole series of Wimpy Kid books deserves its success. My kids love the books and I also read all of them myself. I think it is a great series of books not only for the children but for their parents as well. And if you pay some attention to the reading you will actually realize that the books are also in a way educational. Greg is actually a very smart kid and the simple drawings are just perfect for demonstrating humour. Another kid's series that I like for that educational aspect is Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2 .

dog days
I think Dog Days is the best wimpy kid book yet. It is also a hilarious book. I love how it follows the story so well. There is a lot of unexpected parts in this book. It had an outstanding ending. I had waited one month for this book to come out. I think it was "totally" worth the wait. There aren't any new characters, but it does have a lot more of Rowley for people who like Rowley. I hope the people who buy this love it. (Review by George, Age 10)

wonderful book
Diary of a wimpy kid really amazes me. It's about a person named Greg who has to survive middle school. Now, he's in summer vacation.
I think the summer vacation theme is a good idea in this series, so readers can take a little break from the school theme. The first few pages are basically explanation of Greg's summer vacation. After that, the funny parts come. Overall, this book is great.
My tip in reading this book is that you don't read too much of it in one day. That way, you can hold the suspense of the story for the next day.

This book is da bomb
I think this book was the best book i have ever read in my entire life! One of the reasons why i love this boom so much is because it is outrageously funny. I have read all of the book series that are out and i definitely think this one is the funniest, humors, children book i have read. If you are in the 3rd grade up to 6th grade this is the best book you will have ever read in your life. Ever since I have read the first sentence of the first book of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney has been my favorite author, and i thought Dave Pilkey was hilarious.

Rankings of the books and the funny moments in the book
I really like your books. You have a great sense of humor and are good at doing cartoons. The minute I got the 3rd book I just started laughing meaning I really liked the book. So I thought the books were so great that I chose to put them in rankings:
1.#3
2.#4
3.#2
4.#1
I also have the movie that I got in the summertime and Have the movie novel and the Do-It-Yourself book.
I am so happy about the books and the type of books they are.
The only items left by you that I so want is the movie soundtrack, book #5 The Ugly Truth. Thank you so much for writing these books. More books by you I would really like. But if you can do that.
The last thing I am going to tell is that I have also gotten into the Big Nate series. The 5th book sounds so RAD. Please write more books. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Please Read this:
I bought this product for the younger grandchild but found that the older one also enjoyed it.
... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Is that GREAT or what?, August 24, 2008
I think Jeff Kinney hit the BullsEye with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I first read some of it at the internet. However it did not take me long to figure out that I had to have a hard copy of this book. Once I got it, I read it from start to finish and was unable to put it down until the end. It is THAT hilarious! The writing by itself is good and the cartoons make all that even better! And I am not the only one to love it. Since the time I got it, my book is being borrowed again and again by all my friends. In fact, I haven't seen it myself for long. It is just being passed from one friend to another. And we are all waiting for the next book in the Wimpy Kid series. I don't have an older brother. But although Greg seems to be complaining a lot about his brother Roderick, I wish I could get all this kind of troubles that Greg gets with Roderick. Life would be that much more interesting!!!!

Another series that we all cannot get enough of is Why Some Cats are Rascals ( Book 3). We are all looking forward to book 4 in the series, It is actually a diary of a naughty cat, believe or not.

Jeff Kinney Strikes Again! PYP Funny!, January 17, 2008
In his latest book, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, Jeff Kinney nearly put me into the hospital. That man is going to have serious medical bills to pay if this keeps up. I almost busted a gut laughing out loud and almost aspirated my Diet Dr Pepper on a few occasions. And, yes, I hold him completely responsible.

If not for Kinney's dry wit, keen insight into the lives of elementary school boys (especially their rationalization for EVERYTHING), and fantastic line drawing on nearly every page, I wouldn't have had so many close brushes with death in his latest book. But he put me there time and time again. Even when I thought I had things figured out (because I was once an elementary school boy with a wild imagination without a governor), Jeff would throw a wrinkle at me that I didn't see coming. He ambushed me with regularity throughout the pages.

But it's not just me that Jeff has his merciless sights on. He's taking out EVERYBODY. My wife teaches elementary school and Jeff's books are all the rage among the students. I have to admit to adding to that bonfire because I talk about his books all the time (and I have to admit that I haven't quite become the responsible adult either, because I'll rile my wife's fourth grade class up and take my leave--taking her out to dinner usually gets me off the hook and my cool points go up with the kids).

Parents have become interested in the books and I've told them they need to keep up with what their kids are reading. After all, they're supposed to be responsible parents. (I, myself, have been known to buy extra copies of Jeff's books and give out as gifts - some parents have accused me of inciting subversion, but I point out that Jeff's first book was a NEW YORK TIMES bestseller and that is a far better recommendation than I could ever make. Except the TIMES doesn't give away Jeff's books as gifts that I know of. That's why they hold me more accountable.)

But when I recommend the books to parents, I issue a stern warning. I call it the PYP warning. I especially give it to pregnant mothers and people with weak bladders who read in public places. PYP is Pee Your Pants. The books are just that funny. You're reading along, and the next thing you know, WHAM! -- you're laughing so hard you're peeing your pants.

The funniest thing about Jeff's humor, and the life of his main character, Greg Heffley, is that everything in the book COULD BE COMPLETELY TRUE. Speaking from experience, a lot of what's between those pages has been true. But I'm not going to incriminate myself now when I got away with those things all those years ago. And there should be some kind of time statute on most of them. I still don't want my mom to know, however.

Greg is THE man when it comes to taking a boring day and turning it upside down. People who underestimate the creativity of a bored child are simply asking for trouble. Nuclear war pales by comparison.

And Greg has an excuse - or a rationalization - for everything he does. Worse than that, half the time I get sucked in and totally buy into his point of view. Because, upon occasion, that point of view has been mine as well (or at least my defense). That's where Jeff's magic truly lies: he's never lost touch with his inner child. And boy, his wife must be mad and his kids must be terrified!

In this second book, I was totally blown away yet again. Greg is a middle kid, which means that his life is made miserable from both ends of the spectrum - from his older brother Rodrick and his younger brother Manny. Rodrick is the sulky teen with a band called Loded Diper. And their music stinks, so they're appropriately named. Manny is three and gets into all of Greg's stuff.

I love how Jeff sets something up in the books and continues to play off of it at appropriate times. His sense of pacing is fantastic. The work of "art" Manny creates out of toothpicks and aluminum foil is great, and I've seen that done, actually. Greg's mom tells Greg he should keep it around and he does - until it impales Greg's semi-best friend Rowley.

Another sequence in the book focuses on Greg's ringleader abilities. Kids will follow anyone with a semi-great idea. Or at least one that will bring pain or embarrassment to another kid. See, Greg is NOT hero material. At least, not yet. He does show some potential, but it's really far into the future.

One of those ideas involved making believe one of the other kids didn't exist. Following Greg's lead, the rest of the class pretends the kid doesn't exist so much that Greg gets called into the principal's office, then gets read the riot act by his parents.

I loved when Greg gets involved in the role-playing game Magic and Monsters and his mom becomes concerned. She decides to show up and play with them. And her rules don't involve all the violence and bloodshed all the kids are used to enjoying. Worst of all, some of Greg's friends start liking the way his mom plays!

Another instance is when the parents leave for a weekend trip and put Rodrick in charge. They're no sooner gone than Rodrick is on the phone calling people over for a party. Madness ensues. A door gets painted with permanent marker. Rodrick gets Greg to help him change out doors so the parents don't find out. Later, when they're punished, Rodrick says he's going to study the effects of decompression of the spine suffered by astronauts during prolonged weightlessness. He does this by sacking out on the couch and sleeping all the time while he's grounded.

If you want, you can even read the books for free on the internet. Just go to Funbrain-dot-com to read them. One of the most interesting things about Jeff's books is that they're given away for free and STILL sold enough to make it to the top of the NEW YORKS TIMES BESTSELLER bestseller list.

You see, Jeff wants everyone to read his books that wants to. However, kids want books they can hold in their hands, share with friends, and put on a shelf. Plus, it's kind of hard to take your computer and internet along when you're stuck in the car on a family trip or out with a parent at a doctor's appointment or a shopping spree.

One of the best features about Jeff's books after you put them in your kids' hands is that you don't have to worry about batteries going dead. They're kid powered: fueled by imagination and driven by humor. They're good for the environment. Except for that whole PYP warning.

Jeff's books are hilarious. I just can't recommend them enough. Call me subversive if you want.

The Perils of Middle School in a Diary Format, January 30, 2008
He did it again. Jeff Kinney has taken the ups and downs of middle school, friendship, parents and brothers and turned them into a wonderful diary-novel complete with pictures. It's a nonstop read. I laughed so hard and the characters stay with you long after you put the book down. This is a great book for reluctant readers. The best news, there is a third diary on the way!!!!

Anyone Whose Life Was "Ruined" by An Older Brother Must Read Rodrick Rules, April 1, 2008
Diary of a Wimpy Kid was a breakout success in bringing kid humor into classic situations and an appealing format. One of my concerns about reading Rodrick Rules was whether there would be enough classic kid problems to fill another book with side-splitting laughter. Well, some of the best gags are gone but some pretty good ones are left.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid featured humor built from not wanting to touch a piece of rotten cheese. There's no exact equivalent that's as funny Rodrick Rules, but the continuing saga of being dominated by an obnoxious older brother certainly will evoke memories and laughs among those who were a younger brother or the parent of two or more boys.

As in most families, both boys have something they can use to blackmail the other. But Rodrick is much better than Greg at fighting for dominance. What Rodrick has on Greg is truly funny, the sort of thing that would deeply embarrass any middle school boy.

There's lots of contact between the two boys because their parents want to bring them together. I could relate to the sorts of things I tried to use to create peace between two teenage boys . . . that didn't work.

One of the on-going gags involves Rodrick's band and his parents fear of where this could all lead. Any family that's ever had a garage or basement band will relate to this part of the book.

I was also amused to see the book address that perpetual middle school challenge . . . how to pass without doing any work.

This is great fun, just not as side-splitting as Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Hal's review, March 30, 2008
I recommend that you should read this book because the hand written diary style fits in well with the pages of the book. He includes every day things like going to a party or swimming, but puts a humorous twist on it. Gregory's (the wimpy kid) older brother Rodrick who is a lazy under achiever is in a band that can't play. He is either making Gregory's life hell, or playing with his band in the basement. As well as having a teasing older brother he has a snitching younger brother called Manny who tells on him constantly. His best friend Rowley is a bit of an idiot and can be quite annoying he also knows something that Gregory doesn't want people to know, could his best friend tell?
Personally I think that Gregory is most certainly not a wimpy kid.

A wonderful book worth a read, or two, or four!!!, January 22, 2008
Greg Heffley's life is a halirious mixture of class and comic. This is a book that will grab your attention and keep it there until the very last line of halarious and fantastic comedy! Buy it. Read it. Live it!

Regardless of your age, this book is a delight!, February 13, 2008
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, in my opinion, is more gut-busting than the first book, and I loved Dairy of a Wimpy Kid. When an 11 year old (son), a 46 year old (Mom), and a 64 year old (Grandma) burst out laughing at the antics of the Heffley's, especially Greg, the humor is droll, superior, and a something that is easy to relate to regardless of age. It's also a book that can be read, and laughed at, multiple times. This especially makes purchasing it a bargain. How about buying two and donating one to your elementary, or middle, school library? The librarian, and students, will be delighted.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, April 3, 2008
I just happen to pick up this book for my son in the book store. After reading the first one in 2 days. He decided that he wanted the 2nd book and I ordered it from Amazon at a cheaper price. He is now waiting for the 3rd book. I am impressed with how much he is reading with chapter books.

This is a fun, light hearted read! Love it!!, March 10, 2008
Laugh out loud! If you can't relate as a kid, you certainly can as an adult. My wife and I were laughing so hard we were crying. A great read for kids from 3rd grade through adult! And fun!

excellent book, March 10, 2008
Excellent book! My 8 year old son has read it 3 times and has passed it along in his third grade class. I have recommended the book to several parents and they went out to get it. We have the first and second book and can not wait for the third. The two classmates he recommended the book to loved it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Or why you never want to play a tree in a school production of The Wizard of Oz
The world has not yet invented a method of finding the best webcomics currently available on the Internet for kids. So basically, for every twenty low-quality/poorly thought out amalgamations of crap, you get one bright shining star. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," the webcomic, was one such star. The only conclusion I can really draw at this point is that somebody at Abrams is a friggin' genius for plucking the comic up and making it into a book. Now normally I don't like to separate titles into "girl books" and "boy books", but Jeff Kinney has written such a marvelous "boy book" that for every parent that walks in the door of my library I'm going to be cramming this title into their arms. Heck, I'll slip it into their purses if I have to. This book is going to reach its intended audience whether I have to wrestle skeptical parents to the floor with it clamped firmly in my teeth. Want to transfer your Captain Underpants lovers from graphic novels to fiction? This book won't do that. It's just something that every single person will get a kick out of.

First things first. Boys do not have diaries. Girls have diaries. Let's get that straight cause things could get messy if we don't. Basically, what we have here are the gathered thoughts and memories of Greg Haffley. Greg's got a pretty average life, all things considered. His older brother is a jerk, his younger brother annoying, his best friend a doofus, and his parents perfect dweebs. To top it all off, Greg's been thrown into his first year of middle school and things are really weird. Suddenly friendships are shifting and Greg's not sure who he wants to be. Add in some haunted houses, wrestling, downhill games involving bodily injury, forbidden cheese, and basic family fears and you've got yourself one heckuva debut.

I should specify that in spite of the fact that this book is based on a webcomic, it's not a graphic novel. Not really. Comic illustrations appear on every single page and complement the storytelling, but this is really more a (what's the term again?) illustrated novel. What this appears to be, more than anything else, is a notebook that's been written in by hand with the occasional cartoony illustration here and there for effect. It never breaks up into panels or long illustrated periods. There are just tasty little comic treats on each and every page.

Now the term "laugh-out-loud funny" is not to be bandied about. When I say that something is "laugh-out-loud funny" I don't want to be talking titters, mild chuckles, or undersized, underfed guffaws. I want to describe something so amusing that you think about it later and start laughing in an embarrassing manner on the subway. Jeff Kinney gave me that more than once. There was the moment when Greg's trying to get out of performing as an apple-throwing tree in his school's production of, "The Wizard of Oz." He thinks that maybe if he screws up what he has to say, that might be his out. "But when you only have one word to say, it's really hard to mess up your lines." The next thing we know, "Dorothy" has picked an apple and Greg's trying out a tentative, "Owwwchhh?" Oh! And the form thank you letters! Greg figures out that he says basically the same thing to all his relatives. So he just cranks out a form letter and fills in the details. This works great until he gets to something like, "Dear AUNT LORETTA, Thank you so much for the awesome PANTS! How did you now I wanted that for Christmas? I love the way the PANTS looks on my LEGS! All my friends will be so jealous that I have my very own PANTS." I think I was laughing over this for a good three hours after I read it.

There's something particularly charming about Kinney's illustration/cartoons too. The lines are incredibly clean and precise, even as they are showing some pretty raucous stuff. Kinney's grasp on visual gags is without comparison. At one point Greg happens to mention that if you "mess up in front of Dad" (i.e. kick over your little brother's toys maliciously) he'll throw whatever he has in his hands at you. We then see two shots of Greg misbehaving. The first is labeled, "GOOD TIME TO SCREW UP:" and shows him kicking over some blocks while his dad is holding the newspaper. The second reads, "BAD TIME TO SCREW UP:" and shows him doing it while his dad is cementing together a brick wall. Comedy gold, people! The comics are drawn over lined paper, making the whole enterprise really feel as if you're poring through someone else's journal.

And for all that, the writing's not too shabby. When Greg talks about week-ends he says, "The only reason I get out of bed at all on weekends is because eventually, I can't stand the taste of my own breath anymore." Been there. Tasted that. Kinney's able to point out all kinds of funny school details we adults may have forgotten, but that kids will recognize instantly. For example, why should you tell kids that "It's great to be you," when a lot of people really should think about changing themselves? We see two bullies shoving some poor kid down at this point yelling, "It's great to be me!," you you have to concede the point. I mean, Kinney remembers what it was like to roll a really big snowball and then see that you were ripping up the grass on your lawn in the process. No one remembers that! Characters are also lovingly delineated, not only in words, but in their little comic illustrations. Take as your example the character of Greg's fellow student and neighbor Fregley. Fregley is weird. So how would you, as the writer/cartoonist, convey this? You might want to have him say things like, "Wanna see my secret freckle?". You might draw him with a mouth wider than his head. You might have him stabbing kites in his front yard, shirtless. For a start, anyway. Every character in this book feels real. Even Greg's annoying, practically mute, little brother.

And so much more. Such as the name of Greg's older brother's band. Loaded Diaper, only it's spelled "Loded Diper" with an umlaut over the "o". Greg suspects his brother thinks that it really is spelled that way. And there are the small failures and triumphs of your average pre-adolescent. No one in their right mind would ever want to return to the days of Middle School, but if Jeff Kinney keeps churning out books like this one, I'll follow him there any day of the week. This title has already been getting some pretty choice reviews here and there. Can I make a nomination for funniest children's book of 2007? Consider it a necessary purchase.

Hilarious Even for Adults
I learned of this book in my University of Maryland alumni magazine and I'm very glad I did. The author, Jeff Kinney, wrote a popular comic strip called "Igdoof" in the early 90's for the Maryland student newspaper, the Diamondback. His comic alone made me look forward to each new issue of the paper and I continued to seek it out even after I graduated to read Kinney's comic.

From what I understand, he fought to get the strip syndicated after he graduated, but it never happened- presumably because his somewhat simplistic and crude artistic style is nothing like what you see in the daily comics sections. I had often wondered what became of Kinney, whose considerable talent should not be going to waste, so I was happy to pick this book up once I discovered it.

The book, likely written for kids at or above a fifth or sixth grade reading level, was better reading for a 37 year old than I could have possibly imagined. Kinney picks up right where he left off with the Igdoof strip with the very same humor and art that made me enjoy it so much. The book was laugh-out-loud funny throughout and I would recommend it to not only kids, but anyone who can appreciate humor books. I wish Jeff all the success in the world and look forward to reading more of his works-- he has really found his calling.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
If you work with middle grade kids, be sure to check out DIARY OF A WIMPY KID.

Greg Heffley is a 6th-grade weakling trying to make his mark in the middle school world. His family includes a mom, a dad, a heavy metal big brother, and a whiny, tattling little brother. His best friend is Rowley, another odd 6th-grader with overprotective parents and the world-class ability to annoy.

Greg is always a victim of the big, mean bullies in the school. He constantly seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In an attempt to be "cool" he experiments with the idea of weightlifting, creating his own haunted house, running for class treasurer, and building a snowman big enough to be considered for the Guiness Book of World Records. However, the only mild success he accomplishes is as a safety guard whose job is to walk the kindergarten kids home at lunchtime.

At least with that job he gets free hot chocolate and misses twenty minutes of math class.

Readers will be able to relate to Greg's typical teenage problems. His parents ground him from his video games, his older brother picks on him, his little brother gets him in trouble, and the girls in his school think he is a waste of their time. He'd like to pretend he's just a mediocre student when he is really one of the "uncool" gifted kids. The odds are just stacked against him.

Kinney bills his books as "a novel in cartoons," which is sure to be a popular feature with middle grade readers, especially those of the reluctant variety. The clever illustrations were a fantastic way to play up the already great humor in the book.

Once again, if you have anything at all to do with middle graders, get this book in their hands ASAP.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Absolutely Brilliant Humor Book For Reluctant Readers
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID just made my list of Top 10 Books of 2007. After listening to my fourth grader rave about the book, which he found on the internet of all places because it's been published there, I ordered a hardcover edition of the book. I know that kids who find a book they love will read it over and over again, and the choice as a parent is whether to buy it in hardcover or buy it in paperback over and over. Since paperbacks don't always stay in print and hardcovers sometimes appreciate dramatically in price, I opted for the hardcover copy.

It came in today. My son sat down with it immediately. Even though he'd read the whole book on the internet, he loved the idea of being able to hold it in his hands. He flipped through the pages and made certain all his favorite jokes were still in place, which was amusing to watch because I've done the same thing.

One of the amazing things I've learned since is that the whole book is available on the internet. You can find it at www.wimpykid.com. Feel free to preview the whole book if you like, the author has generously placed it there, but it's gone on to be a #1 seller in hardcover and paperback all the same. Free on the internet is one thing, but books and portability are best.

Since most of the television shows my wife and I watch on Friday nights were suspended or repeats and I needed a mental vacation after the stress of pounding the keyboard all day, I picked up DIARY OF A WIMPY KID and started turning pages. I didn't stop till I'd devoured the last page.

The book is a flat-out laugh riot from page one to page 217. With pencil drawings that look like they were made by an early elementary school student, it was also an incredibly fast read.

The story is about Greg Heffley, which is kind of like Jeff Kinney if you look at it right. Greg's in sixth grade and isn't exactly a social butterfly or even much accepted by the other kids. In fact, he's lucky if they notice he's alive.

Greg's got a regular mom and dad, but Jeff Kinney paints them so vividly with just little details that you can't help feeling you know these people. His dad has a violent streak when it comes to punishing Greg on the spot. Greg even points out when there are good times to screw up and bad times to screw up. Hint: a good time is when his dad is reading the paper; a bad time is when his dad is building a brick wall. Line drawings accompany this. Greg's also got an older and younger brother that helps drive him crazy at home. The younger brother, Manny, doesn't really speak, but he's into everything.

Greg's older brother, Rodrick, has his own band and generally stays out of Greg's life. However, the relationship between the two comes to the forefront every now and again. Rodrick doesn't mind putting something over on Greg or making him look bad.

The things that make this book work the most, and kept me turning pages, are Greg's insights on life. He's not a good kid. He's not a bad kid either. He's just a kid. One part scared, one part "that's not fair", and one part selfish. It's the selfish part of Greg that brings about observations about popularity, such as his acknowledgement that he's number fifty-something popular among the boys, but he's due to move up a spot because one of the other boys is about to get braces.

His efforts to get out of trouble without having to actually take responsibility for his actions are amazingly dead-on for the age group Kinney is writing about. The fact that Greg's unwilling to give up trick or treating is good. The touchstones of elementary school life, like the Cheese that's haunted the outdoor basketball court for a year and gave birth to the Cheese Touch myth that actually ended up making one kid movie way, are here as well.

There are literally hundreds of reasons to buy this book. Number one is that it is the perfect gift for kids who are reluctant readers. Christmas is upon us. Kids are going to be thrown in cars for trips to see relatives, and this book will guarantee some quiet time - except for snickers and outright belly laughs.

I had an absolute blast with it. Before I knew it, I was committing the unpardonable sin of reading sections aloud to my wife while she was watching television. Normally I enforce that one to keep my own television watching manageable. However, I was soon that guy. The book is just too good not to share, so here I am sharing it with you.

Do your kid a favor and go buy the book. But make time to read it yourself. This is one that I think a lot of people will read and tell friends about. Then mark February 2008 down as the release month of the second book, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES. I've already got mine on order.

get your kid to love reading
My 7 year old son burned through this book in a week! The illustrations are classic, the prose easy to understand, the subject matter: hilarious and appropriate for children who often wonder if their parents are the only ones who make a bunch of rules which seem to revolve around not letting them play the cool video games or eat junk food. It touches on the scatological, as well, and made my son lose his breath laughing on many occasions. I can't wait to see if there is a follow-up!

I laughed until I cried, and I'm 54 years old!
My 11-year-old great-niece asked for this book for Christmas, but I thought I should look it over before making a decision. Once I started reading Greg's deadpan descriptions of his life, I found myself laughing aloud -- really loud -- beginning with the first pages and continuing until I finished.

This is NOT simply a boys' book and it's NOT simply a graphic novel, though the wonderful drawings are absolutely key to the story. Whether you're male or female, currently in middle school, or remembering for the first time in a long time how truly horrible it is, this book is F-U-N-N-Y! I salute Jeff Kinney and wish him long-term success. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawnversions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuringnontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have been printed on thick board pages,and are sure to educate and entertain children of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews

Calming Book for Bedtime, But Also Funny and Engaging!, November 17, 2000
Sandra Boynton's colorful board book is a bedtime treat! An assortment of expressive animals gets ready for bed aboard a giant boat. Boynton amusingly shows then bathing, dressing, brushing teeth ("With some on top and some beneath, they brush and brush and brush their teeth."), and exercising together.

It closes with the animals settling down for the night: "They rock and rock and rock to sleep." Graced by Boynton's well-known illustrations and rhythmic, lullabye-like poetry, this is a great book for infants and toddlers alike. It's one of those books you'll keep long after the kid(s) grow up.

A lovely MEMORY maker!, September 5, 2000
Tonight while surfing through amazon I stumbled upon Sandra Boynton. Remembering how fond my children were of her board books when they were toddlers, I read a few of the reviews. I laughed and cried thinking about how frequently "The Going To Bed Book" was read in our household and how IMPORTANT it became in our bedtime ritual. Out of curiosity I pulled the old book from our library shelves and went to my kids, now 15, 12 and 9 and began to recite a few lines. *NOTE - I didn't actually NEED the book in order to do this. To my delight each of them perked up, smiled and began to chant the lines right along with me. They remembered the characters, the words, the way we used to read the story. You see, for them the memories of this book are wonderful as well!

Sandra Boynton is gifted at coupling wonderful, readable verse with delightful illustration. Don't miss this book and don't hesitiate to purchase others from her collection. We have HUNDREDS of read aloud childrens books in this house. This ranks right up there with the absolute favorites and should be IMHO amongst the first books read to a cherished babe.

P.S. Don't miss "Doggies" either! If you read this one with FEELING they'll be begging for it time and again!

Excellent, December 6, 1999
After reading all of the positive reviews here, I decided to order this book for my two year old son, who loves to read. I must admit, I probably would never have picked it out, but my son absolutely loves it! Everytime we finish reading it, he says, "Mommy, read again." I recommend it to anyone who has a little reader at home.

This is a bedtime MUST!, August 23, 1998
My 17 month old daughter Diana absolutely adores this book, as does her 31 year old mother! It has a remarkably calming effect on her when she's all wound up at the end of the day, and fighting sleep as children her age are wont to do. The wonderful rhythm of the words is soothing, and easy for her to understand. She has begun "reading" along with me, and it's delightful to actually witness her learning. Thank you, Sandra Boynton, for putting your remarkable talent towards such a wonderful thing as children's books!!!

Bedtime with Boynton!, October 15, 2004
I only had one other Boynton book "Snuggle Puppy" which my daughter loves so I wanted to get her another Boynton book. "The Going to Bed" book is a hit!

This book is about several different animals in different shapes and sizes getting ready for bed on a boat. They brush their teeth, excersize and put on pajamas.

The illustrations are cute and her rythmic poetry is perfectly easy to read.

My daughter absolutely loves the pictures and she must like the sound of the words because she gets so excited by this book.

I personally like this book for reading at bedtime because of its length. Its short, sweet and to the point. And the very last page of the book "They rock and rock and rock to sleep" is perfect when read slowly to emphasize the end of the day.

Her books are precious and very inexpensive. This is not a book you will be donating or selling at a garage sale. Your baby/child will love it!

Younger kids, too, June 8, 2006
The other (positive) reviews are all spot on, except for the age ranges discussed. Like all of Boynton's books, this one's not just for toddlers, 2-6 year olds, etc. I've been reading (reciting, really, since I know it so well from our first child) this to our daughter since she was only 3 or 4 months old, and she knows and recognizes its cadence remarkably well even now at not quite 9 months. It's a great tool that I incorporate not only in reading as part of the bedtime routine, with the book in hand in a rocking chair, but also something I recite while dressing her - a great tool, that is, for shifting from the fun and frolic of the bath, to the placidity of the reading/rocking chair.

The Sun has Set not Long Ago, October 24, 2002
Great bed time book. The rhymes are fun, and it is a fantastically silly story. My husband and daughter and I have all had this book memorized since she was 6 months old ( she is two and 1/2 now). We love to recite it to one another, and have had to have two copies of the book (ah that teething stage was hard, she chewed right through everything.) We all love Sandra Boynton, she is a reliable read and a lot of fun.

Cute and fun!, June 10, 2006
Sandra Boynton is one of my favorite children's book authors. She makes even the mundane bedtime rituals fun, and has cute characters as well as fun reading. I have all of her books and have read them to all 3 of my children. My children love pointing to the characters and reading along with me (I have read them so many times, they have the books memorized!). Easy reading for young children, and short enough for the wee little ones. I highly recommend this book, as well as Sandra Boynton's other books!

Best Bedtime Book, December 31, 2003
I have been reading this book to my baby girl since she was 3 months old as part of her bedtime routine. It has a lovely, sing-song quality to the rhymes that she loves. We have read this book so many times that I have it memorized and I can recite it in a quiet voice even when she is too sleepy to sit through a bedtime book (or if we are away from home). The pictures are silly and cute, too.

I know it by heart!, May 1, 2000
Some children's books are just classics, this is certainly one.

I've read it so often to my little girl that I can say the whole thing by heart. By the way she has dozens of books, but picks this one out again and again.

Sandra Boynton seems to have a very special understanding of what children like. ... Read more

Editorial Review

What could be fancier than Christmas?

Presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles—and who could forget the tree? After all, there is no such thing as too much tinsel. Ooh la la! This year, Nancy is especially excited about decorating the Christmas tree. She bought a brand-new sparkly tree topper with her own money and has been waiting for Christmas to come. But when things don't turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous?

In this merriest of stories from bestselling duo Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, Nancy proves once again that a little fancying up can go a long, festive way!

Reviews

Christmas Fancy Nancy Style - perfect!
What an adorable book! I've been waiting for a Christmas related story of our favorite fancy girl, and this did not disappoint at all. Yet again, Nancy is perfectly fancy, perfectly eloquent, and and perfectly heartwarming. We are huge fans of both Fancy Nancy and Christmas in our house, and this book is a perfect addition to our holiday collection. A must for all Fancy girls out there!

Fancy Nancy - Christmas Fancy Style!
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas


Fancy Nancy, what an adorable "fancy girl" she is, and wait until you read about her Christmas! Presents with elegant wrapping paper, fancy cookies, and wait until you see the tree topper Nancy purchased with her own money. But me things go awry, can Nancy still have a "splendiferous Christmas"?

MY THOUGHTS - This book is so very adorable. Targeted for the (4-8) age group, the book is beautifully illustrated by: Robin Preiss Glasser. There are some great new words for the little readers as well:

* aroma - nancy says: "a fancy word for smell"
* heirlooms - nancy says: "fancy for thinks that are old and valuable".
* delectable - nancy says: "fancy for yummy".
* pleading - nancy says: "like begging only fancier" AND........
* splendiferous - nancy says " only one word describes how magnificent, joyous and sparkly Christmas morning is"

Truly a delightful holiday read for children (and adults too)!

Reading Fancy Nancy Will Make You Smarter!
I bought my granddaughter, Mary Mace, her first Fancy Nancy book when she was just 3 years old in 2007. She fell head over high heels in love with the witty, sparkly Nancy and her over-the-top ways. Since January of 2007, I have bought her every Fancy Nancy book and she devoured them, memorizing the story as her mother read them to her.

When she got this book last week, she immediately called me. She's now almost 6 years old and in kindergarten. She said, "Grammy, I love, love, love the new Fancy Nancy book. It's utterly splendiferous!" I laughed and asked her about the story and she told me all about it. Then my daughter got on the phone and told me that Mary Mace was recently tested and promoted to a first grade reader because she's so far ahead of the other children. Her teacher was amazed by how many 'big' words Mary Mace knew. My daughter and I both agreed that Fancy Nancy played a huge part in expanding Mary Mace's vocabulary. Each book is full of exciting, fun words and synonyms and the artwork is fabulous and glittering.

If you're looking for a book to make a little girl extremely happy this year for Christmas, I highly recommend this book and all of the Fancy Nancy books. They're not only fun, but also educational!

Fancy Nancy does Christmas
Tada another great Fancy Nancy story. Fancy Nancy takes on Christmas where the more decorations the merrier. From decorating the house, to buying the tree at Bruces Spruces, to the elegantly wrapped presents, Christmas is done up Fancy Nancy style--splendiferously. If you are familiar with the Fancy Nancy series then you can see the appeal she holds for young and old alike. This book is just a Joyeux Noel of Christmas.

A Christmas Classic
What little girl does not love bling, glitter and Fancy Nancy? The illustrations are "splendiferous" and the story line endearing. It will definitely become a Christmas Classic.

Delightful... that's fancy for great!
Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser have delivered again, and just in time for Christmas. Splendiferous Christmas follows Nancy Clancy through her holiday preparations. As usual, she wants to make everything as fancy as possible, and, with only a few hitches, she succeeds. Now, if only Grandpa would arrive so she could decorate the tree... The story is just as adorable as the other books, and the illustrations are absolutely enchanting. As an artist, I have fairly high standards for illustrators, and Ms. Glasser more than meets them.

All in all, Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas is a delightful book. It's the perfect present for all the fancy little girls in my life, and I hope it is for all of them in yours.

Fun with Great Vocabulary Words
I purchased this book after hearing about Fancy Nancy from a friend of mine who is a second grade teacher. This is our first Fancy Nancy book and it was a hit with my three year old daughter.

I know some reviewers of Fancy Nancy find her to be pretentious and materialistic because they say she looks down on others who are not as creative and fancy as she is, and they don't want to expose their daughters to that way of thinking. My daughter is by no means fancy or much of a girly-girl, but this book got her excited to prepare for Christmas and two months since we have read it, she still uses some of the words she learned from the book, like "aroma," "heirloom," and "delectable."

Creativity has not been my daughter's forte. She has never been interested in really any arts and crafts (even coloring), but rather working puzzles and building. Since we have read this (and some other Fancy Nancy books), she's been much more interested in making fancy cards for people, decorating for events and festivities, and being creative in general. It all started with Fancy Nancy.

I love that this book has helped expand her vocabulary and creativity. I'll be buying more Fancy Nancy books.

No words to describe this book!

This is one of the most adorable books I have seen in a long time. I bought it for my 4 year old granddaughter. She & I had a private moment on Christmas Day when I read it to her & that made my Christmas, "Splendiferous"!

Another Wonderful Book
My little niece loves the Fancy Nancy series and this was a big hit. Nancy learns from her grandfather what makes Christmas really special.

We couldn't wait for Santa!
We couldn't wait for Santa for this one and decided to give it to our Fancy Nancy fan early. We'll now but reading this "slendiferous" story along with Frosty the Snowman and Twas the Night Before Christmas. This book is another Fancy Nancy Smash Hit at our house! Author of Mommy's High Heel Shoes and Mom to 3. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Big Nate will surpass all others!

But it won't be easy. He's stuck with Gina, his all time enemy, who just might ruin everything!

Will Nate win or lose? Pass or fail? Or end up in detention . . . again?

Reviews

Big Nate Strikes Again
I received an Advance Reader's Copy of Big Nate Strikes Again by Lincoln Pierce. I did not receive any compensation for reviewing this book.

Kids who love Greg Hefley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid are going to love Nate Wright. Parents will probably like Nate better.

Based on the comic strip "Big Nate" this series details the trials and tribulations of 6th grader Nate Wright. Nate finally has a chance to win the coveted SPOFFY Trophy (Sports Played Only For Fun). He's been selected as a team captain for fleeceball - an indoor version of baseball. But nothing ever goes smoothly. Kept after school by a teacher, Nate is unable to make it to the meeting to pick his team. He lucks out and his best friends Teddy and Francis are on the team, but so is his archenemy - A+ know it all Gina! Not only does he have to put up with Gina on his fleeceball team, he's paired with her on a social studies project. Can things get any worse or more hilarious?

The humor in this book is definitively age appropriate. As an elementary librarian I spend a good deal of time around young children. The humor is right on target, but it's not so obnoxious (as some kid like humor - Captain Underpants for example - can be) that adults will not enjoy it as well. I love Jeff Kinney and his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. But lets be honest, I think I like Nate better. (Don't worry I'll still anxiously await any new Wimpy Kid books.) Nate is one of those likeable characters. Always up to something, but so charming you can't help but like him. If you work in a school, you know what I'm talking about.

As I mentioned in the beginning, I received an Advanced Readers' Copy of this book. I liked it so much that not only am I going to recommend it to my students, I've already ordered a hard cover copy of this and the first book in the series for my library at home.

Recommended for 3rd grade and up. (The AR reading level is 3.0 and even though Nate is a 6th grader, based on my experience I'm pretty sure 3rd grade and older will enjoy this book.)

Mrs. Archer's rating: 5 of 5

Awesome Read
I really like all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, but I like the Big Nate adventure just as well. I hope, I mean I will get more books from here in the future. thanks for asking. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Llama, Llama red pajamawaiting, waiting for his mama.Mama isn’t coming yet.Baby Llama starts to fret.In this infectious rhyming read-aloud, Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama drama! Tucked into bed by his mama, Baby Llama immediately starts worrying when she goes downstairs, and his soft whimpers turn to hollers when she doesn’t come right back. But just in time, Mama returns to set things right. Children will relate to Baby Llama’s need for comfort, as much as parents will appreciate Mama Llama’s reassuring message. ... Read more

Reviews

ADDRESSES A COMMON FEAR - WELL DONE LITTLE BOOK.
I certainly liked this one and the kids I read it to, like it too, which is actually a pretty good indorsement for a kids book. This book addresses the common fear so many young children have when their mom leaves the room at night (I had the same fear as the baby Llama when I was that age, years and years ago...some things never change). The story is done if an excellent rhyming fashion (and, no, my mid-west accent/twang does not interfere with the reading one bit) and the illustrations are great and eye catching. Like another reviewer, I love the facial expressions conveyed here. This is an excellent beginning reader and an excellent one to read at bed time with your child. Recommend this one highly.

1 Star Rebuttal
For those who rated this book with one star - I offer this rebuttal. The mother is aware the child would like a drink of water. She was going to finish a task and bring it up when she is interupted by a phone call. Seems like this might happen at my house. Until the child begins to make quite a fuss, she is not aware he is stressed. I will concede the admonishment may be a bit much, but I chose to focus on the comfort given at the end. The lesson being that just because Mom isn't right beside you doesn't mean she isn't close enough to protect you. My 20 month old son loves this book and we discuss why he might be afraid in the dark and if it is a rational fear and how to appropriately deal with those fears. As with any book, this book provides an opportunity to discuss with your child if the behavior of the characters is appropriate and solutions that may work better.

Real life explained to children.
Wow, my Wife and I are loving this series of books and our 2yr old LOVES his llama books! We started with "Llama Llama Mad at Momma" because it was helpful in teaching our son how to behave and be helpful in public. We were a little apprehensive about "...Red Pajama" because some of the reviews seemed to indicate that Little Llama was simply being ignored while he was suffering some traumatic event alone in his room. NOT THE CASE! Basically, Little Llama is put to bed and doesn't fall immediately asleep, which is normal. Then Little Llama bored & alone decides he wants Momma and asks for some water, which is normal. Meanwhile, Momma is downstairs washing dishes and dealing with telemarketers, which is very normal. Then Little Llama decides that throwing a tantrum will accomplish his will and works himself into a panic, normal even for well behaved children. When Momma hears his cries she literally drops everything and comes bolting through the door to find her child in his own manufactured state of despair. The book ends with Momma clearly explaining that sometimes Momma is too busy to come right away but it doesn't mean that she isn't on her way or that she doesn't love him. What a great lesson for children! In the real world sometimes mom & dad are busy but trying. Sometimes mommy is on the potty and baby must wait. Sometimes daddy is watching football and... ok just kidding. Anyway, our son enjoys the rhymes and the amazing artwork, and we love that we can use it as a learning tool.

Great book for 2 year old
I purchased this book sight unseen due to a recommendation from the Texas libraries (they have it on their list of recommended books for 2 year olds). My 28 month old daughter absolutely loves this book. She has me read it to her over and over and over again and has started chiming in with her own narration (e.g., "Mama's downstairs" and "Mama's on the phone" when she sees the pictures). The illustrations are great and I love the big text. I highly recommend this to anyone with children around age 2.

The first one he sat still for
This was the very first book my 18 month old sat still to read. We received this book as a gift, and LOVE it. Being from the midwest, we do say "puh-JAAAAA-muh", so it requires changing our accent to make the book rhyme. We saw a photo of this book on a bulletin board at a bookstore about a month after we began reading the book, and my son instantly recognized it, pointed to it and started shouting "mmammma...mmmaaammma." I couldn't believe it. This one's a keeper. (The book. And the kid.)

llama llama! where's my mama?
this book is ADORABLE...very clever rhyme scheme, very clever plot. baby llama is all tucked in his bed and gets scared when mama llama leaves. he starts to call for her--and his call escalates into a scream as he starts to envision her being gone forever instead of down in the kitchen cleaning up. mama llama does come back upstairs to baby llama (in his red pajamas) and comforts him but explains that just because she isn't right in front of him doesn't mean that she's left him forever. this book parodies a scene any parent has encountered--it's hilarious and well done. highly recommended!

a five star, five times a day fave
My son loves this book. Loves it. When we are not reading it it him, he pulls it out of his pile of books and opens to the same page several times daily: the page where poor little llama is most afraid (and my narration is most overwrought), and he laughs. As fellow Vermonters, we bought this book, finding it charming - well...that was before he was born (lets face it, we bought it for ourselves), and at a year old, it is the only book we find deposited in our laps over, and over, AND over again. A book that is both fun to read and hear - I buy this book for everyone who has (or is going to have) kids. It is a wonderful addition to any little one's library and esp. fantastic when you know this will not be a gift that everybody already has (10 copies of Goodnight Moon and Pat the Bunny, anyone?) and everybody enjoys. Because, after all, you have to read it 5 times a day too, right? Have some fun - buy this book.

My son's favorite book.
This was a book we randomly picked up in the library and had to renew about 3 times. Finally, I figured we needed to buy it so that the library could have their copy back. A fantastic, simple rhyme that any child who doesn't want to go to bed can relate to.

Kali Tarr
We got this book for our 22 month old son because his teacher at school recommended it to us. She said that he loved reading it at school. When I would pick him up he would run to the bookcase yelling "Llama, Llama!!" This is his favorite book and he actually reads the book with me now. We read it every day and most days numerous time. We have ordered more books by this author to that are just as good. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A perfect gift for new parents, birthday celebrations, and happy occasions of all kinds, this collection of five beloved Beginner Books by Dr. Seuss—The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, and Fox in Socks—will be cherished by young and old alike. Ideal for reading aloud or reading alone, they will begin a child on the adventure of a lifetime! ... Read more

Reviews

Easy reading
My grandaughter hates to do her homework. She is in first grade. I bought the books. She was so amazed that she could read them by herself. It has given her confidence. Great success story.

Classic Book
Bought this set for a baby shower gift, was well received. Such a nice classic group of books to start off a little one with.

Children's Books
Great childrens book collection and it was delivered quickly. The books can be kept easily organized in the cardboard case that they came in. I would recommend this book collection for grandparents like ourselves to purchase for grandchildren between 1 and 8 years old.

GREAT Buy!
I bought this as a gift for my young nephews, and boy was I glad I did! It ended up being the perfect Christmas gift. The bright blue box shown in the picture is actually more like a "sleeve" to hold all the books, which is kind of nice. Each book is in pristine condition, and it is a great collection of Dr. Seuss's most popular items. It came exactly on the day that it was supposed to come. I definitely recommend this item to start off any youngsters book collection.

super for beginners!
The books are great, very funny.. My son is 7.5, and he is in second year learning English. The books are simple enough even for him to understand. But there is one problem, international shipping cost is higher than the packet itself...

nice dr seuss intro
very speedy service, with five great books that introduce the awesomeness of dr seuss to young readers

Dr. Seuss ROCKS !!!
I bought this set for a grand-niece - I read them all to my own children & hope someday to read them to my grandchildren. This is a fabulous collection. It's not every Dr. Seuss book you'll end up wanting (he wrote a lot more), but it sure is a great beginning. What's really great about Dr. Seuss is that the books not only help with bonding with a child, but also reading, counting, rhyming, imagination etc...and the illustrations are bold & bright (think of the animated movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" - another great Dr. Seuss book. Buy these books and see where they will take you & your children. Every book in this collection is on the list of top selling childrens books of all time - #4 is 'Green Eggs & Ham' & #9 is 'The Cat in the Hat' What else can I say? It's Dr. Seuss - the best!!

Great books!!
I got these for my daughter after her teacher suggested I get them for her to help her start reading. I am glad I got them for her. Its most of the classic books. We enjoy reading them almost everyday. ... Read more

Editorial Review

When first released to Muggles in March 2001, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages further enlightened Harry Potter fans about the dangers and delights of the wizarding world. Now these two charming works of non-fiction are available in hardcover -- in a special keepsake slipcase edition! ... Read more

Reviews

Clever, funny, and completely integrated with the novels
J.K. Rowling has given us facsimile editions of two of Harry Potter's schoolbooks, all proceeds going to children's charities around the world. The books are only 64 pages each, but the print is very small and they are crammed with remarkably interesting information that fills out the background of Harry Potter's world. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore himself provides introductions to these special editions.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", by "Newt Scamander", describes all the magical creatures we have seen in the first four books of the series, plus many more. Harry's marginal notes (along with Ron Weasley's, since Ron's own copy apparently fell apart) remind us of many of his adventures. "Quidditch Through the Ages", by "Kennilworthy Whisp" shows how this magical sport (along with similar ones) has evolved, and also provides a history of magic broom technology with a good deal of supplementary material shedding light on wizard-Muggle relations throughout history.

Both books provide many hints towards a better understanding of what's really going on in the "backstory" in the Harry Potter books. They may not suffice to keep Potter fans totally satisfied until the next book comes out, but they'll surely create a big demand for other "supplementary" materials.

Get your Harry fix and support a great cause!
Although the wait for 2002 and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is going to be a hard one for a lot of people, these two brief but fun books should fill the gap admirably as well as supporting a great cause. Released for the first time (well, to the general Muggle public), here's two of Harry Potter's schoolbooks, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Quidditch Through the Ages."

Slim and quick reads, these books nevertheless are a great deal of fun. "Quidditch" provides us with a brief evolution and history of everyone's favorite broomstick-riding sport, with rules of play, focuses on top world teams, and the revelation that Americans don't really play Quidditch on the world-class level, preferring an American variation called "Quodpot." "Fantastic Beasts" is a brisk and humorous guide to mythical, er, totally real monsters and magical creatures from the Acromantula (giant spider) to the Yeti. This book is Harry Potter's own personal copy, and is enlivened with Harry and Ron's writing and jokes in the margins of the book. Both books feature a wonderfully dry-humored introduction by Albus Dumbledore. Both books are written with a friendly and light sense of humor that's delightful to read and makes great background for the serious Harry Potter fan. Quidditch team Chudley Cannons' motto is said to have been changed from "We shall conquer" to "Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best."

The most important reason to buy these books, however, is to support Comic Relief UK, the British relief organization set up to help children in the disadvantaged countries of the world. Although we can't save the world from manticores or score the winning goal in a Quidditch World Cup match, we can still be heroes by supporting this great cause.

A part of Harry Potter we didn't know.
No Harry Potter fan can be without these little books. Both of the books are modeled after the textbooks mentioned in the series and are written by the great authors Kennilworthy Whisp and Next Salamander(but with the help of JK Rowling). They also have a foreward by Dumbledore, in which Dumbledore explains that the purpose of releasing the books for muggles is to raise money for charity. Any muggle will have fun reading all of the many sections of these books about Quidditch and magical beasts. The Fantastic Beasts book, which I have read the most, is is a very good branch of Rowling's imagination. It talks about many different creatures, both dangerous and peaceful. Harry and Ron have written many notes in the book, some relating to the Chudley Cannons, some about Hagrid's love of monsters, and many about what they learned from facing monsters(they can confirm that there are giant spiders in Scotland). The other book is taken from the Hogwarts library, and we can tell that all of the Quidditch players have used this book often. It describes the history of Quidditch, the rules, the ancient forms of Quidditch, and the popularity of the game. It's pretty amazing what one can learn from these books. We learn that dodos aren't really extinct, but are magical birds that disappear from muggle sight. We learn that fairies lay eggs and grow in cocoons. We learn that America, Quodpot is more popular than Quidditch. We also learn the ten most common fouls of the seven hundred fouls that exist. We can even learn how many dollars Galleons are equivilent to. These books help us learn a part of the Harry Potter books we didn't know. Anyone impatient for the next book in the series will find relief here. I can assure you will love laughing at the cute humor. I hope for more text books in the future!

Titanic Texts
Leave it to J.K. Rowling to make school textbooks interesting. To appease the millions (and millions . . . and millions) of fans of the Harry Potter saga (who won't be getting a new novel until sometime after the next millenium . . . at least it feels that way), Rowling has written two brief books used by the Hogwarts students. One is a library book; the other is owned by Harry (but used by Ron as well). Clever and informative, both books contain references to all four books in the saga while whetting our appetite with new information from the world of Harry Potter. I especially liked "Quidditch Through the Ages" which had facts about the history of the wizard sport and many of the teams throughout the world. And wouldn't you know it? America isn't preoccupied with Quidditch like the rest of the world. We have our own wizarding sport--Quodpot, a basketball-type game with exploding balls. I guess we haven't taken to soccer like the rest of the world either, so we needed our own wizarding sport as well. "Fantastic Beasts," on the other hand, contains wonderfully hilarious notes by Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the margins of the text that had me flipping through the pages just to read them. The books are good and well written, but they are definitely for the Harry Potter initiated. Anyone diving into these without any knowledge of Bertie Botts or Hagrid or hippogriffs will find them about as comprehensible as a Quantum Physics book. For those in the know, enjoy! I did.

Get your Harry fix and support a great cause!
Although the wait for 2002 and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is going to be a hard one for a lot of people, these two brief but fun books should fill the gap admirably as well as supporting a great cause. Released for the first time (well, to the general Muggle public), here's two of Harry Potter's schoolbooks, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Quidditch Through the Ages."

Slim and quick reads, these books nevertheless are a great deal of fun. "Quidditch" provides us with a brief evolution and history of everyone's favorite broomstick-riding sport, with rules of play, focuses on top world teams, and the revelation that Americans don't really play Quidditch on the world-class level, preferring an American variation called "Quodpot." "Fantastic Beasts" is a brisk and humorous guide to mythical, er, totally real monsters and magical creatures from the Acromantula (giant spider) to the Yeti. This book is Harry Potter's own personal copy, and is enlivened with Harry and Ron's writing and jokes in the margins of the book. Both books feature a wonderfully dry-humored introduction by Albus Dumbledore. Both books are written with a friendly and light sense of humor that's delightful to read and makes great background for the serious Harry Potter fan. Quidditch team Chudley Cannons' motto is said to have been changed from "We shall conquer" to "Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best."

The most important reason to buy these books, however, is to support Comic Relief UK, the British relief organization set up to help children in the disadvantaged countries of the world. Although we can't save the world from manticores or score the winning goal in a Quidditch World Cup match, we can still be heroes by supporting this great cause.

J K Rowlings new Comic relief boooks
Wow! These books are just fantastic! An absoloute must for any Harry Potter fan. The books, 'Quidditch through the ages', explains everyhting you need to know about the wizards magical sport, including rules, teams and history.The book is funny too, with J K Rowlings humour lightening this amazingly imaganitive book. The next book, ' Fantastic Beasts and where to find them', includes many species mentioned in the books, and more that might well be included in the later books.Again, the book is very funny, and the notes scribbled by Harry, Ron and Hermione throughout the book are brilliant touches. For example, 'Chuddley Cannons', Rons favourite Quidditch team, is written on the odd page, and hangman and naughts and crosses games are scribbled at the beginning. As with 'Quidditch through the ages',there is an introduction written by none other than Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts headmaster, explaining to all non-muggles the aims of Comic relief. Buy these books, they are great fun as companions to the books, and of course, its for charity! So what are you waiting for? Go! Buy them, now!

Supplementary Harry Potter knowledge for a good cause
In order to benefit starving children around the world, J.K. Rowling put out this two book set in a nice purple cardboard slipcase based on Hogwarts textbooks, twenty percent of the retail sales minus taxes going to that charity. They are meant to be as supplementary back stories to the Harry Potter mythos, and as it is sponsored by Comic Relief, there is some funny material in both books. Both books have material that correspond to the first four books.

The first is Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander, which is one of the books all first year students needed. It's basically a small encyclopedia on those beasts, with M.O.M. (Ministry of Magic) classifications going from X (boring) to XXXXX (known wizard killer/impossible to train or domesticate), or, as a scribble next to it reads, "or anything Hagrid likes." And what is a beast defined as? The scribble in there reads "big hairy thing with too many legs."

The scribbles in the book are what also enhance this book. The book has a label "property of Harry Potter" on it, but we discover that Ron Weasley has been borrowing his book because he's spending his money on dung bombs instead of a new book. For example, on the entry on Acromantula, giant eight-eyed spiders, there is a XXXXX rating, but several more X's have been scribbled, presumably by Mr. Weasley (q.v. Chamber of Secrets). There's a funny comment under Pixies (q.v. Chamber of Secrets).

The entry in the Chimaera mentions a wizard who fell off his winged horse and died after slaying one. This is clearly a reference to Greek mythology's Bellorophon, who fell off Pegasus after being stung by a wasp.

The second is Quidditch Through The Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp, with a seal reading "Property of Hogwarts Library" which reads like a history book and goes first from the development of the broomstick as a form of transport to its use in sports. This takes the reader to brief descriptions of early broomstick games, and then to a certain game played at Queerditch Marsh in the 11th century. The evolution of the game is detailed, but the most fascinating part is the origins of the Golden Snitch, which itself has a sad but ultimately humane ending. However, I consider it a good move to have the blooders made of stone to Bludgers made out of iron. Both would still be very painful if one was smacked in the gourd by one.

Other bits include major Quidditch teams, slang terms, broomstick models, and Quidditch moves (such as the Wronski feint, which Harry does in the first movie in order to reach the Snitch).

However, the book has duplicated wear and tear, plus a list of pupils who've checked this book out, include Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, Millicent Bulstrode, and the last two names, who are more than well known--a certain Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. Those who are into HP will recognize the names I've listed.

While made for the main target market for Harry Potter, adults who read the book will get a laugh out of the scribbles in the red Beasts book and an insight into the creative historical-minded side of J.K. Rowling, oops, I mean Kennilworthy Whisp. The books demonstrate an advanced knowledge in mythology, medieval history, and sports (love those Quidditch team names). Oh, and yes, as Ron Weasley says, dungbombs rule, especially if they're thrown at Draco Malfoy or Professor Snape, yes?

A Part of Harry... That I'm Sure You Want to Know!
Since I started reading the Harry Potter book series I have always wanted to see what his schoolbooks were like. Now, I was able to read them. They are excellent, and I just don't know how J.K. Rowling gets all of these ideas for the different beasts, and the different types of balls used for Quidditch. She is truly a remarkable writer.

Both of the books are modeled after the textbooks mentioned in the series and are written by the great authors Kennilworthy Whisp and Next Salamander(with the help of J.K Rowling). They also have a foreward by Dumbledore, in which Dumbledore explains that the purpose of releasing the books for muggles is to raise money for charity. Any muggle will have fun reading all of the many sections of these books about Quidditch and magical beasts. The Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Them, which I have read the most, is is a very good branch of Rowling's imagination. It talks about many different creatures, both dangerous and peaceful. Harry and Ron have written many notes in the book, some relating to the Chudley Cannons, some about Hagrid's love of monsters, and many about what they learned from facing monsters(they can confirm that there are giant spiders in Scotland). The other book is taken from the Hogwarts library, and we can tell that all of the Quidditch players have used this book often. It describes the history of Quidditch, the rules, the ancient forms of Quidditch, and the popularity of the game. It's pretty amazing what one can learn from these books. We learn that dodos aren't really extinct, but are magical birds that disappear from muggle sight. We learn that fairies lay eggs and grow in cocoons. We learn that America, Quodpot is more popular than Quidditch. We also learn the ten most common fouls of the seven hundred fouls that exist. We can even learn how many dollars Galleons are equivilent to. These books help us learn a part of the Harry Potter books we didn't know. Anyone impatient for the next book in the series will find relief here. I can assure you will love laughing at the cute humor. I hope for more text books in the future!

Thanks J.K and Thank You for Taking Time to Read My Review,

Jordan

If you cannot go to Hogwarts, let Hogwarts come to you
Although not a necessary addition to everyone's personal Harry Potter library, these two little books are quite interesting and a lot of fun to read. They are both quite short, totaling less than sixty five pages apiece, but they are wonderfully put together and made to look like copies of real books from the Hogwarts library. None other than Albus Dumbledore himself writes the introduction to each book, explaining how and why these books are being made available to Muggles for the first time and explaining how proceeds from each book go directly to a fund, set up in Harry Potter's name by Comic Relief UK and author J.K. Rowling, which is dedicated to help children in need throughout the world.

Quidditch Through the Ages, penned by Quidditch expert Kennilworthy Whisp explains the ultimate sport of wizards from top to bottom, giving the centuries-old history of the game as it has evolved. First and foremost, he explains why wizards and witches employ brooms to fly on in the first place, and then he proceeds to give an account of the changing rules of the game from its early days of primitive baskets set atop poles to the standardized and world-sweeping format of today. Of most significance and interest is the story of how the Golden Snitch was introduced into the sport. Different strategies and maneuvers are named and explained, the thirteen Quidditch teams of England and Ireland are identified, some of the seven hundred types of fouls are explained, and some of the most memorable games and individual performances are detailed (including the Tutshill Tornados' Roderick Plumpton's amazing snag of the Golden Snitch only three and a half seconds into a game back in 1921).

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander is a compendium of all the fantastic beasts currently known, from the Acromantula to the Yeti. Prior to the actual listings, Scamander explains the criteria by which some beings have come to be labeled beasts (it's more complicated than you might think) and devotes some time to the obvious question as to why Muggles seem to spot such creatures only rarely. Each listing also carries the classification assigned each beast by the Ministry of Magic, which is important information given that these beasts range from the harmless to the controllable to the incredibly dangerous. Along with fascinating descriptions of the animals we have already encountered in the Harry Potter books, there are some real jewels of information included here, solving several Muggle mysteries such as that of the true identity of the Loch Ness Monster. Fantastic Beasts is a copy of Harry Potter's own personal copy of the book, and its margins are dotted with little notes ranging from the mundane to the bitingly funny written by Harry, Ron, as well as Hermione. Now, if we could only get our hands on A History of Hogwarts; I'm sure Hermione has a copy they can use for the printing of a Muggle edition. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawnversions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuringnontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have been printed on thick board pages,and are sure to educate and entertain children of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews

This is a book you MUST have!, April 7, 2000
We got this book for our 4 year old daughter when she was 2, and it became her all-time favorite book. It helped her to increase her speech by saying fun things. We then introduced it to our 2nd daughter when she was 20 months old, and she also adores this book and it is the one she always gets every night and says "book" to have it read. We only say the first part of each page (i.e., "The pigs say...") and she always finishes the second part (i.e., "LaLaLa"). This is an absolute must have along with "But Not The Hippopotamus" by Boynton. These are GREAT gifts for baby showers or 1st birthdays.If you are considering ordering this - Go ahead and do it now! You WON'T be sorry that you did!

No, No, That's All Wrong!, May 23, 2005
Shakespeare knew it, and parents and other adults know it: People love a comedy of errors. Perhaps the most delighted audience is the youngest; toddlers love hearing mistakes and correcting them. It's a surefire hit for their certain sense of humor, and Sandra Boynton exploits this beautifully in this small board book.

Just a few set-up lines and Boynton is ready for the book's main joke:

"A cow says MOO."
"A sheep says BAA."
"Three singing pigs say LA LA LA!"

"'No, no!' you say, 'that isn't right.
The pigs say OINK all day and night.'"

Practice your dramatic abilities and really ham it up (pun intended) when you read the singing pigs and "that isn't right" lines on pages 3 and 4. There's also some action (dogs chasing cats), and a nice quizzical conclusion: ("It's quiet now. What do you [underlined] say?")

Boynton's familiar style is whimsical and slightly tongue-in-cheek. Her animals have very expressive, human-looking emotions, conveyed mostly through the eyes. For example, a quacking duck and a neighing horse aren't intrinsically very interesting, but when they're facing each other with similarly baffled faces, there's a subtle humor. The singing pigs, by the way, are anything but subtle. They're pizzazed out in coordinating striped pants, solid sports coats, and elegant white bow ties. They excited pigs dance in unison and hold canes in a showy vaudeville style. For a short and simple board book aimed at the very young, this is lots of fun. For older toddlers, take a look at Boynton's counting book with a difference: "Hippos Go Berserk!" She knows and loves her animals, and so will your little one.

If I had to choose one single book it would be this one!, August 23, 1998
I am an American, first-time Mom, living overseas and am building a collection of kid's books, in English, for my 7 1/2 month old son. By chance, while on a trip to NY when my son was only 5 months old, I purchased this book. As sort of joke I immediately began reading this and other books to him thinking he was too young to respond. Boy was I surprised! If he even sees the cover from afar he grunts for me to read it to him! As soon as I finish he continues this over & over again! There are other books that he enjoys (Goonight Moon,Time to Sleep, Chicka Chicka ABC), however, none compare to his love for Moo Bah LaLaLa! As soon as those 3 words come out of my mouth he quiets. I am absolutely amazed and recommend this title to all new parents.

My son could "read" every word before he was one!, April 6, 1997
A terrific engaging book for any child, young or old! My 2-year old loves it, and my 7 month old loves it! My Tripp and Luke have begun to develop a sense of humor--realizing that "three singing pigs" could simply not say la la la! While at the zoo's farm exhibit--our 2-year old said, "mom, these pig's can't say la la la! " We all laughed. We use this book as a night time quiet time book--because of the ending--"it's quiet now, what do you say?" We have begun using this line as an invitation to talk about our day, what we've learned, and the mistakes we made. It has become very engaging for our 2-year old to feel free to say what is on his mind

A lesson on how to teach animal sounds, August 23, 2001
I couldn't believe my son's daycare provider when she told me that this was his absolute favorite book. When I bought it for him, I thought it would just be another fun one to read. But, this book really, REALLY teaches kids the sounds animals make. My son wasn't really saying a whole lot of words yet, but when I would read this book, all I would have to say was the first part of the sentence "The cow says..." and he would entusiastically say "MOOOOOOOO". It is now to the point where I don't even need the book. I just say "The sheep says...", and he will say "BAAAA". This is such a cool tool to use to teach animal sounds to little toddlers. I highly recommend it to any parent whose child is just beginning to speak.

Oink?, August 10, 2002
Oh my, the cow and sheep seem to have it right...but what about the pigs? This divinely witty animal-sounds book had my own babies in stitches when they were almost too young to look at the pictures.

The rhythmic cadence of the words (always a grabber for the very young), the simple wording, the silliness that can be enhanced by mom or dad's tone of voice when reading aloud, and most of all, the use of the word "you," bringing the child into the story, combine to make a treasure of a book.

Oh...did I mention Sandra Boynton's incredibly endearing pictures of animals? Rendered in bright, beautiful colors on sturdy, indestructible pages, they are worth the price of the book. I'll bet you anything you sneak one more look long after night-night.

This book is SO great!, February 29, 2004
When I was pregnant this was the first baby gift I received. I read it to myself (in my adult, monotone voice)and thought, "What the?"
Well, after my baby arrived I read it to her and now, 2 years later, I still read it to her and she says the words with me with the greatest animation a 2 year old can give. It is a very funny book to a small child and in turn becomes a funny book for the parent watching them get so much pleasure out of it. I recommend this one to anyone with a child under two. In fact, if I could only have 1 book for my child in her first 2 years, this would be it hands down! La..la..laaaa!

A great way to learn animal sounds, September 8, 1999
My 15-month old daughter knows all her animal sounds, thanks to this book. I first saw it at her daycare, and bought it for her when she was 7-months old. This book was quite the favorite, and before she was a year old, she was making the appropriate sounds, shaking her head, "No, no..." at the, "Three singing pigs go la-la-la," and whispering at the last page, "It's quiet now, what do *you* say?"

Moo, Baa, LA LA LA, September 1, 2000
My daughter is 3 years old now and still loves this book. We received it as a baby shower gift. During some of the long nights when we first got home, I would read her this book because I enjoyed it so much. The rest of the family - even the 2 teenagers - enjoyed reading it also. It quickly became the favorite and the "Moo book" is read every night. The book is falling apart - due to an unexpected trip into the bathtub one night :) - and we try not to use it too much so we just recite it from memory. I'm buying 5 copies for friends that are having babies and a couple more for me. I want to put one away for my daughter to have for her kids some day and "grandma and grandpa" will need one too! Buy it -- you won't regret it!

Both My Daughters Love This Book!, November 14, 2000
This is a great book! I originally checked it out of the library for my older daughter when she was a baby, but wound up buying it because she liked it so much. We eventually acquired another copy, and both are well-worn. My older daughter is now almost 5, and she reads the book to her 15-month-old sister. If we ask my younger daughter what the cow says, she can tell us, "Moo!" and so on. One day she picked up a diaper with a picture of pigs on the tab, and when I asked her what they were, she answered, "La la!" This is one to read over and over! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is the braille version of the internationalbestseller. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" has reached alevel of best-sellerdom never before achieved by a children's novel inthe United States--The New York Times, April 1, 1999. If you haven'theard about this book, you've been asleep. Written for 8 to 12-yearolds, "Harry Potter" appeals equally to adults. Who is Harry Potter?Harry Potter is an old-fashioned hero. He learns that choices showmore of who one is than abilities. If you're looking for magic andadventure, read this book. Four volumes in braillle. ... Read more

Reviews

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter has lived a dismal life with his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys. He sleeps in a closet and has never had a birthday party or Christmas presents. Even worse, he has to endure life with his horrible spoiled cousin, Dudley. Then on Harry's eleventh birthday, things change when a letter arrives, (by owl), inviting him to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Suddenly Harry finds himself among friends, learning about potion-making and magic-wand waving and broomstick riding. There're chocolate frogs and Every Flavor Beans and a three-headed dog and Quidditch-a game better than soccer. Also, Hagrid, a lovable gamekeeper who befriends Harry; Hermione Granger, a witch who's read all the school books and knows all the rules; and there's Ron Weasly, Harry's best friend who has quite a legacy of his own to fill. Hogwarts treats him well, even with the abomidable Malfoy's mean tricks or Professor Snape's obvious hatred of Harry. The soon Harry finds himself in the middle of a mystery at Hogwarts, and together with his two new friends, embarks on adventures he never dreamed possible.

The book is engaging with its imagery, humor, plot twists and real-life child problems. The book doesn't only appeal to children but adults as well. She's a master on fantasy. She really can, with no difficulty at all, think herself back to 11 years old. You will love the whimsical descriptions, humorous quotes and the fun characters.

Three Harry Potter Books in Three Days!
An adult friend (age 49)loaned me three Harry Potter books for the summer. Wednesday evening I began the first book and I finished the third today, Saturday morning. I am writing this review before I order the fourth Potter book. Will my friend be surprised to get 4 books back! The author's imagination is vividly presented in a cast of almost believable characters attending a school we all wish we could attend. Classes like "Defense Against Dark Arts", "Divination", "Transfiguration", "Arithmancy" and "Care of Magical Creatures" are written as if the author actually attended them and certainly enjoyed every minute of class. More than can be said for most of the classes I have attended. Each book in the series encompasses one year of Harry's fascinating life. The Potter books are written in a way that can charm any age reader. I am 64.

Magnificiant
Now and then, A book comes along that makes people enabled to remember every luscious detail. For instance: The Hobbit. You certainly know all about Bilbo Baggins, and you pprobably know all about the author and where it was from. A new book has come along: Harry Potter, especially the first one. I can tell you all of the character's names and traits, all of the Hogwart's houses , and I inhale all of the wonderful info bits Hermoine exhales. Hats off to this one. . . . Ta' Ta'.

I want to go to Hogwarts!
Granted, I lack the basic criterion for being an expert on children's book--I'm 26 years old. For old times' sake, I do try to stay current on what's new in children's book. Compared to almost everything else I've read, Ms. Rowling's Harry Potter series stands far ahead of the pack.

Ms. Rowling takes a classic scenario in British children's literature--adolescent children going to boarding school--and turns it on its head. Usually, all of the exciting stuff happens during school holidays (as in C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" or Enid Blyton's "Five" and "Seven" series). In Harry Potter's world, school holidays are spent among the "Muggles"--the non-magical world--while school is where the magic really happens.

And magic there is! From the wizardly sport of Quidditch to classes in potions to a three-headed dog named Fluffy, Ms. Rowling throws in enough magic to keep the interest of children (and adults) who don't usually like reading. A sparkling plot, realistic (if you can imagine a magical world, then these people belong in it) characters and a fully-realized world combine to create a true gem of children's literature. This one can easily share a shelf with "The Chronicles of Narnia", "Alice in Wonderland" and even "The Hobbit".

Don't miss Harry Potter and his adventures!

Anniversary Edition nice but not essential.
In today's economy, customers buying books need to know exactly what they're buying. In this case, what your thirty bucks buys is -- apart from the previously published text (the novel itself) and the previously published art (interior art) -- is, essentially, a new cover by longtime Harry Potter cover artist Mary GrandPre, and a black-and-white illustration by Rowling (quite the cartoonist!), which comprises the "bonus" material Scholastic has been touting but keeping under wraps.

The wraps are off and, while the illustration is nice, Scholastic would be better off issuing either an illustration edition with more art (which, by the way, exists), or taking the momentous occasion of the 10th anniversary to celebrate it in a significant fashion: Rowling, why wasn't there an original interview in which you looked back at the ten years of Harry Potter in the media? Why wasn't there a long essay by a respected literary critic looking at the Harry Potter phenomenon? Why wasn't there MORE text?

If this was simply a reprint edition, the omission of new text would be understandable. But when you're celebrating ten years of Harry Potter in print, how, exactly, does a new cover, a previously published (to the best of my knowledge) illustration for the colored endpapers, and a black-and-white illustration by Rowling "celebrate" the book's publication?

As there is no historical retrospective here, I'd have to say that Scholastic missed the boat: This edition could have been so much more, but it suffers (ironically) from a failure of imagination.

I have rated it five stars because the first novel is a literary classic in the children's field. The publisher, however, needs to think about how to ADD VALUE to the existing edition when touting its "anniversary" status, esp. if they intend on reissuing matching volumes in the future. Otherwise, it comes off as being just another edition to get the fans' hard-earned money, instead of offering something new, different, and significantly improved.

A magical readin more ways than one!
What a wonderful book! I read it after my 11-year old son suggested it as a change from my usual reading fare of history and biography. It turned out to be much more than just a springtime reading diversion...it became for me a "magical" reading experience in more ways than one. I was quickly captivated by Harry, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Hermoine, and yes, even the nasty Dursleys, Snape, and Draco Mafoy. Hogwarts came to life for me. I found myself unable to put the book down because it was so exciting and much fun to read! It's easy to understand why my son (and so many kids just like him) love Harry Potter so much.

J.K. Rowling proves herself a gifted writer of children's books, not only because the plot is good and the characters come to life, but also because her writing fires the imagination and teaches positive values.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is a great book for kids of all ages...from 9 to 99. It's destined to be a classic of children's literature.

Ages 9-12? Hah!
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone is one of those rare children's books that seems to be utterly wasted on children. The plot is engaging, the characters are likeable, and it's a good quick read for those older than the specified ages. I'm 18, and I finished it in a few hours, then handed it to my mother, who is 39. After she finished it, she agreed that we needed to get the rest of the series. In a family that regularly reads Shakespeare, that's high praise! It's a refreshing and enjoyable way to get your mind off the overly serious Muggle world and bring back a bit of wonder and magic. If you're a parent considering getting this book for your child, please do... But get a copy for yourself as well, and enjoy revisiting your own childhood.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)
First of all, I am 52 years old. While I have always been a big reader, I generally have not read children's book. However, having seen the Harry Potter books on the best seller lists for months, I finally purchased Sorcerer's Stone.

I could not put the book down. While the plots and storylines are not complicated, they are completely captivating. Cover to cover the book is entertaining. I always thought that a wizard's land (Hogwarts in this case) would be a perfect idealistic place; when in fact it is full of good and evil, much like our real world. This thought captivates me as I begin Book 2.

I found the Sorcerer's Stone enchanting; much like I felt when I read the Tolkien Trilogy.

I highly recommend this book--you have got to love Harry Potter. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Big Nate is in a class by himself!

But things don't always go your way just because you're awesome.

• Nate barely survives his dad's toxic oatmeal before rushing off to school—minus his lunch.
• He body slams the no-nonsense principal.
• He accidentally insults his least favorite teacher, the horrifying Mrs. Godfrey (aka Godzilla).
• And school has barely started!

Nate keeps his cool. He knows he's destined for greatness. A fortune cookie told him so.

For fans of the ever popular, ever hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid series: Get ready to meet Big Nate!

Reviews

My son can't stop reading and laughing!, May 10, 2010
My son loved the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and I was desperate to find another book that he enjoyed reading as much. Well, this is the book. I think he likes it better than the Wimpy Kid series. He carries it with him wherever he goes and asks to stay up and read!! I LOVE this book! To any parent who wants to help their child learn to love reading, this is a good choice. I hope there are more.....

My son will not be reading this, August 30, 2010
This was a birthday gift for my 8 year old son but I read it over before giving it to him. I don't understand the enthusiasm for this book. Why can't a writer produce a book that engages boys without filling it with sarcasm and disrespect directed toward adults? I also wasn't too happy with some of the language (moron, stupid, shut your big fat mouth, etc.) The entire book is filled with the character ridiculing others. I could go on and on. Maybe if my son was older and I was trying desperately to get him to read something, I would settle for this. As an adult, I found some passages funny. But this book isn't meant for an adult, it is meant for a child.

4th Grader LOVES this book, October 26, 2010
My son could not put this book down. He loved the irreverent humor, the use of comic-like panels to move the story along, and the character. First thing he asked when he finished it -- do they have other "Big Nate" books? Happily, they do!

Big Nate, September 6, 2010
Fantastic book...my 10 yr old son enjoyed this book so much, he finished it in a day ! He is looking forward to the other upcoming titles in the series.

A MUST BUY!, June 6, 2010
For years I have been trying to persuade my 12 year old son to read and finally here is a book that he read off in 2 days...... yes in 2 days...and he does not want me to trade it in... he wants it for his library. He even showed me some words that he had in his vocabulary lessons at school in the book. EXCELLENT especially for those of us who have kids who don't like reading.

HILARIOUS!!!, April 5, 2010
The book is about Nate, a kid who thinks he is destined for greatness. He thinks that today, he will surpass all others. A fortune cookie tells him so. He tries to set various records, but keeps getting detention slips instead. When school is over and he gives the detention slips to the detention supervisor, she says that kids rarely get four but he got detention slips from all the teachers and he set a record for the most detention slips. If you like funny books, you won't want to miss this one!Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

Great for Wimpy Kid lovers, October 22, 2010
If your child loves the Wimpy Kid series they are going to enjoy Big Nate. It's worth a try for those reluctant readers as well.

Fantastic Series!, December 20, 2010
This entire "Nate" series is great. My grandson is 11 and loves to read these. I've bought him all that are published and was disappointed that the release date of the next book was postponed by a whole year! Would highly recommend this series. Tweenagers love the style and humor!

Great book for my nephew, November 18, 2010
I purchased this book for my nephew. A classmate of his had it in school and asked if I could get it, so I did. As soon as he got it, he started reading and he was having a great time in doing so. I have already started ordering the other BIg Nate books including the new one coming out next year.

wimpy kid fans must read!, April 1, 2010
Big Nate's day at school isn't turning out so great. That all changes when he opens a fortune cookie with the message "Today you will surpass all others," he feels like his life is about to turn around! As his day goes on it turn out to be just the opposite! The author has done a great job of turning a comic strip into a full length novel. Fans of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants will enjoy this unique novel. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Junie B. Jones's First Boxed Set Ever!

Ta-daa! It's me! It's Junie B. Jones! And guess what? This attractive box has my first four books in it! I can't wait for you to read them! ... Read more

Reviews

OUTSTANDING Book Series, February 14, 2004
Junie B. books have propelled my 6 year old daughter into the wonderful world of reading chapter books on her own. She loves them so much that she can't put them down, and she recently started a Junie B. "library" collection. In her words: "I love Barbara Park (the author). She's SO good at writting the way kids talk and think. Barbara Park and Junie B. rock."

As a parent, I was skeptical at first. About a year ago, a neighbor (who is very heavy-hearted and serious about life) said she didn't like the books because she thought Junie B. had too much of an attitude. She loaned us one (The Stinky Smelly Bus) so that I could see for myself. I was hesitent, but read the book to my daughter. In summary, although Junie B. is far from perfect, she is surrounded by very clever, compassionate adults, she always learns from her mistakes, and she has a big heart. Additionally, the interest in my daughter's eyes and the big belly laughs she let out during the reading convinced me to buy a second book in the series.

I'm now a full force supporter of Junie B., and I enjoy seeing my daughter trade the various books in the series with her friends at school. Junie B. Jones books are their (and my) FAVORITE BY FAR! Thank you Barbara Park for lighting up my daughter's reading world and keeping it fun and interesting!!!

A final note: I do NOT recommend these books for children under six; they may misinterpret the wonderful messages Barbara Park is conveying, and focus only on Junie B.'s "spirited" personality (just as some of the other reviewers here have done!).

I'm sorry, but I just don't get it..., September 14, 2003
This is apparently a minority opinion, but I think these books are horrible for children in the 1st or 2nd grade. Schools seem to love them - is there some special highly-technical educational matrix that this junk fits into that I need a degree in education to understand? My 1st-grade daughter reads everything, and on her second day her teacher recommended "The Dirty, Smelly Bus". We read it together, and I had to stop every other sentence and talk about how we don't call people stupid, how we don't judge others by the fact that you can beat them up, how you don't deal with being afraid by calling everyone names and hitting them, and how you don't go rummaging through other people's belongings and taking whatever you want. It's ridiculous. Not only is this behavior normal for the title character, there are no negative repercussions - it's considered "cute"!!. Perhaps the point is to get parents to spend time teaching kids how not to behave - but we get enough of that from real-life. There will be plenty of time for our children to become discriminating readers who know when they're reading a fun book - but at this age,at this stage, they are learning how to behave around others. When these books are encouraged by adults, a 1st-grader can't be blamed for thinking this is encouraged behavior. I think it's disingenuous for the literary review to flippantly say "don't try this grammar at home!" -- there's much worse in here than bad grammar for children of this age. Save the books for older readers, when they can actually understand the joke. Avoid the incorrect assumption that many adults (myself included at times)sometimes make that their young children have a higher level of sophistication than they really do.

best way to spoil a cozy evening of reading with a child, January 23, 2009
I bought the `Junie B Jones' set through The Scholastic Books Program with such high hopes.
Settling down for book time before bed, my seven year old boy started to read to me "Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth." The title of the book should have warned me. On the very first page I was incredulous to hear about a kindergarten discussing head butting. 'Maybe just on page one' I thought. Then on page two, Junie B. is talking back to the teacher and using language even my child was shocked to find in a children's book. I took over reading the chapter - editing out the bad language and grammar unfit even for three year olds.
The rest of the chapter continued with inappropriate language - "bashing in brains", "heck" and "dumb" and the five year character talking back to the teacher who she refuses to referred to by any name other than "Mrs."

I find these books offensive and degrading to parents who are going to the effort and expense to buy the set in hopes of reading with their child a set of books full of funny stories about a little girl with a vivid imagination and some misconceptions of how to behave. The Junie B. books are just about an insecure little girl with a horrible, aggressive attitude.

I was absolutely amazed to read in the author's bio that she has children. The book seems more like a detached childless person's attempt to imagine what a child's viewpoint of life might be like - without first spending anytime around young children herself. The editor and publishers must also never spend time with young children.

The story's character sets a bad example with her freakishly aggressive behavior. The stories not at all funny or entertaining - just disturbing exchanges weirdly twisted together with very grownup concepts and ideas.

Reading Junie B. books is the best way to spoil what should be a cozy evening of reading with a child. Tomorrow night we will go back to reading stories like 'Henry Huggins', 'King of the Wind', 'Mouse and the Motorcycle' and 'Jack Black and The Ship of Thieves.' - Stories with adventure, humor, something to learn, humanity and no bad language.

The other books in the Junie B Jones box set? Unread and into the trash. Sigh...

Awful writing, miserable illustrations, despicable books, November 22, 2007
The Junie B. Jones books are to children's literature what gangsta rap is to music. They are completely inappropriate for early readers.

The writing is awful: bad grammar ("she wins me at all of our races"), lousy sentence structure ("I tapped on my chin very thinking"), poor and unconvincing word choice ("me and him are personal friends"), distracting and annoyingly repetitive conceits ("that Grace") and a surprising dearth of active verbs ("I did a gulp"). Much of this, manifestly, is a deliberate conceit of the author, but some of it just as clearly reveals the author's own incompetence at writing -- for early readers or anyone else.

The title character offers a terrible role model. She is a brat: egocentric, whiny, shockingly sexist, and even racist at times. Other characters are presented as mere two dimensional props. The plotting is idiotic and quite often offensive. The illustrations are unimaginative and graceless, rather like a mid-'50s Life Magazine ad for Westinghouse refrigerators.

In an era when we are blessed with a wealth of excellent children's books for early readers, it's hard to believe any publisher would touch such tripe as this. Be grateful that you don't have to.

Junie B. Jones and Ramona Quimby, May 20, 2005
These books are funny and above all interesting to the age group they are intended for. And it is not painful for the parent to read these books to their children like it is for so many chapter books in this age group.

I personally enjoy these books as they remind me of the Ramona series of books by Beverly Cleary. Ramona often did things that were not necessarily nice. In fact, many of Cleary's characters didn't always behave in the best way possible. Ramona was often mischievous and somewhat of a pest in the books and encountered the same sort of problems that children her age have to deal with. Much like Junie B. Both are written very well from the perspective of a child at that age, regardless of the age of the writer.

As for the arguments against the books, my first grade daughter has roughly a third grade reading level. She knows proper grammar and English and knows when Junie is saying something incorrectly. However, the fact of the matter is that first graders are often just learning grammar. Grammar rules are difficult at that age. If almost every word you encounter you ad an -ed to create the past tense, first grade logic dictates that the past tense version of "run" would be "runned".

On the name calling and attitude issue, my daughter also doesn't use those words. Once again, she is able to tell the difference between right and wrong. Books often present right and wrong. I agree with the reviewer that perhaps they wouldn't be appropriate for a toddler, but a first grader just entering chapter books generally is very able to understand what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. My daughter knows that just because other children hit, it does not make it okay for her to hit. By the logic presented by some of the reviewers, the average child should run right out and start calling everyone stupid because they will all of a sudden decide it's not wrong anymore.

These books are written as entertainment. They are written to appeal to your child's sense of humour and occasionally the parent reading the book to their child. Junie B. Jones is not meant to be a "Book of Virtues". It is meant to be reading material for your child who is just discovering the joy of reading and what she can experience through books. If every book a child had to read was supposed to teach some sort of moral lesson as opposed to simply being enjoyable it would make reading a very boring place.

Give Junie B. a Break, April 18, 2005
Sometimes, my eight-year-old's dance teacher will repeat the mistakes that my daughter and the rest of her classmates make. When she does this, the girls all giggle. She looks so silly when she dances like that!

When my eight year old reads a Junie B. Jones book, much of her laughter comes from knowing that Junie B. does not know how to speak proper English. She sounds so silly when she talks like that!

I would not read this series to a 3-year-old who is just learning to form sentences. (Duh.) But it's time to take a chill pill about J.B.'s improper grammar and hijinks. My children (6 and 8 years old) read these books, and they are at the tops of their classes in reading. They understand grammar rules, and are excellent spellers. Doesn't it seem even slightly unrealistic that one book series will corrupt a child's speech and manners, when that child is also exposed to other good literature?
Reading is supposed to be fun. Exposing children to many different kinds of characters in literature will only benefit them.
These books are innocent. Junie B is not overly sexualized, like some of the TV characters aimed at our young children. She doesn't worship the devil. And she does visit the principal's office regularly for her bad behavior (contrary to the statement that Junie never faces consequences for bad behavior.)
If you are really concerned about your child adopting Junie B's behavior, read a book aloud with your child. When Junie does something wrong, point your thumbs down. When she does something right, point your thumbs upward. Guess what! You will be surprised at how often you can give a thumbs up to Junie... when you are looking for something good instead of something to complain about.

A delightful series, October 21, 2002
I bought a bunch of books for my daughter (age 6) to read, and she likes the Junie B. Jones series best. She laughs out loud as she reads and is totally engrossed in the story.

The events in the Junie B. Jones series are typical things that young children either directly encounter in their daily lives or fantasize encountering (such as being left behind by a school bus). Some of them may seem mundane to grown-ups, but full of excitement, suspense and breathless anticipation for young readers. Junie B. Jones is a spirited girl with a unique, creative, and humorous view of the world around her. She may first come across as opinionated (as most 5, 6 year olds are), but one quickly discovers the "loopholes" in her opinions. My daughter frequently points out, with a laugh, what Junie B. Jones says wrong or how she mis-interpretes a situation.

The stories end well and in a joyful and high spirited note.

I highly recommend this series!

Have to go with the Nays on this one...., September 3, 2005
These are such popular books, we decided to give them a go with our seven year old. After quitting the first by the second chapter, we decided to try one more. That too was filled with so much poor behavior, we tossed them. Some reviewers seem to indicate that we shelter or inhibit our children by not exposing them to these books or that we should use Junie B. to teach about bad behavior. My view is that we should teach children to be kind and genrerous; in this way they will know when things are not. I do not instruct in sassiness and selfishness and then instruct them not to do likewise. These books offer little to help your child grow in character and there are plenty of other books to help them in their literacy. Put garbage in and you get garbage out.

Who needs the bad grammar?, January 6, 2003
The story line is indeed amusing, but who wants to teach their young readers with a heavy dose of bad grammar? My five year old uses English with more precision, and although she giggles at Junie's antics, I am disappointed that every other sentence is incorrect. "Grandma says I'm gonna get runned over by an ice cream truck." "After that, I got sended to my room." Who needs this? I don't think it adds any value, nor does it make Junie more believably 6 years old to have her unable to conjugate a verb. And no, I'm not a grammar teacher, nor a librarian.

Junie B. makes reading fun!, July 22, 2005
These stories have entertained and held the attention of (25) 5 year olds. I have read many of the Junie B. books aloud to my kindergarten classes. We would read and discuss two chapters a day. Most, if not all of my students, loved listening to Junie's hilarious antics. One parent, who rarely visted the school, made a special trip in so she could order the series for her son from the Scholastic Book Club. Apparently, he's been bugging her for quite some time.

Yes, Junie B. has the tendency to go overboard, but that is what keeps my students wanting to know more. What crazy thing will she do next? Of course, we discuss the topics that arise: listening, friendships, name-calling, honesty, etc. These are matters we deal with every day. Reading and discussing these stories encouraged independent thinking and reasoning. We would even brainstorm better ways for Junie B. to handle situations. But most importantly, the series made the children laugh and encouraged reading. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In one of the most hotly anticipated sequels in memory,J.K. Rowling takes up where she left with Harry's second year at theHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Old friends and newtorments abound, including a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who hauntsthe girl's bathroom, an outrageously conceited professor, GilderoyLockheart, and a mysterious force that turns Hogwarts students tostone. ... Read more

Reviews

Definitely worth buying
After reading the original of the recent hits and chart-topping Harry Potter series, I just had to read the second. It once again begins over summer vacation and takes Harry to his second year at Hogwarts, the best wizarding school of the day. But for some reason, people begin to be attacked by someone - or something. Harry, Ron, and Hermione start on another slew of detective work to find out what's going on, and how to save the students of Hogwarts...it's hard to give a plot summary without exposing the secrets of the ending, which, by the way, was a total surprise!

This book is truly engrossing, more intense and frightening than the first. I loved it! It was both fun and funny, much like the other two in the series. It is interesting to read, and I honestly think it appeals to all ages. Even older readers will enjoy being taken back to the days when the line between fantasy and reality was blurred, and all the books would keep any modern teenager enthralled. Harry Potter No. 2 actually kept me laughing throughout. At some points in the middle, the story may get slightly bland, but don't worry: the best part is yet to come. I love children's stories, have read many, and these are the best, most modern works out there. There's a reason they are so hot right now, and all these other 5-star reviews are deserved! This series breaks the ordinary mold of children's books which are not always written with the same flair J.K. Rowling successfully incorporates into the plot, and they each possess their own sense of magic, not allowing the reader to put the book down! The Harry Potter books are highly recommended! Other children's authors I enjoy are Roald Dahl, Louis Sachar, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, and E.B. White.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry, a twelve year old boy is continuing another fascinating year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. This second book in the J.K. Rowling series is a must read! Not only do the main characters Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger set out to solve a new problem but, they realize that somebody has opened the Chamber of Secrets. Through trial and error our heroes search for clues to save one of their friends. Again Harry must put his life in danger to save others who are important to him. J.K. Rowling has introduced us to some new characters in book two. We meet a magical elf, Dobby, a new professor, Gilderoy Lockheart and finally Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister who joins the famous trio. I liked this book because it was a true page turner. As the reader you can search for possible clues along with Harry, Ron and Hermione. I would recommend this book to anyone over seven years old. J.K. Rowling did an excellent job on this book because it's exciting and full of adventure. I have learned from this book that life is full of tough challenges and problems. No matter how hard it is you have to be brave and trust in yourself to do the right thing.

Amazing!
I was doubtful when I started the Harry Potter books- in fact I was only going to read them because a friend begged me to do so. Much to my surprise, I was immediately hooked on the first novel, and finished all three within a week. I can honestly say that the three Harry Potter books are among the best books I've ever read. I now recommend them to everyone- children and adults alike. They're thoughtful, original, suspenseful, and humorous- everything you could ask for in an adult's novel. I'm 17 years old, and I never thought I'd be reading kids' books. But now I'm glad I did- don't miss out on these amazing books, especially the third one. The Chamber of Secrets is by far the best of the three books. Rowling explores new dimensions of Harry's world and reveals the secrets readers have been dying to know since the first book. This book leaves you hanging for the fourth novel, which is sure to also be incredible!

A really cool book
I think the Harry Potter books are really fascinating. They are full of suspense and irony. I wouldn't have read this book because I thought it was for younger kids ( I'm 13)but my friend was reading it so I gave it a try. I didn't put the book down until I finished it. It was that good! I don't want to be rude either but it really does not promote witchcraft. The whole time I read it, using black magic never crossed my mind. I know parents can be overprotective about that stuff but what about JRR Tolkien's Hobbit series and Disney movies with witches and wizards in them. SLeeping Beauty and Snow White and the 7 dwarves show this. Most stories or movies have a villian that is either a sorcerer or a witch. I thought this book was really awesome and even if you are above the age of the Reading Level read it anyway! I love Harry Potter: he is really responsible and smart. He is a good example. His friends are really funny and so are all the other characters. This is really good literature. Thank you so much Ms. Rowling for writing these books.

BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD!
All 3 of the Harry Potter books are great. They are so enjoyable to read with the family. If you think these books are bad in a way that they show violence then you are wrong. I would recommend these books to all ages!

The AUDIO versions let the whole family share Harry Potter!
Want to end the TV addiction in your family? Get a copy of the audio versions of the Harry Potter books and you'll never know what hit you!

Every kid who drives in our car wants to move to our house! My daughter and I have been listening to the first and second Harry Potter books (Sorceror's Stone and Chamber of Secrets) on both audiotape and CD for weeks and weeks now. By that, I mean, that once we finish one, we put the other one on, and have continued to go back and forth at her request.

I don't know how long this can last, but I agree that nothing else quite measures up afterwards! The reader, Jim Dale, is somehow able to communicate at least one or two DOZEN characters without any duplication and perfectly captures the style and personality of each of the characters without any loss of how you imagine them. What a treat!

Each character has a perfectly appropriate voice and tone and loses absolutely nothing from the book. Quite the contrary, we are both hearing new things that we must have missed the first time we read the books as we are endlessly entertained and amused.

We listen whenever we are driving in the car, or drawing or doing crafts, while laughing out loud, crying, and giving each other funny looks!

We have even found ourselves sitting outside the movies, lessons, and our own driveway, without being able to move until we come to the end of a chapter.

No matter how many times you have read the books, I guarantee the audio versions will give you a new perspective on the stories and/or reveal something which you didn't already know from your reading. Besides, it is a pleasure separate and apart from reading the books yourself. The art of reading out loud is not entirely lost--you only have to listen to these audiotapes to realize that the TV can never compete with this type of reading out loud! Share this with your family--YOU'LL NEVER LOOK BACK!

Clever sequel, a must-buy
As a die-hard fantasy fan who has long outgrown his childhood, I first eyed the Harry Potter books with askance. They seemed to me to be more suitable for little kids and hardly the material that an adult would read, especially one who has long since been jaded by the typical fare produced by Tolkien-esque authors drawing upon Celtic-Nordic traditions.

However, I was soon persuaded by the many positive reviews of this series, both by my friends and by book critics everywhere. The first book I could not put down until I finished it; the sequel ensnared me just the same.

While the fantasy genre is composed of hackneyed plots and themes, regurgitated by the many different authors out there, each cranking out thousand page novels, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone proved that succinctness is indeed a virtue. All of the stereotypes are here, but instead of just rehashing the same old fare that Tolkien dished out, Rowling re-defines it. And while many readers, especially those, like me, who are well-read in this genre, will recognize in Rowling's novels elements that have appeared in countless other stories and myths, Rowling does not use these as crutches to drive her story where none existed; rather, these are bridges she uses to communicate to her readers, common archetypes that exist in the minds of all. Hers is far more than one author's interpretation; it is a book that has captured the imagination and echoes the awe of the fantastic that resides within all of us

Seldom has an author written with such clarity that her words flow so smoothly from the page into our thoughts. The fantasy genre owes its revival in large part to Rowling's gift of gab. Instead of alienating most readers as many other authors do, Rowling appeals to the mundane, beckoning them, in their own language, to visit the world of the incredible, the fantastic, the impossible that nevertheless seems so real.

Harry Potter is a character of the new millennium, and his exploits usher in a new philosophy of fantasy. An orphaned child living in adverse conditions, Harry discovers that he is truly extraordinary; he is a wizard. Thus begin his adventures and his escape from his cruel life. He makes us all seek within ourselves that spark of magic that will allow each of us to transcend the mundanity and normalizing pressure of society, to become true individuals, unique to one another, and special, each in our own way.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets continues the tradition--yes, tradition, even after a single book!--of Rowling's novels. Engaging and funny, clever and entertaining, the sequel further develops the world in which Rowling has set for her Harry Potter novels, one much like ours but influenced by wizards who move behind the scenes, unsuspecting to the common person. Harry displays the unflagging spirit of determination in the face of adversity, as even his friends slowly turn against him. Rowling's novel teaches children the value of courage, intelligence, and morality while reminding adult readers of the same. Continuing her excellence, Rowling crafts a fantasy series perhaps one day as defining as Tolkien's contribution to fantasy literature. Certainly, it is a worthy addition to everyone's bookshelves, young and old alike. ... Read more

Reviews

A basic for every child's bookshelf, January 9, 2007
I remeber reading the Ramona books as a child and recently purchased the collection for my 8 yr. old and 5 yr. old daughters. They beg every night to hear another chapter read to them. The stories and situations are timeless and they can easily identify with Ramona and Beezus. The stories are told from a child's point of view, which can be sometimes enlightening for us grownups who have forgotten what it's like to be 4 or 5 years old. My girls delight in hearing about Ramona's occaisional "wickedness" and very stubborn nature.
I find myself giggling when I recognize things from the era that it was written (my childhood!) like putting plastic bread bags over your shoes and then stuffing them into rubber boots! I highly recommend this collection of books. The word wholesome comes to mind.

Still great stories!, September 28, 2007
I loved these books as a kid and now my daughter's love the stories too. The illustrations inside are enough to help give the kids a little idea and then they picture the rest inside their heads as we read along! I really do prefer these Ramona stories compared to the Junie B Jones stories. Ramona seems to be alot more wholesome where I do find that Junie B Jones can be quite the rude little girl often. Very nice to be able to share with my girls and they are always trying to tell the stories to their friend that see the books too. Very cute!

Great read!, February 7, 2007
My daughter is 7 and devoured the Ramona books. She was able to relate to the character and found these books easy to read. They were her first page turners!

Shockingly poor quality paperback books, April 22, 2008
Ramona is one of my favorite characters in children's literature, so I sent this collection to my niece for her birthday.

When I arrived at my brother's house, and saw the poor quality of the books I was shocked. I have never given a child a book before that was made to fall apart after one reading.

Good-bye to my fantasy of her reading it over and over or giving it to a friend!

Still a winner!, May 25, 2007
I loved these books when I was a kid, and now my daughter loves them. Still a classic.

They Hold Up Amazingly Well (My Theories on Youth), August 2, 2010
I hold a personal belief that every so often we should go back and revisit those things that were important to us in our youth. Whether it's picking up a copy of an album you haven't heard since high school or watching "The Breakfast Club" for the first time in 20 years, I think it's important to put yourself in touch with who we were.

So, when I heard about the Ramona movie coming out, I decided it was high time to revisit some of these books, which were favorites of mine from grades 2-5. Not only was I surprised at how much of these books I remembered, I was also very pleased with Cleary's writing and the universality of the situations in these books. In many ways, they serve as a window into how kids deal with things from the perils of having a younger sibling to take care of to parental unemployment. The great thing about these books is that the messages are never heavy-handed. Cleary lets them unfold naturally through the characters, in particular Ramona Quimby and her sister Beezus (in this set, anyway).

Some people may feel it's a waste of time to look backward at what made us who we are. I can't think of anything better to ground myself. And even more so, I'm incredibly pleased to find what good taste I had as a child. Highly recommended for those of us looking back and those looking to introduce their grade schoolers to reading.

I'm glad I took the time. If you haven't read these since grade school, you should, too.

Best children's book there is! :), September 16, 2009
First I want to say thanks to all of your positive ratings and feedbacks. You've encouraged me and helped me decide to buy "Ramona Volume 1 AND 2."

These books are the best books there is. It's great for children who will enjoy the simplicity in the narration and the stories and the adventures. It's also great for adults. I found this book in here at Amazon.com., and I'm glad I did. I haven't read these books when I was young but I'm happy I found them now.

After reading them, I found myself thinking back to my childhood and it also helped me remember a few things like how I used to think when I was in that age. lol! Beverly Cleary wrote these books so well it's as if she wrote as she grew along with Ramona.

I also love the new illustrations by Tracy Dockray because it shows an updated look on today's kids which they can identify and it looks so much better.

I totally recommend the volume 1 and 2 of Ramona by Beverly Cleary. :D

We love Ramona!, September 23, 2008
My 7-year-old would rather read than sleep. This collection has been a delight for her and her ravenous appetite for reading. Ramona is Great! Fun stories, very engaging.

great collection, February 8, 2008
item came in brand new and very quickly. Ramona books are good for kids of all ages.

Perfect for First Graders!, January 20, 2008
My neice is in the first grade, but reads on a third grade level. She LOVES these books. She cannot decide which one she wants to read, because she enjoys them all so much. Great buy!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind . . .

This 2005 Caldecott Honor book uses a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrationsand tells a brilliantly true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddy’s in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong. ... Read more

Reviews

Great book that helps improve parent-child communication
My name is Daniel Berrios and I am 7 years old. My English teacher read this book to us in class and I thought it was funny. My favorite part was when the dad is angry. I recommend this book for my family. I also like this book by Mo Willems: The Pigeon Has feelings Too. I hope you think it is cool.

An excellent book for the young and young-at-heart!
I first got this book when my daughter was a year old, and she still requests it to be read [she's two-and-a-half]...that's the magic of the book, it just gets better and better with each reading! The story itself is simple, a dad and his daughter, Trixie go to the neighborhood laundromat one day and on their way home, Trixie has a full-blown meltdown as she discovers that her beloved stuffed bunny, "Knuffle Bunny" is lost. Mo Willems does an excellent job with the simple yet engaging text and the photographs interspersed with simply-drawn pictures are equally engaging. I love the expressions he used to describe Trixie's agony at losing her Knuffle Bunny, "boneless" being my favorite:) The whole story is true to life [how many of us parents of toddlers have been in similar situations?] and wonderfully told. Knuffle Bunny is destined to become a classic and deservedly so! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Love David

My daughter loves this!
My 2 year old has learned lots of new christmas words like "decorations" and "ornaments" etc from reading this book and discussing what is happening on each of the pages. She loves David. ... Read more