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The House of Paper |
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| Author: |
Carlos Maria Dominguez |
 Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0151011478 |
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From Publishers Weekly
Uruguayan novelist and critic Domínguez's book-obsessed homage to Argentinian great Borges is a sweet miss. A devastatingly beautiful Conrad scholar, Bluma Lennon is killed by a car while crossing a street near Cambridge University while holding a copy of Emily Dickinson's poems. Several weeks later, the narrator, one of Bluma's several lovers, receives a copy of Joseph Conrad's The Shadow-Line in the mail. There's no letter, but the postmark is Uruguay; the book is inscribed by Bluma to "Carlos"—and it is encrusted with portland cement. The unnamed narrator sets out for Montevideo to discover its secret. The rest of the plot, in which Borges-as-author figures, is predictably book-centered, with plenty of travel and metaphysical musing. It is amiable and sincere in its desire to add its voice to the... |
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The Hobbit |
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| Author: |
J. R. R. Tolkien |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
061815082X |
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Book Review
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard... |
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The Book of Imaginary Beings |
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| Author: |
Jorge Luis Borges |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0670891800 |
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From Publishers Weekly
The master, writing with sometime collaborator Guerrero, compiled 82 one- and two-page descriptions of everything from "The Borametz" (a Chinese "plant shaped like a lamb, covered with golden fleece") to "The Simurgh" ("an immortal bird that makes its nest in the tree of science") and "The Zaratan" (a particularly cunning whale) in An Anthology of Fantastic Zoology in 1954. He added 34 more (and illustrations) for a 1967 edition, giving it the present title, and it was published in English in 1969. This edition, with fresh translations from Borges's Collected Fictions translator Hurley, and new illustrations from Caldecott-winner Sís, gives the beings new life. They prove the perfect foils for classic Borgesian musings on everything from biblical etymology to the underworld, giving the creatures... |
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The Hobbit |
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| Author: |
J. R. R. Tolkien |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0618162216 |
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Book Review
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard... |
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Many Waters |
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| Author: |
Madeleine L'Engle |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Mass Market Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0440227704 |
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Book Review
We've all done it. In the frigid depths of winter we've wished we could be magically transported to someplace warm and sunny. But most people don't have genius parents who just happen to be working on a scientific experiment with time travel at the moment of our wish. Sandy and Dennys Murry, the "normal" boys in a family of geniuses, suddenly find themselves trudging through a blazing-hot desert, seeking a far-off oasis for shade. Their desperate wandering brings them face-to-face with history--biblical history. Soon they're feeling right at home with Noah and his family. Even so, the urgent question is, how will Sandy and Dennys get back to their own place and time before the floods--the many waters--come? As they begin to cross the invisible border into adulthood, the twins must confront their ability to resist... |
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Whipping Boy |
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| Author: |
Sid Fleischman |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0060521228 |
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Book Review
For kids to get their dose of action and thrills, they need not always go to the local multiplex for the latest bang 'em up film. They could try such books as The Whipping Boy, which relies not on exploding spaceships and demonic robots but mythic story, humorous characters and, ready or not, a moral. The plot involves the orphan Jemmy, who must take the whippings for the royal heir, Prince Brat. Jemmy plans to flee this arrangement until Prince Brat beats him to it, and takes Jemmy along. Jemmy then hears he's charged with the Prince's abduction as this Newbery Medal winning book turns toward a surprising close.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
With his flair for persuading readers to believe in the ridiculous, Fleischman scores... |
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The Wind on Fire Trilogy |
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| Author: |
William Nicholson |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0786814187 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
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The Wind Singer (The Wind on Fire Trilogy Series #1) |
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| Author: |
William Nicholson |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0641680902 |
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Firesong |
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| Author: |
William Nicholson |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0786814195 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From Publishers Weekly
With Firesong, author William Nicholson brings the Wind on Fire trilogy, begun with The Wind Singer, to a close. Led by their prophetess mother, twins Bowman and Kestrel travel with the Manth people to their promised land, struggling along the way Bowman with desire, and Kestrel with the troubling realization that she cannot foresee life beyond this journey. Ages 10-14.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10-This concluding volume of the trilogy features fast-paced action, poetic language, and carefully constructed characters. The first half of the book describes the journey of twins Bowman and Kestrel, their family, and the remnants of the Manth people to their... |
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Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei |
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| Author: |
Peter Sis |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0374470278 |
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Book Review
The story of Galileo is at once inspiring and troubling. The brilliant astronomer was a celebrated scientist who was showered with honors and patronage until his greatest discovery--that the earth circled the sun rather than the other way around--proved to be too much of a threat to prevailing orthodoxy. Peter Sis, author of the wonderful children's book Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus, tells Galileo's tale for children ages 8 and older. A brilliant and sophisticated illustrator and a sensitive storyteller, he traces Galileo's life from childhood to his final days as a prisoner of the church. (Click to see a sample spread. © 1996 by Peter Sis. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.) (Ages 8 and older)
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.... |
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Fire Truck Board Book |
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| Author: |
Peter Sis |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0060562595 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
Book Review
What could be better to a fan of fire trucks than playing with them and reading about them all day long? Well, how about being one! That is just what happens to Matt, a little boy whose first and last words every day are "fire truck." Imagine his happy surprise when he wakes up one morning and discovers he has sprouted wheels, flashing lights, and sirens! Matt wastes no time. He drives around the "neighborhood" (his house) rescuing cats and teddy bears, and putting out fires. There's only one thing that can tear this dedicated fire truck away from his work: pancakes on the table! Peter Sís's wonderful red and black gouache illustrations are old-fashioned in their sweet simplicity. Combined with a little counting practice thrown in for good measure (one driver, two ladders, three hoses, on up to 10 boots), this... |
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The Wind Singer |
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| Author: |
William Nicholson |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0786818263 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From Publishers Weekly
With Firesong, author William Nicholson brings the Wind on Fire trilogy, begun with The Wind Singer, to a close. Led by their prophetess mother, twins Bowman and Kestrel travel with the Manth people to their promised land, struggling along the way Bowman with desire, and Kestrel with the troubling realization that she cannot foresee life beyond this journey. Ages 10-14.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10-This concluding volume of the trilogy features fast-paced action, poetic language, and carefully constructed characters. The first half of the book describes the journey of twins Bowman and Kestrel, their family, and the remnants of the Manth people to their... |
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The Tree of Life: A Book Depicting the Life of Charles Darwin: Naturalist, Geologist, & Thinker |
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| Author: |
Peter Sis |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0374456283 |
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| Availability: |
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Book Review
Here is a fascinating, detailed look at the life of Charles Darwin: naturalist, geologist, and independent thinker. In his author's note, Caldecott Honor illustrator Peter Sis (Starry Messenger, Tibet: Through the Red Box) writes that Darwin always regretted not learning how to draw. However, he could and did take "dense and vivid" written notes, from which Sis drew his inspiration. Readers will spend hours poring over the gorgeous, intricately crafted pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations depicting layer upon layer of Darwin’s life as he developed his theories about the origins of life and natural selection. Tidbits from Darwin’s extensive and legendary voyage on the Beagle, notes on Galapagos tortoises, bloodsucking benchuca bugs, and Toxodon skeletons, and particulars from his family life intermingle with... |
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Trucks Trucks Trucks Board Book |
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| Author: |
Peter Sis |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0060562587 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
Book Review
Trucks that plow, trucks that roll, trucks that haul, trucks that lift--Matt just can't get enough of his favorite toys. When asked to clean his room, he puts away his trucks, socks, and teddy bears, but not in the way his mom probably intended. With each succeeding page, his toy trucks grow, until Matt is driving the mammoth vehicles over the rubble of his bedroom, scooping up laundry and hockey sticks. As the trucks increase in size, so do the words in the margins describing what the trucks are doing (pushing, rolling, scooping, loading). Finally, Matt's room is clean, his trucks in a basket, and he's ready to go outside where a whole other world of bulldozers, backhoes, and tractors awaits! Truck-love is as inevitable a developmental stage as crawling and toilet training. This book is sure to be an all-time favorite,... |
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Madlenka |
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| Author: |
Peter Sis |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0374399697 |
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| Availability: |
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Book Review
"In the universe, on a planet, on a continent, in a country, in a city, on a block, in a house, in a window, in the rain, a little girl named Madlenka finds out her tooth wiggles." To further illustrate where exactly this girl fits into the universe, Peter Sís's endpapers depict a tiny blue planet Earth with a red dot, then a bigger Earth and a bigger red dot, then an aerial view of the south part of Manhattan Island, then city blocks, then lo! a small Madlenka in an apartment window. And, since she has a loose tooth that wiggles, she simply must tell everyone. As she traipses around New York, she sees the whole world in the way a child might peer into a sugar egg at a colorful three-dimensional diorama within. At Mr. Gaston's patisserie, he tells her about Paris as he bakes croissants and madeleines.... |
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