Go-to

I had not even heard of Enid Blyton until an aunt in Australia sent me a copy of 'Five Go Down To The Sea'. That would have been about 1955 and I was immediately captivated by Enid's pure sense of mood and adventure.
I must have re-read the book a half-dozen times in just a few weeks and got to know farmer Penruthlan, Yan, The Barnies and Clopper the horse as if they were real friends of my very own.
I relived that adventure again when I got to read a chapter or two aloud each night to my two sons when they were toddlers. They, too, were enthralled with the story. And I truly believe that the noble actions of Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy helped to mould my sons' lives, as they did mine.
Even now, at the 'grand old age' of 57, I am not ashamed to admit that, seeking escape from this troubled world, I have read Five Go Down To The Sea again, by myself.
Now, I can't wait to have grandchildren, so I can read the book to them at bed-time...unless my sons beat me to it, of course!

when i was a kid of 7 or 8 my mom got me interested in books by Enid Blyton, like Famous Five, Secret Seven, and those Adventure series. I just loved famous five and in fact have read all 21 of their regular books. In addition to that i also read their special editions, around 10 . These books are so addictive, once my father even told me u shouldnt read that much , u're studies might get affected, or i'll weaken my eyesight! haha! but in reality these really capture the imagination of a young kid and i highly recommend them to any kids new to reading novels

I could not put it down once I started reading it. After I finished reading the book, I felt sad. I have read the book two times in two days!

This is one of those rare books that has adult humor, but still seems to be written for the children. My 3 1/2 year old asked me to read it a second time (which is rare), and my 1 1/2 year old enjoyed the bright illustrations. And well, I had to chuckle at the familiar story line. It's so nice when one book meets all of our needs. If your child is young and hasn't started this behavior - don't let that scare you away from buying the book - out of fear that it will teach them something bad. Believe me, these instincts are dormant in your child. Eventually, he/she will start the bedtime stall just because...

For anyone looking to purchase this book it is a must! When I first checked this book out in the library for my 2 year old daughter I found I kept reading it to her for bed- over and over again. Even if she was done hearing it. I laughed every time I read it. My absolute favorite parts were "I am practically positive my parents are having a party" & "Luckily the water idea ended up being a two-part plan. After drinking it, I got out of bed again and said I had to go to the bathroom (while her duck slippers are looking up and holding an umbrella)". The illustrations are brilliant, even though my first glace impression was not significant. I adore this book. Every parent needs to own Katie Davis's I hate to go to bed. Brilliant!

My 5 year old son and 2 year old daughter love this story about a girl stalling to go to bed. "Go to bed" is repeated throughout the story, and now we all say those parts together. A good buy!

Self-Discipline in 10 Days: How to Go From Thinking to Doing by Theodore Bryant is one of the best books on the market dealing with self-discipline. It's a shame that this book did not get more publicity. I really should. It's more like a workbook than a paperback, and it's well worth my 25 dollars. I really like this book.

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

I have lots of ideas and projects, but most of them were not getting done. I read the book, one chapter per day and did the exercises like a good little student. It has been extremely helpful. I've built the shelves I wanted to build, cleaned up the terrible messes around the house, started projects and making so much progress on them that I actually amaze myself. I've read other books from the so called "success" literature to help, but this one is the most practical, and easy to read. I almost don't feel like writing a review because I'd be giving away such a useful tool.

The book is essentially split in two big sections. The first section deals with fears that people have. According to the author these fears subconsciously interfere with your ability to get things done. Through the exercises you gain insight into what fears you have and to what extent they influence you. I found the exercises useful, but a friend didn't agree that these were the most important fears.

The second section has four or five chapters. Each chapter deals with a particular attitude that is an obstacle (such as perfectionism), and provides a tool to help the self discipline process. Some tools are a bit wishy-washy, like "visualization", and "Mr Hyde" but after an initial "what is this BS?" I tried the concepts and I find them very useful.

All in all, a very useful and practical book. I recommend that you read one chapter per day, and when you start a new chapter quickly skim over the preceeding one.

What a diamond. This book is by far the best self help book I have read to date. I do not have the time to write a lengthy in depth review, all I can say is GET IT!!

Bev Bachel's friendly book helps teens -- even adults -- understand what it takes to get what you want from life. She shows how to decide what you want, determine what steps you can take to achieve it, and cheerleads you along the way. A must for any teen -- or anyone -- who wants to be more successful but has doubts about their ability to achieve.

In What Do You Really Want?: A Guide For Teens, motivational and communication expert Beverly Bachel, shows adolescent and young adult readers how to set a goal for themselves and effectively pursue whatever they have targeted! A down-to-earth, "user friendly" self-help guide which is written in simple, direct language, What Do You Really Want? is as practical and effective, as it is informative and inspiring. Enhanced with self-tests, resources, and exercises, What Do You Really Want? is a superbly presented and highly recommended introduction to focusing one's life and contains numerous lessons for that could profit readers of all ages!

As a father of three teenage girls, I'm always looking for ways to help them reach their full potential. What Do You Really Want has really given focus to my daughters' everyday lives. Like so many teens, my girls have great hopes and dreams but aren't sure how to make sense of them. The book's fun worksheets and journal exercises helps teens decide what's truly important to them and takes them step by step through the goal-setting process to help them achieve those goals. What's more, it's a book they can carry with them for the rest of their lives and continually turn back to for guidance. I recommend this book to any parent or teacher looking to bring direction to teens they care about - or even themselves. I was surprised at how much I've incorporated what I learned about goal setting in my own life!

Double Menopause really hits home !!! There is a wealth of useful information for both myself and my husband - very easy ( and fun) to read - it's helped our relationship tremendously. This makes a great anniversary gift for mid-life couples.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading DOUBLE MENOPAUSE by Dr. Nancy Cetel. It was comforting to know that there is solid information about the next phase of life for me. Being prepared for some of the possible effects of changing hormone levels will only make the transition easier.
The book was well written and interesting. I especially appreciated the chapter entitled THE TRUTH ABOUT ANTI-AGING. I agree with Dr. Cetel's philosophy about the aging process and found her advice for maximizing longevity very helpful.

An excellent resource for women and men to assist in understanding the ebb and flow of hormonal change during midlife. The effect of such changes on both the psychological and physical domains are discussed. The time during which these hormonal changes occur can become extremely trying and tumultuous for individuals and their partners.This book addresses ways to assess the changes that are occurring and approaches to managing them. Double Menopause speaks well to a complex phenomena and simplifies it. This is a unique resource for men and women whose lives are affected, directly or indirectly, by menopausal or andropausal changes.

William Gay has staked out the Tennessee/Alabama border country and made it his own playground. The stories are compelling and have a depth that is unusual in short fiction. I put Gay right up there with Raymond Carver and John Cheever as a champion of the American short story. Gay's greatest strength is his ability to use dialogue to move the story forward. There is nothing artificial or stilted about any of the words used by the characters in Gay's stories. The usual southern melancholy and pathos is present in each story--we are dealing with broken hearts, eny, greed, dementia in old folks, quick and lethal brutality. It's all there. But done in such a free and easy manner that you almost forget about the terrible events unfolding before your eyes and get lost in the lovely use of language. And one crucial point, the stories have a conclusion. Too often I find that modern fiction has no beginning, no middle and no end. Gay starts his stories and ends his stories--he first and foremost is a tremendously gifted storyteller, of that there is no question.

I purchased this book based largely on the strength of the reviews below. If anything, they understate the the quality of the writing and stories contained in the book. I found stories to be compelling and the writing superb. If you enjoy truly great writing and short stories you will not want to pass this book up. I am amazed that this collection has not recieved more attention or acclaim. (By the way, I agree with Francis' observation in her review that the "expert" reviewer who opined that Gay's characters are undeveloped obviously didn't actually read the book).

I found this author by chance and haven't looked back since. His writing brings you inside of the words, characters and the settings. I especially like the "southern flavor" that flows from his pen and highly recommend his books to all readers of southern culture.

For anyone who loves animals and has experienced the loss of one, this story supports the emotional attachment and makes us feel the pet is in a great place. We hope for our pets to be taken care of without us, and this story sets just that stage.
The illustrations support the story and are beautiful in their own right. I have given this book to three friends with children who have lost family pets and all three felt it provided a kind word at that most difficult time.

A wonderful book! I give one to everyone I know who is struggling in dealing with this type of loss.

Incredible illustrations and wonderful story!! Bought it for my children as I loved the message and thought it would be good in the loss of a pet. Now I find myself in the position of supporting a friend's child as he prepares to die after a 5 yr. battle with cancer. NEVER thought I'd need it for that but was thrilled to find the main character's age (6 yrs old)is the same as this child. I know this book will help him on his journey!

What does it mean to be a young Jewish boy in war-torn, occupied Belgium during WWII? It means that your life suddenly becomes a living hell where you're constantly afraid, always in hiding, and you watch the Nazis (whoever they are) take your father and uncle to the death camps, and you're not even sure what's going on or why you're being hunted. Those were the thoughts that kept going through seventy-one-year old Jacob Horowitz's mind as he waited at the airport for his son, Isaac. He was taking Isaac to Belgium to show him his roots This is a deeply personal, emotional first person story of a young Jewish boy's trials in trying to stay alive while understanding the horrors of World War II. Then, after surviving the war, he grows up into a somewhat bitter old man who realizes he needs to set his house in order before he dies. Very moving and easy to follow, even though the time line jumps back and forth from the past to the present. Well written.

I just happened to snag this one off the "new books" shelf at the library (sorry Mr. Belliveau) and wasn't particularly excited about reading it since I've read so many books on the holocaust and figured this probably wouldn't provide a new perspective. I was wrong. It was gripping text from the beginning and brings up questions about where our sense of right and wrong comes from and how we make the choices that we make. Never once while reading this did it occur to me that this was a "Christian" book. . .I learned that the instant I finished the book and walked to the computer to beg my own redemption by writing a review. In fact, I kept looking at the author's name and wondering if he too was a Jewish man who was using a pseudonym like one of the characters in the story. This is a book about people, both Jewish and Christian, who suffered in WWII and this is the first time I have taken the time to let others know about a really, really good book.

Due to the help of Belgium Christians, Jew Jacob Horowitz survived the Holocaust. However, he never forgot the horrors of the Nazis even decades later. Although his mother pleaded he remember he was Jewish, the terror destroyed his faith in God. Now several decades later, Jacob is a successful Cleveland businessman with two grownup children with families of their own. Jacob and his youngest son Isaac are alienated because he has always refused to mention the horrors he faced during the Nazi abomination. That estrangement seems silly now to Jacob when he learns he is dying and that one of his European benefactors is near death. With his son in hand, Jacob plans to say good-bye to Pierre and hello to his family.

Told in flashbacks, GO DOWN TO SILENCE is a fantastic human drama that will inspire anyone with a soul. The story line is incredible as readers feel Jacob's emotions as his life winds down and he tries one last time for salvation on the spiritual and mortal planes. G. K. Belliveau has written an amazing tale that brings the aftermath of the Holocaust home in a way rarely seen in a novel.

Harriet Klausner

I think "I have to go" is a good book and a lot of kids could probably relate to it when they were little. It is a good book for kids and a funny one. My reading buddie is in kindergartenand he loved the book!I like it when he says "i have to go pee, and grandpa, do you have t go pee, well so do I!"I like it when robert munsch ... tells the stories. He says it with a lot of excitement and enjoyment. He is a good role model for kids and adults, and a great story teller. I would recomend this book to parents with their 1st child so they know what to expect!

This was the first of the many Robert Munsch books I have given my grandchildren. It remains our favorite of all! Children love humor about things they think are a bit taboo (don't we all?) and this delightful and very true to life story never fails to bring gales of laughter to both the girls and me. My personal favorite line is from grandma. "I never had this problem with my children."

For adults it really brings back memories of those time consuming snowsuit dressing days, potty stops in the middle of nowhere, and so much more!

Potty training isn't a crisis and it certainly isn't a scandal. Robert Munsch shows us it's ok to lighten up and laugh about real life!

A wonderful, humorous way to present a subject which is much talked about but remains to be one of life's mysteries. How does one go about potty training? Our seven year old child with special needs became potty trained after I purchased this book(as recommended by a friend). We were able to share the humor of the story and relate it to our situation. It brings a smile every time its read!!

A. Christie's genius for detective fiction is unparalleled. Her worldwide popularity is phenomenal, her characters engaging, her plots spellbinding. No one knows the human heart -or the dark passions that can stop it- better than Dame Agatha Christie. She is truly the one and only Queen of Crime. Read this book, and you'll know why.

As a mystery novelist with my debut book in its initial release (and a one-time drama coach), I enjoy Agatha Christie's THE MOUSETRAP every time I view it. The text itself is a great read, and when it is properly staged, the play is spectacular. For those of you not familiar with THE MOUSETRAP, the plot involves a classic cozy murder mystery--perhaps the classic cozy murder mystery. The characters are well-drawn, and my wife even verbally gasped when she first saw the play's final plot twist. Great work. I hope it survives forever.

This has to be one of the greatest mysteries ever written !