Goes

There are three things I like about the book "Clifford Goes Hollywood". The three things I like about the book is that it has many perspectives, the story helps you to think like a kid again, and the story is great for kids learning how to read. The first reason I like the story "Clifford goes Hollywood" is because it has many perspectives. You can look at the story many different ways, you can look at the story like a kid and say it's about a dog who would rather be at home instead of being a hollywood star. Another way you can look at it is that a Hollywood Star is not always great, you don't get to see your family as much, and you can't go any were without being mobbed. The second reason Ilike the book "Clifford Goes Hollywood" is because it helps you to think like a kid again. When you are older you stop thinking about the small things in life, for example you don't have that childhood faith, which means you don't worry about the leaves falling of the trees or when a flower dies. The third reason I like the book "Clifford Goes Hollywood" is because it's great for kids just learning how to read. The book is easy for little kids to read and understand. The author uses small words so that the younger kids can sound them out' for example one of the sentences uses "then he asked him to act angry. In conclusion this was a great book because it has many perspectives, it helps you to think like a kid again, and it is a great book for little kids that are learning how to read.

Our younger daughter adored Clifford, and your children will, too! Part of the appeal of these books is that adults like them, too. You will find them a good launching pad for sharing your own perspectives about life with your child. Because Norman They are modern fables without the scary parts. Since Mr. Bridwell both draws and writes the books, you will find that the humor and story-telling are very well integrated. You could almost "read" this book without the words, which makes it attractive for youngsters who are still learning to read. The words are simple, and the book can quickly be memorized in order to have a "reading" experience before all the words can be decoded. Then real reading quickly follows.

Clifford Goes to Hollywood is a real joy for young people. By the time they are ready for this book, television, movies, and celebrities are part of their lives. What child hasn't dreamed about becoming a big star? The story explores that subject, but with a twist. Clifford is discovered, not Emily Elizabeth, and the story describes his experiences in the silver screen capital.

If your child is not familiar with Clifford, the Big Red Dog, the book does not require any background from the other Clifford books.

This book opens with a sequence where Emily Elizabeth and Clifford are shown having fun together. Then, a man passes by and notices Clifford. The man wants to know if Clifford would like to be in the movies. Of course! But first, there's a screen test, and you will enjoy a series of very funny drawings of Clifford acting up a storm.

Clifford gets the part, and the movie is a runaway success with Clifford as the star. Soon, he is surrounded by the accouterments of celebrity, in dog fashion. These include an elaborate dog house, fancy dishes and food, many servants to wait on him, beautiful and valuable dog collars, a bone-shaped pool (this will be sure to elicit giggles), his footprint in the cement in Hollywood, TV talk show appearances (where Emily Elizabeth can watch him) and fans everywhere.

Clifford also experiences the downside of being a celebrity. Fans won't give him any privacy (they are even in his food dish!). Some even snip out his hair, leaving him looking very mangy indeed. But worst of all, he has no little girl to play with.

When Clifford sees a girl and her dog playing outside of his walls, he's sad.

That night, he escapes over the wall . . . and comes home to Emily Elizabeth, where he can really be happy!

Your child can have lots of fun with this book . . . thinking about playing with Clifford, imagining what it would be like to have a dog who is a movie star, imagining life as a movie star her- or himself, and comparing fame to the good life at home.

Norman Bridwell has done a fine job in this story of providing many lessons, without putting a negative cast to the book. Clifford just gets to pick the better of both worlds. I was also glad that Emily Elizabeth was not sad when Clifford went away. Her cheering for Clifford sets a good example for being happy for the success of friends, as well.

How do you choose in your life between greater success and more closeness to those you love and care about? Are you happy with the balance you have selected?

Put first things first!

If you like dogs you should read this book, and if you like big red dogs you should read this book. Its about Clifford getting a job in the movies. I like movies about dogs and I like Clifford and that's why I love this book. Luis, age 7

If you are like me and you like books on the business of Hollywood you will love this one. I do not like books by Hollywood "insiders". They tend to write the books for nothing more than to pump themselves up and trash actors/studios, however books by journalists tend to be more even handed. Hit and Run is probably the best book on Hollywood ever written, The Devil's Cany is now second. What makes this book great is that it explains what the jobs of certain people are. For instance I didn't know what a second unit director was till I read this. Not to mention that the story about the adaptation of Bonfire of the Vanities makes for a great tale.

Julie Salamon was lucky enough to get in at the beginning of what was anticipated to be a great film, and turned out to be one of the biggest critical and financial failures for Warner Bros. The book Bonfire of the Vanities was so popular and written in such a style that taking on the task of adapting it to film was a true challenge and doomed to fail. And fail it did. Salamon also gives a background of the steps it takes to get a picture made from buying the rights of the book to marketing the finished picture. She details the different roles of the movie set, answering the age-old question, "What does a grip do?". You gather a great understanding of how difficult it is to make a picture by studio standards and how the hierarchy on the set works. Fascinating insight from an outsider let into the circus of making a major motion picture. Brian De Palma must curse the day he agreed to let her chronicle the journey.
Also, I have to recommend reading Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. You can understand why he wanted no part of making the film adaptaton of his infamous book.

Julie Salamon's book follows the making of the most anticpated film of 1990 and chronicles the problems, the fights, and the ensuing disppointments. A must read for anyone who wants to know how it really works, Salamon was there every step of the way throughout the pre-production, the filming, and the aftermath. Her descriptions of life on the set are accurate and not glossed over. She was there to give an honest account of a film that was going to be a huge hit but turned into one of the biggest failures Hollywood ever produced. If you are a movie buff, a gossip monger, or a huge fan of Tom Wolfe's book, you must pick this one up...if you can find it

I approached Noddy with a bit of trepidation, for a number of reasons.

First, I remember being a huge fan of Noddy in my own childhood. Would it stand the test of time, would my fond memories prove unreliable.

Second, there is all the bad press Noddy has received over the years - some of it hysterical over-reaction eg reading homosexuality or paedophilia into the relationship between Noddy and Big Ears - i have read both over the years.For pete's sake! Friendship is a hallmark of children's literature and childhood, surely!

Third, the racial and sexist stereotyping. I think some of that has been "cleaned up" to make it more compatible with contemporary values.

I was pleasantly pleased when I re-read Noddy, and my son started asking for the stories. They are not earth-shatteringly well-written (in fact some of the writing is a quite banal, and a bit dated / twee). However, they are reasonable stories that have a place in a child's literary experience.

Some of the moralism is a bit heavy-handed, and there is definitely an authoritarianism evident in Blyton's writing. She was a product of her time and class, and she does tend to patronise a bit.

But on the strength of that, I would never support "banning" Noddy, or even prevent children from reading them. They are good early reading books for the independent reader. as long as a child has access to the great range of children't literature, I see no problem. There are, after all, only 6 of these books. They don't repeat endlessly in the way some of the more modern series books do.

Enid Blyton captures a child's heart and starts them on the wonderful adventure of reading with her Noddy Series. These were some of the first books I learned to read when I lived in Scotland and have treasured them since. I have read them to my children and grandchildren and still get delight from reading them again to myself! Everyone should experience Noddy!

Picture a child, ready to tackle listening to a "chapter-book" read by a caring adult. Or a child ready to try to read a "chapter-book", after building up skill with single-story picture-story books. In both cases, Enid Blyton's "Noddy", especially the first six titles in the original series, are amongst the very best of these early-listening or early-reading "chapter-books". It's true that people object to golliwogs, in any form, even when they are kind and friendly, as many of Blyton's are. It's true that many people read nasty things into the substitute-parent role played by Noddy's good friend Big-Ears the Brownie. True, they do (or did) share a bed, on one occasion, when Noddy visits. It's true that Mr Plod the policeman is a bit of a bumbling fuss-budget. These early (usually stupid or prudish) objections have been eliminated in recent sensitive revisions. No golliwogs now. No bed-sharing. Sweetness and light. Fortunately the books are as good as ever. Noddy is a little wooden nodding-headed toy, who is afraid of the toy lion Old Man Carver is making, so he runs away - and finds himself helped by Big-Ears, and is taken to Toyland. Now Noddy needs to be dressed, and to make himself a house. In later books he needs to find a way of earning his sixpences. Noddy is really a young child playing at growing up. He gets into trouble, occasionally. Yet his heart is always in the right place. But when he let's the animals out of Noah's Ark, there is community uproar. Is he really a toy? Does he really belong in Toyland? And is he a GOOD toy? Enid Blyton's wonderful toy fable-fairytale, brilliantly illustrated by the artist Beek (whose illustrations inspired Blyton), was deservedly an instant classic. The controversy came later, and should now be set aside. Noddy is still a classic, almost a nursery epic of growing up to be a good person. Pinocchio without the moralising or horror, and with much warmth and humor. Noddy wants to build the roof of his house first, ! so he can build the walls and stay dry if it rains. Later, perhaps regretably, Noddy became an industry of books and merchandising. But the first six titles are outstanding of their kind. Very highly recommended.

With great animation and just the right inflections, this book is perfect fodder for bedtime reading for toddlers.
Since I am determined for my chil to be literate by the time she is 3, I have been reading to my daughter since infancy and now she mocks my behavior by grabbing one of her numerous books and reading to herself.
I introduced this book t her after meeting the author in a bookstore and having it signed. My 2 year old fell in love with it immediately ! The next day I saw her in her favorite chair, trying to mock my voice while flipping through the pages. Mind you, this was only after ONE reading!
Ms. Magnus has that "it" Oprah raves about .. to write outstanding children's books. This book has a storyline any child can relate to and appreciate. This is a highly recommended one for your child's library.
The illustrations are outstanding as well.
This one is right next to my other favorite "Please Baby Please"
PICK THIS ONE UP... YOUR CHILD WOULD LOVE YOU FOR IT!

I simply love this story! Little Lion is truly an inspiration to children and adults regardless of ethnicity or cultural background. The illustrations are vibrant and fun, and the themes and tenets of the story are witty and heart warming.

I fell in love with this inspiring story. I'm Jamaican so I really appreciated the cultural references, but I've shared Little Little with some of my American friends and they enjoyed it too. My son, who is almost two, also loves it. He's particularly fond of Little Lion's shoes and socks (the illustrations are great).

The first Pig Pig book I read is Pig Pig Grows Up. I didn't even know he had made other books. Pig Pig Goes to Camp wasn't as good as Pig Pig Grows Up but it was still really funny. It is a good introduction to sleep-away camp for kids ages 7 - 9. The one part that I didn't like although many people think it's funny is that the Camp Director sends Pig Pig home because he's having too much fun and is too popular. I think the idea was that he was sent home because of all his little Frog friends but it comes across the wrong way.

This children's book goes into detail of what it is like to spend time away at Camp. What camp is like from leaving mom to sleeping at camp, sharing time with friends at camp. It adds to the camp activities by having Pig Pig make friends with frog. He makes so many friends that the frogs keep multiplying everywhere he goes. Eventually he makes so many frog friends, they send him home early with some of his new buddies. A must read for a child going to camp with a sense of humor.

He's off to camp. Treat yourself and your little ones to this great McPhail book. Boys and girls alike will love this book. Pig Pig makes some interesting friends while attending camp. It's bound to put a smile on your face and a giggle in your throat.

THIS is NOT a romantic song. This song was sung in "Anything Goes," and it is sung by two characters who are not romantically involved, and will never be romantically involved. It is a fast beat with funny lyrics. When I was involved in a performance of this, I found this song (among two others) to be one of the funniest in the show. No romance here. Just a great song.

You're the Top is the song that I wrote my own words for. The reason is that it was my Valentine present to the woman that would eventually become my wife. I used phrases that related to our specific history and had it sung to her by the piano player who entertained at one of our favorite restaurants. There were a lot of jealous women that night and I finally got a positive answer to my proposal. It certainly is a love song all you need is the right mix of people and words. Also from Minneapolis.

I disagree! Although it was originally intended to instill laughs - this song lives on to become a great expression of love, ADMIRATION, and sheer charm. The book itself is beautiful-the images accompanied by the song lyrics capture the song's spirit amazingly well. I gave this as a gift to my fiancé and he was delighted (we're even having the song as our 1st dance in our wedding because of it!). This book is a fantastic, unique gift ideal to give to your most loved. It is a thing of beauty.

The author finds that the direct involvement of corporations with the primary and secondary schools of America hardly enhances the education of students. The rhetoric of "win-win" and of "choice" in school-business partnerships and in privatized schools is empty, misleading sloganeering.

Every school-business partnership described in the book shows that the primary interest is in promoting products and corporate images whether in the form of product giveaways, the plastering of corporate logos on school property, or the penetration of the school day by private television networks advertising products appealing to students. In some cases, there is clear intent in creating interest on the part of students in entry-level clerical or service jobs such as those found in grocery stores or in the fast-food business. One grocery chain hires teachers for summer work expressly to persuade them to help in recruitment efforts among student populations.

The motive for privatization, or corporate-managed or -owned schools, is purely one of profit. Privatization is promoted as enhancing "choice." But providing choices for, say, special students or those interested in extra-curricular activities is costly. Privatized schools invariably reduce curriculum choices and require teachers to closely follow course blueprints with the primary goal being one of inculcating facts useful for scoring high on standardized tests. High test-scores bolster the product, that is, the school, that the corporation is selling. Broader and more nebulous educational goals are shoved aside because they are viewed as a drain on the bottom line. An additional consequence of private school choice is the inevitable segmentation of student bodies along racial and class lines as the ability to pay excludes some from having actual "choice."

In addition to specific corporate involvement in schools, the author is concerned with the predominance of business thinking in the broader culture and its impact on our school systems. It has become a standard view among political and business elites that the essential purpose of schools is to train future employees. According to them, the primary focus of schools should be on teaching "skills" to students that are directly useful in work places. In this line of thinking schools are not the locus for wide-ranging intellectual endeavor. Teachers as intellectuals are not needed. Instead, they are seen as essentially education clerks, as employees, that follow management's direction in producing a product. Students are said to get an education, a product, closing the circle on the commodification of education. In another vein of corporate determination, the textbook industry sanitizes book content to ensure greater book sales which is contrary to the spirit of open inquiry.

In the face such reductionistic and regimented thinking, the author pushes throughout the book for the spread of "critical transitivity" in our schools whereby a critical and flexible approach by both teachers and students is taken in acquiring broad knowledge. He is concerned with what finds as the oligopolistic nature of the United States. He sees schools as being centers for the education of democratic practice and where critiques of our culture, capitalism, and social injustice are mounted.

While the author seems to be on solid ground to decry the move to quantify schools by simplified, standardized testing and the de-professionalization of teaching, it is worrisome to see what amounts to a social agenda being proposed as a replacement. Children and teenagers are not equipped to engage in social critique; they simply do not have enough worldly experience to have informed, independent opinions. One would hope that the author is not suggesting that the influencing of young minds with the social agenda of teachers has more merit than business-imposed thinking. It is for adult citizens to make democracy a reality in the political process, in workplaces, and in the broader culture including schools. Meanwhile, there is much for students to learn beyond workplace "skills" long before they become agents for social change.

The book seems to be grabbing for too much. It details actual corporate involvement in schools; it is concerned with the dominance of business thought; and it wants schools themselves to be the agents to change all of that. And those topics get intermixed. Also, at times the book can get a little overloaded with academic jargon as the author sprinkles in talk about techno-rationality, non-propositional versus propositional knowledge, consumer materialism, and intransitivity versus critical transitivity, etc. But for the most part the author's points are on the money. Our school systems have gotten derailed by some very dubious thinking. This book contributes to understanding the situation.

A school teacher, I never even thought that our school-business partnerships could be anything but "good." We were told they were "win-win" situations, and we seemed to benefit. Boyles' book, however, points out many shortcomings that aren't so obvious. It's in the third chapter when he provides example after example of business partnerships and then proceeds to reveal the errors and the major issues that teachers and students should know...but just don't really pay attention (in my case, anyway). I got a paperback version of the book for $22, and it was worth every penny. I'm going into my classes this fall armed with information about grocery store gimmicks and corporate "donations" that I intend to pose to my students...which is the author's real point. It's a great read...a little academic at times, but humorous and compelling.

Although Alderson presents her story in a light and entertaining fashion, she doesn't gloss over the hardships and tragedies that accompany a homesteader in the late 19th century.

This book traces a short period in the life of a woman who came to Montana from a fairly well-to-do life in Virginia. She was young and probably not prepared for what she encountered. But it is amazing how well she did in the middle of nowhere. I was impressed with her open mindedness and interest in all things. I thought it was very well written. It leaves a lasting impression.

This book was an amazing true account of life in Montana when it was still being settled. The author(s) paint a vivid picture of the "new" West at the time and how men and women lived. I was surprised to learn that it was not all hardship and toil, to the contrary, there was much fun and merriment had. There's an amazing cast of colorful characters that Nannie met as a new young bride on a ranch. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves American history, the Old West, or authobiographies.

If you are the parent of a young child, you probably know who Maisy is. She's a mouse with a duck, a squirrel, an elephant, and a crocodile for friends. Why the crocodile isn't trying to eat the others is beyond me, but that's life in Maisy's world.

Both of my daughters love the Maisy books; there's something about their simple stories and colorful pictures that even appeals to adults. The books are short and easy to read. But, the stories are never obnoxiously simplistic, like so many other books for small children.

Maisy visits Charlie only to find his cupboards are bare, so its off to the grocery store. For reasons known only to them, my children aren't real wild about this Maisy book. Still, like all Maisy books, they liked it the first time around; maybe we've just read this one too many times.

Like all Maisy books, this one is sweet and simple. My kids love it!

In this book Maisy and Charley go grocery shopping. My two year old loves grocery shopping and is fascinated by the book. We read it over and over and over. Actually it is great for me too, because I use it to talk about what kind of foods we can buy at the grocery store. Maisy and Charley buy apples, bananas, yogurt, bread etc... It is a good opportunity to get in a plug for nutritious foods.

If your child likes Spot books I'm sure they'll enjoy this one.

Spot loses his ball and chases it all over the circus trying to catch it ... finally ended up being taught to balance it on his nose by a seal. A fun adventure your toddler will love!

Captured here is the tormented journey of a young puppy (Spot) who proceeds from page-to-page in search of his misdirected ball. Without regard to his own personal safety, Spot chases the bouncing orb through cages occupied by lions and tigers; around a bear who, herself is balancing on a ball (and wearing a tu-tu); and across a high-wire act where two monkeys make an unsuccessful attempt to catch the errant ball. Ultimately, the ball is located in the cage of a seal who teaches Spot how the balance the orb on his nose, much to the delight of the puppy's mother. All ends happily, as Spot announces that he has made a new friend. While I personally found the tale somewhat predictable -- for example, I never feared for Spot's safety and figured that, ultimately, his ball would be recovered -- my three year old delighted in the apparent risk and adventure undertaken by the pup and, no matter how many times she reads the book always "oohs," and "aahs" with each new progression through the pages. While is isn't the Cat-in-the-Hat, Spot Goes to the Circus is good clean family fun

A great book. your child will be addicted to it and learn as well.