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This is another book in the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a ten-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. In this book, Josefina and her sisters prepare for Christmas, a grand celebration in New Mexico, made all the more special by the towns use of the Christmas altar cloth made by Josefina's late mother. However, when the altar cloth is brought it, they find out that the flood (Josefina Learns a Lesson) damaged the cloth. The girls rally round to fix the cloth...and perhaps fix themselves at the same time.

The final chapter of this wonderful book is a highly informative look at Christmas in New Mexico in 1824. Jean-Paul Tibbles' excellent illustrations complement the story nicely, and add a great deal to the joy of reading this book.

This is a wonderful story, with some excellent lessons. I liked the way the family pulled together, and worked hard towards something beyond themselves. Also, I like how the family's religion is worked into the book in a warm and inspiring way. This is another excellent American Girls book, one that my daughter and I recommend to you.

In this book Josefina gets to be Maria in the Christmas play. She has a happy Christmas.

Josefina Montoya is a nine-year-old girl growing up on her family's rancho near Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1824. Mama died last year, and since then, life for Josefina, her father, and her older sisters, Ana, Clara, and Francisca. Even though things have been better since Mama's sister, Tia Dolores, came to help out, the Montoyas still grieve. Josefina feels that celebrating the Christmas traditions will make her miss Mama more - but they bring her peace and happiness. And one special night gives Josefina courage and hope for the future, and brings Josefina an unexpected gift. This book was very good and I learned a lot about the traditions of Mexican families living on the Southwest frontier in the 1820s.

This is a wonderful book for kids of all ages. The reference works in back to museums, internet sites and other books is well done. I recommend this book for any one who has children interested in Knights and Castles!

I'm an artist and art teacher, and after discovering this book, I ordered copies for my middle school ART students! While it's an easy read for students of this age (5th through 7th grade), it's packed with understandable text and pictures. It's a great reference for the various art projects that my students are doing as part of our study of the Middle Ages, and the kids have really enjoyed it....

Mary Pope Osborne does it again!

Our Family loves the Magic Tree House series. They hit us on many levels. Our youngest loves to be read to, our next just hit chapter books, our oldest is beyond this intro. level chapter books - but loves this series & reads the books over and over.

I am delighted to introduce reasearch ideas in such a non-threatening, inviting manner to my children. Learning and reading is so fun; and this concept sheds new light for a young audience. Not only will this help after reading the MTH series, it will add a new dimension when going on field trips, museums, the library, the internet, etc. I am going to share this book with our elementary school.

Ms. Osborne and her husband take the opportunity to be thorough, while simplifying for young minds - and the illustrations keep a young reader's attention.

Bravo! Keep 'em coming.

If you've seen the film enoughto be fiarly familiar with it's structure and narrative,this script will be a revelation.As stated in the title,this is a "shooting script",the original version submitted to the producers at the onset of the film's production,before the actors and director started fiddling with it.There are many,many scenes and passages here that greatly clarify the direction of the story and provide crucial motivations and psychological subtexts that you may miss in the completed film.However,scriptwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaczewski provide insight into this in the fantastic forward to the script,in the process giving a fascinating glimse into all the labirynthine exigencies involved in getting an original spark of insiration into the multiplex.They explain the step-by-step process of telling Kaufman's story-what to put in,what to leave out,how to handle certain aspects of his life,shaping the messy,complicated,and open-ended events of his career into something resembling a coherent,three-act drama.Ultimately,they decided-wisely-to treat the film as Andy would have,to let his art and performances define the film,just as they defined his life,and to use a constantly shifting base of perspective to keep the audience on thier toes,a brilliantly executed exercise in what-is-real and what-isn't.If you loved the film,this script provides an essential companion that will give you a new appreciation for it,but even if you're not particularly fond of it,or even Andy Kaufman hiomself,this is still a fascinating look at the creative process,and how it holds up throughout the production of a film.Highly recommended.

WOW! This is a GREAT example of a shooting script, something that was very different before the movie, and was molded into a more "managable" form through shooting and editing.

But is managable a better thing? Scott and Larry are great screenwriters, and crafted a great screenplay here. However, Milos Forman (the director) took the movie and made it into something not as personal as it could have been. Oh well.

But this is why shooting scripts that are actually the original script before any shooting ever took place are important (you hearing this American Beauty?). To show us how a screenplay can change when it goes from paper to celluloid.

Read this screenplay to see what the movie could have been like :)

"Man on the Moon" has to be on my top three best screenplay list for 1999-2000. It's a great screenplay with great words and conversations. I love it and I'm sure you will too.

Outstanding reading that keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat.

I honestely believe that if the President in 1999 (Clinton) or his CIA director had read The Medusa Papters the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentigon would not have occured.

The book is captivating and well written with Dr. Opie telling a story that is fiction yet not really. His use of facts, not known to many of us in 1999, to tell a very good story full of actual events and keept this reader on the edge of his seat because of the uncanny recent events of 9-11 that would be in the sequal if there was one. I have lived in the Middle East and have worked with some of the people mentioned in the book and I am surprised at how much the author knows about the interworking of the Terrorist organization and how his brain works.
I am recommending the Medusa Papers to all of my friends.

This was a great story -- and very timely. I could not put it down after the first couple of dozen pages. Where's the next book... Ghostberg?

I had two immediate reactions on reading this book: "Yep, we had that one - words aren't quite right, though" and "Wait a minute! Where's (such-and-such) rhyme? How did they miss that one?" This is a great book, and a very useful reference for those who didn't realize that they do, in fact, know the tune to "The Old Gray Mare" (see title of book), "The Colonel Bogey March" ("Comet! It makes your lips turn green. . .") and "The Whiffenpoof Song" (several insulting versions lampooning schools). This book will take you back to your childhood. That's not the childhood that you're going to claim to your kids that you had, but the actual one where you made up nasty names for school food. Mind you, if you allow your children to read this book, you will receive many, many indignant phone calls from the parents in your neighborhood, but I'd say it's worth the risk.

You remember all the fight songs of child-hood. The songs and poems about worms, rotten peanuts, rebellion, and k-i-s-s-i-n-g. You'll be amazed to find that the words and tunes have been around for generations and are still sung today by YOUR children.

This book is a preservation of the oral traditions handed down thru time from one generation of children to another. It was and is the way children learn about and deal with the tough, sensitive issues in life; by making songs and jokes about it.

This book is one you'll want to read and keep forever (and hide it in a very safe place until your children are about 18--otherwise you'll be getting a call from the principal and your kid will be the toast of his friends.)

Read this book. It will take you back to a time of lazy afternoons, games of hide and seek, giggles, and good friends.

I've only flipped through this book, but I found myself laughing every time I came to one of the chants/songs that I sang when I was a kid (i.e., "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school ..."). This is a PERFECT reference for anyone who's writing about school children and their culture. If you're not into childhood folklore or urban legends, read it anyway and then tell me that you didn't laugh at LEAST once :)

This book is about Kit, a girl growing up in the Great Depression. In this book, it's almost Kit's birthday! And when Aunt Millie, Kit's father's foster mother visits, Kit knows it will be fun. Aunt Millie is called that because they didn't know what to call her and Aunt Millie said,"Call me anything but late for dinner!"
But when Aunt Millie has an idea for a Penny Pinching party, Kit isn't too sure. Especially when her Aunt Millie comes to school to share the news of Kit's birthday party and embarasses Kit in front of her whole class. Now Kit's really mad and yells at Aunt Millie that she shouldn't have done that and that she didn't want a Penny-pinching party. But now Kit has caused her Aunt Millie's feelings to get hurt and also causes Aunt Millie to almost go back to her home.
Kit didn't mean to? In the mean time, Aunt Millie brings two chickens so Kit can deliver eggs and earn money. One day while she and Howard (a kid in the boarding house) go to deliver eggs door to door, they find a Basset Hound with a note on her collar reading: Can't Feed Her Anymore. So Kit brings her home and names her Grace. Will everything be alright for Kit's Birthday Party? Will Kit be able to convince Aunt Millie to stay? And will Kit have a Penny Pinching party and love it? Find out! Read this book!

Kit knows her birthday will not be like other years as the family is short on money and barely getting by. She wishes to have a grand birthday like the one in the newspaper but knows that won't be possible. However a surprise visit from her Aunt Millie brightens her hopes. As everybody in her family knows Aunt Millie is a person who knows what to do out of anything. Kit can't believe how many ideas Aunt Millie comes up with such as turning corn sacks in bloomers, planting gardens, buying cheap things from the grocery store, picking dandelions to make salads, and a bunch of other ideas. The ideas are so plentiful that Kit, Ruthie, and Stirling start an Alamac on all Aunt Millie's money saving ideas. However when Aunt Millie suddenly shows up at her school Kit feels embarrassed at how her aunts idea of a penny pincher birthday. Kit also feels embarrassed as the kids laugh at her Aunt's ideas. However surprises are in store for Kit on her birthday! Read this book to find out!

This was another great addition to the American Girls Collection! I have been reading them since I was 7 and even though I am much older and these books are much too easy for me I still enjoy them as if I were 7! I highly recommend all the books!

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kit Kittredge, a nine-year-old girl living in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is 1934, and Kit and her family are struggling to make ends meet as the Great Depression deepens. With her birthday approaching, Kit secretly dreams an impossible dream, that she could have a large, wonderful birthday party. Aunt Millie, Kit's father's adoptive mother, makes a surprise visit to the family turning their lives upside-down. With her country, make-do way, Aunt Millie seems to work miracles, but a large, wonderful party is out of the question, right?

As with the other Kit books, this one gives a frank look into life during the Great Depression, while also teaching a lesson. In this book, Kit learns about making do with what you have, and even having a good time while doing so. The final chapter is about life during the depression, and making do. This is another wonderful book, and my daughter and I recommend it to you.

Finally, something real in Kaya's stories! Unlike Meet Kaya, I had no trouble with this one. The characters seemed to make a little more sense. The plot wasn't cardboard. The story was realistic. I couldn't put this one down! Janet Shaw does a better job of delveoping the characters in this book. I had no trouble telling who Kautsa and Two Hawks were, they were explained very well. The rest of the characters are still cardboard, though, which is why this one got 4 stars.

This is another in the American Girls series about Kaya'aton'my', a nine-year-old Native-American girl growing up among the Nez Perce people in 1764. In this book, when Kaya and her adopted sister Speaking Rain are captured by another tribe during a raid on their village, they face a life of slavery among a people whose language they don't understand. Kaya is determined to avoid this fate, but escape during the beginning of winter holds many dangers.

This is another excellent American Girls book (even better than the first Kaya story). My daughter loves Kaya, and greatly enjoyed this story. I liked the story and the illustrations, but loved the lessons that the book taught. Also, I must say that I was surprised at how alive is Kaya's faith in her religion. Religion is something surprisingly absent from most of the American Girls stories (the only other girl with a noticeable faith is Josefina). My daughter loved this story and so do I. We both recommend this book to you.

I was surprised that Pleasent Company had finally broken their traditional format for the Kaya series, but now I understand why, it is to show that the Indians, including Kaya's Nez Perce tribe have a very special place in our nation's past, present, and future.

Kaya's Escape is the 2nd book in the Kaya series and this time Kaya is faced with tremendous challenges as a neighboring tribe attacks while the warriors are away. Told to hide in the forest with her blind sister Speaking Rain, Kaya disobeys because she is worried for the safety of her horse, Steps High, and her one instinctive decision gets both her and her sister captured. Kaya feels very responsible as they are taken away, as slaves, from their homeland and does everything she can to help with the daily chores of her blind sister, to somehow make up for what she did, all the while hoping her father and the rest of the tribe will come and rescue them. When she learns that the people who captured them will soon be moving for the winter Kaya finally realizes she must escape with her sister or they are done for good and will never be able to return home. She befriends anther Indian slave boy and enlists his help in escaping. However, Kaya knows she must make a big decision, can she leave Speaking Rain behind, and go for help, for their is no way a blind girl could make such a journey? This story about Kaya was another success. I recommend all to read it, for it gives a unique experience on Indian life, during the period when the whites had not interfered with their culture.

"Kaya's Hero" is the third book of six in the Kaya stories. Kaya looks up to and would like to be friends with a woman by the name of Swan Circling, who is a highly respected warrior woman who married into the tribe. Only problem is, Kaya feels that she is not good enough, in a sense, to befriend Swan Circling, because of her nickname and because she left her sister, Speaking rain, as a slave. When Swan Circling dies, and Kaya is left with a very special gift, Kaya learns about second chances. The peek into the past section includes information on sek-le-waal, the Nez Perce equivalent to Christmas.

This is another in the American Girls series about Kaya'aton'my', a nine-year-old Native-American girl growing up among the Nez Perce people in 1764. In this book, Kaya finds a hero in the form of Swan Circling, a woman whose bravery puts her in a class by herself. Kaya looks for praise from Swan Circling, but is deeply afraid of what she'll think when she learns of the mistakes that Kaya has made.

This is another excellent Kaya story, and a great addition to the American Girls library. My eleven-year-old daughter and I both loved this book, for its lessons, its entertaining story, and its wonderful illustrations. Kaya is different than most of the other American Girls in that she actually evinces her religion, something I wish they could have worked in with all of the other girls. So, my daughter loved this book, and recommends it for your daughters, and I heartily agree!

In Kaya's Hero, the 3rd book in the series, Kaya is in awe at the bravery of a particular young woman in her tribe named Swan Circling. Kaya respects Swan Circling's fearlessness, and how she even goes with the men into battle. Kaya desperately wants to be friends with Swan Circling, but is afraid her past mistakes, which earned her the nickname "Magpie" might turn Swan Cirling away. As Kaya begins to know Swan Circling better she decides to tell Swan Circling the truth of her past, even if it mean jeoperdizing their new friendship. However, something terrible happens before Kaya can spill her feelings out. But with the tragedy, Kaya also learns a new lesson, and gets one of the most special gifts from Swan Circling. I liked this new Kaya book quite a lot, and it might turn into my favorite book in the series. You can really see how Kaya grows through this book, and Swan Circling seems like the perfect role model.

This story is cool. The book theme is to accept people no matter were they are from. The book is about a girl who is from Sweden and they come to america becaue thay ran out of food in Sweden. Kirsten finds an indian friend but kirsten doesent tell anyone because they think that the Indian people are mean, so kirsten keeps it as a secet.

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, whose family has moved to frontier Minnesota of 1854. In this episode, Kirsten begins school. As she struggles to learn her lessons in a new language, she makes a new friend, Singing Bird, an Indian girl of about Kirsten's age.

This is another lesson in friendship and hard work, one masterfully told. Again, Renee Graef's illustrations are plentiful, and of a perfect style for the story. My nine-year-old daughter loves this wonderful book, and so do I.

This is a sweet tale about a little pioneer girl named Kirsten who is a Swedish immigrant and has a little difficulty speaking English- which gets trouble from her tough teacher. Things worsen as the teacher moves in with her aunt and uncle who Kirsten's family lives near and eats supper with every night. Kirsten finds her solace by running into the woods to play with her secret friend, a young Indian girl named Singing Bird. Everything in this book is great- from the stern but kindly teacher, to the friendship with the Indian girl.

Annie & Jack find out that there's a rattlesnake in a ghost town and they have to hide from some people. And they find a piano that's playing all by itself. And we don't know what ...was playing it. It's a surprise for you, because you might find out. And I might find out too, because I have it at home. I have a lot of Magic Tree House books at my house. ...

This book, by Mary Pope Osborne is 10th in an excellent series,the Magic Tree House stories.This is a wonderful antholgy for children between ages of 7 and 12. From ghosts playing the piano to rustlers stealing wild horses,this is is a great book about the wild west.So I recommend you pick this book up and start reading it as soon as you can!!!

It was extremely awesome to go somewhere in the treehouse with Annie and Jack. All of the Magic Tree House stories are mysterious because in Ghost Town at Sundown, every night the ghost would play the piano at the bar. My favorite part was when they were riding and the herd of wild horses was after them. Something had scared the horses. I am seven and a half.