Most guides to Booktalks feature fiction but not this one. Ms. Baxter has gone where many fear to tread and tackled the favorite of many reluctant readers-Non Fiction. A Booktalk, for those who don't understand Teacherese or Library talk is brief description of a book and is designed to make every memember of the audience want to read the book RIGHT NOW.

GOTCHA! is divided into 7 sections, covering such kid popular topics as jokes, gross stuff, The Titanic,urban legends, interesting people, science, the past and animals. The style is bright and breezy and extensive bibliographies are provided.

Librarians will love it's "ready to use" format. The booktalks are designed to be used as is, or they can be used as a jumping off point and a librarian can modify them to suit their own collections. It will be very helpful to teachers looking for books to accompany science, language arts and social studies units. I can't think of a beter way to introduce a class to poety than with an enthusiastic booktalk featuring Jack Prelutsky. Homeschoolers will find it invalueable in planning units and finding quality literature for their children. In fact,kids will like it it too- it's a great resource for helping them find a book on a topic that interests them.

It's a must have for and Elementary schlool librarians & Teachers, Children's Librarians and anyone who enjoys reading a book about books.

This book is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, librarians, or anyone who gives books to kids, but who may need a bit of help in choosing appropriate books. Kathleen Baxter and Marcia Agness Kochel have focused on the wealth of nonfiction books which may appeal to kids, proving there's more to children's literature than Harry Potter. The book is organized according to topics: catastrophes/disasters;, jokes, riddles, silly and gross stuff; biographies; animals, history, etc., and is presented in the format of short, snappy "book talks" -- pitches given by librarians and teachers to kids to show them what books are out there and to consequently pique kids' interests and get them reading. The authors show great enthusiasm for the titles they showcase, and give wonderful tips on talking up the books; they "got" me a number of times, as I scribbled out titles and made a beeline to the library to check out a few books. Foolproof topics include dinosauers and mummies, the Titanic disaster, and baby animals. But this book presents lots of other nonfiction choices on a wide variety of topics--there's bound to be something of interest to the young people in your life. Each chapter ends with a bibliography of the titles mentioned, and I'll be sure to use this book when birthdays and holidays come around. And if the authors ever come to my library, I'll be sure to listen in on one of their book talks!

What an immense pleasure! Each of the essays is exquisitely written, and if the reflections of remembering and forgetting don't evoke a torrent of emotions, pinch yourself to see if you're still alive. This book is a must read; a great gift!

I stumbled serendipitously on this splendid title in which a variety of authors investigate their personal relationship to memory, the mind, and memoir as literary form. The essays eventually echo and ricochet off one another as they explore this fascinating terrain. Highly recommended!

One issue that I grapple with frequently is the difference between "art" and "illustration". In the world of fine art illustrators are generally looked on as an inferior breed by the critics. In his introduction to "Hardyware" David A. Hardy expresses his reproof at modern art's derision of anything beautiful or representational.

This got me thinking. If SF art is "mere illustration" as an art critic would say, what about all those historical paintings of heaven and hell, the last judgement and armageddon? Critics seem to love those.

But I digress. SF art does have its place, and it plays an important role. The main body of "Hardyware" gives us a glimpse of the possibilties that await us in the future. If things turn out properly and we don't destroy ourselves, our descendents will become great builders with the potential to conquer the stars. Most of the artwork in this collection is done in gouache and acrylic, although more recently the artist has turned to digital media.

We see visions of the past as well as the future. One of my favourite pieces is a scene from "The War of the Worlds". I remember seeing that image on a cover jacket when I was 12, although I didn't know who the artist was back then. The image of a dinosaur looking up at a descending asteroid is hauntingly grim.

I often think SF artists are underrated. Though they are often proved wrong, their visions provide a valuable contribution to the development of our civilization, giving inspiration to those who have the ability to make fantasy a reality.

This super book contains well over a hundred examples of the work of perhaps our best living space artist, along with a fascinating text full of insights into his thinking and his modus operandi.

Originally published in 1984, this collection features Baxter's least middle-class, most internally-troubled characters. They are senile, depressed, chronically lonely. The finale, "The Crank" is a gorgeous study of plot. The recently divorced protagonist's interactions with a similarly lonely guru are magical and uplifting. Baxter went on to mature considerably in terms of craft, but these stories are emotionally generous and smart.

Sifting through "Harmony of the World" is like successfully panning for gold. Each page is an exercise in patience and endurance, but when you happen upon a nugget of Baxter's comical insight or warm compassion, you know you've struck it rich. Baxter does a wonderful job of balancing intelligence, humor, and believable characters. The title story alone is worth the price.

I love this book! Glen Baxter has a wonderfully strange sense of humor. This book is full of drawings, sometimes strange and sometimes not, with strange captions. There's an entire chapter of Old West drawings, and Baxter seems to enjoy humor involving wimples. "Fruits of the World in Danger" is very amusing, and I really enjoyed the occasional "Great Failures of Our Time". It's sometimes hard to figure out the humor in a particular caption, but there were more times when a page would make me laugh.

Glen Baxter is a true breath of fresh air; his single-frame cartoons are always original and often so funny they can reduce readers to tears. The style is old-school, and wouldn't be out of place in a Boy's Own Annual circa 1930, with cowboys, swashbucklers, vintage private schoolchildren and more all represented. The real humour comes from the captions, which put phrases like "We don't hold with post-structuralist analysis around here" in the mouths of cowboys and imbue schoolboys with creepy, sinister motives.

This collection is all a fan of cartooning or indeed of humour could ask for. There's really nothing more to be said.

This is one of the few books that does justice to Iona, an island that has enchanted and captivated visitors for, literally, thousands of years. It is truly difficult to convey the elusive magic of Iona, that combination of physical place and atmosphere which draws so many of us back, time after time. Colin Baxter needs no introduction to those familiar with landscape photography in Scotland, and his work here is up to his usual breath-taking standard. Mairi MacArthur has a solid grounding in the history of the island, and of Argyll and the Highlands, as well as a sympathetic but honest perspective on islanders, past and present. As a guide during your visit to Iona, the book is first-rate. The maps and diagrams are simple but clear and full. The explanations and descriptions help you understand what you see around you, in terms of geology, ecology, human settlements, animal and human life - and including of course the ancient religious centre. It is readable and useful for those less familiar with Scotland and its life and traditions as well as for those of us who live here For those who have visited Iona, it is a lovely reminder. For those who have not yet had that privilege, this is a taster which should have you itching to come.

This book is the latest of Mairi MacArthur's books on her family's native island. It is rich in accurate, well-researched detail, supported by her extensive knowledge of Iona. This has been gained through academic research and through her close acquaintance with the island's residents over many years. Colin Baxter's photographs give an excellent impression of Iona, though generally when on its best behaviour in the summer - it can be a wild place at other times! The island is of interest to tourists, academics and also Christian people wishing to explore this small and incredibly beautiful island, and to see for themselves the place where some of those rugged Celtic saints brought their faith from Ireland to Scotland in the sixth century. The pictures and story of the Abbey show how it remains very much a living home of the Christian faith. It will surely also appeal to the generations of Iona emigrants who have settled in the USA and Canada.

Baxter Magolda uses exerpts from her own longitudinal research to clearly introduce four "ways of knowing" that students generally progress through during the college years. The quotes (with further interpretation by the author) allow the reader to follow a handful of students and hear them relate, in their own words, the ways in which they make sense of the world. Baxter Magolda further examines gender-related ways of knowing within each cognitive stage.

The book is well-organized and easy to follow. Much of the text is quotes from student interviews, so, in a sense, the reader is learning about cognitive theory from the students themselves. Easily accessible language and clear organization and interpretation make the book easy to follow. Wide margins leave room for your own notes!

An important topic... a lens through which to better understand students' development and ultimately design better practice with students

This book is just great. It really is a revolutionary book in the field of student affairs. We so rarely think about where college students are in their development because we think they're adults. Baxter Magolda sheds light on how to work with people in this age group.

I bought this book from the authors at a recent & fantastic David Grisman/Bela Fleck show. That night I didn't turn off the reading light til very late--one thing leads to another with this guide to the roots of great music. It's amazing how many musicians are influenced by Miles and by Bill Monroe. We are so lucky to live in this time of blending, eclectic music, with so much choice. Clearly a labor of love, this book plays one of my favorite games: who influenced my musical heroes. And the range of musicians they connected with is astounding. It was obvious the musisicans got into the process and put a lot of energy into thinking about what albums were on their turntables, 8 tracks, cassestte and CD players. From two members of the Grateful Dead to John Lee Hooker, the authors really connected with the best to find out who they thought really had the good stuff. This book is a lot of fun; it's one of those books you can just open anywhere, and whooosh, you are on a fun journey. Highly recommended for anyone who cares about music.

Be warned: This book could cost serious music lovers some serious cash. Loaded with reccomendations from musicians from so many genres there is something for everyone. Clever in it's lay out and an overall interesting read, allowing you to "walk inside the ear" of legends like Greg Allman to up-and-comers like Jeff Tweedy (Wilco). Plus, the master list of recordings and an appendix with some great web sights for finding the thousands and thousands of recordings listed in the book make the whole collection a great cross between reference and absorbing non-fiction.

If your CD collection knows no bounds, buy this one now!

I took Craig Wright's class at Yale, from which he wrote the text. The listening exercises are great--not too difficult, more just to guide listening--and it really can help guide a musical novice to proficiency.

Craig Wright not only provides us with a nicely packaged history of music, composers, and culture, but also gives us a peak into the personal lives within the societies of these periods. Each chapter contains excellent listening exercises to be used with works on the included CD and there are excellent illustrations and photographs that "bring you back" to each age of music. I recommend it as a general reference source for accomplished musicians, and as a nice guide for all classical music fans.

The book interested me initially because it was about McClures written by a McClure. I was quite amazed at how closely it resembled my own McClure family's saga. I would very much like to discuss it with the author if she reads these reviews.

My mom is a avid reader and has read the series. She will probably read them again, |But she has a question about the quilt that hangs in Indiana. She would like to see it. Could you tell me where it is at. She is a quilter still at 86. Thank you Ann Bingham