This is a very short and simple book about Molly going on an adventurous journey by way of her back yard. My son loves this book and wants us to read it over and over. Molly is a small child whom he can relate to, is independent in preparing herself and her bag for her trip, and says goodbye to her comfort zones (her mom, her house) to begin an amazing adventure on her hike. I would recommend this book to parents of small children, 12 to 18 months, as a great way to begin talking about adventures and what Molly may find. Children of this age begin to become more adventurous themselves whether in their homes, backyards, neighborhoods, etc. and I believe can somehow relate to the freedom Molly feels as she prepares for her hike. I rated this book with 4 stars only because I would have liked to have seen Molly take a little longer hike. Her journey seemed a bit quick to me, but perhaps not to a small child. Their imagination of Molly's hike may take them on a longer journey than my adult eyes can see!

Mother Goose Math is a collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes that deal with simple math concepts such as counting. Some of the rhymes are familiar ones like one, two, buckle my shoe and sing a song of sixpence. There were several rhymes that I was not familiar with. The book has bright, colorful illustrations with each rhyme that grab children's attention. Some of the illustrations have borders around them which make these illustrations busy. The rhymes run together page after page with no clear ending or beginning. My children who are 3 and 6 enjoyed the book. I think this book might be too young for children over 6. I would recommend reading this book to children ages 2-5.

Mrs. Jeffries and the household staff help Inspector Witherspoon solve another case involving the murder of a flower seller that just happens to be the illegitimate daughter of a very weathly, yet lonely man.

This is the 6th book in the Mrs. Jeffries series and did not disappoint. The characters are richly drawn and the setting makes you feel as though you are enveloped by the fog. This is definately a cozy style mystery, and was not very difficult to determine who the murderer was. However, the series is definately worth a try as the characters grow and the relationships between them are strengthened with each book. If you are new to the series, "The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffies" is the first in the series and worth a read. Enjoy!

In the 9th book in the Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries Victorian Mystery series, we find Inspector Witherspoon trying a new tacit to solving his murder investigations. When a publican (bar owner) is murdered on opening day of his new pub, there does not seem to be any shortage of suspects. It seems that everyone hated the victim, including his wife, his relatives, and his employees. And using his "inner voice" instead of the usual assistance of his staff at Upper Edmonton Gardens (led by housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries), Inspector Witherspoon is putting himself at risk of losing his job. Will his inner voice help him solve the case or will this be the last murder investigation for him and his staff?

I enjoyed the premise of the book in the fact that Inspector Witherspoon decided to handle a case entirely on his own. Even though he is not aware that his staff helps him investigate his cases, I was worried that he would muddle his way through to solving this case. Previous books have shown the Inspector as a bit less than capable of handling tough cases on his own, and it was nice to see that the Inspector was qualified to investigate without too much assistance. I also liked the fact that his staff did not give up trying to help him in any way that they could, and I was pleased with the outcome of the case. If you enjoy cozy mysteries (these are set in Victorian England), then I would suggest trying this series. Since this case is much different than some of the others, I would suggest reading previous books before you read this one.

The first book in the series is "The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries". Enjoy!

A Cozy Lover

The 4th book in the Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries series. Scotland Yard has assigned yet another baffling mystery to the Inspector and it is up to Mrs. Jeffries and her household staff to assist him with this case. The latest murder victim is shown to have possibly cheated shareholders out of a large sum of money and all of them are suspects. However, no one is really telling the truth about the night of the murder. Add to this, the Inspector has determined that he should cut his household expenses, and his staff must cut corners while trying to solve this mystery.

Once again, I found the characters delightful. I especially liked this book in the series due to the financial constraints that the Inspector puts on his household and the resulting "growling stomach" that he has throughout the case. It is amusing to see some of the dishes that the cook serves him to save money, and how miserable the poor man becomes. This series is written in the cozy style and moves quickly. I consider this a great read on a lazy, rainy afternoon.

The first book in this series is "The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries". Enjoy!

The house on Upper Edmonton Garden belongs to Scotland Yard's Inspector Weatherspoon, a police officer with a homicide resolution rate of 100 %. Except for the participants, no one, including the inspector, realizes that his success is due to his household staff "guiding" him through the quagmire of an investigation.

The latest case comes from a previous murder inquiry. Martha Dowling asks the Weatherspoon household for help. Her employee Annabeth Gentry inherited a fortune, a home, and several murder attempts ever since her dog dug up the body of a pick pocket near her new residence. The caretaker of a school near Dowling's estate is also killed. Weatherspoon and his unofficial team begin to make inquiries.

This is the sixteenth installment in the delightfully eccentric Victorian mystery series yet the story line retains a fresh thought provoking feel as if MRS. JEFFRIES WEEDS THE PLOT is the first novel. Still, the return of the cast feels like old friends are visiting. The mystery is well drawn even though a hint at the identity of the killer at the midpoint seems a bit early, but it does not take away from Emily Brightwell's wonderful historical amateur sleuth tale.

Harriet Klausner

I stumbled upon this book and couldn't put it down once I began reading it. Dyan Sheldon's wit is first rate. The plot is masterfully crafted and the characters come to life with colorful description and realistic dialogue. I especially enjoyed the character of Margery Householder Taub. Plenty of humorous observations from Michael, the protagonist, kept me laughing aloud. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Sheldon's books!

The novel is a tragic tale of sexual discrimination that is pretty blunt in its treatment of premarital sex, abandoning newborns, prostitution, etc. There are some key differences in names of the characters depending on the edition you read. This is one of the classic epic family tales in which one side of the family prospers and the other suffers.

I love this book because it reminds me that there are hundreds of hidden gems in New York. And they don't have to cost you a cent -- the point is to get yourself out the door and exploring. Thanks to the author for doing an incredible amount of legwork. The only thing I can think of as a drawback is that some of the information is bound to change over time so just make sure you call ahead to check on times and other details. Great job!

I really liked this book,even though there's a little bit of things that probobly wouldn't happen. But it's still a great book.