I picked up this book because it is a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee. I found it to be delightful and charming. I was even more delighted to find that it is a true story about the author's father. That sort of information always makes a story even more alive. I greatly enjoyed this book. For the curious, this isn't the only book the author has written about her family.

This is a charming, interesting book. Kids will be intrigued by Marven's adventure - not only by the notion of being sent away from his family, but also the dramatic reasons for it and the incredibly different and appealing life he gets to lead with the lumberjacks. Adults will like all that, too, and will also be won over by the warmth and, ultimately, gentless of this very unusual story. A lovely, rare find.

Marven Lasky was my mother's husband. He passed away last week at the age of 91. I only read this book in detail to find out more about him. For more about his family, see "The Night Journey", also by this author.

Excellent cookbook, with many "old standbye" claasics, but updated with a contemporary twist. Especailly delicious are Shrimp Enchiladas and Creme Brulee. I have tried MANY of the recipes, and not one has ever been less than what I hoped for.

Great for cooks of all abilities.

This cookbook was sent to me by a friend who knows the author. I've never had a bad result and each recipe is elegant and delicious. My very favorite dish is the rack of lamb. The pear tart is wonderful as well. This is also a nice "gift" book.

Memorable Meals has become my standby companion when entertaining for family and friends. Moorman's recipes reflect her european training infused with the unique flavors of the Southwest. The menu suggestions are both delicious and charming -- from the Christening Brunch of Tiny Cheese Tarts and Pear Tart to the Day of the Dead (Dia de las Muertes) menu featuring Poblanos Santa Fe and Strawberry Ice Peppers. Also helpful are the suggested wine parings and presentation suggestions.

"Hello, little Mouse. I see you're ready for Christmas..." And so he is in his warm and cozy home surrounded by colorful garlands, brightly wrapped presents, and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. The unseen narrator continues his patter: "But, little Mouse, what about the big, hungry Bear in the cold, dark cave at the top of the hill? Ohhh, how that Bear loves Christmas presents!" Now little Mouse is worried. He knows that big, hungry Bear never gets any gifts, not even from Santa, and would do just about anything to get Christmas presents. So he goes to work barricading and booby-trapping his home to protect his wonderful stash. But then he thinks about that big, hungry Bear, all alone in his cold, dark cave, and he has a change of heart..... Don and Audrey Wood bring back one of their most endearing characters in this captivating holiday sequel to their classic, The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, And The Big Hungry Bear. Their simple, spare text is charming and engaging, but the real story is told in the vibrant and expressive illustrations. Each two page spread is filled with dazzling color, playful humor, and vivid, eye-catching detail. Together word and art ring in the holiday season with the joy of sharing and friendship. Perfect for preschoolers, Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! is a heartwarming, fun-filled romp that shouldn't be missed.

If you are looking for a nice Christmas-y story to read to your pre-schooler, you couldn't do better than this one. The message is one of joy and sharing, even between little mouse and Big Hungry Bear.

If you are also a fan of the Woods' book, "The Little Mouse, the Big Hungry Bear, and the Red Ripe Strawberry" you will again be charmed by the Woods' animated and detailed drawings and happy-ending story in this sequel.

The little mouse lives in a mousehole furnished down to the last detail: there's a Christmas tree, loaves of bred in the kitchen, and a big stack of tacks by the door in case the Big Hungry Bear comes to steal the mouse's Christmas presents. But the mouse has a change of heart when he realizes the Big Hungry Bear never gets any presents of his own.

There's JUST the right amount of text per page to keep the story flowing, there's JUST the right blend of detail, sweetness, and humor in the drawings, there's JUST the right amount of excitement for, say, a 2 to 4 year old (it's not quite scary because the bear is never depicted, and actually proves to be a good and generous friend to the mouse).

For fans of the "Strawberry" book, note the strawberry-shaped bookends over the mouse's bed on the last page of the book. It's that kind of thoughtful touch that makes the Woods' books so great.

As a HUGE fan of "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear," I was delighted to discover the Woods have teamed up to write and illustrate "Merry Christmas, BIG HUNGRY BEAR!"

Several weeks ago I stopped at my local bookstore for one of my monthly visits, and while perusing the "New and Notable" section I recognized the illustrated mouse standing among a pile of Christmas packages. I snatched the book off the shelf faster than I could read the title, and immediately became engrossed! As in the first book, the illustrations in "Merry Christmas BIG HUNGRY BEAR!" are OUTSTANDING, in addition, the Woods have maintained the same cleaver writing style with the reader narrating the story. Children of all ages will enjoy this delightful Christmas tale about sharing and caring among unlikely friends.

The story actually begins on the title page; the beautifully illustrated two-page spread shows Little Mouse returning home with a sled full of packages. He lives in a hollow tree somewhere cold, because it has recently snowed and he's wearing a red coat with cap, and black snow boots. The narration begins on the next page, "Hello, little Mouse. I see you're ready for Christmas." The mouse, now tucked away in his cozy, little home is placing presents around a brilliantly decorated Christmas tree that's already loaded with gifts.

Turn the page, "My goodness! What a lot of presents. Are they all for you?" Now we see a proud little mouse presenting his mountain of gifts to the reader. Over the next few pages the narrator (that's you) reminds the Little Mouse about the Big, Hungry Bear who's all alone in the dark cave at the top of the hill. Little Mouse boards up his door, padlocks the gifts and places tacks all over the floor in an attempt to protect his belongings. Then, the mouse hears that the Big, Hungry Bear cries every Christmas because he never receives Christmas presents, not even from Santa Claus. Little Mouse is sad for his lonely neighbor, and decides to share Christmas with the Big, Hungry Bear. Much to Mouse's surprise the Big, Hungry Bear reciprocates the sentiment.

The very talented husband and wife team have done it again! This enchanting Christmas tale will have you immediately hooked on this adorable little mouse and his unlikely friend. The illustrations are very expressive for easy comprehension, and the melodic text captivates even the youngest listener. This hardbound book measures approximately 10" x 10" x 1½" and contains 40 beautifully rendered pages. One-year and up.

Even though I never actually visited the Adirondack State Park, after reading Larry Beahan's new book, "My Grampa's Woods: The Adirondacks," I feel that I enjoyed a wonderful trip to the woods of long ago. Larry Describes life in a lumber camp in the Adirondack woods of 1900 in an honest an intimate way, so that you hear the noise of the loggers talking at breakfast, taste the hot cakes covered with maple syrup, and smell the horses as they sweat and strain at pulling the logs across the snow-ccovered forest floor. Life was hard then, and Larry doesn't cover over the hard part. There was loneliness and poverty. A dollar was always hard to find. Sometimes someone had to sell their horse to get the fixens to visit relatives at Christmas. And this was in the dayswhen some people depended on the horse not only for transportation, but needed the horse to help them earn money. Mr. Beahan writes about all of these events. There are no kings or queens in Larry's stories of the 1900's, just a lot of average folks struggling to make a living. When I was a boy I saw a two-man crosscut saw, and I also saw a two-bitted axe. Larry's descriptions of real men using real saws and real axes to felll real trees brought these humble tools to life. These wern't just decorative antiques. Real people, often young people, used these tools every day, scratching a living in the woods. Last weekend I read Mr. Beahan's book straight through, non-stop, until I was done. Afterwards, I felt that my trip to the Adirondacks of 1900 had ended too soon. I wanted to hear more about the loggers, their wives and girlfriends, and their life in the woods. It was a fascinating world to me, and now it's gone.

I thorougly enjoyed the book because it is a good handbook for hiking the beautiful Adirondack Mountain area, tells with humor some adventures of the author and his family, and tells about the Beahan family dating from the early part of the 20th century. If you like to hike and camp, if you live in upstate New York or if your name is Beahan, you will especially enjoy the book.

My Grandpa's Wood's is a great handbook for someone who wants to learn about hiking in New York's wilderness treasure, the Adirondack Mountains, about some of the history of the logging days of the area, and about the people who made their living in that area. It was good reading.

I've looked for this book for ten years, and can't believe I finally located it! I loved the story when I read it (circa 1975) but then lost track of the title. I knew it was about a bat and a flying squirrel, and it was called 'something...In the Night Woods.' A great mystery book for kids. Can't wait to read it again.

Like other reviewers of this book, this was one of my favorite stories. I think I checked it out of the school library a dozen times. It is entertaining and it makes you think. Both boys and girls appreciate this wonderful mystery.

I loved this book. I got it in either second or third grade (~1970) and read it over and over. The mystery was great and I felt transported to a different world. I would recommend it to any kid who likes mysteries and adventure stories. I was really pleased to see that it was reprinted and am buying a copy for my own son.

The second title in the superbly presented "Willowbe Woods Campfire Stories" picturebook series, The Not Me Monster is a charming tale entertainingly written by Ila Wallen showcasing the theme of honesty and responsibility. When Bunny makes an embarrassing but innocent mistake, she covers up her mortification by inventing a lie. But the lie brings new problems, and eventually, with help from a unicorn friend, she must confront what she's done and learn the value of honesty. The Not Me Monster is a thoroughly engaging story that comes alive with fresh, full color illustrations by Robert Sauber. Also highly recommended is the first title in the series, The Moon In My Room ...

As the mother of a child who sometimes says "Not me," I welcome The Not Me Monster to her library. This is a fun story about how telling the truth is better than making up a fib. And my daughter LOVES the "Find the Frog" game at the end. Plus you offer additional resources to parents through your Web site. Bravo. It's nice to see some publishers truly understand parents and children.

I realy liked the Not Me Monster. There was a monster in the woods. Bunny chased it away. She learned to tell the truth. It is easyr then your friends geting mad at you. I like the froggy game at the end. This is a good book. I think my friends and cuzins would like it.

Lyndon LaRouche offers a unique approach to economic analysis. Instead of measuring economic strength by financial and monetary aggregates (the price any fool is willing to pay for real estate or stock in a "bubble" market, or the amount of green slips of paper any government is willing to print out to keep those bubbles inflated) he measures it by what is happening to the physical economy (construction of rail systems, power plants, water ways, machine-tool production and consumption, and agricultural yeild).

And, instead of approaching the economy the way that an accountant would (focusing on immediate costs and benefits without looking at hidden costs or long-term consequences), he approaches the economy as a scientist and a poet would, by asking what the underlying axioms are that drive current economic policy decisions -- and where must those axioms and policies will lead us over the next 25-year interval.

This gives his work a refreshing dose of reality that is missing from other books on this topic. If, in the 90s, you thought dot coms were sustainable and if you thought, in 2000, that Enron was a good place to put a chunk of your life savings, you should have been reading LaRouche to avoid being taken for a ride -- and fleeced of your cash. But, as LaRouche points out, this is all part of a much bigger and long-term picture.

What LaRouche has to say about the current state of the global economy is even more important than what he has said before. And the stakes in the heist that is currently underway are far greater than those for any particular household, tragic as that would be. You should read this book.

What a remarkable piece of absolute genious. I have a new found hope after reading this book written by one of the most profound (and correct) economists, philosophers, and scientists of our time, Lyndon LaRouche.

Lyndon LaRouche completely shattered all my previous feelings about the man. Not only does the book authoritatively demonstrate a way out of our financial crisis, it demonstrates that there is an American System of Political Economy that is not capitalism or communism--and it works. Adam Smith, Karl Marx, step aside: make plenty of room for the economics genius of our time!

This exciting cookbook presents a sampling of the artist's Georgia O'Keefe's favorites dishes. The author worked for Ms. O'Keefe for several years. The recipes are not complicated. I have made several of the dishes and all have been delicious! I highly recommend this book! Doug Moring

Lavishly sprinkled with black-and-white photographs of the artist as well as full-color food photos, A Painter's Kitchen is a feast for the eyes as well as the mind and the stomach. MAIL ORDER GOURMET

Through anecdotes, personal recollections of conversations, black-and-white photographs of Georgia O'Keeffe, full-colored shots of the simple, but elegant food displays, and the unpretentious, sometimes austere recipes of Miss O'Keeffe's favorite foods, one gets a very personal, warm feeling about this celebrated artist. Southwest International Wine & Food Revie

A very entertaining read about a guy who, hovering between life and death, meets the Great God Pan who intercepts his soul and helps him with the process of regaining he Godly status (which we're told we all possess.)

Though the story is very engaging, its shortcoming is the fact that everything resembling spiritual guidance in this book relies on divine intervention, with the noteworthy exception of the message that priests are never to be trusted. It seems to me that most of us are not destined to have this type of interaction with God(s.) As someone quoted above, "you don't need to pee!" well, maybe if you're Pan but i'm pretty sure those of us with bodies still do.

At one point in the book grand schemes are put into place to save the earth environmentally. There are huge obstacles that are overcome, of course, primarily by the gods who happen to be assissting. Again, without the divine intervention these grand schemes seem unable to overcome human nature.

Willows resident Lawrence R. Spencer takes up the same theme in his over-the-top satire "Pan: God of the Woods"
Spencer writes in a disclaimer that "the author and publisher assume no responsibility of any kind whatsoever for any negative influence which the material in this book may have upon the reader. ... The author accepts full responsibility for any positive effect the material in the book may have on the reader, no matter how insignificant or remote."

Derek Adapa, a software developer, sustains what proves to be a fatal wound in a hunting incident on Mt. Shasta. But Pan, representing all the pagan deities down through history, teaches Derek's disembodied spirit the truth about the godlike power of human beings. Pan plays Virgil to Adapa's Dante as he shows Derek his grieving wife Jennifer and tells him the secret of the twins being born to his mistress, Paula Cadmus (herself not what she appears to be).

The language is sometimes strong and the opinions stronger in "Pan." "There is no heaven or hell as you have been taught to think of it," Pan tells Derek. "Those are lies told by priests to make people obey them."

Eventually Pan (the fertility god of the woods) and his cohorts convert the world to environmentalism, and the military-industrial complex stops making fighter jets and starts producing greenhouses. All is well.

There is yet one more message. Pan welcomes readers to "embrace the Spirit of Playfulness. Embrace the joy of your own ability to create, my eternal friend. Pretend your own illusion, your own future, your own universe. ..."

"Be here, then be there," Pan poeticizes at the end. "You're free just to Be. / You don't have to eat or to breathe or to pee! / You are who You are. It's fun being free! / The same as You've been, and always will be!"

By DAN BARNETT - Book Columnist
Dan Barnett teaches philosophy at Butte College.

I've never seen or read a book about being a god before. This has to be the most unique, original concept for a novel in the history of western literature! Life as a god is not what I imagined it could be -- this beyond anything I would have thought possible!

Don't bother.

If you are an ex-mormon who wants to legitimize your dropout, then it may make you feel good, but otherwise a complete waste.

This is a great book, Wood backs up all his info with cold, hard facts and explanations. Mormonism would be ok as some kind of "family club" rather than all the deceit about this religion coming from God when it is so obvious that the God of the Bible has nothing to do with this religious organization. Its very sad, the multitude of people that Satan has tricked with this enticing religion and most Mormons don't even care to investigate the history ( not the made-up "official" church history ) but the real history and foundation of this church as well as the character and practices of Joseph Smith Jr. I encourage anyone who is even thinking about the LDS church to read this book NOW!

Marvelous book!

When I sent off for this marvelous book, the paranoid thought even entered my head, that perhaps this was an elaborate plot to check out if I was a true Mormon. I am still reading the book and last night I didn't turn the
light off until 1.30 am. I was totally engrossed!