By the Great Horn Spoon Review

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(More customer reviews)When I was nine, I read this book. At age 40, I read the same copy to my children, ages ten and eight. As much as I enjoyed reading it the first time, reading it out loud was a much richer experience.
The writing flows naturally, and encourages a great variation in expression. The adventure truly comes out in the reader's voice. I am an actor, but I felt that this story would bring out the actor in anybody.
The story was so exciting and surprising that long reading sessions never dragged. At several points, my children threw themselves down on the floor and yelled, "Oh my gosh!"
This experience brought it all together for me, if I may speak personally: books, performing, involvement with my children, a classic story that I relished as a child myself. Those evenings added up to the happiest time of my life.
The plot concerns a boy who runs away during the California gold rush--with his butler!--to try to get his family out of debt. The adventures along the way are episodic, and each episode is an amazing and believable story in itself. Every step in the journey is given full attention: the voyage from Boston to San Francisco, the trip to the gold fields, the experiences among the miners. There are plenty of colorful characters, and plenty of opportunities for the two main characters to grow. There are also several threads that run through the whole story, maintaining suspense. Their resolution is unpredictable and satisfying.
There was very little in the book that could make a parent squirm, and very little that sounded out of date. But there were three moments that made me pause: 1) There is a fist fight, though it is handled in a light-hearted way. 2) There is a reference to corporal punishment when an adult threatens to "take a hairbrush" to a child. 3) There is an expression used once that might be innocent for all I know, but sure doesn't sound that way: "That's mighty white of you."
Minor reservations, I hope you'll agree. So plunge in and have an experience you and your listeners will never forget.

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Child of the Owl: Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1965 Review

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(More customer reviews)I found this book on the shelf of my 5th grade classroom 14 years ago, and it completely changed my life. Never before and actually, never since, did I feel like I could relate to a character in a book like that. But, of course, reading it again when i was older, I don't relate to anything in the book other than the main character was a Chinese American female, and so was I.
As opposed to some other Asian American books for kids, I like this one particularly because it takes place in the US. While more 'multi-cultural' books try and relate back to China a lot, I liked this one because I find it a lot more relavant to the 2nd generation/3rd generation experience, and it also appeals to the curiosity people begin to have about their 'culture' when they start thinking about ethnic identity.
The strong parts about the book: The story is engaging, and even though it was written in the 1970's or 1960's, it doesn't seem dated. It's about a separated family, and Casey's a toy-boy who doesn't take a lot of crap, as opposed to some goody-goody. And the backdrop of Chinatown makes it pretty interesting and urban, and gives a good general historical background of Chinatown as an ethnic enclave, too. Also, if anyone is concerned about the politics represented in the book, as far as I can tell, there aren't any messages of advocating for a color-blind society or all multi-culti-feel-good sentiment which are characteristics I find frustrating about a lot of other 'books for Asian American youth'.
The weak parts about the book: I don't really like a lot of mythology, folklore or fantastic stories. I hated them as a kid, and I still really don't like it now. My least favorite part as a kid is the story about the spirit of the owl, and it still makes me weary. The book still implies filial piety, but to a degree which I think it's ok, mostly because of Casey's strong personality and inclination to rebel. Also, most Chinese American kids live outside of Chinatowns so the experience is a lot different and I haven't heard of too many books which sort of discuss either a more urban, or a more suburbian narrative that's pretty realistic and has good politics, too.
Nonetheless, I still pick up the book from time to time. I don't know a whole lot of other Asian American kids books, but as someone who turned out to be an Asian American major in college, I still need to pay tribute to the fact that regardless of whether in retrospect I think my life related, it very early on offered me the narative of a Chinese American female in the US, and the beginnings of understanding what it meant for me to be Chinese American.
Other Yep books have a little too much mysticism and folklore for my taste, but I do think Dragonwings offers a strong look at the history of Chinese Americans in California.

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Angels Ride Bikes: And Other Fall Poems / Los Angeles Andan en Bicicleta: Y Otros Poemas de Otoño (The Magical Cycle of the Seasons Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a wonderful bilingual book, great for kids of all ages. The art is excellent, colorful, and bright! I have used this in my classroom as a starting point for discussion of holidays and life-styles [in h.s. level 1/2 spanish as foreign language]. Students responded very well to the text!

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In this bilingual poetry book, Francisco X. Alarcón invites young readers to experience fall in Los Angeles — the City of the Angels — where dreams can come true. In the poet's whimsical imagination, mariachis play like angels, angels ride bikes, and the earth dances the cha-cha-cha. Alarcón celebrates the simple joys and trials of everyday life: a visit to the outdoor market, the arrival of the ice cream vendor, the first day of school. He honors his family and pays tribute to his mother, who taught him that with hard work and education he could realize his dreams. Maya Christina Gonzalez's spirited images perfectly complement each poem, bringing to life the people and places in Alarcón's childhood.

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Fodor's Family San Francisco with Kids, 1st Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was recommended to me by a friend who lives in Marin County. She agrees with many of the locations for things to do with kids. The book is layed out well to target just what you are looking for: places to stay, where to eat, where to souvenier shop etc. Family Matters are tips to pay attention to. Very clear information is given about areas that are not kid friendly and maps it out according to age groups. Certainly, things that appeal to the youngest kiddo doesn't always translate to fun for your more descerning teen. The book is a good resource tool to carve out the kind of vacation you want...tourist sights only, a little off the beaten path or a little of both. I would recommend the book.

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Fodor's. For Choice Travel Experiences.Fodor's helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. While you're at the helm, Fodor's offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It's like having a friend in San Francisco!•Fodor's Family San Francisco with Kids is a new series combining the city's best experiences, restaurants, and hotels with the age-appropriate information, tips, and ideas you need the most when visiting San Francisco with your family. Handpicked selections by local parents cover a variety of interests and tastes, so you make the choices for a perfect trip, every time.•Plan your trip to San Francisco more easily than ever with key information at your fingertips: Detailed maps, age-appropriateness ranges, kids admission prices, family-friendly hotel amenities, and top five lists of the very best things to see and do in every neighborhood we cover.•Where can you find the best ice-cream place in North Beach? The most worthy playground in Nob Hill? A public bathroom in Union Square? Our "Where Can I Find?" charts created by local parents give you the neighborhood-by-neighborhood inside scoop.•See San Francisco in a different way with fun "Treasure Maps" showing you and your family the sometimes hard-to-find spots where famous movies were shot or where real history was made.Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.

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Earthquake in the Early Morning (Magic Tree House #24) (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an educational fiction book. It's about the earthquake in California in 1906. Jack and Annie need to save Camelot. They are destined to find the fourth special kind of writing to put in their collection of things to cheer up the king of Camelot. If you have a 1st-3rd grade reader, this book is on target for them. These books come in amusing fiction and in enlightening research guides.

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Jack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House! An adventure that will shake you up!That's what Jack and Annie get when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to California in 1906. As soon as they arrive, the famous San Francisco earthquake hits the city. Can Jack and Annie find the final writing that they need to help Morgan save Camelot? Or will San Francisco be destroyed first? Visit the Magic Tree House website! MagicTreeHouse.com

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Kids' Adventures Around San Francisco Bay: Educational Places to Go, Things to Do, and Classes to Take in the North Bay, Peninsula, Silicon Valley, East Bay, and Santa Cruz Review

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(More customer reviews)Residents of the San Francisco Bay Area will welcome Kids' Adventures Around San Francisco Bay: Educational Places To Go, Things To Do, And Classes To Take In The North Bay, Peninsula, Silicon Valley, East Bay, And Santa Cruz, a book packed with ideas for visits and repeat visits to Bay Area attractions which are kid-friendly. The attractions chosen here help kids to learn new things, covers the entire Bay Area, and includes related follow-up activities to reinforce learning. These attributes plus an attention to budget-minded trips makes this a much more accessible travel guide for the entire family.

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More than a vacation guide, this fun and educational book is loaded with hundreds of ideas for year-round learning in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rather than focusing on a single visit, this book helps parents introduce their children to new things and support their growing interests through seasonal and special exhibits, events, performances, and classes. Activities and outings are organized by interest area, and a directory of classes is provided to help get children involved in everything from star gazing, ballet, and whale watching to chasing butterflies, picking fruit, and riding trains.

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Wayne Thiebaud Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is the one to buy if you are an artist wanting to look at Thiebaud's brushwork up close. (It turns out to be quite straightforward.) There are plenty of large reproductions, and Tsujimoto's essays are clear and informative. She avoids the kind of bloated purple writing that often accompanies art books. It is a bit shorter than Nash's book on Thiebaud, and a bit older, but the reproductions are as good. This book is the better value for me.

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Lizzie Newton and the San Francisco Earthquake (History Speaks: Picture Books Plus Reader's Theater (Quality)) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ten-year-old Lizzie Norton awoke with a start and sat up in bed. She had been dreaming that she was on a train that was lurching up and down on its tracks, yet all the while the shaking was real. Her eyes widened in the darkness of the morning. She ran to her Grammy's room only to find her injured and covered with plaster. It was not safe inside so they hurriedly put on some clothes and went into the streets of San Francisco where a horrible scene of destruction awaited them. Many of the buildings "lay crumbled in heaps," while flames leapt from the rooftops of others. People were frantically trying to leave the city.
Lizzie was afraid and didn't know quite what to do, but when "an ambulance wagon came clattering down the street," she hailed it. As Grammy boarded the ambulance, she told Lizzie to go home. She soon was on foot headed for home. The aftershocks were frightening and startling "cracks and holes were still opening near Lizzie's feet." She spotted firemen digging through piles of bricks. She could hear the cries of people beneath the rubble as the men struggled to save them. The fires were rampant, communication was nonexistent, and the water pipes had burst. They encouraged Lizzie to head for home, but when she arrived, her house too had been partially destroyed. She had to keep moving on to St. Francis in Union Square. Would she find her parents when she got there? Would she even survive the trek?
This is a stunningly realistic, fictionalized portrait of Lizzie, a young girl who survived the San Francisco Earthquake. The storyline is exciting and even the most reluctant reader will strive to reach the end of the book to find out what happened to young Lizzie. The full color, full page artwork captures the essence of the horrifying event and subtly conveys a lot of information the text does not discuss. For example, in a street scene we see cracks in the earth, people clustered in groups, while others have gathered up some of their belongings and are escaping on foot or in a horse drawn wagon. This edition introduces the student to Reader's Theater. It gives full instructions on how a performance goes, what to do before, and after the production. The eight-page script can be reproduced for the six performers. A link to the sound effects is given. Undoubtedly, this amazing book would be a unique, fun, highly educational way to introduce your classroom to Reader's Theater!

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West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco, 1915 Review

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(More customer reviews)Thank God this is still in print. Sure, lots of fans of the "Little House"
series will find this a charming alternative. But Laura Ingalls Wilder was
already an accomplished writer by this time, and her recorded impressions
during a family visit to her daughter and son-in-law during the 1915 Pan
Pacific International Exposition was a godsend for anyone who wants to know
of San Francisco history.

The city was devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire; the PPIE
was a chance for the city's residents to show how quickly they could
recover and rebuild, and they put their souls into it. The city fairly
sparkled for the Exposition's visitors that summer. Wilder's letters home
to her husband were an accurate and very personable observance of the city
as it was. She described the big events as well as the telling little
details that made San Francisco unique among American cities. The photos
accompanying her letters add to the authenticity.

This is book not just a "niche gem" for Wilder fans, but also for
those who love San Francisco, and those who live history. Her record of a
vacation to the coast may've seemed to her like trivial family
correspondence, but for this native son of Baghdad by the Bay, her letters
were a vivid portrait of a time that will not be seen again. This is one of
the top ten historical recollections of a major, turn of the century
American city.

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"It is like a fairyland." So Laura Ingalls Wilder described her 1915 voyage to San Francisco to visit her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. Laura's husband, Almanzo, was unable to leave their Missouri farm and it is her faithful letters home, vividly describing every detail of her journey, that have been gathered here. Includes 24 pages of exciting photographs and completely redesigned jacket art.

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Paris Goes to San Francisco Review

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(More customer reviews)Thank you Paris and Liberty for publishing such a wonderful book about your adventures in San Francisco! After reading it to my two young children, they can't wait to explore the city. All of your books help my family bond in a way no other book can.

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Paris Goes to San Francisco is the 5th book of the My Friend Paris Series and second travel related book. This time, Paris shows the reader around her home town of San Francisco including stops at the Ferry Building, Alcatraz and of course the Ball Park.

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Fodor's Around San Francisco with Kids, 2nd Edition: 68 Great Things to Do Together (Around the City with Kids) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a GREAT resource for families. Not only does it list descriptions of the sites, but also includes; age appropriate guidlines and kid-friendly "eats" for each destination. Many of the suggestions are geared for kids age 3 and up. Quite a few are for kids of all ages. I purchased this to use with my 4 year old, and I am very impressed!

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The San Francisco Earthquake (The American Adventure Series #32) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been reading several books about the 1906 earthquake. This one was great. The plot was interesting as the time came closer to the earthquake, and I was excited. The only thing con I could mention would be young Mark's attitude regarding the man his mother is marrying, though the events in the book alter his view by the story's end.
I loved being able to "see the sights" and tour San Francisco in 1906. Here is one family's earthquake story. Great for ages 8-12.

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The Balloon Boy of San Francisco Review

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(More customer reviews)The Balloon Boy Of San Francisco is an adventure novel based on a true story. Set in San Francisco during 1853, it follows the wide-eyed exploits of an enthusiastic young man whose pasttimes include shouting the latest newspaper headlines from a street corner, and tracking down a gold miner who has gone missing. But when he has the opportunity to watch a hot-air balloon ascension, his life takes a exciting new turn. Based upon diaries and historical documents from the gold-rush era, The Balloon Boy Of San Francisco brings the past to vibrant life, recreating history and setting with such detail it's the next best thing to stepping into a time machine. The protagonist's contagious enthusiasm that lifts one's spirits in this upbeat story, intended for young adults but suitable for all ages.


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The Cable Car and the Dragon Review

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(More customer reviews)You don't have to be from San Fran to love this little story, although I am sure that it helps. The plot follows Charlie the cable car as he and a favorite passenger (the narrator, who is Caen himself, of course) leave the cable car routes and decide to explore their hometown of San Francisco, coming into contact with Chu, a Chinese New Year's dragon. Caen's legendary wit is surprisingly well-suited to this kind of writing; I loved his personification of the young cable car (he compares Charlie's voice to "a piece of wood being rubbed across steel"). Byfield's watercolors help tell the story (making the book a good mixture of visuals and text) but are also pleasures in and of themselves.
The story does not have a very specific and blunt point for children to take away (which is fine with me). That said, it does imply that thinking out of the box (or off the trolley routes) is good and that making friends with people from other cultures is beneficial. Kind of appropriate for San Francisco when you think about it.

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City by the Bay: A Magical Journey Around San Francisco Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this book, a beautifully illustrated treasure, as a souvenir on one of my trips to San Francisco. The illustrations are so incredible--bright, cheerful, detailed and full of life. Each illustration (i.e. Golden Gate Bridge, The Cable Cars and Lombard Street) is accompanied by a brief history and interesting facts. Other sections include an Overview of the city's history, "Fun Facts" about San Francisco and an "Explorer's Guide". The book is both absolutely beautiful and filled with relevant information about exploring San Francisco including telephone numbers for various attractions. I highly recommend this book both for children and adults.

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The Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Union Square, Chinatown—these are just a sampling of the San Francisco landmarks featured in this magical journey around the fabled city by the bay. Each famous location is brought vividly to life by fanciful collage illustrations that sparkle with the same color and action found in the city itself. The lively text is accompanied by a "Fun Facts" section and "Explorer's Guide" at the back of the book, making this perfect for residents and visitors alike.

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