Cliffords Phonics Fun Box Set review

When first learning to read, my daughter got immensely tired of reading
and rereading the very same old readers they had read and reread in class
numerous times. These books address that issue. Following the same
format as the high quality readers they use in schools, but provide variety and a
sense of fun while your child practices their beginning reading skills.
Featuring children’s storybook and TV favourite Clifford the Big red
Dog and friends, this catches the child’s eye and provides a feel of the
familiar to unfamiliar educational territory.

These readers each practice a different setoff phonetic sounds in each book
and each has its own little story theme. Colourful pictures and large text
make these child appealing and even the hesitant child will be eager to read
these as they simply scream, ‘FUN!’. My own four year old son saw
these in my Amazon shipment as I opened the box and went into a frenzy, eager
to have a good sit down and to begin reading. They come in a sturdy and
colourfully illustrated cardboard box that velcros securely closed to keep
the 12 books inside neatly. They provide excellent value given the skills
the child will take away from them and the positive messages gleaned
from the themes in each book in true Clifford style. Designed by educational
experts in the field of reading and printed by Scholastic, this collection
gets two slightly grubby small thumbs up and this Mom’s kudos. I look
forward to getting the successive sets and watch his reading take him
to new heights.

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by Shroud

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Ugly by Constance Briscoe

The product code on the back of this book describes it as
Biography/Memoirs. It is a harrowing story of the many victim, survivor
type that have become prevalent in recent years. It is no less compelling
for being one of a type. You know at the outset that the little Constance,
or Clearie as he mother calls her, will survive against the odds, simply
because it is she who writes the narrative.
The book opens with a prologue where the eleven year old Clearie presents
herself at the Social Services offices asking what she has to do to book
herself into a children’s home, only to be told she has to get her parents
consent. There follows a description of the family make-up, explaining
Clearie’s position and relationship with her siblings, parents and
step-father. This isn’t an easy book to read, and I would suggest not one
to read if you are at a low ebb at the time of reading. It’s brutal in
parts, and as with many of this type of book, it finds the reader asking how
on earth this little girl survived to a *normal* adulthood. The converse of
this is that, having asked the question, the reader has to keep on reading
to find out how it all came good in the end. There are elements of humour
in the book, and even brief moments of freedom when Clearie manages to
outwit her mother occasionally. Ms Briscoe demonstrates an amazing spirit
and determination to survive, despite at times feeling she would be better
off dead, and asking the priest about suicidal thoughts prior to her first
communion.
The book is incredibly detailed, from the astounding memory of school
dinner menus on significant days, through to remarkably specific accounts of
incidents in her childhood. We meet some kind individuals who helped
Clearie on her way, not least Miss K, a teacher who was to have a profound
effect on the little girl. It’s a sad indictment on our society that this
was allowed to happen in the so recent past. Not one for the faint-hearted,
but definitely a worth while read.

Ugly
By Constance Briscoe.
Isbn: 0-340-89599-3

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by Jacky

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Review- A House Called Helen

This little book is a real treasure. It was published in 1993, when the
eponymous Helen was in her mid teens. Written by Helen’s mum, it tells
the story of Helenâ’s early years as a very normal baby and toddler, and
through the very harrowing times following her diagnosis with a brain tumour
in 1978. Helen was the eldest of three daughters, and it was clearly a
mammoth task trying to look after her at home. Ms Worswick describes some
of the traumas and frustrations that the family had to contend with whilst
sharing some very poignant memories. There are some beautiful family
photographs included.
Central to this story is the meeting with sister Frances, who quickly
becomes a true family friend. Along with the Worswicks she becomes
instrumental in the conception, planning and building of Helen House. This
would be the first children’s hospice, and the book gives a valuable
insight to the philosophy and work of the hospice movement. Today Helen
House is well established, and well supported. Sadly Helen is no longer
alive, but the closing lines of her mum’s little book have proved
prophetic. She says that though they don’t know how long Helen will live
*what we do know is that her influence will extend far beyond her
years*
This is a lovely book, with the capacity to bring out the whole range of
emotions. It shows a family achieving tremendous things in the face of
devastating illness. Easy to read, difficult to forget.

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by jacky

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The Beachcomber by Josephine Cox

There’s no disputing it, Josephine Cox tells a good story. At the beginning of this one, which looks like a bit of an epic when you
realise it comprises almost 600 pages, I was unsure for a couple of chapters whether it was going to be readable or not. I stuck with it, mostly because the book had been loaned to me by a neighbour, and I felt I should at least give it a decent trial. The story begins with a triple murder, and an affair that’s gone badly wrong. It took me a while to decide whether it was going to turn into a manhunt for the murderer, a love story between the two principal characters, or a family feud between the *heroine* Kathy and her decidedly dysfunctional relations.

Gradually over the first part of the book the different strands of the story begin to work together, and you just have to keep going to see what happens next.

Though the story is set in the relatively recent past, 1952, it sometimes feels as if it’s another world. The pace of life is clearly so much slower, travel was mainly by train, and there’re no mobile phones or DNA evidence to assist the police investigations. I kept having to remind myself of this as I was reading, so it obviously didn’t involve me to the point that I was completely immersed in it. That said, it was a good read; quite undemanding, and very little blood and guts to worry about. I remain oblivious as to where the title came from, though there is a fair amount of wandering along the beach at dawn. I’d say this is a book more likely to be enjoyed by women, and quite a good holiday, or chill out, read.

The Beachcomber
Josephine Cox
isbn: 0-00-714607-8

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by Jacky

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Our lizzie By Anna Jacobs

Here is my book review on a great Anna Jacoba novel, ‘our lizzie’..

i found this one, as with many of this sort of book hard to put down, i often find that reading this sort of book that you enjoy as much as i did this, you can actually picture the characters, and i sometimes get so into books like this i feel im watching them rather than reading them…

This story tells the tale of a young beautiful woman called Lizzie Kershaw she was always aware of the fact that her mother didnt really like her. Her mother always found everh reason to down lizzie, for everything she did, no matter what it was, or hard hard she tried to please her mother she could do no right in her eyes, A part-time job with a local small shop called
dearden’s got Lizzie out of the house and away from her mams nasty comments daily. Then a few years later, lizzie meets a man called sam thoxby she isnt truly happy but when he does propose to lizzie she sees it as an opporunity to be free of her mother and jumps at the chance to be away from it all permanently. However soon after the wedding sam becomes a really nasty
man, not allowing her to even talk to her friends or family, always keeping a
very close tab on what she does and controls lizzie, so as she sees she left one bad life to live another with sam, and eventually he becomes very abusive to lizzie whenever she dares to defy him. sam soon go’s off to join the world was 1 to fight, lizzie takes the chance to escape, but sam return but when Sam returns, lizzie soon finds her new happy life and chance at loving again threatened , but she manages to endure this horrible marriage, and in the end finds a way to have a more happy future without him, im sure anyone will enjoy this novel, it was a very good read

originally by Lisa Love.. 7/Oct 2007

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by srwlml23

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The Baby Book by Dr. William Sears

Getting useful parenting advice can be a minefield. It seems to be a fad
over the past few years to write a book, get a TV show, and label yourself a guru. Some of the shared “information” is useful, others reduce parents to tears. This book is different. Dr Sears trained at Harvard medical school as a pediatrician and his wife Martha is a registered nurse, a
certified child birth educator, and a trained breastfeeding consultant. Between them they have over 30 years of professional experience in pediatrics, in addition to being the parents of eight children and several grandchildren. personal experience and those of families they met professionally, the duo built up a repertoire that is flexible and usable by any parent and has
made them internationally recognisable as the foremost pediatric authority on early childhood.

This is not just a how to book on how to parent. This is also an invaluable repository of knowledge covering medical concerns, diet, and so on. Literally EVERY aspect of parenthood is covered. With 8 chapters and an appendix to easily find something you are looking for, it is THE only book you are likely to ever need on the subject. From covering birth experiences and options, to breast and bottle feeding (in totally non judgemental ways, and helpful , clear pictures) to bonding successfully with your child and facing PND, to later chapters on reflux (which we found invaluable due to our son’s GERD), all the advice is practical and down to earth. Little sidebars are present where Martha sears shares a snippet of personal information relating to the various topics. her comments on her own battle with PND and the effects it had were simply heart warming and reassuring as well as extremely informative.

later sections cover topics as diverse as routine body care, common illnesses, a frank and openly non propagandised look at immunisations with just the facts and no party lines, safety, weaning, and handy growth charts so yo can plot your own child’s growth without mucking up the ones in
your little red books.

So, if you don’t want your darling to scream it out heartbrokenly, and you also don’t want to become the weary parent who always has the child attached to their legs clingingly, this is the book to get. Down to earth sensible advice from REAL experts in the field, who help you find the right solution for you and your individual child, guilt free.

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by Shroud

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Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is one of my favourite non-fiction writers. His style is wonderfully flowing and free, and his books are lively and interesting.

Having met him at a book signing I’d have to say he’s a pretty free flowing, lively and interesting person himself too. (Oh and yes, he willingly signed my book and seemed interested to meet a fellow member of the Bryson clan).

Notes From A Small Island is about the UK. After living in the UK for many years Bill and his family decided to move back to the United States but before he went, Bill took a trip around Britain one last time. His aim was to take stock of people and places and to show the public and private face of us Brits as we really are, and analyse what exactly it is he loves so
much about the country that produced Marmite, talks about driving as if the country is huge (as he talks about at the beginning of the book, mentioning in a pub that you’re going to drive from Surrey to Cornwall will have people puffing their cheeks and talking about the route when Americans would be happy driving that far for a taco).

As much as I love what he says about many places around the UK, I wasn’t too impressed with his impressions of my own home town of Milton Keynes which he visits as he feels he should at least have a look at a new town he talks of how lifeless it was and what a mixture of styles there are in the buildings, how far the station is from the town centre etc. I love my home town and think it’s full of life, really well thought out and laid out so I did wonder at his remarks.

Over all, a wonderful book, full of insight into people and places. Worth remembering though that it is just one person’s view of the places, and not being put off visiting somewhere just coz he says it’s not great.

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by Vialdana

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Aberywystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce

I have to say this is one of the funniest and engrossing books I have read in a few years. I literally sat gripped until i read this in one sitting, the tea beside me growing cold.

This is the debut novel of malcolm pryce. A Uk born citizen, he moved abroad in the nineties and has held several abysmally normal type jobs to pay teh blls. He moved abroad, wrote this book, and now is famous. So far he has wriiten three books in this series, of which this is the first.

As you might surmise from the title, this takes place in Aberystwyth, Wales. This is not, however, the place anyone on this planet would recognise. Rather it is a strange twilight world of the sort Sam Spade or Humprey Bogart might know, though very 21st century. It is an alternate relaity where Wales went to war in Patagonia, Druids run the town Chicago mobster style, ice cream conne vendors are the eyes of the twon, and where tea cosies hold sinister undertones.

In this Aberystwyth, school boy from teh loca comp are vanishing, and and PI Louie Knight has been asked by the local lounge singer to investigate. What ensues is a Ponty Pythonesque version of a hard boiled detctive noel, that will have you giggling until the very last page, and agog at the sheer originality and intelligence of the work.

My husband I both read this book after having it passed with a note saying “You MUST read this, ” by my father in law, and I have to say I am glad we did. It gets two thumbs up from both me and my husband, though we usually have quite different tastes in books. You can get this at most high street book shops, and Amazon.co.uk, which has offers on if you buy the sequel.

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by Shroud

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What do people Do All day? by Rchard Scarry

This is a book my husband and I recalled fondly from our childhoods, and as
our copies had long ago fallen apart from being read so many times, we decided to buy a new copy for our children.

The illustrations are charming, with animals dressed up like people and all living in a palce called Busy Town. To answer the question, “What do people do all day?”, we are treated to a visual feast. With views of the high street, above and below ground, inside shops and homes, on down the roads, into the coal mines, inside the fire station, and everywhere else you could possibly think of, we see exactly what every conceivable person does at work and at home that day. We even see a mother doing housework!

There is not a lot written on each page, with the delightful illustrations doing most of the talking. What text there is remains brief and to the point in simple language explaining the finer points of what is going on. So your child not only sees what everyone is doing, but also learns general
information about how water treatment plants work, colliery work, how people earn money and then buy things, and so on. The pictures have an element of humour int hem as well, with various mishaps and such in the pictures.

It is quite a long picture book, being just over 60 pages, so if read at bedtime, it is best to stick to a single section or two at a time and then let the child look at the pictures for awhile before lights out as otherwise you will be there for ages.

You can get this classic storybook at most high street stores, as well as Amazon.com, where I paid £4.49 for it. Play.com also have it listed for
£4.99 and free delivery.

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by Shroud

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Pride and Predjudice by Jane Austen book review

Pride and Predjudice is quite rightly classed nowadays as a classic. It became popular again following the dramatisation and serialisation which came to our television screens a few years ago. However it is a book I have read many times and which I loved years before it was shown on TV.

My copy is an old, well thumbed, paperback which my Hubby bought me many years ago. When I first sat down to read Pride and Predjudice I thought the style of writing would make for a laboured and heavy read which would be hard work. How wrong I was.

Although the style is very antiquated in no time at all I was hooked on the book. This is probably due to the wonderful characters and the speed in which they come alive on the pages.

The period of time when the book is set makes everything almost feel as if it is from another world not just another era. The politeness and the morals are so very out of touch today. However Pride and Predjudice is really a love story and as such is timeless. The love interest, Mr Darcy, is so appealing even today. This book is all the more brilliant when you think that it was written by a young lady who was not worldly at all.

The countryside in which Pride and Predjudice is set is portrayed well and the mixed bag of characters are very amusing at times. The snobbery and judgemental attitude which many people feel or express at times is just as alive today. However I would like to think that many of the silly morals are thankfully no more.

Pride and Predjudice, in essence, tells the love story of Mr Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennett. It is not an easy journey for them.

My copy has a helpful introduction and a section of notes at the end which explains some of the more obscure terminology.
Persevere with this book if you are reading it for the first time. If you do, you will soon get into the style of writing and the charcters will come to live in a way that television characters can never do.

ISBN 0 582 34838 2

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by Eiley

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