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| Book Reviews |
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| Street Child |
Berlie Doherty
£5.99, Harper Collins
Read the story of Jim Jarvis, the boy whose plight inspired Dr Barnardo to found his famous children's homes. Now published into the Essential Modern Classics list. When his mother dies Jim Jarvis is left all alone in London. He is sent to the workhouse, but quickly escapes chosing a hard life on the streets of the city over the confines of the workhouse walls.
Struggling to survive, Jim finally finds some friends only to be snatched away and made to work for the remorselessly cruel Grimy Nick, constantly guarded by his vicious dog, Snipe. Will Jim ever manage to be free? |
| More in Children's Fiction... |
| The Sixty Minute Family |
Rob Parsons
£7.99, Lion Hudson Plc
‘Whatever size and shape your family is… this short book contains things that have the potential to make your family stronger and even save it from breakup. I have known families whose relationships were changed – saved even – by putting into practice just one of the lessons in this book.' Rob Parsons
Praised by the Daily Mail as ‘the man who reinvented fatherhood’, Rob Parsons’ previous books on fatherhood, motherhood and marriage in the popular Sixty Minute series have sold over 400,000 copies. Now the best-selling author and internationally-renowned speaker on family issues turns his attention to the family as a whole in The Sixty Minute Family.
As a highly acclaimed speaker on family and business issues, Rob has travelled all around the world over the last 20 years. In that time, he has listened to people from many different countries and traditions as they have shared with him what has made their families strong and, sometimes, what has destroyed them – and he has heard them say on a number of occasions, ‘I wish I’d known that earlier in my family life’.
In this new book, Rob draws on countless real life scenarios – from his own experiences of family life and those of others – to offer ten ‘life lessons’ to make your family life happier and to make your family stronger as a unit. Key areas discussed include: making time for your family in our busy 21st century life; discovering the power of encouragement; learning to listen; the magic of traditions; saving your marriage from a ‘creeping separateness’; and handling conflict effectively.
‘Families that don’t have time for each other don’t intend to live that way,’ writes Rob Parsons. ‘It’s just that life goes by a day at a time, and because there’s always tomorrow, the problem never seems critical… We have to live in the real world. There will be some nights when we are absolutely shattered, and it’s fine to skip pages when we’re reading stories to [our children]. But at the same time, it’s as well to remember how fast those doors of childhood close.’
Written in a highly accessible and engaging style, with simple action points at the end of each section, The Sixty Minute Family does not make any promises to turn your family into a perfect family overnight. What it does offer is 10 tried and tested ways to give your family the best chance possible of surviving and thriving in the context of our busy 21st century lifestyle.
Rob Parsons is a bestselling author and international speaker on family issues. Over half a million people have attended his live seminars. He is also the Executive Chairman of Care for the Family, a national charity with the aim of strengthening family life and helping those who are hurting due to family breakdown. |
| More in Parenting... |
| Sesame Street: C is for Cooking: Recipes from the Street |
Susan McQuillan & Sesame Workshop
£9.99, Frommers
Celebrate Sesame Street's 40th anniversary with this special edition cookbook!
Introducing your kids to cooking is easy-with a little help from the Sesame Street gang. This special anniversary edition of Sesame Street's classic "C" is for Cooking is packed with tasty recipes from Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and friends, plus brand-new recipes from celebrity chefs to celebrate forty years of fun on the Street.
Includes more than 55 delicious recipes that kids and parents can make together, plus fun food and cooking games and activities
Filled with tasty dishes that appeal to young, picky eaters, such as Grover's Little & Adorable Chicken Nuggets and Rosita's Tortilla Soup
Features 16 pages of simple, kid-friendly recipes and activities from celebrity chefs like Mark Bittman and Emeril Lagasse
Filled with full-color photos and illustrations, plus food facts that engage children and encourage them to try new things
Comes with a sheet of reusable stickers of foods, characters, numbers, and words
With recipes for drinks, breakfasts, lunches, soups, dinners, side dishes, and sweets and treats, Sesame Street "C" is for Cooking is sure to be a hit with adults and kids.
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| More in Cookery... |
| Professor Murphy's History of Ireland |
Duncan Crosbie
€12.99, Gill Macmillan
Guided by the cartoon figure of Professor Murphy, children are brought from earliest pre-historic Ireland through to Ireland in the 21st century. Each chapter contains 2 double-page spreads, carefully divided into easily digested smaller sections. The book is illustrated in full colour throughout and includes: -
1 Prehistoric Ireland and the coming of the Gaels
2 New ideas and invasions, 5th-10th centuries
3 Confusion all around, 10th-11th centuries
4 The shock of the Normans 1169-1254
5 Irish Revival, 14th to 16th centuries
6 Rebellion, Plantation & more Rebellion 1590-1641
7 To Hell or to Connaught, 1641-1685
8 Protestants in charge, 1660-1790
9 Revolution & Famine, 1790-1850
10 Nationalism on the march, 1848-1914 (i)
11 Nationalism on the march, 1848-1914 (ii)
12 War of Independence & the Irish Free State, 1916-1923
13 Partition & republic, 1923-1960s
14 Economic & social liberation, 1960s – present
15 The Troubles and their resolution, 1960s – present
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| More in Irish / Gaelic Books... |
| Cool Camping: Kids |
Clover Stroud, Jonathan Knight, Andrea Oates, and Alexandra Tilley Loughrey
£16.95, Punk Publishing Ltd
You may have come across the “Cool Camping” series. If you’re at all interested in camping, they’re well worth checking out. Books in the series so far cover England, Scotland, Wales and France as well as a book about Camp Cooking. Now, they’ve just published “Cool Camping: Kids” which reveals Britain’s 60 best family sites – each carefully selected to guarantee happy kids. Think… adventure playgrounds, rafting ponds, rope swings and campfires; organic farms, woodland glades and buckets & spades; stripy bell tents, yurts, tipis and gypsy caravans pulled by real-live horses; fun lessons on outdoor survival – and, of course, loads of open space for kids to run round and round until they fall over dizzy.
Cool Camping: Kids steers clear of the big corporate sites with karaoke and fruit machines in the clubhouse and instead picks a stellar cast of some of the most family-friendly sites in England, Wales and Scotland, all of which exemplify the free-spirited sense of adventure that Cool Camping is all about. Cool Camping: Kids is also full of ideas about what to do when you’re there – and as cooking at camp is all part of the fun, the book includes a handy cooking section with some yummy treats which can easily be put together (with help from the kids) on a barbeque or campfire. A games section provides further inspiration for activities the whole family can enjoy – and which won’t cost a penny!
Cool Camping: Kids is published by Punk Publishing, a small, independent and wholly unconventional publishing company. The recommended price is £16.95 and it’s available from bookshops or on the internet. |
| More in Holidays... |
| Collins Complete Guide to Irish Wildlife |
Paul Sterry - with an introduction by Derek Mooney
€15.99, Collins
The essential photographic guide to Ireland's wildlife.
Complete Irish Wildlife describes almost all the mammals, birds, fish and butterflies of Ireland likely to be encountered by the keen amateur naturalist, as well as all the common and widespread flowers, trees and shrubs. With over 1,000 colour photographs, this comprehensive guide illustrates every species described. The introduction by Ireland's best known wildlife expert, Derek Mooney, sets out where you can find the best of Irish wildlife. Reptiles and amphibians, insects and spiders, molluscs and other invertebrates are also featured, and species are organized taxonomically.
Each section is coded with a symbol for quick reference and species are grouped according to natural relationships and similarities. With its handy format and PVC wallet, Complete Irish Wildlife is a book no nature lover should travel without.
Paul Sterry is author of the two titles above and has co-authored Complete North American Wildlife and is currently writing Complete British Birds (pub April 04). He owns the photo-library, Nature Photographers.
Derek Mooney is Ireland's best known media wildlife expert. His RTE radio show, Mooney Goes Wild has nearly 300,000 listeners (see www.rte.ie/mooneygoeswild), and he also presents Ireland's second most popular TV show, Winning Streak. He has just signed a three year contract with the BBC, and will be presenting Cabin Fever, which starts in June for two months. |
| More in Books for Grown Ups... |
| Child Obesity - A Parent's Guide |
Judith Manson
£8.99, Need2know
Child obesity has been described as a ticking time bomb, which is now as big a threat to society as global warming. Overweight children are never out of the news and obesity rates are soaring.
This comprehensive guide to obesity, its causes and effects, shows parents, carers and those concerned about children’s eating habits, how to defuse the time bomb and tackle obesity.
Using expert advice and the latest information, this book will help readers to find solutions to obesity by offering practical advice and achievable strategies which can be used to help children obtain a healthy weight, develop good eating habits and an active lifestyle. Child friendly recipes, food facts and progress charts are included.
Whether you think your child may be obese, or want to find out how you can prevent obesity, this essential guide is packed with all the latest facts you will need to help children live healthily.
Key Points
What Causes Child Obesity
Diagnosing Obesity
Physical and Mental Effects of Obesity
Tackling & Beating Obesity
Healthy Eating
Exercise and Active Lifestyles
Readership
Parents, carers and teachers.
Contents:-
Introduction
1. What Do We Mean by Obese?
2. The Causes and Effects of Obesity
3. How Can I Tell if My Child is Overweight or Obese?
4. Getting Ready to Tackle Obesity.
5. Small Steps to Success
6. The Basics of Healthy Eating
7. Making Healthy Eating Happen
8. Getting Active, Staying Active
9. What Will Success Look Like?
10. Useful Contacts and Resources
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| More in Health... |
| Carol Vorderman's Maths Dictionary |
Carol Vorderman
£8.99, Dorling Kindersley
Does your child find maths tricky? Are they stuck on their square roots or puzzled by prime numbers? Help is at instant hand with Carol Vorderman's essential maths explainer.
It's packed with hundreds of mathematical entries covering words, phrases, shapes, measurements, concepts, calculations and much more, making everything easy to understand.
Perfect for children of all ages up to the start of secondary or second level school (and for mums and dads who need a hand in helping out with maths homework!)
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| More in Schools... |
| LEGO Brickmaster Pirate |
Become a LEGO Brick Master
£16.99, Dorling Kindersley
If your child loves LEGO bricks, they'll enjoy this book complete with 140 fantastic LEGO bricks and 2 mini-figures.
Watch as they find out all about building with the LEGO bricks provided, then use the bricks again and again to build 15 amazing pirate models.
A perfect LEGO kit promising hours of playtime for seven to nine year olds.
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| More in Children Activities... |
| Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes |
Matthew Reinhard and Robert Sabuda
£19.99, Walker Books
Continuing the thrilling new mythological pop-up trilogy, the masterminds behind the phenomenal Encyclopedia Prehistorica turn their attention to the dazzling and the divine, bringing to life the Gods and Heroes of myth and legend. This stunning book takes the intrepid reader on a grand pop-up tour of centuries-old myths and legends from across the globe.
Explore the lush banks of the Nile of Ancient Egypt, and visit Zeus’s kingdom on Mount Olympus, high above the clouds of Ancient Greece. Touch down in the frozen lands of the Norse gods; venture to the Far East, where the Jade Emperor rules from the heavens; and on into the wilds of Oceania, where jealous Pele’s volcanic rage simmers just below the earth’s crust.
The divine Encyclopedia Mythologica series grows mightier still, as gods and heroes meet the kings of pop-up.
Suitable for five years and over. |
| More in Children's Learning... |
| Pocket's Christmas Wish |
Ann Bonwill
£10.99, Oxford Children's Books
A little rabbit's journey to find the meaning of Christmas.
Pocket is a little rabbit who wishes - from his whiskers to his bunny feet - that he might know the meaning of Christmas. When he hops out of his burrow on Christmas morning, Pocket finds some footprints left by children who have been playing in the snow. He follows the footprints to a cosy cottage where his Christmas wish comes true.
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| More in Seasonal... |
| Triskellion: Audiobook |
Will Peterson
£19.99, Walker Books
An audio CD of the first extraordinary novel in a new trilogy, combining nail-biting suspense, gripping mystery and archaeological adventure with a paranormal twist.
Rachel and Adam are sent to stay with their grandmother, following their parents' divorce. But the quiet English village is a sinister, unsettling place. Is there a dark heart beating beneath the thatched roofs of Triskellion? It is a place protected by an ancient, three-bladed artefact; a village where crops never fail and where the war memorial is blank; a community with much to protect. With the help of the mysterious Gabriel, Rachel and Adam begin to unearth centuries-old secrets and make a shocking revelation about their family’s past – and their own future...
7 CD set read by Teresa Gallagher. |
| More in Audio CD Books... |
| Amy Green: Summer Secrets |
Sarah Webb
£5.99, Walker Books
Teen problem-solving supremos Amy and Clover are trapped in family holiday hell – a week in rainy Ireland with a neurotic aunt, nagging mum, crazy step-dad and irritating cousin.
The summer seems set for disaster until Clover gets the chance to interview an American movie star for The Goss magazine. And there’s no way she's leaving Amy behind! Look out, US of A-mazing – here they come!
Suitable for 12 years and over. |
| More in Teens... |
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