Boys Books

The book is a compilation of short stories about the most influential children that he has worked with over the years, and once I started it I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone (I personally think this would be a great book for expecting parents to read). You will learn so much about the developing brain and about how early childhood trauma can drastically shape the course of the rest of someone's life.

My Professor, Nina Mogar, is a friend of Dr. Bruce Perry. For her class she suggested we buy the book, because she incorporates it into her curriculum. Everything we know about children, will change when reading this book. This book delves into the neurobiology of children, rather than just studying behaviorism. Dr. Bruce Perry's stories from his own experience, helps us understand children. I also suggest that you visit this link: http://www.visualrecord.com/wishspace/education/childvideos375.html There you will find lectures from Nina Mogar, an extraordinary teacher who has fought for children for over 30 years. She is an amazing woman, and she said she will never retire until she gets the message out of helping children. But how do we define helping children? Both Dr. Bruce Perry and Nina Mogar shape that understanding, and know, what some may even say radical, ways to help children. They have challenged common ideas that we believe are okay to use with children such as: time-out, the idea that teaching children earlier is better, testing, teaching a child to share, recess being shortened, etc... things that many elementary schools are using in their teaching environment. This book will help you to help.

This book is a brilliant summary of the essential information for anyone working with children and families. I thank the authors.

Assisted by a talented science writer, child psychiatrist Bruce Perry presents a series of heartbreaking stories of children severely damaged by trauma. But that's only one side of this remarkable book. The other side is how many of these profoundly damaged children were assisted to heal.

Perry explains his "neurosequential" approach that sequentially targets brain regions left undeveloped by abuse or neglect. He presents compelling cases to illustrate how the child's age at the time of the abuse or neglect will determine the gaps in neurological development and how his interventions sequentially target those developmental gaps. For children whose brains were stalled out in infancy, for example, therapy may start with healing touch or rhythm before moving on to higher brain activities.

The focus, always, is on the child's humanity. Perry explains the importance of listening and letting the child set the pace. He warns of the damage caused by well-intentioned but poorly trained therapists who push children to open up, or who administer punitive interventions in the guise of treatment. Healing is not about a specific technique administered in cookbook fashion but, rather, about love, and restoring shattered human connections.

This is an enlightening and heartening book and a real page-turner to boot. The neurological underpinnings of the trauma theory are presented in clear English accessible to anyone who can read. If you're a mental health professional, psychologist, or psychiatrist, you'll love this book. If you're a parent or a teacher, it's also for you. Whoever you are, it's for you. I guarantee you will be engaged and inspired.

The book lives up to its fascinating title. Perry has worked for years with traumatized and neglected children and his take on dealing with them is based on research showing how the brain develops and the impact of neglect and abuse on it. In other words, if a child is abused or neglected in the first year of life (approximately), physical changes take place in the brain or rather, neurological connections that should be made, are not. (This is a vast simplification.) So as a child gets older and begins exhibiting antisocial behaviors that land him or her in special classes or even mental hospitals, it is not because he or she prefers to act this way but because the child's brain is unable to function in a way that enables him or her to become socialized. Perry, having done a great deal of research on this subject himself, spits in the eye of a lot of "accepted" practices when it comes to children's mental health. I'm always interested to read views that oppose the generally accepted norms. My daughter loaned me this book which she is reading as part of her Ph.D. program in pre- and postnatal psychology. It certainly fits right in with her assertion that we need to pay much more attention to what is happening in the first year of life (and before), not only because the child's personality is being formed, but because his brain is as well (and perhaps this is the same thing). The stories in this book are heart wrenching, but Perry does show that there are ways to help or at the very least, understand.

Playwright Jeremy McGuire presents O'Shaughnessey: A Boy and His Leprechaun, a chapter book for young readers that brings a legendary Irish creature to life. Young Bobby Mahoney has real-world problems - his parents are divorcing, and his little sister is sick; when he befriends a leprechaun that calls himself O'Shaughnessey (because faerie names cannot be pronounced by most humans), he is drawn into a magical world on the flip side of his own. Events in each world are interconnected with one another, and Bobby's journeys will lead him to confront hostile fairy folk and cave-dwelling Ban-Shees, and even take him to the depths of the fearsome Mountain of Shadows. A handful of black-and-white illustrations grace this modern-day fairy tale, highly recommended.

Bobby Mahoney suddenly finds himself friends with a leprechaun that was perched on his bedpost one early morning. This witty and friendly leprechaun, O'Shaughnessey, takes Bobby on small adventures of a lifetime.

But when trouble lurks within Bobby's own house, it is Bobby who has to convince O'Shaughnessey to go on the ultimate adventure to save a young life.

This entertaining story about friendship and family is brought to life by the colorful pictures drawn by the author himself, Jeremy McGuire. McGuire creates a tale that entwines fantasy and the real world. This short children's novel is sure to be a fun and exciting read for all kids.

Reviewed by: Steph

Bobby Mahoney woke up one morning to find a leprechaun sitting on the bedpost. Not knowing what to do, the young boy stayed silent as the little man chatted on about nothing. Bobby was quite glad when his mother called him.

Later that day, Bobby and his little sister Maggie were scheduled to have a day out with their Dad. Bobby's Dad had recently moved out so Bobby was looking forward to spending some time together. If only Maggie didn't have to come. She was such a pain.

Their day was cut short, because of Maggie. At first, it seemed like she'd just eaten too much junk food but once the doctor examined her everyone realized that Maggie's condition was quite serious. Only Bobby understood how dire the situation really was and only he could do something about it.

Bobby Mahoney, the central character in this story, wakes up from a nightmare only to find a leprechaun, named O'Shaughnessey, sitting on his bedpost. Bobby stares quietly at the tiny creature. Before he gets a chance to speak, his mother knocks on his door. The leprechaun disappears and Bobby is left wondering if he's imagined the whole encounter.

He hasn't. The leprechaun reappears later when Bobby comes home from spending the day with his Dad. His parents are divorcing, and Bobby and his sister spend a day at the fair with their Dad. When they come home, his sister is sick and Bobby is tired, so he goes to lie down in his room.

H is greeted by O'Shaughnessey, who has hidden in Bobby's bed. The leprechaun takes him on his first adventure into the land of the leprechauns. What starts as a grand adventure ends in fear, as Bobby hears the cry of the Ban-Shee, the messenger of death. He asks what the Ban-Shee's wail means. O'Shaughnessey tells him, "It means that you or somebody close to you is dying."

The next morning, Bobby finds out his sister is dying. He talks the Leprechaun in taking him to see the Ban-Shee on the slim chance, the very slim chance, he can avert his sister's death. In his quest to do so, he encounters many strange and unusual places and creatures in the magical world of leprechauns.

Jeremy McGuire tells a good tale, and the narrative flows easily. It's a tale of hope and of fighting against all odds. However, there are many cases of incorrect punctuations (such as missing quotation marks) and some grammatical errors throughout the text. I doubt the younger set would even notice them, but as both a writer and an editor, they are very evident to me. That aside, this is a story worth reading. 4 stars.

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker
This engaging tale is told as if by a traditional Irish shenache, a traveling storyteller who earned his room and board by spinning yarns in family cottages. Bobby Mahoney is a seven-year-old boy who wakes up one morning to see a leprechaun named O'Shaughnessey sitting on his bedpost. Very few human beings have "the gift" to see the faerie folk. Bobby's parents are divorced, and he lives with his mother and his sister Maggie, but the children get to be with their father once a week. That same day, Bobby's dad arrives to take him and Maggie to the fair, but when they return home Maggie is very sick. That night, Bobby and O'Shaughnessey take a trip in the leprechaun's magic hat to visit another leprechaun named O'Sullivan. While there, Bobby hears a Ban-Shee wail, meaning that someone he knows is dying.

It turns out that Maggie has scarlet fever and is not doing very well. So the next night, Bobby and his leprechaun go to the cave of the Ban-Shees so that Bobby can see if something can be done to save Maggie. The Ban-Shee tells Bobby that the Coachman of death will take Maggie unless Bobby can keep it from leaving his fortress at the Mountain of Shadows on time, "when the first light paints the eastern sky...not a moment sooner, not a moment later." So the following night, Bobby and O'Shaughnessey take O'Sullivan to see if they can stop the Coachman. Will they make it in time? Will they be able to achieve their goal and save Maggie? Will Bobby's actions have any effect upon his family?

The author, who has been an actor, director, and teacher, is primarily a playright. This is his first work of narrative fiction. There is much to appreciate about this book. Anyone who is interested in novels based on Irish folk will surely enjoy it. It might also be helpful for children who are having to deal with a situation of divorce in the family. Unfortunately, not everything in life turns out exactly the way we would want, but we can learn to adapt and try to make things better. While there are lessons about love, courage, truth, self-awareness, discovery, the worth of money, and the importance of family, most of all it is just a fun book to read. It gets kudos from me.

The purpose of a book, in my opinion, is to take the reader away and allow him to experience what the author writes about. McGough has done an excellent job of doing this in his debut.

As a kid, I was obsessed with baseball. It was a rite of passage in our country for young boys to collect baseball cards and idolize the players on their faces. McGough was able to gain access to this world, which is a privilege most of us would have died for. He preserves that childlike wonder throughout this book. Rather than becoming annoying, this tone allows the reader to empathize with McGough's struggles and cheer at his triumphs.

The book also gives a fresh new look at the inner workings of a baseball team. Most sports books are written by players or journalists. Both groups have a certain detachment from society as a whole. McGough is an average kid from New York city with an average kid's problems. He writes about how his grades suffer, struggling to talk to girls, and other situations an adolescent male would find himself in. The difference is that most kids don't have millionaire pals who will lend a helping hand in impressing a young lady. McGough's description of his interactions with the players is very humanizing. In a way, McGough takes these players off the pedestal society has placed them on and shows the reader they are average guys.

This book is my favorite baseball book by far, even surpassing Jim Bouton's Ball Four. If you have a baseball fan in the family, get this book for them. You won't be sorry.

You don't need to be a Yankee fan or a baseball fan to enjoy this book. As a diehard Red Sox fan, I feel guilty that I've taken a liking to a Yankee's team written about in this book. Mr. Mcgough does an incredible job of making you feel that you're part of the locker room, in the dugout, and on the field with the team.

If you are a Yankee fan who remembers the team of the mid-80's era, this book is a nice walk down memory lane. It's a quick, easy read written in an enjoyable narrative style, and it provides the reader with an inside glimpse that most of us Yankee fans would have given our left foot to experience.

This was an amazing book and probably one of the best autobiographys I've ever read. Growing up in California I've been a hard core Oakland a's and San Fransico Giants fan. Reading this book makes you love the Yankees. Mr.Mcough's writing gives you the feeling that you're actually at the baseball game. Matt gives you a full on description of everything he does and if he does something bad or gets in trouble it makes you relate when something like that happened to you. It's great description and humor this definitely a must read for anyone.

I can't recommend this book enough for any Yankee fan who suffered through the '80's and early '90's. Perfect read for a day at the beach or a plane ride.

Not having the time to sit and read many hard copy books, I listen to audio books while I do my work around the house and garden. Like those who read the book of this title who said they couldn't put it down, I found that I hated to have to turn off the cassette recorder! I do think that I perhaps got more out of the story by listening to it, because I was able to hear the Navajo language spoken as it should be, rather than just reading the unfamiliar words and not knowing how they would actually sound. The Navajo language is both beautiful and seemingly impossible for a non-Navajo to pronounce! No wonder it made a perfect method for coding information! I recommend this to everyone, young and adult.

Ned Begay, a six year old kid, who had to leave his Navajo home, in America and join a boarding school, had to learn the English language and the American ways. In the boarding school, he was not allowed to speak his native language and if he did, there were consequences. Japan was one of the most powerful countries, at that time. Soon Japan started attacking America and World War 2 began. Marine recruiters started looking for Navajos to join the Marines. Ned Begay joined the Marines. He was a code talker, who was not allowed to tell anyone, not even his own family. He would send and receive messages in a secret code. The code was extremely difficult to learn and only a Navajo could learn it. For every letter in the English Alphabet, a Navajo word was assigned. After a lot of practice of the code, Ned was shipped to Hawaii, to battle the Japanese. They had to take an exercise on the big island of Hawaii to experience all kinds of terrains. They had to cross a desert, on foot, in two days and everyone had only one bottle of water. By second day, everybody had collapsed, and only the Navajos had water left. The Navajos were nothing but the best. They had to write a letter to the Colonel to get some drinking water in the desert. After a few days, Hawaii was filled with blood, and dead bodies. Read the book, to find out what happens next. I liked the book " Code Talker " because of the facts that are in the book. One fact I learned was Japan took food from the poor and gave them to their Army. The food was donated to Japan by America, before the war.

Ned Begay, a six year old kid, who had to leave his Navajo home, in America and join a boarding school, had to learn the English language and the American ways. In the boarding school, he was not allowed to speak his native language and if he did, there were consequences. Japan was one of the most powerful countries, at that time. Soon Japan started attacking America and World War 2 began. Marine recruiters started looking for Navajos to join the Marines. Ned Begay joined the Marines. He was a code talker, who was not allowed to tell anyone, not even his own family. He would send and receive messages in a secret code. The code was extremely difficult to learn and only a Navajo could learn it. For every letter in the English Alphabet, a Navajo word was assigned. After a lot of practice of the code, Ned was shipped to Hawaii, to battle the Japanese. They had to take an exercise on the big island of Hawaii to experience all kinds of terrains. They had to cross a desert, on foot, in two days and everyone had only one bottle of water. By second day, everybody had collapsed, and only the Navajos had water left. The Navajos were nothing but the best. They had to write a letter to the Colonel to get some drinking water in the desert. After a few days, Hawaii was filled with blood, and dead bodies. Read the book, to find out what happens next. I liked the book " Code Talker " because of the facts that are in the book. One fact I learned was Japan took food from the poor and gave them to their Army. The food was donated to Japan by America, before the war.

This is a great book. Not much else to say. 5 stars!! especially if you are into fictional stories based on real historical events!

Bruchac has created a terrific historic novel that has enough action for young male adults and enough history and research to appeal to an adult audience. Bruchac does a wonderful job of giving a sense of the complexities of growing up on a Navajo reservation in the first half of the book. The irony of a nation trying to wipe out the Navajo language but using it as a crucial means of communication during 20th century wars should not be lost on the reader while reading the second half of the book. Bruchac's narrator tells this tale in an even-keeled, even-tempered manner. The reader is allowed to gain his own sense of injustice our nation has inflicted upon its Native American population. Bruchac's description of the progression of America's involvement in World War II's Pacific campaign is well laid-out and dramatically presented. Highly recommended.

A must book for anyone who wants to understand why so many black boys and men seem to be targeted by the society for failure, criminality, jail, etc. I highly recommend it and the rest of rhe volumes in this series.

As an educator who strives to find direction on how to break the negative experience in pre K-12 education for a high number of Black male youth, I find this book, along with the other two in the series, to be informative and innovative when it comes to establishing a marker for administrators to use in order to monitor the teacher-student relationship and provide the positive environment that is necessary for all students, especially the Black male youth, to succeed.

This book is a must read for parents of African American boys and boys of color.

Reading this book revealed unfortunate truths that were not surprising to me at all. Serving as a public educator for over twelve years, it's sad but true as to why young black males at a very young age lose the desire, hope,and will to do better in school settings due to the facts listed in this book and many more since this book was written. I was overjoyed to see that Marcus Garvey Academy, a school that I taught at for eight years under the sincere leadership of Dr. Harvey Hambrick was mentioned. I was honored to read that Dr. Kunjufu took notice to how Marcus Garvey Academy in Detroit, Michigan and other schools assume pivotal roles in contributing to the solution to this horrible epidemic impededed on the futures and lives of young African American Males. Dr Jawanza Kunjufu did a great job at presenting multiple truths and the sad reality of how young black males are unfortunately targeted from the start.
Adra Young
Author of: The Everyday Living of Children & Teens Monologues

This an Dr. Kunjufu's many other books are exceptional in the fact that he details the facts straight to the point. I enjoy his methods of writing without pullng any punches. I wish that I had read this before my son started grade school, but now he is in the 4th grade and he went from being placed in special education, to a 4.0 dean's list GPA. God bless the power of prayer and guidance. Anyone can change their situation. I also just finsihed my Associate in Business, and I am in my Bachelor's Degree program right now for Marketing. Of course I will go on to the Masters programs and Doctorates. Learn for life...

"Please share a priceless thought through literature" "Give God the glory"

Thank You Dr. Kunjufu

My son is going to have an eagle court this fall and I am going to use this book to help me plan his eagle court. It has alot of great information and ideas. I think anyone trying to plan an eagle court should have this book.

This book made my son's Eagle ceremony. Dryse became and Eagle Scout with two of his friends /troop scouts. They each had several different ideas of what to do at their combined ceremony. With the help of this book the program they put together was perfect. The program was reverent, imformative, funny and touching. This book helped them to outline what they wanted in the program and a timeline to be able to complete the tack at hand. Each boy took on parts of the ceremony to orginize and their leadership skills they learned on their road toward Eagle shined through.

Very well laid out...a quick read that contains great ideas and sample formats for the big night.

I will be planning an Eagle Court of Honor in the near future. This book has all the information I need to be ready soon. I am no longer worried, just busy.

For thoses to strived past hardships and challenges, put aside the confusion and ease the anxiety when preparing for this important event. No matter what kind of Eagle you are, you'll find this book helpful in making the best ceremony possible for you that commerating the achievement few and many met. Say you are non-religious, thats ok, though reverent is one of the twelve points, there is a ceremony pertaining to your interest and devotions of causes. If God fearing is what defines you, look no further than to prayers and poems that are appendixed. Any Eagle with the eye for the creative can think up and use almost any ceremony easily and gain publicity effortlessly. Other items, For your Information, though, can be purchased from Mark Ray. Both this book and other items are a great helpful in making the best Eagle Court of Honor.

this book is a great heartfelt story about a teebage girl who feels like she is less than what the world hopes for. Jess, the main character of this novel, is theaverage girl who has always felt like she isnt enough. she is best friends with the prettiest girl in school and has a crush on her seemingly perfect match. This story brings to life the precarious uncertainty of teenagerhood end the decisions made inthat time. it is a wonderfuk book and expresses the trial and error that lfe is.

The book Girl 15, Charming But Insane is an amazing book about the life of an 15 year old girl going through many problems teens do today. Jess(the main character) is faced with many problems, such as boy problems, family problems, and friend problems. Next to her best friend Flora; "the goddess" as Jess calls her, Jess obsesses over finding many things wrong with herself. When things could not get any worse, Jess' grandmother comes to move in with her. Jess still tries to focus on trying to get her "eye candy" Ben Jones and trying to start a new band.

What i liked about the book is that it was easy to relate to and gives great advice. Also, before every chapter started, it gave a funny horoscope for the sign virgo. One of them is "You will realize that the laundry basket is possessed by the devil". I think these were fun to read. This book is manly targeted toward 14-15 year old girls, but anyone can enjoy and relate to Jess' decisions and problems she faces everyday.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it until 4:00 a.m.

Think of it more as a comic book (well, it's not) rather than a piece of literature. You will laugh through it and certainly enjoy it a lot.

That's excatly how the book was. A great read, and very real. I had a great time reading this book, and at one part, was nearly dying of laughter! (The part where Jess goes to the band's rehearsal). A Fabulous book recommended for everyone.

This is one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. It's full of laugh-out-loud humour...yes, I was actually laughing out loud!

The story is about Jess, a budding comedienne who has been trying without success to gain the affection of her long-time crush, Ben. Unfortunately, she is constantly being overshadowed by her "perfect" friend Flora. As a result, she'll go to any lengths to get his attention, including stuffing her bra with minestrone soup-filled bags! The result is a whole lot of craziness and laughs.

This book is definitely insane and charming. While some of the events seem a little too crazy to be real, you will definitely get a kick out of reading about them.

Personally, I am not much of a book reader, but I know the Flick Family and are good friends with them. When Lisa said she was writing a book I knew I had to purchase it and see what it was like. She is a wonderful person and the book truly displays her work.

The book took me to places I didn't think I could take my imagination. It is a great mystery book but also makes you want to keep reading it until you are finished. Great job with the book Lisa and I know you are working on the second one and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book was very well written and it kept you in suspense through the entire thing. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

A friend gave me this book to read, and it took me about a month to actually find time to open it up. Once it was opened I had a real hard time putting it down. I read it in two nights, staying up til the weee hours of the morning both nights just because it was absolutely fascinating. It has a great plot and the whole story keeps you on the edge of your seat. I am buying my own copy of this book to have. Great book L.A. Flick!

I loved your book. I got it as a present personally signed by Ms. Flick. I read the book in less than two days. I could not keep my hands off of it or my mind from thinking about it. Once you start reading it, it is easy to follow. It kept me at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. As a native from the area the story of Katie's Church always caught my attention. Though I understand that this book is a work of fiction it made it so much more interesting being able to have a correct mental picture of the place. This was a wonderful book, well written for teenagers and young adults looking for an exciting adventure. Keep up the good work and I hope to see more books from you in the future!

"Katie's Church" by LA Flick was a very intriguing book. I couldn't put it down. It was very fast moving and kept you intrigued by going from 100 years into the past then back again to the present. It was like 2 stories at once which all came togther in the end. LA Flick gives you a clear picture of the characters and the surroundings they live in I felt as though I was there. I will be looking forward to the author's next book.

After I had a short version of "Kentucky Bad Boy" from David, I made a trip to our local book store and ordered it. It arrived in about a week and I started reading it. Almost immediately I came to realize that even though the stories were in two different states and at two different times, it reminded me a lot of my childhood growing up in rural North Carolina. David has a way of describing events that makes you feel like you are living your childhood again. Congratulations on a well written book, can't wait to read the next one.

This book is filled with truth. It is a good picture of life in Eastern Kentucky from 1938 til ? A place where old wives tales and folk lore took president over facts or fiction. Hardships, love laughter. These shine through. Good reading. It takes one into an area most people only wish they could go to. Keep up the good work David.

I may be a little biased when typing this since david is my uncle, but i thought the book was fantasic. i had heard bits and pieces of most of the "storys", but never the whole thing.once i started reading it i couldn't put it down.i loaned the book to a few friends at work and have heard only good reviews from them,i have,will and do recamend this book. keep up the good work uncle dave and don't let suzie edit to much!

I just wanted to start out by saying, I am another relative of David but, we have never met. After finding out I was related to David I found out he had written this book, I immedately went to the book store and ordered it. As soon as I recieved it I began to read it and I couldn't put it down. Before I knew it I was on page 17 with a smile on my face. It was great to hear from someone else besides my father about life in Kentucky. I also liked hearing about the mischief David got himself into. This was just a great book all the way around.

VERY GOOD JOB!!!

I enjoyed this book so much that I read it again. David S.Rains
writes with pure wit and vigor. His words consist of a series
of stories about the bountiful events that occurred during a young boys life who grew up poor but full of life. It left me
feeling that this man who is alive today must be strong, intelligent and sophisticated. His tales are so delightful and
interesting that yawning while turning pages was never a problem. Five thumbs up for David S. Rains!
Katherine Ann Smart

This P.O.V. book, the first title in the series, is enjoyable for adults as well as its intended kid audience. It never fails to make me laugh whether I am reading straight through or diving in for a chapter or two.

I bought this book for my Nicholas. I love it more than he does. What a wonderful book. You will enjoy reading it to your children.

I read these many times in French (I grew up in French Canada). My son, a native Californian, discovered them at the library in English, and now wants to own them all. We both loved these books...it's like reading about Calvin without his Hobbes. He's a funny kid.

With all due respect to Ms. Coogan, contrary to her Editorial Review published herein, there is an earlier English translation of Le Petit Nicolas; published under the title, Young Nicolas.

It was translated into American English in 1961 by Ms. Stella Rodway for Hutchinson & Company and published in 1962. I know because I received a copy of this book in 1967.

The Phaidon Press version, published in 2005, is actually a 1978 Anthea Bell translation into British English.

With all due respect to Phaidon Press and Ms. Bell, I much prefer the American English translation over the Phaidon Press' Anglicized version (which renames all the key characters, changes a key nickname, and includes British phrases like "He looks a right twit with that bunch of flowers!").

Personally, when I am reading stories about an adventurous French student, I expect to find French names and phraseology. And who could forget Monsieur Dubon, "the Potato", saying, "Look me in the eyes!"

Fortunately, the humor of Monsieur's Goscinny and Sempé transcends all these minor concerns and thus the book deserves the score given.

What a sweet and funny book! I bought this for my own Nicholas when he was about 8, and I read it to him aloud. During the chapter about Old Spud, we were both laughing so hard I couldn't continue! It is such a simple story of a little boy's everyday escapades, but I love its old fashioned charm.

Written in 1959, it almost pre-dates television (Nicholas is hoping that his father will buy a TV, but he has seen it at a friend's house). Nicholas and his friends play games that would now be politically incorrect, but back then were just good fun.

My Nicholas is approaching his 10th birthday, and he still re-reads it, and considers this his favorite book.