Tuesday, August 27, 2013

173. Deadly Animals Ultimate Top Tens by Kim Dennis-Bryan



Meet the World's Most Dangerous Creatures

The author has come up with rating systems to determine the most deadly predators in three categories: Dinosaur Hunters; Lethal Killers; Fierce Predators. The lists contain well known species like the African Lion and Killer Whale, as well as a few surprises and lesser known creatures.

Monday, August 12, 2013

172. The Mountain of Adventure by Enid Blyton

 The four children, their parrot Kiki, mother/aunt and "Old Bill" plan a quiet holiday in North Wales. However, as usual, adventure finds the children when they go off riding donkeys on a camping trip. First published in 1949 this story does not meet today's standards of political correctness particularly in Blyton's handling of black and Japanese characters.

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

171. The Messanger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi


Zouroudi asserts that when living in a village on a small Greek island, social mores, family pride and long memories shape your decisions. Hermes Diaktoros, frequently referred to as "the fat man" arrives from Athens to solve the mystery surrounding the death of wife of a local fisherman. Was it murder or suicide? And if Diaktoros isn't a policeman, who is he?

Monday, July 29, 2013

170. With All Due Respect by Ronald G. Morrish

Keys for building effective school discipline
A guide for teachers on how to use discipline instead of negotiation and consequences to achieve an effective, safe learning environment. Moorish's method is broken down into three triplets: Training (rules, limits, authority; Teaching (skills, attitudes, knowledge) and Management (independent choice). A good resource to keep on hand.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

169. The Castle of Adventure by Enid Blyton


Jack, Phillip, Dinah and Lucy-Ann befriend a feral "gypsy" girl named Tassie who joins in their adventures when exploring an abandoned castle with a mysterious past. Secret passages, hidden rooms and suits of armour all figure in the plan to capture the criminals and recover of the treasure.

168. The Sea of Adventure by Enid Blyton

The children are off of school so that the can recover from the measles. When their mother falls ill, their old friend Bill agrees to take them to a remote island in Scotland. He is hiding out from a band of rogues that caught on to his trailing them. As always, it becomes an adventure featuring their parrot Kiki, rats, puffins and "the enemy".

Thursday, July 25, 2013

167. The Wealden Iron Industry by Jeremy Hodgkinson

A very accessible and well illustrated history of ironmasters and gunfounding in the Weald from Roman times to the 18th Century. Hodgkinson explains the processes used to make iron and the workforce, buildings and transportation aspects of production.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

166. The Valley of Adventure by Enid Blyton

 After stowing away on the wrong airplane, the children find themselves in a remote valley hiding from treasure hunters. Using their wits and survival skills, the four kids and their amusing parrot Kiki help capture the rogues and save an elderly couple who have been guarding the treasure for years.