Mad Reader Book 1 (Mad Reader)

Book Description

First of the anniversary reprints, with material from 1954 paprback.

Customer Reviews:

Good material, bad format.......2005-08-12

This book comprises the earliest issues of MAD, which were fantastic, and featured the work of comics legend, Wallace Wood among others. But be warned: The book is trade paperback sized, and THE ORIGINAL PAGES ARE ROTATED AND PRINTED ACROSS THE SPINE. The book should just be reprinted with a page per page layout, then I wouldn't have gotten the headache reading it that I did.

Changed my life!.......2004-04-03

I dunno, maybe I should say "ruined my life". But it was worth it. I read this paperback, consisting of reprints of the earliest (mid-1950's) Mad Magazine articles, during my formative years. It is responsible for putting a lot of subversive, politically incorrect ideas into my head about the way the world worked -- you know, like how men pursue women with curves, and women pursue men with money; basically all that good stuff that mature people pretend isn't true. And, by the way, I'm not suggesting that we can't or shouldn't struggle to rise above our lowest animal inclinations; I'm merely insisting that we can't rise above those inclinations until we admit they exist. The world is such a serious place that only the clown is allowed to speak freely. And these clowns set my head spinning. I'm not alone in saying this: A surprising number of people will tell you that early Mad was a seminal influence. Oh, and one special detail, aside from everything else: The artwork of Bill Elder is simply brilliant. I can stare at a Bill Elder panel for hours, always finding yet another gag within a gag within a gag.

Buy this book! Give it to your kids!

Mind Warping Humor At It's Best!!!!!.......2003-11-02

I had this paperback as a kid and loved it and still do. It makes me miss the days when Mad would advertise 100s of paperbacks by the letter pages.

The stuff looks best in black and white. The humor still rings true today even though the subject parodied may not be.

Part of the fun is that you can look for days at the art and still find new things hidden within.

Potrzebie.......2002-04-03

I never thought I would see reprints of the original MAD paperback collections, but now, thanks to ibooks, I'm a happy man. This particular book reprints the first paperback, which itself was reprinted material from the early issues of the MAD comic book (yep, it used to be a comic, and much more comic-oriented). It includes classic work by Kurtzman, Davis, Elder, Wood, et al., that holds up surprisingly well today and is much funnier than MAD will ever be again. Enjoy the parodies of Dragnet, Archie, The Lone Ranger, and Superman vs. Captain Marvel, as well as goofs on the Comics Code, the HUAC hearings, and much more. Sure, some of the humor may be dated... sure, some of it may be over people's heads... but that's part of the appeal of classic MAD: the historical and cultural aspects of the humor. The average joe won't pick this book up and instantly understand everything within, but with a little studying, plus reading the excellent introductions to this edition, you'll get a good idea of the prevailing attitudes of the time, as well as the changing face of humor in the media. It looks like ibooks intends to reprint a significant number of the MAD paperbacks, which can only be a good thing in today's humor market.

The Berenstain Bears' Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze (First Time Books(R))

Average customer rating:

No one will like this because it is true
True to life story but where's the ending????

The Berenstain Bears' Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze (First Time Books(R))
Stan Berenstain , and Jan Berenstain
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679889582
Release Date: 1999-03-16

Book Description

The peace and calm of life in Bear Country is disrupted by the arrival of Bearie Bubbies. The cubs will do anything to get their hands on these adorable, collectible little toys. As the fad gathers momentum, the cubs--not to mention Mama and Papa--start to feel the strain as they resort to desperate measures trying to get their paws on as many Beary Bubbies they can. With their usual folk wisdom and keen insight, Stan and Jan have tackled a subject that's near and dear to today's kids and parents alike.

Customer Reviews:

No one will like this because it is true.......2005-01-03

This book came right on the heels of the Beany Baby toy craze, but it fits perfectly for anyone, kid or grownup, who spends more time/money/interest on whatever the latest craze be, (Barbie, Yu-gi-oh, Digimon, the JFK auction, etc). I read this one out loud to my son, putting in sound effects and laughing at the characters, at the little whaddevers they were maniacally trying to buy, at the monomania of the cubs over the whole mess. I fear this may hit too close to home for some people--ever notice how many Beanys turn up at yard sales these days? SPOILER ALERT!!! As another reviewer noted, there is no real ending, the story just trails off, with Brother Bear's "What the heck did we just do?" look, and nobody's really learned anything. Now of course, there is a moral regarding passing fads, but it's just not as spelled out as explicitly as in most of the other books. Personally this had me on the floor laughing, my favorite line being "the only thing you could do with them was just LOOK at them", but I can see where other parents would object. Buy this one at your own risk, and write your own ending.

True to life story but where's the ending????.......1999-08-29

Berenstain Bears First Time Books usually touch upon some true to life problem that children encounter in their lives. The stories end with some meaning, helpful solution or an understanding that maybe it's not really a big problem. "Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze" does neither of these. The story is true to the Beanie Baby craze but there is no solution or even an understanding at the end. My children and myself were for the first time truly confused and disappointed with an ending of a Berenstain Bear book. If the goal of the book was for the children to come up with better ending to this story, then we succeeded. I will still continue buying this series but I will not recommend this book to anyone.

Average customer rating:

Another Nice Primer - a review of "I Am Mad!"

I Am Mad ! (Real Kids Readers. Level 1)
Susan Hood
Manufacturer: Millbrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0761320865

Download Description

A young girl is upset when her sister purposely messes up her dress.

Customer Reviews:

Another Nice Primer - a review of "I Am Mad!".......2006-03-07

This is a Level 1 reader (for "children who are just beginning to read") in the Real Kids Readers series. If you are not familiar with the series it is photo based, which means that there are large, bright photos of children, pets, and adults that give `clues' as to what the story is about. Expressions are generally exaggerated so that even young children can figure out what the actors are thinking.

In this book, naughty Liz sprays the unnamed heroine's dress with what looks like grape juice. This makes our heroine mad and she huffs and puffs, gets red, and otherwise expresses her anger. That is until mom comes to the rescue, offering both to dry her tears and remove the stain. [Note: naughty Liz gets time-out, and the two girls end up playing together nicely. ]

Vocabulary is very simple and includes: I, am, mad, Liz, acts, bad, I'm, snack, mess, makes, have, pink, drink, dress, huff, puff, red, all, yell, a lot... and the like. The Font is large, and there are generally only two very short sentences per every other page.

Four Stars. Simple sentences and vocabulary make this a good beginners primer. I think children can identify with the frustration of the occasionally difficult playmate.

Lunch Walks Among Us (Franny K. Stein Mad Scientist, 1)

Average customer rating:

Lunch Walks Among Us
Colorado mom
Diann
Funny and silly and a great message too!
Laugh out loud!

Lunch Walks Among Us (Franny K. Stein Mad Scientist, 1)

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689862911

Book Description

SUGAR AND SPICE?
NO WAY!

Customer Reviews:

Lunch Walks Among Us.......2007-04-27

Franny K. Stein is a mad scientist who prefers all things spooky and creepy, but when she has trouble making friends at her new school so she takes notes on what the other kids do differently so she could do them and make friends. Untile one day she threw her lunch in the trash can and another boy threw chemicals in the trash can to and the food and chemicals combined and formed a monster nobody knew what to do. Except for Franny and so franny did an experiment and made a nice monster out of bolonga. The nice monster threw the bad monster all the way up in space and eveybody were happy and they all started liking Franny and they all made friends with her even though she was different. The nice monster became a janitor for Franny's school.

Colorado mom.......2007-04-25

My 7 year old daughter checked this book out. We, (my daughter, 8 yr old son, and me) think this book is great. It's funny and encourages children to be who they really are and not to try to be something phony just to fit in. There are parts that make you just laugh out loud. That's rare for me when I read children's books, and I've read a lot of them.

I didn't purchase this book but I just wanted to give it my support and endorsement. We've requested the other 4 books from our local library. I hope Benton keeps writing about more intelligent, funny, original and strong young girls. Benton should get this made into a Saturday morning cartoon & get rid of the boring Bratz-esque junk that our girls have to look at.

Diann.......2007-02-24

I ordered a copy of each books from this series for our school library. Now there is never one on the shelf, when one is returned it is quickly checked out again by another student. I have now ordered more copies. My daughters love the books. This one is sweet, it show's how Franny struggles to fit in and make friends. In the end she is accepted and loved for who she is.

Funny and silly and a great message too!.......2006-11-23

My daughter refused to read chapter books, even though she was in third grade already! That is, until we found Franny K Stein. After reading all the Franny so far released, she is finally reading other chapter books. And some days she doesn't want to put them down!
The books are so funny, and full of puns, which is something kids this age really like. And the "monsters" are very silly. And I'm really happy about all the positive messages it sends. The books show girls can be good at science and girls can like gross stuff like slime or boogers, and about how you should always be yourself and that you can be friends with someone even though you have differences.

Thank you Jim Benton for helping my little girl take the next step to enjoying reading!

Laugh out loud!.......2006-11-13

My seven year old was not a big fan of reading until we found the Franny K. Stein series. He has read all of them and laughs out loud. I highly recommend them and so does my son!

Mad Maddie Maxwell: Level 1 (I Can Read Books)

Average customer rating:

Surprise! "Pray to the Lord"
Mother of 2 girls
Mad Maddie Maxwell
A keeper
My daughter loves this book.

Mad Maddie Maxwell: Level 1 (I Can Read Books)
Stacie K. B. Maslyn
Manufacturer: Zonderkidz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310714672

Book Description

This full-color, illustrated story on forgiveness is clever, fun, and has a great story line about a girl who can't find her jump rope and accuses several people of taking it. For ages 4-6 from MOPS.

Customer Reviews:

Surprise! "Pray to the Lord".......2006-12-28

Why isn't anyone mentioning that this is a religious book? Not that I mind, really, it was just a surprise after reading these reviews.

Mother of 2 girls.......2001-03-24

This is a beautifully written and eye-catching book that deals with a very real issue of being a "hot head" and saying you're sorry. Both my girls (aged 18 months and 5 years) love this book and want me to read it over and over! I often substitute their names for "Maddie" when they are acting like her! Perfect for teaching little ones to think before they act and to consider other's feelings.

Mad Maddie Maxwell.......2000-05-24

This book is scary. I thought it was for my daughter, but when I read it, I discovered it had lessons for me. What a terrific story and teaching tool.

Any parent would benefit from having this wonderful book in their children's library. The art work is adorable and intriguing, but the story is compelling and stimulating. I hope other parents find this book as encouraging and comforting as I did.

This is a great model for other teaching stories that can help parents teach important attitudes and behaviors to our children. Thank you Stacie.

A keeper.......2000-03-30

We have 7 grandchildren and they all are a handful. This book was an instant hit and now they are saying they are sorry, but not feeling any shame. The story opened up a whole new world of communication with them. Thanks for a great gift.

My daughter loves this book........2000-02-24

I am the mother of a firecracker of a four year old who is just like the title character. Already she is talking about "saying sorry" like Mad Maddie. She repeats the frolicing rhymes along with me as I read. And I don't even mind reading it again and again (and that's saying something!). Books with a moral don't have to be humdrum. The illustrations are endearing too. This book's a keeper.

Book Description

Valerie Harper has a message for women of a certain age: "Work those laugh lines!" With the irreverence and wit that made her one of television's most beloved personalities, Harper (a.k.a. Rhoda Morgenstern) takes on those phony "fabulous at 50" books written by women whose skin is free of laugh lines and who wouldn't know a cellulite pocket if it bit them on the backside. With her trademark shoot-from-the-hip, call-'em-like-she-sees-'em style, she helps women celebrate, with humor and grace, what it means to be middle aged.

Harper's essays explore the treacherous terrain women must travel -- from the tyrannies of fashion to the unmentionables of menopause. She tackles the most perplexing questions of the day: If you wear a size zero, do you exist? Would menopause be revered if it happened to men? Do calories count if you eat standing up? Are dressing rooms fitted with fun house mirrors? Today I Am a Ma'am is the perfect antidote to the youth obsession of our culture, offered by America's most reliable girlfriend. It is Humor Replacement Therapy for midlife women, a book you can pick up when ever you need a laugh or a reminder that midriff drift is not the end of the world.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read For Any Age.......2004-01-31

Valerie Harper's Today I am a Ma'm is a must read for all ages. Valerie sets forth the many feelings and thoughts that we all have as age creeps upon us and all of a sudden we realize "Hey what happened? I was just 21 years old". The younger generation could serve well to read it also and realize what Mom is up against and that their turn will also come. I've re-read Valerie's book at least 7 times. It is written not to emphasize what is happening in a negative way - but to make light of what could be traumatic to some. I URGE anyone who needs a light approach to growing older to read it. It just doesn't get any better than this. And to Valerie I say thank you so much for giving us a "smiling approach to aging".

this one's a keeper.......2002-01-17

Valerie Harper's book will make you laugh out loud, and reach for the phone to share the lines with your friends "of a certain age." Universal humor shines with universal truths, and wisdom.
This book is for women who have lived and laughed and have the grey (or in my case, as a former redhead, white) hairs, and grin wrinkles, to prove it! Valerie Harper reminds us that life at any phase, is to be celebrated.

If you are 40 and over, you will really enjoy this book.......2001-12-30

This book was a quick read and good for deep hearted laughter. I say it is for those over 40 as you have to have lived some of life to see the realistic humor and feel it as well. Enjoy!

Write your biography instead, Valerie.......2001-08-23

This audio cassette is a huge disappointment. Not only is the content unamusing, but Valerie reads the lines s-l-o-w-l-y ... perhaps to try to fill 90 minutes (yes - the whole thing, unabridged, fits on one 90 minute tape!) How many pages were in the book version I wonder ... 6? It is hard to fathom what Valerie is trying to achieve with this mis-mash of supposedly woman-empowering babble, but she has failed dismally - she isn't even funny or interesting when quoting the odd line from Rhoda. Valerie, if you read this - PLEASE sit down and write your autobiography. I am sure all your fans would much rather hear about your rise to TV superstardom than hear tired old rants along the lines of "wouldn't it be different if men got menopause", etc.

Cute but not enough original material.......2001-05-31

Although Valerie has always been one of my favorite actors and comes across in interviews as one of the most sincere personalities out there today, I was disappointed in this book. It seems that most of the really funny stuff was mined from the internet and after being online for 6 years myself, it wasn't the first time I had seen it. (such as "If Men had menopause" and "Diet Fibs") There were also many cliches about aging that were, frankly, OLD. The book (and publicity material) also uses a phrase that was coined by someone else, but that person was not given credit. As a writer myself, I'm very surprised that credit was not given for the "Humor Replacement Therapy", which is a trademark of the minniepauz.com site that Valerie mentions in her book.

I did enjoy the stories that were original. We always like to peek inside a celebrity's life and hear familiar names mentioned. Also, the illustrations were very funny. I guess I just expected more from one of TV's funny ladies.

Average customer rating:
Today I Am a Ma'Am: And Other Musings on Life, Beauty, and Growing Older
Valerie; Whitney, Catherine; Tulka, Rick Harper
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEAVAG

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