Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse 10th Anniversary Edition
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (19 August, 1996)
list price: $15.99 -- our price: $10.87
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Editorial Review

The irrepressible mouse heroine of Chester's Way and Julius, the Baby of the World returns for another true-to-life and very funny episode. Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, Mr. Slinger--until he takes away her musical purse because she can't stop playing with it in class. Lilly decides to get revenge with a nasty drawing of "Big Fat Mean Mr. Stealing Teacher!" but when she finds the kind note he put in her purse, she's filled with remorse and has to find a way to make things right again. Children will sympathize with Lilly's impulsive mistake and laugh uproariously at the witty and expressive pictures of the very human mice. In a starred review, Publisher's Weekly called this book "sympathetic and wise." (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Classroom Lessons
As a teacher I am very careful in the books that I select to read to my students.Kevin Henkes provides rich lessons in many of his books and this one is no exception.I generally use "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" to begin a discussion about what is proper classroom behavior.Lilly brings her movie star glasses, shiny quarters and purple plastic purse to school with her one day.The problem occurs when Lilly just can't seem to leave her treasures in her desk, and instead continually interrupts the class.She's excited and she wants to show off her new items.Lilly exhibits typical child egocentric behavior.The lesson that she learns however, is priceless, especially when she rashly leaves a naughty drawing of her teacher behind!

The artwork is cute but the really wonderful and funny part of this book, as in most of this author's work, is the captions.If you love this book you will also love "Julius the Baby of the World", also by Mr. Henkes.

Use this book to talk to your students or your children about good manners, consequences and forgiveness.

Wonderful Classroom Tool
I believe that Lilly's Plastic Purple Purse by Kevin Henkes is a wonderful book for children to read and a child will gain life lessons from reading this book, along with the other books by Henkes.Lilly's Plastic Purple Purse has a unique way of making Lilly, a mouse, came to life and allows the reader to connect with her.
I believe that this is a great book, and the book also meets the criteria of "what is a good book" in Children's Books in Children's Hands by Charles Temple. This book expands awareness for children, on behaving in the classroom as well as sharing with other students. This book also provides an enjoyable read for children and offers a valuable lesson, but it doesn't overly teach or moralize. This book has a wonderful theme on learning about share time and when to share your favorite things with others; however Henkes does a wonderful job with not overly teaching or moralizing. Also, this book tells the truth. The classroom setting in this book allows for students to relate by being in similar circumstances. Many young children are very eager to share their things with the class, and this book tells the truth about when to share and how to behave during class and also to the teacher. This book by Henkes embodies quality. Although the main character in this book is a mouse, the facial features illustrated and the dialogue allows for the character to become believable. Also, the plot is very convincing and the integrity of the book is satisfying. The plot, language, characters, theme and illustrations all come together to make a satisfying whole. Lilly's Plastic Purple Purse, along with many other books by Henkes, has originality and shows the reader the world from a unique viewpoint. In each of his books, more on this one, he stretches the mind of readers and offers new possibilities for them to think about.
I believe this book is a wonderful tool to have in the classroom for its moral teaching as well as the illustrations. If you enjoy reading this book by Henkes, there are many more out there with other mouse characters that are just as wonderful and appealing to young readers.

So many lessons in one fun book!
My 4 year old daughter LOVES this book.Mostly because she can relate to Lily's excitement about her new plastic purse that plays a "jaunty tune", her glittery movie-star sunglasses, and her jingly coins.I love it because it offers so many little lesson to discuss along the way.We talk about how Lily could've handled things better.We talk about why the pictures show her getting smaller and smaller (she feels remorse for her actions). We talk about how telling her parents what she had done was a great decision because they were able to help her correct her mistake.And, we talk about what to expect at school and how to have good manners, respect, etc.Lily is such a loveable character, and so much like my daughter that it's just natural that we both love her and this book so much!A must have for all pre-school/early school aged girls! ... Read more

Isbn: 0688128971
Subjects:  1. Animals - MiceHamstersGuinea Pigsetc.    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Fiction    5. Humorous Stories    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Mice    8. School & Education    9. School stories    10. Schools    11. Social Situations - Emotions & Feelings    12. Teachers    13. Toys, Dolls, & Puppets    14. Juvenile Fiction / Toys, Dolls, Puppets   

The Graduate (Special Edition)
by Anne Bancroft Dustin Hoffman
Director: Mike Nichols
Average Customer Review:
DVD (08 June, 2004)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $11.21
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Editorial Review

Few films have defined a generation as The Graduate did. The alienation, the nonconformity, the intergenerational romance, the blissful Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack--they all served to lob a cultural grenade smack into the middle of 1967 America, ultimately making the film the third most profitable up to that time. Seen from a later perspective, its radical chicness has dimmed a bit, yet it's still a joy to see Dustin Hoffman's bemused Benjamin and Anne Bancroft's deliciously decadent, sardonic Mrs. Robinson. The script by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham is still offbeat and dryly funny, and Mike Nichols, who won an Oscar for his direction, has just the right, light touch. --Anne Hurley ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen

Reviews (146)

Great movie, bad DVD
I won't do a movie review, since that has been done by many others, but I do want to comment on the DVD.I did not get the 25th anniversary edition (no booklet or commentary), but I did get the wide-screen version.I had the video version, but could not bear to watch it because of the full-screen aspect and the things you missed.I have seen the movie before, in a theater.

Saying that, I was really dismayed and disturbed by the lack of quality of the transfer to the DVD.The sound quality was the worst, with background noises completely drowning out the conversation (and I am careful not to include the scenes where that was intentional--there were a number of scenes on the DVD where you literally could not hear the dialogue because of wind noise, door slams, ice clinking, etc.).There were times when the sound just blared at you, and other times you had to strain to hear, sometimes in the same scene.Again, I know when a director is intentionally using sound to set up a scene, and I have seen this movie before, so I know what it is supposed to sound like.

The quality of the picture was lacking at times as well, but the biggest gripe is the sound.It really distracted me from the movie, and is a reason I am giving the DVD away.I want to have the movie in my collection, just not this DVD.

Mike Nichols Classic Film
I must say when i first saw this movie i fell in love with the story. Yet it does become repetitious towards the end. This is the movie "i am certain of" that made Dustin Hoffman what he is now.




"Are You Trying to Seduce me Mrs. Robinson?"

not bad, but it doesn't speak to my generation
I was very excited to finally watch "The Graduate," and indeed I found it engaging, well-paced, and well-acted...until the last half-hour.I found this last part, starting from where Ben goes to look for Elaine at Berkeley, contrived and a real disappointment.It's almost like two different films put together.

Think about it:Ben suddenly starts obsessing over this girl with whom he's had a total of *one* date with, then starts exhibiting stalker-like behavior toward her.Implausibly, this actually works on Elaine, and she starts showing interest in him.But instead of working on things like, say, getting to know her first, he instead starts pestering her about getting married immediately!What's his deal?I found him very creepy and unromantic during all this, and less in love with Elaine than unhealthily obsessed with her.As for her, she's still in college and hardly knows him.What's she thinking?

I guess all that setup is necessary for the generational showdown at the film's climax, when Ben drags off his love from her wedding ceremony with another man.So it looks like the young people win the battle of the generations, but what is the message there?Is it:you older people can try to stop me, but I'll just take whatever I want anyway?Ben strikes me as less of an non-conforming rebel and more of a self-centered and immature brat (no baby boomer jokes here, please).

Now to be really sacrilegious:I love the songs of Simon and Garfunkel, but except for a few places, they don't really fit the directing style nor the content of this film.And do we really need to hear "Sound of Silence" three times?

There are some great things about "The Graduate":the directing and editing are excellent, Bancroft is amazing (the film needs her in the third act!), Hoffman is also very good, and their scenes together are the best parts of the film.It's also very funny in a dry, British-style of humor.It's too bad the film's final act had to ruin it for me.

I can see how this this film was embraced by an entire generation, but as a child of the 80s, not the 60s, it doesn't really speak deeply to me.A comparably cherished film from my generation might be "The Breakfast Club."Perhaps in 20 years, my kid will watch that film and have the same reaction that I had to "The Graduate"! ... Read more

Asin: B00000K0DS
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

This giant-size cookie cutter can be used for much more than standard cookie baking, although its giant 4-1/2-inch width is perfect for occasions when you want to wow your guests with The Big Cookie. The stainless-steel sides are sturdy enough to make great stencils for the kids, as well as molds for Jello or even homemade soap or candles. The squishy rubber gripper is helpful for folks with arthritis or carpal tunnel, and it's easier for small hands to grip (though the giant size may be tricky for very young kids). With this six-petal flower shape, you can have lovely pastel blossoms at your next tea party--there's even a recipe included. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Asin: B00004S7YX

Progressive 5-Piece Canning Kit
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $9.99 -- our price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

If you're pickling and jam-making come late summer, Progressive's canning set offers five tools that will greatly simplify the process. Progressive's jar lifter has wide, contoured, vinyl-coated tongs, allowing you to get a tight grip around jars and lift them out of hot water without breaking them or burning yourself, and the plastic-coated handles keep hands cool. The magnetic lid lifter, a long plastic wand with a magnet on one end, safely extracts lids from boiling water. An extra set of vinyl-coated tongs is great for removing blanched fruits, such as tomatoes or peaches, from boiling water. The kit's plastic funnel has a small enough spout for any canning jar--and an extra-wide mouth to prevent splatter when you're pouring hot jam. The final accessory is a nonslip, vinyl-coated jar wrench. None of the items are dishwasher-safe; clean them by hand with soap and water. --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Features

• Hand washable only
• Five-piece set: funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter, jar wrench, and tongs
• Vinyl coating improves grip and prevents heat transfer
• Extra-wide funnel mouth
• Ideal for home canning

Reviews (7)

Trust me you'll this!!!
I just started canning--after watching my mom and grandma do it all of my life.They have all the gadgets and I was really intimidated at first.However, once I found a water bath canner and a few recipes that looked easy, I set out on my own.My first task:quick mustard pickles.Impatient as I was, I set out canning BEFORE I ordered this set.My mom told me that I really needed a jar lifter above anything else.She was right!I stood staring at the bubbling water trying to think of some way to get the hot jars out of the water without breaking them or burning myself!I finally managed it but it wasn't easy.The funnel would have saved me from making a complete mess of my counter top.The jar wrench (pay attention previous reviewer) is for loosening the rings when they're too snug.I can remember when my mom would forget to take the rings off before storing her canned wonders only to discover a few months later that the rings had rusted.A jar wrench would have really come in handy. The lid magnet will also save you some time and aggravation too.Without it, I was forced to fish for the lids with medal tongs. I later found out that this isn't wise since the medal can scratch the sealant and cause your seal to fail. Chopsticks?They might work sometimes but I found that my lids would stick to the bottom of the pot that I was sterilizing them in. Chopsticks are too cumbersome in my opinion.Finally, the coating will help protect your jars.Using bare metal can weaken your jars, and you don't want that!

For under $10, this set will pay you back many times over.Canning is all about organization and speed.The faster you can get your goodies into the jars and sealed, the better your chances for a successful canning experience.Who wants to spend half the day preparing your harvest only to have to throw half of it away due to spoilage?Sometimes gadgets are a good thing.

One last tip.One of the previous reviewers lamented about the difficulty in finding canning supplies.Amen!The internet seems to be the only way to go unless you have access to old time country stores.Two websites that have helped me tremendousely are canningpantry.com and mrswages.com.

Great set for the price...
I got these for my wife for Christmas 2003.She wanted to start canning.She canned a bunch of pinto beans and loved the set.It is a rather low end set but for the price and frequency of use it is worth 5 stars.

Not a necessity.
This was a nice set of canning tools I THOUGHT I needed. The wide-mouth jar funnel and the jar lifter are about the only items I regularly use, although the lifter is a bit akward. The magnetic lid lifter is nice but if you can use a pair of chopsticks they work just as well. Also I already had the pair of tongs in the set, and what is the jar wrench for? It's a good set to have around but with some imagination, and a working pair of hands, you can still manage to can and preserve to your hearts content without it. ... Read more

Asin: B00004RDF4
Subjects:  1. Specialty Tools   

OXO Good Grips 34881 Ice Cube Tray
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $3.99 -- our price: $3.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

No more ice cubes slithering across your counter or floor and no more sloshing a just-filled ice cube tray on your way to the fridge--Oxo has come to the rescue with this nifty, easy-release tray with a sliding lid. Just fill the tray with water, slide the lid on, and slip the tray into the freezer. The lid design allows you to stack more trays or other items on top: a great space-saving feature. To dispense the ice cubes, slide the lid in either direction until the desired number of cubes are exposed, then flip the tray over to release the cubes. The clever lid design lets you release a single cube or a dozen, and both tray and lid have a solid feel, with just the right amount of give. Sliding the lid on a just-filled tray, however, takes a little practice (the lid sticks a bit), but placing the tray on a firm surface and sliding evenly and firmly should do the trick. --C. Whitney-Ward ... Read more

Features

• Cleans with warm soap and water
• Lidded ice cube tray with ergonomic grips
• Easy cube-release system works every time
• Cover reduces odor for fresher ice cubes
• Stackable design

Reviews (19)

Ice cube tray so fancy you can't use it
I LOVE OXO items.They make some great products, unfortunatly they make some bad ones too.This is a bad one.I bought this so store leftover chicken stock in (I saw someone making leftover stock into stock cubes and saving it for another day).Well I filled up the tray and started to put the lid on, which make the stock start spilling out.After fighting with if for like a mintue I decided, well there is no way I'm going to be able to carry this perfectly level across the kitchen so keep it from spilling so I gave up.OXO should discontinue this item.

I hate these
They drip water on the way to the freezer from the sink, the cubes are small, they are hard to open when frozen.

Great item if you like spills and mopping up water
I bought this tray on a Gold Box special as I needed new trays and this one sounded like it would solve a couple of problems with the lid feature. Well, the lid works to keep the ice from evaporating (subliming) and makes stacking easier, but filling the tray and getting it to the freezer makes a mess! The shape does not allow multiple ice pockets to fill, and the V-center makes a perfect ditch for water to run down, out and onto the counter, floor, and into the freezer. Luckily, the item was inexpensive as it went into the trash can following one use. ... Read more

Asin: B00004OCLA
Subjects:  1. Specialty Tools    2. Ice    3. Barware    4. (Bar Ware)    5. Bartending   

Roshco 100-Piece Plastic Cookie Cutter Set
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $12.99 -- our price: $7.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

With 100 shapes to choose from, this cookie cutter set offers kids the perfect combination of fun and education. Placing the cutters in their various categories, for example, is a playful exercise that teaches abstract logic and builds confidence. Categories include letters, numbers, geometric forms, animals, plants, vehicles, symbols (such as adollar sign and a question mark), seasonal themes, and miscellaneous shapes such as an umbrella and a bell. The cutters are formed of stiff, durable plastic, are colorful and fascinating enough to be used outside the kitchen, and are dishwasher-safe. A tip to grandparents: keep this set handy as a special treat, unique to your home, for little visitors. --Fred Brack ... Read more

Features

• Cutters are stiff, durable plastic--dishwasher-safe--in many colors
• Cutters form cookies in a huge array of fun, educational shapes for kids
• 100 shapes include numbers, letters, geometric forms, animals, plants, vehicles
• Sports (baseball bat, tennis racquet, etc.), seasonal (Santa, pumpkin, etc.)
• Symbols (dollar sign, question mark, etc.), miscellaneous (umbrella, etc.)

Reviews (26)

not worth the money
these are not worth it. the dough get stuck in the cutter and it is very hard to get the dough out. I had to stop right in the middle of baking and go and buy metal cutters to finish my holiday cookies.I will now give these to the day care next to me for the kids to play with.

SIMPLY VALUE FOR MONEY, unlimited by imagination!
Hmm... Roshco 100-Piece Plastic Cookie Cutter Set - simply value for money!

If you have kids below 16, go for it.
As for me, I am forever young at heart especially with this 100 cookies cutters!

As for baking, some of the cutters are so BIG (so will be the cookies! I have to watch my weight!), unless you have a baking party for kids.
Each kid get to choose their favourite cutter to bake the cookies. Parental supervision is a must since the cookies dough do get stuck on some cutter.
At the end of Baking Day, each kid get to bring home - their prized cookies of the favourite shape! Hey MUM, LOOKED! My football cookies!

Another option, kids can draw outline of the various cutter on Art and Craft Day, and PAINT their Mona Lisa masterpiece!

Whatever you want to do with this cutter, simply limited by ones's imagination!

Exploit and explore.
I am sure many did especially with the alphabet and number cutters.

psst...the cutters occupy reasonable amount storage space.

Big ones
The cookie cutters are good... that is if you like to make cookies the "american" size!! Boy! They are BIG, so not only the cookies are going to be huge but you need a lot of space to store the whole collection. As for the shapes I was dissapointed with the selection, it is not that great. I love the complete alphabet though. ... Read more

Asin: B00004SCOJ
Subjects:  1. Cookie Cutters    2. Cookie Stamps    3. Baking Utensils    4. Tools