This Bethlehem Budget Book contains two books in one softcover volume: Old Sam, Thoroughbred Trotter (copyright 1955) and Old Sam and the Horse Thieves (copyright 1967).

Old Sam is the story of two young boys (ages 10 and 12) living in the wild Dakota Territory of the 1880s and their crippled – but extremely capable – horse named Old Sam. They are based on the author's own homesteading experiences as a young boy. Although there are similarities in time and location, unlike the Little House books which focus so much on family life, the Old Sam books are more like adventure stories about the two boys and their horse exploring the strange untamed land around them, "hunting" for wild animals and "bad guys" and proving to others how great Old Sam really is. A delightful story even on a very simple level, with many funny and interesting plot twists (I had to re-read favorite chapters aloud to Daddy at dinner time under persistent urging from my children), the book also portrays an important historical look at pioneer life and the author shares wisdom in experiences relating to using one's head, dealing with neighbors and the importance of courage, fortitude and basic competence. Naturally, the book makes especially great reading for boys and horse-lovers. Our family enjoyed this book so much as a read aloud that my husband and I ordered a number of copies for Christmas presents for our godchildren.

The second story focuses on Johnny and Old Sam's role in unraveling the problem of a band of horse-thieves plaguing the neighborhood. Although still quite young, Johnny's competence and fairness earn him the respect of the Sheriff and other important men of the town. A really great story, this is bound to be a family favorite. It is the sort of story that will likely help reluctant readers (especially boys in mid-grade school) learn to appreciate a really good book. It also touches upon some tough questions about fairness and justice that young readers can grapple with alongside the hero of the book.

In the Bethlehem Books catalog, this book is recommended for ages 5 - 10, but I think many of the stories will be appealing even for preschoolers. The stories have been carefully chosen to be interesting to children at the "fairy tale age". Many of the saints chosen are knights and princesses with adventures and lessons to share with your children. Some parents may not like the informality of her story-telling style, but I think most will appreciate using this book to foster an interest in the Saints at a very young age.

The second volume, More Once Upon a Time Saints, brings us more stories of the saints.

Our own Number Seven has read this new picture book aloud to me countless times since I picked it up at the library last week. She loves it! Perhaps it is because the numbers in the story stop at seven... or more likely it is because the book gives the colors personality and emotion, creating interesting twists to a fun story.

Product Description:

Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don’t like what they see, but what can they do? When no one speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about accepting each other's differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count.

A couple of sample pages:

Othello, which we studied in tenth grade, is a dark play, a tragedy brought about by Othello's surrender to Iago's campaign of deceit. Although this is the main idea of the play, quite a few characters and twists and turns maintain the suspense. The title character Othello is a general and Iago's commander. Iago is angered at Othello's promotion of a less-experienced soldier (Cassio) over him; moreover he is in the pay of Roderigo, a rich man who wishes to marry the beautiful Desdemona. However, Othello has already won over Desdemona and married her. In his hatred, Iago plots to ruin Othello's life by convincing him that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, thereby exacting revenge on Cassio as well. In this, he succeeds, with tragic results. I found it easy, even at that age, to relate to the characters in this play. They are drawn with depth and are believable. In particular, Othello's inner struggle is very realistic -- we in the audience want to shout at him that Iago is lying, that he should trust Desdemona. Major themes in this play are love, trust, jealousy, and free will. Pride and insecurity also play important parts in the drama. The consequences of wrong choices are all too clear, as are the consequences of putting one's trust in the wrong person. Questions to consider might include: Why does Othello believe Iago? What could he have done differently? Othello doesn't go in one quick step from newlywed in love with his bride to murderous jealousy. What are the "little steps" by which he allows himself to be led on this road?