First Books

The Pet-Moving Handbook: Maximize Your Pet's Well-Being And Maintain Your Sanity

admin — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 01:38:00 +0000

In today’s bookstore, finding a barebones look at anything can be a rarity. But if you’re considering relocating sometime in the next year and plan on taking anything from a fish to a flock of cats, it would be wise to consider investing in The Pet-Moving Handbook. At fewer than sixty pages, the guide is straightforward and frill-free in a field so often overrun with all things precious. The book offers basic, but commonly overlooked advice, covering topics from pre-move nutrition, budget considerations and finding a new veterinarian, among many other basic areas.

However, if you are easily upset by tales of animals lost or worse, it might be wise to skip over the vignettes sharing personal experiences of those who have experienced a move with a pet. Since a basic “We packed, we moved, the dog and ferret were fine” is not exactly titillating or educating, the real life tidbits offered here tend to stay on the darker side of things. In other words, I came away depressed and pretty much convinced that my Basset hounds are never leaving the house, much less the country.

The Pet-Moving Handbook, on the whole, is an essential guide for anyone wanting to find a new home with a furry companion, whether moving across the ocean or across the street. Practically any question you may have about relocation and animals is answered. I know, this seems unbelievable considering the size of the text, but somehow Straub manages to pack the book full of useful facts. Priced at under $10, the handbook really is a must-have investment for a pet owner. But trust me on the vignettes—those are only for the brave, the heartless, or the apathetic.

Written by: Corey Janssen, November 19th 2007

Newcomer's Handbook for Moving to and Living in the San Francisco Bay Area

admin — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:00:00 +0000

By Scott van Velsor

First Books

The Newcomer's Handbook for Moving to and Living in the San Francisco Bay Area covers just about every aspect of living in and around San Francisco. I mean everything! Including "Moving and Storage," “Getting Settled,” "Children and Education,” “Sports and Recreation,” “Transportation” and everything in between, this thick book answers almost any question about San Francisco.

The introduction to the book is just as cool: “San Francisco is the land of the 49er Gold Rush, the Great 1906 earthquake, and the missionary expeditions of the Spanish; it is the birthplace of Levi’s jeans and home of the railroad tycoon Leland Stanford; it is host to one of the greatest feats of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge, and as a cultural epicenter, it fueled the hippie flower-power revolution, gave rise to Rolling Stone magazine, and played host to beat generation poets.” Geez, now I want to move to San Francisco!

This guide to “America’s melting pot” provides information about the local lingo, so you will not feel too much like an out-of-towner. For example, “The Haight” is the famous Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, “The City,” always capitalized, “is the way natives and local newspapers refer to San Francisco” and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is “the under-and-above ground subway-style train network that connects the East Bay and peninsula with San Francisco.”

This guide also provides detailed information concerning the many municipalities of San Francisco, including web sites, area codes, zip codes, post offices, police stations, emergency hospitals, libraries, public schools, community resources and public transportation. The "Cultural Life" section is also pretty cool, providing tons of information about film festivals, music, theater, ballet and dance, restaurants, nightclubs, comedy, art, museums and anything else you can think of. San Francisco is one cool town, and this book is undoubtedly the perfect guide to moving there!

Written by: Kent Page McGroarty, August 2nd 2007

Max's Moving Adventure: A Coloring Book for Kids on the Move

admin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:13:00 +0000

By Danelle Till, Joe Spooner

First Books

Max’s Moving Adventure is a coloring book for kids who are dealing with moving from their home to a new place. This book is long overdue. I know from experience, as both a child and as a parent, what trauma this change can cause. But I decided to do something a little different with this review. I handed it off to my seven year old daughter, Ella. I asked her to read the book and tell me what she thought. The next day we had a fallen tree that uprooted us. We went to stay with family 50 miles away. Ella took the book along on a trip that would turn into a longer stay than expected.

Max’s Moving Adventure is appealing to this parent. Unlike the traditional coloring book, this book has a quality soft back binding, a colorful glossy cover and a decently weighted paper. The illustrations were fun to look at and had enough detail to make coloring fun.

I must admit I’m not a big fan of coloring books because they seem to deter creativity, but this story made me think of a children’s picture book. It had a message that most parents and children could relate to. Danelle Till covers all the emotions of a child moving. My favorite page is the cave family, who invents the wheel so they can move to a new cave. Excellent imagination. The activities are added entertainment.

But really the opinion of a parent only goes so far. What did Ella think of Max’s Moving Adventure? After pouring over the book, Ella asked me if she could keep the book because she wanted to work the puzzles. She also wanted to know when we were moving. The book so appealed to her. She loved the idea of coloring in a picture book, usually a forbidden delight. So, there you go. I give this book a high mark based on the reaction of an expert, seven year old Ella Hite. Buy this for your kids. They’ll love it.

Written by: Ann Hite, July 25th 2007