Clive Barker's Books of Blood: Volumes I, II, & III

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Clive Barker's Books of Blood: Volumes I, II, & III

Author: Clive Barker

First line: The dead have highways.

Why you should read this book: In the early 80s, Barker reimagined the horror genre in this visceral and relentless trilogy of short stories featuring demons, hellspawn, monsters, murder, sex, revenge, and the occasional run of back luck and bad timing. Running the gamut from darkly funny to starkly disturbing, this is fiction dredged up from the cauldron of deep-seated human fear. Barker's characters are human, whether or not they're actually human, infused with pure and strong emotions in the face of the most terrible things a man can imagine.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Um...the blood? Not for the faint of heart.

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Studies show that children who regularly hear books read and see adults reading books have an easier time learning to read. If your children do not realize that books are fun and contain interesting ideas, they will be less motivated to learn how to read and write. Children who do not learn to read and write have difficulty succeeding in school and at life.

Even infants can enjoy books. You can check baby board books out of the library. Your baby will enjoy sitting on your lap as you read the words and point to the brightly colored pictures. If your baby wants to chew on the book, that's OK too.

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You can learn more about children's books at the American Library Association website. Your public library is a great place to introduce your children to books. They will have special programs and incentives for kids of all ages to love reading. In most systems children are entitled to their own library cards from the time they are old enough to write their own names. It's a great way to teach responsibility as well as foster a lifelong love of learning and books.

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Dragon's Library

Wednesday, October 17, 2007