Upstairs Downstairs

This title takes the reader on a journey through the day in the life of the workings of homes during the Edwardian era. Starting with the work done by the servants before the family had even started to stir and culminating with the preparation and sophistication of a dinner party.

Arriving at the great houses of 1920s London, fifteen-year-old Margaret’s life in service was about to begin... As a kitchen maid – the lowest of the low – she entered an entirely new world; one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and even bootlaces to be ironed. Work started at 5.30am and went on until after dark. It was a far cry from her childhood on the beaches of Hove, where money and food were scarce, but warmth and laughter never were. Yet from the gentleman with a penchant for stroking the housemaids’ curlers, to raucous tea-dances with errand boys, to the heartbreaking story of Agnes the pregnant under-parlourmaid, fired for being seduced by her mistress’s nephew, Margaret’s tales of her time in service are told with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye for the prejudices of her situation. Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants, Below Stairs is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman, who, though her position was lowly, never stopped aiming high. 'Enormous gusto, salty humour, wisdom' Evening Standard 'Shrewd, unabashed, wickedly funny, a unique front-line report of her life's experiences' Jack De Manio, BBC

Between Emma Peel and tire Ministry of Silly Walks British television had a significant impact on American popular culture in the 1960s and 1970s. In Something Completely Different, Jeffrey Miller offers the first comprehensive study of British programming on American television, discussing why the American networks imported such series as The Avengers and Monty Python's Flying Circus; how American audiences received these uniquely British shows; and how the shows' success reshaped American television. Miller's lively analysis covers three genres: spy shows, costume dramas, and sketch comedies. In addition to his close readings of the series themselves, Miller considers the networks' packaging of the programs for American viewers and the influences that led to their acceptance, including the American television industry's search for new advertising revenue and the creation of PBS.

his wonderful generational story, a classic in its own right, celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary in a new, full-color edition, joining the other appealing picture books in which Tomie draws upon his childhood memories. In re-creating the art, Tomie says, ?Creating this art was as emotional an experience for me now as it was then.??In a quietly touching story the author-illustrator depicts loving family relationships so that even the very young reader can understand the concept.??- Publishers Weekly?Children will want to hear this again and again...? -- School Library Journal (starred review)

This is a collection of the following poems:Ode to the WindTempus FugitThe Coldness of the FireplaceWinter, Oh So PowerfulSilent SnowflakesSpring - FinallyThe Lonely ScarecrowThe TunnelThe RainbowMacbethThe Oak TreeWoodDusty DreamsIt is the Thought that CountsHappiness Guaranteed!A MiracleMy Daughter Is BornHealthThe Jigsaw Puzzle of your LifeA New Beginning

“Delightful. . . . A real winner.”—School Library Journal “The friendly, cooperative tone of the text is reminiscent of the Frog and Toad series.”—Kirkus Reviews “Yee’s comfy beginning reader (dedicated to ‘Friends of Frog and Toad’) . . . packs in plenty of sweetness and civility.”—Publishers Weekly Mouse and Mole are neighbors. Mouse lives inside an oak tree, and Mole lives in a hole underneath. They are neighbors, but they are also friends. Sometimes friends make mistakes—but they always try to help each other out. That is what Mouse and Mole do.