Books with author Steve Mark

Ready for a trip to the zoo? Kids can visit the animals anytime they want with the fun AmazErasers: Zoo kit! With 6 collectible puzzle erasers, a 48-page activity book, reusable stickers, and double-sided colored pencils, kids can create exotic safari scenes with giraffes and zebras, discover what their zodiac animals reveal about their personalities, and even design their own zoos! Loaded with games, puzzles, doodling, and more, kids are in for hours of zany zoological fun!

In the midseventies, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. This book is, in his own words, the story of "why I did stand-up and why I walked away." Emmy and Grammy Award winner, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company, and a regular contributor to The New Yorker, Martin has always been awriter. His memoir of his years in stand-up is candid, spectacularly amusing, and beautifully written. At age ten Martin started his career at Disneyland, selling guidebooks in the newly opened theme park. In the decade that followed, he worked in the Disney magic shop and the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott's Berry Farm, performing his first magic/comedy act a dozen times a week. The story of these years, during which he practiced and honed his craft, is moving and revelatory. The dedication to excellence and innovation is formed at an astonishingly early age and never wavers or wanes. Martin illuminates the sacrifice, discipline, and originality that made him an icon and informs his work to this day. To be this good, to perform so frequently, was isolating and lonely. It took Martin decades to reconnect with his parents and sister, and he tells that story with great tenderness. Martin also paints a portrait of his times -- the era of free love and protests against the war in Vietnam, the heady irreverence of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late sixties, and the transformative new voice of Saturday Night Live in the seventies. Throughout the text, Martin has placed photographs, many never seen before. Born Standing Up is a superb testament to the sheer tenacity, focus, and daring of one of the greatest and most iconoclastic comedians of all time.

Did you know that America’s favorite pie is apple? Or that it takes about 50 licks to finish off a single scoop of ice cream? Or that before cupcake pans were invented, people baked these miniature delights in teacups? These facts—and more—are waiting in the AmazErasers: Sweet Shoppe kit along with hours of activity fun!The AmazErasers: Sweet Shoppe kit includes an activity book where kids can work their way through a cake maze, complete a baking crossword, and even design their own cupcakes! They’ll use the collectible puzzle erasers, reusable stickers, and double-sided colored pencils to color candy confections, test their word scramble talents, and explore their creativity by coming up with captions to deliciously delightful dessert photos. They’ll even take a quiz to discover what type of cupcakes they are!With this exciting kit, every second is a sweet treat!

How can you murder those who are already dead?The Poppleham Ghosts is a Young Adult novel by UK author Steve Martin. Kevin Beeston is a 15-year-old on work assignment with his father's company. The company demolishes old buildings, replacing them with mass-produced buildings. In one of the buildings Kevin encounters a group of ghosts. He finds that these spirits are tied to the old buildings and once the building is destroyed, so are they. Kevin then begins a campaign to save the natural habitat of the Poppleham Ghosts.The Poppleham Ghosts is more than a ghost story and is more concerned with the manner in which the modern world is increasingly sterile and mass-produced and leaves no place for the imagination (symbolized by the ghosts).This is a book that will appeal to Young Adults making the transition from childhood to adulthood and battling with the pressures and realities of today’s world.

Did you know that there are more than 300,000 fast-food restaurants in the United States? From hamburgers to hot dogs to pizza to ice cream, they serve up some of our favorite treats. But no kid can have these delicious goodies on a daily basis. So when they’re dreaming of the drive-thru, this exciting doodle and activity kit is the next best thing!AmazErasers: Drive-Thru includes a fun and exciting activity book where every kid can doodle to his or her heart’s delight. They’ll use the collectible puzzle erasers, reusable stickers, and double-sided colored pencils to complete tic-tac-toe games and mazes, add silly faces to fun food-related characters, and take quizzes to discover what type of ice cream they are. They’ll even explore their creativity by designing their own restaurants and menus.Burgers and fries, ice cream and whipped cream, kids and AmazErasers: each and every one a perfect pair!

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Have you ever wondered what dogs are thinking? Or how they see their world? Steve Marsh became an “accidental dog whisperer” one day when he sensed his Black Lab-Rhodesian Ridgeback was trying to tell him about an idea for a book of haiku. What resulted was Dog-ku, a genuinely funny celebration of dogs (and their issues!). Featuring haiku on topics ranging from treats, food, and hygiene to commentary on cats, squirrels, and other breeds, Dog-ku tackles the wonders and frustrations of dog life from a dog's perspective. Utterly irresistible and totally relatable for dog-loving humans of all breeds, Dog-ku is sure to have you laughing in a mere three lines and seventeen syllables! Advanced Praise for Dog-ku:“Funny furry wordsA sweet book to give; to getWarm wise and woofy.”--Mordecai Siegal, bestselling author of Dog Spelled Backwards"It's a dog's life! Zac and Steve tell it like it is with charm, wit, and thoughtfulness....A must-read for all dog owners who hear the lovely sound of their dogs' hearts and voices in their heads." --Charlotte Reed, author of The Miss Fido Manners Complete Book of Dog Etiquette

By Joseph Boone September 30, 2008 With a number of hit movies under his belt, it's almost easy to forget that Steve Martin first earned fame doing stand-up comedy. In the late 1970's he was selling out large arenas, appearing regularly on Saturday Night Live and the Tonight Show, and spinning platinum comedy albums excerpted from his act. He made it look easy and was wildly successful until he walked away in the early 80's. In this book, he takes a look back at the path that led him toward all that fame. While he begins with childhood, he limits himself to events that were formative to his career. The narration is honest and concise. Whether he talks about failures in himself or others, he adopts a matter-of-fact tone that deftly avoids dips into self-pity or bitterness. As the book continues, we learn all of his major stepping stones from Disneyland to the Bird Cage theater at Knotts Berry Farm, and so on. Martin traveled a winding road to stand-up success and is brutally honest about how much he had to learn for so long early in his career. Yet, with each step, you can see the progress as he figures out how to create his own unique comedy voice and make it work. There are many things that could be said in favor of "Born Standing Up." From my perspective the most important are these two. First, I felt like I knew Steve Martin better when I finished reading than when I started. That may seem an obvious result of any biography but it can only be said if the author is genuinely candid. The second thing is that I both like and respect him more as a result. Not because he paints a perfect picture of himself, but because he is honest about his shortcomings and how he dealt with them. It was a true pleasure to spend this time in his company and I hope he writes a sequel someday covering the experiences of his movie career. ( Amazon customer review)