The stars are the ratings by Amazon.com readers (1-5 stars). When Amazon stars are not available, I have often provided personal commentary.

The Algonquin Cat
Schaffner / Delacorte Press
The story of Hamlet, the famed cat and caretaker of the Algonquin Hotel. For children and adults.

Eloise
Thompson / Simon & Schuster
The well-loved story of Eloise, the precocious and mischievous little girl who lives at New York's Plaza Hotel. Eloise is exceptionally self-confident with a personal mandate of "Getting bored is not allowed." Rediscover your “inner child” with Eloise. For children and adults.

Fun Places to Go With Children in New York
Brown / Chronicle
An excellent guidebook for traveling with children in New York – both the city and the state. Useful and helpful commentary about well-known and lesser-known sites, historic houses, museums, and fun places to visit with children.

Letters to Phil: Memories of a New York Boyhood: 1848-1856
Schermerhorn / New York Bound
An intimate and delightful recounting of growing up in a more bucolic New York in the mid-19th Century. Charming illustrations by the author who was a member of New York’s elite Schermerhorn family.

Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
Swift / Red Wagon Books
This classic and well-loved children’s book was so emotionally powerful that it generated a movement to preserve the “Little Red Lighthouse” under the immense George Washington Bridge.

"Mac" the Macaw - The Bird Who Went to College
Wolfe / BookSurge
An engaging and inspiring true story that will bring laughter and joy to readers of all ages. A true account of the antics and incredibly intelligent behavior of this largest member of the parrot family, which took place in Gerard Wolfe's office when he taught at New York University. Illustrations are by Neil David, Sr. - a Hopi Indian artist.

My New York (New Anniversary Edition)
Little Brown & Company
A young New Yorker guides you to all of her favorite places. Sumptuously illustrated with paintings by a noted American folk artist, the city's pleasures almost burst off the page. Ride your own horse on Central Park's Carousel, see the spectacular Fourth of July fireworks explode over the New York City skyline, and much, much more. Oversized fold-out pages of the Empire State Building, the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History, the Chrysler Building, and Rockefeller Center at Christmastime add to the fun, while a map in the front and fun facts in the back make a helpful guide.

New York's 50 Best Places to Take Children, 2nd Edition
Ishak / Universe Books
Great for children from 2-12. This guide covers the best attractions the Big Apple has to offer a child from the kid's point of view. Included are the usual favorites such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Empire State Building plus some unusual and unusual sites such as the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, a doll hospital, and the best tours for kids.

Storied City: A Children's Book Guide to New York City
Marcus / Dutton
This book includes 20 walking tours of New York City based on children's literature with emphasis on history, characters, authors, anecdotes, quotations, and often parts of the specific stories from children's books. Well illustrated with maps, photographs, and book art. The author, Leonard S. Marcus, is a renowned Children’s Book critic, historian, and New Yorker.

Under New York
Oatman / Holiday House
Subway musicians, sidewalk break dancing, mounted police officers, hot dog vendors, yellow taxicabs, and pigeons are all celebrated in this colorful stylized overview of life in the Big Apple. For ages 4-8.

The Grand Emporiums: The Illustrated History of America's Great Department Stores
Hendrickson / Stein & Day
A good general book about the development of the American Department Store.

Land of Desire: Merchants, Power & the Rise of a New American Culture
Leach / Pantheon
An outstanding cultural history of America's turn-of-the-century transformation into a nation of consumers.

Uptown, Downtown: A Trip Through Time on New York's Subways
Fischler / Dutton
An easy to read history of the New York City Subway System.

722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York
Clifton Hood / Johns Hopkins
A generally thorough (though sometimes dense) history of the evolution of the New York subway system: from visionary idea, through political machinations and feats of urban planning, to engineering reality.

Subway Ceramics : A History and Iconography
Stookey / Stookey
A nice color illustrated book about the historic New York City Subway ceramic images, their creation, and their creators.

Under the Sidewalks of New York: The Story of the Greatest Subway System in the World
Cudahy / Fordham University
A quality reference on the building of the New York City Subway System. Good black and white illustrations.

City of Eros: New York City, Prostitution & the Commercialism of Sex
Gilfoyle / W. W. Norton
"City of Eros is social history at its best, beautifully written, with a mosaic of rich detail that informs but does not overwhelm the narrative line." — David Nasaw, New York Times Book Review

Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940
Chauncey / Basic Books (HarperCollins)
Highly readable, fact-filled, and illuminating.

Stepping Out: Nine Walks through NYC's Gay & Lesbian Past
Hurewitz / Owl (Holt)
This entertaining book includes nine walking tours that celebrate gay culture, history, and gossip. View New York in a different light.

The Gay Metropolis, 1940-1996
Kaiser / Harvest
Detailed and very readable, this book chronicles of the post-WW II life and culture of gay men in New York City. The stories are often conveyed through the stories of the individual personalities, such as activists, celebrities, and writers.

To Believe in Women: What Lesbians Have Done for America
Faderman / Houghton Mifflin
This well-researched book documents the lives of noted lesbians who fought on the American forefront for women's rights: suffrage, higher education, and the right to enter into "male" professions. While this is not specifically a New York book, many of the individuals discussed have direct New York City connections.

The Bronx in the Innocent Years, 1890-1925
Ultan & Hermalyn / Bronx County Historical Society
A nostalgic visit to the Bronx in its era of urban transition.

The Bronx: Lost, Found, and Remembered: 1935-1975
Samtur & Jackson /Back in the Bronx
A nostalgic romp in the old Bronx

Building a Borough: Architecture & Planning in the Bronx
Bronx Museum of the Arts

History in Asphalt: The Origin of Bronx Street & Place Names
McNamara / Bronx County Historical Society
This book is the result of years of research on the part of this co-founder of the Bronx County Historical Society.

Landmarks of the Bronx
Hermalyn & Kornfeld / Bronx County Historical Society

Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn
McNamara / Bronx County Historical Society
The author, a noted New York lecturer and writer, presents a panoply of architectural tastes, a keen eye, and insightful commentary.

Brooklyn!: An Illustrated History
Snyder-Grenier / Temple University
Discover some of the Brooklyn of history and of legend. The author, former Curator of the Brooklyn Historical Society, has illustrated this book with prints, paintings, memorabilia, and objects from the Society's unparalleled collection.

Brooklyn: A State of Mind
Robbins & Palitz / Workman Publishing
Upbeat prismatic views of Brooklyn through various people, places, and activities.

Brooklyn: Where to Go, What to Do, How to Get There
Freudenheim & Weiner / St. Martin's Press
A handy guidebook to Brooklyn with information about neighborhoods, shopping, children’s activities, and sights to see.

Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery
Richman / Stinehour Press
Splendidly illustrated with concise and often excellent commentary.

Building Blocks of Brooklyn
Ment / Brooklyn Educational & Cultural Alliance
A small, but excellent assessment of the development of Brooklyn through neighborhood comparison. Part of a remarkable out-of-print paperback series of Brooklyn publications by BECA. Watch for any books in this series!

Coney Island: A Postcard Journey to the City of Fire
Snow / Brightwaters
Lushly illustrated with excellent commentary. A great gift book.

Coney Island: Lost and Found
Denson / Ten Speed
Highly recommended! The author interweaves memories of his Coney Island childhood with colorful stories of the area’s past along with interviews of local personalities. “Locals” have often corroborated this book as an accurate personal history of Coney Island.

Dreamland
Baker / Harper
Popular novel centered on Coney Island’s great amusement park.

The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
McCullough / Touchstone
A tremendous study of this world-famous endeavor. Very readable. Subject of a PBS television special.

The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn
John Manbeck, ed. / Yale University Press
This book examines a wide range of Brooklyn neighborhoods with an essay on the history and character of each. Each selection includes substantive information and a map. A good overall text.

Old Brooklyn Heights
Lancaster / Dover
A classic detailing of the houses in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District — the first such District in New York City.

Old Brooklyn in Early Phototgraphs: 1865-1929
Younger / Dover
Great historic Brooklyn images to linger over and savor.

A Picture History of the Brooklyn Bridge
Shapiro / Dover
Good photographs of the construction and history of the Brooklyn Bridge.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Smith / Perennial
A poignant and touching novel of a young girl growing up in the slums of early 20th century Brooklyn. One of the most-loved books about Brooklyn.

When Brooklyn Was the World: 1920-1957
Willensky / Harmony
With entertaining text and numerous nostalgic photographs, this book hovers between history and nostalgia. In any case, the book is a pleasure to read.

The Evolution of an American Town: Newtown, New York, 1642-1775
Kross / Temple University
An assessment of Newtown, New York up to the eve of the American Revolution.

Jackson Heights: A Garden in the City
Karatzas / Jackson Heights Beautification Group
Excellent detailing of neighborhood development and more.
Book available for $15.00 (including postage) from the Jackson Heights Beautification Group. To purchase a copy please send a check, made out to “JHBG”, to JHBG, Box #720253, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Prior to sending money, please confirm book’s availability by calling the JHBG at (212) 439-8784.

Modern Arcadia: Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and the Plan for Forest Hills Gardens
Klaus / University of Massachusetts
An in-depth study of the ideals and the practical goals of Queens’ world-famous planned “Garden City.” Landscape, architectural, and social reformers all converged with the goal to create a beautiful, healthy, socially responsible, and financially viable community. An important text.

Old Queens, N. Y. in Early Photographs
Seyfried & Asadorian / Dover

Tudor Village: The History of a Unique Community in Queens County, New York
Imperato / Kilma House
New release. Not yet reviewed