3 comments about The Decoding of Lana Morris.

1. Anyone who has read any one of Tom and Laura McNeal's earlier young adult books does not need to be persuaded of their literary skill. The authors have a voice that speaks directly, clearly, and apparently efortlessly, to the hearts, minds, and souls of this age group. Their dilogue is bright and clever without being cute, and their stories move briskly.
   
   The leading character of this latest book is a 16-year-old girl, Lana, who lives in a foster home along with four younger, disabled, special needs children, referred to as the Snicks. Lana's close association with them is enough to cause serious social problems for her, but sher has other more confusing concerns as well. Although she quickly shows herself to be strong-minded and determined, her life during this one Nebraska summer is challenging in many ways. Her travails, disappointments, discoveries, dreams and hopes make up the engaging plot. For me, however, the book's greatest appeal is in its treatment of the seldom-addressed subject of living with special needs children.
   
   The authors describe the Snicks in a clear-eyed, realistic, matter-of-fact way that is invariably respectful. Each child's individual idiosyncracies are distinct; they're sometimes funny, sometimes aggravating, sometimes mystifying. But there is not the slightest hint of mockery in the descriptions of the comic moments, nor any sentimentality in the sad ones. Lana's, and the reader's, feelings toward these four characters grow from tolerance to affection to loving concern.



2. I have read some other books of the McNeal's and loved each of them. All their books are fast reads and have characters that anyone can connect to. The Decoding Of Lana Morris was no exception.
   
   
   Lana Morris is just your average 16 year old girl who happens to live with a not so average family. Her foster mother is snoopy and self-centered who can't wait to get rid of Lana. On the other hand, her foster father shares a special, almost inappropriate relationship with Lana. She's stuck in a house with a bunch of kids who have special needs, referred to as the Snicks. You learn throughout the book along with Lana how to love all the "special" kids and realize very quickly that the kids are special way beyond their mental disabilities.
   
   My favorite part of the book was how creative and imaginative it was. It almost reminded me of a fairy tale when Lana meets a strange old lady in a unique little shop. She buys a book from the old women and discovers that inside she can draw herself 13 wishes. Over time Lana learns what is really important to her and more importantly what is important to the people around her. I loved the sense of humor in the book mixed in with all the lessons you learn along with Lana. If your like me you'll be surprised how attached you get to all the Snicks and how much you root for Lana in the end. You'll be impressed how Laura and Tom McNeal are able to nail the exact feelings of any average teenage girl.



3. Laura and Tom McNeal's THE DECODING OF LANA MORRIS tells of teen Lana, who lives with a frosty foster mother and has to deal with a close-knit clique by the only other teens around. When she enters an antique shop and trades for a set of blank paper, Lana finds mysterious events began to occur.

No comments about Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes.

No comments about Does it Always Rain in the Rain Forest (Scholastic Question & Answer).

5 comments about History of the Arab Peoples.

1. The review is about the 1st edition, which I read about two months ago. If the book was organized in a temporal way, in event-by-event sense, it would be clearer as a history book i.m.o., and it would be more exciting. The author breaks down the chapters into major temporal eras, but, the sections are categorized according to social, religious etc. aspects of life, not according to the events. The author is trying to cover the Arab peoples' history in a joint, parallel manner, maybe that's why it reads like a sociology book more than a history book, which would suggest a title of "... people" instead of "peoples" (I need to note that the author starts with the story of Ibn-Khaldun, who is accepted as founder of sociology). These sections on different aspects of life repeat themselves in almost all chapters since these aspects have been similar throughout long centuries.
   
   I also could not find details about the crusaders' wars, which must be really important in Arab history. Also, the author just skims through the era of prophet Muhammed, which is the most important era of Arabic history i.m.o. The book has lots of pictures and useful maps though, and it clearly defines the geography of the regions it is talking about.



2. his is a very detailed account of the main tribes and leaders and social movements that shaped the foundations of the Middle East as we know it today. The index is well-developed, which will make it much easier for you to find information when you need it, and have to skim and re-skim large portions to find information about a certain region or time period. For reviews of similar books, see the resources pages at civilsociety at seedwiki



3. The author paints the spread of the Arab language and culture in a concise and readable way. We learn how important Islam was in the dissemination of Arab culture and people. A great book.



4. This book should be (and is in some Universities) mandatory for the study of the Middle East in general and Arab peoples specifically.
   
   Written by Albert Hourani one of the great scholars of the Middle East it is both concise and comprehensive covering centuries of history while presenting the reader with enough detail that they do not feel that they are being cheated by the author skimming over the most important events in history.
   
   The book begins with the beginnings of the Islamic faith and the Islamic empire covering this in rather short chapters before moving onto the Abbasids. While some may feel this is a slightly inappropriate place to start (others Hitti for example, begin with pre Islamic times) It seems Hourani has taken into account much of the Western view that the Middle East has been shaped by Islam and thus, his book should begin where it begins.
   
   The book covers matters of the politics and structure of the various Islamic empires, the culture and arts of these empires, religious sects and revolts and life both in rural areas and in the built up cities. The impact of the west and the Ottoman empire are also given extensive coverage.
   
   While there are several respected writers on Middle Eastern history I have always personally preferred Houranis books. I have found him honest and impartial when dealing with sensitive issues of history not least modern history.
   
   This is in sharp contrast to Hitti whose Lebanese nationalism makes some of his books near worthless or Bernard Lewis who has only achieved any kind of popularity because 1. He advises the CIA and 2. Much of his theory centers around Turkey being the example to the Middle East for all other nations to follow (while ignoring the glaring lack of real democracy that existed there until recently, the military dominance of government, the cultural defeatism of many of its politicians in the name of 'modernisation' and 'liberalism' its lack of religious freedom (and I am referring to the Muslims here, a country where women are not allowed access to higher education if they choose to wear a headscarf (now why I wonder have western feminists not taken up their cause?)) and not to mention the even more obvious, that Turks are not Arabs! It would be like calling on the French to adopt the British model of government!) Really, if Lewis had not taken this approach he would be as well known as another fringe writer on the Middle East Netton (Yes, I am sure you are asking "who?")
   
   While Hourani only wrote up until the late 60s later editions do include the history of the Middle East up until the present day. The book includes several maps and an extensive biography for the student to refer to (I have done several times) My original copy all but fell apart.



5. I picked this up hoping to learn something about the people and culture(s) so frequently in the news for the past few years. Another reviewer notes that the first portion of the book is more of a history of Islam - I agree, but came away with not-so-new notion that the Arab culture is heavily intertwined with Islam. That said, I invested a lot of time reading this work, but really didn't feel that I was any smarter about the subject than I was 600+ pages earlier.

1 comments about 300 Years of Farm Implements and Machinery 1630-1930.

1. The book begins with American Indian farming methods and ends 300 years later with steam and gasoline powered tractors of the early 1900s. In between you will find inventor biographies, 500 antique engravings and some of the earliest farm implement advertising ever published. Everything from handtools to butter churns, plows, wagons, windmills and threshing machines is covered, including a full-sized reprint of Mongomery Wards 1896 Agricultural Implement Catalog.
   Farm Industry News said "This 208 page book opens a window to the past with historical facts and 500 antique engravings of machines at work."
   San Diego Union columnist, Neil Morgan says "I have never seen anything like it. It deserves to be a bestseller."

1 comments about American Pottery & Porcelain (Antique Hunter's Guides).

1. Fold your standard sheet of paper in half and that's about the size of this book. -So, when I first saw it I thought I'd be disappointed... BUT I was pleasantly surprised! -It starts off with a brief intro to the different types of pottery (redware, stoneware, yellowware, ironstone,) and porcelain and a history of how they were/are made. It goes on to a visual key which has silhouette figures of items and is helpful to identify what item it is that you have. ...was that a coffeepot or a teapot? :o) After you've id'd your object, you can find the section in the book that corresponds and there you will find a color photo of one example and all sorts of helpful info. on your item. -A short description of what the typical physical size and shape would be, areas where the items were made, comments on typical uses, and hints on what you should avoid/look for. The price guide in the back gives you a ballpark figure of value.
   this book does not focus on any specific brands, rather highlights some of the big name makers and brands that you may want to watch for. For being a general guide, I think this is as good as it gets. I found it superior to any of the Millers, Kovels series. -It actually teaches you what to look for, as opposed to other books which just inform you of what you already have. It is a great reference for collectors and resellers. Small enough to take with you to every auction and yard sale!

5 comments about The Comprehensive Guide to Chocolate Molds: Objects of Art & Artists' Tools.

1. Wendy Mullen's The Comprehensive Guide To Chocolate Molds: Objects Of Art & Artist's Tools more than just a collector's price guide, Wendy Mullen, chocolate maker for 15 years, delves into the history of antique chocolate molds and their design and production, packing over 1300 photos of such antiques with discussions of all kinds of molds. Topped by an interview with the great-granddaughter of one of the best German mold specialists in history, Anton Reiche, The Comprehensive Guide To Chocolate Molds is unparalleled in depth and detail: there's simply nothing like it on the market, past or present.



2. this book was well worth the money, it was well done. very informitive, unique and happy to own it



3. Wendy Mullen found her first chocolate mold over fifteen years ago and loves writing about chocolate. She has published articles about chocolate molds and this book displays a wide array of antique chocolate molds that include everything from Easter eggs to cats and angels. There are molds for butterflies, bunnies, frogs, turtles, goats, roosters, pigs, lambs, dogs, elephants, teddy bears, deer and just about any other animal you can think of including storks, seals and stylized dolphins. Fairy Tales are also featured and you can may enjoy seeing a Hansel and Gretel house, Red Riding Hood and Snow White Scenes.
   
   All the prices are included so you can have an idea of how much you want to spend if you go looking for these molds. All the main holidays are represented, as are unique items like the the Krampus mold familiar in Austria. Neptune also appears and then there are may pages of Santa. If you love collecting Santa items, there is page after page. Christmas takes up at least one fifth of the book and is perfect for getting ideas if you make chocolates for Christmas. There are snowmen, angels, Christmas ornaments and even manger scenes.
   
   Even if you don't want to go looking for a three hundred dollar scallop shell, at least you can get ideas for what you want to go find online. Many of these molds seem to be useful for candy making and for making soaps.
   
   Additional creative finds at the end include hearts in a postcard style which are very beautiful once painted or if you use three types of chocolate. There are castles, temples, crowns, shoes, cars, boats and even hot air balloons.
   
   A special "Collector's Tips and Closing" section shows how to purchase antique chocolate molds, explains how they must be cleaned and handled to prevent rusting.
   
   From the information in this book, you could actually buy a new chocolate mold that looks antique. Additional information on suppliers is briefly discussed. To find most of the molds, you only need to do an Internet search because all the items have collection information and the names of the specific items.
   
   As a coffee table book this is highly entertaining, but the usefulness factor is especially enjoyable because of the way the book is organized. A lovely gift or a research tool for your own journey of chocolate art.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



4. I have enjoyed the book on chocolate moulds and it is very informative for the antique moulds. I would recommend this book and am happy that I ordered it. It has many pages of information and pictures.



5. I absolutely love The Comprehensive Guide to Chocolate Molds: Objects of Art & Artists' Tools. It has beautiful photographs of molds with their values. This was of great interest to me since I have a mold collection. Also I use my molds for chalkware and have for more than 15 years. It was exciting to see photos of other chalkware artists' work. In all I love the book and hope Wendy comes out with Volume Two as there are many more molds to cover. Thanks, Carol

No comments about 2009 Standard Catalog Of Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide (Standard Catalog of Firearms).

2 comments about The Spitz Master: A Parisian Book of Hours (Getty Museum Studies on Art).

1. The Spitz Master: A Parisian Book Of Hours examines a classic work of literary art, created in Paris around 1420 by a team of illuminators including one inventive soul now called "The Spitz Master". Art history professor and scholar Gregory T. Clark informatively introduces and provides a "reader friendly" examination of the history and significance of this work, while black-and-white as well as color photographs showcase pages drawn from the classic work in all their individual and collective glory. The Spitz Master is especially recommended for academic Art History collections.



2. I am a definately a layman when it comes to Art History. A friend gave me this book for Christmas, and shortly thereafter a horrible snow storm left us with nothing to do but read The Spitz Master. What a blessing it was to spend hours inside learning about Art History and looking at some phenominal illustrations. As an adult it is nice to read a book with pictures.
   
   As a college student I was skeptical about taking an Art History class. I thought it would be a better use of time studing dead languages and postmodern interpretation of American History. Amidst my confusion an old, very old, exceptionally old, wise Art History professor tried convincing me to take his class. Unfortunately I didn't take his class in order to pursue what I thought was an education. It wasn't until engaging in the Spitz Master that I came to the realization taking dead languages and studying American history through the eyes of deconstructionalist, at that a deconstructionalist feminist was a waste of time. Thank God for Dr. Gregory Clark's book. It has changed my confused life and given me hope, and it is my hope that this book will change the lives the confused undergraduates he teaches. Thank you Greg Clark your work is an inspiration to us all, even monks in Norcia.

5 comments about Firebirds Rising: An Original Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

1. Firebirds Rising is an engaging mix of SF and Fantasy stories aimed at a young adult audience, though quite enjoyable for adults as well.
   
   Two of my favorites are Science Fiction: Carol Emshwiller's "Quill", an oddly old-fashioned, charming yet sad, story of an isolated family and their curious secret; and Kara Dalkey's "Hives", an uncompromising story of teen-aged girls and cliques, exacerbated by near-telepathic phone connections.
   
   Naturally one of the stories I most looked forward to was Kelly Link's "The Wizards of Perfil", and this is indeed a very enjoyable piece, though not as good as her best work. A boy named Onion and his disagreeable cousin Halsa, as well as Halsa's mother and brothers, are fleeing a war that has already their other parents' lives. Money is short, so when a reprensative of the reclusive Wizards of Perfil offers to buy a child, one of them must go. Onion, who may be telepathic, seems a natural candidate to sell to the representative of the reclusive wizards, but somehow Halsa is sold instead. As we expect with Link, the story goes in unexpected directions, telling of both Onion and Halsa and the very reclusive wizards - though I must say the resolution was exactly what I expected. (Which is not necessarily a bad thing.)
   
   I was also delighted to see a story by Emma Bull, with the intriguing title "What Used to Be Good Still Is" (a title actually credited to Elise Matthesen). This is a moving story of a young man in a mining town in Arizona in the 1930s, and his love for a Mexican-American girl, who loves him but loves something else even more.
   
   Patricia A. McKillip contributes another of her stories about a group of painters resembling the Pre-Raphaelites. "Jack O'Lantern" is about a girl struggling with her parents' conventional views of the role of women, particularly upper class women, as her older sister prepares to be married. During the painting of a wedding party portrait she meets a curious local lad, and hears a story about the Jack O'Lantern. Diana Wynne Jones's "I'll Give You My Word" is as clever as we expect from her, about a boy whose younger brother speaks in phrases like "sententious purple coriander". The story concerns the younger boy's trouble at school, and the problems the whole family encounters when the mother takes a book promotion trip. Ellen Klages's "In the House of the Seven Librarians" is purely charming, about a child growing up in a shuttered old-fashioned library.
   
   And there are plenty further fine stories here, from names I expected to see like Charles de Lint and Tamora Pierce, and from perhaps surprising names like Alan Dean Foster. I enjoyed the anthology throughout. If I had a complaint, it would be that perhaps a few too many stories seem to play things just a bit safe. (With exceptions, such as Dalkey's "Hives" and Francesca Lia Block's "Blood Roses".) I would attribute that to the YA nature of the book - I suspect I should, indeed - but we certainly have plenty of examples of YA fiction that doesn't play safe. That said, this is a fine book, and it does a fine job of presenting interesting new stories, both SF and Fantasy, that will appeal to all readers.



2. I wanted to read some fantasy, some high IQ stuff, some thought-provoking short stories I could read on the DART getting to work. Well, after reading all of these stories, I'm convinced that writers do not submit their prize stories for anthologies. They submit their scraps. That's craps with an extra S. I'm dissapointed. Maybe my expectations were too high. Perhaps if I lower my expectations to what one might expect if judging a suburban high school writing contest...hmmm...no, I'm still dissappointed. The people who put this together owe me $10 just for reading through it. If you read this then you should demand compensation. I am not better off after reading this book. Maybe I didn't do enough shrooms before reading it. :-(



3. The jacket blurbs and the reviews fail to indicate an important fact: every story in this book is about a disaffected teenager. Every single one of them. Disaffected six-inch-tall teenagers. Disaffected genetically modified teenagers. Disaffected Victorian teenagers. Disaffected teenagers raised by feral librarians. Magical or mundane, ten or eighteen, they're all disaffected, and they all learn pithy lessons about finding acceptance while staying true to themselves.
   
   The individual stories aren't bad at all; Kelly Link and Ellen Klages make particularly solid contributions. If I were still a disaffected teenager, however, I'd throw this heavy-handed, preachy anthology right out the window.



4. This anthology follows in the footsteps of the original 'Firebirds' collection: A few brilliant stories among the padding of watered down sub-fare from famous names. In all honesty many of these stories would never have seen print without the famous name of the author being used on the cover to promote the book. A shame, since the premise of the anthology delights me.
   
   I *am* very glad I read this book, though, especially for the sake of two stories I very much enjoyed:
   
   'In the House of the Seven Librarians' by Ellen Klages is my favorite story, and worth the price of the book alone! This story is about a young girl named Dinsy who is raised by seven 'feral librarians' in an old library building. This book is a paean to old libraries and classics of literature. Any lover of books and reading will thrill to this book. For those of us who remember the old-style libraries with card catalogs, it is a veritable love song. For all book lovers, it's a treasure to love and cherish.
   
   'Hives' by Kara Dalkey is a science fiction story about a future where technology can telepathically link minds, and teen girls use this to keep themselves in constant contact with their groups of friends, or 'hives'. But what happens when the girls get 'cut' from the network of their hive? Why does the sudden silence in their minds cause them to kill themselves? This story takes a science fiction approach to the importance of female friendships, and how necessary and addictive they can become. As Peter S. Beagle said in his novel 'Tamsin', "When you're 14 years old you're not yourself, you are your friends. You forget that when you grow up."
   
   There were two other stories that I did enjoy reading. 'The Real Thing' by Alison Goodman was another sci-fi story exploring a future where genetic enhancement is prevalent, and the prejudice between those who are 'comp' made and those whose parents let nature take its course. The story is taken from a novel by the author, so it does feel a bit like a chapter out of a larger novel. That said, I really enjoyed this story and plan to track down the source novel it came from. An interesting story that made me think, as all good sci-fi does (I loathe the modern sci-fi movie cliche that sci-fi is only good for loud explosions).
   
   'The House on the Planet' by Tanith Lee explores three young women living in the same house over 100 years' time on a colonized alien planet in the future. The subtle beauty of this story, of the alien landscape and how its birds and creatures speak to and inspire these women over many generations was inspiring. The end is a surprise, but indeed says a lot about the nature of 'humanity'. A beautiful story I'm glad I read.
   
   Of the other stories, many were sub-par efforts on behalf of famous writers. Many were out-takes from other books or story universes, which really didn't work for anyone unfamiliar with the source material. Regardless, many of the stories felt like watered-down pap, very 'expurgated for children.' I always hated reading this kind of stuff as a teen.
   
   On the other side, there were several stories that had a chilling amount of violence that I wouldn't feel comfortable with in an adult novel not sold in a horror section. I suppose it is a sad indictment of our culture, that violence is seen as perfectly natural for children and teens to view. There's a vengeful goddess hunting down and killing a pack of teens for trying to kill one of her followers ('Huntress' by Tamora Pierce). For the life of me I'm not sure what the point of that one was other than to be shocked by the violence. In 'I'll Give You My Word' by Diana Wynne Jones a group of female domestics turn out to be witches out to kill the mother of a family and take it over. There's so many misogynistic stereotypes here I don't know where to start. I'm sick of all this 'Hand That Rocks The Cradle' excrement that female domestics are all psychopaths. And all witches are evil murderers - how very Brothers Grimm. Can we get away from these stereotypes in the 21st century, please? Is that too much to ask? But the worst by far was 'Quill' by Carol Emshwiller. I don't know about you, but stories where teen girls are abducted by their fathers so they can rape and impregnate them just sicken me. This is a young adult story? It's like Stephen King at his goriest. *shudder*
   
   Under the 'violence' heading are 'Perception' by Alan Dean Foster and 'What Used To Be Good Still Is' by Emma Bull, both stories where saintly females sacrifice their lives for the sakes of the unknowing and unappreciative. The 'virgin saint' stereotype of Victorian times. Can girls have heroines in their books who are not victims or self-sacrificing martyrs? Is that too much to ask?
   
   That said, I am glad I read this book for the four stories I enjoyed. They made the book worth it. I just wish the collection was a little more even in quality. Alas, that's usually the case with multi-author story collections.



5. Written by a number of well known writers of science fiction and fantasy, these are sories that are well-written and very interesting. It's a good book to have handy when you have only a short time to read and want something you can finish quickly. I recommend it.