5 comments about The Memory String.

1. This book is great!!! It's about a little girl, Laura, and her cat, Whiskers. Laura has a memory string which is made from buttons taken from her family's clothing. Whiskers accidentally breaks the string and the buttons get lost. Laura's mom died 3 years ago, so her stepmother Jane and her dad and Laura find all of the buttons except for 1. To find out if they find the last button read the Memory String.



2. THIS STORY WAS ABOUT A GIRL NAMED Laura and she had a memory string from her great family. Her cat Whiskers messed it and her.step mother and her father helped her look for the missing pieces. Her step mother found the missing pieces and put the button on the porch. She found it and asked her mother to put it on.



3. This is a story of a young girl named Laura whose mom died three years ago. Her father remarried a lady named Jane. Laura misses her mom very much and she remembers her with a memory string. The memory string has all different buttons wich stand for family memories. The author uses the words very well. Eve Bunting wrote a really good book! Lindsey L.



4. I enjoyed this book a lot. I think that it speaks to how difficult it is for all of us to accept new situations and how difficult it is to lose someone that we love. One of this girl's prize possessions is her memory string and as the story unfolds around it, we get to see her learn to accept the new turns her life has taken. I found it fascinating to go and research button charm strings of the past after reading this book and then help my daughters to create memory strings of their own. The illustrations are beautiful as well.



5. The Memory String is a wonderful touchstone text that lends itself to writing activities. As a member of the Louisville Writing Project, the book was first introduced to me and used in this manner by Synthia Shelby. Students create their own memory strings in a writing activity after being read the book. This can be done with all grade levels. As a literacy leader at Meredith-Dunn School in Louisville, I developed a lesson that I took to several classrooms in the school. Once students (and teachers) create their own memory strings, suddenly, they have all sorts of seeds of ideas for writing in various genres. It shows students that memories are not always happy and exemplifies the resiliency of the human spirit. My students were able to connect with the character, and with each others' memories, initiating more dialogue to help with their writing processes.
   Eve Bunting has written so many texts that can be used to faculitate writing as well as help children to make connections and to consider social issues and how they impact them their world and future. Susan Brokenshire-Prater

5 comments about Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction.

1. Very interesting and well written account of drug abuse. Was turned into a movie with Heath Ledger that was good as well.



2. The descriptions are so vivid and the the authors def in recreating a junkies life brings this great creation "Candy". Luke Davies has really captured the essence of addiction and the struggles of it. These 2 characters are very real. This is a good book to read to understand a drug addicts struggle, or maybe if you even are having problems with heroin, to understand how much worse it can really get.



3. Davies' first novel Candy became a cult classic when it was released in 1997, and it's not hard to see why. At face value, it has a grungy, sexy appeal, featuring the gripping, through the keyhole details of a serious heroin addiction, and two attractive main characters who have lots of sex, and experience a welter of often orgasmic pleasure and intense pain. It's an easily read, fast paced bildungsroman which offers a satisfyingly vicarious experience. But Candy is more than a sad love story or a novel about drug addiction. The sweet attraction of the title may be simultaneously heroin, sugary substances, and the novel's beautiful subject, but the story is about more than simply the desirable substances that drives the narrative forward. This is a novel about the universals of human need. Davies is first and foremost a poet, and the linguistic tautness of the book reflects this. Although the narration is cool, set in the detached context of a distanced memoir, there are italicised passages prefixed with the title "truth" that take the reader below the skin and bones of the linear narration and move us into a place which is timeless. Candy is an easy book to read, but not an easy one to deal with. It leaves the reader feeling shattered, as if he or she had been through a similar experience. The verisimilitude in characterisation, setting, and in the great detail of the activities of the narrator and Candy are all part of why this book weaves its spell on the reader. With the nostalgic resonance of a story simultaneously halcyon and horrific, the reader feels the power of the great love felt by the narrator for people, sensations and places lost forever. ~~ Magdalena Ball is the author of Sleep Before Evening



4. I would have liked to know which cover design I would get. The one I received was different from the one pictured.



5. ...at best.
   
   I'm an avid reader and enjoyed this to a point. As a snapshop into the depravity of the addicted mind this was a decent read.
   
   The language is concise and the author well informed.
   
   I just found the story very bleak and uninteresting once the doomed pair relapse for the first time.
   
   As a recovering addict of various intoxicants I did not feel compelled to get through what reads like a parallel rehashing of my own life experiences.
   
   
   
   I would recommend this to anyone that thinks drugs are a fun ride without consequences.

5 comments about Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul.

1. Although I read almost every single publication of Chicken Soup, I must say this is definitely my favourite, especially that we are expecting our third child.

   Before reading this book, I must admit I was not sure if we did the right thing to concieve a third child but now I know more than missing to cherish every moment of our pregnancy.

   This book has moved every kind of feelings in us from happiness to excitement, to sadness at some times and made me thankful for this beautiful gift from God.

   This is a must for every expectant parent.




2. this book was exactly what i needed to help me love the feeling of being pregnate. during my second pregnancy i wasn't feeling all that hot until my hubby came home with the book. i read this book three times already, even my four year old loves the stories. i cried and laughed and cried some more...read this book if you're looking for something to cheer you up while you're feeling down! An excellent book--I promise!!!!



3. If you're an expectant mother you will appreciate the stories in this book. They are touching and funny and strike a universal chord that make you realize you're not alone. Five stars! Debbie Farmer, parenting author of 'Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat'



4. I really hate to give any "Chicken Soup" book less than a 5 star because I am a huge fan.
   
   I was slightly disappointed in the content of this book. I really was hoping and expecting that it would have more stories about giving birth. It says on the cover that the 101 stories inspire and warm the hearts of soon-to-be-mothers but I felt like the subjects were too general.
   
   For example, the contents are 1. We're Pregnant, 2. Nine Months and Counting, 3 Expectant Fathers, 4. Challenges along the Way, 5. Special Delivery 6. Small Miracle 7. Memorable moments, 8. On Motherhood, 9. Expectant Wisdom.
   
   I didn't find many birth stories - in fact, I don't think there was even one.
   
   However, in spite of my need for positive birth stories, I still love the stories that they put in the book.
   
   Sheri Menelli, childbirth educator, doula, speaker and author of "[...]"



5. I was looking for a book like this, one that doesn't go by month to month of what I should expect physically, medically. It's a book that gives you some perspective from personnal short stories. I brought it to read during my "baby moon" and it just made me feel whole-especially mentally. Too bad there isn't a more recent version but, I would buy this as a gift-especially for a first time mother.

5 comments about Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future.

1. Margaret Wheatley's Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future is one of the most important books I've read.
   
   It is based on the incredibly simple premise that growth, real growth begins with two people having a conversation.
   
   Part 1 discusses a range of subjects: Wheatley's views on conversation and listening, including the importance of staying with conversations that sometimes get "messy" to reveal deeper truths and commonalities; her belief in the importance of being surprised and even shocked by the person(s) with whom she converses, versus seeking people who agree with her, affirm her thoughts, or where the conversation follows either a predictable course, or safe outcomes; the belief that differences between people can lead to deeper commonalities and greater closeness.
   
   Quite frankly, there are simply too many gems of wisdom and insight in this book to do more than recall a handful that particularly struck me.
   
   Part 2 is very short, restating some fundamental principles or concepts explained in greater detail in Part 1.
   
   Part 3 is a list and explanation of 10 possible conversation openers.
   
   This is not per se a "how to" book, as if there is "one way" either to converse, listen or relate to another person. Quite the opposite. She talks, for example, of the reality that various people can have a seemingly unlimited number of interpretations and reactions to a given event to stress (implied) that what matters is the process, the act of conversing and relating.
   
   Wheatley's book is about possibilities, the possibilities that everyone possesses in terms of relating to one another, personal growth, healing oneself and restoring hope in the future, compared to the fragmentation, isolation, pressures of day-to-day life, the impersonality of technology, etc.
   
   It is an exciting book to read, a book that virtually anyone can benefit from no matter where they are in their lives. It is, fundamentally, a gift that those of us fortunate to read this book should be grateful Margaret Wheatley wanted to share.



2. Margaret has created such a powerful book on conversation, learning, and change. I can not imagine a more powerful book telling stories that can transform how we work, play, and learn together. This is a life changing read and one that I highly recommend. And even more importantly, in such a turbulent time, keeping in conversation with others may be the only thing that helps us hold this world together. Therefore, do not only read the book, but put into action conversations that can change the world.



3. So simple, and yet such a fresh way of looking at life, leadership, community and conversation. I learned a ton from this book, very helpful in specific situations I am involved in. It teaches me how to become an ever better listener.



4. Read this book with a group of your friends, or neighbors, or with a group of the willing. The opening premise simply states: "I believe we can change the world, if we start listening to one another again. Simple, truthful conversation where we each have a chance to speak, we each feel heard and we each listen well." The book encourages us to actually listen to each other, to different perspectives, to our own perspective, with the aim that we are better off when we have genuine connections with others. One of the best parts of the book is "A Prayer for Children" by Ina. J. Hughes; the poem is poignant, humorous and intriguing.



5. I enjoyed reading Margaret Wheatley's book, "Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future". This book is easy to read, applicable and possibly life-changing.

5 comments about How to Care for Aging Parents (Morris, How to Care for Aging).

1. This is exactly what I needed. All the answers to questions I hadn't even thought of! GREAT BOOK!!



2. A friend recommended this book--excellent resource on a variety of subjects. I've referred to it several times, finding a topic and reading that chapter. I bought one for me and a second one for my sister. I'll continue to refer to it through the weeks, months and years ago. I'd recommend this book.



3. This book was recommended to me by a co-worker who had dealt with the illness and eventual death of her father-in-law. It provided so much excellent practical information that I used immediately in caring for my parents. An added bonus is the reassurance it gives to me and my siblings as caretakers for the ones who once cared for us. Highly recommended!



4. I was alerted to this book by a friend. Originally, I used a library copy, but decided it was so full of information I may need in the future that I purchased my own copy for reference. It is the most help in one place that I have found.



5. This book is an exceptional reference for anyone who may care for an elder, who is taking care of their elder, making funeral arrangements for them, or who is settling their estate. It is comprehensive. The book includes, among other things, ways to approach sensitive topics with one's parents, preparing to contain crisis management, signs that an elder may need help, options, resources and best practices for application at any point from full health through closing an elder's estate. Additionally, the author understands the emotional and physical impact to the care giver and offers very helpful recommendations. This book was a tremendous help to me and, because of its pointers, my father. I used this book for the three years I had the privilege to be my Dad's care giver. I have given this book as a gift to numerous friends who have shared it with their friends and family.

5 comments about Finding Your Way After Your Spouse Dies.

1. Helpfully reminds us that our grieving process is as unique as we are unique as people. Provides a reassurange hat where we are and what we feel in this loss is acceptable and will continually change and return to the moment as the time goes on.



2. After reading these reviews, I selected this book to give to my mother in the weeks after my father died. She said it was extremely comforting and helpful. She plans to use it as a resource in the coming months.



3. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It has helped me in a lot of ways.



4. The book and the seller met my expectations.



5. The thoughtful daily meditations full of gentle encouraging words are extremely helpful and uplifting as one meanders slowly through the grief process.

5 comments about The Bilingual Edge: Why, When, and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language.

1. The authors do a great job of explaining the research in plain terms and debunking odd mythgs. It's an easy read (not "researchy") and talks about different strategies for bringing up a bilingual child. My daughter is 7 weeks from her due date and I feel very well informed about how to teach her English and Spanish in the years to come.



2. I bought this book because my wife are expecting a child and were wondering how to deal with the language issue in our family. We live in an English language environment, our mother tongue is Spanish, yet we are in an equally good position to talk to the child in German. The question was how to approach this "dilemma".
   
   The book gave us many answers. Read it. And even if you decide not to, do not deprive your children of the opportunity to learn languages from the start. They have, as the book explains, nothing to lose and, as I can assure you personally, everything to gain from it.



3. I enjoyed reading this book, It was very informative. If you plan on raising your child/children bilingual buy this



4. I absolutely love this book. It is an excellent resource. I recommend it to anyone who is raising a bilingual child.



5. These days there is a great deal of interest in raising children with bilingual skill. "The Bilingual Edge" is a great resource for parents who want to give their children the gift of bilingualism and to prepare them for the ever more connected world of the future.
   
   The two authors are professor of linguistics specialize in second language learning. They give the book a scientific favor and much of the materials are backed by research data. Nevertheless it is written in everyday language and is not at all academic. Moreover the authors are parents themselves. They are walking their talk by raising their kids bilingually. Despite their credentials, they face many of the same parenting and social issues like we do and they also share their struggles in the book.
   
   Just why do we want our children to become bilingual? Contrary to conventional thinking, learning a second language does not compete with the mother tongue. People who are good in a second language are actually more likely to be good in their first language. Besides the inherent advantage of speaking more than one language, studies have also shown that there is cognitive, academic and social edge in bilingual kids. In short, it makes you children smarter. I think this is more than enough motivation for most parents to consider bilingualism.
   
   Some families are naturally more concern about bilingualism because they have emigrated to another country or they are bilingual themselves. But the authors make it clear that raising bilingual kids are not restricted to them. Indeed it is very much attainable for monolingual parents too. They guide the readers in choosing a second language by understanding the language strength in themselves, their family members and the resources available in their community.
   
   I find their scientific approach especially relevant when dealing with the myriad of learning products being pushed to the parents. Just consider if there is any research to back the claim they make in the advertisements? Is it the product really more effective compares with other approaches, such as simply reading and talking to your children? The authors are skeptical about the claim of some popular products like Baby Einstein. Yet their opinions are actually nuanced. For example, they suggest you to watch the video with you children so that you can guide them, thereby turning a passive activity into an active learning process!
   
   All in all this is a short and well researched book. It should answer many questions regarding learning a second language and help prepare our children into the amazing world of language learning.

5 comments about How To Teach Your Baby Math: The Gentle Revolution.

1. I hated math after 6th grade and didn't want my 16 month old son to 'catch' my frustration. I taught my son math so easily. His favorite subject is math!



2. I bought this along with Teach Your Baby to Read and I can't say whether or not it's working yet, but if nothing else you spend some time with your children. So much of the book is reprinted from Teach Your Baby to Read, and I haven't had much luck finding the cards they suggest to use. But the books are valuable in that they advocate a respect for the learning potential of young children and offer specific instructions on how to develop that potential.



3. Doman's books are a must read. I already suggested that one should start with How to Teach Your Baby to Read, because it has the philosophical underpinnings of their theory, but that book is a little time consuming to implement because you have to write words in a cardboard (see cover).
   How to Teach Math should be the second, but it is much easier to implement the program because you can purchase an inexpensive kit from the author's institute (see cover).
   I also recommend you to take the author's courses, in Philadelphia, but they are a couple of thousand dollars or more. Do it all before your baby is born.
   I read How to Multiply your Baby's Intelligence 10 years before my wife got pregnant and it changed my life... and my daughter's (I hope). It changed how I saw child's development. Now she is 3.
   But don't get too carried away. Believe me, some parents do get carried away. The ones in Philadelphia seem to belong to a sect. Just enjoy your children and add this program to the fun.
   Although I spend a large amount of money with the course, I really don't do much of the program. Still, I raise my daughter differently from what I would otherwise have done without having read this book or taken the course. You will not be the same person after you read it. And it is not about teaching your baby to read. It is about learning how to teach your baby about life.
   You will have more respect for your child and will not let your baby grow "by accident." Instead, you will be able to actively participate in the learning process and challenge your child to fulfill his or her intellectual potential. If you have a child, or if you don't but you love someone, this is the only book that you must read. Remember, read it before the baby is born. This collection is a wonderful present for an expecting mother.



4. Bought this book for my daughter to use in teaching her son. It is a great reference book.



5. Babies don't come with instructions so every piece of information helps,
   what I learned in this book applies to many areas of every day teaching, learning and understanding. Short enough to find time to read, and interesting.

5 comments about Starting Sensory Integration Therapy: Fun Activities That Won't Destroy Your Home or Classroom.

1. this is a great book for parents who have autistic kids.the activities are easy to do. I highly recomend it



2. WHO would know that just simple things around the house along with some brilliant ideas can help you get your child throw a sometimes ruff difficult day. What an "EXCEPTIONAL BOOK" when in your heart of hearts your seaching for answeres and need HELP this book offers a wealth of information.
   Ardith



3. This book has great ideas for activities that are simple to do at home! It's straight forward and a must have for anyone wanting to help their child with sensory issues.



4. I have found this book handy for coming up with new ideas for a "sensory diet" for my son. Most of the materials are easy to find if you don't already have them around the home. I recommend it for parents who are their child's primary "therapist." Does not replace a good occupational therapist, but I consult with one and once I learned about my son's sensory profile, we picked some activities together that would be helpful.



5. my grandson is not at a level for most of the ideas but we will use them as he gets there.

5 comments about Red Hot Touch: A head-to-toe handbook for mind-blowing orgasms.

1. This is a wonderful and sexy book that would be a great gift for your partner, especially if your guy is a little clueless like mine.
   
   Here's why I love it:
   1. I like the cute, straightforward and playful language/approach to sex. For example, "hedonistic humping" or "...try letting your hands drift over to her Grand Tetons...".
   2. I love the diagrams, not only because I am visual, (diagrams make it abudantly clear how to execute some of these moves), it's really the best compromise of clarity and class. They're hand drawn (so even though they're depicting sex acts, they look tasteful and classy, like a WSJ portrait (LOL). I think color photographs would have been a little too much for me.
   3. I like that it covers what I had considered basics (like how to uncloak the clit) to more advanced concepts and finally even things I consider avante garde (such as fisting and anal entry).
   4. The best part about this book is everything is included. LOL. (Don't you hate getting something that needs batteries but they're not included?!). While you're reading about these techniques, you get so excited to try them. And because all you need are your hands and the rest of your body, you can start right away.
   5. Finally, I really like that there are tips for how to pleasure both guys and gals.
   6. The diagrams are pretty circumized-penis centric, but it was very comprehensive of them to also include a diagram of a non-circumized penis as well as instructions on the different kinds of pleasures you can give to one. As for females, I really liked that they had pubic hair (instead of a brazilian wax, which I find unrealistic/demeaning/painful/infantile).
   
   My one itty bitty change about the book: I would have preferred a non-erotic, even mis-leading intellectual cover (like Sarte, maybe? LOL) so I can keep the book in plain view any time anywhere.
   
   Overall, I highly recommend this book for better sex and orgasms!!! It's chock full of ideas and you can try a different one for every night for a year (or longer).



2. This book pulls out all the stops, and tells it like it is. Unlike most "how-to" books, this one does NOT read like stereo instructions, and yet manages to be very thorough and clear in its instruction. I love that it has sections on both male and female genital massage, as well as anal massage techniques. Oh, and did I mention the fabulous sexual position instruction? There are even exercises that teach you how to develop more sensitivity in your hands, so that your touch becomes more pleasurable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants learn to explore deeper ecstasy in the bedroom!



3. The authors have put together an incredibly useful and informative book on the use of the hands to create and intensify sexual feelings. I judge a book on sex instruction on whether it teaches me things and gives me ideas that I would not have thought of on my own...and this book passes with flying colors. From hand and finger flexability...to massage...to intensifying the feelings of other techniques, the ideas are presented in a fun and enjoyable way that leaves you with a smile on your face (among other things)! :)



4. This is a fun, easy to read book packed full of practical instruction on how to use your hands and touch to pleasure a body.
   
   From the more commonly known erogenous zones, to body parts that we don't normally think of as erotic... the whole body is covered. From the nose, ears, arms, A-spot, C-spot, G-spot or U-spot... no part of the body is excluded from sensuality here.
   
   The techniques are specific, detailed, easy to understand, and many even have catchy names such as "testicle teaser", "tug the rug" and "bowing the violin" to mention a few. Helpful drawings illustrate anatomy, and hand and/or finger positioning for some of the more unusual touches.
   
   The last chapter "Putting it all together" provides ideas for hours of pleasurable partner practice.



5. They have done a great job on a very sensitive subject for many. This will put spice back into a dulled relationship and send it over the the top. There are so many options, you almost don't know where to start. But, start experimenting and I'm certain you will find a number of winners. Thanks for putting the sensitive stuff in writing. Maybe a few more illustrations or pictures would be helpful to make it even more understandable. Great Job.
   
   JJW