5 comments about I Love You More.

1. I read this to my 6 year old. Bought it when he was 5 and he still loves to read it with me. Love the way it's written and love to message!



2. Fast delivery! This book is awesome! I bought it for my granddaughter for her 8th Birthday because we play the "I love you more" game on the phone and she always wins! I can't wait to sit down with her and flip it back and forth and back and forth and back and forth! Even though the book is about a little boy and his Mommy, I'm going to do a little "artistic editing" to personalize it to "Nana and Granddaughter". I'd love to see this book written with different relationships but it's still wonderful and I recommend it to everyone who loves smeone who loves them more!



3. the transaction was flawless, efficient and timely. this was a special item for our children...i love you more is a personal way we sign all correspondence and voice messages, and the book was more than appropriate.



4. I was lucky enough to meet Laura and experience the joy and enthusiasm that flows so freely when she talks of creating and sharing this wonderful book.
   
   It's a story that tells both sides of a caring relationship, presenting perfect-pitch dialogue that shows there are no limits to the stretch of the human heart when it comes to love.
   
   This may be perfect for children, but reading it to them enriches each of us by resonating the simple and powerful value of love.



5. I ordered three of these books. They are wonderful and I highly recommend them, especially for families with little ones.

5 comments about Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends.

1. I was loaned this book by a mother of eleven, so I thought it might be worth reading. The book is written by three homeschooling siblings: girl age 22, boy age 16, and girl age 12. They take turns writing on the same topic. The book is filled with humorous family stories which help to illustrate the points they are making. Their father illustrated the book, so there are plenty of homespun pictures to keep your interest.
   
   The book begins with a general overview of WHY it is important to want to have your brother or sister as your best friend. When I began reading it myself, I thought, "Dull. Why doesn't this book move faster?" But, as I have been reading it aloud to my kids, I see that it moves just fast enough to convict, but not so fast to overwhelm.
   
   The book continues with talking about how doing big things for God requires us to begin by doing "little things" for our siblings, how different people view the world differently, and covers the topics of forgiveness, humility, birth order, praising one another, and truly building friendships. It's a logical progression with more and more practical ideas as the book goes on.
   
   The book is geared for a Christian audience, although not necessarily a homeschool one. It makes a great read aloud as you can read a whole chapter (long) or one of the three sections (shorter) or even part of the shorter sections each day. There are plenty of useful lists which you can read aloud to your children to help them to remember what it is that a servant would do, etc.
   
   Once I finished reading my borrowed copy, I got online and ordered my own! I have seen changes in my children since we started the book, but it's not been a magic wand. Sigh. I wish I could get one of those from Amazon...



2. If you are a Christian family, especially, with more than one child, you need this book! My kids are loving this one. I read it aloud to them and they never want me to stop. The book is written by the children, for the children, so it speaks to them in a way that I can't. Excellent information, well worth the money - good buy!



3. This book was really fun to read. The 16 yr old boy was really funny. It really made me think about the future. I mean, I'm not getting rid of my 3 brothers any time soon, so I probably need to learn how to deal with them. It might be helpful if we can live together for the next 5 yrs at least without always biting each others' heads off.



4. this is the BEST book. It has helped my children so much! we read several chapters every day and they really are trying to put it into practice. my five children range from 18-6 so itn really is great for all school age children. it is all kjv bible too! You cannot go wrong with this book



5. It is rare that I find a book that I keep going back to again and again, but Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends is one of those books! It was so well written, entertaining, encouraging, challenging, and full of great practical advice. My children and I have been gleaning nuggets of wisdom from the Malleys for years.
   
   What makes this book so terrific, is that each chapter is applicable to every relationship, not just the sibling relationship. In every chapter find myself thinking of ways I can apply the Malley's advice in my own life. There are sections on sensitivity, humility, praise, forgiveness plus lots more. My favorite chapter addressed why it's important to pursue positive and Godly relationships even if the effort is completely one-sided. Each chapter is broken down into several sections. Each sibling writes a section from his/her own perspective, then there is a bible story used to illustrate the point and a self-assessment quiz.
   
   Do yourself and your family a favor and buy this book!

5 comments about How One of You Can Bring the Two of You Together.

1. I didn't believe at all that this would work but it really really did!
   The whole idea of "good will" seemed rediculous to me, until I tried it and discovered it really works!
   There are plenty of exercises to try, things to experiement, and so much advice!
   A MUST READ FOR EVERY RELATIONSHIP!!!
   It's not about fixing a broken marriage, this works for anyone who is in a relationship and wants to keep it successful!



2. I am on the verge of a divorce, and it's clear that I have to be the one to save this marriage. I am a woman. My husband has said to me that I need to fix it. This book is helpful, but I don't know if this will be enough to save it. I have been applying the techniques of this book since I first opened it, and my husband only notices a tiny teeny amount of difference. He says there is a TON left to do. I am somewhat disheartened, because I thought what this book suggests would do more. It does very little in a very messed up marriage, it seems. I am very sad to report this because I wanted so much more, but I plan to keep trying the strategies in this book, and apply the ideas and use the knowledge as much as I can. If I can, I will update this review if it does indeed save my marriage. So far, a little goes only a little ways. If you have the book already and want to just get 'to the point' and read the main point of what the book is about - what YOU can do to save the marriage, just read pages 283-285. That is the Review What We Have Learned Page. The rest of the book just goes about describing these principles. To get right to it, if your marriage is on its last legs and you need help fast, just read these pages and start applying the techniques right away. I still suggest reading the book, it cites examples and reasons why these techniques work, but if you need help ASAP, that is what I would suggest. Overall, things that this book suggests might work, but not if your marriage is almost on the verge of signing divorce papers. In my case, my husband is the one that is almost signing them, and even though I am applying what I have learned, I really don't think it will be enough, not because I don't believe in what the author says, because I do, but because I have done my best and my husband notices hardly a bit of difference. I continue my search for a relationship book that will help me.



3. To begin. I was very pleased with this book. Being a Christian, I found it useful to read because the author was once a minister. It began to impact the way I saw myself as acting, and I began a new positive outlook on my marriage. But later on down the line, I realized that Susan Page uses one too many "couples examples" in this book, and it wears my attention thin. I found myself skipping several pages at a time, in an attempt to get away from her incessant examples. Most all of them had absolutely nothing to do with my own marriage. And to top it off, I cannot recommend this book for those who's spouse has already left and been MIA for many months. Being physically together is absolutely a necessity for this book producing any tangible success. The title of the book is very misleading. You see it and think "Wow, I can change myself and make him or her come back". Maybe so. But its really for those who's marriage is on the verge of divorce and the two are still together in the house fighting.



4. I was very pleased with the quality of my book purchase and the timeliness in which it arrived. The condition of the book was just like it was described and I will definitely continue to purchase future books through Amazon. Why not recycle books instead of packing them in boxes or sitting on book shelves for years after they've been enjoyed. This is a great alternative and best money-saving offer I've seen in a long time. How One of You Can Bring the Two of You Together



5. The premise that one person in a two-person relationship can do all the work and save the relationship is a faulty one to begin with. I had purchased this book after reading reviews which hyped the book as something other than it really is. Simply put, it's yet another example of reinforcing the idea that women should be saddled with the entire responsibility of keeping a marriage together. The more progressive-minded couple will probably not be convinced by Page's arguments.
   
   For example, early on Page answers questions she presumes naysayers will ask. One asks if it's fair to expect just one person in a relationship to do all the work. Her reply is "not much in life is fair." Honestly, we don't need a book to tell us this, and it doesn't answer the question. Another question brings up the problem of women being the ones expected to salvage a relationship. Page's reply is to claim that is a false generalization and that women call men "jerks" all the time, while men never do the same in return. Really? She's never watched a sitcom where all the men sit around playing poker and grousing about "the old ball and chain"? Either Page is woefully underinformed or deliberately misleading, and either one is unacceptable for someone who is promising to help you with something as important as your marriage.
   
   Much of the advice in the book is passive-aggressive nonsense, such as refusing to do your own chores if your spouse doesn't do their share, leaving without your spouse if they're late getting ready, or pulling a prank on your spouse if they have a small quirk that irritates you.
   
   Other advice is downright dangerous. One example is her contention that you should let go of being right in a situation and letting your spouse think they're right. This may be fine when it comes to something mundane like doing dishes, but not so good when dealing with a workaholic or overcontrolling personality.
   
   Page is also sadly old-fashioned and out of touch. She recommends pretending that you want to have sex even if you don't ("lie back and think of England", basically) and says that if your husband doesn't compliment you on looking nice, don't worry because women only dress up for other women, never for men.
   
   I also found the examples from couples to be written very stiffly (a problem I admit I find in a lot of self-help books, this is not at all the only one) and too numerous. Page makes plenty of references to what seem on the surface to be scholarly articles, such as a reference to "that teacher who believed her above average students were below average, and caused the students to perform below average due to her expectations". However, nothing in the very short bibliography explains this allusion and there are no footnotes. For all we know this is just an anecdote that Page heard somewhere.
   
   The good advice in this book can all be found elsewhere. The notion of understanding your anger is a good one, but you can get much better books such as Thich Nhat Hanh's Anger, or Full Catastrophe Living by John Kabat-Zinn. Self-affirmation is the subject of Chapter 7, but almost any book on self-affirmation will give you more of what you need. Page advises the reader to ask several questions of themselves, but there are a lot of books out there with the same questions presented in a much more readable manner. Too Good To Leave, Too Bad To Stay is one such book.
   
   I urge people to look elsewhere for good advice. There's no shame in taking the lead in trying to rescue a relationship, but one should not expect to work entirely alone in the task. And if you have more than a few surface problems, this book will not help you.

5 comments about Baby Signs Complete Starter Kit: Everything You Need to Get Started Signing With Your Baby.

1. I think this package is pretty good if you are a beginner and want to learn how to sign to your baby. I got the basics from this. The video was not as much fun as I thought it would be to watch with my little one. It was well worth the money I spent for it and would recommend to a friend if they wanted to learn basic signs.



2. I was disappointed in this product and have returned it to Amazon. Although the package comes with a DVD, mini-board books and other stuff, the basic sign pictures/diagrams that show you how to make each sign are not very good. I'm sure the DVD is helpful, but now that baby is starting to scoot around, I know I won't have time to put on a DVD every time I want to learn/remember a sign. My mother-in-law happened to give me the "More Please, First Words" board book of basic signs published by Sign Babies and although there are a limited number of signs shown in this book, their pictures make it very clear how to make the sign, so I am going to buy more books from Sign Babies instead. If you have time to watch and refer to the DVD and use all the other stuff that comes in the Baby Signs package, then you might like it, but I needed something quick and easy.



3. The product was good, but the signs are illustrated in these tiny books that you read to your baby. I cannot read a couple of the signs so i referenced them online so I can properly show my child. The DVD video for the parents is informative, though they don't teach you all the signs that are in the baby books. The baby DVD shows the little ones a couple primary signs with colorful puppets and such. It is a good purchase if you want a starter kit, I would buy it again!



4. I bought this for a very good friend so she could teach her granddaughter to sign. It is working for her but the description of the book was very deceiving. It stated the book was hardback and the only hardback part was the little baby books inside. I almost wanted to send it back but my friend said it was "OK".



5. This product is exactly what I was looking for - an easy way for my baby and me to communicate.

5 comments about Boundaries with Teens: When to Say Yes, How to Say No.

1. Boundaries with Teens has been very helpful for us. We were given the book but since we both have so little time to read, we purchased the book on CD and listen to it in the car. The advice is solid and from a man who actually raised teens. Save me from the eggheads who think they can tell you how to raise kids when they have never had any themselves!



2. I originally did a search for a book on teen behavior. I didn't realized that this book was in the religous section, otherwise I would not have purchased it, as I am not religous. The author uses a lot of quotes from the Bible and overuses the word "God". I got 3/4 of the way through the book and decided I had had enough of the religous references.
   Overall, the author did a good job using examples of poor behavior, good behavior, and how to deal with the poor behavior.
   I would recommend the book for religous people but not to those who prefer non-religous based books.



3. When I read this book, it was like someone peeking into our lives. We are Grandparents raising a teen-ager for the past 4 years who has turned 16, is over 6 ft tall,wears size 13 shoes, and sees himself as an adult who should be in charge of his own life as well as ours. Having raised 7 children 2 generations ago we thought we could handle this assignment. Today's children are another issue.In reading Dr Townsend's book we found grandpa, grandma, and the teen described exactly in the book. Unfortunately under the title "This is what not to do". A wonderful book from front to back with a goldmine of useful suggestions and ideas.A must read for those blessed by a teen.



4. This is a very good resource for parenting and any relationship. Very good & worthwhile, easy to impliment, gives you hope & change!



5. This is the most insighful book I've read yet on raising a teen. I found myself encouraged and underlining passages on almost every page. Most of this review is simply excerpts of what I have found the most informative. Freedom for teens is earned by demonstrating responsibility and parents need to find the right balance between being too controlling and when they are being healthy and appropriate about saying "no". When parents set limits they're helping teens learn to develop a healthy structure and gain self-control and ownership over their life. We need to be active, be loving, be present, be truthful, be consistent; in other words, be the parent. Teenagers act like they don't care what their parents think and say but in reality it matters a lot to them. It is easy to forget how difficult the teenage years can be, and parents sometimes judge teens too harshly for behaving like a teenager. Your teen needs a parent who will connect with her and show her empathy, who can identify with what she is going through and understand the struggle of adolescence. She needs to know that she is not alone in her fight. What if every time you screwed up all you heard was "what in the world were you thinking". Your teen, whose brain is less developed than yours, is even less resilient in the face of criticism. Teens don't like conflict with their parents anymore than parents do. Aim to know your teen rather than change them. Learn to listen to your teen more - draw her out, so you can see what she is thinking about and struggling with. Refrain from moralizing about every wrong thing you hear.
   Ask questions that require more than a "yes" or "no". Begin with questions about facts, move to thoughts, and then to emotions. Your teen needs to know you know her on a heart level. Teens will develop self-control and responsibility to the extent parents have healthy boundaries. The more teens experience negative consequences of their poor choices, the more internal structure and self-control they will have.
   Parents need to develop separateness. Parents with separateness can stand apart from their teen's anger, demands and behavior and are able to respond appropriately without getting caught up in the drama. Parents should give up the fantasy that they can make their teens happy. Being honest means directly confronting your teen when they have crossed a line. Parents should stick with rules and consequences, as long as they are reasonable, and say "no" to attempts to manipulate, wear down, or even intimidate them. God made parents to be guardrails on the twisting road of life. You need to be strong enough for kids to crash into over and over again. Guardrails get dinged up, but they work well, they preserve the young lives that run up against them.
   Your teen needs you to be connected to other adults in meaningful relationships. Don't let guilt stop you from doing something right that will make your teen mad, disappointed or frustrated. You need to be free to set and keep limits so your teen can benefit from experiencing structure, clarity and consequences which will increase your teen's self-control and sense of ownership over her life. Some parents fear that if they set limits, their teens will distance themselves, detach and withdraw their love. But this would only teach teens that they get their way by cutting off their love which create difficulty in their future adult relationships. When a teen does disconnect, the parent should take the initiative to reconnect since teens don't have these skills they need their parents help. It is normal for teens to respond in anger when parents hold to limits. However if parents can love and still hold the limit the teen will learn to let go of that anger which is a major step toward maturity. When parents consistently provide their teens with warmth and structure, teens become less extreme, impulsive and moody. Not allowing your teen to fail can be one of the biggest mistakes you make.
   To a teen, being understood is everything. Your teen has a lot to manage considering she is going through lots of changes all at once: neurological, hormonal, emotional, social and spiritual therefore be understanding. Your teen is disoriented inside, and with good reason. It is normal, in fact is good and necessary for your teen to go through adolescence. It enables the teen to transition from parental dependence to adult independence. She needs to be safe in your care while she tries out her identity, role, power and skills. Teens are divided people. They need parents but desire freedom from them, they struggle between being perfect and having a dark side, they can use thought and judgment then switch to feelings and impulsiveness. But your love and consistent structure help your teen integrate these conflicting parts and find healthy balance. Teens often don't know what they think or feel because they are constantly evolving into different people. Do not try to fight your teen's desire for separation, because you will surely lose, as you should. Don't put your teen in a no-win situation when she must keep herself and lose her parents or lose herself and keep her parents. Be a supporter of your kid's extra family world, as long as that world is reasonable, safe and supports your own values and beliefs. Let your teen know that it is okay to have interests outside yourself. Stay connected, even in differences. Don't let conflicts and differences alienate you.
   The teen years are a valid spiritual passage that she must go through in order to own her own faith. It's a time of challenging and questioning in all areas. Your teen needs to wrestle with God. But the struggle needs to be between your teen and God, not between your teen and you. Keep your head out of the sand when it comes to knowing the cultural influences on your teen. Take wise and deliberate action to help them keep these in right perspective. When your teen talks about the culture listen without moralizing. Talk to your teen about these cultural messages. Bring up sex, drugs, violence and ethics. She may resist but remember she is trying to sort it out. Your teen needs you to be clear, explicit and direct about your views. Teens need love, self-control, values, restraint and a sense of responsibility for their lives. They don't come by these without the hard work of their parents. Teens become disconnected from their parents when they believe neither knew or cared about what they felt. Parents should learn to listen without preaching. They should provide love and support and empathize with their teen's struggle. When your teen is underachieving, being disrespectful, or acting out there is always an underlying reason. It is the parent's job to sift and dig below the surface to address the root cause. Problems caused by irresponsibility, immaturity, defiance, self-centeredness and impulsiveness can often be addressed by enforcing consequences. However the problem can be caused by emotional detachment, hurt or discouragement and no amount of bounders setting will work with someone who is down. When you set boundaries on a discouraged teen it only increases their discouragement. This type of teen needs to be lifted up and give grace. Begin with love so that the teen will see that her behavior is the problem and not an out of control angry parent. Love helps the teen point to herself as the problem. Love opens the door to change and truth provides the guidance in the form of rules, requirements and expectations.
   Teens need to know what the line is so they can decide whether or not to cross it. Appropriate rules help your teen to see that structure and responsibility are normal and expected in life. Then give your teen freedom to accept or reject the rules and the reality of the consequences. They need to face consequences to experience that good behavior brings good results and bad behavior brings bad results. Accept that it is normal for your teens to resist the limits parents set. So love your teen, stay connected to her, and support that wrestling process.
   Let your teen participate in the process of setting house rules. Be willing to compromise on matters of preference and style but not on matters of principle. Teens often lash out in anger when they are given boundaries. In these cases you need to contain your teen's feelings. Containing is something you do inside yourself, in "being with" your teen. It is not what you say as much as how present you are. You are allowing yourself to experience your teen's wrath, fury and disappointment with you. This is no small task. It takes work. Containing involves maintaining eye contact, being warm, and not being overwhelmed, defensive, or disrupted by your teen's emotion. It tells your teen "Your anger and frustration are real, but our relationship is larger than those feelings. They don't scare me away, and they don't need to scare you either." This helps the teen feel more stable inside and more receptive to you later.
   Listen empathically is the ability to hear and understand what your teen is saying from her perspective. Empathy allows you to join in and connect and let your teen know she is understood. To do this you need to put your own experience on a backburner. Before you reach a decision about the rightness or wrongness, be understanding and compassionate. Look for feelings of sadness, hurt, rejection or frustration below the facts. The real work is to have empathy when your teen has rage toward you. Let your teen have her anger but don't personalize it. Teens need to have their own feelings and to know what acceptable anger feels like. When your teen disagrees, say, "Interesting thought. Why do you think that"? This approach disarms much of the challenge and provocation. As a parent you are your teen's primary teacher for learning how to disagree and have respect.

5 comments about Hey, Little Ant.

1. I am a 3rd grade teacher, and I use this book in my classroom to teach about bullying, peer pressure (the boy's friends are encouraging him to squish the ant), and empathy. My students love it! I wish I could find a poster of the page where the ant is looming over the boy and asking "If you were me, and I were you, what would you want me to do?" What an incredible lesson for kids! The best part is that the book ends with the shoe looming over the ant and leaves the ending up to the reader. Kids love writing (or just inventing) their own endings! GREAT BOOK!



2. This is the best book! I use it in my Kindergarten classroom when we do a thematic unit on bugs. We act out the story then talk about the ending.



3. I loved this book and the intention the author had to encourage children to consider the moral of the story. Also for a children's book it is well written with amusing rhymes. The kids also loved hearing this story. The only problem was this - they got absolutely the wrong message from it!
   
   The book presents two arguments - the ant pleading for its life, and the boy who questions the value of the ant's life. But the author wrote the boy's side of the story so pleasingly that my kids far more enjoyed siding with the boy than with the ant, despite explanation, to my complete despair! My young listeners were quite young, ages 2-3, so perhaps this book would be better for a slightly older child.



4. I bought this book for my son when he was 4, but the lesson is there for any age. It tells the story from an ant's perspective. A little boy is going to step on the ant, but the ant is begging him not to. Kids are so quick to kill things these days, and they think a little ant doesn't matter at all. It's a wonderful lesson to teach compassion to all creatures. My son is 8 now and he still won't kill anything. He is my catcher of bugs and lets them outside. The story leaves it for the reader to decide the right thing, but it really helps the child to think.



5. We used this book for summer reading this summer which was to catch a reading bug. It is a fun book to read out loud esp if you can do voices for the charaters. I would recommend the book .

5 comments about LifeBooks : Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child.

1. Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby
   
   We are in the process of adopting a child from Kazakhstan, so I bought this book to help us collect information and memories for making a lifebook. While the text is a bit haphazard- information is often repeated and the topics seem to jump around - I would still recommend the book. It has given me a new perspective on how to talk to our child's caregivers and which tidbits of information or mementos to look for while we are in Kazakhstan. It also has sample lifebook pages, which will be a wonderful guide when I sit down with our child to make her lifebook.



2. This is a must do for anyone who is adopting, it was easy and full of great ideas. Thank you



3. I was disappointed when I was 20 pages or so into the book because it was not nearly what I had hoped for. It is a bit disorganized and feels more like a handout at a class, than a professional book. It also seems to be outdated in terms of some of the ideas (scrapbooking and film photos)and there are also some errors in the references and links. If it were cheaper I wouldn't have minded so much! But I also realized that I have been volunteering in adoption education for many years, and have many friends, virtual and IRL, who have adopted who have helped me with most of the issues this book addresses. However, if I had not had so much exposure to it I would have found the ideas in the book more enlightening. Basically, it's a fundamental idea for adopted children and if you do not have a large support base (helpful CW's, friends with experience, etc) this book will be extremely useful to you. If you are more experienced you might want to borrow it from a friend or the library if you can find it.



4. This book has been in print for a while, and I hope the author comes out with a 2nd edition, because it is a wonderful, wonderful book, full of helpful practical information about making a lifebook. And a lifebook is an important thing for an adopted person! I'm only just beginning to understand its importance.
   
   I made a lifebook for my daughter 3 years ago. After it was read a few times it sat on the shelf, ignored. But this year, in 2nd grade, when she was asked to bring the 5 most important things to class that say something about who she is, the lifebook was one of them. You just never know.



5. As an adoptive mother to be, I found this book enlightening. It's easy to read, informative and gives simple ideas for creating a life book. It's been a great find and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's thinking about adopting too. If you manage to read it prior to your adoptive child arriving home, you'll get lots of useful hints on what to look out for while you're still in the adoption process.

4 comments about A Is for Atticus: Baby Names from Great Books.

1. Lorilee Craker
   CenterStreet, 2008
   ISBN: 9781599950204
   4 stars
   Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 08/08
   Classic Names for your baby...
   Are you looking for just the right name for your new baby? Perhaps you would like something unusual or something classic? A Is For Atticus is chocked full of classic names. I was surprised that neither my name, nor my husband's, nor any of my children's names were listed in this book. I suppose I was not imaginative enough. I loved many of the names listed and, of course, hated several. Before naming your baby, take a look at A Is For Atticus; you just might find the perfect name.



2. I'm having my first child in a few weeks, and though I've perused other baby name books, _A is for Atticus_ is the ONLY book I keep coming back to. Craker's whit makes this an enjoyable read - I love her sassy style and opinions on the names, rather than just listing their meaning and moving on. The names suggested range from classic to edgy to silly - and what's a good book without all of those things? If you love books, then you'll love this baby name book - not just for the name suggestions, but it's also a great read! I've already passed it on to other friends who are having babies.



3. Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (9/08)
   
   Not just another baby name book. "A is for Atticus" delves into the books we all love and pulls out the characters we hold dear to our heart. Whether you prefer classic, common, or names seldom heard, you are given the names and the information needed to provide your child a perfect name with meaning.
   
   Many of the names that were popular years ago are coming back into vogue in some form. Yes, naming your daughter Dorothy screams you love "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" but sounds a bit "grandma." Why not try the updated Doro or even Dottie. Everything and anything goes.
   
   With four daughters it was very hard to come up with unique meaningful names that were not overused. I admit I did spend many nights going through books on the shelf looking for just the right one - I knew it was between the pages of a book I had read. A collaboration of all these names would have been a great resource.
   
   In reading "A is for Atticus" by Lorilee Craker I found several books I wish to read, ones I had long forgotten but will find again, and a wonderful addition to the parent-to-be library.



4. This book is a great idea--as an English teacher, I was very excited when I saw it. I agree with the other reviewer who said that the commentary blurbs are helpful and a nice break from the endless lists of names in other books.
   
   That being said, I wish the author had paid more attention to "great books" and a lot less attention to TV. She mentions Grey's Anatomy regularly, which couldn't be further from a great book. At one point she mentions an exchange student she knew in high school--again, not at all the context I care about at all. Because she's spending time talking about her husband's great-aunt (who cares?) and contemporary TV, she basically just mentions the book that each name comes from. There's no explanation of the character's role or connotation.
   She also misses a lot of great names (Ada from Bleak House, for instance).
   
   I don't know if Lorilee Craker needs to read more or what, but I wish someone with a broader, deeper knowledge of literature had taken on this book. There might be more names with a more thorough and interesting discussion of the characters.

5 comments about To Our Children's Children: Preserving Family Histories for Generations to Come.

1. As a member of the DAR, preserving my family's history is extremely important. This book asks questions most people might never think about, such as "can you remember any stories you heard about your grandparents when they were children?" It is important to document our pesonal heritage for our grandchildren, and this book makes that easy. I would highly recommend it. In fact,I have purchased several copies for other family members.



2. This book (purchased 4) is an excellent guidebook for my customers
   whom I film as I video their life histories. Customers use this as a tool
   to to revisit memories they'd like to share with their families. Some folks not sure what to talk about, yet when they read through the many questions they really reconnect with how faceted and fascinating their lives' really are!



3. Simple and easy questions to guide anyone through writing details about their life. I interviewed my parents using this book and was surprised at what I learned. Mom, when asked if she lived on a busy or quiet street as a child, said "It must have been a busy street because I remember hearing the traffic light change." That very detail bespoke of an era -- a time when traffic lights had arms that popped up to say STOP or GO and would ding in the process. I've recommended this book to many people and have given it as gifts.



4. To Our Children's Children Book A stranger told me about this book and I became interested in purchasing a copy. Recently cleaning out my father's house found old pictures, WWII, Boy scouts, VFW memorabilia. I am fortunate to be able to ask my dad a lot of the questions in the book. It is an excellent start to preserving those precious family histories for other generations to come. Now I am taping and writing down the information which will be placed in archivalbe scrap book to be tresured for years to come. Pleas take the time to pick this book up and start own family history.



5. Not only is this a thoughtfully written and organized book, but this is also a handy little book. It's small size easily fits into a backpack or overnight bag. I put the book and a really good gel pen and a pad of paper into a gallon-sized Ziplock-type baggie so that I can write anytime, anywhere. I always take it with me to the beach and often take it with me on overnight trips, too, finishing one question per trip. I randomly open the book, choose an appropriate question, close the book and start writing whatever comes to mind about the subject.
   It is surprising how the questions in the book really make one think back. One time I took my 18-year-old son to the beach with me. I showed him the book, we each chose a question and wrote for over an hour, sitting amongst the grasses in the sun and wind. I discovered he was definitely not too young to write down his history! Yes, I hand-write the entries and then transcribe them later with a word processor. A workbook or journal would be too space-restricting for me, and no way can I do a question per day!
   I'm okay with not answering all the questions in the book. It is nice to know that even if I don't get very far in the book, my three children and my siblings will know me a lot better than if I never answered one. If I had no children, I would write anyway because you just never know who would be touched by your life. This is a must-have book for anyone wanting to pass some history down because it makes it so much easier to do. This book made it easy enough for me, the single mom with two jobs, to start a personal history!

5 comments about The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays & Everydays.

1. I love this book! I found it at the library, and now I have to buy my own copy. It's got a variety of ideas for everyone- for example, for Winter Holidays- traditions for a Solstice Celebration, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa. And ideas for all ages from toddler/preschool age to graduation. And, most importantly, it explains why rituals are important in building a strong family- what the elements of a successful family tradtion are, and how you can create your own.



2. This book of new family traditions is so reader-friendly and so comfortable to pick up and browse that I can hardly get my copy out of the hands of my co-workers...The presentation and style are perfect for the topic and the information presented is easy to digest and creative enough to encourage our own ideas on the topic. This book is ideal for new parents but even us older parents of teenagers. This should be on the bookshelf of every one who cares about family or has one and wants to celebrate that special and loving relationship!



3. Meg Cox's latest book is a winner! Culling from interviews with families nationwide and from her own astute observations, Cox shows us how rituals can strengthen our family bonds, can help to ground us (especially helpful in such uncertain times as these have been) and can provide us with meaningful memories. Just as rituals add pizazz to daily life, Cox's book brings a fresh and vigorous perspective to the body of literature on the subject of tradition. Brimming with stories and tips, wit and wisdom as well as colorful illustrations, this book is tantamount to the Whole Earth Catalog of rituals. A creative way to teach good values.



4. This book is filled with so many wonderful ideas it's actually uplifting to read. And as you do, you get the feeling that no matter how busy your life is, there's a family ritual that's just right for you. If you want to discover simple, practical things you can do to enhance the texture of your relationships with your children, this is the book to buy. Meg Cox's creativity, vision, and committment to families ring through on every page.



5. This is the perfect book for a new family or the perfect and a very unique gift for baby showers and weddings. Traditions are so important in molding our family identities. The author knows that its more than just the 10 big holidays - Meg Cox encourages all of us to celebrate Everyday by adding traditions and rituals to our lives!