The Star: A Story to Help Young Children Understand Foster Care

Product Description

THE STAR: A STORY TO HELP YOUNG CHILDREN UNDERSTAND FOSTER CARE is an easy-to-read, short story with beautiful, watercolor illustrations. The book follows a fictional young girl, Kit, who is taken from her mother to the safety, and different world, of a foster home. On Kit's first night in foster care, she becomes friends with a star outside her bedroom window. The star tells Kit about other foster children it has seen. Through the story, the star is a source of comfort for Kit as she experiences many emotions and adjusts to all the new things in her foster home. To get the most out of this book, the author recommends also reading QUESTIONS & ACTIVITIES FOR THE STAR: A HANDBOOK FOR FOSTER PARENTS.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Book..........2005-05-14

My two foster daughters have been placed with us for over a year and they LOVED it! They said some things made sense to them now. Awesome book! Graphics could be better...but it's not too bad. I think this book should be given to every child when they enter into the foster system...even the teens!

The Star.......2001-09-06

My husband and I are foster parents. Inspiration from this book prompted me to decorate the bed room, where our foster child sleeps, with stars. It turned out really cute. It is very easy for these children to "give up hope", but if we continue to remind them of their inner strength, and that there IS hope for their future, remarkable things can happen. Sometimes all they need is for someone to believe in them.

A comforting story for foster children.......2000-11-10

We received this book yesterday and I read it to my two foster sons (aged 7 and 8) at bedtime. The asked me to read eat over again until I got too tired! It follows a girl named Kit from when the social workers arrive at her mother's house to pick her up, to feeling more settled in her foster home. My sons felt less alone in their experience when the story explained that there are other children feeling the same things (sometimes happy, angry, confused, sad). It ends on a positive and personal note that they will be okay. I did think it odd that a star speaks to and comforts the child, but one of my sons said he especially liked hearing about the star. One caution: they were not familiar with the name "Kit" and thought she was being called "Kid." I recommend this book.

The Star: Sensitive and Encouraging.......1999-12-20

The Star: A Story to Help Young Children Understand Foster Care, by Cynthia Miller Lovell, is a refreshingly sensitive book that affirms and encourages children who have been taken from their homes and placed in foster care. The author addresses feelings and questions that children typically have and supportively lets them know that they are not alone. Examples of some issues that are broached include the following: "What does being a foster child mean?", "Am I a foster child because I did something bad?", "Can I eat an apple from the table?" These simple questions are emotionally charged and are of utmost importance to children who ask them.This easy to read book with beautiful watercolor illustrations of children from various cultures and socio-economic groups, is a non-threatening medium to address this sensitive topic with foster children. It indirectly inspires hope, comforts,and affirms each child's uniqueness. The handbook that can be purchased in addition to the book, is a must for adults who wish to indirectly ease children's transition into foster care. This user friendly book provides questions about the main character of The Star and fun activities for the children who read this book. By engaging in these short activities, caregivers can help nurture the bond between themselves and the children whom they help. Because they can also gain insight into the foster child's psyche, they have more tools to effectively help each unique child. In addition to helping foster children and foster parents, The Star can be useful in building sensitivity of this issue and eroding at the stigma of foster care,for peers,educators, social workers,nurses, churches, communities and occupational therapists. As a professional advocate of children in urban and rural areas, this is the only children's book that I have seen available for foster children. It is a must for school and private libraries.

Average customer rating:

The cover art reeks!
A small improvement
Orphan Star is a worthly sequel to The Tar-Aiym Krang
This book has 2 things going for it...
Flinx is on the move again!

Orphan Star
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345324498
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Book Description

One man in the Universe holds the key to the mystery of Flinx’s past–and that man is trying to kill him!

It is a strange childhood for a kid, to be adopted by the restless Mother Mastiff and raised in the bustling marketplace of Drallar. Flinx never knew the mom and dad who abandoned him years ago. In fact, his birth has always been shrouded in mystery. But Flinx eventually discovers that his unknown parents have left him a curious legacy–extraordinary mental powers that are both a marvelous gift and a dreaded curse.

This double-edged legacy will lead Flinx, along with his loyal protector, the mini-dragon Pip, on a harrowing journey in search of the truth . . . about who he is and where he comes from. It is a daring adventure that brings him to another world–and into the clutches of one of the most evil and powerful men in the galaxy. . . .

Orphan Star is the newest addition to the Del Rey Imagine program, which offers the best in fantasy and science fiction for readers twelve and up.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Download Description

His birth had been shrouded in mystery, and all Flinx knew of himself was that he'd been abandoned by those who had spawned him.

Raised by Mother Mastiff in the marketplace of Drallar, Flinx eventually discovered that his unknown parents had bequeathed to him a curious legacy... a legacy of extraordinary mental powers that were both an incalculable asset and a most dangerous liability.

This legacy would lead him—and his potent protector, the minidrag Pip—into the clutches of one of the most depraved and powerful men in the galaxy... on to a harrowing search for the truth about his birth... and out of one world into another on his most dangerous adventure ever.

Customer Reviews:

The cover art reeks!.......2007-05-08

I'm not impressed with cover art cranked out of a digital media program. I'm even less impressed with the cover art in this particular case because the image portrayed fits the yuppy-ized characterization of a middle-teenager in California--not a rough and tumble almost-man raised on the streets of a dirt water frontier planet. But this doesn't portray the mentality of the author, rather it portrays the mentality of the corporate world of publishing: patently juvenile. However, on the upside, the story between the cheesy art covers was the same, fine work that A.D. Foster pounded out on his typewriter years ago. Back when there were REAL artists, and they ACTUALLY read the books they made cover art for. Alean Dean Foster must have been less than pleased that the "artist" made his character look like a very girlish thirteen year old raised on Rodeo Dr., who might have been some street-hood's 'pump', instead of a young man looking for his past.

A small improvement.......2006-01-24

I can't agree with the other reviewers. This series started with For Love of Mother - Not. Mother Not was filed with adventure and interesting characters. Then came The Tar-Aiym Krang. It was a big step down. I reviewed is as hopefully a transitional book in Flinx's discovery of his past, but as a stand alone book it was pretty bad. Now with Orphan Star we have a little more adventure and the return of some old characters. We also know the answer to half of Flinx's question, but clearly not the important half. While I think it's better than The Tar-Aiym Krang, the series is still far from living up to the promise of Mother Not.

Orphan Star is a worthly sequel to The Tar-Aiym Krang.......2001-09-22

Orhan Star is the sequel to The Tar-Aiym Krang. We find Flinx, no longer a poor orphan, chasing a merchant to Hivehom and Terra in search of information about his parentage. His chase leads him to Ulru-Ujurr, a planet under Edict from the United Church, ostentisbly because it contains a highly intelligent telepathic race. There, with some typical Foster excitement, a battle is fought and won. Orphan Star is a little slow in the middle, but the exciting and illuminating ending makes up for it. Foster's new aliens are very interesting and would make a good study for a novel on their own.

This book has 2 things going for it..........1999-12-26

1) Alan Dean Foster is the author. 2) Flinx and Pip, need I say more? anyway, this is another great book in the Flinx and Pip series. I recommend this book to all. I can't really give a synapsis, it's been too long since I've read it (I'm gonna buy a copy because I borrowed it from the library, and want my own copy). This entire series is probably one of my favorite series. Read it in order though... (For Love of Mother Not, The Tar-Aiym Krang, Orphan Star, The End of the Matter, Flinx in Flux, Bloodhype (flinx only plays a small part in this story), Mid-Flinx

Flinx is on the move again!.......1998-02-22

Flinx is on the move again when he risks all to chase his past to a forbidden planet! He finds more clues to his past, and at the same time when things are at their darkest, finds friends who can appreciate his special talents! Of all this Flinx tales, I liked this one for its high-risk adventure! It was a lot of fun!

Urchin of the Riding Stars (Mistmantle Chronicles, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully written--great story and great to read aloud
a great book
Swans with squirrels
Will urchin save the island?
Awesome

Urchin of the Riding Stars (Mistmantle Chronicles, Book 1)
M.i. Mcallister
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786854863

Amazon.com

A young squirrel determines his true destiny in this Redwall read-alike by British author M.I. McAllister. A foundling discovered on the rocky shore of Mistmantle Island, Urchin has been raised by the peaceful order of rodents and otters that live and work on the magical isle. Now almost grown, the young squirrel wants nothing more than to serve as page to one of the dashing Captains that make up King Brushen's personal guard. He gets his chance when Captain Crispin appoints Urchin his "right-paw squirrel." But on Urchin's very first morning in the Tower, the King's only son is found murdered and Crispin is accused of the crime! Urchin can only look on helplessly while his mentor is banished from court. Meanwhile, power hungry Captain Husk and Lady Aspen continue to fill the devastated royal couple's ears with treachery, and their cups with sleeping draughts. Urchin is desperate to prove Crispin's innocence, but who will believe an orphan of questionable origins? Born under a sky of shooting stars, Urchin is destined to do great deeds, perhaps even save all of Mistmantle. But first, he must believe... Entertaining but predictable, this simply told medieval fable brings nothing new to the growing body of children's animal fantasies. However, it will serve as a steppingstone for those young readers not quite ready for the detailed descriptions and hearty brogues of Brian Jacques's ever popular and endlessly replicating Redwall series.--Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

A young squirrel determines his true destiny in this Redwall read-alike by British author M.I. McAllister. A foundling discovered on the rocky shore of Mistmantle Island, Urchin has been raised by the peaceful order of rodents and otters that live and work on the magical isle. Now almost grown, the young squirrel wants nothing more than to serve as page to one of the dashing Captains that make up King Brushen's personal guard. He gets his chance when Captain Crispin appoints Urchin his "right-paw squirrel." But on Urchin's very first morning in the Tower, the King's only son is found murdered and Crispin is accused of the crime! Urchin can only look on helplessly while his mentor is banished from court. Meanwhile, power hungry Captain Husk and Lady Aspen continue to fill the devastated royal couple's ears with treachery, and their cups with sleeping draughts. Urchin is desperate to prove Crispin's innocence, but who will believe an orphan of questionable origins? Born under a sky of shooting stars, Urchin is destined to do great deeds, perhaps even save all of Mistmantle. But first, he must believe...Entertaining but predictable, this simply told medieval fable brings nothing new to the growing body of children's animal fantasies. However, it will serve as a steppingstone for those young readers not quite ready for the detailed descriptions and hearty brogues of Brian Jacques's ever popular and endlessly replicating Redwall series.--Jennifer Hubert

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully written--great story and great to read aloud.......2007-04-15

Most nights I still read to my ten-year-old son, and we were both surprised and absoltuetly taken by Mistmantle. He's a big reader by himself, and this was the first time that he ended up so eager to Know What Would Happen that he read ahead of me, and finished it first (and then urged and urged me to catch up--). We both loved the story, the language, the characters--we could stop and predict things together, registering the ways McAllister was setting things up, or the ways she revealed why certain figures behaved as they did. A really smart, page-turning adventure investigating right and wrong and honor and friendship--

a great book.......2007-03-09

Mistmantle chronicles book one Urchin of the Riding Stars is a book about a kingdom on an island far away on an island surounded by mist. An adventourous book about a young squirrel found nearly dead by a kind captian. This squirrel has a great deal of task to complete in this book. I highly recomend it.

Swans with squirrels.......2006-11-22

Have you every read a book in which a hedgehog was murderd just to become king? Urchin Of the riding stars has all of it! This book caught me off guard! When a squirrel dies from falling off a window is so weird! But, when the end of the book has a ok from me the ending makes a lot of sence into what M.I McAllister wrote. I've only read book one and already want to read the rest. The one thing every one will learn is don't judge people. Or kill people to become king of queen! I also recommend this book to everyone. In this case, manly people who can handle animals dying, wars, and wedding that shouldn't take's place, then don't read this book! If you like all that stuff THAN READ IT!!!!!!!

Will urchin save the island?.......2006-11-22

This is an amazing book filled with the best storyline ever.It had me hooked the whole way through and I felt like I was one of the animals.The king's son is killed and the evil Husk and Lady Aspen are blaming Crispin, the kind gentle squirrel that has helped and guided Urchin, a litle orphan squirrel.Crispin is banished from the island and Urchin is the only one that can help. Will he rescue Crispin in time or will the island suffer under the rein of Husk?

Awesome.......2006-10-31

About squirrels and stuff. Great thibgs happen. A great adventure. As good as the Redwall books.

WOLF STAR Claidi Journals Book II (Claidi Journals, 2)

Average customer rating:

The on going story of Claidi
Not as good
coming from an author...
Not the best of Claidi...but good!
"We've Never Met. Probably Never Will..."

WOLF STAR Claidi Journals Book II (Claidi Journals, 2)
Tanith Lee
Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525466738

Book Description

This gripping fantasy sequel fulfills the dramatic promise of Wolf Tower as the headstrong main character, Claidi, plunges into new adventures-and finds herself unexpectedly probing her clouded past.

On the eve of her long-anticipated wedding, Claidi is kidnapped and taken to a mountaintop palace in the shadow of an unearthly star. As she struggles to understand who kidnapped her and why, she must also grapple with strange surroundings, complete with mechanical servants and animals and rooms that move.

Claidi wins the trust of the palace's keeper, the enigmatic Prince Venn, and together they struggle to free themselves from the bizarre maze of taboo, repression, and mystery surrounding both of their long-lost families. Soon Claidi is on the run again, still yearning for a life that may be lived freely and with love.

Customer Reviews:

The on going story of Claidi.......2006-05-30

The unbelievable story of a young girl named Claidi who tries to find out who she is and the people that she meets. As the story goes on Claidi is enjoining her wedding day until she was kidnapped and lead to believe that she was being taken back to the Wolf Tower. Until the people that had taken her were instead taking her to a mountaintop palace. There she finds that the host had been lied to and that she had been spied on. The host of the palace named Venn had never been around people much and didn't know how to feel around them. Even with all this she would find that Venn and Argul her fiancé were closer then she thought and that all this had to do with the Wolf Tower. Also at the palace you learn that most of the people and animals are mechanical and that even that Wolf Star that comes up every night is too. Not to mention that the palace it self moves all over the place with in the cliff and that you have to be careful where you go in it. With all this you get everything from the point of view of Claidi who knowledge of everything is small but with what see knows is what helps her the most. Even with a host that goes from disliking her in a way falling in love with her the story goes on. She gives as much details as she cans and continues it through all of the books. In my mind this isn't the best of the series but it is a great one to read. So find out if she leaves the palace and finds Argul her love or if everything has changed forever. Read on and find out.

Not as good.......2006-03-12

Wolf Star was definitely a disappointment. After reading the first book, Wolf Tower, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel however i was sadly mistaken. Wolf star was confusing and didn't seem to be going anywhere. And the truth is it didn't! After this abrupt ending I was not intrigued but bored and not eager at all to read the Last of the series, Queen Wolf .

coming from an author..........2005-03-25

this book is inspirational. Tanith Lee's style of writing will really captivate your imagination, i think. I am very picky about writing styles, being a author myself, and i will only enjoy the style that is written easiest for the mind to imagine. Every good fantasy book needs basically five things: an intriging writing style, and unruly or loveable character, a romance, and indeniable action. Any book that lacks those five key elements isnt favorable, and almost all of Lee's books are some that i would HIGHLY recommend. And, if you like her style of writing, look up the name Lacie Perry on the little search bar at the top of your screen. Go ahead, do it; You'll be glad you did ;)

Not the best of Claidi...but good! .......2005-03-17

I enjoyed this book very much. Although it is not, in my opinion, the best of the Claidi Journals, it is a good read and I definitely recommend it for fantasy lovers! An exciting, intruiging beginning, tho it slows down towards the middle when she gets to the tower. However, things speed up a bit when Claidi finds herself trying to find out Venn's past and, at the same time, wondering if she's falling in love with him. Altogether, its an exclellent book with an interesting plot and, of course, a great heroine!

"We've Never Met. Probably Never Will...".......2004-11-29

"The Wolf Star" (also published as "Wolf Star Rising") is the second of four books known as the Claidi journals, stories told in the format of a diary by the young escaped-slave Claidi and her travels throughout a fantasy world in search of her origins and a home of her own. In the first installment "The Wolf Tower", which you really must read if you want to understand what's going on in this story, Claidi escaped the confines of the House with the handsome Nemian, only to find that his intentions for her were less than honourable. Taking her to his dismal city and the matriarch Ironel, Claidi found that the inexorable Law of the Wolf Tower made her the new distributor of the cruel and unnecessary rules that governed the land.

Destroying the mechanisms that put the Law in place, Claidi made her escape with the handsome bandit-leader Argul - her betrothed. At the beginning of this new part of her diary, Claidi is immensely excited about her approaching wedding to the man she loves, and her acceptance into the extended family of the Hulta. But as she prepares on the wedding day, a catastrophe occurs - she is kidnapped by men of the Wolf Tower in a great balloon, and taken across the sea to a strange place known as the Rise. With only clockwork figurines for company, Claidi desperately searches for a way to escape the confusing and dangerous moving rooms of the Rise, a huge palace and garden carved into the side of a great cliff.

Soon she discovers that she's not alone - the Rise is the home of the elusive and confusing Prince Venarion (or Venn for short), who is just as bewildered at Claidi's presence in his home as she is. Abandoned by his mother Ustareth at a young age, Claidi suspects that somehow she is connected to the events that are now unfolding: the hidden designs of the House and the someone who has plans for them both without either of them knowing, someone who mysteriously signs their letters as "we", and who has a secret agenda going on. Wanting only to uncover the mystery of the higher interest in her, and to return to her beloved Argul, Claidi talks Venn into undertaking a trek deep into the Rise to find the library - the one place where they might both find the answers they're looking for.

Unfortunately in continuing the story, Tanith Lee raises more questions than answers, and many of her ideas come across as confused and contradicting. She possibly has a master-plan in mind for the completion of the story and the unfolding of the mystery, but she is unravelling it in a very muddled way - it's almost as if she's making it up as she goes along and later figuring out how all the clues fit together, rather than the other way around. Despite this however, the characters, the story and the mystery of Claidi's role in the world is interesting enough to keep one reading.

There are also complaints concerning the setting of the book - "The Wolf Tower" was a journey that took place over a large area, whilst here Claidi is stuck almost entirely within a single house. Granted, it is an exceptionally fascinating house, with moving rooms and clockwork servants, but much of the appeal of the first book was the scale and freedom of Claidi's travels. Here, that is gone.

But "The Wolf Star" is a good follow-up to the previous book, and most will be interested enough in picking up the next one "Wolf Queen," even though I am always frustrated at writers/publishers that split books into more than one volume needlessly. Claidi's journal is one big story - it should be presented as one large volume, not lots of little ones. There are overviews of the previous book at the start of each new installment, but I'd recommend reading them in order.

Average customer rating:

One of Henry's best ever!
Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague
The Myrtle Cure
A great book!
From one horse-lover to any others out there.

Sea Star: Orphan Of Chincoteague
Marguerite Henry
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689715307

Book Description

Movie men have come to Chincoteague to film the annual Pony Penning, and Paul and Maureen are thrilled -- until they learn that the producers want to buy their beloved Misty. Reluctantly, they agree to sell in order to send their uncle to college. But how will they ever fill the lonely place that Misty leaves behind?

Finding an orphaned colt helps Paul and Maureen deal with their loss, and they soon discover that little Sea Star needs them just as much as they need him.

Customer Reviews:

One of Henry's best ever!.......2006-11-17

Marguerite Henry is one of the best animal story authors I have ever read. She has a smooth, flowing style of writing. Her books are generally true to history and often based on real stories. They are easy to read but still suitable for both adults and children. In this book she really appeals to all animal lovers, male, female, young and old. It's refreshing to read a horse book that is not just another 'girlie' horse novel. This story is SO much more then that! Henry's stories will be classics for a long time. In this story (it's the sequel to her book 'Misty') brother and sister Paul and Maureen sell their favorite pony Misty and though they are sad, they know it's for a good cause. Soon after, they happen to find an orphaned colt on the beach with a crooked star on his forehead and they eventually find him a foster mother-pony who lost her own baby. This is a heart warming story and I love the ending. It has some sad parts and some adventure but nothing too intense or scary. A good choice to read to younder kids and sensitive readers. I would reccommend this to boys, girls and anyone who loves horses.

Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague.......2005-12-20

Sea Star
Orphan of Chincoteague
By Marguerite Henry
Illustrated by Wesley Dennis
Reviewed by Madeline

Sea Star is the magnificent sequel to Misty, which was thought of as Miss Henry's only Chincoteague story. This novel depicts the beloved characters Paul and Maureen, along with the wonderful Misty, as they encounter an orphaned foal when at Tom's Cove. With its mamma dead, the foal can't feed and will die, unless Paul and Maureen have something to say about it. The two children take in the little foal in and give him milk from a mare at a nurse-farm and from a bottle, naming the foal Sea Star, for the star-shaped blaze on his forehead. Over all, anyone who fell in love with Misty, will fall in love with Sea Star just the same.

The Myrtle Cure.......2004-06-11

Although author Marguerite Henry had not envisioned a sequel to MISTY, she found herself touched by the real plight of a tiny orphan colt whose mother had died at Tom's Cove. Those plucky youngsters, Paul and Maureen Beebe, make the ultimate sacrifice: they decide to sell their beloved Misty in order to finance their uncle's education at Seminary. But when the Lord cloes one door, he often opens a window somewhere else. In this case the starving little type whickers his way into the children's grieving hearts, giving them something positive to work for: finding him proper nourishment.

If you enjoyed MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE, you will love this tale as well. There is more of Grandpa's blustery horse sense--for children, as well as for the animals on Pony Ranch. It is also a treat to experience
Grandma's warm support for empty stomachs and aching hearts. Readers will relive the excitement of the roundup on Pony Penning Day, as the firemen of Chincoteague hold their annual fund raiser (capturing and selling the wild ponies of Assateague Island to Mainlanders). This year a movie crew is on hand to film the tumultuous events. The conflict of human versus equine will is played out on a salty stage of splashing waves off the Virginia coast. Sea Star will quickly capture your interest, along with world-famous Misty. A light, heart-warming read for kids of all ages.

A great book!.......2004-04-30

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I felt like i was right there with Paul and Maureen. They are the two main charecters that found Sea Star on the beach. This book explains the little ponys struggle for life and how Paul and Maureen helped save the ponys life. The author explains everything so well that you dont want to put the book down, ever. If you like animals then you should read this book. The author did a great job explaining and keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

From one horse-lover to any others out there........2003-10-21

I liked reading Sea Star by Marguerite Henry. It had wild horses with wild manes and flaring nostrils. Mares and foals of all types, pintos, bays, snow whites, and pitch black stallions galloped across the marshy plains. The book kept me on the edge of my seat and I was right there with Paul and Maureen, the two main characters when they found Sea Star. I was transported in my mind to the island of Chincoteague where I was flying across the sandy beach on my mounted steed next to them looking for the starving, tiny foal. Sea Star was my favorite book in the series of three books that I have read by this author.

Average customer rating:

This is the BEST book EVER EVER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK Book reviewed by Sam
The Star of Kazan
The Inside Jewels
The Star of Kazan

The Star of Kazan
Eva Ibbotson
Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525473475

Book Description

Annika is happy living in the servants' quarters of a house owned by three eccentric professors. She adores Ellie and Sigrid, the cook and housemaid who found her as a baby, abandoned on a church doorstep. In the eleven years since, they have taught her how to bake and clean to perfection. Then one day a glamorous stranger arrives, claiming to be Annika's mother. Annika is no servant, she learns, but an aristocrat whose true home is an ancient castle. But at crumbling Spittal, Annika discovers that all is not as it seems in the lives of her newfound family. . .

Customer Reviews:

This is the BEST book EVER EVER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-04-26

This is my all-time favorite book. It is one of those books you just can't put down. I would be dishonest to say it had any flaws. My favorite parts are where Anika (the main character) is listening to her neighbors' aunt's stories, especially about how the jewel shop owner gave the old woman "glass" copies of the jewels she had and the time where she makes the Christmas carp by herself. Eva Ibbotson is a great author anyway, and this is her book "jewel," fitting the story.

OK Book reviewed by Sam.......2007-04-20

Do you celebrate your birthday or your found day? Well, Annika the main character of The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotston celebrates her Found Day which was the day that a cook named Ellie and a housemaid, named Sigird who work for three professors, found Annika in a beautiful church.
Annika is a servant who goes to bed every night with one thought that puts her to sleep, her real mother coming to find her in Vienna. Vienna is a beautiful town in Austria. Annika has a lot of friends in Vienna, including an old lady who lives next door. Annika looked after her and started to grow fond of the old lady. When Annika was looking after the old lady the lady would tell her stories and one day the old lady showed Annika a chest of jewels and necklaces that were copied. There was one copied jewel that was emerald and circular and that jewel was called the Star of Kazan.
The Star of Kazan is a thrilling adventure. If you need an adventurous book then you should read the The Star of Kazan.

The Star of Kazan.......2006-11-08

My daughter and I read this book together and loved it from beginning to end. Some books start off slow and gradually get more interesting, this one is an attention-getter from page one. My daughter, who's eight, and I both looked forward to reading it every night.

The Inside Jewels.......2006-10-25

In this journey of the lost child, Anika, found in a chuch by the servants Sigred and Ellie.Anika must find her true mother in the western of Europe.Will her mother turn out as her dreams or steal all of her possesions?

The Star of Kazan .......2006-10-22

Title:The Star of Kazan
Author:Eva Ibbotson
Genre: Fiction

This book is about a girl who was found in a church, by two maids on vacation. They went back to Vienna. Both the maids asked The Professors (their boss) if they could keep her. They said yes. Happy and excited the new parents decided to name their new child Annika.
As Annika grew she grew into a maid and a fabulous cook. Sigrid the first maid taught her how to do everything around the house. Ellie taught her everything about cooking. That became something she cherished and loved. She also became friends with a very old lady, La Rondine, who had a chest of supposedly fake jewel. Annika was found of the lady and didn't want her to die. But, when she died the jewels became willed to Annika.
As Annika grew older she wished to know who her real parents where and why she was left in the seat of a church in the mountains. Every night she dreamed her true mother who was very beautiful and elegantly dressed to come to her door and say, "Where is my child? I must see my long lost child." One day this happened and her mother came forth. Everything Annika had imagined of her mother she was. Beautiful, elegant, and loving. She was to become a "von." The day she left was a gloomy and quite day, no one wanted her to leave.
At her new home in Spittal she was disturbed. The rooms were cold, the food was cold, and where there was to be paintings there was nothing. She also had a brother, Hermann and a cousin, Gundrun. They both were very gloomy. She soon became friends with the caretaker of the farm, Zed. Zed also had a dog name Hector. The threes spent a lot of time together. One day Hector found a pircture, it was La Rondine. All of a sudden the estate changed, the had aquaired a big sum of money from a relative. Annika didn't know it but because she had should her mother the picture she was to be sent to Grossenflous, a boarding school. Later Zed was to be blamed. Annika's mother said Zed was not to be trusted and she listened. When Zed heard of the new he ran away with Hermann's horse.
At Grossenflous no one ever talked laughed or had fun. The place sucked the souls out of eveyr child who attended. Day by day she became thinner. One da y the Professors found unsual piece of information, got more information, and found out where Annika was. Soon the Professors, Ellie, Sigrid, and Stefen, their close friend were headed toward Grossenflous. There they devised a plan to get Annika out. It worked, but Professor Gertrude's harp was shattered in the escape. Annika was taken back to Vienna and told to rest. She rested for three days.

You have to read the book to see how it all ends.

My comments:
The author is descriptive so you get an image in your head, but she doesn't overdue it. The whole story was told in third person, but I think first person would give it a different feel. More feeling. This book was pretty well. I kept on reading most of the time, however it did have some slow parts. It had a great plot and twist at the end of the book I never saw coming. The book didn't remind of other books though. Still it was an awesome book.

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Sea Star : Orphan of Chincoteaque

Manufacturer: Rand McNally and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000EMU3TC

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Sea Star Orphan of Chincoteague
Marguerite Henry
Manufacturer: Rand McNally & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Misty's Twilight

ASIN: B000CBO9S6

Product Description

Sequel to Misty of Chincoteague. Paul and Maureen are devastated as Misty leaves them to become a Hollywood animal actor. It's so hard to see her go. Then one day on Chincoteague Island the children find a lone colt with a crooked star on her forehead.Beside her lies her mother - dead. How Paul and Maureen fight to save the life of little Sea Star makes a story you'll never forget.

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Wonderful Historical Fiction for Jewish Kids
good book

The Star and the Sword
Pamela Melnikoff
Manufacturer: Jewish Publications Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0827605285

Book Description

After their family and the rest of the Jews of Lymford are massacred, Benedict, 12, and his sister Elvira, 10, set out on foot for Oxford, hoping to start a new life. Their journey takes them through Sherwood Forest, where they meet Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and all the rest - and embark on an adventure to help a Crusader knight rescue King Richard the Lionhearted. A suspenseful tale set amid the pageantry of medieval England, The Star and the Sword is an outstanding example of historical fiction for young readers, offering them an exciting introduction to Jewish life in the 12th century.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Historical Fiction for Jewish Kids.......2005-01-06

I read this novel to my daughter over 7 years ago, and it's one of those books that has remained vivid in both of our imaginations after all this time. We read a LOT, and I'd have to put it in the top 5. We unfortunately lent it to someone & never got it back, so I'm thrilled to be able to find it again to share with my younger sons.

good book.......2000-04-19

I really liked this book. portrayed the life of England's Jews very well. Especially with the references to all the Jews killed in York. I also liked the parts with Robin Hood.

The Movie Star Mystery (Boxcar Children Mysteries)

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One of the best books by Miss Gertude Warner
This movie star is not living his life happily ever after!

The Movie Star Mystery (Boxcar Children Mysteries)
Gertrude Chandler Warner
Manufacturer: Albert Whitman & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807553042

Customer Reviews:

One of the best books by Miss Gertude Warner.......2000-04-28

The Boxcar Children used to live alone in a box car. Now theyhave a home with their grandfather, and they have become friends witha famous movie star! While Tate Radison (the movie star)and his body-gaurd:Courtney. Are trying to hide from everbody. Until the boxcar children find him and he says his name is Jonathan. But his real name is Tate. They become friends and Tate gets weird letters in his mailbox. Is somebody watching Tate?

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This movie star is not living his life happily ever after!.......2000-04-13

When the Aldens go riding to the site of their old boxcar they come across two men taking pictures. Soon they find out that they are taping for a new movie for Tate Radison. Tate has recently been having a bad luck jinx. Coming to Greenfield has made no difference. A mysterious lady following him around . . . a fire in an ice-cream parlor . . . a crash at dinner. What could this all mean? Follow the Aldens in this Hollywood caper!

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