Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel

Book Description

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Download Description

Lisa See is the author of Flower Net (an Edgar Award nominee), The Interior, and Dragon Bones, as well as the critically acclaimed memoir On Gold Mountain. The Organization of Chinese American Women named her the 2001 National Woman of the Year. She lives in Los Angeles.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Love & struggles.......2007-10-16

I recently chose Snow Flower and the Secret Fan for a book club. All the ladies seemed to enjoy this pick as it demonstrated in detail the culture and helped us be grateful for our big feet, not to mention our freedom. OBEY, OBEY, OBEY, is not something that I could have done as easily as Lily and Snow Flower. Their courage through it all left me in awe, respecting their everyday life, struggles and love.
This is a recommend read for all mothers, daughter and wives that think they have life difficult.

fantastic story.......2007-10-11

I loved this book - I am a fan of novels that weave historical information, or cultural information thru the story, and See did a fantastic job with both. The characters were so well done and the imagery was fantastic. I only wish it was longer!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: What an amazing book!.......2007-10-10

My favorite book in my 2 year book club. I love the way she writes and describes a world and lives of strong women who have no choice, no love, no life but yet have each other, dreams, and and hope.

It makes me want to burn my bra!.......2007-10-09

I thought this book was very well written and the story was very interesting. However, it doesn't change the fact that it infuriated me to no end. I am so thankful I am an American woman, even a Western woman, where women are valued and important to society. It makes me sick to think how little value women have and that they see themselves that way, no better than a slave. And then whent these young girls move into their new home, their mother-in-laws treat them so abominably, even though they had gone through the same things. Women become subservient in every possible way, mentally, emotionally, and of course, physically because of that accursed foot-binding tradition. YUCK! This type of culture is just so alien to me. Wow! What a great story, though. It really got me thinking.

A Beautiful Story!.......2007-10-08

This book was effectively able to intertwine a story about lifelong friendship between two women and many historical details from Chinese culture such as food binding and the role of women in society. I loved how the author was able to look back on her life and point out her flaws, and the strengths of her friend. I highly recommend this book!

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Pull-up! Pull-Up!
What was the point?
6th target
Patterson doesn't deliver with The 6th Target

The 6th Target
James Patterson , and Maxine Paetro
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316014796
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Book Description

When a horrifying attack leaves one of the four members of the Women's Murder Club struggling for her life, the others fight to keep a madman behind bars before anyone else is hurt. And Lindsay Boxer and her new partner in the San Francisco police department run flat-out to stop a series of kidnappings that has electrified the city: children are being plucked off the streets together with their nannies-- but the kidnappers aren't demanding ransom. Amid uncertainty and rising panic, Lindsay juggles the possibility of a new love with an unsolvable investigation, and the knowledge that one member of the club could be on the brink of death. And just when everything appears momentarily under control, the case takes a terrifying turn, putting an entire city in lethal danger. Lindsay must make a choice she never dreamed she'd face--with no certainty that either outcome has more than a prayer of success.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-06

You must read this book, it is one of Patterson's finest. I personally prefer the books he writes alone to the ones he cowrites, they aren't near as fine. This one is though and you won't be able to put it down.

Pull-up! Pull-Up!.......2007-10-02

While a huge Patterson fan, this book was disappointing. We get three half-formed antagonists and a shiftless plot. More alarming, the ratio of mystery to melodrama is starting to head in the same direction that Patricia Cornwell did--not a positive development.

1st to Die was a taut, well-paced, page-turner. Sadly, this one seemed kinda tired and formulaic.

What was the point?.......2007-09-15

I kept waiting for the 3 storylines to somehow come together and they never did. Usually I read Patterson in 2 days and this one took me 2 months! Let's start writing alone again James!

6th target.......2007-09-15

I agree with the other reviews. I was eagerly waiting for the next instalment of the murder club and I wanted to throw the book across the room in disgust. Where was the excitement, the suspense - the feeling that you can't put the book down until you know. James Patterson re-read the first 4 books and give us something the rivals those books or don't bother.

Patterson doesn't deliver with The 6th Target.......2007-09-03

This was, in my opinion, the worst Patterson book I've read...and I've read almost all of them. He is putting out so many books with so many co-authors lately, I doubt he has time to read or edit them thoroughly. He's too busy counting his money. Jokes aside, The 6th Target is not worth the time or money!

Average customer rating:

The editorial view
It was OK
Perfect for flu season
Don't Take This Book to Bed With You!
Too many crazy people in the attic... (contains spoliers)

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel
Diane Setterfield
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0743298020

Amazon.com

Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story with Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale. Setterfield has rejuvenated the genre with this closely plotted, clever foray into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths. She never cheats by pulling a rabbit out of a hat; this atmospheric story hangs together perfectly.

There are two heroines here: Vida Winter, a famous author, whose life story is coming to an end, and Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father's shop. Vida has been confounding her biographers and fans for years by giving everybody a different version of her life, each time swearing it's the truth. Because of a biography that Margaret has written about brothers, Vida chooses Margaret to tell her story, all of it, for the first time. At their initial meeting, the conversation begins:

"You have given nineteen different versions of your life story to journalists in the last two years alone."

She [Vida] shrugged. "It's my profession. I'm a storyteller."

"I am a biographer, I work with facts."

The game is afoot and Margaret must spend some time sorting out whether or not Vida is actually ready to tell the whole truth. There is more here of Margaret discovering than of Vida cooperating wholeheartedly, but that is part of Vida's plan.

Margaret has a story of her own: she was one of conjoined twins and her sister died so that Margaret could live. She feels an otherworldly aura sometimes or a yearning for a part of her that is forever missing. Vida's story involves two wild girls--feral twins (is she one of them?)--who would have been better off being suckled by wolves. Instead, their mother and uncle, involved in things too unsavory to contemplate, combine to neglect them woefully. There's also a governess, a Doctor, a kindly housekeeper, a gardener, and another presence--a very strange presence--which Margaret perceives as a ghost at first. Making obeisance to other great ghost stories, there is a deadly fire, a beautiful old house gone to ruin, and always that presence....

The transformative power of truth informs the lives of both women by story's end, and The Thirteenth Tale is finally and convincingly told. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

When Margaret Lea opened the door to the past, what she confronted was her destiny.

All children mythologize their birth...So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter's collection of stories, which are as famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale as they are for the delight and enchantment of the twelve that do exist.

The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish life histories for herself -- all of them inventions that have brought her fame and fortune but have kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she at last wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth, hidden by those who loved her most, remains an ever-present pain. Struck by a curious parallel between Miss Winter's story and her own, Margaret takes on the commission.

As Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good, Margaret is mesmerized. It is a tale of gothic strangeness featuring the Angelfield family, including the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.

Margaret succumbs to the power of Vida's storytelling but remains suspicious of the author's sincerity. She demands the truth from Vida, and together they confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us, a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and that we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter and, in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life.

Customer Reviews:

The editorial view .......2007-10-16

This opening sentence from the editorial view "Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story with Diane Setterfield's debut novel" is made by a moron. This book is intriguing and exceptionally well written, but what it is NOT is a rousing good ghost story.

It was OK.......2007-10-16

I expected a more dramatic ending, but I was disappointed. I felt the book was too long and the ending didn't live up to the promise made earlier in the book. Worth a read, but don't expect to be wowed.

Perfect for flu season.......2007-10-12

This is the kind of gothic, convoluted tale to curl up with on a rainy night. Eerie but confusing themes move slowly past your window and if you are a little feverish they may even make sense. It's a hard book to rush through (notice the terse, irritated reviews here) but I found it pleasurable and suspensful if you don't ask too much or think too hard.

Don't Take This Book to Bed With You!.......2007-10-09

It starts out well. Our heroine, Margaret, is the daughter of a dealer in old and rare books, the kind that can support the family on a handful of special sales per year. She has worked with her quietly doting father from earliest childhood, learning to love both their trade and the many books upon their shelves. Then, on a day like any other, she receives a summons from the most published, and yet personally unknown, author in England. Vida Winters, known for telling a new and different scenario to reporters whenever asked about her past, has decided to finally tell the true story of her life to someone, and she has chosen Margaret.

Leaving the shop, her agoraphobic and distant mother, and her beloved books, Margaret takes with her a ream of paper, twelve shiny red pencils, and the discovered secret that her parents think is safely sealed away in a tin under the bed.

Miss Winters' story, she says, must be told in its proper order, without interruption by questions, with no looking ahead. And she must tell it before the wolf, eating her from the inside, finishes her storytelling forever. Margaret's plan to decline the job suddenly is overwhelmed by the hints of love, loss, tragedy, and deranged secrets.

The daily sessions of story-telling begin with the loss of a mother, the depression of a father, and the rearing of the product of their union. And then the story begins to darken.

Ms. Setterfield creates, with a masterful use of vocabulary and phrasing, a virtual "train wreck" of events. As the reader watches the engine approach, an inner sense of disaster perceives that the trestle ahead is weak. One by one the cars of the train follow along, swaying and groaning with the stress, starting to tumble into the abyss. Surely the train will stop and the last few cars, at least, will remain in safety. Surely the disaster cannot become worse....

Raised in a house with a reclusive uncle, a housekeeper with dementia, and a taciturn gardener, young Vida suddenly finds herself in charge of the comings and goings of all the residents of the lonely estate, responsible for their needs and for keeping anyone living in the village from intruding on their lair lest they find out their gruesome secrets.

When it seems impossible for any good ending (happy is perhaps too strong a word here), Ms. Setterfield snatches real life away from the horrors of the fire and the insanity, and carefully wraps up all the stories in a satisfactory manner. Whew!

A good, and compelling, read, The Thirteenth Tale will hold your attention and require you to continue to the very end.

Just don't take this book to bed with you.

Too many crazy people in the attic... (contains spoliers).......2007-10-05

The Thirteenth tale is a nice pseudo-gothic novel, inspired by classic English Victorian novels. It has all the mandatory characters and events, and in abundance. In place of one crazy wife in the attic, Ms. Setterfiled generously provides us with several generations of a mad family. There are abandoned children, mixed up twins, a fire and a ghost. The plot is quite engaging though hard to believe. The characters are poorly developed one-dimensional figures; the flow of events is just superficially glued together, leaving loose ends and blank gaps here and there.

The story of Vida Winter was rather a disappointment, after the first dozen of pages that had promised some dark story about a bookish girl in the world of old dusty books, diaries of dead people and forgotten pages. I wish I read about this one. Then I wouldn't have had all these silly questions that kept me from enjoying the book: why everybody would go nuts about the childhood of a popular writer, meaning the events that happened before she even started to write? How come a child lives in a family (though a nuts family but anyway) and doesn't have a name? Why did Vida's mother abandon her? Why did Vida love retarded Emmeline so much, that chose her over the boy she liked? If Emmeline and Adeline were so different, why was it impossible to tell one from another? Why was it such a bad idea to separate the twins?...

Average customer rating:

A Great Book for Kids and Adults!
Makes You Feel Like A Kid Again
Bridge to Terabithia CD
Read this one with your child
What was this book about?

Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064401847

Product Description

Jess Aaron's greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new kid, a new girl, boldly crosses over to the boy's side of the playground and outruns everyone.

Amazon.com

The story starts out simply enough: Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade--he wants it so bad he can taste it. He's been practicing all summer, running in the fields around his farmhouse until he collapses in a sweat. Then a tomboy named Leslie Burke moves into the farmhouse next door and changes his life forever. Not only does Leslie not look or act like any girls Jess knows, but she also turns out to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. After getting over the shock and humiliation of being beaten by a girl, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay.

Despite their superficial differences, it's clear that Jess and Leslie are soul mates. The two create a secret kingdom in the woods named Terabithia, where the only way to get into the castle is by swinging out over a gully on an enchanted rope. Here they reign as king and queen, fighting off imaginary giants and the walking dead, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against the schoolmates who tease them. Jess and Leslie find solace in the sanctuary of Terabithia until a tragedy strikes and the two are separated forever. In a style that is both plain and powerful, Katherine Paterson's characters will stir your heart and put a lump in your throat.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Book for Kids and Adults!.......2007-10-14

When I took my kids to see this movie last year, I didn't have the slightest idea what it was about. And although I think I probably embarrassed the heck out of the kiddies by sobbing through part of it, it was a phenomenal movie. I very rarely read the book AFTER the movie, just because I hate to already know what is going to happen. But I'm glad I read this one!

Jess Aarons is excited for the 5th grade to start. He's been running all summer so he can show everyone at recess that he is the fastest boy in the school. But things take an unexpected turn when the new kid is school turns out to be the fastest....and it's a girl!! Leslie Burke, a city kid that has moved to the country and just happens to be Jess' new neighbor, is different than the girls at Lark Creek Elementary. She dresses different, has short hair, and doesn't even own a TV! But once Jess gets to know her, they become inseparable. He finally finds a friend that understands his love of drawing.

Leslie and Jess create a world of their own -- Terabithia, a magical world in which they are the rulers and no one else is allowed to enter. It is a Kingdom of giants (which are not-so-surprisingly similar to the bullies at school) and spirits. Terabithia is place for Leslie and Jess alone, and the only way to get there is swing across the river on a rope. But when tragedy strikes and Jess blames himself, even Terabithia can't protect him from the grief he feels.

Paterson wrote this book based on personal experience. Her son David's best friend Lisa was killed in an accident when they were 8 years old. And this book was her tribute to both of them. I realize this book has been frequently "challenged" by parents. I can understand the reason, but I don't feel like children should be sheltered from this beautiful story. Yes, it is sad, but it is life. Children are more resilient than a lot of adults give them credit for, and I think this book could only be a benefit to them.

When the movie was released, all the trailers showed depictions of the fantasy world that was really only in Jess and Leslie's imagination. I think it is unfair to mislead people into thinking this book is a high fantasy book. Because it's not. It's about friendship and love. It's about understanding yourself and learning to live with that understanding. And it's about loss. It is a beautiful, simple story that everyone should read, adults and children alike.

Makes You Feel Like A Kid Again.......2007-09-29

Katherine Paterson, with vividly beautiful prose, tells a story about the friendship between a young boy and a young girl, and how that friendship transforms the life of that boy from something dull and normal to something as spectacular as a imaginary fantasy land. The book itself is short and an easy read, but what the book really says to the reader is quite a bit bigger than its page count. Much like growing up, this book is both sweet and painful, and Paterson truly has a great handle on what its like to be a ten year old, fifth grade boy. So for all those readers who aren't afraid of a book that will make them cry (for both sad and warmer reasons) than I recommend this book. It doesn't matter if you're a child or an adult, "Bridge to Terabithia" is universal.

10/10 Classic.

Bridge to Terabithia CD.......2007-09-27

Love the CD. It is done very well. You may need to be aware however that there are curse words in the book.

Read this one with your child.......2007-08-22

There are some pretty heavy subject matters within this beautiful work of fiction. Yet, they are subjects that need to be dealt with, and what better conversation starter than a response to something you've read together? This is the story of Jess and Leslie, two outcasts of their 5th grade class (although I found both to be interesting). They become neighbors and fast friends, and make up an imaginary kingdom deep in the forest, called Terabithia. There, they have the confidence and control which eludes them in the real world. But an amazing thing happens in that they begin to see the world in a different, more favorable light. They find that people are not who they seem, and this makes them better and more compassionate individuals. The first time I read this, I was absolutely stunned by the tragedy that takes place. Even still, after several times rereading it, it tears at my emotions. I commend Katherine Paterson for bravely venturing into such sensitive matters, ones that will make children better capable of dealing head-on with their own emotions.

What was this book about?.......2007-08-10

I did not understand why this book was written. What was it all about? The only point it seemed to make was Leslie's death at the end of the book. Overall I thought that it was exteremly uneventful. Terabithia seemed to have a small role to play in the book. 'Much ado about nothing' fits this novel.
I cannot, however, ginve this book only one star. Giving it one star would be hating this book. I did not hate it I just thought that it never did get to the point. If it was a memior I would have liked it. As a memior I would have thought it was a good book because I would have expected this. (I wouldn't have picked it up though. Memior isn't quite my style.) I liked the characters and was sad when that girl died. I think that that is why I haven't given it one star.
Not a ringing endorsement, but if memior is what you like I'd give it a shot.
-cdm

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4)

Average customer rating:

I liked the others better
Sisterhood
So Long Sisterhood
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
One too many

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4)
Ann Brashares
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385729367
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Amazon.com

Ann Brashares has created a wonderful, heartfelt series for teens (and adults) around a pair of pants. In her breakout bestseller, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Brashares introduced readers to four girls, Lena, Bridget, Carmen, and Tibby, and to the magical pair of jeans that fit them all perfectly, and inspired them to live their young lives to the fullest. Forever in Blue, the fourth and final novel in the series, promises a dazzling finale--one "last glorious summer" for the four girls, and their fans. See a note from author Ann Brashares, below.--Daphne Durham

A Note from Ann Brashares

December 1, 2006

Dear Amazon Reader,

Well, here we are together again. If you are getting ready to read the fourth book, Forever in Blue, that means we've probably spent some time together. I hope you've enjoyed it. I know I have.

We don't know each other and we may never get to meet, but I feel like we are connected nonetheless. We've spent time with four fictional girls together. We've puzzled over their lives and their choices. We've rooted for them and sometimes felt annoyed by them. We've shared some hopes for them, I think, and in the process for ourselves.

So thank you for being part of the sisterhood with me. I have really appreciated your company along the way.

Happy reading,

Ann

Spend Time with the Sisterhood

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Boxed Set

Girls in Pants

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Book Description

With unraveled embroidery and fraying hems, the Traveling Pants are back for one last, glorious summer.

Lena: Immerses herself in her painting and an intoxicating summer fling, fearing that the moment she forgets about Kostos will be the moment she sees him again.

Carmen: Falls under the spell of a sophisticated college friend for whom a theatrical role means everything and the heritage of the Pants means nothing.

Bridget: Joins a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey and discovers that her archaeology professor is available in every way except one.

Tibby: Leaves behind someone she loves, wrongly believing he will stay where she has left him.

Join Ann Brashares's beloved sisterhood once again in a dazzling, fearless novel. It's a summer that will forever change the lives of Lena, Carmen, Bee, and Tibby, here and now, past and future, together and apart.

Customer Reviews:

I liked the others better.......2007-08-10

This was the book made to tie up loose ends. Everyone came to a conclusion about their life and the pants. The whole thing was sort of boring. Yes I liked the book, but in a way everyone was the same as they started. I suppose the point of it was to show how they had grown up and still stayed the same. Maybe it was that there wasn't enough excitement or maybe it's that I'm tired now but i thought it wasn't as good as the other books.
-cdm

Sisterhood.......2007-08-04

I have enjoyed this entire series...takes me back to my Judy Blume days. The girl in all of us can identify with these characters as they grow, change, and try to not lose themselves or each other in the process. The earlier on you learn that nothing means more than your girl friends...the better off you are! I think the quotes between the chapters are insightful, and I enjoy finding their relation to the story as I read on. That brings a literary aspect not often found in young adult novels. I appreciate that this book and its prequels can be light and real at the same time. A book about pants sounds like fluff, but you feel with these girls as they deal with real issues both internal and external. Real doesn't have to be dark...bittersweet seems more fitting. These books capture the laughter through tears that is what sisterhood is about. I highly recommend reading them all.

So Long Sisterhood.......2007-07-26

Although this wasn't my fave Sisterhood book, it deserves kudos for not only reflecting the maturity of the characters at this point in their lives, but also the realities of growing up and growing apart. This is the fourth and supposedly final chapter of the Sisterhood tomes, and is likely to provide a conclusive feeling for the readers of the series.

To recap, the Travelling Pants series details the summers four best friends spend, sometimes apart, sometimes together. They are of course, as per the legend, bonded together by a pair of 'magical' pants that give them the strength of the love they feel as friends even when they aren't together.

In all fairness I read the third book quite some time ago so reading the new fourth one was a bit of a cognitive leap - I could barely remember a lot of what happened in the past! Anyway in this one the girls are bridging the gap between their first and second year of university. They've actually shared the pants year-round this time because they have spent the year at different colleges etc. That should be your first clue something is up - the girls are very very much so a lot more individual characters this time around, which was both refreshing and problematic. Of the latter, it was good because I was sick and tired of how cheesy and overemphasized their relationship was - although some sappy moments still exist towards the end, they are certainly toned down. But in the absence of their friendship it almost defeated the purpose of the book, and the pants of course.

This time around the girls spend most of their summer apart. Tibby is still in New York working and taking a summer class and wondering whether she has made the right choices when it comes to her relationship with Brian. Bee (my fave as always) is in Turkey getting back to basics on an archeological dig site and wondering whether the best alternative to missing her boyfriend is not missing a single thing her hot professor does. Flamboyent Carmen has surprisingly shrunk into her shell over the last year, and fallen under the wing of a supposedly protective, glorious friend, who turns out to be anything but as their summer continues. Lena is at art school and enraptured with a guy, shockingly this time, not the love of her life, Kostos.

As I mentioned earlier, the book definitely took on a more mature tone than the others - most of it dealt with sex and relationships and very little of it focused on friendship and personal self-growth - although most of the storylines evolve to give the girls those girl power moments of epiphany. Although I enjoyed the storylines a lot more this time it almost felt like the characters were under-used and less developed because there was far less crossover opportunities given their summer was spent so far apart emotionally and physically.

Brashares does a good job wrapping up the series in a realistic way though - Upon finishing it, I realized why she decided to do a fourth (I completely assumed the third would be the last) as each book is kind of meant to represent each of the four girls.

All in all a fitting conclusion to the series that represented, quite honestly, the realities of growing up and moving away when it comes to those true blue friends you thought you'd never forget, and those true blue jeans you thought you'd never lose.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants).......2007-07-19

OMG!!! I loved every single one of the books preceding this book and this one hit the mark! It is so wonderful, and though it is so sad that it ends the series the finish is remarkable. Brashare's masterpiece is complete!!!

One too many.......2007-07-15

I thought the prime qualities of the first three books of this series were charm and innocence. For the fourth installment, one of our heroines poses nude for a male art student and another falls for a married man with children. Whatever other qualities the book may have, charming and innocent it is not.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful read
Great
RULES...Rule #1...READ THIS BOOK!
KCS: how to live with a neurotic sibling
Terrific!

Rules (Newbery Honor Book)
Cynthia Lord
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0439443822

Book Description

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules-from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public"-in order to stop his embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a paraplegic boy, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful read.......2007-10-16

As a mom of special needs kids, I loved this book! It's from the perspective of a typical sister, which is a nice perspective. The book also shows how loving the sister can be, which is a wonderful change from most books, on any subject. A lesson from the book can be that no matter how frustrated you are, you can still be nice.

Great.......2007-10-15

This is a wonderful book about a girl's life dealing with her struggle to be normal with a pretty profoundly autistic younger brother. She really works hard to be honest with herself, and is not always successful. Unlike a lot of children's books, this one even has an ending I can live with. It's touching without being saccharine, satisfying without being overly neat and tidy. Just a wonderful book with great characters (including the parents, who veer from the stock set appearing in most children's books).

RULES...Rule #1...READ THIS BOOK! .......2007-10-11

Cynthia Lord has created a wonderful, endearing and entertaining story that opens up discussion for so many life lessons. Working with kids with autism, I welcome with open arms this enjoyable teaching tool. I would recommend this as required reading for kids from 4th grade all the way through 7th. I think the characters are realistic and they teach from the heart. It is a good tool for teaching kids (and adults) about taking the extra step to learn more about those around us. I loved the relationship between Catherine and Jason and enjoyed "watching" Catherine create new words for Jason which opened up his world a bit more. Kudos to Ms. Lord on her Newbery Award. Education, compassion and understanding are lessons this book offers. Joanna Keating-Velasco, author, A IS FOR AUTISM, F IS FOR FRIENDA Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism

KCS: how to live with a neurotic sibling.......2007-10-09

KCS: How to live with a neurotic sibling

Looking closer can make something beautiful.

Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you.

Some people think they know who you are, when really they don't.

Catherine would rather live like a normal person. It's hard enough putting up with her autistic brother, but with a potential friend next door, she feels even more embarrassed about him. And there's Jason, another potential friend. Do you think Catherine can make friends with them without letting her brother get in the way of her? (you have to read Rules to find out)
Rules takes place somewhere on the mainland close to the ocean, during recent times. Catherine is an artistic person and is used to covering up for her brother, David, but only to a certain point. She is patient enough with David but isn't willing to take full responsibility over him. Catherine doesn't really like going out in public with David because she hates the funny looks people give him (he goes around quoting Frog and Toad and his rules). however, she feels all right about him in the end. Catherine has made a bunch of rules for both her and David to follow.
David seems to always be shouting out random things, but what he says has some hidden meaning that only Catherine can understand. David goes to a therapy class/OT. He needs constant reminding to "chew with his mouth closed" or "keep his pants on in public". David doesn't understand that some people are trying to tease him and aren't laughing with him.
Jason is paraplegic and can't speak. He has to use a communication book with words in it so he can converse with others. He's pretty much like "normal" people his age in personality, but is probably more observant than others due to his disability. Jason goes to the same therapy center as David.
Jason has been going to OT before David, but only then did Catherine really notice him. His mom caught her sketching him, and that is how they got to be friends. Kristi, who would probably become really popular, moves in next door to Catherine. Catherine really doesn't want her to know about David, but she finds out anyway and their relationship doesn't get to a good start. She makes an effort to make friends with Kristi but she seems to like this guy who Catherine dislikes. Catherine gets closer to Jason but when the community center holds a dance, she uses her rules as excuses to hide behind.
I really enjoyed this book, and in some ways I could relate to the characters in it. Being an older sister, I knew how Catherine felt dealing with david. I learned not to judge people by the way they act or look because they could be a totally different person on the inside ("don't judge people by their covers") and not to restrain yourself with tons of rules. David couldn't understand what to do or what not to do, so Catherine made all those rules for them (kind of like The Giver, where if you broke one of their many rules you'd get in big trouble). But then she made unnecessary rules for herself that took away some of her freedom. Cynthia Lord's writing style included lots of details and I was able to understand everything. It had some Christian perspective in it, with Catherine opening a lot of opportunities for Jason and showing him the world in a different perspective. She learned that she didn't have to follow all those rules that she made. The pacing is a steady medium with some fast parts. The title is what it is mostly because of all the rules Catherine made. I would recommend this book to anyone in general, because there's not really anything inappropriate in it and I think everyone can relate to at least one character.

Terrific!.......2007-09-30

This is an award winning book that tells what it's like to be the normal sibling in a family with a special child. The protagonist is realistically drawn and her difficulties protecting her autistic brother from the harsh realities of prejudice and small-minded cruelty will touch your heart. Although targeted for the upper elementary or middle school audience, readers of all ages would benefit from the expressive and moving portrait Cynthia Lord paints of the conflicts faced by the members of families with special kids.

Social Skills Training for Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and Social-Communications Problems

Average customer rating:

Great book!
very practical workbook
Great for Social Skills Training
Easy reading, understanding, and easy to use lessons
A must for all kids with social skill issues

Social Skills Training for Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and Social-Communications Problems
Jed E. Baker
Manufacturer: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 193128220X

Book Description

Finally a social skills program that covers all the bases!

Whether it's learning how long one can look at somebody without being accused of staring; how to shift topics, despite one's desire to stick with that all-consuming special interest; how to say no to peer pressure; or dealing with a sensitive topic - it's all here...and more. In this comprehensive and user-friendly book, the author translates years of experience working with students with Asperger Syndrome and social-communication difficulties. After brief introductory chapters on skills to target, instructional strategies, behavior management, promoting generalization, etc., as well as a special chapter by Brenda Smith Myles on relevant characteristics of autism spectrum disorders, the reader is presented with the essence of this must-have resource: 70 of the skills that most commonly cause difficulty for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and social-communication problems. The presentation of each skill consists of a reproducible skill handout, as well as activity sheets listing ways teachers and parents can demonstrate, practice, and reinforce the skill in the classroom and at home. A concluding chapter on promoting peer acceptance offers sensitivity training programs for both students of various age groups and school staff, making this a complete social skills training package for students of all ages.

Customer Reviews:

Great book!.......2007-09-03

This book has step by step instructions on social skills and I love the easy to read and teach format. I don't know if my son has Asperger's, but he really struggles with social skills and this has been a great help to us.

very practical workbook.......2007-08-06

I found this book very useful. It lists skills a child should have, which are so inherent to those who don't have this probelm, they are actually hard to think of on your own. For each skill it gives examples and ways to encourage gaining the skill. Every parent whose child's social skills aren't up to par with their peers will benefit from this book.

Great for Social Skills Training.......2007-03-10

This book is an excellent resource for those who want to assist children and young adults with social skills training. There are clear cut lessons and activities that cover a variety of topics from how to greet others to asking someone on a date. Very valuable for those who need concrete examples of the correct way to approach many different social situations. Could be used for children on the autism spectrum, but also for any child who could benefit from practice in social interaction, even those who are shy. Anyone who lives and works with students who have social skills defecits would find this book useful.

Easy reading, understanding, and easy to use lessons.......2007-02-23

This book is not only good to help those in the autism spectrum with lacking social skills, but they can also be applied easily to teaching any children without autism. It is straightforward easy to use, to the point. Definitely worth the money, and was recommended to me by several mothers with more than 2 children with autism. Thanks!

A must for all kids with social skill issues.......2007-01-09

Jed Baker has done it again. This is a nice follow-up to his social picture book. This is done nicely because you can pick and choose which areas you need to work on. Most children could use help with social skills to reduce anxiety, regardless of whether they have issues. My son does not have aspergers and his social skills issues are minimum but with practice the skills he has have been greatly refined.The program can be used in parts at home by parents with minimal training or in a school environment with speech therapists etc.

Average customer rating:

The Best Book (review by Parise, age 6)
The higher power of lucky - KcSrOcks
The higher power of lucky
Scrotum
Not a Newbery

The Higher Power of Lucky
Susan Patron
Manufacturer: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1416901949

Customer Reviews:

The Best Book (review by Parise, age 6).......2007-10-14

I really liked this book because I like books with adventures in them. I didn't want to stop reading it. I really like Lucky because she is funny. Miles kind of acts like a three-year-old and not a five-year-old, but it didn't actually upset me. My favorite part is the part when Lucky is in the dust storm. The adventure is really cool.

The higher power of lucky - KcSrOcks.......2007-10-12

Lucky hasn't had it very well. Her father had abandoned her. Even her mother died in the desert. And Lucky now lives in a tiny dusty town of about 43 residents.

Lucky Timbler was a ten year old girl living in Hard Pan, California.
In Luckys town there is not alot of impressed things there. There is a improvised beauty salon. A post office and a Found Object Wind Chime Museum. Also the visitors center. But if only she, Lucky, could find the Higher Power. Then she could stabilize her life.

Lucky doesn't feel stable at all. She lives with her guardian, Brigitte, a Frenchwoman and Lucky's father's first wife. Brigitte is homesick, she still speaks to Lucky with French terms and most importantly, has kept her passport. Lucky knows that Brigitte will in Hard Pan and then head back to France.

Brigitte and Lucky lives in a improvised home. Comprised of three trailers linked together and on concrete blocks. Lucky haso only one friend there in Hard Pan, a knot-fantatic boy named Lincoln. Lincoln is followed around by the sad 5 year old boy named Miles with a penchant for cookies and "Are You My Mother?"

Lucky remains to follow the tweleve step program. The next step after rock bottom, the getting control of your life step. Lucky decides to run away during the dust strom and taking a survival pack of her own design.Better leave than be left.

I think that this book is really good. Susan Patron is a great author. she never wants you to put the book down. Its that you never want ot stop reading. And she leaves you with a lot of questions when you finish some parts. I would recommend this book to everyone. And people who would like to read the new 2007 newberry book.

The higher power of lucky.......2007-10-12

Lucky hasn't had it well. Her father had abandoned her. Also her mother
died in the desert, and she now lives in a tiny dusty town of 43 residents

Lucky Trimble a 10 year old girl lives in Hard Pan, California. Lucky really doesn't feel stable. She lives with her guardian, Brigitte, aFrenchwoman and her father's first wife. Briggitte is sick but she is homesick and she talks to Lucky in French terms of endearment. Most Brigitte has been keeping her passport. Lucky knows what that means that Brigitte would leave Lucky in Hard Pan and go back to France.

Lucky and Brigitte live in a improvised home, of three trailers linked together and on concrete blocks. Lucky had only one friend in that town. A boy named Lincoln. Lincoln was knotfantatic, and he was always followed around by a sad 5 year old boy who waas named Miles with cravings for cookies and "Are you my Mom?"

Lucky remians to follow the twelve step program on the next step after rock bottom or the getting control of your life step. Lucky also decides that she wants to run away during a dust storm. but taking a survival pack of her own design with her.

I really like this book. Susan Patron is a really good auther and she makes you never want to put down the book but to keep on reading. I would recommend this book to everyone. Especially people who would like to read the 2007 newberr medal book.

Scrotum.......2007-10-10

Scrotum scrotum scrotum, scroty scrot scrotum. Scrotum, scrot scroty-scrot; scrotum scrotbag. Scrotum scrotum scrotum, scrotumish scrotums scrot scrotly (scrtotum). Beanbag.

Not a Newbery.......2007-10-07

I have read 90% of the Newbery winners and I have to say that I was disappointed with this year's choice. Don't get me wrong, it is worth reading, but not worthy of this distinguished award. I just don't think it is a page turner for any age. While the characters are well developed, it just didn't spark for me. However, I read Rules, an honorable Newbery, and I felt this book was a better suited for the award. I really wonder how the judges choose their book. Sometimes, they are right on the money, Holes & Because of Winn Dixie, while other times they are off. Unfortunately The Higher Power of Lucky is not one of their better choices.

Average customer rating:

KCS Number the Stars
Wonderful story for old and young alike!
A Simple but Moving Story
A teacher told me about this book.
great book!!

Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440227534
Release Date: 1998-02-09

Amazon.com

The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country. Number the Stars won the 1990 Newbery Medal.

Book Description

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.

Customer Reviews:

KCS Number the Stars.......2007-10-11

Have you ever feared of being prisoners and your parents were staying in a place you don't know, you would be staying in your friends apartment for a while and this would all be happening because of your religion. This book takes place in a town called Copenhagen during World War 2 in the year 1943. The main character is Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen (who they are hiding from the Nazi soldiers). Annemarie has short blond hair and Ellen who has dark black hair.

The problem that they faced in the book was that the Nazi soldiers were coming after all Jewish people. They got the list of all the Jewish people and where they lived by getting the list of all the Jews at the synagogue. So Rosen's parents have to go somewhere and hide but they do not want to leave Rosen alone so they take her to stay with Annemarie's family.

The main idea of this book is to never give up in yourself and in others and also to have courage. The plot summary of the book is that Rosen and the other Jews will be in danger because the Nazis are trying to capture them and take them somewhere no one knows where it is but they are calling it "relocation". The meaning of the title "Number the Stars" is how the Nazis are trying to gather up all the Jewish people to put them in a camp, so they call it that because the Jewish symbol is the Star of David the Nazis are trying to gather them and count them up so they are numbering the people that are Jewish.

The pacing of the book was very fast and exciting with everything they did, it seemed like they were never left with nothing to do. The authors craft is a sad but happy style to it and it pulls you in so you want to keep reading more. It doesn't say if Annemarie's family is Christian so I don't know if it is written from a Christian perspective. The genre of the book is Historical because I know that World War 2 did actually happen but I don't know if Annemarie was a real person so it might be Historical Fiction. Over all I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to people ages 10-12 because it was fairly easy for me.

Wonderful story for old and young alike!.......2007-10-09

I really enjoyed "Number the Stars" not only because it was a great story, but it was also educational. I have to admit that I have been ignorant to the effect WW2 had on Denmark, until I read this book. I have heard and read so much about the other European countries, but I have hardly heard a thing about Denmark. Thus, I liked how the author weaved in the reasons for Denmark not fighting the Germans, and how the king of Denmark remained uncontrolled during the occupation. I also enjoyed learning little facts about the Danish Resistance.

As far as the fictional side of the book, I found it to be an easy read that young and old alike could enjoy. Lowry has such a good imagination, that you can't help but be captured by the characters bravery and courage. At times when reading this book, I asked myself if I could have made the same courageous choices.

A Simple but Moving Story.......2007-10-09

This is a moving story ~~ written simply for the younger audience and it's perfect for all ages who want to remember the lost and the forgotten of World War II. This is a simple story of "What Should You Do?" in times like this ~~ where the Jews are forced underground or to leave their homes. This is a story of a young girl who delivered a life-saving package to her uncle who was about to be boarded on his fishing boat by the Germans. He was smuggling his niece's friends and other people to Sweden.

It is a simple story ~~ there are other stories out there that are better written and more well-rounded but this is a perfect start for young kids who want to learn more about history. It's written beautifully and simplistically and yet realistically. It is a story of courage and defiance and strength even in moments of sheer terror. It is a story that honors the old commandent: "Thou Shall Love Thy Neighbors."

It is a must-read for all serious readers.

10-9-07

A teacher told me about this book........2007-09-24

I really enjoyed the book. I went on a trip to Washington D.C. and visited the Holocaust Museum. Since then I have been interested in WWII and mostly the Holocaust. A teacher told me about this book. I read the book very quickly, it was so interesting. My mom liked it too, and read with me. I'm reading it again!

great book!!.......2007-07-12

My granddaughter,11, read this on our vacation, and she told me she absolutely loved it!

Average customer rating:

Let me pick up my jaw
Love it! Why Am I Not Surprised!!! :o)
Big disappointment
Inviting, Cozy Book
A one-of-a-kind tale of true camaraderie

The Friday Night Knitting Club
Kate Jacobs
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399154094

Book Description

A charming and moving novel about female friendship and the experiences that knit us together-even when we least expect it.

Walker and Daughter is Georgia Walker's little yarn shop, tucked into a quiet storefront on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The Friday Night Knitting Club was started by some of Georgia's regulars, who gather once a week to work on their latest projects and to chat-and occasionally clash-over their stories of love, life, and everything in between.

Georgia has her hands full, juggling the demands of running the store and raising her spunky teen daughter, Dakota, by herself. Thank goodness for Anita, her mentor and dear friend, and the rest of the members of the knitting club-who are just as varied as the skeins of yarn in the shop's bins. There's Peri, a prelaw student turned handbag designer; Darwin, a somewhat aloof feminist grad student; and Lucie, a petite, quiet woman who's harboring some secrets of her own.

However, unexpected changes soon throw these women's lives into disarray, and the shop's comfortable world gets shaken up like a snow globe. James, Georgia's ex, decides that he wants to play a larger role in Dakota's life-and possibly Georgia's as well. Cat, a former friend from high school, returns to New York as a rich Park Avenue wife and uneasily renews her old bond with Georgia. Meanwhile, Anita must confront her growing (and reciprocated) feelings for Marty, the kind neighborhood deli owner. And when the unthinkable happens, they realize what they've created: not just a knitting club, but a sisterhood

Customer Reviews:

Let me pick up my jaw.......2007-10-15

Wow. That this got published was something of a shocker. But a movie? Oh my. Oh my... When I read that, my jaw hit the floor.

I suspected this book had the potential to be somewhat predictable, might even be suffocatingly cozy. But I was willing to risk it hoping it'd have some grit to it, a touch of originality. Alas, no. It's just what I feared.

Love it! Why Am I Not Surprised!!! :o).......2007-09-20

I bought this unabridged audio because I could relate to the topic. I belong to many beading classes... mainly because I love the days I can bond with other women via the beading. It's a wonderful experience, so I had a feeling I would love this book. However, I had no idea that this read would capture my heart and soul the way it did. Each character was so rich in their identity and I loved the way that they were given voice by Carrington McDuffie. The author Kate Jacobs must be so excited to know that her book is soon to be a movie starring Julia Roberts!!! How exciting is that! She will be perfect for the lead role of Georgia Walker, a strong single mother and owner of the knit store "Walker & Daughter" ...... I wonder who will play the other incredible cast of characters. I just loved them all and was so sad when the story ended. Truly this is one of my favorite books this year. I highly recommend it. I'd also like to recommend "The Knitting Circle" ... another truly fabulous book! 5 starz JMHO //(*_*)\\

Big disappointment.......2007-09-14

I was so excited about this book I bought 3 copies - one for myself, one for my friend who's preparing to open a yarn shop and start a knitting club, and the other for our knitting mentor. I read the book as soon as it arrived, and now I'm almost embarrased to give it to my friends. I was really disappointed in the quality of the writing and felt even I could do a much better job. The characters were shallow, the wording was awkward in many places, and lots of things didn't make much sense. For example, it was not believable that Georgia would keep James' letters for all those years and not read them. She would have thrown them away! The chapter about the crazy film student who was looking for Julia Roberts (what a coincedence, since she just happens to star in the upcoming movie) was strange and added nothing to the story. And what was the purpose of the use of the f-word? It didn't fit the characters. I also figured out the ending way too soon. Plus, knitting had very little to do with the book. When in Scotland, around all those sheep, for instance, there wasn't even a mention of the great yarns that were available!!! You'd think a yarn shop owner would spend time checking out the yarn and how it was produced. Tragic missed opportunity to add something authentic to a book about knitting. This novel was too predictable throughout. Save your money and wait for the movie. Hopefully it will be better.

Inviting, Cozy Book .......2007-08-07

I enjoyed this book so much that I'm rather taken aback at how divided the reviews are. I found the book to be like a blanket, warm and cozy and something you want to curl up in. I don't knit, but the references to the wool and the process made it seem very inviting.

The characters were diverse - of varying ages, walks of life and economic circumstances - and written so vividly that I began to cast them as if for a TV show. Overall, the book is about love and friendship and finding ourselves, with the store and knitting being the central theme that brings most of the characters together.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was sad to see it come to a conclusion, ending my connection with the colorful and enjoyable characters. Like some of the other reviewers, I would have liked a different ending because I'd grown attached to everyone, but I did see it coming and the author did tie it all together well.

My biggest disappointment in the book was discovering it's Kate Jacob's first and now I'll have to wait for the next one.

A one-of-a-kind tale of true camaraderie.......2007-08-07

Featuring tracks every three minutes for easy bookmarking, The Friday Night Knitting Club is the audiobook version of professional editor Kate Jacobs' debut novel, tantalizingly narrated by recording artist Carrington MacDuffie. Once a week, the regulars of Georgia Walker's little yarn shop gather for tips of knitting - and end up learning much more as they swap stories about themselves, their loves, their lives, and virtually everything else. When sudden change shake the women to their cores, they discover they've created not just a knitting club, but a tightly bonded sisterhood. Soon to be turned into a major motion picture starring Julia Roberts, The Friday Night Knitting Club is a one-of-a-kind tale of true camaraderie, highly recommended. 10 CDs, 12 1/2 hours, unabridged.

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