This is a wonderful story of a man who made a difference in many slaves' lives. The side by side English/Spanish text is beautifully written, and stays nondenominational, even though it is the story of the patron saint of slaves. The illustrations are also lovely, and both the text and pictures hold the attention of my antsy son. One of his favorite books, it is a deeply moving spiritual story that I recommend to all.

This is a terrific example of a spiritual book for kids. The poetic text rivals that of the secular classics, and the pictures are rich, textured, and deeply moving. Yet there's no overt message, no preaching, no denominational stand. It's just a wonderful book -- period.

I just love this guide. I use it every day to start my day at work. It really gets me to meditate on God's wonderful word. It is so great, that I am buying it for a friend.

This book revolutionized my own Bible study time. The Quiet Time Companion uses several different approaches to freshen up personal study times. Weekly sessions may study a single passage, a character, or a word. Other sessions will look at the same passage from several different perspective or will spend two or more weeks on an indepth study of a section of scripture.

This multi-themed approach keeps your Bible study from becoming routine. You will not find a three month study of Leviticus. It cuts down on the theological/philosophic mumbo-jumbo giving straight but not dumbed down look at the Word of God.

Another innovative approach the authors used in creating this devotional aid is that the weekly sessions are composed of 5 lessons, giving you 2 days of individual study (the authors do make some suggestions) but this is an excellent opportunity to work in preparing your Sunday School lesson during the weekend personalized study.

The authors are to be commended! Bravo!

My grandmother taught me how to read from this book back in the early 60's. I knew how to read before I started kindergarten.

Fortunately, she kept her copy and I was able to use it with my own daughter with much success.

I highly recommend this book for use in homeschooling or for extra tutoring outside of the classroom.

I received this book in a bag of old books from a friend years ago. I now homeschool my children and used this book as our phonics text. My children learned easily from this book and are now excellent readers. The book begins with short vowels and goes into consonate/shortvowel blends and sight words. I would estimate a child to be reading at second grade level by the time they complete this book. I treasure this book.

This book is about a period of time between love affairs in a lesbian's life. It was funny, witty, just one of those books that you feel comfortable reading and is easy to indentify with. If you need a book to take your mind off of things and just lay back and relax, that's the book.

Julia Willis's REEL TIME is perfect for a lazy, rainy Sunday. Laney is very likable and witty and her takes on things from classic films to dogs to love and life will have your stomach shaking and your head nodding. It's like spending time with a favorite friend. A big plus for fans of old movies,Willis' references to such movies as BRINGING UP BABY and NOW VOYAGER make you smile!

I chose this book out of chance for a university course paper. Thank God. This book was one of the most endearing and beautiful stories about a fabulously funny and looney family.

I hope that many other people find this book by accident as well.

Thank you Saffy!

Funny, touching and unique in its rich use of language and its fine character development. A truly enjoyable read about a family who love each other and really like each other. Delightful!

Simply Superb! This book is recommended for the beginner chef to the expert chef. The format is clear, concise and humorous. I plan to introduce this book to my students. I particulary was fond of the Caesar Salad. My mentor, Brother Bob, would have approved.

A lovely little book full of adventure! Very helpful tips, with innovative combinations that prove to be delightful. After sampling many of the recipes by Julia Anita, we no longer buy bottled dressings, the homemade ones are so simple and so delicious and superior in taste. Would highly recommend this book and the price is right! Looking forward to more from Julia Anita!

Written by former plantation mistress Julia Peterkin, Scarlet Sister Mary is a novel of intellect, individualism, coltish word play, tradition and most importantly, respect. The novel, like, Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Color Purple, is written in an old southern vernacular, and it tells the story of Sister Mary or Si May-e, a young and sprightly woman at the novel's start. It is some time after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, and freedon (used loosely, historically speaking), has come for those individuals who were field slaves or indentured servants. Their opportunity to flee has come, to seek opportunities for self and financial betterment. For some, however, betterment is not up north or anywhere else in the country; it is exactly where it is: the native coastal terrain of South Carolina - the setting for the novel. Religion, faith, folklore, generational history and magic are the ties that bind the folksy and hard working men and women of the Quarters. Dignity and peacefulness does not come from being nomadic, as was in the case of the pioneers to the Midwest and far West; it is closer. It is in the hoeing, the field labor, the mud between the crevices of the rough and crackling flesh. It is in the earth. To combat the joyous harshness of the work is love and a family. And thus, Sister Mary comes into the picture; she is at the marrying age, and July, her suitor, is ready to be her protector and provider. Or so one would believe. Using faith in lore and mythology, Sister Mary's marriage is almost doomed from the start: "'Do, Master, look down and see what a rat is done!' Mary's heart flew up into her mouth. Cold chills ran over her as she ran to see what happened. There it was, a great hole gnawed deep into the bride's cake's tender meat...she fell into bitter dumb sobs...Such bad luck was hard to face." (p.29) And it only advances to something worse via the aid of a love charm and another woman's insatiable lust for the groom's affections. Time passes, and Mary is all alone with her son Unex (shortened for Unexpected). A suffocating cover of depression smothers Sister Mary, and as time heals old wounds, Mary rises into a life of self-satisfaction and sexual gratification. She enters the dominion of sin and religious transgression; she is altered in the eyes of those around her. From Sister Mary, she becomes Scarlet Sister Mary - red with hungry passion as the adjective implies. She has a flock of children, but they are not heart children, as in the case of Unex, but they are passion, lust children. Redemption is nil, and her destiny upon her final breath (in the eyes of her brethren) is clearly understood; her spirit, her soul, is scudding rapidly to the flaming and billowing sulphur pitts of hell. Can redemption and acceptance ever come into her grasp? Will peace ever rectify the wrongs incurred in her heart and mind? Her somewhat sardonic life philosophy and world-weary actions narrow down the chances for hope. But that hand-clenching curiosity does get solved. Banned in Boston when it was first published in 1928 and winner of the 1929 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Scarlet Sister Mary is a classic among classics - lyrical in prose and description, vivid in the intellectual exploration of the "Negro question" - (vii) and complex as well as humane. But it is by no means an accurate representation of a specific catagory of people. Consequently, the work, although brilliant, is slightly antiquated and beguiling.

Scarlet Sister Mary is the story of a free-spirited woman's life in the post-Emancipation South. It is unique in its portrayal of an African-American community as capable of independent existence in the South at that time. The culture of the community is portrayed most interestingly and permeates through the religious, spiritual and even medical undertones of story. While Peterkin tells a poetic tale of an independent, strong, rebellious woman (of whom you grow dearly fond, and cannot help but cheer her on in her resistance), one finds it hard to wonder how accurate a picture Peterkin paints as one who viewed African-Americans in the South rather than lived as an African-American in the South. But all in all, this book is a must read (and if you attempt to read it as you would imagine people read the book when it was first published, you have a most scandalous story of taboo story before your eyes!)

This book is great!!! IT tells you all about what your Constellations means!!! Like what your flower is or what you should be whan you grow up based on your personality!!! I love this book and I bet you would like it too!!!

This book is great!!! It tells all about what your Constellation means. Like what your flower is, or what you should be when you grow up. I love it!!! You would love it to, I'm sure about that and it would also tell you much more!!! So I recemend this book!!!

Scrub Station is a very well-written collection of short stories that reads like a coherent whole. Some stories have erotic/fetish themes and because of the quality of the writing, cannot simply be placed into erotic genre. They transcend characterization. It's somewhat reminiscent of Georges Bataille's writing if he wrote today. Disturbing at times & always hauntingly beautiful to read, this book will keep you glued to itself until you reach the last page. Did I mention the book's handsome esthetically pleasing pocket-size design?

Who wouldn't be impressed? The writing -- especially when Ms. Solis sketches her eerie landscapes -- evinces a precision that rivals Kafka's own. Ms. Solis is a master of transport, and the netherworld to which the reader travels is rich, decadent, pleasured by light and dark.

There once lived a secret tribe of very beautiful creatures called ciguapas, underwater in "cool blue caves hung with seashells and seaweed". They were terribly afraid of humans and came out on land only at night to hunt for food. They were convinced that if humans saw them, they would be captured, put in cages, studied by doctors and made to take baths and do laundry. They had one special attribute that kept them safe from humans. Their feet were backwards and when they walked, pointed in the opposite direction. Because of this, no human had ever been able to follow their footprints and their secret existence had remained safe. That is until one young ciguapa, named Guapa, became too curious and hunted before dark, meeting a surprisingly kind human family. And this curiousity almost led to the tribe's discovery..... Julia Alvarez retells a wonderful folk tale, that will charm and delight children of all ages. Her language, so full of imagery and magic, lets you feel the cool water and hot sun and hear the palms swaying in the breeze and the birds singing their favorite songs. Fabian Negrin's captivating, vibrant artwork compliments the story perfectly and takes you away to this very lush tropical island. The Secret Footprints is an enchanting tale, told by an accomplished storyteller and will make a wonderful addition to all home libraries.

Julia Alvarez has transformed the mythic Dominican tale of the Ciguapa into a lush, dramatic story for all audiences to appreciate. I was fortunate enough to hear Alvarez read her first children's book to 80 second graders at the Carol Morgan School of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The children as was this writer literally spellbound.

The tale which is reminiscent of "The Little Mermaid," is set in the Domincan Republic where the Ciguapas live in secret caves underwater. The Ciguapas, women with long black hair, only come out at night and walk backwards on land to fool their enemies. The littlest Ciguapa who is fond of humans, gets herself into a sticky situation and her "secret" is almost discovered by a young boy. Adults will not only learn more about these Caribbean "creatures," but their children will learn more about tolerance.