This is by far the best teaching related devotion book I have found. The stories and prayers are very well written. I have been amazed over and over as God has spoken to me through this book, often it is just the same type of situation my students and I are going through. Every teacher should be blessed by having this book!

Marie Vinje's Hanna's Butterfly tells a simple, elegant story about a brief relationship between a young girl and a wandering butterfly. Hannah finds a butterfly in the park and, noticing its beauty, brings it home. Her mother suggests that it may be tired or hurt and in need of rest. Perhaps it is travelling to warmer climes before Winter sets in. Hannah provides the butterfly an attractive temporary home in a jar. She looks up migration routes in a butterfly book and, that night, thinks about how much the butterfly needs to continue on its way. The next morning Hannah returns to the park and frees the butterfly, waving goodbye.

The watercolor illustrations by Gail Suess add a lot of beauty and charm to the story of Hannah. They show a pensive, thoughtful Hannah surrounded by the brilliant colors of her natural environment. A variety of visual perspectives are shown, now the butterfly's viewpoint, now Hannah's. The soft pictures and the gentle words work together nicely to give us a story of childhood innocence and compassion. I highly recommend this book.

"Hello. . . Is Anybody Listening?!" will awaken you to the possibilities that exist within you. Whatever your path, this book offers the insight, inspiration and arouses that inner-knowing that can assist you in completing the journey of your dreams.

Information on the book:

This book is a valuable reference tool for the new social worker as well as for the experienced social worker new to the oncology field. Includes information on the emotional and social impact of cancer on children, the range of social work interventions applied in cancer care, professional issues in oncology social work, the identification and access of available resources, and the latest information about diagnosis and treatment.

Also includes a special patient information section on understanding and using support services.

This book really worked its stuff through the whole course, offering reinforcement where it was necessary. However, I got all excited after doing the problems, just to realize that there were no answers to check my work with! Why did Peterson's do this? I'm hardly psychic, and if I'm learning the material, am I going to know the answers? I think not.

Overall, it was well organized and well written, but I'd love to truly test how well - written it was with an answer - key comparison to my own work.

This was an excellent book. It accurately shows problems from both Part 1 and 2. It also utilized the calculator effectively. Lastly it was the book most like the AP Exam.

I think it wise for anyone who reads this book to begin with the prefaces which give a clue to the overall presentation of the book. I did find myself captivated by the book upon first reading. And though it is easy for us to become lost in the maze of characters involved in St. Joan's life, a testament of how many she affected in the brief time she was alive, there are the second and third parts to enlighten us. The book does well with the presentation of her life. Further, there is plenty of information in the appendices to give someone not familiar with the "life and times" of the late Medieval Age to come away with enough background to have a better understanding of the events that unfold in this book. More interesting reading would be found in Pernoud's "Joan of Arc: In Her Own Words." if one is interested solely in her story without having to worry about a lot of the historical contexts.

I studied Joan of Arc for my college senior seminar, and found this book to be one of the most useful books on the subject of her life. Pernoud did an amazing amount of research on J of A's life and times, and had a great amount of information to share. She is also usually one of the more readable historians I have read; every now and then she becomes dry, but this is rare. She has written many books on J of A; this one is the best general reference. It has information on J of A, several people in her life, her time, etc. I would definitely recommend this book (and this author) to those interested in reading about history.

This is an eloquent and detailed book, full of scholarly facts and based upon extensive research. Mlle. Pernoud, "'la grande dame' of French historical writing", was probably the foremost expert on Joan of Arc, and she is famous both for her scholarship and her engaging writing style. Better yet, she stands aside and lets Joan do the talking.

While "Joan of Arc, By Herself and Her Witnesses" makes for easier reading, this one covers a lot of information not found in the above book. Both would be good choices for anyone studying the subject.

On a world not that different from our own a technology has risen and collapsed taking a civilization with it. The inhabitants can no longer make use of their spaceports and travel to the stars. Instead, there is a religion based on the belief that someday the Sky Dwellers will return. Others believe that they will not and do not exist while still others, the Knowledge Brokers attempt to resurrect the dead technology. Not only is the widespread use of mental telepathy by the inhabitants common, so are parts and remnants of the lost civilization. As an experiment the Knowledge Brokers have managed to activate a sound-sender (kind of radio) and have sent out a message.

High above, there are three moons that orbit this world of permanent fall coloring and the message has been heard. The Spiral Collective has been surveying the area and has heard the message. They send a ship to the planet's surface to find the source of the signal. However, the mission quickly becomes secondary as the ship crashes, making Leah the sole human survivor.

The crash was seen for miles and she is quickly captured by troops loyal to the Crown. Matvar and his troops believe that the old legends have proven true and the "Starborn" or "Sky Dwellers" truly exist. While a dead body would be easiest to deal with, live specimens also work, and Leah is taken prisoner for transport to the capital city, Oshune. Their arrival will validate their religion and expose the non-believers for what they are.

Proof will destroy the heresy, led by Valad. Valad and his followers do not believe the ancient legends or religion and seek to destroy it every chance they get. Valad, as magistrate to the area, half-heartedly supports the Crown while at the same time seeking his own twisted pleasure. One pleasure he desperately wants is Thiele.

Thiele is one of the Learned Ones of the Knowledge Brokers. Her mental telepathy abilities are a bit stronger that others and she knows what Valad wants with her. She has no intention of being captured and forced to spend time with Valad. After discovering Leah, captive among the troops she decides that Leah needs rescuing from them. Thiele knows what Leah is and wants her to get away and return to her people.

But the rescue quickly runs awry, and Leah finds herself chased by Valad and his men as well as Matvar and his followers. Along the way, she will learn much and still wonder just how far she can trust Thiele and her people. But, alone, on an alien world with little hope of rescue by your own, you have to trust someone.

This is a very good novel with strong characters and vivid descriptions. Despite the fact that the five authors collaborated on this project together, it does not have the usual hallmarks of such an effort. The work flows seamlessly from chapter to chapter, scene to scene and it simply is not discernable who wrote what. An excellent novel and a very enjoyable read that I would recommend to almost anyone that has an interest in science fiction.

It was nice to see some of the old zine names again. I was a little disappointed that a short review of each zine mentioned was not given except for the really big name ones. However, those of us who were around and writing for and/or publishing at that time will definiately enjoy seeing old friends again. I would like to have seen the years split up into two volumes and more details given for each zine and whether they are still publishing or not. However, Verba is a good writer and covers alot of material. It's sorta like putting a tidal wave in an empty bath tub, hard to do, but squeeze more in anyway. It is a wealth of information that can be used by all and a book worth reading.
For Trek fans, it is a good reference guide to have all the zine names at your finger tips. It would also be helpful in buying zines at conventions, and filling in missing ones in ones' own collection.

The Lais of Marie de France is a wonderful collection of some of the best lais known to man! We were asked to read this book for my World Masterpieces class, and I must say that I'm glad that I did. Although many of the lais are short in length, you gain a valuable understanding of the way of life in ancient France as well as helpful knowledge for problems you may have in the love department.

If you believe that war, poverty and brutality are appropriate topics for third-graders, this is the book for you. And there may very well be Salvadoran parents who wish to introduce the subject of that country's civil war to their children. The book is nicely illustrated, and I can't take issue with the writing on any technical basis. But seriously, the disclosure that Miguel was "hurt by soldiers. Now he can't run and play anymore," is a bit much for an eight-year-old, in my opinion.

This is an engaging story that spoke to my little girl's heart. After she read this book (with minimal help), we discussed the concepts. It changed her heart. She finally became receptive to the idea of giving away some of her toys to poor children.

My daughter also learned some Spanish words, which were beautifully integrated into the text of the story. She has retained the words and their meanings very well after only a few readings. She began to understand the concept of a foreign language because the words were presented in context first in Spanish then in English. This was far more effective than her Spanish picture dictionary.

In short, this is a beautiful book that has the potential to expand your child's horizons and change his/her heart. Children can relate well to the love that the main character has for her favorite - and only - toy, which makes the climax of the story easy to understand. A child who learns even one or two of the Spanish words and phrases could possibly make new friends at the playground. I highly recommend this lovingly written, educational book.