Emotional Toxic Shock Syndrome, or PTSD, thought by many to exist only in situations where extreme conditions cause children to fall victim to the illness characterized by its now well defined symptoms, is now a nearly universal phenomenon that goes largely unrecognized in its many variations. The interests of children would be best served by making the connection between violence, neglect and trauma that forms the foundation of PTSD, the perpetual kind, that undermines adult potential and leaves its victims vulnerable to and the most probable outcome of any and all "emotional overload" setbacks in childhood we tend to ignore or dismiss as unfortunate influences. PTSD, rarely the first inquiry (and rarely examined) as the most probable diagnosis of children caught in domestic conflict, or those troubled, or in trouble, is a constant and continuous affliction in modern society where family conflict is "nearly presumed" as ordinary occurrences. Diagnosed with a myriad of "other" less likely performance-undermining illnesses, it is far easier to medicate, counsel, and address anything but the real source of their problems, the desperate situations out of which their troubles come. Medication, inappropriate ridicule or punishment and inadequate counseling insures circuitous examination that prevents the real diagnosis and the real resolution of their problems, often leaving us wondering why they "cannot be reached," or foolishly justifying the compounding of social and educational dysfunction laid upon them, and further crippling them for life ignoring all forms of social conscience due to our own neglect and ignorance. Failing to recognize that orphans, or orphan-like children are not likely to receive the remedial steps for recovery, and that adoptees are actually former orphans with unaddressed impact can only be detrimental to wellness. Continuing conflict among the almost-orphaned is little better. All reside in varying states and levels of PTSD which do not disappear with age but become buried within the makeup of the individual further complicating the healing and health of those who suffer, or once suffered the conditions that caused it. Recognizing the realities and necessities of treatment should be a first concern and the first step in diagnosis for any child, or any adult. Awareness is always the key to understanding how illness becomes health in the non-physical sciences, a.k.a., the world of emotional, mental and cognitive health. More discussion is needed, not silence.

This book is absolutely perfect for helping children who have experienced trauma understand their feelings, consciously and subconsciously. The story is straight forward about how sometimes we try to hide from the scary feelings created by trauma and how we may act out because of our trying to suppress those feelings. It also gives children an entre' into how to handle these feelings while not telling them that everything will go back to the way it was. Spectacular! Probably the best child's self-help book I've read in a long time.

This is a wonderful book for teachers or parents to use with younger children. It uses a fun character to show different emotions that children have after witnessing or being a part of something that is tramatic to them. This could be their parents fighting, divorce, abuse, etc. That is what is so wonderful about this book; it does not tell what the character witnessed. As a result of this, it can apply to a number of situations. This book also helps children to realize that it helps to talk about what is bothering them. This is a must read!

Heyneman's panoramic vision of a cosmic spiritual ecology is achieved through an unusual balance between practical observation, vigorous knowledge of literature and science and inspired personal insight. She leads her reader past explanation, through knowledge, to exceptional opportunities for understanding of our role in the cosmos. All of this hinges on her ability to relate her practice and understanding of spiritual tradition to our international legacies of literature and science. JWD

We just love this book and the other by the same authors What if?. The illustrations are expressive, the story is thoughtful and full of tidbits of information for the children. Best of all the parents in the story are loving and supportive of their little monster. I would reccommend this one highly, and will buy it for friends and family.

Get this book! It is wonderful. It starts out a little scary, as the little monster voices his fears about what would happen if all these catastophes happened and his mother isn't there to help him. But then his mother reassures him and puts a beautiful upbeat spin on it all. I love reading this book to my 2 year old. It is a little scary in the beginning and sometimes he only wants me to read from when the mother monster is making pancakes, yet he asks me to recite the story over and over again.

The Title of this story is Blackberry's in the Dark. The authors name is Mavis Jukes, and the pictures were done by Tomas B. Allen. There's a little boy named Austin. He goes to his grandparent's house every summer. He's not so happy this time, his grandfather past away not so long ago and so this time it's just his grandmother and him. He goes to pick some blakberries by the riuer. His grandmother comes up later with some fishing gear. His grandfather was going to teach him to fly fish that year, but now the grandmother is going to try to teach him even though she doesn't know how, she was thinking maybe her and her grandson could try to figure it out together. Here's a phrase to help you see how they talk in this book. "I didn't Know" began Austin. His grandmother drew him near to her. "Nobody knew, Austin." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Nobody knew that would be the last summer we'd all have together." She pressed Austin's cheek against her sweater and they stood there for a few minutes, roking back and forth. After a while she asked..." I would recommend this book to some people. I liked it because in a way it was touching but in a way it was fun. I woudn't recommend this book to someone that just really doesn't like calm books, they mostly like action books. I haven't read any other books like this one yet. It's good!

Mavis Jukes' Blackberries In The Dark tells of a family tradition of blackberry picking summers challenged by a grandfather's death. Grandma is alone and Austin feels his summer has lost its special magic - it's up to them both to make new traditions in this warm story of death and change, with black and white drawings by Thomas Allen.

Probably the best young children's book on the subject of a death in the family.

Very beautifully written, tears will almost definitely flow from the adult reading it. One might then ask, why bother with this book if it's about death, a heavy subject my kid hasn't been exposed to? Well, actually, it is a very uplifting story about life itself. No psychobabble or religious references, just a simple story of family, bonds, and tradition. Jukes' writing is beautifully crafted, making this simple story very meaningful. Death itself is dealt with matter-of-factly, and there is nothing scary in the book.

Though tinged with sadness, it is truly wonderful, and there are even a couple of good laughs. (Like life itself, no?)

Highly recommended.

I must extend some well deserved propers to Luke Thomas. It's quite certain that the brothers are holding down the writing scene in the 2003. New comer Luke Thomas packs a powerful punch inside his compact novel Saxual Feelings. Drama, comedy, romance, and more drama are what you'll get when you step inside the pages of Saxual Feelings. My fellow Amazonians this one is a must read! Daryl C. Diggs surprised me with his compact novel "That's The Way Love Goes". Now we have Luke Thomas who lends a new refreshing voice to the genre. A little southern flava always adds a little seasoning to the mix. Look out world, I think these brothers are sure to make a lasting impression in the world of fiction. It appears that they will be shaking things up. Grab yo self a copy today!

When trusted friend and elder Simon speaks, Maurice "MoJazz" LaSalle listens. Maurice has been a player for as long as he can remember, but when Simon tells him that he needs to start thinking about settling down, Maurice is presented with some serious food for thought. A gifted saxophone player, Maurice feels he and his jazzy R&B band are on their way to stardom with the upcoming release of their single.

Maurice's best friend and band front-man Jamal is equally excited at the prospect of making it big in the music industry, albeit for different reasons. He's looking forward to the cash and even more women who will throw themselves at him. They don't call him "Trojan man" for nothing.

Maurice confronts his destiny when he meets Ebony Stanford while playing a gig. She's intelligent, beautiful, and there's just something about her. He must then ask himself if what Simon told him was the truth, and whether his player's card has been trumped. Jamal, on the other hand, refuses to recognize that the games he plays can be hazardous to his health.

Debut author Luke Thomas has written a steadily-paced and steamy relationship novel with charm. SAXUAL FEELINGS acquaints its readership with the author's fluid writing, with which he is able to effectively address issues of fidelity, monogamy, and trust.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This is the best book I've read in a long time. The story grabbed me from the very first paragraph! The author managed to intertwine humor, drama and passion all into one. The result is a very good story about love and romance. The characters were so real and engaging. I definitely have a new favorite author!

Steven Layne is great author, one of my favorites. I am a grown man that loves children's books. I know children's books, and this is a great one. It deeply, deeply touched me. SMOOCHES!!!

I just logged on to comment on what great classroom applications this book has for teachers, but I see another reviewer already beat me to it. Still, my colleague and I both picked up a copy of the book after hearing the author speak. We've used it to launch some great writing and geography projects in our classrooms (1st and 4th). I like that Layne uses his writing to help other educators. It makes his books practical as well as fun.

I recently learned of this book at the ISRA conference in Indiana where several teachers were buzzing about it. I find the concept of a student with text anxiety so true to life, and the sheep are endearing characters. My students adore them. I've used the ABC concept in the book in a take off of "Counting Sheep in Indiana" with different Indiana cities that begin with the letters of the alphabet. I also love the alliterative verbs. There's so much to teach from in this book. I don't really think it's meant to teach geography, simply to use geographical places as a vehicle.
LOVE IT!

I think about this collection of stories a lot, especially in reading other stories for children. One of the most beautiful stories I've read is in this book. It's called "Atalanta". In this rare gem of a fairy tale, the "happy ever after" for the princess comes not in marrying the prince, but in following her dreams. Lessons such as staying true to yourself abound in this book, and I truly feel young women such as my sister and I are stronger for having read it at such a young age.

Searching for books for my pre-schooler I suddenly remembered a favorite book (and cassette) from my own childhood. This collection has wonderful stories and messages that will make you smile. I still go around my house humming tunes like "It's alright to cry." If you're a child of the 60s and 70s this is a great treasure to pass on to your little ones.

I'm 15 years old and I was born in '83. I grew up reading and listening to "Free to be You and Me." It's the greatest. It teaches children not to get locked into gender goals. Boys can cry. Girls can play with trucks. Your can teach your child to be free, like me.

When Thomas gets assigned to the new passenger line, he's so proud that he won't take anyone's advice about taking his time to find the new route. Of course things go wrong and he learns the hard way, succeeding in the end. Nice illustrations complement this lesson on being overconfident and boastful, though I wonder if this is a problem for most kids?

Typical Thomas stays true to type in a story based on the Reverend W.Awdry`s The Railway Series. Colorful illustrations of Thomas and the gang (Sir Topham Hatt looks a bit transformed) grace this tidy little tale, as our loveable but cheeky Thomas learns a lesson. Nearly every child will understand how Thomas` excitement and overconfidence lead him to go too fast and not listen to the good advice of his friends. Everyone has felt that horrible sinking feeling he gets when he doesn`t know where he is, as well as his shame at his behaviour. And we`ll all root for him as he learns his lesson and resolves to become a Really Useful Engine.