You may already be familiar with this little book for stepparents, but if not, you'll want to get a copy for now, and especially for the times when things get tough. It's an easy read with more than 60 suggestions for stepparents who are trying to learn, grow and thrive in their role. Called a "prescription to strengthen your family," the book remains hopeful and positive while understanding the challenges inherent in stepparenting.

The book is divided into three sections: Relating to Yourself, Dealing With Your Spouse, and Interacting With the Kids. The experiences and suggestions in each part are practical and encouraging. You'll respond to the stories with warm familiarity, or you'll wish they could be your own.

A couple of my favorite suggestions include: (1) Learning how to use -- and trust -- your intuition. Here, the authors encourage the stepparent to get to know her stepchildren and then to use that knowledge to improve the relationship and intuitively work through the problems that inevitably arise. (2) Solving problems with stepkids directly. This suggestions points out how much power stepparents actually have in getting their stepkids to cooperate with them. Following the advice here, it will be hard to tell who benefits more -- the stepchild or the stepparent, but it's a great way to approach conflicts for everyone involved.

It's a tiny little book, but you will be surprised of its impact. I have been reading several books lately and some have been pretty good, but his little gem is just so realistic and helps one to be realistic in what is possible in a step parent relationship. Great suggestions, a pleasant read.

I laughed, I cried... in the end, I was greatly encouraged to embark upon the exciting journey of stepparenting.

I would suggest that anyone getting married to (or even seriously involved with) someone with children buy this little gem.

And even though I'll be the official stepparent, I plan to have my fiance read it, too!

Can you combine love and wisdom and deep insight while writing in a simple, inspiring style? Judy Ford has written "Wonderful Ways to Love a Child" in such a direct way that you feel warmed by her words at the same time you are inspired by them. I am so grateful that this book was written.

Jay Schlechter, PhD Author of Intimate Friends: An Antidote to Loneliness.

Ms Ford. will stress the same point over and over again from very different angles. If you want your raise your kid as a responsible, caring, inquiring, loving and lovable adult, you shall not use fear, cohersion and guilt as the tools of your education. Chances are that you will fail in a big way.

Rembember that children are independt beings who need your support and guidance, not your control. Be open to what they came to teach you and both will benefit in ways which no words can precisely define, since they will take you to the world of the spirit.

The author makes sure that every parent who reads this book mustr a clear understanding that feeling love is not enough you MUST express it.

This is the best book on parenting I've read, and it's the one that's still by my bedside after more than four years' active duty as a mom.

It isn't another "here's what you do when they get green peas lodged in their ears" how-to guide. Instead, it's a gentle, guided journey into the heart of the parent-child bond: love, kindness, respect and caring.

Thank you, Judy Ford!

This book provides tons of great ideas for activities for your preschooler. I am a stay at home mom using these ideas to keep my kids busy. The book is organized by themes. Each theme has songs, fingerplays, arts/crafts, play ideas, science subjects, etc. to tie into that subject. You can do as little or as much of it as you want. It also provides a list of story books to accompany each theme. It's well thought out and organized.

I'm a daycare provider and I've recently bought this book and now I can't live with out it! It's a Great book to own!

This is the best Early Childhood book I own! In addition to what others have mentioned, some of the aspects I particularly appreciate are:

~Resources
every source is documented, giving unending
possibilities to pursue

~Books!
at the end of each unit is a list of books
relevant to the topic

~Webbing
each unit begins with a flowchart, listing
many aspects or branches of the main theme.
(This is a tremendous help in beginning to
think through how to personalize the units)

~INTERACTIVE Bulletin Boards
while the bulletin boards are a bit repetitive
(similar concepts for all the boards, but the
objects involved change with the themes), kids
tend to pay more attention to these
Interactive boards than to traditional ones.

This is a fantastic book! It has a strong plot and the action, emotional issues, and suspense are well paced. The characters are interesting and I found myself drawn immediately into their world and was very interested in what happens to them as the story unfolds. So much so, in fact that I was sorry when I finished the book...I wanted to know more about Lindy and the rest of her life.

As the editor of a horse publication, it is evident to me that Judy Ebner is knowledgeable about horses and training methods. The story had a perfect balance of romance, suspense, and set in the 1800s when horses were part of everyone's daily life.

I highly recommend this book to both horse lovers and non-horsey people! I read this book in about 8 hours...I couldn't put it down!

This is definitely a GREAT book and a MUST read. Following Lindy and how she overcomes major obstacles in order to prove herself and follow her dreams will inspire not only women reading this book, but everyone. The story kept me riveted and left me guessing up until the end. I only wish Oprah will get her hands on this book, so others will get inspired as well.

Everyone has dreams, but not everyone is willing to take the risks and do the hard work needed to make those dreams come true. Judy Ebner's Dreamcatcher tells the story of Lindy, a motherless child growing up on her father's ranch in the midwestern frontier during the mid-1800s. Lindy has dreams of becoming a horse trainer and someday owning her own ranch, where she can train horses with her own style of gentleness and understanding. Reading how Lindy overcomes many obstacles will draw you into the story and inspire you to rekindle your own dreams. Once you start reading this book, the colorful characters come alive. You won't be able to put the book down until you finish it.

E-Wally and the Quest is a thrilling adventure story set in the "Land of the Internet". The first in a planned series, it begins with E-Wally learning of a threat to his beloved grandfather. The e-people who deliver our e-mail messages live in misery under the rule of the evil King Henry and his bug infested crony, Olla Brac. It is up to our young hero to challenge the status quo and attempt to save the day. Along the way readers will learn a great deal about the history and workings of the Internet and its potential affect on our future.

E-Wally and the Quest is a children's book that should appeal to all ages. Not since an eleven-year old wizard joined our household, has a book enthralled all members of our home. As computer network engineers, my husband and I were excited to find a book that takes the complex and often confusing land of the Internet and makes it understandable to even the least technical reader. Our children, ages 7 and 9, have learned a great deal about what Mom and Dad do at work. This wonderful book opened a communication channel for our family and has been the catalyst for several lengthy conversations. Even a non-tech family should find a great deal for discussion as the book tackles such subjects as Internet ethics, fighting for a cause and helping your friends even when it is not easy to do so. As one friend suggested, "Maybe my kids can use it to explain the whole thing (Internet) to me".

While I would strongly encourage families to read E-Wally together, educators will also find this book an inspiring tool for the classroom.

E-Wally and the Quest is a delightful adventure blending the mysteries of the computer with childhood fantasies. The hero, E-Wally, lives in the computer delivering mail packages. But he is not the only one alive in the computer - both good and bad characters exist inside the network. When E-Wally needs help, he meets his real-life counterparts - schoolchildren using the computer for homework. We won't tell you if the good folks win this one. But the story is full of excitement and builds suspense appropriately for young children. E-Wally and the Quest leaves readers with the promise of more adventures to come. And we would welcome more additions to this new series.

I read this book from beginning to end with no loss of interest. I could not believe how much I loved this book. I usually do not read books in less than a month, but this one was one I could not put down! If there is a sequal, I shall be the first in line to buy it!

What I like most about Ms. Peterson's book, Follow Your Heart: And Discover God's Dream for You, is the simple language in which she writes it. Actually, her message is a simple one too--Follow Your Heart-- but one most of us have great difficulty doing. In her book, Ms. Peterson teaches that we all have a dream, but we have to have the courage to believe we do and feel we are worthy of having it. Dreams aren't lofty, they're necessary to live a fulfilling life. I hope Judy Peterson writes more books about finding and following your dreams.

I highly recommend "Follow Your Heart" to women who are on a heart's journey of discovery. How many of you have had hopeful dreams and yet time slips by without giving more serious thought and respect to them? Judy Peterson effectively "catches" one in this ambivalent dance and gently guides and helps point us back to those unfulfilled desires while holding our hand as we dare to summon these dreams to life. Dare to live the dream. This book will greatly assist to this end!

"Follow Your Heart" is an inspiring approach to finding your inner self and the path that brings deep inner peace. This comes when you are in the center of God's plan for your life. This book led me on a remarkably insightful journey - I have read it over and over again, and discovered new truths and new depths each time. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for more meaning in life!

I really enjoyed this book because the little kitten thinks that she has lost her purr but she has really not. In the book she also goes to all of the farm animals and asks them if they have it and at the end she finds out she has it all along and her mother shows her. I hope when you read it you will enjoy it just as much as i did.

I just loved this book. The illustrations were bright and very eye catching. The kitten was just adorable. I liked how the kitten went to all of the different animals looking for its purr. This book would help kids learn all of the different sounds that animals make. It was a very cute book.

This is a wonderful story about a kitten who is in search of her purr. She explores the entire barnyard and asks all of its inhabitants but has no success. Finally when she's ready to give up, she curls up with her mom and discovers that her purr was with her the whole time.
The illustrations in this book are bright and bold and the story line is adorable. Every child will be able to relate to that wonderful feeling of curling up with someone they love.

Even though I have rated this book, I have never read it. Why? Well its for the simple fact that I can't find it anywhere. I know that it is out of print but I need it for a class and also for the fact that I want it . Iv heard so many interesting things about The dinner Party. I hope to share this not just with my classmates but with my mom and in the far, far future when I decide to have kids, I would like to share it with my little girl. so hopefuly whom ever reads my review (so to speak) it will be listened to and the people who need the book will have it as well and the people who want it.

A triumph! A long-awaited celebration of truth about all womankind! A must-have for all women. and for men who truly appreciate their worth! Every female in the world should read this book cover-to cover and rejoice. A rare and beautiful work of art--second only to The Dinner Party exhibit itself. I am going to give this book to my daughter, friends of varying ethnic backgrounds, and several lesbian friends. How often do you find a book that speaks to the entire human race about the valuable contributions of the so-called "weaker sex"? Now we must all work to get The Dinner Party exhibit traveling, as it was originally intended to do, so that we can all personally stand in awe at this altar to all Eve's daughters!

What could be more thrilling than a genius like Judy Chicago as she challenges assumptions and traditions with her own brilliant and harrowingly moving depiction of Womyn's struggles. Truly enthralling, and, as another reviewer noted, a threat to the white male agendas of patriarchy. Give this book to all your friends!

It's not easy to give a concise review to a book to which you've contributed some of your own blood, sweat and tears ... but since I'm a professional writer, I'll try to be objective anyway. I am extremely proud of Reba and Judy - they have been incredibly vulnerable and genuine in this book, taking great risks to present some hard-hitting truths while telling a frighteningly real story. It is a shocking book ... and there are several people I intend to loan my own personal copy to read - "required reading," as it were - because I believe God speaks in this book even louder than either Reeb or Jude ever could. I'm sorry it didn't turn out the artistic way it was supposed to have been (you'll have to ask Judy what that means), but I know it is a tool that God will use, so that makes it worthwhile. If you cannot readily find "Follow The Yellow Brick Road" at your local Christian bookseller (insufficient marketing, in my opinion), ask them to order a copy for you ... or check it out online (it is published by Destiny Image). I am being absolutely sincere when I say this is a terrific book, one you definitely want to read and read again, with your Holy Spirit-tuned ear open to maximum volume. - Jeanne Halsey (unbiased sister), Blaine WA

As a singer/songwriter, I was drawn to the church where Reba Rambo McGuire and Dony McGuire preach, The River at Music City. Little did I know how much our stories were similar. As I read her book, I wept, I laughed, I prayed..."Lord, change me" just as Reba had prayed at one point in her life. This book is a compassionate exploration of two very talented, very compassionate people and their lives together. They have honestly shared their failures and what it took to get back up on the horse again. Little did I know that in reading her book, I would gain the courage to believe that all that I had endured was for a purpose too. With phrases like, "Praise is God's Oxygen" ...you can't go wrong in learning from their life's story. It clearly raises compassionate restoration into the forefront. We need to be compassionate towards one another. I am so blessed that I can call them my friends. You have to get this book and read it. It will change how you view others. It will change how you view yourself. It will change YOU!! Perhaps you or someone else you know has suffered hellacious relationship with another person... get this book. In a world when people would rather toss out the bad with the bath water, this book tells you that sometimes the good can be saved and completely restored. Buy ten... give them out to the people you love most... let the words of the restoring power of God minister deep into your soul. They are the most honorable people I know and the most loving. When I finished the book, I knew why God had aligned my heart with theirs. Buy the book, you'll never be the same. You'll never judge anyone again.

What could this book be without a heart/brain/courage and the path home? Reba and Judy have birthed this tome in love and sweat for others to be helped and blessed by. An amalgam of events is presented here with the focus on the end results: relying on the One who can shine up your life while making your heart His home. To quote Reba many moons ago in her song 'Land of Oohs and Aahs', "He's so much more than a wizard, and He can make new creatures out of us."

The hands of time are wound back twenty years: prior to pastoring The River At Music City, before eight years of intense revival mode around the world to a time when Dony McGuire and Reba Rambo McGuire were a broken couple who let themselves, each other and all around them down. A couple who lived 'Hotel California' while residing in the midst of Christian music industry fame fell into the traps that any part of the music industry can provide.

Love shown through anointed people bring these two from trash to treasure--and Reba and Dony have allowed us to witness the transformation. As you read these pages full of 'Golden Nuggets' you will see a glimpse into a process of hope and recovery through Jesus' love for them. The end is thus far much greater than the beginning. I believe it is an anointed help for all who read it! Taste and see...

While I found Guardian of Innocence an intriguing mystery with well-drawn characters, it was Boynton's descriptions of New Zealand that really made the book for me. I have been to many of the places the Marla and Jessica went and it was fun to revisit them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been to New Zealand or is planning to go there. Boynton will make it come alive for you.

Guardian of Innocence contains the danger, fear and suspense essential to keeping the pages turning. The description of New Zealand reads like a travelog as Boynton sets emotional tone. The character of Marla Creighton is skillfully developed so the reader feels her anxious anticipation turn to disappointment when things are not as they had seemed, and, as the plot unfolds, her doubts and fears. Her spirit is never down for long. Hope, faith and a strong will create a believable heroine. When she perceives the life of eleven-year old Jessica is endangered because she may know the identity of a killer, Marla puts her own life on the line. The surprise ending adds the cherry to all the other ingredients which will fill a mystery lovers sweet tooth.

Good thing iUniverse.com is bringing back deserving out-of-print books. Guardian of Innocence, a jewel of many facets, is one of these.

It's a murder mystery. A priceless Celtic religious amulet is stolen, the thief is murdered, and the only witness - a child - is unable to shed light on the situation. And the amulet has vanished.

It's a romance. Marla Creighton, the child's companion, must sort her way among three tall-and-handsomes (two dark, one light). Who's the good guy; who's bad? Marla's choices may well determine her future, as well as whether she and her young charge will have any future at all.

It's a gustatory thriller, replete with descriptions of food that would turn a monk's attention from his prayers.

It's a marvelous travelogue, as the action moves among lovingly-portrayed New Zealand landscapes with their flora, fauna, art, dances, and native celebrations. New Zealand itself becomes a character in this novel, from the spirit-lifting sheep country, to the fascinating cities of Dunedin and Christchurch, to the fabulous Glowworm Caves, an impressive backdrop for some good old dastardly deeds, courageous enterprises, and suspense as the novel whips to its close.

There are even a couple of interesting twists at the end. Check out this book; it's like nothing you've ever read.