This book covers many authors over different periods in their careers. You feel like you are in the room with them. The most outstanding element is the photo of Shelby Foote smiling. To my knowledge no picture of the man with a smile on his face has ever been published. This may seem trivial, but if you are a fan of Shelby Foote, you know he makes a point of not smiling for photographs. This is a good book with great insight into the minds of many Southern writers.

As a child of the seventies the Very Young series by Jill Krementz is a glimpse into the wonders of childhood. Though her photographs my dreams came to life and through her words I discoverd childern my age living them. This is the ultimate series to give to a child. If you are looking for books to actually touch a child this is the series. All stories are of real children and the photographs are how they live in their amazing daily lives.

I think this book was great! I just love the Very Young series. Jill Krementz was obviously knows her stuff. My favorite book is A Very Young Rider, because I love riding.

"A Very Young Actress" is a good book for a young, aspiring actress. It takes you through the life a young actress, from school life, home life, friends, fun activities, vocal lessons, dance lessons, agents, auditions, rehearsals, and the actual run of the show, 'Annie 2.' I nice coffee book with nice pictures - I recommend.

My mother bought me this book when I was a very young child, and I know I have read it at least 100 times! It tells the story of a young girl who lives in New Jersey that portrays Annie in the new musical "Annie 2" (now called Annie Warbucks). This book takes you through the rehearsal adn audition process, and tells you what live theatre is like back stage. The photographs are vivid and colorful and give you a good taste of an actor's life. As an aspiring young actress, this book was often a resource to me, but I believe it is a wonderful book for any child with a dream.

Every writer looks around his workplace sometimes and wonders what other writers' desks look like. It's almost a prurient interest. Krementz, who is married to Kurt Vonnegut and is a leading photojournalist, has photographed more than 1,500 writers at work in the past thirty years. This splendid slender book brings together photos of fifty-three authors in their habitats, from Pablo Neruda and Archibald MacLeish to Stephen King and Edwidge Dandicat. Each photo is accompanied by each author's thoughts on desks, typewriters, and writing methods and times of day. This is the sort of book you'll pick up over and over again, examining the clutter on James Merrill's desk, or wondering if you should try writing in bed, like Walker Percy or Cathleen Schine. Highly recommended.

When I think of all the social documentarians, I will first and foremost thank those who pay tribute to the creative souls, and Jill Krementz deserves our thanks. The Writer's Desk is exactly what it purports to be and much more. The reader is given not only a visual perception of these well- known authors, but an actual glimpse into the essence of quite private individuals. Those who take the time will receive a full value of scales in terms of photographs and word pictures. One cannot but feel an intimate connection with the writer's who are interviewed in this book. The private work-world once reserved exclusively for authors is now revealed. Krementz has first-hand knowledge of this by being wed to author Kurt Vonnegut. In addition, she has innate instincts which have connected her soul to those of the writers. The Writer's Desk is more than a collection intimate photographs. This book documents the visual eye which few have ever seen. It is one of those intangibles which the bibliophile simply must have in one's personal library. Introduction by John Updike.

10/3/97 Nashville's Southern Festival of Books. The only thing better than buying/enjoying The Writer's Desk was listening to Jill Krementz talk about the making of the book--showing both the photos used and the photos that didn't make it to print. As a aspiring author, it is wonderful to see these writers in their workspaces. It brings them beyond the byline--making the goal seem almost within reach. What a visual treat.

Although I applaud Jill Krementz in her effort to give voice to adopted children, I found this book limited and limiting. The over-emphasis on white children and on search and reunion is both misleading and unhelpful. For a young child unwilling or unable to find birthparents, the focus (as is so often the case in media) on reunions raises troubling questions of their own life. Although there are four African-American children, there is only one Asian child--even though Korea alone is responsible for roughly 100,000 adoptions to U.S. families. I would prefer that this book had been titled, "How it feels to be white adopted."

By exploring so many different children's views on adoption, Jill Krementz opens doors for adoptive parents to discuss these concerns with their children. It was intended for the older child to be able to read, but I feel that it's perfect for a parent to read together with their younger grade-school child. The sooner my child is comfortable discussing her fears and concerns about adoption with me, the easier it will be for me to put her fears to rest.

Adoptive parents, when you buy your first picturebook about how your adopted child came into your family, purchase this book, as well. Read it immediately, and then tuck it on the bookshelf for future reference.

This book is based on personal interviews of adopted children between the ages of 8 and 16. They share their opinions on adoption and tell about their families. The range of feelings and attitudes demonstrate that there is no generic adoption experience. Some individuals are very curious about their biological parents (a few even search), and others are not. Some are satisfied with explanations about how they came to be adopted, and others can't understand why their bio parents didn't make another choice. Some feel that being adopted is an important part of their identity, while others see it as a minor issue in their lives.

Though most of the youngsters in this book were adopted as infants, the stories and photos represent a larger diversity, including inter-racial adoptions and older children adopted from foster care.

The author suggests that adopted children think about adoption more often than their parents may imagine. This book will clue parents in to adoption from children's points of view, and offer companionship to adopted children looking for others to understand "how it feels to be adopted."