I bought this book for my 2 year old because it shows the new baby nursing, and I really want her to get used to the idea that her sibling will nurse like she did. Unfortunately, it contains way too much information for a little one and is geared too much towards what is happening to mama while she is pregnant. I mean, yeah, my stomach was upset but it's not my two year old's job to worry about it. I would have appreciated less information about pregnancy and birth and more about the actual arrival of the new baby.

I also thought it was odd that the gurus of attachment parenting put so much in this book about how mommy and daddy will be expanding the house, buying new stuff, making a place for the baby to sleep, etc. Part of the beauty of attachment parenting is (in my opinion) that all of that isn't so necessary. I am trying to get my daughter to adjust to the idea of a new baby in the family bed and this book does not address that at all.

I do read it to her occasionally, but I have to change most of the wording in order for her to understand it and I skip whole pages that just aren't relative to our lives.

You might like this book if you have a much older sibling and a big house with a nursery and a crib and all that jazz, but I don't find it terribly helpful in preparing my daughter for her new sister.

We got this book for our 4 year old daughter when we were expecting her brother. It really helped her to understand what was going on with mommy. I loved it because it was a great tool to help explain what was going on in terms she could understand.

At storytime, she always wanted this book read to her. I highly recommend this book

"Baby on the Way" is a superb book for preparing older siblings for the arrival of a baby in the house. Written by pediatrician William Sears, registered nurse and certified childbirth educator Martha Sears, and author Christie Watts Kelly, cofounder of the Memphis chapter of Attachment Parenting International, this book does an amazing job of adapting to young readers. The idea is that while the new baby is growing inside mommy's belly, her other children are also growing up and becoming an older brother or sister. Realizing that kids might be afraid to ask questions, this book compares what mommy is feeling to similar feelings children will certainly recognize. Of course there is a young boy and a young girl, so young readers will have someone to identify with throughout the book.

The major strengths of this book is that it provides both basic information on what is happening and how things are going to change with the arrival of the new baby, including "Answers for the Very Curious," as well as practical tips for having the older siblings involved. Every few pages there is a "What You Can Do" box that suggests things like visiting the doctor with mommy to listen to the baby's heartbeat, seeing if there are any toys or clothes to be shared with the new baby, and planning the baby's Birth Day part while you are waiting for the baby to come. The illustrations by Renee Andriani are well-suited to the task and the back of the book includes a short course on Attachment parenting and a list of resources, both written and on-line.

We did okay with preparing our son for the arrival of his sister, emphasizing how this was going to be "his" baby and how he had to be careful because he was so big and she was so small. Of course, she fully exploited this advantage and when we had our third child the first two were not too sure about it. Having a book like this back then would have been a thing of good because preparing the old ones for the new one is a big deal. "Baby on the Way" is a very impressive, loving approach to this age old problem.

This book does not maintain the strength of character that we have come to expect from each of the american girls characters. It depicts Kirsten as being petty and mean. Although the moral of the story is a good one to learn, I think the way it was carried out was not as strong as Ms. Shaw's previous Kirsten endeavours.

"Kirsten and the New Girl" is part of the "American Girls Short Stories" series of books for younger readers. This volume, which is written by Janet Shaw and illustrated by Renee Graf, focuses on Kirsten, a ten-year-old girl whose family had emigrated from Sweden to Minnesota about a year before this story takes place. In this book, Kirsten becomes jealous of Nora, a new girl at school; Nora's family is from Norway.

"Kirsten and the New Girl" ultimately teaches some worthwhile lessons as Kirsten comes to know more about Nora. The story includes a number of supplemental features, such as a "Meet the Author" page. A supplement entitled "A Peek into the Past" takes a look at girls' friendships in 1854, the time frame of Kirsten's story. This supplement includes reproductions of homemade dolls, historic photographs, and other items from that time. The book ends with an instructional article on how to make a friendship pillow. Overall, an enjoyable and educational book which, at about 50 pages, will be ideal for readers at a certain skill level.

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, whose family has moved to frontier Minnesota. In this episode, Kirsten recovers from the measles, and can't wait to return to school and her friends. Disaster strikes when Kirsten finds out that there is a new girl in school, Nora, whose family has just arrived from Norway. Bitterly jealous of Nora, feeling displaced, Kirsten learns a new lesson in friendship.

Besides the charming short story, this book a chapter on friendship in 1854, and the kind of gifts that young girls would give each other. Then, there are instructions on how to make a "friendship pillow", reminiscent of those gifts from so long ago. The illustrations by Renee Graef are wonderfully done, and relatively plentiful, they add greatly to the story. This is a great book, and a worthwhile addition to you library (my nine-year-old daughter loves this book).

I thought that I finally found a book that would help me keep my abs tone during pregnancy. I am about to have my second child. My first is 8 months old. Staying fit is very important to me. This book has about 4 ab exercises to do during pregnancy. The rest are for after the birth. Also, they are typical abdominal exercises that any physically fit person is aware of. Don't waste your money!

I got this book when my second baby was about two months old, and my stomach looked like a bowl of jello. I had been discouraged by the way other exercise books seemed to make you feel instantly terrible about all the post-partum flab, but this book was so friendly and helpful, and so understanding of the delicate psychological needs of plump new mothers, that I felt I really could try the exercises. They were easy to follow, not overwhelmingly time-consuming, and I have to say that, five months later, I have seen my abs for the first time in my life. And I don't have to leave the top button of my pants undone anymore.

I was in my eighth month of pregnancy when I read Mr. Waggoner's book. By slowly and carefully following his suggestions with the permission of my Ob-Gyn, I started a routine of exercises that I continued after my son was born. Tony, the baby, and I do our exercises every day. First, I work with him, then he rests while I do mine. I think it's really working because my abdomin is really getting back into shape as well as my thighs and buttocks. I still have five more pounds to lose, but I feel confident that will come off if I continue the routine I learned in this book. Let me add, also, that the suggestions for diet have been really valuable. I have confidence in what I'm doing because of this book.

In general, we love the American Girl series of books but two books in the Kirsten series disturbed me. In the book "Kirsten Saves the Day" she discovers a bee tree and decides to gather the honey by herself to suprise her family. This is understandable but she acts very foolishly when she goes back to the tree despite having seen a bear the previous day. To make matters worse, she manipulates her little brother into helping her, risking his life with her own. She nearly gets both of them killed when the bear returns to the bee tree

In the book "Changes for Kirsten" she finds a baby racoon in the woods and brings it home. Her mother specifically tells her to leave the racoon in the barn and never to bring it near the house. Despite this, the minute her mother leaves the house Kirsten defies her and brings the baby racoon in. He gets loose and knocks over an oil lamp, burning down their cabin.

All in all I don't find the character of Kirsten to be the sort of person I want my girls to emulate.

In the Kirsten boxed set, you will read six books about Kirsten Larson, a pioneer girl growing up in 1854. In "Meet Kirsten" Kirsten and her family are coming to America. Kirsten is one of the few characters in the American Girls Collection that stays the same. All the other characters change in some way, but I did not see this in the Kirsten books. The next five books in the boxed set show how Kirsten and her family try to combine Swedish and American traditions. In "Kirsten Learns A Lesson" Kirsten has difficulty with school and meets an Indian girl named Singing Bird. In "Kirsten's Surprise" Kirsten tries to keep some of the Larsons' Swedish traditions alive by planning a secret Saint Lucia celebration with her cousins. In "Happy Birthday, Kirsten!" Kirsten does extra chores after her mom has a baby, and then gets a special birthday party. In "Kirsten Saves the Day" Kirsten finds treasure in the woods and nearly gets herself and her brother killed when she tries to bring the treasure home. In "Changes for Kirsten" Kirsten's family loses thier home to a fire and must find a way to get a new one. The Kirsten books are good. When I was younger, "Changes for Kirsten" was my favorite of Kirsten's stories. When I went back and read it again later on, as a teen, I discovered something. In the story, the Larsons lose their house--but that is because Kirsten disobeys her mother and brings an injured raccoon in the Larson's cabin, knowing full well the mischeif they are capable of. To date, I can't pinpoint which of the Kirsten books is a favorite, but I know that "Changes for Kirsten" is not one of them.

Joining Kirsten in her travel from Sweden to the United States and then on to the forests of Minnesota has been an enjoyable and interseting experience for both my daughter and I. The pioneer time of our country's history has always been of an interest to me as I have read of my own family's journeys from Hingham England to Massachusetts and then on to Montana during the time of the late 1600's through the early 1800's. What a rich heritage they passed on. And now, my daughter can enjoy learning about the pioneer era with a girl her own age. We have had a great deal of enjoyment reading these books together and discussing what happened to Kirsten in each one. Especially interesting and enlightening are the "Peek Into the Past" sections found at the end of each book. We have had some interesting and lively discussions about what it would be like to live during Kirsten's time. It has been very refreshing to see my daughter and her friends develop a deep interset in these books, role playing the characters, playing with the dolls, and learning about another time rather than pursuing the mindless, empty fluff of many things vying for a young girl's attention. Although some of Kirsten's experiences are a bit far-fetched (I.e. - not fearing a bear, having a pet racoon) the books' intrinsic value is not in the experiences, but rather in the history given in a light, fun way - what better way to learn than by having fun doing it.

This wonderful little gem of a book should be read by daughters and fathers in every country. The stories are based on fact. I was there when we were being taped. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. To see the dads and some of the daughters who actually went through these experiences would confirm your belief that good comes from all experiences, happy and sad. My daughter read the draft and started to call me again. Thank you for writing this book.

This is a wonderful book. It was fascinating, and I could not stop reading it. It made me remember events in my childhood that I had long forgotten. I almost didn't read it because of the Kirkus review, which is wrong. I would like to thank the authors for creating such a touching collection.

First, I want to say to anyone reading this IGNORE THAT STUPID KIRKUS REVIEW!! That reviewer must have been having a bad day, because he/she missed the whole point of the book. This book is about looking at the instinctive power available in this beautiful relationship. It is well written, and I almost didn't buy it because of that dumb review. This book made me laugh out loud, cry and ponder over the good things I've done as a dad and the bad things. I highly recommend it for any daddy or daughter at any age. It is extraordinary for those who want a good read!

In December 1890 the United States of America massacred an unarmed band of Lakota men, women and children at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Most of them were starving and many of them were very ill. They were cut down like prey in the bitter snows of the Badlands and it was a sad day for Human Beings, one of many days I can never get out of my heart. There was a tiny miracle that day. A little baby girl survived unharmed, protected were she fell, by the body of her murdered mother. She was taken in by other Lakota people but Brigadier General and future Assistant District Attorney of the United States, Leonard W. Colby kidnapped and then adopted the baby as a "living curio." This murderous, inhumane and corrupt man wanted a little souvenir so he stole a human being, a helpless infant, and ripped her away from her people and her culture. He exploited her to attract prominent tribes as clients of his law practice. His wife, Clara B. Colby, who later divorced him was a prominent suffragist and newspaper editor. She tried to give this little Lost Bird a stable home and she meant well but she could never replace the Lakota ways or help Lost Bird to fit in to an alien and inhumane world. Lost Bird, whose real name was Zintkala Nuni only lived to be 29 years old and her short life was filled with pain and degradation and tragedy. She suffered sexual abuse, violence, prostitution and rejection. She was a being caught between two worlds and accepted in neither. The author of this book has done a wonderful job of bringing this poignant story to light. She illustrates the atmosphere of the times and offers rich insight into the insidious racism of the America of that time. This is a story of not only the cruelty that was done to the Native peoples of this land but of the misogynous, unscrupulous and socially unjust attitudes and actions of the leaders and people of this country. It is a testiment to endurance, a chronicle of tragedy. In 1991 Zintkala Nuni was returned from her burial place in California to Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the Badlands of South Dakota. She was buried with respect and ceremony among her people in the tiny cemetary not far from where her mother fell that terrible day. Last summer I drove past the crowded impoverished homes to pay my respects to the people who died that day at Wounded Knee. I saw the harsh reality of the ancient gray hills of the Badlands with their ghostly beauty. I saw the offerings and prayer bundles in the burial grounds. I talked with two men selling souvenirs, trying to make a few dollars in a place where work is so hard to find. I looked at the marker where Lost Bird is buried and I was struck hard like a physical blow to my solar plexus. The arrogance and greed that murdered so many people, that stole a little girl from her people, that sought to cripple and defeat a powerful People is still alive and walking in the land but it has not succeeded. This book may help people to feel the injustice in their heart of hearts. It may illuminate our past and open our eyes to the injustice we still condone, many of us, with our silence. It is a powerful and moving story, well told.

For a required history course, my least favor ite subject, Prof. Elizabeth Townsend,PhD., UCLA, wanted to introduce those of who were computer UN- friendly, to the inter-net. She assigned a user- friendly with those like me. My first five minutes were highlighted by the "Lost Bird..." web site. Within thirty minutes, not only was my thesis in process, but the entire class, predominantly female (52:5), was given a whole new attitude on the REAL first Americans. Dr. T. was so impressed that she included the book, the lost bird, and the entire Native American Women issue a dominant spot on her lectures, her mid-terms, and her final exam She then went on to include an essay on this topic into her extra credit and final essay choices list (on which only seven women/topics appeared). The great irony came to fruition when over 70% of the class gave an incorrect response to the test question: ?Who were the first American women? This highlighted to Dr.T., to me, and to much of the class, just how much ignorance still exists on this key part of women in the American experience. This valuable addition to my own personal library has made an especially powerful impact on my life, as well as my academic career. Being a third generation Celtic male, in my 40's, whose own grandparents came from Scotland (pater) and Ireland (matre) so as to escape late 19th, early 20th century injustices in our home countries, it was very painful to read the names of the perpetrators of the Wounded Knee genocide, and recognize surnames which must have matched those of many of the townsfolk in my grandparents' towns What a traumatic, rude awakening for me, and especially during my last semester of my undergrad work as a Womens' Psych. major, with domestic violence, rape, and incest counseling as my field; add to that my recent licensing as a CAADE, CAADAC and NAADAC student chemical addiction counselor, and the info. regarding the "nite before" which a majority of the Celtic soldiers had imbibed, and the image of the "brave Celtic warrior" bearing down on the fleeing, panic stricken mother of the Lost Bird...well, ?you get the picture, right? So, my personal recommendation, from "James George Arthur Mulcahey-Michaels-Marshall (aka: Jay-Bird), of Clayton, Alexandria Bay, New York, to all my Celtic sisters and clansmen is this: "As you sit and tap your feet to the river dance, and raise your spirits aloft in tribute to the lords of the dance, as your heart rate and respiration elevate to the haunting tunes and enchanting melodies of our ancestors, add the salt of tears of sorrow to your saline tears of pride as you recall all that we, as a people, have endured in our journey to our new homeland. As you weep for the lives lost in clan feuds, and potato famines, and wars of our lands to free "all" humans, tip your lager to Renee Sansom-Flood and her victory of helping to re-unite a mother & daughter whose separation weighs heavily and squarely on the broad Celtic shoulders with which we pride ourselves. May we as a proud and noble culture, take the lessons of the "Lost Bird..." and vow to do what we can to erase the intolerance which fostered such an atrocious act of barbarism, to avoid any participation in any such act against "any" race or gender, and to strive to show due respect from cultures which differ from our own,...and especially if they arrived BEFORE our very own grandparents. As we fought for and demand(ed) fair treatment from conquerors to our island homes, may we, by our treatment of other indigenous peoples, show that we practice towards others that which we espouse as our inalienable right. I highly recommend this book for any who wish to have their eyes and their hearts opened to a piece of history from which ignorance there-of can only foster fertile ground for repetition. We Celtic people, who are drawn to and love the light thank you Ms. Renee Sansom-Flood, for introducing us to "Zintkala-nuni" and her noble people, and for your subtle way of showing us, the Celtic American, the great debt we owe to a race who has suffered in ways very similar to our own; we, too, were one despised, hated, maligned, and unwelcomed in this place we now call home: "...the land of the free, and the home of the brave".

The Massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890 is a shameful piece of our history. This book is a description of what happened to one infant survivor of that horrible day and the woman, Clara Colby, who tried to raise that child, Lost Bird. Readers will shudder at what happened to Lost Bird, including the fact that she had been taken in by a loving Lakota family after the massacre, only to be ripped from familiar arms by General Colby to take home as a prize. One will be torn between what might have been best for the girl and what the well-meaning and kind Mrs. Colby did for her, given the circumstances. Renee Flood tackles the two ideas that it is wrong to raise a child of Native American heritage as a white because of inherent natures and because raising a child of dark skin produces racist tendencies in those of lighter skin who come in contact with the child. For example, Lost Bird did not get along with white children her own age partly because she was so sheltered, but mostly because the children teased her about being Indian. She was not allowed to be with the African Americans either, although this was her choice, because they were "beneath her." This only led her to believe that dark-skinned people, Native Americans included, were "bad." Another facet of this book is that it describes much of the Woman's Suffragist movement and goes into great detail about Clara Colby's role, as well as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Renee Flood has great sympathy for her subject and was instrumental in getting Lost Bird's remains brought from Califonia and reburied at Wounded Knee with a magnificent granite tombstone, where she joins the others buried in a mass grave dating back to 1890. Flood is an excellent and accurate historian who humanizes a sad story.

First off, this book was extremely corny. Also, it was unrealistic to the times. Vivian Schurfranz has taken a thuroughly modernized girl with a very contemporary way of speaking and thinking, thrown in a few historical facts, and sold it as historical fiction. I've read several other Sunfire books by Ms. Schurfranz and they all have exactly the same heroine, each disguised under a different name.

I thought this book was very good. It has everything a girl likes in a romance novel. Vivian Schurfranz is one of my favorit authers.

Renee has everything! Romance,adventure and humor, a young lady growing up at the turn of the century, She must choose who she truly loves,basing her descion on her lifes' dream, to be a roving reporter. There is no doubt in your mind who she will choose,but seeing her go through her decsion is an enjoyable read! Another super Sunfire book!

Beyond the heather hills, wasnt as good as the first 3, mosty the story is in her sisters house and the setting never really goes anywhere else until the end of the book, when she sees her mother again. towards the middle comes a sad part, but at the end comes a very happy part (*hint*, martha's mom becomes a grandmother) It was actually Quite boring to me!! (and I really like the martha years!!) Advice: Read all the Martha & Charlotte years to fully understand Laura's years!!

Hope this was good advice!!! :)

I enjoyed this book for the most part, although Grisie's father-in-law was such a jerk, I couldn't blame Grisie or Martha not liking him very well. I was glad Grisie's husband was a much nicer person and she was happy in her marriage! I laughed out loud when her husband stood up to his father and told him he was wrong, probably nobody had ever said such things to the old man before!

Melissa Wiley does an excellent job of describing the world from the point of view of a 10 year old facing life in Scotland several generations ago. A lively and entertaining story, very well done!

Ordinarily I would give this book at least 2 stars, because it is somewhat well-written. However, these books of the American Girls Collection are supposed to offer young children a glimpse of life in their specific time period, and as such they fail miserably when they aren't historically accurate. This story deals with a young girl who wants to keep the Swedish tradition of St. Lucia alive in her family even after they move to America. Trouble is, this story takes place in 1854, and the St. Lucia celebration didn't start until the early 1900's. How can you give kids an accurate picture of the past when the entire plot centers around something that didn't yet exist?

Can you imagine moving from Sweden all the way to America? In this book, Kirsten's Surprise, Kirsten, Mama, Papa, Lars and Peter do! But on the trip to get their trunks from Sweden that they left in the general store, a storm hits! Guess what happens next?
Kirsten's Surprise is one of the thrill-seeking books in her series. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes books that have bravery, courage and excitement all wrapped into one book

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, whose family has moved to frontier Minnesota of 1854. With Christmas approaching, Kirsten is excited about introducing her cousins to the Saint Lucia celebration. She has a dress that is just right for it in the family's trunk that is in storage. The day before Saint Lucia Day, Kirsten's father decides to go get the trunks, and Kirsten is just dying to go with him. However, as the Minnesota skies open and a winter storm descends, she finds that her help is more needed then she could have imagined.

Once again, I must commend the author and illustrator on a job well done! This book is wonderful, with the added bonus of a chapter on Christmas on the frontier in 1854. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

[For those parents interested in reading historical fiction about Swedish immigrants, please consider reading The Emigrants series by Vilhelm Moberg.]

My 8.5 year old LOVES this book. I actually learned several facts I wasn't aware of. (Alaska is closer to Russia than it is to the rest of the United States for instance.) This book is no encyclopedia, but it's A LOT more fun to read than one!

Do you know which state has the largest cave system in the world, why Tennessee's nickname is the Volunteer State, or why North and South Dakota have the same name? What did Delaware do first, before any other state and why are more languages spoken in Oklahoma than in all of Europe? Do you know how many presidents were born in Ohio, whether there are really 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, or where you'd find a nodding donkey? The answers to these and hundreds of other questions can be found in Kenneth Davis' marvelously creative and inventive geography book, Don't Know Much About The 50 States. Written in an easy to read, conversational format, each page is dedicated to a single state, chock full of interesting trivia, fun facts and historical information and complemented by Renee Andriani's witty and expressive illustrations that just add to the fun. Perfect for youngsters 9-12, this is a book full of history, trivia and lots of surprises that whets the appetite, takes the stuffiness out of geography and makes learning fun. So find out in which two states wild Venus Fly Traps grow, and enjoy!

True this book does not go into great detail about the states, but if you want you children to get a start on learning about all fifty states this book is great. It gives some general facts about every state - state bird, capital, flower. It then gives a couple of interesting facts about each state. The author keeps the information short, to the point and intersting. It is a great book for kids 3-7. I would agree that 10-12 year olds maybe to old for this book.