I enjoyed a childhood rich in literature and have attempted to give my boys the same. If I were to rate one book from my earliest childhood as that which I recall most fondly, it would have to be Orlando, A Trip Abroad (1949). When I found this book in my late mother's belongings, I brought it home and it became an immediate favorite of my sons'. My younger son (age 7) and I were delighted to find republications of this exquisitely illustrated series by Kathleen Hale while in London this summer. The art, alone, makes the books worth purchasing and the stories are humorously charming in a manner that captures and holds the attention of even a not so young boy.

This book is fabulous. We have read it over and over and never tire of it. The story is wonderful and the illustrations are fabulous. We first read Orlando when the boys were 3 and 6, and 3 years later they still love it!

We do quite a bit of library and bookstore browsing and I hadn't run into this collection of books previously. As former owners of a much loved and now departed marmalade cat, we were particularly taken with the main character. The artwork is vivid and and story is rambling; about the commonplace events of the cat family -- told in a style similar to the 'Babar' collection. My girls who are aged 4, 4, and 6 loved this book.

I took a 7 week long (2hours a week) workshop with the author and read this book during the workshop and after. The book is almost like having Kathy inside your home to figure out how to make Vastu work for you! It's amazing the changes that have occured within my roommate and my sense of ease now that my house is vastu perfected :) I even began to bring it into the workplace and the changes were amazing. Before I left my job I took my meditation belongings home and the energy around me and throughout my small workplace immediately became less friendly. If you feel like you're looking for something and you're constantly running away from your apartment read this book! It will help you recognize exactly how to make your home a sanctuary for yourself, animals, family, and even roommates! Not to mention guests.

I practice yoga--seriously. I just heard about vastu and bought this book after someone told me it was the best book to read on this ancient science. I enjoyed it immensely and found it so logical to follow and understand. I've started to re-organize much of my apartment. Already, it looks so much nicer and really does make me feel much more comfortable and calm. I highly recommend this book to everyone--especially people who do yoga--the two go together for sure.

Who knew you could change your life so much by simply moving your bed or computer? I couldn't recommend a better book to learn how to improve your health, your job, even your romantic life. Forget all those male/female books that try getting you to color your hair or spend crazy amounts of time at coffee shops. This book lets you know the most significant changes come from within.

This book will grab your heart from the very beginning and not let go. Even after finishing the very last page, you will keep this story in your heart. Don't miss this book!

This book is gutwrenching so be warned, do not attempt to read it without a full supply of tissues. I was floored by the intensity and the realism the characters exhibit. They are not perfect super people who handle troubles without a doubt, guilt or worry. I liked that everything wasn't sugar coated and their thoughts weren't always pretty, they were human, and I always admired both Joe and Allison throughout their story. I read this book with my stomach in knots and an ache in my heart. I felt deeply for these characters and wasn't once tempted to skim. Although this is a very serious book there are bits of humor scattered throughout the story and the excerpts of Joe's children's books are charming. A ROSE FOR MAGGIE was a truly incredible story and the ending, wow, it was wonderful! I give this book my highest recommendation with absolutely no reservations. If you're lucky enough to find this treasure hold on tight to it

Maggie, the heroine, is a baby facing a challenging life with the help of her tenacious and loving mother. What that mother needs is someone with whom she can share her life -- and Maggie. Allison shares with us her deepest concerns and makes us realize our human frailties as well as our small triumphs. Joe is equally as lovable, and wins your heart.... Kathleen Korbel has written an excellent 'keeper.' "A Rose For Maggie" is a timeless story that has something for all of us. I highly recommend it as a gift for your friends, and for you.

Dr. Kain's science books provide marvelous supplemental activities for children to experience the excitement of science. The activities are great for kids with learning handicaps and offer them the opportunity to enjoy and learn outside of a more rigid curriculum. Children are introduced to the concept of the scientific method in a fun and hands-on fashion. Teachers are given ideas for extending the activities into other academic disciplines. And finally there is a wealth of additional resources available in the back of the teacher's manual for those who wish to expand upon the concepts introduced in the books.

I heartily endorse the use of these books by educators of children in grades K through 5.

Erin E. Flory, 5th Grade Special Education Teacher, California

My kids had a lot of fun with this book. Not only did they like to read it. We also tried some of the experiments. What a great way to learn science AND enjoy reading!

As a second grade teacher at the closing of the school year, I found it difficult to keep my students on task and learning. However, after obtaining two Science Spiders books, I was able to provide the children meaningful and fun activties that kept them engaged and learning. The last week of school, we made salt and flour volcanoes, put in the baking soda, and added red food colored vinegar to watch them erupt (as outlined in "Surprise Explosions"). The children were delighted with their volcanoes and took them home. Then out of the "Secret Tricks" book, we tried to lift a yardstick with a newspaper covering it (broke the yardstick), and the kids just roared as kid after kid and finally me, tried to blow a piece of paper into a bottle. I now plan to purchase the rest of the series for use in September. I'll also be recommending this series to our district science committee.

This is one of my favourite historical fictions. Nickel is always detailed in her historical fictions such as The Nine Days Queen. Nannerl's dreams and sibling underappreciation is realistic. I enjoyed the historical details in the dreams and the occasional use of german. To top it off, further reading on the Mozart family, Nickel includes a Bibliography with good ressources. Inspiring for the young reader.

This is the story of the motzart that no one heard about even though she was just as talented.it is inspiring emotional book that almost any one can realte to.In that it is about feeling(and being)unappriciated,and the frustration that comes with it.Every one should read this book.It is truly inspiring.

A fantastic tale of the younger sister of the great Mozart. This young girl while on tour with her brother has a dream that will remove her from her older sibling's shadow. Great plot,beautiful writing and ripe with social commentary. Great for mature, young readers.

Out of all of the books that I have read, this book by far exceeded them all! This book was well written, and thought out. Shanghai Sui is so good, that it OBVIOUSLY can't be a freshman book. If anyone knows of any more books written by Kathleen McKee.

I couldn't believe that out of all of the books that I have EVER read, NONE of them were this exciting, and well written. I looked for other books from this author, this book is so well thought out,and written, that this can't be a freshman book.

This was such a great book! Unlike most books I couldn't predict a thing. I got to know and care about the characters so much I didn't want to get to the end. I hope another from Kathleen McKee is coming!

I thought this book was very well written. Even though I'm a bit too old to be reading it I still enjoyed it. Shannon is an Irish immigrant that has just moved with her family to San Francisco in 1880. Although she misses her old home she soon makes some very good friends, one of them is a girl called Betsy. Shannon's father is a doctor so one day she goes with him to Chinatown so he can get some medical supplies at a Chinese shop that alsp sells pets. Shannon gets off to a bad start with the shopkeeper when she frees some birds in the shop without thinking first. At the shop Shannon sees a Chinese girl in a window who looks sad. This book is very enticing as Shannon and Betsy set out one night to help rescue Le Ming, (the Chinese girl). It turns out that Mr. Wong, the shopkeeper, is most likely part of a gang that sells children as slaves. When Shannon pretends that she has alerted the Constable, he leaves in a hurry. Since Le Ming has no where to go she stays with Shannon's family until there is a court case concerning the kidnapping gang. This is a wonderful book. I really enjoyed it. It's a nice book to read when you don't want to have to feel committed to a book for a long time. You should read it!
Sandy

This book is SO cool! I really liked the way Shannon and her freind Helped Mi Ling. I think the next two books about Shannon will be interesting. I can't wait to read them!

Shannon is a ten year old girl who has just arrived in San Francisco from Ireland. On an errand to Chinatown with her father, she sees a young girl in a window. Who is she? Why is she there? Shannon, with the help of a new friend, is determined to find out.

The author of this book, Kathleen Romine, died on March 3, 2003. Ironically, it was not the cancer that killed her, but the treatment. Though her body was weak toward the end, her mind and spirit were still strong and beautiful. She will be terribly missed by all that knew and loved her.

Smirk in the Wind is a highly accurate, true to life account documenting the truimph of a young woman's spirit in the face of extreme physical and emotional hardship. The book includes many personal sentiments and highly accurate observations about the circle of life and the true meaning of our existence. Kathleen has lived 1,000 lifetimes in her few short years here on earth! She has done a fantastic job of communicating her feelings and optomistic perspective about the hand that life has delt her. Her inquisitive, insightful and sometimes comical look at life is evidence that this author's story can serve as an inspiration for us all.

Smirk in the Wind is an amazingly honest, fun, interesting book about a young woman who experiences three downers -- cancer, divorce and infertility, yet remains passionate and compassionate, running full speed into the pains and joys of life. I recommend this book to anyone who is really interested in "living" life.

Let me say right up front that this is defintely a case of the book SOUL COLLECTOR being better than the movie. The SOUL COLLECTOR, originally titled A POCKETFUL OF PARADISE is a touching, sweet story of one of God's servants, Zacariah, sent to Earth to live as a human for one month as punishment for his wayward ways. What Zacariah learns is love.

I just finished reading this book last night at like 2 AM!.. I can't say enough about Kathleen Kane's books. She gets all the emotions going...I felt my heart soften when I read how Zachariah helped with little Ellie's fears. That is just one out of may times I cried along with the Charactors in this book. I haven't yet watched the TV Movie the Soul Collector...Unsure if I really want to see it. I really enjoy Kane's ability to really making the reader feel complete about finishing her books. Along with this book, I was first captivated with : Still close to heaven...and continued with Catch a Fallen Angel, and now The sould Collector. I bought Simply Magic while reading this one.. I admit it.. I'm stuck on books written by Kathleen Kane...and once you read just one of her books, I'm sure you will feel the same!. :) Happy reading! :)

This was such a wonderful book and the movie was so nice too. I read Pocketful of Paradise and absolutely loved it. So it was a thrill to see the book come alive. I visited the author's website and I could actually see pictures of the author along with the actors in the movie.

This is the best beginning tarot book I've come across. Not only does it give simple, clear meanings for each of the cards based on the symbolism of the Marseille deck (and, occasionally the Thoth deck), but it also adapts meanings based on the layout context and addresses the issue of combinations. This is the first book I've seen for beginners that is substantive, yet has an appropriate scope and sequence for beginning readers. Even advanced readers will learn from the wealth of information in this book. An excellent resource book.

If you are beginning to study the Tarot you'll find this book very interesting, once it's very well written and useful, without being boring or too academic.
For the beginner tarologist (or the unbending one) McCormack gives an idea of the variety of Tarot decks, without loosing purpose among them.
The explanations, based on the Marseilles deck, and the cards disposition in one of the most famous reading methods, the Celtic Cross, makes the learning process easier, dynamic and very pleasant.
For the skilled tarologist, the history research is very interesting, as well as the didactic method she uses to explain the cards. For those who intend to start teaching the Tarot, for example, this is a good beginning.
Besides, the analysis of several parts of each card gives the reader a notion of a point that's usually dis-regarded by authors on this issue: the details and nuances of the Tarot. Like this, the author offers material to anyone who wants to venturing in this knowledge without discouraging the beginner.

I have brought books about the tarot, but they seem quite complicated. Never really laying any ground for on which
the reader could build on unless you have some experience.
This is what buying books are all about . Informing the
reader about the subject and laying the groundwork to
reference other books. I am grateful to finally find a book
like this on tarot. Now I have a concept of how to read
them.