Thank you Sr. Anita for your passionate account of the quantum leaps you made. You paved the way for other Sisters to do just what you were doing in the 1960's, only they didnt have to loose their religious status as you all sacrificed in the name of Integrity and Faith. Thanks for including the beautiful pictures of days gone by of the beautiful violet-blue "Hollywood Nuns", along with present day photos. I pray that your community continues to draw others with your passion and desire to serve our World with Integrity and Purpose.

What an awesome book. As a Catholic, Southern California native I felt very connected to this book. Anita and Susan are beautiful writers with a lovely dry sense of humour. I highly recommend this book to all Catholics.

And thank God that Sister Anita Caspary had the health, energy, and motivation to gift us with this so thoroughly documented story of a scandalous power play in the Church. If the blood of martyrs nurtures the Church, the agony of the IHM Community and the publicity it was given enabled other religious congregations to embrace the reforms they wanted--with a minimum of hierarchical interference. To have this story laid out for those of us who benefited from their via dolorosa is to make sure that our gratitude will will not fade. Joanmarie Smith, CSJ

My son, 3, loves this book. The stories have humor, tenderness, and the children are always treated with dignity. I love Shirley Hughes!

All the Alfie and Annie Rose books are excellent! My son and I read them over and over, without getting bored. Gentle little stories about everyday life, with likeable characters and lovely illustrations. Often humorous. My favorite children's author.

We raised all 3 of our children on Shirley Hughes's books ("Dogger" was the all-time favorite) and now I'm giving them to my first grandchild. Absolutely first-rate stories with the most exquisite, fascinating illustrations. Do your children/grandchildren a favor and get them hooked on this series!

Cute! Max and Ruby go shopping for their Grandma's birthday, but are disappointed when their dream gift costs $100. They do not have much money and Max keeps wasting it. (Food, trip to the laundromat, bus fare, etc.) They manage to buy two "great" presents~ from Ruby, singing bluebird earrings, from Max glow in the dark vampire teeth. But their money is all used up. So Grandma picks them up and she wears the gifts all they way home.
It is a math lesson because they show how much money they have before and after the buy. (Like they have eight dollars, they spend two dollars, they have six left.)

In the book Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells, bunnies Max and Ruby are trying to buy their grandmother a present for her birthday. Max and Ruby spend a lot of money. Will they be able to get what they want? Find out in Bunny Money. I really like Bunny Money because the book shows how much money the bunnies have.

Student from Grosse Pointe

I am a second grader. My name is Anthony L. I have been reading a lot of books by Rosemary Wells in my classroom, and BUNNY MONEY is my favorite book. Grandma put the earrings and the vampire teeth on and she looked funny!!

I have not read such an astounding set of books for years!!! Being of 100% Norwegian descent, as well as, born & raised in North Dakota, I learned so much more reading these books! I have shared my enthusiasm of this series with many other people who, too, have invested in them. They, too, had enjoyed them immensely! Lauraine put much research into her writings of this series which was very evident. I pray Lauraine will keep this series going at least to the present day. You have never read a series till you read the Red River of the North series from Lauraine Snelling, believe me!!!

Sincerely, Rachel Axness

I'm usually disappointed in a lot of books, since usually the story itself would be excellent except the characters are undeveloped and the plot isn't good with a bad ending. This book was excellent, and will be one of my favorites for a long time. "Jesse" and Louisa are two lovable characters, and their stories keep you reading. Since one chapter would be about "Jesse" and the next about Louisa, I couldn't stop reading so that I could find out what happened to each of them! :o)

Having thorougly enjoyed Snelling's Red River of the North series, I couldn't wait to read Daughter of Twin Oaks. In this book, the setting is a thoroughbred horse farm in Kentucky in the midst of the Civil War. Jesselyn's father and brothers are away in battle and she sends her younger sisters away to an aunt's home for safety. After her father comes home to die from his battle wounds, she realizes that she needs to get her horses away from Kentucky if she will have anything left to start over with after the war. Taking her little brother and her few now-freed slaves with her, they embark on a perilous journey where danger and adventure await them on every corner. A devout Christian, Jesselyn finds that her faith gradually slips away as they encounter pitfall after pitfall. By the end of the book, she has quit praying altogether and is blaming God for the war. Meanwhile, her sisters in Richmond find love and happiness with soldiers that they meet and reunite with their long-lost brother, now wounded from battle. Unlike Jesselyn, they retain their faith in God, even when Louisa's soldier is declared missing and probably dead. This book was good and kept me reading, and I want to read the second one because so many loose ends were left. Will Jesselyn ever get all of them to safety? Will she ever give her heart back to God? Will Louisa's true love return? Will Twin Oaks still remain when they get back home? Anyone who enjoys historical Christian fiction will like this book.

Recently, while I was in the Washington, D.C. area, I stopped by a Christian bookstore. While I was there, it just so happened the author of the book, "Dear Rhonda," was there also and we talked about his book. The other customers in the store spoke so highly of it I figured I would take a chance and sure enough, it was an excellent investment!

Demitri Kornegay himself told me his primary reason for writing the book was out of concern for his daughter should he not be around to tell her things about men from a man's point of view. He's a police officer and that's a dangerous profession to be in so he was just looking out for his child. He said he had met a lot of girls who could use the information so he gave it to them.

I'm so glad I read this book. It tells about love and marriage and death and God and even racism. Although I'm single, I would highly recommend it to my girlfriends with teenaged daughters. Mr. Kornegay told me he has a new book coming out soon and with the amount of excitement this one caused in the Washington, D.C. area, I know it will be great also!

I first heard about this book by surfing the net and after coming upon a web-site entitled agoodblackman.com. This man serves up the truth in an open, honest, fashion that is easy to understand. In allowing us, his daughter's "sisters" to look over her shoulder at what her father has written her, he gives us the 4-1-1 too.

Three cheers for Demitri Kornegay!

I have just finished reading "Dear Rhonda- Twelve Letters to My Daughter and Her Sisters" and I must say it is simply wonderful. How many of us would like to have a book of letters from our very own parents that would provide is with the good old fashioned common sense we used to hear as teens, but not pay that much attention to?

Demitri Kornegay is to be commended. Does he have any single brothers?

At first, this book appears to be more of a kids book, but I'm in my teens, and I still enjoy going back to peruse this book again. This is the story of Jack and Penny Derwood, brother and sister, who live in a mixed family of six kiddos altogether, and the misadventures they wind up having have.

The situations they encounter prove quite humorous, dangerous, and entertaining in either case. Whether escaping smugglers in an deserted warehouse, or catering to the Ladies' Auxiliary Missionary Fellowship Annual Luncheon Meeting while their mom is sick in the hospital, you'll certainly be amused and entertained.

This is actually two books in one, but for whatever reason, perhaps because the two are sort-of connected, they were blended. The style is enjoyable, the characters are well-developed, and I give the whole book high marks overall. It's a great read!

This book is extremly good. I reccomend it to anyone I loved it. I am going to read the second book soon.

I started reading these books when I was 11 and I have read them over and over again since. In fact I just read the whole series again yesterday and now I'm seventeen! What is so addicting about them I'm not sure but I like the adventures the kids get into, I like the way they are Christian but not over preachy and I just love the way Jeri Massi writes. She has a lot of talent for writing kids books! So anyways, I recomend this book as highly as I possible can!

A beautiful, oftentimes tear-jerking compilation of some of the most poignant personal essays of black women's triumphs over life's tragedies and the things that make them appreciate life and give them a reason for living. This book will definitely encourage all of us to believe that things will only get better with time for no pain lasts forever if we truly believe.

I highly recommend it!

This book include essays from all types of women, about everyday problems that women go through. You can learn something from each of the ladies included in this book. The two essays that most stand out for me is To a Son of a Dear friend by jean Buchanan, it's the sad letter to the author's late best friend's son about growing up with his mom. I am just tryin to live Holy by Pamela Shine is about a 40 year old virgin tryin to find love. I think everyone will love this collection of essay, and relate.

Our book club hosted a retreat in which this book was assigned. This book is highly recommended for one's personal library! The selection of authors/essayists in this "anthology" on life according to the African American woman is superb! I applaud Daniels and Sandy for the collection of writings and for organizing a book that African American women can identify with. Bravo ladies! -LC

This is one of the best submarine books I've read. Mr. LaVo writes with the style of a novelist and keeps the reader on edge throughout this exciting story of the Squalus and Sculpin. He starts his story with the ill-fated test dive of the Squalus. A valve is mistakenly left open, although it shows as being closed on the control panel. Thousands of gallons of sea water pour into the open hatch and the sub plunges to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Thirty Three men survived the sinking, but they are trapped on the ocean floor. "Swede" Momsen, inventor of the submarine rescue chamber, and his crew are summoned to the sunken submarine. Thanks to incredible human effort, the thirty three crewmen are successfully rescued and the submarine is rasied and refitted.

Perhaps the best part of this book is the story of the war patrols of the Squalus (now re-named Sailfish) and Sculpin. Mr. LaVo does an excellent job telling about the numerous war cruises of each submarine. Both ran up an impressive list of enemy ships sunk or damaged. The testimonies of the crewmembers are skillfully blended into the author's narrative and they give the reader a sense of actually being on the submarine.

An ironic twist of fate will forever seal these submarines together in history. The Sculpin was sunk by a Japanese destroyer, who picked up the survivors from the submarine. They were taken to the Japanese naval base at Truk, where they were transferred to the aircraft carriers Chuyo and Unyo for transport to Japan. The Sailfish intercepted the Chuyo and sank her with torpedoes. All but one of the Sculpin survivors was killed. Twenty survivors were aboard the Unyo and made it safely to Japan, where they were interred, under horrible conditions, for the remainder of the war.

Written with great knowledge and a true sense of suspense, this book belongs on any World War II or submarine enthusiasts' bookshelf. I also recommend "The Terrible Hours" by Peter Maas for more reading about the Squalus.

Historians normally get most of the facts and dates right - that is no great accomplishment and the easy part of history. But for this author to leave me with the idea that he MUST have been a diesel boat sailor to describe the selection, training and life aboard an old fleet boat is quite an accomplishment. In fact I am sure he was not a submariner at all! Life as a submariner is so unusual it is hard even for us to describe properly.
I served on a fleet boat (USS BARBERO SSG 317)for three years and I was stunned at Carl Lavo's insight and the knowledge of life on a diesel boat. He is up there with Ambrose in my opinion.

Since seeing the movie U-571, I have loved reading about submarines. This book is great. I couldn't put it down. It is about the sister ships, the Squalus/Sailfish and the Sculpin. Carl LaVo did a terrific job on this book. Anyone who enjoyed Tom Clancy's SSN or U-571 will love this book.

I only thought I had heard about Billy Carter. This is a wonderful book, written by a sensitive, loving son of a famous man. Buddy Carter is a thoughtful, intellegent author who gives an unvarnished account of his battle with and affection for his dad. I recommend this book to all of us who struggle to understand our relationship with our parents. Buddy Carter and his book are a gift.

This is a magnificent book. It is often painful and yet also very funny. Buddy Carter's relationship with his father is reminicent of the struggle many children go through for approval, while striving for independence. I am buying copies of this wonderful story for family and friends. Buddy has not only told his story...he has told the father/son story of many, including me. This is a must read!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Buddy Carter writes with a style that is poignant, funny and very touching. This tale of pain and forgiveness touched my soul and I will recommend it to everyone. Buddy Carter is quite a writer and I am sure BOTH of his parents are quite proud of the way he brought forth this wonderful family story.

THIS BOOK TURNS YOU IN EVERY DIRECTION SO THAT YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT'S NOT TRUE. And especially with some of the things happening in the news that are in the book. It makes you think, laugh (some times out loud!!!), cry, and wipe your brow and go "WHEW" in diffrent ways.
The book has money, politics, sex (& birth control), education, some profanity (not near as much as some books)for more expression, families, history, holidays, music, military, disabilities, sports, humor.
There's different things going on in both stories but the two stories are related; and the stories can be read together as one complete book even starting from the back with the modern day scifi story that has politcal undertones and then read THE Bonus at the front a modern day contemporary story that also touches on politics so that the book becomes a complete scifi book.
But you can also switch and then read THE Bonus from the front through SISTER at the back and get an entirely different and complete story that becomes all TODAY and contemporary. Or read just one of the stories and still get a complete story. It's like having three different books all in one but still telling one story.

FRank, honest, open look at life. With twists and strong support for education, family, relationships (friends, couples, families).

i've read the book a couple of times and keep getting something different each time. the last time and though the short scifi story Sister Planet at the end of the book was supposed to be part of a dream taken from contemporary The Bonus this time when i read the entire book again i got the impression that Sister Planet was really the main story that pulled in The Bonus which is the longer and more detailed story at the beginning. you can read the book from front to back or back to front and get two complete stories and not sure which complete story is really the lead story. it's a book that i'll read again because it follows the calendar and pulls in sports, summer stuff, holidays, and also has EXTREMELY detailed relationships between adult couples and families. some funny dejavue and true to life stuff that kicks off the holdiay seasons. some stuff that's actually happening in the news today is also in both stories which makes this book good and based on when it was written which might make it seem true scifi but also nonfiction.