I can't believe this wonderful book is no longer available in the English language. Fortunately my son and I speak German (where Lindgren is held in high esteem and this book continues to be reprinted) but I'd love to give away copies to his friends who only speak English. It is one of the best children's books ever written and movingly deals with issues such as loss, loyalty and courage in a way that is timeless and appeals to all ages. Could some English language publisher please reprint it.

I recieved this book as a young girl and did not read it until on the edge of adolescence and now I regret the time lost, in fact now in my mid twenties I find myself with out a copy and feel my life is lessened. This book exemplified the the best and worst that could happen in my life and I grew with the boys, losing my naivete with them, forming my own alternative world where loyalty and peace and love are held in the highest regard. I feel that this should be required reading for all school age children. Thank you Ms. Lindgren.

This story is, well, brillant. It's a saga of brotherly devotion, high adventure, scary places, and glorious times. It's through the looking glass, over the next mountain and around the corner to the place in time where you most want to be, with the people you love the best. It fills a space in your heart and leaves an ache at the same time. And it's good. You know those books that you can't BEAR to have end? The ones where you want just one more page? Well, move this to the top of the list - because the ending, while absolutely perfectly satisfying, leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering what happened next. That's one (of a long list) why it's such a perfectly brillant children's book - your imagination takes it from there. This is not a story to read just once, but over and over, and to share with the people that you love the best.

Anfra, You Are My Sister is the most awesome book I've ever read. I felt like you had written my life story and I was reading it to myself. All of your messages are true and described exactly what I've been going through, I was especially moved by "Weight Problems", because I'm a full figured women with low self-estem and that message made me realize that my problems are not just about my physical weight but my spriitual burderns as well. Thank you for this eye-opening and uplifting book. You Are My Sister and thank you.

This is one of the most uplifting and inspirational books I've read in a long time. All sisters need to grab a copy and get in where they fit in. If you are a sister who has yourself and your life in check- I would still advise you to get a copy for encouragement and to pass along to someone who isn't in the know. Anfra reminds us that we are all sisters and that spiritual bankruptcy can be dangerous if not filled. This book is a reminder to love my neighbor, especially my sister but first love myself. Deeply inspiring, I encourage sisters to get this book and get your priorities right.

Anfra, You Are My Sister touched my heart and left a lasting impression. The book made me THINK! It's an easy read, but ver thought provoking and uplifting. I will always look at life in a different perspective from now on. Please keep writing. I can't wait to read another one like this.

As always, I looked forward to the next installment of the Southern Sisters mysteries. When I discovered that Mrs. George had recently passed away, I broke down and sobbed. I felt it was not only the loss of a great talent, but the loss of a friend as well. After reading her first book, I had written her a fan letter because I, too, had an Aunt Sister. She not only graciously answered my letter, but sent me her home address so it wouldn't take so long for my letters to reach her through the book company and later sent me her e-mail address. We corresponded after each book and when my dog passed away, she wrote me a letter that I will always treasure. All of her books are wonderful and this one doesn't disappoint. Patricia Ann and Mary Alice are up to it again trying to solve the murder of an Elvis impersonator. If you have never read any of her books, start with the first one and read them all. I plan to read them all again. Thank you, Mrs. George. You will be missed.

I am a huge fan of Anne Carroll George. I love all of her books. "Murder Boogies with Elvis" is a wonderful continuation of her previous books. Her books are one continuing story of Patricia Anne, Mary Alice, Fred, Woofer - I could name them all but anyone who has read any of her books knows all of the characters by name, too. Unfortunately, the story is ending with this book. I am so sad that this is the last book. I want to "watch" Debbie's twin girls and Brother grow; I want to know about the birth of Joanna, Haley's baby; I want to know if Haley will let Patricia Anne keep Muffin when she and Philip return from Warsaw; I want to know about the next murder that Patricia Anne and Mary Alice will investigate. There are so many quirky characters whose lives make her books so interesting. It is very sad that Ms. George's life was cut short. I miss her, but at least we have the few books she wrote to keep us company.

This book is a must read for all fans of Ms. George. Her writing from one book to the next is so consistent - she never skips anything from one book to the next.

Everyone's favorite southern sisters, bigger than life and soon to be married for the fourth time, Mary Alice (Sister) and prim and petite, Patricia Anne (Mouse) had really been looking forward to the big benefit to raise money for the restoration of Birmingham's Vulcan monument. They had front row center seats and couldn't wait for the promised finale of thirty Elvis impersonators all on stage, together. But, it seems that wherever the girls go, trouble follows and sure enough, one member of the high kicking Elvis chorus line keels over and crashes, dead, into the orchestra pit. It turns out that poor "Elvis" was murdered, stabbed in the back and to make matters worse, Patricia Anne finds the murder weapon, a switchblade knife, at the bottom of her purse..... Ann George has written a light, fast paced mystery, full of original quirky characters and vivid scenes that come alive on the page. But it's her crisp, witty writing and laugh out loud southern humor that really makes this book, as it does in all her others, stand out and no one captures the essence of life in the south, with all its idiosyncrasies, like Ms George. This is the eighth mystery of a truly wonderful series. If you're new to the many travails of Mary Alice and Patricia Anne, start at the beginning and read them all. If you're already a fan, Murder Boogies With Elvis is just what you're expecting...a fun, entertaining, terrific read.

Prolific children's book author and poet Mary Ann Hoberman has struck gold once again in this funny tale about the seven silly eaters (all children, naturally) in the Peters family. Mrs. Peters starts off as patient as can be, as each of the seven children develops some quirk or another having to do with size, temperature, taste, or type of food that they absolutely, positively WILL NOT EAT. She bends over backwards to accomodate their likes and dislikes, and the result is that the children are able to combine their favorite foods to come up with something wonderful for their wonderful mother's birthday.

The illustrations beautifully complement the story. Artist Marla Frazee's work has something of a Hillary Knight look to it (think early "Eloise" by Kay Thompson), and she beautifully captures the frenetic wiggliness and activity inherent in a family with seven children. Lots of fun for children, especially ones who happen to be (or know!) "silly eaters."

I bought this book online because of the author & title alone, not even knowing what it was about, so when it arrived the day before my birthday, I naturally fell deeply in love with it. (It's about seven finicky children who each eat only one thing, each child with his or her own special food, and they end up creating a birthday cake for their mother out of all of their foods combined.) It's a great book, my kids (3 & 7) love it as much as I do.(Any Dr. Seuss afficianado knows that reading aloud is so much more fun when it rhymes!) The illustrations are so beautifully detailed, as well. We see new things in the pictures every time we read the book! (I especially love the laundry piled everywhere in the Peters' family house...What else would you expect, with seven little kids?!) Once you read this book, you will want to read Mary Ann Hoberman's other books! AND - HERE'S A FUN TIDBIT - DID YOU KNOW THAT HER SON CHUCK INVENTED THE HOBERMAN SPHERE? HOW TALENTED IS THAT FAMILY?

This book is a favorite of our family. The illustrations our beautiful and tell a story on top of the story in the text. Each child's distinct personality is revealed in the illustrations.

We starting reading this to our children when they were about 3 months old. My daughter knew it by heart by 2. We have given this book as a gift many times and it has always gotten great reviews. It is an ideal gift book because it is undeservedly obscure--- your recipient won't already have it.

We have tried unsuccessfully into turning this book into a family cooking project. Attempts at mixing the ingredients described in the book haven't worked out so well--- too much liquid!

I picked up The Changeover nine years ago in a bookstore because it sounded interesting and it was long (my family was going on vacation or something, I think). One of the best choices I ever made! I LOVE this book! To this day (and at 21 I'm a little old to be reading Young Adult fiction) I still reread The Changeover again several times a year. Mahy's prose is intensely descriptive and very powerful; it transports readers to Laura Chant's world. Eventually you forget you're even reading a book, and you begin to think you *are* Laura. Sometimes I (still) wish I were! =) And I'll be the first to admit that I'm still waiting for Sorenson Carlisle to pop up on my doorstep - however dysfunctional a spouse *he'd* be. The "supernatural" aspects of the story coexist harmoniously with the "natural" aspects so as to create a seamless quality which is rare in works of its genre. This book is definitely a class act, and worthy of its awards - it definitely beats out Christopher Pike and (I presume) R.L. Stine.

As a teenager, I first saw The Changeover in the pages of a book club catalogue and I was drawn to it by the promise of a "supernatural romance" (two of my favorite topics in one book!). Once I actually read this book, I fell in love with it and have dragged it out of the old bookcase many times since. Until recently, I hadn't read The Changeover in quite some time. Now, armed with an English degree and an irrepressible need to over-analyze every piece of writing, I am EVEN MORE IMPRESSED! Laura, as a "sensitive", is standing on the threshold between two worlds, caught between the life she has always known as a mere mortal and the promise of a new, powerful existence as a witch. However, as a teenager, Laura is also on the verge of adulthood, waiting to enter a world that is just as foreign and mysterious to her as that of the supernatural. This parallel in the story beautifully expresses how becoming a woman is, in effect, like becoming a witch. The Changeover is not just about one girl who crosses over to a world of magic. It represents the changeover that ALL girls make on their journey to womanhood and, in so doing, attain their full potential and power as a human being (as well as a little "magic"). This is an excellent message for young women, and it is even more impressive for its subtlety.

When I first saw this book on a library display shelf, I thought "this is fate". The Changeover was on a book list for school and it looked kind of interesting. Little did I know that I would read the book five times in the first two days of reading it! I'm not going to give you a plot synopsys because you can gather enough from articles, but the characters were very vivid. I would reccommend this book to almost anyone. It might give you a hint to look at the number of stars other reviewers gave. At the time I put this up, all were five stars.

I love the Southern Sisters Mystery series by Anne George. Murder Carries a Torch is the seventh serving of this wonderful series. Sister and Mouse encounter a missing cousin, snake-handlers and two murders on this latest romp thru Birmingham and places nearby. Most authors get stale after writing about the same characters, but not Anne George. The seventh book is as fresh as the first. My only regret is that I'll have to wait another year before another Southern Sister Mystery comes out. I don't know if I can stand the suspense. If you are looking for a lighthearted good read with a heart, you need to read Murder Carries A Torch.

Wow. When I Saw all those "5"'s given this book, I could not imagine giving it anything else but. However, this entry in the Southern Sisters series deserves it. I was somewhat disappointed in Ms. George's last mystery, but this one returns to the homespun, acerbic, and silly humor of the previous entries.
Patricia Anne and Mary Alice get involved in the disappearance of their cousin Pukey Luke's wife, Virginia. When it seems that she's run off with a snake-handling minister, the ladies find themselves kneedeep in rattlesnakes, cover-ups, and murder.
What's so nice about this book, however, is not really the whodunit aspect, but the relationships these people have with each other. The sisters are funny, and their respective hubbies or boyfriends are amusing, too. George has a way of knowing how important family and friends are; how important pets (such as Woofer and Muffin) are; and although the murderer's identity is fairly obvious early on, who cares? We have lots of fun getting there.
A real treat. So sorry to hear that Ms. George has passed away, with one more Southern Sisters mystery left. I know she's with the angels, and thank you for bringing us your talents and time!

Have you ever had your two favourite aunts go away for a year on an adventure....then have them return to share with you the trouble they got themselves into. This is what reading an Anne George Southern Sisters mystery is like. These books make me laugh until I can't breath, bring tears to my eyes and keep me on the edge of my chair until the last tale has been told. Murder Carries a Torch is indeed a visit with those whacky relatives. You've got dead snake-charmers, purple boots, angel-sightings, pukey cousins, disappearing wives and the most loveable sisters in mystery today. The fact that one of the the ladies is now 'wired' is a bonus...the part describing Patricia Anne's experience with e-mail 'spam' is hilarious, and I was smart enough this time round not to have a mouthfull of anything when I read it. Like the rest of the books in this series, Torch is pure heaven. The only downside here is the wait for the next one!

Toni Buzzeo takes us on a magical trip back through time to the days when the vigilance and skill of the lighthouse keeper were the only things between a storm tossed ship and catastrophe. But then, there were some storms so fearsome that even the lights were of no help. Auntie Maita's reminiscences of her solitary childhhod on fictional Sanctuary Island are lyrical and moving. She tells the story of one storm and the sea chest that washed up on shore in its aftermath. The connection between the contents of the chest and the event that awaits Auntie Maita and her grand niece eighty years later is one that will leave you in tears as you gently close the cover of the book.

This stunning picture book brings to life an old legend. In the midst of a storm, when their ship is about to sink, parents place their baby in a sea chest then cast it overboard with the hope that the baby will survive.

Buzzeo's poetic language convey's the emotional mood perfectly. She carries the reader along for every heart-stopping moment, from the first crashing of the storm to the catch-your-breath scene when the baby is found by the lighthouse keeper and his lonely daughter, to the very satisfying conclusion at the end of the story.

Grandpre's stunning oil paintings are the ideal visual for this poignant story.

This stunning new picture book reminds us that waiting for a baby to arrive is a timeless, and achingly poignant, event.
Toni Buzzeo's story opens with a small girl and her elderly aunt holding a dream in their hands - a care-worn photograph of a newborn the girl's parents have gone off to bring home. While the girl, an only child, waits with longing, the aunt tells her how she got her own sister, generations earlier.
The aunt's story is a Maine legend - based on an actual shipwreck that occurred off the coast in the mid-1870s near Southport Island. The ship went down, but one bundle tossed into the gray waves bobbed and rolled until it reached shore, near Hendricks Head Light. The keeper found it - a collection of feather mattresses fastened together with rope. Inside, there was a baby, still alive, with a note from the captain and his wife, "committing the child into God's hands."
Buzzeo's dramatic retelling of this legend is well-served by the vivid, engaging illustrations by Mary GrandPré, best-known as the artist who brought Harry Potter to life in the American editions of J.K. Rowling's series. GrandPré, who lives in St. Paul, has a warm style that makes an isolated island in the North Atlantic look like a jeweled place to live.
Buzzeo has paced the story expertly, creating mystery and one turn-of-the-page that is certain to produce a gasp from unsuspecting readers. This is a beautiful book to share with a child. The language is lyrical and demands repeated readings, but it is one of those rare picture books many parents will not mind reading over and over again.

I have started to collect Lurlene McDaniel books because they make me laugh, they make cry, they make me feel as if I know and can feel the characters, and her books warms your heart and soul. I don't think I can say one bad thing about her books and Angel of Hope is no exception.
When Heather becomes ill and her mother won't let her go back to Uganda; Amber, her sister, goes in her place. Amber doesn't want to like Africa and she pretends she doesn't until she meets Boyce, Patrick and Ruth. They get into a situation that really tests Amber and her values of life and friendship. Upon returning to the United States, she finds out that Hearther is in no better condition than when she left. Amber struggles with life and the harsh true that she might not see her sister or friends from Uganda again.
I strongly recommend Angel of Hope. It's one of Lurlene McDaniel's best books yet. Life has its ups and downs. Her books portray life as it really is, not how people want it to be. So, you ask why do you want to read a book like that when you are trying to escape from life's problems! That's an easy one. If you have a problem, read one of McDaniel's books to inspire you or make you feel as if someone understands even when it seems no one does. Angel of Hope was well written and easy to read. Read it and I gurantee that you will love this book. I hate reading but Lurlene McDaniel's books put fun back into reading. Angel of Hope is good for people of all ages. So get off the computer and go to the library and check it out. If you really want to take my advise, put it into your amazon shopping chart and buy it or beg your parents to buy it if you aren't old enough to have a shopping cart. Believe me, you won't be sorry!

In McDaniel's book, "Angel of Hope", Heather Barlow is determined to return to Africa on a Mercy Ship. When she falls ill, her only hope lays in the hands of her younger sister, Amber. Amber, who is not as excited as Heather was, begins to fall in love with Africa, and becomes good friends with friends that Heather met on her previous trip. But, Amber encounters a problem while she is visiting a friend's family. What will become of Amber? Read this book if you enjoyed "Angel of Mercy". It's really heart-touching and a tear jerker.

I personally LOVED this book and think it can be very inspirational to some people. A way to get you peoples out there to read it is to probably give you a summary so here it is (I promise it won't be too long). Heather saved a little baby named Alice, while on her trip to Africa, and feels very
close to her. Amber, Heather's sister, feels very cut off from her sister since she came back. Heather is already planing on going back with her mom to get Alice surgery, she has clepft plate. So when Heather gets sick Amber really wants to help her sister out. Heather's parents won't let her go. Amber suprises everyone and says she's going to go in Heather's place. If you want to find out what happens while Amber is in Africa read Angel of Hope. But before you read this book I recommend you read Angel of Mercy because it comes before Angel of Hope. Thanks

9-year old Beezus has a big problem- her little sister. She knows a lot of people with four-year old sisters, but none of them are nearly as much trouble as Ramona. She is always being an annoyance. She constantly wants her favorite book read to her, and Beezus gets stuck reading it to her. She rides her tricycle around the house and crashes into the table where Beezus and Henry are playing checkers. Then she gets into trouble and sent to her room, then decides to punish Henry's dog Ribsy by locking him in the bathroom. She ruins Beezus's birthday cake- twice!

Beezus decides she does not love her little sister. Not one bit. What kind of awful person doesn't love her own sister? She knows that sisters should get along, like her mother and Aunt Beatrice. But then she learns that all sisters fight and do not always love each other- even her mother and Aunt Beatrice.

Even though this book is at a quite easy reading level, I would recommend it even to adults because it is a humorous but wise book- Cleary knew how four-year old sisters thought when she wrote this.

I read my daughter Beverly Cleary's Ramona the Pest last year, when she was in kindergarten (because in that book Ramona is also a kindergartner) and she instantly pronounced it her favorite chapter book of all time.

We've since been reading all the Ramona books, but we skipped this one for awhile. It's the first in the series, and takes place when Ramona is four years old. I knew from reviews that if focused more on Ramona's older, more serious sister, Beezus, and wasn't a "real" Ramona Quimby book. I somehow thought it would not be as funny as the others.

I was wrong. Ramona is even more exuberant in this book than in any of the others we've read, and her antics are hilarious. Seeing everything through the eyes of her serious sister does not make it one bit less funny.

But this is not just a funny book. It deals gently and honestly with the difficulty Beezus has in loving her sometimes exasperating little sister. Beezus and Ramona is more than forty years old, but I donÕt think anyone has ever come close to Beverly Cleary's ability to capture and sympathize with children's feelings. Cleary brings everything around to a happy, but entirely believable ending in this warm, wise book.

My daughter says this is her second favorite Ramona book (after Ramona the Pest), but so far it's my very favorite.

I have two younger sisters and I know the kind of trouble they can cause and how exasperating they can be. When I first read this book, I was in third grade. I'm 22 now, and I have read the book at least 20 times since then. Beverly Cleary's book tend to contain such true-to-life values that they remain timeless.
Beezus is the older sister, the responsible and smart one. Ramona is the precocious little sister, creative but messy, cute but needy. Beezus struggles with being nice and trying to entertain Ramona and trying to be firm with her at the same time. There are some great little stories in this book about Ramona's misadventures including her unwavering love for a certain picture book, her locking Henry Huggins' dog in the bathroom, and her deciding that she wants to throw a party for herself without asking her mother. Things finally come to a head at Beezus' birthday party. When attention-starved Ramona gets a little too obnoxious, she shamefully admits that she just doesn't love her little sister all the time.
Herein lies the lesson: Beezus' mother explains that Beezus is not expected to love Ramona all the time, that Ramona will do things that get on her nerves sometimes. But there will also be good times when the two will get along, work together, or share a laugh. And those are the moments that count in the sisterly bond. I have stuck to this mantra when trying to deal with my own two younger sisters so I don't go completely insane.
This is a great book for little girls who have sisters so that one may understand the other's point of view. It helps you take a great look at your own sibling relationships, or it will at least show you that your own younger sister is not NEARLY as bratty as Ramona. :)

This book is a great story of two great women-in-the-making. Shipwrecked and alone, young Scots Mary and Jean are unfailingly clever at finding food, water, shelter, and just about everything else they need for the babies whose lives they save, and the grumpy old hermit whose life they rescue. At the same time, they are real girls - singing, playing, crying, praying, and taking care of each other. Read this book to sons and daughters both for examples of strong, brave children, and read it yourself for a laugh and nostalgic look back at childhood. I've been looking for Baby Island for 25 years and am thrilled to find it again!

Baby Island by Carol Brinksis an adventure story that makes you want to read it to the end.In the middle of the night, the SS Orminta started to sink.A 12 year-old girl named Mary woke up. The first theing she thought of was the babies of the ship.She wole up her 10 year-old sister Jean to help her.When the two sisters and the four babies were loaded into a lifeboat, someone yelled"She's going down now!"Thier lifeboat was let out./they sailed for a few days then landed on a deserted island.Mary and Jean mmanaged to get enough food.The girls also figuured out hoe to build a home. They were having a fine life untill Jean found giant footprints while taking a walk. I enjoyed this book abundantly.i recommend this book because it is comical and exciting.

Baby Island was the best book I ever read. The main characters are Mary and Jean. They are sisters. Elijah and Elisha they're twins. Jonah is an only child, so is Ann Elizabeth. Mr. Perterkin is an honest seaman. They were on a ship and it was going to sink. Mary woke up. The alarm was off. She got Jean up. They got the babies, Elisah, Elijah and Jonah. They got on a lifeboat. Mr. Arlington gave Mary, Ann Elizabeth to hold when he went to get his wife. The sailors lowered down the boat. When they woke up they were on a tropical island. Jean found footprints in the sand. Once when they where looking for the person they found a house. The person turned out nice. He had sheep. He made a path through the woods. Jean was out with the babies. They got lost in a storm. Charley the monkey helped lead the way to Jean. Mr. Peterkin has a chest. He let Jean open it. If you want to know how the story ends and what's in the chest, read the book.