This book is about a girl named Elizebeth, Liz for short, who takes her sister Islabels, Iz for short, place. You see, Iz was murdered by a gun shot to the head, and was so disfigured that you couldn't even tell that it was her. Her father found her in his beach house. When this news reached Liz she hopped onto a plane right over to her fathers house. To try to learn about her sister Liz sliped into her place, taking her friends, enemies, and even her boyfriend!No one can tell that it isn't the real Iz, not even her killer!!!! But is Iz really dead, is the killer after Liz now that she has taken Iz's place, will anyone find out that it really isn't Iz? Read this book and the sequel, Twin Terror to find out what will happen!!!!!!

This book lead me into reading more & more of Janice Harrell's book's. It was recommended by a friend and now I recommend it to everybody! If you want a great book that you will never put down Twin Sisters is surely the book you want to read

Twin Sisters by Janice Harrell is a AWESOME book! It keeps you in suspense throughout the whole thing! It was very well written and I couldn't put it down! Anybody from the ages 10 to about 20 would enjoy this book. It's about 2 twins that were separated when they're parents divorced. One day, one of them died, so the other one, goes 2 live with her dad. Scary and creepy things keep happening @ her sisters house...find out what happens by reading it yourself. I KNOW YOU WILL ENJOY IT!

I Love You the Purplest is a wonderful read-aloud for everyone! The main theme of mothers and their sons is an important one, but the wonderful words Barbara Joosse uses in describing the mothers love for each of her boys should be experienced by all children. The children love discovering where the color purple comes in the story! Every mom and teacher should own this book.

Two little boys competing for their mother's affection learn that their mother can love them both differently and jointly to make a love yet stronger and more beautiful. This book would be a wonderful shower gift for a mother having a second child. The clever answers of this loving mom offer inspiration for the questions our children ask us, "Who do you love best, Mom?"

I finally found a book about a mother with two boys! I mentioned to my sister-in-law how competitive my boys are for my praise and love. She suggested I buy this book. I bought it from Amazon and think it is wonderful. To be honest, I really bought the book for myself, as a reminder and example of how to bring out the best in each of my children. I have already thought of which of my boys will be "blue" and which will be "red"! They think the book is a great read, but I can't wait to save it for them for when they get older and can appreciate the meaning even more!

This book offers a glimpse into a world many don't know anything about even though it exists alongside their own--the world of people with developmental disabilities and their families. By turns curious, frustrated, supportive, and confused, Rachel Simon gives the reader a masterful account of loving, hating, being amazed by, and being surprised by her sister. Beth is a woman with mental retardation and an indomitable drive to do as she pleases when she pleases with her life despite her disabilities. Rachel sketches Beth's world--with and without Rachel--and how it affects her own life and world in a poetic yet grittily honest manner. Read this book. Read it more than once.

I first heard about this book through an exerpt printed in a recent issue of Reader's Digest, and was immediately intrigued.
This book should be required reading of all the hyperbusy yuppies around (esp. ones here in the Bay Area)....Rachel does a great job in showing the slow transformation of her values from workaholic wannabe Big Person with a Big Job, to a more well-rounded humanitarian who can enjoy life's simpler pleasures and relationships with others, through her interactions with her sister and various bus drivers. The book is realistic in that it doesn't try to give any pat answers or solutions to the issues surrounding the care of the mentally retarded. This story could have been overly politically correct if written by a less talented author, but Rachel's refreshingly honest in her depiction of her frustrations with Beth, and she doesn't oversentimentalize the loving aspects of their sisterly relationship, or pontificate/overgeneralize when discussing her struggles. A pleasure to read, with some great life wisdom to stay with you long after you're done with the book.

This is, quite simply, a splendid earthbound book. With admirable honesty Rachel Simon details her year spent riding the buses of an unnamed Pennsylvania city with her "mentally challenged" younger sister Beth.

Unsentimental, clear-eyed, and painfully truthful, Simon interweaves scenes from the family's past into the tales of her travels with the self-named Cool Beth. We meet a series of quite remarkable drivers, some of whom display levels of wisdom and kindness that are exceptional; as well, the majority of the drivers possess philosophical attitudes and good-heartedness. It's a view from that front bench seat by the door that will undoubtedly alter every reader's perception and/or preconceived notions about the people who carry us from one point to another--in any city or town.

Everyone in this book is revealed, warts and all, with perception and, by the end, with a hard-won perspective that leads not only to the author's self-acceptance but also to a new level of respect for the wonderfully well-depicted Beth (in all her rotund, stubborn glory); for the parents and siblings who spent decades of their lives striving not only to be supportive of their sister but also their efforts to come to terms with the effects of Beth on their own lives.

This is a brave and enlightening book that leaves one filled with admiration for both Rachel and Beth, along with a heightened sense of how, so often, while we might think we're coping well with whatever life throws at us, below the surface linger effects of which we may well be unaware.
Most highly recommended.

I found myself entirely caught up in this book, watching Sophie negotiate experience and curiosity, skepticism and hope, adolescent guardedness and the pull of love. Freymann-Weyr tells a story that resonates as keenly for adults as for Sophie's own age group. She offers a down-to-earth young heroine wise enough to make brains and an everyday bravery her touchstones. Both Sophie and Freymann-Weyr left me wanting more. This is an exceptionally strong story for teenage girls and their parents, and a wonderful read for adults of any age.

Sophie Merdinger has accomplished the impossible: she made me wish I could be fifteen again- something I've spent a lot of time being happy I could never be forced to do. Sophie did not inspire this bizarre wish because her life looks like a walk in the park- quite the contrary. With tremendous humor, insight, and respect for the process people go through to become themselves, the author has captured all the really hard stuff that we find ourselves suddenly growing into around Sophie's age. For me, the magic in this book comes from the author's sense of balance. Freymann-Weyr conveys the very serious side of being Sophie: she is dealing with all the complicated relationships which can be brushed under the word "family," learning to live with a deep loss without losing her past or future self, and exploring the risks of liking a guy while trying to make sure she doesn't turn into a brain-dead girlfriend. Nevertheless, I found myself howling with laughter through much of the book. So much that happens, even right in the middle of a miserable moment, is hilarious because what Sophie says and thinks is wry, true, and honestly aware of her own and other's foibles. I loved reading this book and am planning to send a copy to a couple of friends who survived being fifteen with me.

In this vibrant, engrossing novel, Sophie takes you on a tour of what it's like to be a teenager in the 21st century. Between swim practice and English essays there is trying to cope with family and friends and learning about what love is. Readers of all ages will be drawn in and unconciously given a dose of life medicine. Freymann-Weyr's grip on all of the angst and humor that comes with growing up hits the spot. I highly recommend this book.

This book was great! it's one of my favorites. i recommend this book to anyone. i love shining and samantha! Anyway, in this book samantha finally gets her own horse (shining) and is almost ready to race! Then Mandy,a disabled child and a friend of smantha's wants to buy shining and her parents make samantha an offer. Will smantha have to give up Shing? and will Shining ever get to race? read this to fing out.

(if u must know ...[spoiler])-A must read

This such a breath taking book. It was very good and parts of it were sad when Shining came home to Whitebrook looking like she did. But the best part was when Samantha turned Shining around. And I think Mandy's parents had no right into thinking to buy Shining, Samantha's first and only hosre, for Mandy. Shining is a very valuable Thoroughbred that might race and make a lot of money for Samantha. But even if Samantha sells Shining, she could never race her because Mandy's parents couldn't afford it. Then, just when you start to think that Samantha is going to sell Shining, Mandy's parents changed their mind in thinking to get Mandy and Thoroughbred. Instead they but Butterball from Tor's stable. Ans now Samantha has Shining all to herself and she begins winning major races with Ashleigh as her jockey and her dad, Ian Mclean, and her trainer. Together, they burn up the track!!!

If you love Wonder than you'll adore Shining. I think this is the best book of the whole series so far! I have read this book over 12 times! This book just had so much emotion. . . and it's easy to relate to Samanta & Shining. Samantha knows if Shining is nursed back to health, she can win, and be like her Champion sister, Ashleigh's Wonder. GOTTA READ this one.

I've loved The Saturdays since I was about 8, when I read it for the first time. It wasn't until I was older that I realized: these children had to figure out things for fun, because they didn't have TELEVISION! What a concept! Just look what awesome things they find to do. I'm delighted to share this book, and that added idea, with my son.

My original review was written 14 July 1998. This is an addition for readers (and potential readers) who are (or would be) as puzzled as I once was when the book said the Melendy children played a noisy game of "Dumb Crambo". Over 20 years after I first read THE SATURDAYS, I was lucky enough to get a copy of VICTORIAN PARLOUR GAMES by Patrick Beaver that includes it.

To paraphrase, in Dumb Crambo, the players are split evenly into two teams. One team leaves the room while the remaining team chooses a verb. When the first team comes back in, the second team tells them another verb that rhymes with the first verb. The first team must guess the secret verb by acting it out. For example [not the one given], if the secret verb is "fly", the first team might be told "try". If they guess it's "spy", they act out someone spying on someone else. If they're wrong, the second team hisses them. The first team keeps trying until they act out the right verb.

It's called "dumb crambo" because it's a variation of a game called "crambo." In the original, only one person leaves the room and any kind of word may be chosen. The guesser is still told a word that rhymes with the secret word. The trick is that you have to ask questions that might get you the secret word WITHOUT naming the word you're guessing. For instance, if you think the secret word is "bus", you might ask "Is it a big ground vehicle that carries a lot of passengers?"

I think it shows something of the personalities and intelligence of the Melendy children that they would enjoy Dumb Crambo.

When I was in third grade, a classroom aide gave us the option of listening to her read out loud, or playing on the playground. Her book of choice? The Saturdays. Within the week, every child was choosing to stay in during recess and breathlessly awaiting the further exploits of Mona, Rush, Randy and Oliver. At 40 years of age, it continues to be an all-time favorite book of mine, as well as the other books about the Melendys. I consider it a treasure to pass on to my eight-year-old daughter; something we will share and laugh together about for years.

You'll never guess the mystery!! It's a great book!!! I'm very picky with books, but I happened to like this one. The reason why I only gave it 4 stars was because the character was a little...I don't know...I didn't like her as much as I should have...but she was ok. Violet was one of triplets. She was the odd one though. She didn't look like her sisters. Her sisters looked identical, but she didn't. She also had open-heart surgery. Now she wants fit in with her sisters, so they go to San Francisco to fix up a building for their parents. As they work there, an earthquake hits. A few moments later, Violet finds a note addresssed to Baby V. Her parents and sisters call her that. In the beginning, she's positive that the notes are for her. With each earthquake, a note is found, meaning another clue has dropped in her lap. Slowly she and her sisters unravel a mystery. Violet's life is just about to change. Was she Baby V? Who was the person writing to her? And how could someone from nearly a century ago write to her? As she reads each note, coincedences pop up and she fears that their time for solving the mystery could be running out.

PaperQuake is a fascinating book about a teenage girl named Violet. Violet lives in California and is constanly nervous about earthquakes taking place. She is the daughter of florists, hence her name. She is also a triplet. Her sisters, Rose and Jasmine, are identical, and she is constantly feeling like the third wheel. In the past she hd heart problems, so she missed tons of school. She was forced to repeat a grade over again, so she is now stuck in a grade lower than her sisters. It bothers her that she is the outcast and that her family subconsiously treats her like a child, even though she is the same age as her sisters. One day Violet and her sisters take a bus to San Fransisco to clean their parent's new flower shop. While cleaning, Violet comes across an old letter written in the early 1900's. The odd thing is that it seems to be written to her. It even includes things that have taken place in Violet's life. Violet is dumbfounded, because there isn't any way that a letter from so long ago could be written to her-or could it? Violet sets out on a journey to find out more about who wrote these letters, and along the way she finally bonds with her sisters and finds herself. This story will have you puzzled from cover to cover. You will keep thinking you know what's going to happen, and then it's exactly the opposite. That's the great thing about this book. The book is a little slow at first, but once you get past the first few chapters you will find your eyes glued to the pages. This is one of the most amazing and imaginative books I have ever read, and I highly encourage you to check it out.

This great book is about a teenage girl, Violet. It relates to family problems with her two sisters but it is actually a mystery. Whenever there are earthquakes Violet sees visons, and old letters fall out of the walls. There is an uncanny resemblance between Violets own life and the letters. Through this book you will learn more and more about the mystery. It is extremely good and I will reccomend it to everyone!

A story about two sisters and their 2 cousins that spend a summer they'll never forget. The most exciting part of the book when one of the left out sister(Sarah) try to prove she can be a rimmwalker. It was a life and death situation. To find out if she lives or dies reed the book or even bye the book.

Tory Moore and her younger sister Sara have to spend the summer with their grandparents and cousins in Illinois.Tory spends most of the summer with her cousins and discludes Sara which leads to an unfogetable experience that changes their lives.I was shocked by the emotional description and way I could relate to the characters.

Victoria Moore and her sister Sara,have to spend the summer with their grandparents and two cousins.After about a week,victoria has made a bond between her cousins and has discluded Sara which soon leads to a blood curdling experience that changes Victoria and Sara.It's emotional and greatly interesting.Vicki Grove has done a good job on this book that has now become my favorite!

The cover alone grabbed my attention: I've seen this posture from my son hundreds of times. As the parent of an autistic six-year-old, I found this book a superb, simple story for young companions of a child with autism. The story is straightforward, honest, and evokes compassion without pity. I would even speculate that this story would explain autism to adults with more clarity than any clinical definition.

My son has an older brother in the same elementary school and I've arranged for him to read this story to my autistic son's classmates. Although his classmates see this behavior and much more every day, I hope that the story, related personally, will give them one more thread of understanding. If any book can, this one will.

I am the proud Aunt of a wonderful nephew Curtis who has autism. This book touched me very deeply. It is well written and an excellent picture book explaining what autism is all about. I also work with children and highly recommend it to teachers. This book is a great resource should you have a child in your classroom with autism. The story is gear to help young children understand some of the characteristics that an autistic classmate may have. Not only did I find this book outstanding for children but also for any adult to read. It really explains autism in very simple touching way. I will always treasure this book, because in my heart this book can also be called Curtis' walk.

Sincerely Wendy

This book is very heartwarming in its presentation of autism and the child behind the label who does "odd" things. I was moved by the very real frustrations and annoyances experienced by Ian's sister and then the ability of this young child to see beyond the normal social boundaries and relate to this special brother of hers. This is a must-read for parents who need to explain an autistic child to others (siblings, school classmates, friends of siblings, cousins, neighbors) so that they too can see that there is a real child there who just interacts with life from a different perspective.

I read the book called A Time Of Angels by Karen Hesse. This is a historical fiction book.
This book is about this girl named Hannah that gets separated from her parents and has to move to her Aunts house in West Boston. After she got there she started working in a store to help her Aunt with food & clothes.
Weeks later she got the flu and got real sick. The flu had killed ten thousand people so far. After she gets her energy back. Tanta Rose and her went to try to get her family together. After month of hard work she got her family together.
I didn't like this book because it was boring. It barley had any action. If you are boring and like boring things you should you should read this book.

I truly enjoyed this book by Karen Hesse. As a future teacher I will add this to my list of historical fiction in teaching social studies and language arts. I had no idea so many people died of the flu in 1918 - nearl two and one half times the number that died during WWI! Karen Hesse does an excellent job of placing ourselves into the life of a young Jewish girl named Hannah. She and her two sisters must live with her two aunts in a crowded Boston apartment because their father is fighting in the war, and their mother is trapped in Russia. She must eventually leave Boston alone because the flu is ravishing the city and her loved ones. She gets lost and is also stricken with the deadly flu. She is nursed back to health by a German farmer and a beautiful friendship develops. She eventually returns to Boston with the help of an angel to find the fate of her family. This is a must read book!

I got this book at a school event where we could choose one book (for free) to take home. I chose this one because I thought it sounded interesting, and although that was over a year ago I still read it. The author has a beautiful way of writing the story so that you can imagine what you would feel like in Hannah's shoes.