This book will appeal to readers who like to see grumpy people made nice, especially through the influence of cats. Those who've stayed at 19th century Anderson House Hotel in Wabasha, MN (where this book is set), and chosen an Anderson House cat to reside in their rooms for a night, will also love it. I've given several copies of Blumpoe the Grumpoe away to cat-loving children, and it's a favorite; thank goodness for the reprinting!

My whole family loves this book. It is funny and entertaining. We also love the references to towns in Minnesota. Everyone will fall in love with Blumpoe and Arnold! We are very happy that this book is back in print. We looked all over for this book (two years ago), after getting it from the library. We even contacted the author but she had no extras. Now it's back in print and everyone can buy it! Wonderful! Check out her other books, too!

Dear Ichiro is a gentle and enjoyable picture book illustrated by Doug Keith and written by Jean Davies Okimoto that celebrates baseball as a sport cherished in both America and Japan. A young boy gets into an angry fight with his best friend, and vows to hate his former friend forever... but when he sees his grandfather, a World War II veteran, cheering for Japanese baseball players then the boy learns that it's possible for enemies to become friends again. A welcome addition for school and community library collections, Dear Ichiro is a heartwarming and enthusiastically recommended picture book story.

Moonbeam Dawson does not like the hippie name his mother gave him. It says more about her than who he thinks he is at age 15 and he decides he must change it and declare some independence. He chooses Reid,hoping that will bring a little less unwanted drama into his life. Reid takes a step away from his warm, single-parent mother and begins to discover work, girls, heartache, and loyalty. We are enchanted with his journey,whether we are 15, 50, or even more.As Reid makes peace with his mother,the fact of his Native American father, and the quirkiness of his childhood, he reminds us that our roots are as important as our wings and that growing up requires both, with love.

'My Mother Is Not Married To My Father' has been my favorite book since I was in third grade. It has proved to be an excellent reading choice whether a mid age elementary school student or a young adult. The main character in the book, Cynthia, has provided an atmosphere that is familiar. Her deals with her parents' divorce held the reader to find comfort in their own life obstacles. It is a great read for anyone seeking answers or just some comfort. It is the best book that I have found about divorce from a young person's perspective. It is almost a diary of feelings that most mixed families have to endure through that natural process of grieving the separation of parents.

The picture on the cover of the book caught my eye. I was in the waiting room of an audiologist's office looking through a catalog. My husband and I ride bicyles and we had just returned from a visit to San Francisco. While in San Fransisco, I saw a book about how to select the right breed of dog to suit you personalities and had decided we would look for a poodle. There it was, all together! A dog looking like a poodle riding in a basket on a bicycle with it's master with the Golden Gate Bridge and skyline of San Francisco in the background. My hearing was gone. (had declined from hard of hearing to deaf in about two years) I was going to be evaluated for a coclear implant and was in the market for a hearing dog. We had lived in San Francisco and I enjoyed the references to certain locations as Grace worked her way through the streets. I had researched schools for training service dogs and could imagine what it was like for Grace to try to learn special commands for deaf people. She passed the tests on responding to the sounds a deaf person would not hear such as doorbell, microwave, smoke alarm and phone, but had trouble reacting to the alarm clock without jumping in bed and dropping off to sleep. After much effort and some modifications, she was able to graduate and become a full-fledged hearing dog.

My Grace is two years old now. She is an unofficial hearing dog in that I chose not to have her go through the intensive training required to be a service dog. I have a cochlear implant and rely on her to alert me to emergencies through the night when my device is turned off and if my husband is away. She travels with us and is loved by all who meet her. She has never been denied access, a privilege we use discriminately. And yes, she jumps in bed with us and goes right to sleep.

It was after finding this book that I was able to find my Grace and return to the hearing world-AMAZING!

There is something to be said for a book that succeeds in being widely circulated (in a near guerilla tactic-like fashion) among the young APA artist community as a "must read." With the ever-increasing popularity of hip-hop and spoken word among our nation's youth, Talent Night proves to be a book which introduces a positive, albeit for aspiring APA artists- somewhat ironic, perspective on the impact poetry and rhyme can have. Talent Night's failure in providing a more connected depiction of the aspiring APA artist, APA youth and hip hop is in actuality, a reaffirming indication of the complex, often peripheral and challenging position APA youth have growing in a hip hop, pop-culture, media induced generation. Okimoto adequately succeeds in synthesizing the numerous themes of acceptance, identity, adolescent love and ethnicity into a coherent, surprisingly intricate story. It's clear that the accolades that Talent Night has garnished with adults and young readers alike are not merely derived from the, "oh so touching story of a boy in search of acceptance, love and his calling," but more importantly, a deeper recognition and challenge for the reader and author alike to redefine the boundaries of race and art for the next generation. I am still trying to understand why the cover art was changed with the second edition. The new cover art looks like it should adorn a horrendous, "100 of the world's most beautiful love poems" anthology. The old cover art of the Asian boy, the main character, on stage with microphone in hand, distinguished it from the other books when I first picked it up. For a story that demands the acceptance of the young Asian Pacific American, it is disapponting not to see the Asian protaganist on the cover.

I would rate this book as better than most as a short teen/preteen novel. It held a lot of appeal with its murder-mystery-with-some-romance-in-a-Hawaiian-paradise fare. I enjoyed it in school and checked it out more than once

This book gave you a variety of friendship, mystery, and romance. I like the way it was set in Hawaii. It made me want to visit Hawaii. This is a book for any type of reader. Though wrote, like, 18 years ago, it is modern and overall, a great book!

Jason's parents are divorced, his best friend has a new girlfriend every week, and he has no romance in his life. His only solace is the love of his dog, and his online friend, Allison Gray. But when his father decides to get married to someone who resembles Miss Piggy, Jason's life takes a turn for the worse. Because now, not only does he have to deal with a new stepmother, but also a new stepbrother. Whom just happens to be Mr. High School All-American, and very popular with the ladies. But when his online pal wants a picture of him, and he sends one of his stepbrother, his life may just get a little bit worse.

I personally would not recommend this book to anyone. The characters are boring and uninteresting. And the plot is a bit cliched. I recommend reading something, like "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" instead of this.

This book is totally realistic! I can relate to it alot! It's all about a teenager, with a life that isn't perfect. His new stepbrother moves in, but he has stuff, and girls, on his mind all the time. They hate eachother until they discover theat they really are the same. Hey, they live together, they might as well get along! It's a very nice, book, with trouble that keeps getting bigger, and bigger! It's funny, and it makes you feel like there's someone out there just like you, struggling over things like that. I recommend it for teenagers, not anyone younget than a pre-teen because of the language, and some inapropriate contents. Otherwise, the book is great, and meaningful.

This was the best book I've read in a long time. FINALLY a real down-to-earth book with lots of humor in between! I loved the way Okimoto showed what was going on in Jason's head, and it was so funky to see that's exactly what I'd be thinking. Surely a favorite for years!

Molly the main character, is a senior in high school who was adopted when she was a couple of days old. One day, in one of her classes, some people from the Northwest Adoptees Search Organization, came and told her class about their program of finding birth parents and adoptive kids. Even though Molly loves her parents very much, she still wants to find her birth mother. Her parents, suprisingly, react to Molly's news of wanting to find her birth mother exactly the way she hoped they wouldn't. After her parents had calmed down a little her mother decides to help Molly in her search for her birth mother.
I loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even though it had drama, it had just as many humorus parts in it, and a little bit of romance as well. I really, really hope you read this book because it's worth every page!

I read "Molly By Any Other Name", when I was about 14,that was a few years ago, but i still remember that I really enjoyed this book. I could really relate to the main character Molly. If you are interested in adoption or if you are adopted yourself I think you will enjoy reading this book. Although I think the age range for this book is around 12-17 I think a lot of people would benif from reading it even if you are a bit older. People of all ages will appreciate the message that is being demonstrated. I also love the poem that Jean Davis Okimoto wrote, it was very sweet. I recomend you read this book!!

Molly by Any Other Name is my all-time favorite book! I've loved it since 6th grade and now I'm a college freshman. It's very emotional and realistic. I SO recommend this book to anyone who's into emotion and sappy stuff like this. Go out and buy it!

"The sun rose above North America, and all over the continent people were getting up. For some of them it was a special day..." Meet four wonderful "families" as they get ready to make their long awaited trip to China to meet their new daughters. They pack very carefully, go to the airport, and fly halfway around the world to the city of Guangzhou. They stay at the famous White Swan Hotel, where after waiting a long, long time, and signing many papers, they finally get to hold their babies. And halfway around the world, in China, meet four special baby girls, ready to begin their new lives with loving parents..... Drawing from personal experiences, authors Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M Aoki tell an uplifting and joyous story about international adoption. Their engaging text is rich in varied emotions and warm humor, and is complemented by Meilo So's dazzling illustrations. Each expressive page is filled with vivid color, swirling energy, and eye-catching detail. With an afterword to fill in details and further enlighten, The White Swan Express is a captivating and heartwarming story about love and making new families.

My 6-year-old from China LOVES this book and has asked to have it read to her at least 20 times since it arrived last week. It is very close to her own adoption story - she is from Guangdong Province, and we of course stayed at the White Swan Hotel. I love the diversity of families shown - it's a good representation of what my kids see in our own community of families with kids from China. The beginning of the story is wonderful, with the parents each waking up on their travel day as the babies are going to bed on the other side of the world. Both my 6- and 4-year-old giggle in delight at the descriptions and illustrations of the babies. My only complaint is that the ending is a little abrupt. The first time I read it, I thought I'd skipped a page at the end - I was expecting something about leaving China or the trip home. I also noticed one typo - Charlotte Appleford is Carrie Appleford on one page. But otherwise a wonderful, wonderful book!

The White Swan Express is an exquisitely told story of the adoption of four Chinese babies by Western families. The storyline parallels the American and Canadian families and their to-be-Chinese daughters on their last days apart. At last parents and babies meet! The text and bright watercolor illustrations are beautifully integrated. This book is a wonderful read-aloud, full of wonderfully ordinary lists and repetition that children will love to hear again and again.