Benni and Victoria is a story that pulls you in and makes you want to find out what is going to happen next. The main character, Benni, is a foster child who has gone through many hardships. His thoughts and emotions reflect what many other foster children may feel. The story is imaginative and sends the message that each child has something special to offer. -Cynthia Miller Lovell, author of The Star: A story to help young children understand foster care, and Questions & Activities for The Star: A handbook for foster parents

BENNI & VICTORIA: Friends Through Time tells the story that so many abused and neglected children have lived. I was pleasantly surprised by the charm this book held, by my hesitancy to put it down, and by the sensitivity and accuracy with which Patricia Aust wrote of the children's feelings and experiences. I was reminded that children thrive on mystery, magic and intrigue and are much better able to swallow the truth when surrounded by a well-crafted tale. This book can assist children in exploring their thoughts and feelings and further to affirm that a friendship can help soften difficult times. Reviewed in THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, Fall 1997, by Molly Faulkner, RN, LISW, Clinical Social Worker, Programs for Children and Adolescents at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.

I read this several times and each time found more facets of little Benni, who endures many hardships but emerges a survivor. I read it to my grandchildren and they both -- girl and boy-- enjoyed the story of little Benni and his ghost friend, Victoria. They were delighted with the end. --- Eileen Hehl

Patricia Thomas writes a phenomenal book of science, of politics, of a deadly disease, intertwined with business and the age-old struggle of societal good vs. personal/business gain. I was at first daunted by the size of the book alone, but the writing is so clear, so concise, so reader-friendly that it is an easy read. This is a must read for everyone interested in finding solutions to science-society issues such as AIDS. It is a must read for every health care professional and medical researcher, as well. As a science/health writer myself, I also highly recommend it as a teaching tool for how to write science for the lay person.

I think "Big Shot" is the first important nonfiction work of the 21st century. With a clarity and an exuberance not often found in books about hard science, Patricia Thomas explains how politics, human frailty and corporate greed have prevented us from finding a vaccine for AIDS. Comparisons with previous books about AIDS and public policy don't exactly do justice to "Big Shot." If books must be categorized, Thomas' scrupulous research sometimes places this book with top ranking medical journals; but the wonderful writing -- you can almost dance to Thomas' prose -- places it among the better mysteries. In the hands of a lesser writer, the workings of DNA, retroviruses, surface antigens and hard-working proteins would cause one's eyes to glaze over. Instead, I found myself turning pages with Evelynwoodesque speed to get to the next development and the next, wondering which young researcher would win the race to the vaccine goal. Thomas has raised the bar for future books about medical research.

Sept. 11 has had a galvanizing effect in reminding Americans that planet earth is really a small place where whatever affects one person ultimately affects us all. The emergence of AIDS in the early 1980s might also have united Americans to fight a common enemy. Might have. But the truth, so compellingly told by Ms. Thomas, is that personalities and politics (both personal and national), prejudice and posturing got in the way of mounting a cohesive campaign. As a result, we are still far from stopping AIDS. Sure, treatments are better, but most of the world cannot afford treatment.
What makes "Big Shot" especially timely is that, as America prepares to fight the "new war," more military personnel will likely be exposed to the AIDS virus. When the GIs line up for vaccinations and grimace comically for the camera, as our fathers and grandfathers did for previous wars, protection against the AIDS virus won't be part of the cocktail. Because there is no vaccine against AIDS.

It's a pretty depressing scenario, but Ms. Thomas retains a wonderfully upbeat message with the subtext "that was then, this is now, so let's move forward."
Besides, she tells a helluva entertaining story.

Coming from a half-Chinese family, I can pretty qualifiedly say that this is a fun book. I am not "into the culture thing," so I am unlikely to just like the book because it has a Chinese/Euro story history.

I simply enjoyed the artwork, quite frankly. I want to see more of this illustrator, who has been seen in Atlantic Monthly also, I believe.

I've been a collector of children's books for about 35 years, and can safely say, I've found a crown jewel. Sadly, Pam Conrad is no longer with us, but her words will live on forever. This is a beautiful story, told in exquisite detail, capturing the romance and serenity of the setting perfectly. Ms. Gallagher's illustrations were what drew me to the book in the first place, and I now have a complete set of all of the books she's illustrated to date. She is unsurpassed in her talent, and ability to create gentle images that will linger in your mind like so many fine memories of childhood. A beautiful experience!

i first saw this book a few months ago, and wasn't able to find it again, till yesterday. it is a beautiful story - although not a true asian fairy tale, it has all the elements. The artwork is what first drew me in - the girl on the cover is so adorable. Definitely a must for anyone's book collection - especially if you have a love of fairy tales, children's books or art books.

My aunt gave this book to me for Christmas when I was eleven years old -- 18 years ago -- and I have read it every Christmas since! Now I am looking forward to reading it to my sons. It is a beautiful tale that leaves some of the simple magic of Christmas intact. A must read for all ages.

This book is one that should never be allowed to go out of print. Children of today who enjoy fantasy (i.e., Narnia and even Harry Potter) will enjoy The Box of Delights just as much. I can only suppose no publisher has thought to reissue it because the author is long-dead and was more noted as a poet than a children's writer.

The BBC turned it into an excellent 6-part TV series which, although dated in its magical effects, is still extremely enjoyable. The production was also transferred to video tape (about three hours in length) and as far as I know is still available. We had no trouble obtaining our own copy a few years ago, anyway. In our house (where there are no children!) it has been viewed every Christmas ever since it was released on New Zealand television. With its 1930s Christmas setting of the English countryside shrouded in snow (and a wonderful story of villainy outwitted by children) it makes perfect Christmas viewing. But of course the book is always better than the movie! Borrow it from your library if a copy is available there.

John Masefield, who died in 1967, was best known as a poet. He did a few juvenile adventure stories of which "The Box of Delights" (1935) is by far the best. It is the sequel to "The Midnight Folk", an occult adventure in which young Kay Harker discovers that his governess, Sylvia Pouncer, is a witch.

As the first reviewer has already given an exhaustive precis of this work I will just add that it is a delightful Christmas thriller and the BBC TV version is a wonderful and faithful retelling of the story.

A forgotten classic - among the 10 best children's thrillers, IMHO.

The author of this book takes the reader through a wonderful series of images, most of them haunting, but all of them sending thoughtful sparkles through the mind, like a tart juice. It is refreshing, but it wakes you up. From the first page, the reader is confronted with a paradox. The story is told by Marianne who is dangerously depressed, but it is also Marianne who is telling the story in a beautifully competent way. So, hope and despair are mixed from the beginning. Once started, it is difficult to put down. Get it, and treat yourself to some real thinking.

Readers will feel nourished by the exquisite prose of this novel!

The Bullet Collection is an incredibly moving story set during the Lebanese civil war. The narrative chronicles the persistant influence the war has on a loving family.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a civilian in a city at war, this is the book for you!

This is one of the most honest, evocative books I've ever read on how it is to grow up in war ... every day we're seeing images of war, but rarely do we confront with such bare honesty the destruction visited on families and children. This book isn't an easy read, but the writing is so lyrical and beautiful you're pulled along almost helplessly ... into a violent, unpredictable world few of us can imagine, traveling the narrator Marianna's difficult journey in her effort to somehow come to grips with her past. The layering of past with present is so skillfully done, the reader experiences memory the way it really happens, the way our lives are made up of layers that communicate with one another all the time. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a serious reader. It is brilliant.

I thought this was a wonderful book. I enjoyed Thayers use of poetry to exrpress the emotion in the story. The language used in the text is of very high quality and when read by an adult to a child, the child is able to thourghly understand. The illustrations play an important role with the text. They not only enrich the text, but they tell a story in itself. We can feel the emotion of the players and the crowd through Polacco's work. Overall I thought this was a wonderful book and reccomend it to a child of any age.

Thayer's classic ballad, 'Casey at the Bat,' is greatly enhanced by Patricia Polacco's brilliantly achieved, big-hearted illustrations. Ms. Polacco captures emotion, action, and character through wittily exaggerated, slightly loopy pictures, and through lots of uncrowded background shenanigans. It's very cinematic: She effectively isolates action through extreme close-ups, and extends time through a montage of events occurring within a single picture. Like the auteur she is, she even adds some opening and closing story elements (while leaving the poem intact) that augment the poem's appeal to the younger reader.

This book is simply great fun to read aloud; you'll find yourself wanting to memorize its evocative imagery and epic aspirations:

"Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongue applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip."

You and your youngsters will love the humor and the drama in this a classic rendition of Thayer's beloved poem. Infants and toddlers will enjoy the bright pictures, and all readers will appreciate the perfect teaming of Thayer and Polacco.

Casey at the Bat tells about mighty Casey and his missing 2 strikes - like messing up in life.

This is one of the finest little gems in the dog behavior world--a practical, step-by-step guide to help desensitize and modify unwanted responses, while building confidence in your dog. This book's advice is the very same approach I used to take my juvenile delinquent dog from a problem child to the National Service Dog of the Year. I buy copies of this book and give them out constantly. If your dog has reactivity problems--for whatever reason, this is a book that will change your dog's life.

Wonderful and detailed step by step guide for the novice, as well as the more advanced trainer. Provides useful suggestions and easy to understand information, to help with all levels of training, from the most serious transgressions, to the simple mistakes common to most puppies. Easy to read and absorb. Useful to keep for repeat reference. Arlene Millman, author of BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY (The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier).

If you have any of the problems described in the summary for this book, and you are willing to read carefully, then this little book will help you and your dog.
If you are looking for easy one-liners, glossy photos, or snappy humor, it's not for you.
It's a serious dog training book and solved our problems completely in exactly the amount of time the introduction said it would. We were dedicated and followed the steps perfectly.

I bought this book when I decided to make my 20-year-old son a Prince Charlie jacket to wear for Scottish dancing and piping events. It's the Scottish equivalent of a formal tailcoat with satin lapels, meant to wear with a kilt. I wanted it to fit him perfectly, and I wanted to use all the custom-tailoring techniques with no shortcuts. The sections on fitting were worth the price of the book. The fitting information available for working with women can be adapted, of course, but it was tremendously helpful and reassuring to have a tailor's view of fitting men. From there, the construction steps were clear and easy to follow. The finished product is truly fine. I would have tackled this project anyway, without the book. But I know the jacket is better because of it.

Mr. Cabrera gives excellent instuction on traditional tailoring techniques complete with photos and diagrams. It is a must have for anyone who is serious about learning the proper way to tailor a Men's coat or jacket.

I have wanted to write a review of this book for months, but forced myself to finish a suit before writing. I made a sport coat and pants for my husband a couple years ago using an advanced Vogue Pattern and skills from a women's tailoring class and was not impressed with the results. I bought this book because I wanted to learn how to do men's tailoring the right way. Yesterday, I finished a suit, sport coat and pants following the directions of Classic Tailoring Techniques. All I can say now is, Wow! I have been sewing for 15 years, took several construction classes in college including a women's tailoring class and this was the most work of any sewing project I have ever done. The jackets are easily over 100 hours each. For every 10 minutes of machine sewing, I spent about 10 hours of hand sewing. In the middle of the project I thought I had lost my mind - I could have gotten a job at Burger King and purchased twice as many suits. But...the end result was absolutely worth it. Actually, I am going to start another suit tonight! Classic Tailoring Techniques has been the best sewing book I have ever purchased. Although my basic pattern was from Vogue, I didn't look at their directions even once during the project. The directions in the book are very different from Vogue or anything else I had ever seen. But the author's directions are very clear and with plenty of illustrations. If you follow the steps exactly (yes, every time he has you hand baste it's for a reason), I promise your results will be beautiful. This book has completely revolutionized how I sew - most notably pockets and collars, which have always been troublesome for me. Since I can now speak with the voice of experience, make sure you spend extra time in the fitting section of the book. Mr. Cabrara has very detailed instructions for correcting a pattern and getting the perfect fit. Making the muslin is worth the time. Also, it is a must to get the right understructure supplies. Good wool canvas interfacing feels very different from the stuff you will find at fabric stores. I called local tailor shops to ask where they buy their supplies. Most companies will send samples and let you order over the phone.

If you buy good fabric, good supplies and follow the directions in the book - your suits will be fantastic. My husband has always been spoiled with expensive suits, usually about $1,000 each. He has decided that the suit and sport coat I made are nicer than his purchased suits and has offered to do more cooking and cleaning if I will make him more suits. That has to be the best endorsement a book could get!

Ocean Blues

Cheat the Moon is a book about two siblings whose mother died and their dad hasn't been home for 21 days. Gabby is the older of two, who is invited to go on a trip to the ocean with her friend in June. She really wants to go for she has always wanted to see the ocean.
The only problem is her dad hasn't been home for a while , and she can't leave her brother home alone.

I liked this book because it made you think it could be a true story, and when I read it I felt like i was standing next to the characters. It had rich description which made me feel that way. I also like that the book was written in first person. So, I don't only feel I'm standing next to the characters, but there also telling me the story of part of their life.

Cheat the Moon is a book about two siblings who's mother died, and their dad hasn't been home for about twenty-one days. Gabby is the older girl who is invited to go on a trip to the ocean with her friend in June . She really wants to go, for she has always wanted to see the ocean, but her dad hasn't been home, and she can't leave her little brother alone for that long.
I liked this book because it was dealing with real life situations, and when I read it , I felt like I was there standing next to the characters because it had rich description. I also liked that the book was written in first person. So I don't only feel like I'm standing next to the characters, but I also feel like there telling me a story of part of there life.
I do recommend this book if you like a book written in first person. Cheat the moon doesn't have much action but it still is a good book. I gave it five stars because the ending turned out good and not so upsetting.

Gabby is a 12 year old girl that has a 6 year old brother named Will. Their mom passed away and their dad is a drunk. He is hardly ever home. Gabby's friend, Mallie, is going on a vacation to the ocean. Gabby was invited to come along, and Gabby wanted to go. Gabby's dad came back from being gone for 22 days. He promised her he would stay for good, so she could go on the trip. Then one day Clara, a lady that helped them out came over and stayed with them. If you want to find out the ending, read the book.