I read this book after my father's death on June 5, 1998, and found comfort in its pages because the shared experiences helped me to better understand the territory that my mother, younger sister and I traversed as caregivers in my Dad's final months, days, hours, minutes.

This book is a must-read for anyone who has a loved one who is dying. It is also an excellent resource for all nurses, but especially those who work with ICU, CCU or geriatric patients.

I respond to email sent by others who are in grief.

My father was diagnosed 4 years ago with colon cancer. He endured several operations, many chemotherapy treatments and although he fought to live, he was told in December 98 he had 90 days to live. My aunt bought this book for my mother in December. All 5 children have read it and participated in my fathers death (he passed away on April 23, 1999). This book saved us so much pain and helped the grieving process more than I can say. My dad's final journey was exactly like so many of the trips described in this wonderful book. We helped him pack the car and go home. We miss him terribly but I now believe there is a place much greater than this. (I didn't start reading the book until the afternoon my father was dying and I couldn't believe the things I was seeing before my eyes).

I feel I learned about a "big secret" that mysterious thing called death. I will never be afraid to go once my time comes. Buy a copy for everyone you know is dealing with a terminal illness. This is not just a book for cancer patients or elderly people.

These two woman (and the hospice program) deserve a medal. Thank you for soothing our broken hearts. Bless you all!

A friend of my mother sent us this book while we were spending the final weeks of my father's life taking care of him at home. We had hospice services but they came nowhere near touching on our emotional needs as caregivers. Mom was a nurse and intellectually knew what to expect physically through the dying process. This book helped both of us tremendously. Anyone going through caring and slowly losing someone with a terminal illness needs to read this book. It helps give you the courage to say what needs to be said. You'll still have grief but hopefully, less regrets and more understanding. Dad went through every phase of death, like textbook, as I had read in the book. He died on a Wednesday and we knew the weekend before it would be his last weekend with us. Giving final gifts is the last opportunity to give the best of your love to someone while you still can. This is a book to keep extra copies of to give to someone who needs it when you don't know exactly what to say.

The book A Picture of Freedom is about a twelve year old slave girl who lives on the Belmont Plantation in Virgingia. I like the way the book is written. It is not divided into chapters but in days. The twelve year old girl, Clottee, writes in her diary almost everyday and you read what she writes in her diary. This book gave me mixed feelings. It was sad at one time and exciting at another. At one point of the book one of the very nice slaves was brutally beaten by the master of the plantation. Soon after he was beaten he died. This was very hard for the other slaves to deal with. As you can tell that part of the book was very sad. There were so many interesting parts in the book. There were parts when I just could not put the book down! For instance when William, the masters child escaped. A few days later a still energetic, horse came trotting up the drive of the big house (the house where the masters live on the plantation) with William dragging along behind. You will defiantly have to read this book and find out if William lives. I would recommend this book to all teen/middle school aged girls. I think that it is a wonderful book. I think even older women might like this book also. I would also recommend this book to those girls who are not motivated readers. I think the way the book is set up it does not seem like you are reading that much.

This book was very entertaining! It is about a young slave girl named Clotee who makes a new friend. Clotee is seceretly learnig to read and write against her masters will by paying attention to his son's school lessons. She makes her self a diary to write in and share her thoughts and feelings with. She must hide it though, or it could leak to the master. One day she learns a new word Freedom. She didn't know what it meant. Will she ever understand the true meaning of the word? Will she ever pursue freedom for herself? Read the book and find out!
I recomend this book to anyone who is interested in books about slavery in America and to people who can really appreciate family bonds and good friends.

This book is about Clotee, who is a 12 years old slave girl in Belmont Plantation, Virginia. She taught herself how to read and write. Her mom was sold to other plantation and died when she was young. Clotee grew by Aunt Tee and Uncle Heb. Her friends were Hince, spicy and Wook. Wook was killed when she tried to runaway. Clotee met Mr. Harms who was an abolitionist on the Underground Railroad. She wanted to be an abolitionist too.

In the book, Clotee shares her feelings, experiences and thoughts about slavery. She describes her life on the plantation and talks about the Underground Railroad. I liked this book because it gave me a window onto the live of slaves in 1859. The details were very vivid. I also liked this book because it taught the lesson that if a person has a goal ad dream, he/she should go for it and they will reach it. Another reason that I liked this book is it showed me how terrible slavery was an how wrong it was. I recommend this book to any teenager who is studying the U.S. Civil War or slavery.

Patricia has done a wonderful job of creating a book that will serve as a perfect introduction to French food and cooking. Her balance of recipes and anecdotes make this one of the few cookbooks out there that you could actually sit down and read cover to cover without actually preparing any of the food, and still come away feeling like you've gained something. Most of the recipes are very simple and easy to put together, as most Bistro food is, and yet quite delicious. Of special interest to the Francophile is the appendix listing many of Patricia's favorite Bistros throughout France.

If you only own five cookbooks, this should be one of them. The recipes are pure pleasure -- comfort food at its finest. I have taken years of French cooking lessons and still turn to this book every time I want to make a simple meal for my husband & I to enjoy after work. If the only recipe you tried were the one for Mme. Caretet's potato gratin, it would be worth the purchase of the book. Everyone that tries them says they are the best potatoes they have ever had. But don't stop there -- the book presents you with a wealth of eating adventures.

My wife and I own many cookbooks, but none has come close to giving us the pleasure we have found in so many of the recipes in Bistro Cooking. We are both rank amateurs in the kitchen, but we have been able to handle virtually every recipe we've tried in this book (I did give up after three attempts at the potato pie from L'Ami Louis). The book includes Ms. Wells' favorite recipes from France's great bistros. Mind-blowing potato gratins, delicious fish recipes, hearty stews, unbelievable roast chicken, a strange but fantastic dish of poached eggs served with a simple red wine sauce, winning desserts, it really goes on and on. Ms. Wells is a great writer, very entertaining, and the book is full of wonderful tips. Even seven years or so after we bought our copy of Bistro Cooking, it's always a special day at our home when we make something from this cookbook.

This was a favorite of mine when I was growing up and I did purchase it for my daughter when she was an infant. Of course now the "smells" are long gone - even the cover came off, but we still read the book every Christmas. I was hoping to buy a new copy for my second daughter who is four so she could enjoy the fresh smells.

Is there any way this book could be published again? I know several people that would buy it if they could.

This was my all time favorite Christmas book as a youngster. I can vividly recount the smell of little bears hot chocolat and candy cane and the Christmas Tree. The wonderful sense of anticipation that any child will share as little bear waits for Christmas morning. If only this book were in print I would definitely buy a copy for all of my children and neices and nephews to treasure as a family heirloom. My childhood copy has since been lost and I would dearly love to share this story with my children. Golden Books - Please send this wonderful story to print again.

The "Sweet Smell of Christmas" is a childhood book that has left a wonderful mark on my Christmas memories. My mother still has my copy and is now sharing it with my 3 year old son. Even though the "smells" exist only in the immagination now, my son still breathes in each page with a "MMMmmm". It was a shame when my mother went to find a new copy for my son and found it out of print. (She did call the publisher and express her dissapointment.) She fortunately found a copy for my son, but hopes to see this book in stores again. It is the best Christmas book!

Those are the first things that come to my mind when I think about this book. But as great as the overall story was, I was dissapointed with the ending. It also in a way had a deeper meaning then what was originally thought. As all of Christopher Pike's books do, this had a mystifying storyline with "real" characters, ones that everyone can relate to. I suggest all Christopher Pike fans read it.

I've read everything by Christopher Pike I've ever been able to get my hands on. If you've never read anything by him, try this one first. The characters are very real. I compared myself to all of them at different times. I've read Wisper of Death twice, like most of his books, but I could read it over and over again and understand it a little more each time. It gets very deep and it has some hidden morals that you might not see on the surface. You won't be able to put it down until you're done. Then you'll want to pick it up again. A message to people who haven't read any of Pike's books: Read all the old stuff first. Books like Remember Me (my favorite), Witch, Wisper of Death, and Scavenger Hunt show Pike at his absolute best.

whisper of death was the first christopher pike book i read. (in 4th grade; i snuck it past my parents. :)) it was the book that got me hooked on christopher pike's stuff. i'm now a soph. in high school ans still reading pike. this book is definitely great, and it's one of those books that you think about days after you've read it. it's been 6 years since i've read it, but i still remember everything. you love roxanne and hate betty sue. you want to kill pepper in the end when he picks up his "hitch hiker". that's all. read it, it's great. (oh yeah, it's spooky too!)

This is a great book that I think anyone who could should read it, because the way the author expresses the character of Cimorene. She has shown the main character as a tomboy who doesn't and is tired of the thing they do in the royal family.

Princess Cimorene finds embroidery, etiquette, and being a princess boring, so she runs away and becomes a dragon's princess. She loves her new job, which allows her to practice her Latin, magic, fencing, and cooking skills, all far more interesting than etiquette, but sadly neglected by her tutors at the palace. Her intelligence and common sense soon make her an indispensable advisor to her dragon, Kazul. (Cimorene would be cross with me for calling Kazul her dragon, actually Cimorene is Kazul's princess. Convenience necessitates the shocking error.) Cimorene is never more indispensable than when she discovers a dastardly plot by the Society of Wizards to take over the dragons' kingdom in the Mountains of Morning.

Princess Cimorene and Kazul are both intelligent, strong willed heroines, and great role models for kids of both sexes. There's also a fun supporting cast, including the no-nonsense witch Morwen, the shy Princess Alianora, who comes into her own with Cimorene's help, the rather grandfatherly old dragon Roxim and his allergies, the stone prince, and lots of dragons, wizards, and cats.

But the aspect of Dealing with Dragons (and the others in the series) that I enjoy most is not the exciting plot or the characters, but the humor. The novel is packed with sly references to popular fairy tales, slightly skewed so that the novel is at times an enjoyable parody of the fairy tale genre. ("So Aunt Ermintrude told Mama to put me and a spinning wheel in a room full of straw and have me spin it into gold," Alianora went on, "And I tried! But all I could manage was linen thread, and whoever heard of a princess who can spin straw into linen thread?") This is lighthearted and enjoyable fantasy for kids 10 and up (or younger, if read aloud.)

I was looking at the interview with J.K. Rowling when I saw the sign 'What to Read After Harry Potter.' I immediately clicked on, eager to see what was recommended. And I saw this fantastic book. I began my journey into the kingdom of Linderwall last year. I gleefully followed Cimorene on her adventures as the Kazul's (a dragon's!) princess, and couldn't WAIT for more. But no matter how many book stores I looked in I couldn't find the rest of the series. So imagine my delight when I looked here. Dealing With Dragons is an incredible read. It has everything a book needs: excitement, adventure, a touch of romance, and a highly believable main character. Who can honestly say that they haven't felt the way Cimorene does: sick and tired of their life, in her case a boring life of a princess, with nothing better to do then 'lady-like activities'. So the princess sets out to stop being a princess, with a great outcome. Turning away princes who come save her? As if she needs saving! It's a wonderful twist on the fairy tales of weak princesses being captured by vicious dragons, and being saved by the big strong princes. Cimorene volunteers to be a dragon's princess; if anyone needs saving it's those princes who come to 'rescue' her. I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. And the last thing I say is, "ENJOY!"

Cimorene isn't your everyday fairytale princess and Dealing with Dragons isn't your everyday fairytale, although you will recognize many allusions to them. Patricia Wrede tweaks the old-fashioned, well-known stories without getting embroiled in a politically correct mood-killer. The traditional characters retain their charm beginning with this first book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. With her trademark light touch, Wrede creates a charming world with wizards and dragons and knights, giving you details to make your imagination take flight.

And the places she takes your imagination! It all begins with a talking frog and an exasperated princess of Linderwall. Ever practical, Cimorene, plans her escape and decides she will be a dragon's princess. Adopted by Kazul as her Chief Cook and Librarian, Cimorene starts a whole new life filled with cherries jubilee, Latin, fire-proofing spells, challenging would-be rescuers, and intrigues for the dragon throne.

Cimorene is joined by other delicious characters, like the cool witch Morwen, allergy-prone Roxim, fellow dragon princess Alianora, and the pretentious Society of Wizards. The action is fast-paced and exciting, but what really makes these Chronicles memorable is Wrede's witty, smooth humor. She slips in tongue-in-cheek references to conventional fairy tales everywhere, from chapter headings to bit characters without drawing unnecessary attention to it. The plot also doesn't leave things unexplained. Wrede is a tight writer, accounting for all her details in the end. Dealing with Dragons is thoroughly satisfying, completely engrossing, and totally fun, as are the sequels. A must read, at any age, especially if you like whimsical fantasy with a touch of humor and a dose of common sense!

I must agree with the review posted by the reader from Iowa City, this is definently a book for all ages. It touches many senses, mostly love. Although it may sound depressing or morbid to read about teens in a hospice waiting to die, you find as you read, it is neither. You find yourself loving each character more and more with every turn of the page, and knowing they will live eternally in your mind and heart after the book is over. Their strength and bravery is touching and commendable, and after reading this novel, you will see what is really important in life is love and making the most of each day. The dramatic portrayal of each character is amazing. The stories told by the midnight club are also very memorable, with that notable Pike twist, and horror. Over all, this book is wonderful, and touching, it will leave you with a sense of warmth, and love, and a life lesson.

This book starts out with 5 characters(Anya, Illonka, Spence, Trevor, and ______?). They live in a hospice, because they all have fatal diseases. They had formed this club callled The Midnight Club, and all five of them are members. Every night, their meetings are started approximately at 12:00, and they all tell stories to one another until dawn. One night, they all made a pact that if one of them did pass on to the next life, that they would somehow give the others a signal. Anyway, after one of them finds out that their disease is no longer fatal, she leaves, and then shortly after that, one of them dies. To find out what happens to who, you should read this book, because it is very interesting once you get into it. I think Christopher Pike did an awesome job on this book, and I give it a 10 out of 10.

As a teen, I read countless books by Christopher Pike. Most of them have since been packed away in boxes or given to younger friends and relatives to enjoy. The Midnight Club, however, remains on my bookshelf (its cover is nearly torn off from so much use). Pike expands his horizons in this book, departing from his usual themes of horror and death. Though the book is all about kids who are dying, the prevalant theme is life. Pike gives us a great truth in a story told with deceptive simplicity: it is not the number of years we live that makes our lives meaningful, but instead the way we spend those years and the other lives we touch. Don't be dissuaded from picking up this book because of the YA classification--a must-read for all ages.

In his book Osmond answers many of the questions we always wondered about. Was family life so idylic, were there any rows? No it wasn't, and yes there were! However is is comforting to know that family life was more normal than we were led to believe during the height of Osmond mania. It says a lot for how the man is regarded when a heavy drinker such as myself can feel shocked at Donny's confession as to having considered trying alcohol to help overcome his stage fright. I won't spoil it for you by letting on whether a drop of the evil brew touched his lips or not. You will have to read the book and find out.

Donny comes across as being the man we always thought he was, genuine, caring, and a thoroughly good egg, but a psychologial wreck. If you ever considered putting your children on the stage, I reckon you might think again after reading this.

An excellent book, but you will have to be an Osmond's fan or around during the seventies to enjoy it. Don't bother otherwise.

THIS BOOK WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING AND TRUTHFUL. LIFE AS WE SEE IT IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT IT IS. HOW MANY OF US WANTED TO BE DONNY OR DATE DONNY. WHEN IN REALITY THE "AVERAGE" CHILD HAD THE BETTER LIFE. NO CHILD SHOULD NOT HAVE A CHANCE OF BEING JUST THAT, A CHILD. THE OSMOND CHILDREN NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE KIDS AND HAVE FUN. DONNY HAS OVERCOME SO MUCH JUST BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS AND WHAT HIS NAME IS. IF ONLY TALENT SPOKE LOUDER THAN CONFLICT. WHY IS IT BAD TO BE A GOOD GUY? DONNY'S PRIORITY'S ARE RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO BE AND LEARNING FROM ONE'S LIFE MISTAKES IS THE BEST THING ONE CAN DO. HIS CHILDREN WILL NOT LIVE THE SAME LIFE TRAUMAS. I READ THIS BOOK IN ONE DAY AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE WHO CAN APPRECIATE TALENT, HARDWORK AND GREAT LIFE ETHICS.

I've loved Donny since age 8. I remember slumber parties where we would croon along with Donny as he sang "Go Away Little Girl". Thirty years later, I was privileged to see Donny perform his amazing "Joseph" role and get his autograph after the show. This book is a backstage glimpse into the life of a true star. His wife, Debbie, offered the support we all dreamed of as we practiced writing "Mrs. Donny Osmond" on our notebooks. I loved Donny at 8, and still feel affection, and much respect, for him now. A must-read for those of us who grew up with Donny posters on the wall.

Christopher Pike is the man! Pike's novels shouldn't be classified just as young adult reading because I think that puts a stereotype on his wonderful books. Everyone of every age will enjoy this great story.

The Last Vampire is a story about a 5000 year-old vampire named Sita who takes us through her life, past and present, allowing us to explore the magic of her immortality. It's not a book written to only capture "young adults", it's written intelligently for mature, educated readers. Pike doesn't tell us about Sita, he puts us right with her throughout the story with vivid descriptions, and great use of imagination. Sita tells us her story as she hunts her prey, and we unknowingly become possesed by her.

For 5000 years Sita has traveled all over the world as a predator. She kills and has killed thousands through the years and yet, through Pike's incredible writing, we feel compassionate for her. She becomes our heroine and we want to be immortal like her.

Even before the first page is "told" she already knows that she is not the last vampire, even though she's been sure she has been for the last 4000 years. Some one is hunting her and she has an idea of who it might be: Yaksha, her creator, who has much more strength and power than she does.

She learns than, in order to defeat him and survive, she must remember her past, to what Krishna had told her long ago. Pike's digressions into the Sita's past with Krishna are my favorite parts of the book because of the beauty with which they is told. We learn about Lord Krishna and his wisdom and his influence over Sita's life. Also, the research Mr. Pike does into his books is incredible, his facts are always very accurate and nothing is lacking in his history here.

This book is a very fast read, it is so gripping that it's impossible to put down. Fortunately, The Last Vampire Continues into 5 other books that, put together, make a fantastic saga. My advice, buy all of them at once so when you finish one you can immediately pick up the next one without a wait, then read them all over again.

The Last Vampire is about a five thousand year old vampire named Sita who is supposedly the last vampire on earth. Thousands of years ago when vampires roamed the earth as humans did, an evil vampire named Yaksha was born. As years went by, Yaksha killed every vampire one by one except Sita. Not until present day did Yaksha find her. In present day a private detective, Mike Riley, is hired to find out who Sita really is, or what she is. Sita kills him, and discovers he has a son named Ray. Sita becomes enrolled at Ray's
highschool and thinks she can find out how Ray's father found out about her by using Ray to get to his father's private files. Sita then finds out that it was actually Yaksha who hired Detective Riley. She also ends up falling in love with Ray. You'll have to read to the book to find out if Sita can escape death from Yaksha. I chose to read this book because one of my friends told me it was really good. The book interested me because vampire stories usually seem pretty interesting. I really enjoyed the book. I thought it had some great suspense like in the final fight scene between
Sita and Yaksha. It was also hard to put down because of all the action such as when Sita kills people and drinks their blood. I also enjoyed it because it was very gruesome in some parts. It was a pretty easy book to read because it really kept my attention. This book relates to my life in that I like to write stories that are very violent. Even though I thought The Last Vampire was a really good book, I do not recommend it to most people. This is because if some people read it then they would
probably be offended by the gruesome scenes and then yell at me for recommending it for them. However, if you have a high tolerance level for violence, then I think you would really enjoy this book.

I have read the entire Last Vampire series several times and every time is better than the last. I have recommended these books to many people and I have yet to hear anyone who was not completely entranced by this beautiful tale of the life of Sita/Alisa Perne. These books will cater to every expectation you could have of a book. It has romance, mystery, drama, fantasy, reality, and horror. You may be skeptical at first about the title "The Last Vampire" but once you pick up this book and start to read, I guarentee that you will not be able to put it down. Once it is finished, you'll be running to the book store, or to your computer for that matter to purchase the entire series. Christopher Pike is a genius when it comes to writing books and "The Last Vampire" is proof of that

If you like the other books in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, you will like this. I know I did.

Daystar, the son of Cimorene and Mendanbar, embarks on a quest to...find out what he's supposed to be doing! Along the way he meets a fire-witch named Shiara, a baby dragon, a talking lizard, and may familiar characters along the way. Daystar is a likeable hero, very quirky, uncertain of himself, and an all-around sweetie.

The book drags a bit, in part because there aren't as many skewed fairy tale references as in the past books. But it's forgivable, because of all the great characters. My favorite, Telemain, made a return appeareance, so I was content. ;)

This is worth your money, if only to see the end of the cliffhanger in "Calling on Dragons." Read the book. I guarantee there are worse ways to spend your time, and this is a pretty darn good one.

The book starts with 16-year-old Daystar living in a house just outside the Enchanted Forest with his mother, Cimorene. Cimorene was the main character in the first three books in the series, but Daystar is the main character in this one. They have lived a perfectly normal life for 16 years, with Cimorene teaching Daystar all he needs to know. Then one day a wizard comes to their house. Cimorene melts him! Then Cimorene sends Daystar out into the Enchanted Forest with only a sword. Cimorene tells him that he has a mission, but he doesn't know what it is!

Once in the Enchanted Forest, Daystar discovers something interesting: Everything leaves him alone except for wizards. Then he finds a fire-witch stuck in a clearing surrounded by a bad-tempered hedge that won't let her out. (Fire-witches have powerful magic and are immune to spells and fire.) When Daystar is with her, the hedge lets both of them out, but it won't let her (the fire-witch) out by herself!

He gains many companions other than the fire-witch along his journey, including a dragon, a magician (magicians are good, wizards are bad), and a cat. Daystar's mission comes to a great climax at the end. All in all, it is a great book.

I must say, after reading all of the books in the Enchanted Forest series I was rather skeptical of this one. My first thoughts centered around my disappointment of the main character. "No more Cimorene?" I thought. Well this book just proved that you don't need all the originals to make a good sequel. The characters from the first three books (Kazul, Cimorene and Mendanbar plus more I believe) all make appearances, but the story this time centers around Daystar, Cimorene and Mendanbar's son from the third book. Since Mendanbar was frozen inside the castle at the end of the third book and Cimorene can't just go in and save him, it's up to Daystar. He carries with him the magical sword, and discovers a variety of wonderful and exciting characters, including the tempramental yet dazzling Shiara. A must read!