Reading this book wasn't just fun, but it really helped me in my French. I learned more in reading it than I have in all of my classes combined. There are some little changes in it, but that is because of the language difference and my over-reading the English version led me to know its wording too well. Still, that only made it more fun. I'd recommend this to any French student.

I bought the French translation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for my son who began his first year of French this year in Middle School. It has been great fun and encouragement for him. His teacher found it fun as well, reading short excerpts from it to the French class. Everyone loves Harry!

I never really liked to read. It was just too boring. Reading all those pages that had no effect on me. Then I heard about Harry Potter. Everyone really liked it. I wanted to see what the big deal was. I read the first book. I thought to myself how imaginative it was. The creatures, the characters, and the plot. They were all like a puzzle fit perfectly together. It made my mind run wild. I had to read the second book. I went through that like a person going after 1 billion dollars. It was so amazing. The third book was next. That was better than the first and second books. Finally the forth. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. That was the best of all. My favorite character is Ron. He reminds me of me. All except the looks. I look a lot better than him. This book is filled with creativity, mystery, fantasy, and love. All in one. Thats why I got hooked on all these things.

Then, Harry and the Weasley's go to the train station. Then they say goodbye to everyonne and get on the bus. They meet their new teacher and their best (not) friend, Malfred. Their is a special game instead of quidditch this year and only people over 18 years of age can enter to win. Three schools are coming to play but only 3 people, one from each school, can play. Harry plays. But he's not 18 so a lot of people get mad. I won't tell you what else happens, so get the book and read it!

I gave this a 5 'cause this is a grat book and it lets out your imagination!

I was eight years old. I read the paperback edition of this book every night, cover to cover. The story of the effervescent Plop and the conquering of his fear of the dark is as enduring now as it was when it was first published over 30 years ago.

This version is abridged and illustrated from the one that saw me safely to dreamland as a child. No matter. The spirit is preserved and the illustrations are wonderful. Great for any kid with any phobia. A magical book.

I am now 13 years old, and I still listen to this classic tape when I have nightmares at night. When I was little I used to listen to it every single night. I listened to it so much that I almost broke it. If you are a parent looking for a good childhood book for your child I highly recommend it, from firsthand experience of being a child. Thanks

This classic book has a new version, just out, published by Mammoth. A shortened text and excellent picture book illustrations makes this a great young childrens book, for the newest generation for whom Plop is a national hero. (ISBN 0-7497-4178-3)

I found that many books can tell you what you should be doing but unless they have practical advice on how to do it then it doesn't help. This book does. It also was very helpful to have actual examples in each chapter.

Too many parenting books concentrate on abstract concepts; this one is down to earth and practical! Turansky/Miller provide positive parenting techniques for the basic problems ALL parents have in raising kids (i.e they don't do what I say, they won't accept no for an answer, etc.). I especially appreciate their critique of the "time out" so many parents use as a punishment or behavior modification tool. Their "take a break" principle is MUCH more effective and emphasizes attitude change--something that will help children for a lifetime. Bottom line: I have used their principles with my independent, six-year old, and they WORK! Parents--buy this book! Better yet, use it!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Lots of practical and wise advice on "honor-based parenting." My wife and I are starting to implement these principles with our kids (ages 12-21) ... and they are working great. It has changed how we are talking to one another ... we now ask, "Is this an honoring way to treat each other." The book should probably be re-named to something like, "how to teach your children (and family) honor-based parenting."

This is not a technique book nor is it a typical pattern book, it is a recipe book, all the ingredients are given and you are assumed to have the skills.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who has at least one year of quilting under their belt. Sure a beginner can handle it but it isn't geared to the fresh start.

One of the great advantages the book offers is a color representation of the pattern and then in the recipe area you see the block in gray scale. To view a block without color gives you the freedom to choose if you want to work in monochromatic or several colors, your minds eye isn't limited to a picture provided by the author. There is so much to be learned letting your own natural choices free to assign the colors.

My friendship quilting group uses this book as well as the follow up book "Around the Block Again" as a primer for selecting different swap-a-block patterns, or for charity blocks. It is ideal where each member can choose their favorite pattern in a block size that others can use as well.

Buy this book and you will have YEARS of joy from all the possibilities.

Around the Block is one of the first reference books I bought when I began quilting four years ago. I have found it to be percise and accurate with its easy to follow directions. The book takes all the guess work out of dimentions as it offers instruction for several finished block sizes. My copy is dog eared and my most favorite reference book. Thank you Judy Hopkins!

I think this book is particularly useful for people who like to make sampler quilts. Rotary-cutting directions for all 200 blocks are listed in 4-5 different sizes. I'm using the patterns now to make a row-by-row quilt in which the blocks contained in each row are a different size. I highly recommend this book!

I recently bought a wok and wanted to learn how to cook stir fries. I looked at various books on amazon.com and decided to try this one. I am really glad I did! I did not know anything about how to stir fry, and this book had a really good introduction telling you the basics. It is full of really wonderful recipes, with easy instructions, and a beautiful full-color picture of each. I tried my first one, "fragrant spiced chicken" and it came out perfectly! I was delighted! It was also just delicious, and I can't wait to try others. I have seldom seen a cookbook in which so many of the recipes are ones I want to try. I would highly recommend this book!

I own cookbooks galore...and a few of them are either stir fry specific or contain stir fry recipes, but none of them compare to this book. On the subject of stir fries.....this cookbook is my favorite by far. Each recipe is nothing short of delicious. It's obvious that the author knows her subject well. The book has easy to follow instructions and colorful photos of each dish. I can not for the life of me find a single fault. If you own a wok....you owe it to yourself to buy this book. It was one those few purchases that was definitely better than expected.

J.B. Kruz
KruzKontrol

I almost bypassed this book because at first glance, the recipes didn't seem authentic enough. What a mistake that would have been!

Recipes range from Szechuan Shredded Beef and Carrots, Chicken with Long Beans and Walnuts, and Lemon Shrimp and Asparagus, to stir-fried concoctions inspired by American and European flavors: Fish Creole, a French-style Lamb and White Bean Ragout, Italian Chicken Puttanesca, or Greek-Style Beef Stefado with Vegetables. The first recipe I tried, Shrimp Piccata in a tangy lemon-caper sauce, turned out great and took less than 15 minutes to prepare. The author has a unique time-saving method that speeds preparation by mixing all sauce ingredients (including cornstarch when used) together and adding them during the final cooking stage. Unusual, but it works.

The small volume (9 x 9" format, 144 pages) with its practical wipe-clean binding is not only innovative, but mouth-watering. Each of its 67 easy-to-make recipes features a life-size photo of the finished dish, so realistic you could almost extend your chopsticks and pluck a morsel from the page.

This is a winner that belongs on everyone's frequent-use shelf!

I am so glad that Amazon is now selling this book. I have given more than five copies as gifts. They are great for young to older people. We all can learn something from this book. Joanne makes life a continual learning experience.

great practical ideas on how to get a solid direction in your life using practical, real life examples with real life direction that will help you look at where you are at and what you are going.

Ever wonder how some people can be so organized, motivated, and successful? Wonder no more! The author's words of wisdom (which really boil down to plain common sense and perserverance) will inspire you to reach attainable goals. The author was very influenced by her family, so this book makes great reading from a personal aspect, as well.

My husband and I were given this book by the counselor we have seen since our daughter died. We both found it helpful. I do have to admit that I struggled with chapter 1 and was a bit lost for awhile. If you find yourself in the same predicament, continue reading and it becomes much clearer by chapter 2. Highly recommended for its advice on how to make some sense out of a tragedy.

This layperson's textbook provides a structure from which a person can understand and evolve from loss in life's journey. The various stages of grief, as described by Dr. Jozefowski, can be traveled to and from. This process is validated within the pages, allowing the griever to realize that others have discovered similar reactions.

Having experienced a sudden traumatic loss of the central person of my life, my mother, only three years ago, the reading of this book greatly relieved my anxiety and angst. Knowing that others have been there, and how they reacted, helped to structure my own healing.

Thank you, Dr. Jozefowski, for providing help and reassurance in my greatest time of need and loss.

This book gave me new insights into death issues I've been dealing with for the past few years.

I highly recommend it.

Verdict in Blood by Gail Bowen McClelland and Stewart 1998

Judge Justine Blackwell is bludgeoned to death after leaving a party celebrating her 30 years on the bench. A call in the middle of the night wakens Joanne Kilbourn to ask that her 83 year-old friend and house guest, Hilda McCourt, identify the body. It turns out that Hilda has been asked by the Judge to decide if she is becoming senile. Judge McCourt has been spending a lot of time developing a halfway house for released criminals and her three daughters think she is losing it. When a will shows up that leaves the bulk of her fortune to the halfway house, the daughters become very upset. Some very unsavory characters at the halfway are linked to the Judge and come under suspicion. When Hilda is attacked and nearly killed in Joanne's home Joanne begins to put the pieces together and eventually solve the riddle of the Judges death.

The personal life of Joanne continues to be hectic. Her budding romance with Alex Kequahtooway, hits some snags when Alex's nephew Eli, disappears and Joanne's good-intentioned comments about his care raise Alex's hackles. An old lover returns to Saskatoon and wants to rekindle their old flame and throws Joanne into a bit of a tizzy. Joanne becomes a grandmother and her adopted daughter continues to grow in spirit and painting ability.

A good solid read but not as good as "Burying Ariel". After watching two made-for-TV movies of Bowen's previous books just before reading this book I had a little trouble getting my head around Joanne's character again. They are presented quite differently in book and movie.

I just discovered Gail Bowen when we were doing a mystery program on Canadian and Alaskan mysteries at our local library. Of all the new authors I sampled, Gail Bowen was my favorite! I was instantly struck by how well written A Killing Spring was. Also, I found that not only did I like the character of Joanne Kilbourn, I also cared about her and wanted to go back and read all the previous mysteries in the series to see her character develop. I found all the characters in the book quite engaging and well developed, and also became quite fond of Jo's elderly friend Hilda, whom I hope to meet again in other books in the series. I found the Saskatchewan setting added another appealing element--just a bit exotic to a reader living in California! Jo's romance with an "aboriginal" (Indian) policeman, as well as her relationship with her children and with the troubled nephew of her policeman friend, all add three-dimensionality to her character. Gail Bowen is a great new discovery for me, and I am recommending her to all my mystery-reading friends! I am eager to read all the other books in this series.

Gail Bowen has done it again! Political Science professor/sleuth Joanne Kilbourn, in the latest in this excellent series from Canada, has a full plate, indeed. She manages to lead a full life with all its joy and despair. She's a "real" person; as I mentioned in a review of an earlier work of Bowen's, one of the rewards, for me, in this series is watching the growth and development of "true" people. The protagonist and her family and friends come alive for this reader, and they don't stay stuck in one time slot book after book. Not at all - They age - Children mature - (If not that, at least they grow up)- A grandchild arrives and so on. Through it all, because of Bowen's very fine writing, we have a novel of three-dimensional characters about whom we care deeply and I, for one, look forward to meeting them all again.

Mattera very concisely defines the ins and outs of encaustic painting and provides an excellent point of reference for both beginning and more advanced artists wanting to expand their horizons on the subject. Also notable was the paintings represented in the beginning of the book that showed myriad techniques and styles employed today in modern encaustic painting. Beautifully done.

This is a great book for all interested in encaustic painting. Details and fine illustrations give great insight to an ancient artform. If you like art, don't miss this book.

I have long been fascinated by the technique of encaustic painting and this book fills a void in references on the subject. It contains a vast array of detailed information on everything from making your own paints to exhibiting your artwork.

The book starts out with a history of encaustic art. A gallery section then showcases four different portfolios of art including representation, color and pattern, dimension and modular work. Captions include artist, title, materials used, size and date introduced. Artwork is displayed in a variety of sizes. Some of my favorites are a beautiful face by Tony Scherman and the organic looking "Miasma Morph" by Sylvia Netzer, made of wax with pigment fired on ceramic.

The next sections focuses on encaustic materials. It starts out with details on the wax types. A reference chart of all the wax types, their source, composition, properties, melting point, flash point, color range and average price is here too. Information on heating equipment and well as melting and fusing the wax are next. Then pigments and making your own paints is covered. Selecting and caring for brushes is also here. There is even a great section on using materials safely.

Painting preparation and techniques follow. These include information on substrates and grounds with step-by-step instructions on how to make your own. Recipes of rabbit-skin glue and gesso, as well as tips on using them are explained as well. Then techniques and tips for textured, smooth, scraped and incised surfaces accompanied by example artwork are given. There are also details on collage, mixed media, creating artwork on paper and making large-scale pieces. I loved the helpful answers common questions such as what are good beeswax mixes, what wax is best for glazing, how does one get rid of bloom and what do if you get a wax burn?

In the back of the book there are very helpful resource sections including supply sources, galleries, a glossary and bibliography as well as photo credits and an index. This book is an indispensable reference for anyone wanting to learn about and create encaustic art.

This is a very attractive book that covers a lot of ground in Chinese astrology. It's based on the familiar twelve animals, of course, but it makes a point of noting that the cycle actually continues for 60 years rather than 12, with each animal being linked in turn with one of the five Chinese elements--you may know that you were born in the Year of the Ram, but are you a Prosperous Ram, a Lonely Ram or a Ram Respected by Others?

The book also includes information on your birth hour, birth day and birth month (by the Chinese lunar calendar)--there's information in here on how your month interacts with your year, making Chinese astrology more dynamic than it sometimes is presented. Various combination of hour, month and year give you such interesting sidelights as your Career Star, your Animal Bone Fortune and your Yearly God.

There's not much about the theory or philosophy behind Chinese astrology, which may be good or bad depending on your point of view. I took off a star from my rating because there are a couple of typos in the charts that make them a bit confusing--you can figure out what they're supposed to say, but hopefully these will be caught in later editions. Still, I recommend this book as a good introduction to the subject, and an excellent gift choice.

This book will take anyone through the process of creating a horoscope in the Chinese Zodiac. No outside information is needed - everything is in the book!

I didn't really know what to expect when I picked up this book, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. Not only does it provide you with all the information you want to know about the twelve animal signs and animal compatibility, but it also provides you with additional more specific readings related to the month and hour of your birth, your life's path according to the sixty-year cycle, and other interesting things like the "noble good fortune stars", "yearly gods" and "career stars" (indicating where your natural talent lies in terms of work). It may seem a bit overwhelming with all the charts, but if you patiently follow the instructions, which are very clear, you can easily find the relevant information and reading for your horoscope. I was surprised how accurate my reading was.