This North Carolina poet writes powerful poetry with a clear sense of place and highly compressed imagery. If Janet Frame and Fred Chappell collaborated, the poetry might come out like this.I highly recommend it.Indeed, I am ordering a new copy because I keep lending mine to friends and can't seem to get it back!

This version of Cakes for the Queen Of Heaven is an excellent presentation of the weeks long curriculum offered in UU churches. It's a shame for it to be out of print. Shirley, consider Print On Demand. Some publishers will publish out of print books free.

I have read this book and have heard Rose Welsh speak. She has written a book that helps people diagnosed with cancer, and their families - find a direction when their lives have been placed in turmoil. As a nurse, I see how this book helps patients to communicate with their physician and to make informative choices for care and activities of daily living. I have given this book to MANY, MANY friends whose lives are affected by cancer. This book gives you information regarding how to LIVE with this diagnosis and not to be a victim.

Cudos to Rose and Shirley. This book should be read by both men and women. Jan Jacob, RN

At Shirley Holmes's school, a new kid arrived. His name is Boris. Since then, several fires have occurred and Boris is accused of setting those fires. Shirley knows it is not him! Can she find out who the real culprit is??

I stayed up all night worried about my daughter going to kindergarten. Nights went by and I wondered how I would know what is going on in school, and how could I get more involved. Then my mother-in-law recommended a book that was featured by National PTA. It was a short, easy to read primer for parents who are worrying about their child starting school. Even if you are an experienced parent, this book gives new ways and suggestions that we never knew were possible. Now, I don't worry about getting to school. When the day came I was ready because I read this book. I highly recommend it for anyone!

Heath's Ways With Words and Children of Promise have shaped my views on teaching literacy. I recommend starting with Children of Promise because it is succinct and powerful. If you are a busy teacher looking for something short that will get you thinking, this is for you. In this monograph the authors chronicle the efforts of schools to make literacy lessons engaging and meaningful for culturally and linguistically diverse students. The programs described give students an opportunity to engage in adult forms of literacy. A middle school class tutors kindergarteners. They videotape and examine sessions discussing their strategies. At the end they collectively draft a pamphlet giving kindergarten parents advice on reading to their children. This program and the others described encourage students to examine their use of language and to use language for real purposes. These types of lessons are especially helpful for students who are non-native speakers of English or who speak non-standard forms of English. If you enjoy this you must also look at Heath's Ways With Words which describes her early work with African-American children in the Southeast.

China Diary: The Life Of Mary Austin Endicott is the remarkable account of a missionary wife whose husband felt the call to service mainland China. In 1947, Jim Endicott was accused of treason and thus began the greatest test of her marriage, her faith, and her children, both born and adopted. This impressively presented biography, written by Shirley Jane Endicott (Mary Austin Endicott's daughter), offers an informed and informative look into a turbulent China, as well as insights into the soul of a most resourceful and fascinating Canadian woman.

I found it to be one of her most outstanding works. It was definitely a page turner. I could not put the book down. The plot was very easy to follow.

I think a younger kid (4-8) would like to read this book. This book takes place at Christmas time in Germany. It is about an old lady named Tante (Auntie). Every year she decorates a Christmas tree for animals and they come enjoy the surprises she has for them. Tante doesn't like spiders so every year she wipes them away. The spiders want to see the tree, but they never get to. Read this book to see what happens to those little spiders this year.

An enchanting look at what goes on in a young girl's imagination during a perfectly ordinary trip to the beach with her parents. The story is in the pictures rather than in the text, which puts the young readers in charge of the story. A delightful book!