This book contains modeling and cheese cake photos by the famous hollywood joseph jasgur. The photos were taken just before norma jeane changed her name to marilyn monroe and signed her first movie contract. Many of the photos are black and white but tehre is also a few color photos. The photos were taken on 4 different occassions in the city and at zuma beach. Accompaning the photos is a biography by jeannie sakol, which also includes famous quotes by marilyn and rememberances of her by friends family coworkers and fellow celebrities. also interwoven in to the biography is a interview with Mr. Jasgur about his memories of meeting and working with norma jeane. a few of the photos were published before but never in this quality and together after being forgotten for over 15 years. NO MARILYN FAN SHOULD BE WITHOUT THIS BOOK.

I am a very huge fan of Ms. Britney Spears, and I loved this book. To me, it was very informative. Although, when I bought " Britney Spears: Heart To Heart" I thought that there was more informaton for less then the price of this book. So, please go out and get Heart To Heart. Thank you ever so much. ...

Cotton Mather was the son of one great Puritan preacher, Increase Mather, and the grandson of two others, John Cotten and Richard Mather. This juvenile biography by Norman Jean Lutz for the Colonial Leaders series focuses on how Cotton Mather tried to live up to the responsibilities of his family heritage, graduating from Harvard at the age of 15. Although probably best known for being a clergyman, young readers will get a better sense of Cotton Mather as an author of more than 400 books ranging from sermons and poetry to books teaching about science. His two most famous and popular works were an 800-page volume "Magnalia Christi Americana" ("The Might Deeds of Christ in America"), which told the story of the first 80 years of the Puritans in New England, and "Bonifacius" ("Doer of Good," known popularly as "Essays to Do Good," which had a profoun impact on Benjamin Franklin. Lutz also covers Cotton Mather's involvement in the Salem Witch Trials, for which, she argues, he has been unjustly criticized, and the Great Awakening. Actually, there is relatively little about him as a Puritan or as a preacher and, ironically, more about him as a man of science, who supported the new idea of innoculating people against small pox. A lot of time is also devoted to his family and the tragic deaths of his first two wives and most of his young children. I suspect that in most contemporary American History textbooks Cotton Mather is probably mentioned only in passing, so young readers and teachers will certainly find much more about him here and get a sense for how he was something of a proto-revolutionary. Other books in the Colonial Leaders series look at Benjamin Banneker, Anne Hutchinson, William Penn, and Peter Stuyvesant.

When a young boy stands alone in his home, his school and his community...and embraces emancipation for slaves, nothing but trouble seems to follow him. However, as he meets with Ward, an educated, lawyer Black man, he learns the complete history of slavery and is more determined than ever. A school assignment turns into a disaster...his own sister turns against him, and his parents forbid him to speak his mind. Not to be stopped, he continues in his fight for freedom for the slaves and even the free Black people, eventually leading to a complete turn around by the most unusual bunch of people. A real thriller for those whose lives may be wavering.....stick to your goals and never look back. You will not be sorry. END

This juvenile biography shows that John Paul Jones did much more in his life as a naval commander than utter the immortal words, "I have not yet begun to fight." Norman Jean Lutz tells the story of how a young boy born in Scotland named John Paul ended up being buried at the U.S. Naval Academy as the Father of the U.S. Navy. Always having a strong love for sailing on the seas, he became the captain of his own ship when he was only 21, even though he did not have any family connections to aid him in his career. The famous battle between the "Bonhomme Richard" commanded by Jones and H.M.S. "Serapis" is usually mentioned in American History textbooks, but Lutz gives more details about the story, in which Jones wins the battle although he loses his ship. However, what proves more fascinating are the exploits of "Pirate Jones" on the U.S.S. "Ranger," which actually attacked English coastal towns and shipping. Certainly these exploits were as important as his more famous sea battle. The idea that Jones is the Father of the U.S. Navy basically comes down to the fact he advocated a naval college, along with the assertion that other ideas have been adopted and are still used by the U.S. Navy today. Lutz touches on both the ambition and pride Jones evidenced throughout his naval career, telling about the various slights Jones felt he had received in terms of commissions. The controversial side of Jones's nature is not explicitly developed, but young readers will certainly get the idea. This book is illustrated with historic paintings and engravings, most of which actually have to do with Jones and his naval career (this is not always the case with these books). Other titles in the Revolutionary War Leaders series include Nathan Hale, Thomas Paine, Betsy Ross, and George Washington.

This is a great book about a preteen boy and his desire to play in a marching band. There are hardships along the way like getting used to a new stepfather. Then a mysterious letter comes from a famous person!

Overall, I do think the study guide did help me. I took the exam in November and passed. I read over the entire book two times. I also took the practice tests a few times. It helped to have an idea how the questions would be worded on the real thing. I would recommend purchasing this book if you feel a bit nervous as I did about the test. It's good practice for anyone.

Valor and Lace, edited by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn, is an anthology of eleven short histories of women that lived during the War Between the States and contributed to the side of the South during that conflict. Each of the anthologies is readable and most are well researched. As with any book containing material from several authors, there are some chapters that are better researched and written than others. However, in general the book is concise and presents various aspects of the Southern woman's life during the War. The title and subtitle (The Roles of Confederate Women 1861-1865) are somewhat misleading. The book does not present a comprehensive history of women in general during the war but rather presents the reader with eleven specific cases of extraordinary women who felt the need to commit themselves to the cause for which they believed, be it the Southern cause for independence or the moral cause to care for the wounded, regardless of their political affiliation. While it would be erroneous for the reader to assume this is a true picture of every Southern woman, it is an appropriate portrayal of certain aspects of life both at home and on or near the battlefield and the role that some women played during the Civil War. This reveiwer recommends the book to any student of the War as well as to those readers interested in the social roles of women during that period of American history.

William Penn turned his back on his rich family and became a Quaker at a time when the Society of Friends was being persecuted, if not prosecuted, by the Anglican Church. In this juvenile biography of Penn for the Colonial Leaders series Norma Jean Lutz focuses on Penn's role as a "Founder of Democracy" based upon the "Charter of Privileges" he created for the colony of Pennsylvania (named for his father, whose was owed a debt by the king of England which translated into the land grant). In fact, Lutz points out that for the 50th anniversary of Penn's Charter a bell was hung in the State House at Philadelphia which we now know as the Liberty Bell. Lutz spends as much time in this book covering the religious differences that led Penn to become involved in the Society of Friends as it does to the founding of the colony of Pennsylvania. This book is illustrated with historic paintings and engravings of Penn and the Quakers, as well as contemporary photographs of some of the places and sites important in his life. Other books in this series look at Lord Baltimore (who had a disputed land claim against Penn), Benjamin Franklin, Cotton Mather, and John Smith. These books provide nice introductions to the colonists and early politicians who help defined American life.

The guide was helpful as a general review. Just took my recertification test and did pass, but was surprized how much the guide left out. Some of the questions/topics on the test were not addressed in the guide. The outline was more helpful if you use it to research and find further information. Good Luck!

I just took NCTRC's exam in Atlanta. I passed. The book helped, but could have been improved with a broader based diagnostic groupings section. The book could also recommed other resources to help prepare the candidate