For those seeking to learn more than point and click, this is a fabulous resource! The authors have taken the 'geek speak' out of the Internet and organized it here in very simple terms. The Internet is for everyone, and this makes understanding the net very easy!

This book includes 12 fun science poems as well as ideas for activities to accompany each poem. They also recommend related literature. The ideas are really cute and my first graders are enjoying them. There are also reproducible patterns for making pictures to go in the chart with the poems. The science topics included are: animal homes, animal babies, hibernation, teeth, physical changes, seeds and plants, trees and leaves, sun, stars, rain, snow and colors. Due to the rhymes, my first graders can read and manipulate the chart independently in centers once it has been taught, and they have fun "teaching" it to eachother. If you're looking for some pocket chart ideas, you will probably enjoy using this book.

Josefina's Cookbook has a variety of foods that are common in the traditional New Mexican diet. New Mexican food is unique to the region and includes items that are not even in the Hispanic diet in neighboring states. In a state whose State Question is "Red or Green?" (as in "Do you prefer red or green chile?"), caution must be taken in trying new foods if you are sensitive to spicy-hot foods, as many children are. If you are unfamiliar with what is HOT in the New Mexican diet, going out and buying a New Mexican cookbook to introduce your children to this type of food may meet you with watering eyes and children reaching for tortilla chips to neutralize the burn.

Josefina's Cookbook is a much better choice for children because it is filled with child friendly recipes that still represent the New Mexican diet. Some of the recipes are for small items, like home-made tortillas, hot chocolate, soft cheese, and pinto beans. Empanaditas (little empanadas), posole, green chile stew, and carne adovada are more meal oriented recipes. Just remember the sopaipillas if you are cooking with chile!

The format of this book is a joy to look through even if you want to learn about New Mexican cooking without preparing the more adventurous items. The ingredients and cooking equipment are listed at the beginning of each recipe and the recipes themselves are well written and illustrated. It won't be hard for a girl to find something that she'll want to try.

Is your daughter wandering the aisles of the craft store with you, looking for her next weekend craft project? If your daughter is also a Josefina fan or is interested in New Mexico history, this is the book for her! There are fifteen crafts for a variety of abilities and interest levels, and all of them can turn into something a girl would be proud to have made. Crafts are divided into different sections: "Around the Rancho", "Spanish and Mexican Traditions", "Indian Traditions", "A Stitch in Time", and "Frontier Fun". The Straw Broom, Glass-Bead Necklace, clay Coil Pot, and Cornhusk dolls are quick crafts. Crafts like the Stamped Leather Bookmark require special tools. Making a Colcha embroidered Place Mat or a Hen Pincushion take some previously learned skills. But projects like making a Fringed Shawl or Sash could turn out well enough to show off to friends! Whichever craft you choose, the directions are well written and have a materials list and clear pictures for each step. The format and the pictures are so well done, that girls will eagerly want to browse through it to find their next craft project.

Josefina is part of The American Girls Collection. This paper doll set makes a wonderful addition to the books. In addition to the doll and her 10 outfits and pet goat Sombrita, there is also a storybook to assemble. There is a sheet of instructions for using the stand and making the book and accessory envelope. There is also a card to send away for an American Girls Catalog. The cardboard envelope she comes in can be used to store everything. Josefina, Sombrita and their stands come on heavy card stock. Her outfits, accessories, and book pages come on glossy paper. They are beautifully colored. Josefina lived in 1824 New Mexico when it was still part of Mexico. The odd book pages tell a story about Josefina; the even pages give historical information about New Mexico and the life there. The backs of the outfits and accessories give their names. The large items give details about how they were made, when worn, where the material came from and how to cut them out and use the accessories. In addition to the clothing there are jars and pots, food and decorations, books, toys and even a piano. The outfits range from work clothes to party clothes for summer and winter. You get a real feel for what life was like back then. This is a wonderful paper doll. While it's great for readers of The American Girls books, it's also appropriate for anyone interested in Hispanic culture.

If you have an open mind, Valerie Well's collection of visualizations will work for you. I purchased this book 7 years ago and my life changed forever after using one of her visualizations. I used the "$$$ Pool" visualization to attract much-needed finances into my life. It took about 4 months of repetitive visualizing, but not only did I get financial security, I acquired a lot more money than I asked for! Valerie's visualizations are fun and outrageous. You will love using them. If you have a deep need for something to materialize in your life, I highly recommend this book as an aid to achieving what you desire.

Portrait is certainly not easy reading, but for those of us who take the extra time to read it it seems worth it. Written in the style that could only be Joyce's, it is interesting and challenging at the same time.

Outstanding reading for those with an interest in the way a real life jury operates. A great historical review of the American Jury system and where it might be in the future. Very easy reading and would make an excellent reference and/or textbook.

This is the tale of Ralph de Aix of Normandy and of William Rufus-King of England. Ralph is a huntsman who desires knighthood and eventually lands of his own. He finds he cannot achieve his goal anytime soon in Normandy with his present lord and decides to look elsewhere for advancement. Advancement comes in the shape and guise of William Rufus, son of William the Bastard of Normandy. Ralph really cares about Rufus, on a genuine level of friendship, but is willing to do what it takes to succeed at court. Rufus, not known for normal "appetites" is attracted to Ralph and their strange relationship begins. Ralph endures Rufus in the hope of being granted lands after knighthood.

A run down Chenna's Tun is his "reward" for "services rendered." However, he tries to make a go of it and with current knowledge of the god Herne, becomes involved in the Saxon cult where he becomes a "lord" in his own right. There is much action and mystery involved in his life but not much money. He wants a wife and in time finds one who is, in the beginning, reluctant to leave her childhood home. As time goes on, things do not improve. Weather and health disasters are a never ending concern and many people hunt the "royal deer" in order not to starve. This brings about the most important role Ralph will ever play in his life, starring Rufus and Rufus' younger brother Count Henry, soon to become King Henry I of England.

Medieval life is brought realistically back to life as is a lessor known religious cult. Anand's style of writing keeps the reader emeshed in a life of intrigue, mystery, danger, and scandal, in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. Many of her novels are out-of-print but are well worth the search! They transport the reader back into time.

Kit's stories center around America during the Great Depression. Kit Kittredge is a nine-year-old with a nose for news, but she has a hard time finding interesting stories--everything in the papers during her time is about the hard times of the Depression.
Kit starts out as a proud, somewhat selfish character who doesn't realize what she has until it's gone. But the changes begin in the first book, when Kit has to stand up to the fact that her father has lost his job and that the Kittredges now face an uncertain future.
The subsequent books, Kit Learns A Lesson, Kit's Surprise, Happy Birthday, Kit!, Kit Saves the Day and Changes for Kit show Kit as she slowly grows up and deals with the Depression. In Kit's stories readers will see the effects of the Great Depression on a nine-year-old girl who refuses to lose hope, even when the bank threatens to take her family's home.
Kit's stories also feature "Peek into the Past" selections detailing different aspects of the Great Depression. The sections also explain what caused the great Depression.

Kit's stories are great. I higly recommend the boxed set.