Brighton Beach Memoirs is a play about a fourteen-year-old boy growing up in 1937. The boy's name is Eugene Jerome. The play is divided into two acts. The first act is one night in Eugene's house. The second act is a week later in his house. Eugene is growing up in a hectic and eventful household of seven family members. He writes memoirs in his journal about his family and different events occurring in his life. During the play, Eugene share's his own personal thoughts with the audience. This really gives the audience an inside look on Eugene's life. I reall liked having this inside view. It really kept me into the book. Brighton Beach Memoirs was a real page turner. I highly recommend it!

"Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon is just superb! I saw the movie before reading this play, and I love it, so I knew I would at least like the play. I *love* the play; it's become one of my favorites. I fell in love with all of the characters and just adore the feeling of family that comes through while reading it. With witty dialogue (that can truly be appreciated my by people of the Jewish faith), I couldn't stop laughing, smiling, and just enjoying myself. I recommend.

There is a reason that Neil Simon is revered by the public, yet basted by critics. His plays contain characters and situations that just about anyone can relate with. BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS is based upon Simon's youth. It is a family play; not only is it about a family, it is a play that the whole family will enjoy. Lots of laughs and tons of fun.

i have this book and letter art and i use them together to make magnets and bookmarks to sell. i even helped a friends mom write names on waterbottles for their basketball team!

I really liked this book because there's so many ideas
of how to write and design letters and paper. My favourite
chapter is Chapter 1 and 2. Chapter 1 is how to design
words, for example, for hot, use red to write the word hot
and draw fire around it. Chapter 2 teaches you how to write
Top Secret letters. There's codes, hidden messages, and
dots with letters. Other chapters are interesting too. This
book has six chapters in all. Chapter 3 is Paper Capers,
with all sorts of ways to write letters to friends. Chapter
4 is called Writing from the Road. When you are traveling,
this book teaches you interesting ways to write about your
trip to your friend or others. Chapter 5's title is Super
Stationery. You can make pretty paper and interesting
envelopes. The last chapter, Chapter 6, is called Signing
Off with Style. The author show you many ways to sign a
letter. But you'll have to read this book to see everything!

if you are one of those girls that when they're bored they like to draw, paint,invent envelopes, and find out the different kinds of I dots you can make, this book is for you. This book has an explosion of imagination and creativity I liked it vey much is HIGHLY recommended

Valerie Paradiz's book Elijah's Cup is a real gem - a must-read. It is heartfelt, lyrical in its imagery, and engaging in its narrative style. But beyond that, it is a milestone in the history of autism literature. It is a parent's narrative - but it is no ordinary parent's narrative. More than any book before it in its genre, it succeeds in understanding and communicating the perspectives of those of us who, like Valerie's son Elijah, are on the autism spectrum.

Valerie instinctively sought out and took seriously the input of adults on the spectrum in the course of trying to figure out how best to be a parent to Elijah. She instinctively sought the meaning and purpose in autistic behavior - in reaction to sensory stimuli, in learning through repetition and pattern-making, in a different yet no less valid set of aesthetic sensibilities. She refused to accept the cavalierness with which the medical model of autism dismisses the relevance and meaning of autistic behavior, sensory preferences, and cognitive style, and instead correctly understood them as the ways in which we attempt to make sense of the world and communicate with it. She refused to accept as adequate the diagnostic definitions of autism that reduce us to a laundry list of negatively stated traits. She understood that Elijah, and the rest of us, are more than that.

This is what we adults on the spectrum have been trying to tell the world ourselves for the past decade and more. It is downright radical stuff to be coming from a parent. Yet it is especially important that it is coming from a parent, and from a gifted and lyrical writer to boot. By speaking as a parent, Valerie reaches and engages potential non-autistic allies - family members, professionals, friends - in ways in which even the most brilliant writing by adults on the spectrum who are not themselves parents, might not.

Valerie understood the importance of finding and connecting Elijah and herself with autistic peers, mentors, and role models. Her search for the latter, coupled with her dissatisfaction with the devaluing descriptions of autism in the literature, led her to study the history of autism and the lives of famous individuals who might have been on the spectrum. She traces the history of autism through its decades of mischaracterization by the psychotherapeutic field. She chronicles the misogyny and victimization of parents, particularly mothers, who were blamed by practitioners as the cause of their children's autism. That much, her inquiry has in common with others' histories of autism.

But with her gifted eye, she goes further: she makes palpable a keen sense of the damage that blame and relentless cause-seeking can do, the wedge it drives into the hearts of marriages, parent-child relationships, and relationships between nuclear family and relatives and friends. She makes her quest one of moving beyond blame and cause-seeking, to concern and attention to the development and vitality of the people involved, and to their connectedness with self, peers, and mentors - however different that development and connectedness with others might turn out to be. She refuses to believe that this is in any way less important for people with that diagnostic laundry list of autistic symptoms - and she is profoundly right. She remains steadfastly open to the legitimacy of the different ways in which these basic human needs are articulated and met by those of us on the spectrum. And that is what is so important about this book, why it is such a milestone.

Phil Schwarz is the vice-president of the Asperger's Association of New England. He is a parent of an autistic child, and has a mild variant of AS himself.

Valerie Paradiz's book Elijah's Cup is a real gem ' a must-read. It is heartfelt, lyrical in its imagery, and engaging in its narrative style. But beyond that, it is a milestone in the history of autism literature. It is a parent's narrative ' but it is no ordinary parent's narrative. More than any book before it in its genre, it succeeds in understanding and communicating the perspectives of those of us who, like Valerie's son Elijah, are on the autism spectrum.

Valerie instinctively sought out and took seriously the input of adults on the spectrum in the course of trying to figure out how best to be a parent to Elijah. She instinctively sought the meaning and purpose in autistic behavior ' in reaction to sensory stimuli, in learning through repetition and pattern-making, in a different yet no less valid set of aesthetic sensibilities. She refused to accept the cavalierness with which the medical model of autism dismisses the relevance and meaning of autistic behavior, sensory preferences, and cognitive style, and instead correctly understood them as the ways in which we attempt to make sense of the world and communicate with it. She refused to accept as adequate the diagnostic definitions of autism that reduce us to a laundry list of negatively stated traits. She understood that Elijah, and the rest of us, are more than that.

This is what we adults on the spectrum have been trying to tell the world ourselves for the past decade and more. It is downright radical stuff to be coming from a parent. Yet it is especially important that it is coming from a parent, and from a gifted and lyrical writer to boot. By speaking as a parent, Valerie reaches and engages potential non-autistic allies ' family members, professionals, friends ' in ways in which even the most brilliant writing by adults on the spectrum who are not themselves parents, might not.

Valerie understood the importance of finding and connecting Elijah and herself with autistic peers, mentors, and role models. Her search for the latter, coupled with her dissatisfaction with the devaluing descriptions of autism in the literature, led her to study the history of autism and the lives of famous individuals who might have been on the spectrum. She traces the history of autism through its decades of mischaracterization by the psychotherapeutic field. She chronicles the misogyny and victimization of parents, particularly mothers, who were blamed by practitioners as the cause of their children's autism. That much, her inquiry has in common with others' histories of autism.

But with her gifted eye, she goes further: she makes palpable a keen sense of the damage that blame and relentless cause-seeking can do, the wedge it drives into the hearts of marriages, parent-child relationships, and relationships between nuclear family and relatives and friends. She makes her quest one of moving beyond blame and cause-seeking, to concern and attention to the development and vitality of the people involved, and to their connectedness with self, peers, and mentors ' however different that development and connectedness with others might turn out to be. She refuses to believe that this is in any way less important for people with that diagnostic laundry list of autistic symptoms ' and she is profoundly right. She remains steadfastly open to the legitimacy of the different ways in which these basic human needs are articulated and met by those of us on the spectrum. And that is what is so important about this book, why it is such a milestone.

Valerie Paradiz has written a very powerful account of her struggle to help her son develop his unique and creative capabilities, to find and build a positive sense of self within the culture of high functioning autism. This book pushes all kinds of envelops, especially our own and our sense of what "normal" perception/congition/experience is... Gripping, edge-of-the-seat writing. Loved it and have shared with many friends.

This could easily be rated only two stars if you don't have the right frame of mind. However, the Enquirer specializes in poor taste so if you are inclined to consider buying this book, presumably you have a morbid curiosity about its contents. Therefore, let's not be hypocritical and cast harsh judgments as to the subject matter of the volume. In presenting poor taste in a big, glossy coffee table volume, this is a great five star effort.

Superficially, this volume is beautiful; it truly rivals the Time Magazine coffee table books in layout and colorful photos. However, as is the case with the weekly Enquirer, this book picks up where People magazine leaves off. How tasteless is a full topless photo of Nicole Simpson? How about open casket photos of dead celebrities such as Bing Crosby and River Phoenix (and no, River did not look like he was just sleeping)? Years ago I kind of thought Xaviera Hollander (the Happy Hooker) was a babe. Well, there is a photo of her at well over 200 pounds in a skimpy bikini. Guess what? According to the photo's caption, Hollander says a lot of men like her that way.

Want to see a photo of Richard Gere skinny dipping? I didn't but I'm sure many of you do. Well, it's there in this volume. Do you want to see Michael Jackson's disintegrating nose in bandages? Just open this volume and you'll find it. In short, this book is great for those of us too full of ourselves to buy the Enquirer at the supermarket. However, a beautiful volume from top name booksellers; ah, now that's respectable.

The New York Times boasts that it has all the news that's fit to print. The National Enquirer prints the rest, and the photos that illustrate their untold stories provide a record unlike any other. Here folks you get Elvis, no longer shook up, finally finding peace in the valley (or at least the music room at Graceland) in the dramatic "last photo." You also get John Lennon and Steve McQueen on slabs in the morgue, "Happy Hooker" Xaviera Hollender looking like a blimp, and Michael Jackson looking like a freak. Okay, he always looks like a freak, but the fact that he looks no less freaky in the pages of The National Enquirer, where everyone looks like a freak, says something profound. This stunning coffee table style collection is a photographic monument to the dark side of celebrity, and an absolute must own for every American.

The Enquirer is infamous for its shameless portrayals of American celebrities (and the odd royalty living elsewhere). This amazing collection of photography though is something even more rewarding than the weekly grind-out of the delightful tabloid. The images are juxtaposed SO skillfully, and with great humor. A dumpy, potato-like Xaviera Hollander and beau just across the page from slender and youthful Tommy Lee and Heather Locklear - a horrible, prophetic Dorian Gray vision of the future! Plenty of foreshadowing photos of relationships doomed to failure, a gallery of mugshots and coffin shots. The famous Elvis casket photo is easily eclipsed by the very gruesome River Phoenix shot. If I had to pick one shot as a favorite, it would be the Christmas cheer of Anna Nicole Smith and her 90-year old sugar daddy, the expression on her face instantly confirming the nation's worst speculations of that relationship. The best cross-page pairing is aging-but-sexy Joan Collins in her bikini across from a braid-wearing Sean Connery in HIS futuriffic bikini from a 70s Sci-fi movie. Can anyone possibly think he's the sexiest man alive after seeing THAT??? The book also maintains that peculiar and annoying quality of the Enquirer that some soccer-mom favorite celebrities are somehow "untouchable" - Oprah and Rosie O'Donnell are visions of personal triumph and noblesse, never to be shown in an unflattering manner. Despite that minor gripe, you can't afford to miss this photo treasury of everything beautiful about the supermarket years of the Enquirer. I'm hoping they do a companion volume of the best of the Enquirer's "shock value" black & white early years.

I liked this book because it has hores, friends, adventure, and Felicity and her family. I also liked this book because Felicity is fun to read about. My favortie part is when Felicity helps a sick man who is in jail. I liked this part because then she helps the man get better. I don't think it should be changed because it is good the way it is. I read this book because the cover was nice and the title made it sound interesting.
K.D.

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Felicity Merriman, a ten-year-old girl living in the America of 1775. In this book, Felicity takes care of her new baby sister and waits for the birth of her horse's foal. However, with war beginning between the American colonies and the British Empire, and with people imprisoned for seemingly no good reason, there is much that is hard. Here Felicity learns about love and loss, and about new beginnings.

The final chapter is a fascinating and highly informative look into the effects of the new war on the people of Williamsburg in 1775. I must admit that this book really surprised me. My daughter and I both like the Felicity stories, but this one was much more serious than the others, and taught some wonderful lessons.

My daughter and I both really enjoyed this book, and we both highly recommend it to you.

I rate this book ***** because i really like it becuase the author describs what eachword is example like pattens they are things you were under your shoes so they don't get dirty she decribs that that is why i like this book also on the side of the words there are things like pictures and say what they are.It is a excallent book so i would read it if you want to hear about a girl that happened real life Renee

Kit Saves the Day is easily the best book in the Kit series. Kit's Aunt Millie is staying at Kit's house and she has put Kit to work planting and caring for a garden. Kit is doing her chores in the garden one day when a young boy named Will walks into her yard. Aunt Millie sees him and immediatly invites him to join them for supper. Will tells Kit and her friend Stirling about the 'hobo jungle'. When Will leaves, Kit notices that she and Stirling didn't give him any food for his journey! Kit knew that Will would need food, so she and Stirling walk to the hobo jungle. There, they see ragged people with holey clothes and shoes. Kit meets Will's friend Lester. Lester persuades Kit and Stirling to hop a frieght train! The train is stopped because hopping trains is against the law. The police take Kit, Stirling, and Will to jail! Can Kit make it out of jail and save the day? Read this exciting book to find out! You won't be able to put it down!

Kit is sad this summer because her brother Charlie went off to college. One day a hobo named Will came to Kit's house. Will came from Texas. Kit's Mother invites Will to eat dinner with them that night. Will shows Kit and Stirling some hobo signs. Will tells them about the hobo stew. Kit wants to try the hobo stew. He also tells about the hobo jungle. That's where the hobos live. So the next day Kit and Stirling take food to the people who live at the hobo jungle . But while they are there, they learn about jumping rails. They do it and get sent to jail. Kit leans a very valuable lesson. I really liked this story. It shows how much we have to be thankful for. Kit won't be looking for adventure for a little while. This is one of my favorite Kit books ever!

Summer arrives and Kit is as bored as ever. She is very ready for an adventure. It seems the chance comes when a hobo named Will that came from Texas comes to their looking for work and a meal. From Will Kit and Stirling learns about the hobo jungle and the fun and hardships to the hobo life. Hobo life seems very interesting to Kit as she learns from Will about jumping rails from town to town, hobo signals, and many more. Kit is even more interested in the so call "hobo stew"! When will leaves without taking any food for the hobo stew Kit and Stirling set out on a adventure to find the hobo jungle. However Kit got way more then she bargained for and has a great adventure that teaches a lesson. I won't tell you what it is. All I can say is that it includes getting arrested and finally leads up to Kit saving the day! A great addition to the American Girls Collection that all ages will enjoy!!!

This was a very thorough guide to selecting home schooling curriculum. A lot of information. It helps if you can get outside opinions on curriculum, however, because if you are just starting to home school, its almost overwhelming to try to decide what's right for you just by looking at this book.

This was an awesome book, really excellently written. Either a new or vetern homeschooler can learn from this book. As my child's parent and teacher it gave me wonderful ideas and resources to go look through and eventually buy. Was totally mind improving. I soaked up the information Cathy Duffy had to share. Saved me time and money by giving wonderful reviews of curriculum and resources. I can't wait for the next updated book comes out, so I can be better informed on what has come out since this 1997=1998 resource. Parents looking for curricum or resources will be refreshingly surprised at all the fine reviews you will find inside this book.

Although a bit overwhelming at first glance, I found (and am continuing to find) this book to be an invaluable resource as I search the myriad curriculum choices for ones that will best serve my daughter's learning style and individual educational needs. I know I will refer to it again and again during the elementary years to help me weigh all the different options in a single, easy to use source.

This guide made conversing with Parisians very easy.

I think this tiny book is a great way to get started learning French. It was my first dive into the French language, and it
really helped me out with the basics. It's ideal for travelers who do not know much or any French. It even had specific needs covered. For example, it gave several ways to say: "I'm a vegetarian." I also like the simple and easy-to-read layout of the book. It's very visually pleasing.

To communicate simply and effectively on your next trip to France, take the French Phrase Book with you and listen to the tape before you go. The book supplies words and phrases and the tape brings them to life. You can play the cassette several times and even take it with you on the plane.

You will hear the English word first and then the French equivalent. There is a pause so you can say the word. Not every word or phrase is covered in the book.

You will start on page 6 and learn useful everyday phrases like yes (Oui) and no (non). Then you will move to Greetings and Introductions. The speaker also gives you little clues to the language and introduces cultural nuances.

Take a step past "Bonjour" and move to Comment allez-vous? Then, take another step to "Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement, s'il vous plait?"

This was like stepping back to French class in the days of high school. The book is divided up into sections. You can learn useful everyday phrases, colloquialisms, the days, months, seasons, and numbers. Then go on to learn staying in hotels or ordering when eating out. There is a handy menu guide. It is easy to keep the phrase book in your purse or pocket, it is that small. In the back of the book, there is a mini-dictionary.

If you are heading for France on a vacation, enjoy! The food is fantastique! Do try to take a tour when you go to Paris. I could have spent a week in Paris and the surrounding areas. There is so much to see. If you get a chance, go down to Cassis, there is a bakery there with the most delicious choux pastries. You can have dinner right out by the water. While a tour to Paris is wonderful, nothing compares to finding little treasures when you take a wrong turn!

Cassis will easily seduces you with its cafés and restaurants. A privately owned 13th century castle overlooks Cassis and was built by Hughes de Baux. It is surrounded by a garden filled with uncommon, scarce plants and flowers emitting even rarer fragrances.

While on my first trip to France I was only a teenager, my second trip was the year after I got married. Hopefully since I am now older and wiser, I will actually learn a great deal of French before my next visit. It is really essential, especially if you are not on a tour. You will still want to know basic phrases so you can be polite and can enjoy your trip all the more.

The Christmas story is about a young girl growing up in colonial times. Felicity is extremely excited about her invitation to attend a dancing lesson at the Governor's Palace. It is every young girls dream to be there, and Felicity has received this wonderful honor. Felicity wants the most beautiful dress to wear, like the one on her fashion doll. Knowing how much it costs and that her family is very poor she wants it anyway. Her mother promises Felicity the dress. The plan was for her mother to make the gown by hand. However Felicity's mother become very ill. Felicity is worried that her dress will not be completed on time, and she is ashamed for being disappointed about the dress when her mom is sick. On the night of the dance when Felicity has come to realize that she would not go her mother gives her a wonderful surprise. She had found strength to finish the dress that was her daughters Christmas wish. Felicity is the most beautiful girl at the party and realizes that dreams do come true.
I believe that Tripp gave a wonderful representation of that the colonial times was like. She represented Felicity very realistically. Any girl in her palace would be disappointed if she could not go to the party, yet feel a sad burden that the mother is sick as well. Felicity hoped for a miracle simply that her mother would get better not even thinking of her own wish for a completed dress and ended up getting both wishes.
I loved the American Girl books growing up specifically Felicity's stories. I am amazed that Tripp can grab children's attention book after book. And you learn so much about the time period in the process of reading. I enjoyed reading this book again.

American Girl books are great, this one included. Felicity's fear when her mother becomes sick let us realize how feelings for what is really important to us - family members, a feeling of security, friendship - haven't change a lot since Revolutionary days, both in America and worldwhile. What changes is how we live the everyday life - we drive cars and not carts, at school we learn science and not how to serve tea... Just one question, how long will we have to wait for a Native American Girl, and for a Jewish American Girl?

I read this book because I was learning about the American Revolution in class. This is a very touching book that anyone can enjoy. Learn about Felicity's dream doll at the store that she wished to get, the dance she was invited to by the mayor, the disease that her mother had. I really enjoyed this book because of the wonderfully illustrated pictures and the great story. In fact, all of the Felicity books are "da bomb"!

I have not had the good fortune to see a copy of Worwood's other books The Complete Guide to Essential Oils, which I understand is a bible of sorts, and Aromantics, whose title intrigues me very much. The Fragrant Mind is daring in the sense that it espouses a very unique theory, that of classifying personalities based on the scents they prefer. I may not necessarily totally agree with Worwood, and I have had difficulty figuring out what personality type I have based on her system, but this book is definitely interesting reading, especially if you're an aromatherapy fan like I am. Buy it if only to round out your aromatherapy library. You will find yourself picking it up from time and time to read up on her one-of-a-kind personality descriptions.

This book gives a deeper understading of aromatherapy. Essential oils are much more than something you use for a certain symptom, and Valerie Ann Worwood gets that message through in her book.

I used to think emotional ups and downs were a part of life until I read this book and found that the downs could be dealt with, and the ups could be enhanced. There are lots of chapters, including 8, which has wonderfully sensitive and understanding text, plus oils and formulas, for an A-Z of "emotional problems" from abuse, addictions,aggression, amnesia, anxiety, apathy ..... and that's just the A's! And it's all so thorough - Under addictions there's drug alcohol and nicotine addiction, each with suggested oils and recipes to use. But, hey, this book is about positive mind frame, so is equally thorough in it's advice for alertness, assertiveness, concentration, confidence, contentment, creativity, focus, happiness, joy, memory enhancement, peace, performance, positivity, restfulness, self-awareness, self-esteen, self image. DO I SOUND POSITIVE? It's no surprise - this works!