To A Different Drummer is a very readable and practical resource for parents to help them to understand what Learning Disablilities are, and how they can effectively work with their child and his/her teacher to break or prevent a pattern of academic failure. The format of the book is wonderful. The "bullet" style information bits are easy to read and refer to. The graphics are very welcoming and friendly to the reader. Often parents are traumatized when they realize that their child has a learning problem. These authors have done parents a great service to help them understand what they are dealing with and how to go about it.

I have an old paperback of this book, first published in the '70s (?). In addition to being an informative look at radio broadcasting during the golden age, focusing especially on the soaps but also on such dramatic anthologies as Mr First Nighter, it is also quite hilarious. Ms. Higby's inside knowledge as a radio actress includes many uproarious anecdotes. Written in a light, breezy style, it is sure to entertain even those with little interest in old-time radio. Very enjoyable.

You can't avoid menopause but you CAN avoid reading about it. I bought this book 4 years ago and finally read it. About time! So many answers to questions I never would have asked a doctor face-to-face. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Having read this book,over and over and over,I have yet to find any mentions of Neil,Rik,Vyvian or Mike.But it does go on a lot about "Horace" and "Ethel"....perhaps they are previously unspoken of members of the Balovski Family? I am not so sure. And half way through,I was begining to wonder where Cliff Richard fits into the equation? (Luckily,his appearance on the final three pages,where he saves Horace and Ethyl from a herd of crazed rabid Aardvarks,by ensnaring them is "Craz-ee String™",is as exciting as anybook can get!)(Although his impromptu performance of "Devil Woman",afterwords,around the campfire with the Aborgine tribe,feels a bit out of place.). All in all a lovely read. I highly recommend you buy copies for all your friends,and several of your enemies.(Just to confuse them.)

Your College Experience: Strategies for Success 4th ed by John N. Gardner and A. Jerome Jewler.
This book is excellent for a first semester college introduction to academic life. It deals with the issues students need to address for academic success such as critical thinking, time management, active learning, learning styles, reading, writing, listening and speaking, test taking, library use, computer use, academic resources, advisors, relationships, diversity, stress management, finances, alcohol, drugs, and sex. The book has six parts: 1. Strategies for success, 2. Plan ahead, 3. Take charge of learning, 4. Hone your skills, 5. Get connected, and 6. Know yourself. There are one to four chapters in each part totaling fourteen chapters, about one per week for a semester. There are exercises and guiding questions for a personal journal at the end of each chapter. A highlight is the interactivity provided by the CD-ROM packaged with each textbook. Each chapter has a self-assessment, has exercises from the book formatted to use on the computer and refers to textbook pages, has additional exercises not in the textbook, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and journal assignments that can be done on the computer. The CD-ROM links to many Internet sites for additional information and self-assessments. The book comes with a free four month subscription to InfoTrac, an online library. This book is good for the visual learner, the CD-ROM is particularly good for the kinesthetic learner, and the discussion exercises are good for the auditory learner. There are also supportive materials for faculty who adopt the book, and the CD-ROM is available on Blackboard and WebCT as online course management tools. .

Heroine: everywoman

Life can be difficult for an only child raised by strict religious parents, and this was certainly the case for Geillis Ramsey who had no friends (not even a pet) to call her own for most of her young life.

Fortunately what Jilly does have is a fairy Godmother of sorts; her mother's cousin who keeps an eye out for her interests even as she is traveling the globe. She makes certain that young Jilly is provided for when her parents leave her alone in the world as a young woman with no real prospects. She gives her Thornyhold, a beautiful old Georgian House that once belonged to a witch named Goody Gostelow, which becomes a refuge for the poor young Geillis.

But how truly safe is she at her new shelter? A disturbing dream, messages from the great beyond, and neighbors who send out mixed signals as to whether or not they want her there leave Geillis wondering about the sanctity of her new home and the sanity of her mind.

What worked for me:

For the most part this is a very gentle pastoral story filled with lovely descriptions of a time gone by in the countryside of England 50+ years ago when not all houses had phones, neighbors dropped in to clean your house with you, and herbal remedies were more trusted than doctor's prescriptions. But the first few chapters about Geillis as a child, which were necessary to show why she is the way she is and add depth to the story, were decidedly sad in several places.

Size-wise Geillis wasn't really described, but her neighbor was a fairly large woman.

What didn't work for me:

Because of its idyllic pace it didn't have me on the edge of my seat the way I expect a gothic romance should. In fact the romance and even the suspense in "Thornyhold" were very mild, almost secondary even, so that I think the book seems more like a light paranormal fiction than a gothic.

Overall:

A very sweet story worth indulging in, especially if you are a fan of witches and/or gardening.

Warning: There are a few references to the occult in this novel.

If you liked "Thornyhold" you might also enjoy "The Dancing Floor".

I generally prefer Mary Stewart's less ambiguous romantic suspense novels. Thornyhold was a dower house inhabited by the upright wife of a wicked rake of the Victorian era. Sybil was succeeded by our heroine's mother's cousin, Geillis, and, in turn, by our heroine, another Geillis. The three "witches" are not quite the same, but share a taste for healing, and a love of animals. As our Geillis' talent is nurtured in the house in the woods, she finds herself in need of more than herbal wards to protect herself from the unwanted attentions of another woman in the area who considers herself something of a witch -- and not precisely a white one at that.

Stewart does a nice job of preserving ambiguity, allowing dual explanations for nearly every event in the book, without it becoming mechanical or some sort of apology. The characters are pleasant, especially the animals. On the whole, an enjoyable read.

I've been reading Mary Stewart since high school, which was a long time ago. I've always been taken with her ability to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere. In THORNYHOLD she does this superbly. In STORMY PETRAL and ROSE COTTAGE I, very sadly, felt her advanced age was affecting her writing. I was afraid I'd read my last really good Mary Stewart book. However, THORNYHOLD is wonderful; a lovely place to escape to when you need a break from this hectic modern world, and feel the need to spend some time in a romantic cottage full of magic. I recommend you visit soon and often.

I've been on a Tudor reading binge lately, and this teen novel about Mary Queen of Scots is part of it. It is the story of the tumultuous reign and disastrous marriages of the young Queen, as told by her female jester, La Jardiniere--born Nicola Ambruzzi, orphan and traveling player.

Nicola is given her position as fool just before Mary's husband, the king of France, dies. Having no reason to stay in France, Mary goes back to her native Scotland and sets herself up as queen. Nicola goes with her, serving as a courtier, and also as a friend, during the years between Mary's return to Scotland and her exile in England.

The book starts slowly, and is almost but not quite boring until the murder of David Riccio, a close friend of Mary and Nicola. Then it picks up, starting with a touching scene of Nicola visiting David's grave. After this beautiful interlude, the real action begins. Nicola must keep Darnley, Mary's frat-boy husband, from usurping the throne, and later has to help Mary escape from imprisonment on a remote island. The second half of the book is much more interesting than the first, but I suppose it would have made no sense without the background of the first half. *shrug*

Overall, a decent novel about Queen Mary for middle-schoolers or thereabouts. It might even encourage you to read more about the Tudor/Stuart period.

Nicola Ambruzzi's parents died when she was young and she was adopted into her uncle's travelng performances. Her Uncle was cruel to all of his children, but most cruel to Nicola, for she was adopted into the perfomance crew. One day, at the most important event for the traveling crew, at the Palace in Rheims, where the crew was to entertain Queen Mary and King Francis, Nicola had a few run-ins with the Queen Mary herself. Queen Mary found Nicola witty and entertaining, so she bought her from Uncle as her own fool. For the first few months as fool, everything went perfect for Nicola, but the turning point was when King Francis died, and it was decided for Queen Mary to leave France and live in Scotland. From then on, the story became more and more depressing for the Queen and for Nicola, who was always behind the Queen. From the awful husband, Darnley, who was murdered, to the Queen's imprisonment...This book was true to history and was fun to read, but I don't think Queen Mary would have been such a kind soul.

I've read historical fictions before, and Queen's Own Fool ranks on the top of the list. However biased or twisted some of the points in the novel are (Darnley's actions might be questionable), Ms. Yolen is able to create a great novel with these ingredients- a fascinating plot, vivid characterization, and a talent for creating atmosphere and foreshadowing.

Nicola Ambruzzi, the narrator in the story, is an orphan who's been part of her abusing uncle's Troupe Brufort (a traveling circus). When Troupe Brufort was summoned to the French court, Nicola was discovered by Queen Mary (Queen of France) with her wit, truthfulness, and bold humor. Suddenly, Nicola is Queen Mary's personal fool- someone to open her eyes among lies and brighten her life. Nicola is also the Queen's advisor-guiding her through her first husband's death, Mary's decision in ruling Scotland, etc. Even when event take a very wrong turn, Nicola was always beside her Queen.

Though I thought the ending rather left everything hanging, the rest of the story was well-written enough to keep me reading day in and day out.

I loved this book! If you love birds you will love the Fledgling. The book is about Georgie, a girl who doesn't have any friends except her doll. One day a beautiful Canadian goose shows up on her window. The Goose Prince says that Georgie can fly and she really can! Some people in her town will do anything to stop her from flying. Will they succeed?

I loved this book. It's a story of a girl who discovers she could fly. One night when a Canada goose came to her window she climbed on its back and went off with him to learn how to really fly. But, Ralph wants to stop her from flying, he wants to stop the lovely Goose Prince from coming. Chelsea - 10 years old

This book is fantastic! A girl named Gorgie sees a flock of geese fly by right above her house,and whishes she could fly too! One goose looks right down at her and ends up becoming her friend. They fly over a pond every night and usually stop there. Eventully Gorgie learns to fly without her friend, but she's always flying near. Nosy people think the goose is a preditor and plan to kill it.Find out if they do or don't by reading the book.

Jane Eyre is a plain woman in looks, but her intelligence, strength, and feistiness make her a heroine who I think gives much-needed justice to women of her time. She is a spitfire who makes you want to know her and hear her story, and she tells it in a clear, first-person fashion that makes it an easy story to read.

Orphaned at a young age, Jane is sent to live with her aunt and cousins, who abuse Jane physically and mentally for ten years. Eventually ejected from her aunt's household on false charges of thievery, Jane is then packed off to Lowood, a charity boarding school whose conditions were deplorable; students were scarcely provided with food and clothing (think Oliver Twist), and were regularly terrorized by the school's cruel headmaster. If that weren't enough, Jane's only real friend at Lowood dies during an outbreak of Typhus.

Fast-forward eight years - Jane, still nearly penniless after a two-year stint as a teacher at Lowood, ventures out to make a life for herself as a governess. Her charge is a precocious French child named Adele, with whom she develops a fast friendship. But the real story of Eyre lies in her relationship with the child's foster parent, Mr. Rochester, the dolefule, aloof, yet passionate and somewhat mysterious master of Thornfield. Despite their differing castes and the 20 years separating their ages, their feelings for each other grow deep, and they decide to marry. But it doesn't go exactly as Jane had planned - their wedding ceremony is stopped when it is revealed that Mr. Rochester is already married - to a madwoman whom he has kept locked up in one of Thornfield's bedrooms for years!

Horrified, Jane flees Thornfield, ending up a beggar on the streets because she spent her entire savings to leave. Eventually taken in by a clergyman, St. John Rivers, and his two sisters, Jane makes a new life for herself as a teacher. During this time, Jane finds herself the sole heir of her father's estate. Soon after, St. John proposes marriage to her repeatedly, but Jane finds his cold demeanor lacking in comparison to the man she truly loves, Mr. Rochester. (She also finds out that St. John is actually her first cousin - a staple of this genre, it seems.) Prompted by hearing Rochester's voice calling her name during a prayer for guidance, Jane returns to Thornfield, only to find it burned down, and Mr. Rochester blinded by the fire his wife set before killing herself. Naturally, Jane and Mr. Rochester live happily ever after, but if you think this is merely another sappy love story (which I am no fan of!), you would be wrong. In Eyre, Charlotte Bronte shows us a depth and realness of characters which you would be hard-pressed to find in any other novel.

Do yourself a favor by reading it - you'll understand why it's considered one of the finest examples of English literature.

I first read this book when I was ten and reread it every decade as a special treat to myself. It is one of the great classics of English literature. It is, essentially, a Cinderella story, and I STRONGLY recommend it as an andidote to the Woman-Hear-Me-Roar (or is it "Girl Power"?) stuff being pushed on young ladies nowadays as a means to making the sex strong. The story begins when the heroine, Jane Eyre, is a young orphan of about nine, and follows her through school and her career as a governess in a wealthy but mysterious man's home. She falls in love, learns of an impediment to her immediate gratification, does the right thing and suffers for her pains, but in the end is rewarded for her suffering. Very irrelevant to the late twentieth century, obviously. Charlotte Bronte (the author) is frquently encountered around the same time in life one encounters Dickens--youth--but, like Dickens, she most definitely wrote for adults. Therefore, the book is probably a difficult read for all but the most tenacious middle schooler, but as it begins from the very real, very painful point of view of a powerless child, it has a good hook to draw in the young reader. Its literary style is Romantic, with the liberal use of semi-colons, inverted sentences, and detailed descriptions. This book is a MUST for all well-educated young ladies--the next step after Little Women and before the Jane Austen novels. And sorry for the gender stereotyping; I'm sure there are boys and men out there who read this book and loved it, but I never met one.

When I first read Jane Eyre, I (and I think many others) was taken in by the odd combination of romance and ominous overtones that makes Jane Eyre such a unique book. Of course, the Victorian-era writing and social commentary also made an impression.

But upon reflection, underneath all of this is a story of people with difficult lives learning to find and accept each other and hopefully coming to peace and happiness despite long odds. Maybe my second reading just comes from a twenty-first century mind reading things into a nineteenth century book that just aren't there. But to me, the book does have the feel of a modern story of hardship as well as a Victorian story of people trying to overcome their backgrounds to find love.

Jane Eyre tells the life story of an orphaned girl sent away to a harsh boarding school by a cruel aunt. Despite the harsh nature of the school, Jane thrived at the school since she is finally out from her aunt's crushing dislike for her. She graduated and took a job as a governess for a girl in the care of a mysterious man who spent much of his time traveling abroad, Mr. Rochester.

At first, the two do not like each other. This is compounded by the fact that Jane thinks she is plain looking and not worthy of his company. But the two develop a peculiar friendship, and there are many signs that their feelings are deeper. But Mr. Rochester is busy courting other ladies at the time. Mr. Rochester also seems to have a secret that he will not divulge to Jane but may have serious consequences for her.

Jane's job as a governess and the friendship that develops make it seem that the book will quickly become a Jane Austen book (which of course, would not have been a bad thing) in which the man and woman from different classes find love with one another, but from the point of the friendship blooming, Jane Eyre takes a few remarkable twists and turns that I had not expected and that make for real page-turning.

But it is as much the quiet desperation of both Jane and Mr. Rochester and their struggle to find each other despite this that makes Jane Eyre a book truly worth reading and treasuring.

While I enjoyed reading this book, all I could think of was the similarity in writing compared to Mary Higgins Clark novels. The herione, living in New York City, successful yet single. The characters were interesting and well developed and the story managed to captiavate my attention throughout the entire story. While this is the first novel I've read by MJC, I plan on reading her others as well. This book is definetly worth a read.

DO YOU PROMISE NOT TO TELL is the second Mary Jane Clark novel that I've read in the past year or so and I have to tell you that I can't wait to read her next. I read a lot of mystery novels and what I enjoy about Clark's books is her ability to transend the usual mystery novel formula b.s. and tell a story of characters, who although they solve a mystery, are people with real life feelings and challenges. Clark draws us into the competitive workaday world of KEY NEWS with the story of Farrell Slater, who has a career that is actually going nowhere fast as we arrive on the scene. Not only does the plot pick up, but so does Farrell's insight and depth as a character as she explores the rareified air of the New York art world of Sotheby's and Christie's and the Russian enclave in Brooklyn as she overcomes numerous personal and professional obstacles. I won't give away the ending, but I will tell you that this book is a great read for anyone who enjoys intelligent, suspense fiction. I hope Clark keeps them coming!

Mary Jane Clark has the gift to bring her characters to life. This is a story of a TV producer, Farrell Slater who is on her last leg of her career. Either she gets the story of a lifetime or she'll be at the unemployment line. She is sent on assignment to an auction house that is selling the famous Faberge egg "The Moon Egg'. The egg sells for a record 6 million dollars. Farrell soon discovers that the egg is a fake and she knows who has the real one. Soon people who are aware of this egg are dying. This could be the story Farrell needs to get her career back or it could be the story to end her life. I had fun trying to figure out who the "bad guy" was. Read this book and have fun with it.