This book deserves five stars because it includes lots of information. It isn't as easy or funny as the lessons, but it's still really good

My daughter received a copy of this book as part of a cotillion class. She has reviewed various sections of the book as different social situations have presented themselves. The book is written with a young person in mind; it is concise, funny when appropriate, and answers a lot of questions the kids might not even know they have yet. As a mom, I found it very helpful not only in teaching my child the rudimentaries of etiquette, but in providing me with a refresher course for both business and personal situations. I have also found it extremely helpful for the dance steps; the combination of the written instruction and the ubiquitous feet make it easy to learn a new dance.

Reviewed by ATH, age 12: I thought that the book was excellent! It explained many hard-to-understand topics pertaining to etiquette rules. After reading this book, you will have no more questions about manners and will never feel uncomfortable at parties. This easy-to-read and understand book tells you everything you need to know about etiquette and more!(Tips on dressing, dancing, manners, etc.) It is a good value for the money since you can keep it and refer to it whenever you have a question. I highly recommend this book to anyone over the age of 11.

Before I read this novel, I didn't care at all for vampire stories. Barbara Hambly managed to change that.

Dark and elegantly horrific, radiating the scent of old blood and the dust of time, _Those Who Hunt the Night_ is similar in many ways to Anita Blake's _Guilty Pleasures_, but is suited less to those who favor humor and urban fantasy than to those who are interested in darkness with feeling and depth. Hambly brings her vampires to life for you--you may not understand them, you may not empathize with them, but they will seem real. Ysidro in particular has the power to fascinate, drawing forth the interest of the reader without ever slipping into anything much like humanity.

James Asher is also an interesting character in his own right, even if he may end up playing second-fiddle to Ysidro by the story's end. Lydia Asher could be reckoned as a heroine strong in her own right--for whatever reason, though, she was one character who left me cold.

This book is well-worth reading, as is its sequel, _Traveling With the Dead_. _Those Who Hunt the Night_ is probably the better of the two; its dark and occasionally chilling atmosphere will linger with one for a long time after the final page has been turned.

I usually don't read vampire stories (except for the Count St. Germain series)--the classic creepy, cold-hearted and cold-fleshed hunters of the night are too "alien" to relate to...but Don Simon Ysidro grows on you...He comes to James Asher (ostensibly a mild-mannered Oxford lecturer on folk tales and language) to investigate the "murders" of a series of fellow London vampires. Asher, a bitterly disillusioned former secret agent for British Intelligence, has his own past "ghosts" to deal with--murders, betrayals and lies done in the name of "King and Country." Despite being forced into the investigation by Ysidro's threat to his wife's life, James Asher slowly comes to understand, respect and even value Ysidro's "life" and its realities. It is this delicate development of friendship and understanding that elevate this book from merely a gripping horror novel to a memorable "keeper" book to be shared with friends. The other vampires of London, the details of their "lives" and history, and the final horrifying battle with the "murderer" will keep you reading into the night, but Don Simon Ysidro is who will linger in your mind.

Simply put, this is the BEST vampire book I've ever read. The characters are well developed and "real", the plot is entertaining. I've read Rice's vampire chronicles and enjoyed them greatly. I've read (part of) Stoker's Dracula and found it much too dry. "Golden", "The Hunger" and countless outher novels and short stories are all well and good (for the most part), but in this book, Hambly has captured my heart. I found myself concerned about Simon and his "family", fearful for Asher and truly engrossed in the story. I can't wait to find the time to read the sequel and whatever else I can find my Ms. Hambly.

i just read this book for the third time. i liked it just as much as the times before. this book is about a girl named abby winston and a boy named tyler crane. after tyler's dad commited suacide, his crazy mom goes to live with aunts. tyler goes to the lack to live in his best friends families trailor for the summer. he loves it there. then he meets abby and he relizes that he does have someone who cares for him other than his best friend rod. Abby is from a very wealthy family(her dad is a congress man). when tyler dissapears, abby is determind to find him. She discovers a lot about her family as she goes along, and figures out what love means.

when i read this book, i was only in the 4th grade. then just tonight, out of no where,it comes up in my head, and i was searching for it. i completely agree with everyone else that this book is really mysterious, kind of creepy even. it has a great plot, too. plus your never too young or too old to read this. i highly encourage you to check this book out, you totally won't regret it!!

This is a great book. It ties in teenage romance, suspense, and has a great ending. It keeps you reading, you won't want to put it down. It is written carefully, with a good style and several view points. I would highly reccommned this book, there's something in it for everyone, guys and girls of all ages.

I have read this book at least a dozen times. Despite the humor, the book deepens with each reading. Once you've enjoyed the characterizations and laughed at all the witticisms there are all the literary allusions to digest. Then there are the references to other parts of the book to map. Truly a gem. The best book Barbara Trapido has ever written. I am so glad that this book is back in print. I've given many copies of this book as gifts and previously I've had to scour used-book stores to find it. Buy it, you'll like it.

What a marvelous little novel. This is a complex and sophisticated story that feels much longer than its actual length of a couple hundred pages. The story of Katherine and her intimate involvement with a large bohemian family is touching, hilarious and at times down right raunchy. The author has a wonderful way with words, she says so much with her sparse prose. I would highly recommend seeking out this book, and I look forward to reading other work by this author.

This slender epic is by way of being the prequel to _The Travelling Hornplayer,_ which I unknowingly read first. This one centers on Katherine Browne and her affair with the entire Goldman family: Jake, the Jewish cockney philosophy professor and semi-radical Bohemian; Jane, his wife and supporter of his soul; Roger, the older son, his mother's favorite, and a neurotic math genius; and Jonathan, his father's favorite, all-round bloke and decent sort. Katherine, a very naive and very sweet young girl, first meets Jacob when he interviews her for a university fellowship and later the same afternoon falls under the sway of John Millet, a bisexual aesthete to whom she loses her virginity. John takes her to visit his old friends in the country, who turn out to be the Goldmans. She falls for the beautiful Roger, who turns out to be something of a ...; when he dumps her four years later during graduation week, she departs for Italy and doesn't return for ten years, having had and lost a baby. Then she rediscovers Jonathan. The book divides neatly into two parts, separated by the Italian interlude: Young-and-Vulnerable Katherine and Older-and-Sometimes-Wiser Katherine. The Goldmans have changed a lot during her decade away, but in the essentials they haven't really changed at all. This is a lovely book and it's amazing Trapido could cram so much story into only 218 pages. The scintilating dialogue makes me want to see and hear it on the stage. And the characters, as in _Hornplayer,_ are absolutely believeable.

Unlike most "religious" category books, this book lacks the preachy quality that causes most readers to not absorb the text. This book insightfully breaks down barriers between different religious beliefs and simply brings forth the universal belief in a higher power. The people that Larry King and Rabbi Katsof chose to interview are made more personable and are made more tangible through their everyday prayers, which are similar to ours, and their quest to be closer to God. This book would make a fabulous holiday gift that is sure to please a recipient of any religious background.

Mr. King delved into the foundation of Spirituality and Religion and made simple an otherwise complex and controversial issue. The book focuses on the individual and his or her communication with God, while setting aside religious beliefs. I would like to recommend to friends who are too formal about prayers and to those who maybe agnostic such as Larry King in his book.

Powerful Prayers is a Must Read Reading Powerful Prayers provides you amazingly simple examples of commuincating with God through personal everyday prayer. It opens the door to an otherwise complex arena of thought. The discussion between Larry King and Rabbi Katsof is sensitive and thought provoking. The interviews add incredible depth to the discussion. They also legitimize informal prayer, and the many different ways people have found to communicate with their respective spiritual beings. I recommend this book to everyone who is open to exlporing their individual communication with God. It is a must read. It has changed my entire understanding or paradigm in regards to my relationship with God outside of a house of worship.

Very positive outlook on ADHD. As a parent struggling with the challenges of raising an ADHD teenager, I lose track of the positive aspects of my son's condition. This was a very upbeat reminder that part of the "explosion" of ADHD is because of the way our society has changed over the years, not how people have changed. It was easy enough reading that I could share it with my 14 year old ADHD son and his 10 year old non-ADHD sister. They were able to read it in one sitting.

Dr. Ingersoll explains ADHD to children as a learning difference and personality style difference, rather than a "disability" or "handicap". She then goes on to explain how the characteristics of ADHD people have been very important and valuable at different times in human history: they're the hunters, adventurers and restless creative people amongst us. I'm a child psychologist and have used this book with many children who have ADHD and similar problems (and their parents), and they are almost always enthusiastic about the idea that they may actually have misunderstood talents and strengths, rather than just Problems. The reading level fits 9-12 year olds, and younger kids can understand the concepts if someone reads it along with them. Thom Hartman uses the same concepts, for older readers, in his "Attention Deficit Disorder, a Different Perception", "ADD Success Stories" and others.

Fifteen years ago when my son was first diagnosed, there was little valid information on ADD/ADHD. The books and articles I read left me feeling that the poor child would never get through life without charts and stickers, and that I would probably end up divorced and an alcholic. I stopped reading the books and started enjoying my child.

Eight years ago, my daughter was also diagnosed with ADHD. As was my husband. Life has been far from dull. But, I've learned to laugh and roll with the punches. It's not always easy; I'm a very organized, low energy person. But I wouldn't trade my ADD Family for all the "normal" families in the world. ADD has taken us places and offered us experiences that most of the people have never known.

People with ADD are the catalists in our society the cause us to get things done. The driving force that keeps us from becoming stagnant. If we don't have those people that are impulsive, exuberant and thirsty for knowledge, we have no progress. This is the definition of Attention Deficit Disorder that is honest and true, and this is the definition that needs to be presented to the world.

In her book Distant Drums, Different Drummers, Barbara Ingersoll puts forth just such and explanation of people with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is the first book I have read that takes a postive view and explains it to the uninitiated populace. It's more than time that such a book existed and it should be required reading for all school teachers and administrators. I have bought this book and donated it to my children's schools.

If your child was recently diagnosed, READ THIS BOOK FIRST! There are tough times ahead, but Distant Drums, Different Drummers will give you the certain knowledge that though your life will not be boring, you are raising someone with the ability to change the world around them.

Stranded in Harmony
By: Barbara Shoup

Stranded in Harmony by Barbara Shoup tells the story of the hardships and good times that one teenage boy goes through during the most crucial times of his life. Lucas Cantrell lives with his parents and younger sister Dawn in a small town called Harmony, Indiana. They live a small town life. Everyone knows each other and news travels as fast as wildfire throughout the town. The book is told from Lucas's point of view, and Lucas takes the reader on a journey to witness his life and true feelings as if everything were happening right in front of their eyes.

Lucas is the star football player on his high school team and is a very good student. He doesn't go anywhere without his best friend Bill who also happens to be Dawn's boyfriend or his girlfriend Sara. Lucas's first three years of high school flowed very smoothly. He went to school and got good grades, played football in the fall, and went out with Sara on the weekends. How much better could life get! But ... then came his senior year!

Unbeknownst to Lucas, many problems will arise during his senior year. These problems occur in all aspects of his life. His family, friends, girlfriend, and even himself are all things that Lucas struggles with. As these events occur many things go through Lucas's mind. "When did I change? When did I quit believing that there was a whole world out there, just waiting for me to step into it? When it happened, why didn't I notice? Suddenly, toward the end of the summer before my senior year in high school, I started thinking about these questions all the time. I felt as if I'd just awakened from a long sleep. That dead-to-the-world kind of sleep, with no dreams. And I looked around and thought, This is what I've settled for? This is my life?" (p. 2)

One of these problems is with the person that he would least expect it to be, his girlfriend Sara. Sara has been Dawn's best friend ever since they were little. And it turns out that Dawn was the one who convinced Lucas to ask Sara to the eighth grade dance. This began their relationship of four years. A problem arises when too many assumptions are made, instead of talking things through.

Another problem arises with Coach Petrie, Lucas's football coach. At the beginning of the season he appointed Lucas as the captain of the football team, so in return, a lot of things were expected of him. Leadership and setting good examples are among these things. As the season progresses, Lucas slacks off because of his problems, and his talk with Coach Petrie results in an outcome that Lucas doesn't really like.

Lucas is also offered a football scholarship to play football in college. A scout from Manchester College sees a lot of promise in Lucas. This situation causes many mental difficulties for Lucas. Because of his recent loss of a love for the game, and lifelong ambition to go to Indiana University, Lucas debates over what he should do. Mr. Cantrell also puts a lot of pressure on Lucas to make this decision. It has been Mr. Cantrell's dream to see his son play football collegiately. Should he take the scholarship and fulfill his father's dreams or live the life that he wants to live?

Besides the many problems that arise, two other characters play a key role in Lucas's life. These people are Ronnie Dale and Allie Bowen. Ronnie Dale is one of Lucas's relatives. When Ronnie was seventeen, he became very ill and has been bedridden ever since. Ronnie lives alone in a cabin, and it is the responsibility of the Cantrell family to take care of his every need. A majority of this responsibility goes to Lucas. It is his job to bring Ronnie his dinner every day and keep him company for awhile. Allie Bowen is introduced into Lucas's life through Ronnie Dale. By observing his daily routine, she takes an interest in Ronnie Dale. After being given the permission, Allie begins to make regular visits to the cabin to keep Ronnie Dale company. When Lucas begins to run into problems, he confides in Allie for help. After awhile a friendship develops and they both learn more from each other than they had expected. Allie helps Lucas with his history project and through this she unveils her mysterious past.

I would recommend this book to any teenager who wants be assured that they aren't the only ones in this world who have to make difficult decisions day in and day out. A peek into the mind of Lucas, a college bound senior, allows the reader to feel for the character and gives the impression that one is living Lucas's life along with him. The reader learns about Lucas's problems and travels with him along the road of recovery. Stranded in Harmony is a book for anyone who enjoys seeing a person work through their problems and succeed at doing so.

Shoup's novel holds appeal for teens and adults, alike. Protaganist Lucas, a popular high school student with an itch to discover the world outside of Harmony, Indiana, learns some valuable lessons during the fall of his senior year from a mysterious stranger to New Harmony and a local character who opted out of life years ago. A great read!

barb is my aunt and ive read all of her books and this is my favorite book that she has written. It is about as good of book about a high school kids life as ive ever read.

"There is little to be satisfied in reading this book"?? I couldn't disagree more. Bleak House left a profound impression on me, and was so utterly satisfying a reading experience that I wanted it never to end. I've read it twice over the years and look forward to reading it again. Definitely my favorite novel.

I don't know what the previous reviewer's demands are when reading a novel, but mine are these: the story must create its world - whatever and wherever that world might be - and make me BELIEVE it. If the novelist cannot create that world in my mind, and convince me of its truths, they've wasted my time (style doesn't matter - it can be clean and spare like Orwell or verbose like Dickens, because any style can work in the hands of someone who knows how to use it). Many novels fail this test, but Bleak House is not one of them.

Bleak House succeeds in creating a wonderfully dark and complex spider web of a world. On the surface it's unfamiliar: Victorian London and the court of Chancery - obviously no one alive today knows that world first hand. And yet as you read it you know it to be real: the deviousness, the longing, the secrets, the bureaucracy, the overblown egos, the unfairness of it all. Wait a minute... could that be because all those things still exist today?

But it's not all doom and gloom. It also has Dickens's many shades of humor: silliness, word play, comic dialogue, preposterous characters with mocking names, and of course a constant satirical edge. It also has anger and passion and tenderness.

I will grant one thing: if you don't love reading enough to get into the flow of Dickens's sentences, you'll probably feel like the previous reviewer that "...it goes on and on, in interminable detail and description...". It's a different dance rhythm folks, but well worth getting used to. If you have to, work your way up to it. Don't start with a biggie like Bleak House, start with one of his wonderful short pieces such as A Christmas Carol.

Dickens was a gifted storyteller and Bleak House is his masterpiece. If you love to dive into a book, read and enjoy this gem!

This is the second book by Dickens I have read so far, but it will not be the last. "Bleak House" is long, tightly plotted, wonderfully descriptive, and full of memorable characters. Dickens has written a vast story centered on the Jarndyce inheritance, and masterly manages the switches between third person omniscient narrator and first person limited narrator. His main character Esther never quite convinces me of her all-around goodness, but the novel is so well-written that I just took Esther as she was described and ran along with the story. In this book a poor boy (Jo) will be literally chased from places of refuge and thus provide Dickens with one of his most powerful ways to indict a system that was particularly cruel to children. Mr. Skimpole, pretending not to be interested in money; Mr. Jarndyce, generous and good; Richard, stupid and blind; the memorable Dedlocks, and My Lady Dedlock's secret being uncovered by the sinister Mr. Tulkinghorn; Mrs. Jellyby and her telescopic philanthropy; the Ironmaster described in Chapter 28, presenting quite a different view of industralization than that shown by Dickens in his next work, "Hard Times." Here is a veritable cosmos of people, neighbors, friends, enemies, lovers, rivals, sinners, and saints, and Dickens proves himself a true master at describing their lives and the environment they dwell in. There are landmark chapters: Chapter One must be the best description of a dismal city under attack by dismal weather and tightly tied by perfectly dismal laws, where the Lord Chancellor sits eternally in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Chapter 32 has one of the eeriest scenes ever written, with suspicious smoke, greasy and reeking, as a prelude to a grisly discovery. Chapter 47 is when Jo cannot "move along" anymore. This Norton Critical is perhaps the best edition of "Bleak House" so far: the footnotes help a lot, and the two Introductions are key to understanding the Law system at the time the action takes place, plus Dickens' interest in this particular topic. To round everything off, read also the criticism of our contemporaries, as well as that of Dickens' time. "Bleak House" is a long, complex novel that opens a window for us to another world. It is never boring and, appearances to the contrary, is not bleak. Enjoy.

After years without picking up a novel by Dickens (memories of starchy classes at school), I decided to plunge into "Bleak House", a novel that had been sitting on my bookshelf for about ten years, waiting to be read. Although I found it heavy going at first, mainly because the style is so unfamiliar to modern readers, after about ten pages I was swept up and carried off, unable to put the hefty tome down until I had finished it. This book is a definite classic. The sheer scope of the tale, the wit of the satire (which could still be applied to many legal proceedings today) and the believable characters gripped me up until the magnificent conclusion. One particularly striking thing is the "cinematic" aspect of certain chapters as they switch between different angles, building up to a pitch that leaves the reader breathless. I can't recommend "Bleak House" too highly. And I won't wait so long before reading more Dickens novels.

Alex "Skinnybones" Frankovitch is a memerable character from one of my favorite books as a young adult. Barbra Park delivers a story about a young boy who feels out of place and uses humor as a defense. This book still makes me laugh out loud, and I think children of all ages can relate to Alex because he is the underdog that always see to get himself into some kind of trouble. I am studying to be an elementary teacher and I planning on reading this book to my class because I know I will enjoy it as much as they will!

When my grown son was in the third grade, I heard him laughing hysterically in his bedroom while I was cooking dinner. I had never heard him laugh and giggle so much! He told me a little bit about the story, and when he had gone to sleep, I picked it up and read it. It IS wonderful! I found myself laughing as much as my son had. The tale centers on Alex, a small kid who is the class clown and loves baseball. He is a very realistic character with whom children can identify, and he does some crazy things ( a lot with what he says ) that result in some hilarious situations. Kids really love this book! And so do many adults. It gives the reader a lot of pleasure as well as see the trials and errors of childhood in a fun, yet realistic manner. The author, Barbara Parks, has updated this little gem for today's readers, and it is just as wonderful.

I throughly enjoyed reading this book to my class this year. I laughed the entire time, so did they! It's great for any age, I've used it in both fourth and second grades and it's always a bit hit! This book takes a look at the lighter side of being the underdog as a kid. Skinnybones/Alex is a thrill a minute and Park uses everyday words and phrases that keep everyone rolling! This makes it REAL easy to "get into character" while reading, that's part of why it's so well liked, kids love watching adults act like nuts every once in a while. I highly recommend this one!

this is shakespeare's most accessible comedy. it's a farce about mistaken identities among identical twins. nothing complicated here. the play has it's funny moments. it's not the bard's best comedy; that's 'much ado about nothing', imho. but this is not a bad place to start.

"Methinks you are my glass, and not my brother."
So says Dromio of Ephesus, one of the members of two sets of estranged twins whose lives become comically intertwined in this delightful, ingenious, & aptly named Comedy of Errors. Being an avid Shakespeare fan and reader, I unequivocally consider The Comdey of Errors to be Shakespeare's finest and funniest comedy. Antipholus of Syracuse and his long lost twin Antipholus of Ephesus along with the two twin servants Dromio of Ephesus and Syracuse become unceasingly mistaken for each other making for a hilarious and entertaining farce of a play.

The Comedy of Errors has been copied many times since in literature, movies, & sitcoms, although it has never been duplicated.

There is no doubt that this comedy of Shakespeare's is delightful, crazy fun. You could call it the father (or mother) of all sit-coms. The play is suitable for middle school production and viewing, with some modifications. For my students and myself I prefer the Folger's edition of Shakespeare's plays for three reasons. First, the footnotes are easy to read and across from the text. 2. The choice of illustrations and 3. The introductory information. When purchasing for my students, though I have tried other publishers, I now always choose Folgers.