My son is on the higher end of the spectrum with at least some rudimentary play skills. This book didn't hold my attention, because I couldn't get through the first few chapters. Having some functional use of toys, I grew tired of explanations of how to get my son how to push a car or roll a ball. GREAT if your kid is at a lower point on the spectrum and needs that level of instruction. There may be areas of interest for higher functioning individuals... I just didn't get there!

Two expert behavior analysts have produced a very fine work that should be a fixture on every behavioral programmer's shelf. Written in a style that will be easily understood by professional and layperson alike, Weiss and Harris systematically lay out considerations and plans for helping students diagnosed with autistic-spectrum disorders to develop social skills and move towards mainstream activities. The task can seem daunting. Where do you begin to help students to develop social skills? Begin with this book.

~I really enjoyed reading this book. Molly is a great girl. She cares about society and actually does something for it. She is not afraid to go to a welfare hotel to help ~{!0~}her kids~{!1~}. These kids have psychiatric problems and other problems. Molly helps these kids as much as she can. She is socially conscious. Mary Anderson put Ron~{!/~}s richness and the children~{!/~}s poorness together, makes an emphatic contrast. When two of her young students suffer traumas, she decides that~~ she must do more to help them. She chooses to work with these kids first, not to have fun with Ron. She put her relationship with Ron behind. They straighten everything out at last.~

I loved the character of Molly in this book- she seemed so real and vibrant, like I knew her. The story is fast paced and very readable, with lots of fun and wit. It's not the typical teen-age fare, but that's what makes it good! I recommend it.

this book reflects a lot of the trouble teens have with change and hurt within the family. i must say that this book was truly an improvement considering how other books are these days.

MARY STOLZ IS ONE OF THE BEST & MOST AUDIENCE AWARE AUTHORS OF TEEN NOVELS. SHE HAS PROVED IN MANY OF HER BOOKS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO ALWAYS WRITE ABOUT ONLY THE TROUBLES OF ADOLESCENCE, BUT THE THINGS THAT MAKE THE TROUBLE & THE WAY IT CAN BE RESOLVED.

Where you Belong was a good book. It's about a girl named Fiona. Her parents have problems. One night while staying at her father's house, he comes home drunk. Fiona runs away scared that her Father will hurt her. She ends up on a park bench wondering what to do, where is she suppose to go, where does she belong? After a while she gets up to leave when she meets an old friend, Yolanda. They go on adventures like any other friends would, but there is a problem, Fiona is white and Yolanda is not. When this threatens their friendship Fiona has to figure out how to help Yolanda through hard times.
I would give this book four stars. It's a great book. It starts out slow but picks up as the story goes on. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read and on friendship.

This is a moving story for young people - sensitively and powerfully bringing the hard subjects of race, alcoholism, and poverty into a redemptive narrative.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars.

I read Reviving Ophelia when it first came out in 1995 and again recently ... each time I am unable to put it down. Pipher interviews many different women from all walks of life trying to pinpoint WHY girls who were active, happy, confident before the crucial age of 12 suddenly become unhappy, confused, have low self-esteem, etc. What she uncovers is the dirty secrets you will never read in the columns of YM or Teen.

(Are the girls in those magazines real? I can't help thinking their letters are edited till it looks like there is no real problem there. That happened to me the one time I wrote in to a woman's magazine ---- two months ago! And then you don't need the advice because no one cares about the new sanitized problem.)

Pipher also gives suggestions to the various girls to solve their problems and gain self-esteem in the process. This is a great book that should have been written when Eve was put on this Earth and then revised when the second woman appeared -- and published in a new edition every few years afterwards. It just explains so much --- and makes the reader relieved that it ISN'T just you who doesn't like being in junior high.

I read Reviving Ophelia when it first came out on the shelves. She goes right to the juglar and right to the core of several examples of adolescent girls experiences of this day and age.
My daughter experienced these examples of cruelty in the beginning of middle school, and she is currently in high school and still experiencing these ! Cruelty has now unfortunantly spread over the internet via ICQ and web sites of kids in her school. These Ophelia's can go through therapy for years due to the damage others bring upon them... whats really upsetting is the guardians or parents that are aware of the cruelty their children inflict on these girls when confronted with the problem try to justify it by using or should I say abusing "freedom of speech" or "its a free country" !The book is a real eye opener to all and from what we've experienced in our family it says much about our troubled society as a whole. I'd like to know if there are any workshops or seminars around the country to let the nation be aware of whats going on and how we can address it in our schools. I'd like to help start one in our community.
Please pass this on to the author Mary Pipher. Give her my e- mail address.
Another shocking book I recommend is "Our Guys" by Bernard Lefkowitz, sadly it's just a true portrayal of how our society of teens and parents try to justify their children's horrible unrestrained actions of brutality.

Reviving Ophelia was an excellent resource for combining and analyzing issues that face adolescent girls in America today. She places particular emphasis on the negative effects of our culture and says that the best solution would involve the decrease of our girl-poisoning environment. She comments that girls face pressures to be someone who they are not and this causes loss of true self that is replaced with a false self. She boldy asserts that this is a new "problem with no name" following in the footsteps of Friedan who coined that phrase in the Feminine Mystique. Throughout the book she reviews issues such as drugs and alcohol, sex and violence, media, eating disorders, depression, and the like that all contribute to the loss of true selves. For each issue she presents, she also gives real life examples of girls in her thearapy sessions that have faced the same problems. Overall, Pipher does a great job of presenting these issues to the public, and in doing so the possiblity for help for adolescent girls is increased.

Silent Night by Mary Higgens Clark was an excellent book! I had never read a book by Mary Higgens Clark, but now she's my favorite author, and I can't wait to read more! The way that Mary Higgens Clark wrote kept me hooked through out the entire book, it really made me use my imagination!

The book is about a family at Christmas time in New York visiting their father who is in the hospital. When a special present for the father is stolen by a woman, the youngest boy follows her only to get into alot of trouble.

With passages from the book like:"He wanted to get to the hospital and watch Mom give Dad the big St. Christopher medal that had saved his Grandpa's life when he was a soldier in World War II." and, "He stuck the gun back inside his jacket, then reached down and roughly pulled Brian to his feet.",it is evenly kindhearted, yet suspenseful.

This book is great for readers of all ages! If you don't like being anxious, or suspended this book maynot be for you.

Mary Higgins Clark is an amazing author and she shows it in the book Silent Night. This book will get the reader hooked, which makes it very hard to put it down. The suspense just makes the want to read it from the first page until the last page, without stopping. The book is about a mother, Catherine Dornan, and her two boys Michael, the oldest, and Brain, the youngest. They were going to visit their father in the hospital who had been somewhat recently diagnosed with Leukemia. Brain wants to give his father a present that he had received from his grandfather. His mother was holding on to the gift in her wallet. They walked to the hospital to see all of the Christmas activities on their way. Catherine dropped her wallet trying to put it back into her purse on the way, but she did not realize that she had dropped it. Brain saw her drop it and was going to pick it up when another lady beat him to it. He followed her to her home and ended up in a room with the lady who took the wallet and an escaped prisoner. This book has many plot changes that add to the development of the story line and its eventual climax. This is a really good book and I encourage anyone who likes a good mystery book to get this book and read it. Reading Silent Night is defiantly worth your time.

The powers of love, faith, and courage have rarely been tied together in an exciting suspense story. But in the novel "Silent Night" by Mary Higgins Clark, she managed to do just that.

The setting in Christmas Eve in New York City. After Tom Dornan arrives there to recieve a life-saving operation for his leukemia, his wife Catherine and two sons come to visit from Omaha. While Catherine and her two boys watch a musician on the street, Catherine's youngest son, Brian, witnesses someone taking her wallet without her realizing it. The wallet had a St. Christopher medal in it that saved his grandfather's life in World War Two. Brian hopes that giving it to his dad will save his life as well.

Brian follows the woman to her apartment and gets caught up in something far bigger than he expected. When kidnapped by escaped murderer Jimmy Siddons, Brian find's his courage and faith tested in this heartwarming novel that is great for all ages.

Sci Fi movie buffs may not recognize the original novel by Mary
Shelley, any more than movie goers would recognize the real Tarzan in ERB's debut book. For this 1818 novel introduces us to a surprisingly articulate monster--who is never named by his idealistic young creator. Its antique literary style offers a tale presented by three different first-person narrators. Letters (tales within a tale) are the inevitable legacy of suicide or premature death before the story is really over.

In contrast, the basic theme appears remarkably modern, especially in the light of 21st century scientific debate over the inherent dangers of too much knowledge (as in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)or genetic tampering (The Island of Dr. Moreau). Man is simply not morally csapable to assume the role of creator. Lofty-minded but overwrought Victor Frankenstein conceives the blasphemous idea of creating a living being of gigantic stature. Despite his noble goal of benefitting mankind, the experiment goes grotesquely awry. The youthful natural scientist endures a few years of tortured, morbid existence, which swell to a crescendo of horror as a result of his cerebral "Hybris."

Frankenstein's obsession gradually dominates his life--spilling blood onto those around him, as the people dearest to him are viciously and deliberately murdered. Is there no way to stop the rampage of terror which he has inadvertantly unleashed upon a helpless, unsuspecting world? Linked inexorably by the bonds of unholy creation, both Victor and his monster live only for Revenge. But can either truly be said to be alive, if the other should perish? Are they not mutually dependent on each other to sustain the fires of the hunt? Despite uneven pacing, this thriller/chilller has captured the imagination of kids of all ages for almost two centuries. Bear in mind that Hollywood has transformed the original monster, spawning the idea that Frankenstein Is the monster!

Mention the name "Frankenstein" and the first image to pop into people's minds is one of a big, dumb, green guy with bolts coming out of the sides of his neck. Anyone reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the first time may be surprised to learn that in the novel the creature is neither inarticulate nor ignorant. He is the product of a zealous doctor's quest to take life and death into his own hands. The creature is shunned by all mankind, including the one person who should feel some compassion or responsibility for him, his creator, Dr. Frankenstein. All the creature ever wants is to be accepted by society and to find companionship. With an intellect superior to that of the average human being, he learns to speak and read. It isn't until after he understands that he is doomed to a life of rejection that he seeks revenge, turning violent and murderous. The underlying question of the novel is, who is the real monster here, the formidable creature or the creator who abandoned him?

Through the creature's own words, we hear of his confused awakening and search for understanding. From the start he recognizes that his appearance is so horrifying as to repulse anyone who sees him. Fittingly, once he has taught himself how to speak and read, his first attempt at communication is with a blind man. When he realizes the futility of his search for a friend, he focuses his efforts on another objective - revenge upon the one who brought him into this cruel world. The creature sets out to make Frankenstein's life the same sort of hell as his own.

The scientist Frankenstein goes to great lengths to complete his experiment, realizing too late that there are consequences for interfering with the laws of nature. He brings to life a most unnatural beast, and flees in horror from the being he has created. Feeling no responsibility to comfort the creature in any way, he instead wishes to completely abandon it and forget that it even exits, leaving it to struggle single-handedly in a world where it does not belong. Is it any wonder that his creation becomes slightly incensed at his abandonment and seeks to create for Frankenstein a life equal to his own in misery and isolation?

Who deserves the label of "monster"? First-time readers of Shelley's novel may have a hard time accepting that the creature is not a purely evil or demonic being; contrary to popular belief, he does not just wake up and start strangling people. The creature in the novel has qualities we more easily identify with, such as the desire to be loved and accepted. On the other hand, Dr. Frankenstein's actions are questionable at times. Is the creature justified in his revenge? Or does Frankenstein get the bad end of the deal, his originally well-intentioned experiment gone sour? Either way, reading Mary W. Shelley's novel presents to us the viewpoint of a very different "monster" than we expect.

After seeing at least five versions of this tale in film - one of my great childhood monster loves - I was happy to finally read the novel. As so often occurs with classics, I was as surprised as I was fascinated.

For starters, the characters are far more subtle than any of the film versions: Victor F appears as a brooding and obsessed genius, but also as a great lover of life and nature. The monster, who is an articulate and literate creature who read Goethe, is even more interesting, from his hopeful beginning to his bitter reaction at rejection and his thirst for vengence. His eloquence was vivid and his pain horribly realistic.

But the work is also fascinating as a window into the mind of the Romantics, who at once strove to reject the rationalism of the Enlightenment yet reflected it. The creature starts off empty and what it becomes is due entirely to his experience. Knowledge is not always good, etc.

Finally, the themes are timeless and full of conflict: creativity giving birth to unimaginable destruction, tampering with nature as its necessities overwhelm even genius, and the like. THe book is a kaleidescope of philosophical reflection. The pain of the creator and the monster alike are inescapably linked like father and son.

I did find the style of the book a bit difficult. It is full of florid rhetoric and lengthy circumlocutions, as the doctor and then the monster tell their stories in almost identical prose.

Highly recommended.

The novel LET ME CALL YOU SWEET HEART, by Mary Higgins Clark, is a thrill seeking, mind boggling murder mystery novel. Kerry McGrath and Geoff Dorso resurface a ten year old murder case of Suzanne Reardon that could cost Kerry her job. It was up to Kerry and Geoff to find the real killer and prove Skip Reardon's innocence. The novel is well thought out and planned including Clarks ability to capture the the true essence of a real murder case brought back to life. A weak point of her writing is the fact that some of the loose eands weren't completed. Such an example is the connection of the death the Dr. Charles Smith and did Frank Green become Governor. In all the novel is outstanding and would be great to be read by anyone who loves murder mysteries.

The main characters are carefully drawn out and are realistic. Kerry McGrath is an assistant prosecutor that found out who the killer of Suzanne is when Kerry and her daughter's lives are threatened by the same man. Clark gives Kerry a wonderful characterization of a single mother who is fighting for a higher position in the law firm. Geoff Dorso helps Kerry solve the mystery by having Jason Arnott say who it actually is. Clark has made Geoff realistic by portraying him as a rugid cop that's out to find answers. He looked for the files on the Reardon case, and he digs up information on each of the suspects in the novel. These are the two main characters in the novel and they are well formed and developed by Mary Higgins Clark.

The plot is well thought out, fluent and emphasizes many complications of real life. Kerry McGrath's daughter, Robin, had an accident due to her ex-husband's carelessness. When Kerry took Robin into the plastic surgeon's office of Dr. Charles Smith, she sees a familiar face but she's not sure where she's seen it. When she realizes that it is the face of Suzanne Reardon, who's been dead for 10 years, it peeks her interest in investigating into the closed case. Kerry, along with Geoff Dorso, put new pieces into the puzzle of who killed Suzanne, to be able to free Skip Reardon. Investigating this case puts Kerry's daughter's life in danger. When Kerry realizes who the real killer actually is, her own life becomes at risk. The story's suspence will have you on the edge of your seat. The surprise ending is so shoking that you hope it doesn't happen to you. The accusations of who done it left me pointing the finger at different people at different times. In all the plot was well formed and keeps you wanting more.

In conclusion, the edge of your seat murder investigation will have you feeling like your the detective. The thought and planning is superbly done by Mary Higgins Clark. What' sbaffling is that Clark doesn't explain who killed Dr. Smith. The motvie is made clear but who did it isn't. In the end Kerry receives her judgeship but nothing is heard about Frank Green's attempt at becoming governor. In all the rest of the plot makes up for it. I would recommend the novel to murder mystery lovers.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark

This book was very good. I really enjoyed reading it. Although it starts off slow and out of nowhere, the plot thickens and it is a big surprise at the end. Suzanne Reardon, a wealthy woman, is murdered. Over her body are sweetheart roses, hence the name. Her husband was convicted of the murder. He is in jail for at least 30 years without parole. Ten years later, Kerry Magrath and her daughter are in Dr. Smith's office, for a plastic surgery counseling. Kerry sees a Suzanne Reardon look-alike. She looks into Dr. Smith and finds out he is Suzanne's father. This leads up to a number of other suspects including Jonathan Hoover, Jimmy Weeks and others that may have had interest in Suzanne. It leads up to the end where Dr. Smith is murdered as well. Kerry then finds out who the killer is, but not soon enough. She goes to the killer's house and she and Robin are to be killed until someone who couldn't before helps them. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to stick with it and loves a good mystery story.

Mary Higgins Clark writes another page turner for her faithful readers. Kerry McGrath, an astute prosecutor and divorced mother, joins the list of Clark's famous heroines as she takes mystery lovers on a ride through this multi-tiered suspenseful story. McGrath deals with plastic surgeon Dr. Smith, who recreates the beautiful face of his murdered daughter on other patients, mob figure Jimmy White, her ex-husband and mob attorney Bob Kinellen, antique expert and thief Jason Arnott, and powerful politicians. They all become neatly tied in the end to the murdered Suzanne Rearden. The young prosecutor juggles motherhood that deals with fear for the safety of her ten-year old daughter, and of course attracts the attention of fellow attorney Geoff Dorso who represents the convicted murderer Skip Rearden. Allusion to the song "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" in the title and the book is ironic because it represents anything but love for the murdered sweetheart. All the same, this sweetheart of a book will keep you burning the midnight oils.

Pretend You Don't See Her is Mary Higgins Clark's clever and terrifying new book. It is the story of Lacey Farrell, a young real estate agent on the Manhattan scene. In the mist of selling a late young lady's skyline co-op, Lacey is witness to the murder of her client, Isabelle Waring, the mother of the late Heather Landi. Ms. Waring is convinced that her attacker is after a journal kept by her daughter up until the day she died. Although Lacey hands over the journal to the police, it is not before she makes a copy for herself-a move that could turn out to be almost fatal. After numerous threats are made on her life, Lacey is placed in the witness protection program and moves to Minneapolis. Here, Lacey must assume a totally new identity until the killer can be brought to trial. At first, it was hard for Lacey to assume her new identity of Alice Carroll, but eventually she grows into the new Lacey. While in Minneapolis, Lacey becomes attracted to Tom Lynch, a local radio-show host. Tom and "Alice" go on a few dates, but due to all the confusion, Lacey breaks off their relationship. Shortly after her break with Tom, Lacey discovers that the killer has traced her to Minneapolis. Fearing for her life, Lacey returns home to Manhattan. Left with only her courage and the clues in Heather Landi's journal, Lacey races against the clock in search of identifying who was after her and the journal. Will Lacey Farrell live long enough to put her murderer away for good? Mary Higgins Clark combines murder, mystery, and fun together to make her fifteenth novel one of her best yet.

This exciting novel is about a woman named Lacey Farrell, who lives in Manhattan and is a real estate agent. One day she is witness to the murder of Isabelle Waring, whose daughter, Heather, was killed in a car accident. Lacey is placed in the witness protection program, and sent to live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before Isabelle died, she made Lacey promise to give her daughter's journal to her father, and asked her to read it too. Isabelle was convinced that Heather's death was not an accident. So Lacey takes the journal, gives the original copy to the police, gives a copy to Heather's father, and makes a copy for herself. But then she gets into trouble with the police, because they say that she could be charged with removal of evidence from a crime scene. While Lacey is in Minneapolis, somehow the murderer of Isabelle Waring has managed to track her down. I enjoyed reading this novel, because I liked being kept in suspense and not knowing what would happen next. I recommend this book to people who like to read suspenseful books with unpredictable plots. This novel is so unpredictable, it will keep readers guessing throughout the entire book.

Pretend You Don't See Her is one of Mary Higgins Clark's best. It starts off with a bang and keeps your adrenalin up through out the entire book. You won't be able to put down this incredibly suspenseful novel. I suggest you read it.

The book is about a woman named Lacey Farrell, a real estate agent. One day, while showing a skyline co-op, Lacey is witness to a murder, and the dying words of the victim. The victim tells Lacey to take her dead daughter's jounal, which Lacey makes a copy for herself, then gives to the police. Lacey is put in the witness protection program and sent to live in Minneapolis. She then discovers that the killer has traced her to Minneapolis. Lacey heads back to New York, determined to find out who's behind the death's of two women, before she herself is killed.

After finishing all 5 books in the series, I came away satisfied, but not completely full (much like eating sushi). The backdrop to the series is fantastic (who is not intrigued by ancient Egypt) and the characters were generally interesting, but unfortunately, there was MUCH too little development, both in terms of characters and plots. The author has an annoying habit of solving/explaining away too many (as in all) of the major conflicts to Ramses, being a living god and thus calling on super-natural abilities to solve the problem / slay the enemy. Each book could have easily been the length of the entire series, example: the entire battle of Kadesh (Ramses most notable victory) was glossed over in about 15-pages! I realize this is a novel, but let's get real...unfortunately, this is the case with most of the interesting items in this series from relationships, to motives, to plots. BUT with that said, it was an enjoyable read AND I found that a good bit of the series was historically accurate, of course with some liberties taken. I would recommend this book and each one in the series to other readers (provided they have an interest in Ancient Egypt), but just don't expect too much and you might not be let down.

Christian Jacq uses his extensive knowledge of Egypt to weave a wonderful coming of age story in Ramses II The Son of Light. Jacq's novel incorporates history and intrigue to capture and transport the reader into the world of Ramses and the making of a pharaoh. From his first test, standing face to face with a wild bull, Ramses exhibits both the intellect and courage that will make him the most successful of Egypt's pharaohs.

As Ramses strives to become enlighteded through the wisdom of his father, the pharaoh, he is being undermined and challanged by his older brother, Shaanar, for the right to rule. Ramses must also contend with the two young women in his life, Iset the Fair, his passionate lover, and Nefertari, the woman who will become his wife. There are also the many friends and acquaintances, among them Moses and Homer, who play a role in his transformation from a boy to a leader of men.

Whether one is interested in history or just a good story, Ramses II The Son of Light will fit the bill. After reading the first book, one would be hard pressed not to read the entire series.

This is a solid, engaging read that paints a picture of ancient Egypt as a civilization built with a degree of pride, intelligence and spiritualism that seems to be utterly lacking in today's world. The writer's knowledge and love of his subject matter overpowers his simplistic prose and heavy-handed plotting. SON OF LIGHT is an excellent beginning to colorful depiction of RAMSES II's life. Jacq's protagonist is a magical mixture of fact, fabrication and splendorous mythology. Vol. I deals strictly with the trials King Seti asks his son to undertake. How Ramses approaches each situation will eventually reveal whether or not he has what it takes to become Regent of Egypt. Those looking for THE THORN BIRDS with Pyramids as a backdrop or some other unecessarily dense and cluttered historical novel should look elsewhere. Obviously the European readers must have a greater appreciation of simplicity and "manifest destiny" than some of the other reviewers here. This novel would serve as a rousing, thoughtful introduction to the Egyptian Legacy, especially for young adults. As for literary trend-readers, this one's not for you.