This is an excellent children's book. I use it every year in my classroom because my students can identify so well with Grace. There are so many language arts activities that can be used with it. Grace is an unforgettable character. She knows what she wants and is undaunted by would-be obstacles in her path. With the help of loving family members she can do anything she sets her mind to!

A child's imagination is one of the purest forms of expression. Author Hoffman has captured that innocence in this superb tale. Grace, like so many youngsters, spends much of her day in the pleasures of "acting out" the characters that populate the pages of the books she reads. She feels that she can do and be anything that she desires. The theme of pursuing one's dreams is the type of message to which all can relate.

As one turns the pages of this beautifully illustrated book, one can enjoy the little girl's imaginary adventures. When Grace learns of the part in "Peter Pan," the reader is able to identify with this as a part of school life. The illustrator has also balanced the classroom with children of varied ethnic and racial backgrounds. This is a plus in the age of being "politically correct."

The language of the book is reflective with the age of the intended reading audience. With a little adult help, the average primary child will "read" this one with great relish.

The resolve of the adults in the family to encourage Grace in pursuit of her dreams is refreshing. Most of us let barriers prevent us from doing the same.

This is one great children's book!

I use this book in the classroom for kids grades 4-6. It was difficult to find a book about role models for the class that wasn't:t A) Being really obvious about the topic. B) Eurocentric.C) Intimating that being a role model is only for those whe are older than you. This book is a wonderful example of how a little girl can be a role model to not only her classmates, but to her mother and grandmother by using her imagination and sticking to her beliefs. It also illistrates how people can be role models to their own role models. The kids in all of my classes totally get it and are in turn able to relate the story to their own lives. I would also recommend the sequel Boundless Grace, a wonderful story that shows there are all types of families and even though everyone can't always be together, you can keep your family together in your heart.

This book takes you thru the life of a woman who has truly been to hell and back and has survived to tell the story. She is very explicit that it was only the power of God that saved her and continues to sustain her. If you think have been thru hell, read this book because it is a survivor's kit to salvation!!!!!!!

This awe inspiring book was meant to motivate and encourage the readers to seek new vision for their life. This book has a accomplished its mission. It's hard to walk away from this book feeling discouraged or disappointed. The characters are real and vividly presented. There are characters who you will love and others you will hate. The book is a story of miracles. Yet there is something deeper than the interesting details of the book. Within each page there is a special message for the reader. The book has an easy flow. However, the depth of the book provokes you to read the book over and over again as you face new trials in your life. The book demands a second edition.

After over 20 years of silent suffering, author Charlotte Russell Johnson penned the details of the most shocking events of her life in her first novel, A Journey To Hell and Back. This gripping saga takes the reader to places that are only read about or seen in the movies. Through this compelling novel, Ms. Johnson opens up her soul, risking everything in hopes of reaching beyond the breaks to bring salvation to many of the souls now trapped in purgatory. Parallel to the Footprints In The Sand, Ms. Johnson was never truly alone; during the most difficult times of her journey, God picked her up and carried her. Her unwavering faith in God became the catalyst for the divine change in her life.
The Girlfriendz Book Club

"Soul Kiss" is quite a good book. The good thing about it is that the author (Shay Youngblood) is talented, this is her first novel & she's done a good job. It's a "coming of age" story of a young girl who is deserted by her drug-addicted mother, & who tries to make sense of life & to deal with her pain. The story is well told & there are some very touching scenes...The only thing I didn't like was that the book was kind of short, meaning that the characters I think were not that well developed, & the story itself left some loose ends. Shay Youngblood seems to be a creative & inspired writer, so I look forward to reading her next books in order to see whether she's developed her writing style.

I was looking for a story to read that would have a young girl as the main character; I also wanted to read such a book in first person. That's how I found "Soul Kiss". After reading reviews I purchased the book last fall and just finished it in January. I found "Soul Kiss" to be immensely satisfying. It's the story of Mariah who is sent to live with her two elderly aunts; her mom drops her off and Mariah begans to wish to be reunited with her mother in the worst way. She carries these yearnings for many years and has various adventures as she reflects on the events which happen in her life. The writer Shay Youngblood has a style I wish I could call my own. I adored the imagery she used; the descriptions of some Mariah's thoughts about how much she yearns for her mothers ("I miss my mama, but I don't want to. I am seven years old and yesterday is today, tomorrow never comes.") It was just a pleasant and poetic type of fiction; the kind I've love to be able to read all the time. I love the book and I hope you will get a copy, read it and enjoy it too. It's that good.

The language of this novel is so beautiful that I found myself rereading sentence after sentnce to savor the words. I finished this book in two days not because I read it quickly but because I could not put it down. Youngblood's words are the kind you should enjoy slowly and read some outloud to feel them on your tongue.There are parts of this story that are disturbing. Mariah gets raped as a young teenager--devasting--but written in a way that does not sensationalize it or provide fodder for perverts. The sexual attraction between Mariah and her father disturbs but rings true and is thankfully not acted upon.The part of this book that i related to most is a story most lesbian and bisexual women will find very familiar. It describes the pain felt by adolescent Mariah as she loses the love of her "girly girl" friend to heterosexual puberty. I think we have all been there.Unlike other reviewers i don't think that this book contains any sexually explicit scenes. I don't think that the plot is unfocused or the story depressing. This is one of the best books i have ever read--and i have read a lot of books. It is as near perfect as humanly possible. It has a spiritual beauty to it that will resonate in your soul long after reading it. It does indeed kiss your soul.

Big Mama Stories are a wonderful collection of short stories with a southern backgrround. The stories identify southern women of long ago that we need. Some with education, most with limited formal education but lots of savy, guts, and wisdom to surive.Some are humorous, some suspensful, other sad. Its a must and easy rea.d A real salute to Agrican American ordinary women oof yesterday.

I recently picked up this book at the library and I must say that the best things really do come in small packages. I laughed a lot and even cried a little. Being a black woman and having spent a few years of my upbringing surrounded by family in the South, I could relate to so much of what Ms. Youngblood wrote about. Even now, visiting my relatives conjures up bittersweet memories of a very complicated time in our nation's history. Her stories were right on the money in describing the strength of black women and is a tribute to Big Mamas everywhere, including mine.

This short novel by Shay Youngblood, is told in the first person. It is a story of a young black woman, who, at 26, decides to go to Paris to become a writer. She's enamored with the stories of other successful black writers who have done this, such as James Baldwin and Langston Hughes, and wants to follow in their footsteps. It's 1986, and there are random bombings in Paris because of the Algeria situation but this never comes across either as a reality or as a metaphor. What does come across is her loneliness as she encounters one misadventure after another. She's penniless, but gets jobs as an au pair, an artist's model and a caregiver of an elderly lady. Along the way she meets some interesting people and even has a love affair or two. She is always aware of prejudice and the realities of living on her own.

I found the book a pleasant read but there is not much focus to it. The plot follows her adventures or misadventures and the characters come and go. It rambled too much for my taste and, and even though I learned a bit about her experience as an expatriate, I found the story too one-dimensional and soon got bored.

I truly enjoyed this book. But woe betide an author who dares to tread on the sacred ground of the Black Expatriate Experience in Paris! How dare she see the same sights and drink at the same cafes in your search for her own experience. The nay-sayers who have phoned in their caustic remarks about this lovely book have completely missed the point. This is not about Baldwin or Wright. They came before. Eden came after. This book addresses the strange relationship one can have to a Black History lived by someone else somewhere else. A strange relationship to your own dreams when those dreams are filtered through the experience of others. Eden comes to appreciate and understand her unique relationship to Paris partly as a result of seeking out what was cliche about it, what was presented to her as "the real Paris" and finding out how little that meant. The impression I got from Eden at the books close is radically different than the expectations she had at its beginning. Anyhow. Decide for yourself. I'm eager to see more work from this talented writer, who dares to stray off the beaten path where "Sista gurl" writers and the Negro Intellectual Elite walk their tired talk.

Captivating and mystifying. I had never heard of Shay Youngblood before Black Girl In Paris, but I have certainly put the word out in the form of "gifts". I went to Paris not in pursuit of anyone's legacy, but after reading the book I was moved to revisit the place of faceless color. I am now a fan of Ms. Youngblood and she has inspired me to keep pursuing my aspiration to become a writer...

Boston, MA