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I first started this book when my mom read it to me when I was very young.
Now it is one of my favorites. It is hillarious, exiting, and touching all at the same time. If you want a book to read to your kids this is it!

My son recommended this to me, when I had complained that I wanted a book that was cheerful. The first chapter was definitely the best of all, and it is what kept me reading through the rest of the book, which was also good.

I've read this book at least two dozen times. I read it once for myself, and each year I read it to my new batch of 7th graders. Everyone loves it. (There are a few parts I don't read to my students.) Every time I pick it up, I fall in love with the characters and am so glad to be part of their lives again! It's funny and sad and is so amazingly real. One year my students wrote Mr. Davis, and he replied. Mr. Davis and I corresponded back and forth for a few letters, and he was seemed like a great guy.

These stories get played on every long car ride our family makes, and all of us (from the first grader on up) are rapt. Davis uses his gentle voice and sly humor to paint unforgettable portraits of beloved relatives, local eccentrics, and lost friends. The stories are fresh and moving each time we hear them; in fact, the repeated listenings increase our appreciation for the mastery of Davis' telling.

This is family entertainment of the highest order.

I don't think anyone can listen to Donald Davis tell his Different Drummer story and not be touched by it. Just it alone is worth the price of the set of cassettes. You also get to hear LSMFT (yes, that's the title of the story), which has a nearly perfect ending. Each is a story so good that you wish you could forget it, so that you'd have the pleasure of listening to it again for the first time.

My four year old son is in love with this chapter series! A friend suggested it to us since he seemed ready for a more advanced reading material at bedtime. My husband reads him a chapter every night...sometimes more because they don't want to stop. It's become a great tradition for them, and something they both look forward to. We love that there are so many in the collection! Start with number 1 and just continue. :)

My daughter loves these books and this one is the only one she was missing. Happy to have found it through Amazon!

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

Jack and Annie are helping Teddy get all four presents. They're going to Australia to find the last present. They go on all kinds of adventures like helping a little kangaroo get back to its mother. Will Jack and Annie help the little kangaroo find its mother? If you want to know, you'll have to read Dingoes At Dinnertime. I like this book. It's good because I like the Dingoes because they remind me of my dog Paco.

Jack and Annie are trying to get the last present to free Teddy from the spell .Can they get the last present? My favorite part was
When Teddy helped Jack and Annie to get out of the wild fire.
I really liked this book you should too!

This book is one of the best on the market today relating to personal financial planning. I found it to be very well organized and complete; it covered all the ESSENTIAL areas of financial planning. The ideas that were presented by the author are sound, and extremely logical.

This book was actually recommended to me by my father. He is approaching the retirement stage and wanted to ensure that his finances would allow for him to retire with my mother comfortably. He told me that the book did a good job of covering issues he was concerned with like retirement and estate planning but would also provide value for me and be a good place to start if I wanted to take control of my financial life.

I took his advice and purchased this book and I found it to be thoroughly comprehensive in describing financial products and planning techniques. It is perfect for investors of all ages who are looking to secure their financial future.

This truly is a great financial planning book. If I could give it 6 stars I would. It is set up in a concise, life events style with easy to understand examples. Being that I am new to family life as well as financial planning this book has really helped me to take a step back, evaluate and not only plan for my future, but for the future of my family.

Overall, I would say that this book is the best book in the market on personal financial planning that I have read. It is complete, covers all the essential areas of financial planning. The financial planning ideas are logical and clearly presented for people who may be new to financial planning and even those who are already experienced.

For many people, the thought of handing over their money to a financial planner is somewhat daunting, especially if they have limited knowledge of the financial planning process. In their book "Make Yourself a Millionaire..." Charles and Lynn Zhang do an excellent job of breaking down and explaining both what you should consider when choosing a financial planner, and what sort of service you should expect once you have chosen one.
I was speaking with a friend about how overwhelmed I was with this process; after all, these days you cannot turn on the TV or surf the web without seeing some sort of advertisement from someone who claims they can help you with your finances. She mentioned that she had heard about this book and suggested that I should look into it. I am so glad that I did. Not only was this book easy to read and understand, but it covers a wide range of topics, from explaining the certification process a CFP goes through, to outlining the benefits of different investment tools, such as mutual funds, bonds, and REITS. Additionally, I believe that those of you who are planning on setting up college funds for your children would benefit greatly from reading the Zhang's discussion of UGMA accounts, 529 plans, and Education IRA's. A chart is even provided to help break down the differences between these options, as well as a few others.
Reading this book helped me to both confidently choose a financial planner and feel at ease when discussing my investments. A must read for the beginning investor!!

I have read a number of financial planning books just to get different views from financial advisors and I have to say that this one tops my list. I myself am a financial planner and currently studying for my CFP. This book was an easy read for those who may not know too much about financial planning. It also contains a wealth of information and insight to provide value to people like me who have a financial background. One of the comments I read about the book before I read it made it seem as having an advisor with a CFP did not matter. As Mr. Zhang points out in his book only 4% of advisors have their CFP because it is such a rigorous process that includes a two day 10 hr exam! After all if it was a simple exam why wouldn't all advisors get certified? I really enjoyed reading this book and I have recommended it to my other colleagues.

This book is extremely helpful for the beginning investor. The book outlines the important aspects and steps of the financial planning process. Included are great strategies and facts for tax-free asset growth and efficient asset allocation. In addition, the author effectively explains complex, yet essential, information about different investment products such as REIT's, mutual funds, bonds and annuities.

This book gives readers the confidence to take control of their own financial future, while emphasizing the importance of having a financial planner. The role, significance and benefits of hiring a financial planner are explained in detail. Overall, the authors have given the reader excellent information to make a very important decision. Ultimately it is up to the reader to decide if their situation is simple enough to handle themselves, or if they would benefit from the expertise of a Certified Financial Planner.

I was fortunate enough to see Mark in action live and purchased the book right after our class. Mark seriously walks the talk and from a person in finance, it was great to be able to see someone having been in that line of work, using meditation to help. Highly recommend anyone searching for how to maintain a more balanced mind set in this crazy world to buy the book and go see Mark when he next speaks.

Namaste Mark Thornton!

I had exposure to some hardcopy and audiobooks and then I stumbled upon Mark Thornton's Meditation in a New York Minute...finally, a book/audiobook that really talked to me; I think Mark Thornton's easy, light delivery resonates with a person who hasn't had too much exposure to meditation, just like I haven't.

Mark's practical and supportive approach to learning how to meditate are relevant to my lifestyle, and I'll bet will be relevant to yours as well if you're interested in learning how to find some centering peace and calm in the whirlwind of your average day. An added bonus is that Mark debunks some commonly held misconceptions about meditation. I also have Mark to thank for suggesting involvement in local "meetups" - it's been fantastic. This book I wholeheartedly recommend-

If you are looking for the benefits of learning meditation without the need to find a new spiritual path, this is a great book. The author assumes you will read through the book quickly and writes in a way that allows you to skim quickly while identifying places where you need to slow down and read thoroughly. He has a practical style and a wide variety of techiniques that allow the busy person to engage in meditation without a radical change to his or her daily schedule. Mark Thornton clearly has knowledge of the topic, so those who already know some forms of meditation will recognize his experience. This is a great find for anyone with a high stress job or who is just curious about the topic.

MEDITATION IN A NEW YORK MINUTE, both in book and on CD, is a remarkable guide to meditation, successful thinking and responsible actions. Mark's invitation to meditate is gentle and persuasive. The use of inspiring quotes from spiritual leaders is motivational. The actual techniques that he presents are useful, doable and simple. I find listening to the CD life enhancing. Mark has the ability to invite his listeners into the ancient and deep practices of meditation and make it practical for the busy indiviual. His voice on the CD is kind and healing. The breathing techniques are simple. They can be performed through out your day and yet are profoundly relaxing and balancing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires calm, peace, harmony and contentment throughout their day, no matter what the chaos surrounding them may be.

In this hectic, 24/7 world, meditation is one of the last things for which most people have any time. This book shows a number of easy ways that anyone can do "mini-meditations" at any time during the day, and that take only one minute at a time.

Everyone has an area of calm deep inside themselves. Accessing that area will decrease stress, re-energize yourself, and enliven the spirit, without closing your eyes and sitting in a lotus position for hours.

Among the techniques are: breathing energy, ChiGung breath for calm, eating (or walking or commuting) with Awareness, magnify heart energy, magnify wisdom, seeing the good in all people and dealing with anger. Start with just one technique, and practice until it becomes second nature. Don't expect to "get" all of these techniques the first time.

This book also mentions quick things that can also be done by anyone at any time. Change your screensaver or cell phone display to CALM or PRACTICE CALM. Breathe in for four seconds, hold for one second, and breathe out for four seconds. Check the muscles in your forehead, and around your eyes, to see if they are relaxed. Massage them if needed. On the subway, imagine your spine is a tube of pure white light, growing brighter and more intense.

This is intended for busy people who don't want to read a lot of spiritual theory; they want to get right to How To Do It. The author is a former executive at JPMorgan, so he understands workplace stress. He has done a fine job with this book. It's simple, effective, and best of all, it's fast.

I was drawn in by the storyline and would like to get the chance to finish the story. The setting descriptions are very good and allow a one to form a mental picture. I would hope that the characters would become more dimensional as the story progresses. 14 pages was enough to introduce the characters and start the plot but not good enough to get a good feeling as to what the characters were all about.

Set in present-day Turkey, this novel conveys the history and culture of another country with two intertwined mysteries. What is the secret past of Marta, a calculating executive who reluctantly returns to her homeland? What is the story behind an elderly man who return to Turkey to bury his brother? I was enthralled after the second paragraph and cannot wait to read the entire novel.

I am anxious to read My Bondage, My Freedom, My Country by Dawn Leger. I truly believe that"coindences" are really the hand of God guiding each of us through our life. I am fascinated with Marta and would like to travel with her to reslsove her past relationship with her mother, and with Visilli, to see how he deals with his brother's death and his mother as well. Also, I look forward to reading Leger's descriptive tour through Turkey.

Leger's writing creates a world both familiar and foreign, drawing on the universal experience of revisiting one's childhood to introduce the reader to Turkey's rich culture. Her characters, even in this abridged form, are vibrant. The ending left me wanting more, but only because the time I spent in this exquisitely detailed world was far too short.

Dawn Leger's novel, My Bondage, My Freedom, My Country, is a compelling read that draws you in. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down, and wanted to read more. The characters are well-drawn, attention-grabbing, and make you care about them. Marta's reluctant journey into her past piques the interest of the reader. What impact will the encounter with Vasilli Vassilios have on her well-planned-out life? In a few pages the reader cares about the characters and wants to spend time with them on their journey. Dawn Leger's well-crafted pages are a great beginning to a novel that I will definitely read.

certainly made me think, most of us cannot imagine life without electricity, but here we have people who learn to manage. I don't think I would have done as well as them.

In this second book Terri Blackstock continues her story of a world thrown into chaos by way of a "starpluse" which has rendered the use of all modern technology useless. Terri Blackstock explores how our world might "look" if this were to happen, how some grow in their faith, love, and selflessness while others grow in their selfishness, sin, and evil. A griping story of orphaned children in a world devoid of "services" to deal with such an occurance and a family willing to sacrifice everything to help these children, their community, and to serve God in any way he asks.

It was as fantastic as the first book. Can't wait to get book # 3!

Spellbinding and interesting! Safe to listen to with older kids in the car too! Love the fact that the family is living out their faith and that the daughter struggles with being bound to a non-believer. We couldn't wait to get back in the car and hear what was next. (Caution: a few scenes have drug use, gun use)

Three months into the world wide technology outage, the Branning family and their neighbors are beginning to get the hang of surviving. They are bartering for what they need and digging a neighborhood well.

But then they are robbed. Jeff chases after the thieves and discovers they are four children, siblings, who have been living alone for months. Against their better judgment, the Brannings feel compelled to care for these kids. Where is their mother? And will the Brannings be able to feed these extra mouths?

If I were viewing this series as a mystery series, I'd be highly disappointed. While there are some mysteries surrounding the kids, they develop in fits and starts. And the climax of that story is pretty weak. Instead, this is a novel about survival and what humans will do when faced with the end of our civilization. As a result, it is fascinating and page turning. I had a hard time putting the book down. The characters are real, and I found myself asking if I would have the faith and compassion to respond as they did multiple times over the course of the novel.

This book relies heavily on the events of the first in the series. There is a recap and character guide in the first few pages, so you could jump in here if you needed to. But I'd advise you to read them in order. And there are some great develops as far as the overall story goes in this book that made me look forward to the third.

This is another challenging and captivating novel from a great writer. If you want a great read, consider this series.

This is one of my all time favorite picture books for all ages. Peter Spiers beautiful illustrations need no words to tell this story. The possibilities for interacting with a child are endless as you wander through the familiar and find the surprising! My granddaughter is 2 years old and loves animals. What could be a better birthday gift?

The happy and humorous tone of this book will make it appealing to any child, whatever the family's religion.

The only text is at the beginning and it is a charming translation of a poem that summarizes the story of Noah. The poem is delightful in and of itself- Spier did a great job of translating.

The illustrations are then left without text, which is very refreshing, since there are so few picture books nowadays. I enjoy leisurely paging through this book with my young daughter, talking about the pictures in and of themselves, as pieces of art and as pictures that tell a story. I feel that the pressure is off in terms of trying to finish a sentence or a story when there is no text there.

In addition, this book is appropriate for Muslim families as well, since the illustrations (and beginning poem) are sufficiently vague as to accommodate for the small differences in the telling of the story in the Qu'ran and the Bible.

My first Peter Spier book. Not saccharine, wonderful details (including Noah mucking out the ark). Great to have a child read to YOU.

This is an excellent picture book - my three year old really loves it. My only "complaint" is that it takes a long time to go through all the pictures and talk about each one making it less than ideal right before bed unless you want to spend 20 minutes on just one book! Seriously though - the book is just wonderful and allows parents to go into whatever level of detail regarding the Noah story as they feel is appropriate for the age of their child. It is a softcover and the pages and cover are not of the highest quality - it would be lovely to have in hardcover with larger pages.

This book really does not need any words. It is so well illustrated that you can understand every part of the story. His detailing is stunning. Every time we read this book, we find new details. This is the best book of Noah's ark story!

I grew up in the south and the story of Chas Newcomb made me feel like I was home again. Mark Ray has written a story that pulls readers in within the first few sentences. I can't wait to find out what happens to Chas and his career at WUWU and what happens with the girl from he met at the Piggly Wiggly.

I found this story to be quite engaging and it reminded me of my own experiences in a small Southern town (granted Texas is a different "country," but some of the same elements are still there). I can't wait to hear more about Chas' trials and tribulations with the new lady in his life!

I feel like I'm right there in Salvia, experiencing all there is to experience in "Small Town America." Mark Ray creates characters and situations that are humorous, yet real. We've all been there in one way or another and I'm left waiting for more. Please hurry . . .

Kentucky Homes & Gardens

I thought this excerpt was MUCH too short and VERY well done! Being a transplant from Ohio to a southern town myself, I found the events of the story to be fun, witty and intriguing! I want to know more about Chas and the (mis)adventures he faces in Salvia, Mississippi...

Okay--it's not precisely the "perfect country and western song" as defined by David Alan Coe (You Don't have to Call me Darlin'); however, we do have mention of Mama and a train--and it's early yet. Mark Ray's got time to throw in drunkeness, coffee, pickups, prison and all the rest.

The story's about Chas, a young man from Columbus, Ohio, who was supposed to have joined his father's law firm. He wanted to become a classical music DJ. Where he landed was Radio WUWU, "coming to you from the Historical Crowder Pease Funeral Home in Salvia, Mississippi."

While several other reviewers have made comparisons, to me this story seems like someone dropped a stranger at OKKK Radio in Tuna, Texas. Yes, the puns are thick and fast and the town is years behind.

This is one of the funniest stories I've read in this contest and it's worth a read for the laugh value alone.

Will it make it to the finals--no, it probably shouldn't with so many very strong literary novels in the running. However, the story should make it to print and maybe even to a movie. If the rest of the novel is as funny as the excerpt, Mark A. Ray has a winner. And we need more funny stories in this cold, cruel world.

Very cute book, lovely illustrations. My kids loved this book when they were younger, so I bought it for my niece's little girl and she loves it too.

This is a superbly lovely book for pre-schoolers and children in the early grades. After seeing it in Australia, I ordered three copies, one for each set of grandkids. My grandgirls, 5 and 7, made me read it to them twice, even though they both can read most of it, and I even caught the 9-year-old eavesdropping. It is one of those books whose illustrations match the charm of the text, and both text and pix are simple, straightforward, yet colorful and delightful and totally enchanting. It's the story of how Hush, a little girl possum, is made invisible by her Grandma Poss's magic and their subsequent search to make her visible again, which they do by cycling around Australia (and sailing to Tasmania in an umbrella) and eating the various specialty foods. Just naming them will make any Ozzie homesick: pavlova, lamington, vegemite, minties, etc. Even a Yank tourist like myself gets a little misty-eyed. The only thing the author left out was Victoria Bitter, but it is a children's book, after all.

Delightful book with illustrations that takes kids 3-6 on an imaginative trip to Australia. I could identify with the main character, "Grandma Poss."

A wonderful picture book with a delightful story line and engaging illustrations, Mem Fox provides a culinary tour of the "best of Australia" in her book Possum Magic. Young people will learn about the geography and foods of the Land Down Under as they travel with Little Possum and his grandma searching for the foods that will make him visible again.

This is a classic Australian picturebook which is becoming popular again as those of us from the generation who were kids when it was first published (1983) now are buying it ourselves and reading it to our children or nieces and nephews. Granted there's always the hey I remember this book when I was kid factor that drives up sales but unlike a lot of books which have this factor of when you get home and read them you remember that you never really liked that book back when you were kid because it is infact not that good, Possum Magic is remembered and was popular back in the 80's because it was a good book. Although some of the food (remedies for Hush's invisibility) inside are no longer uniquely Australian (which is a good thing), learnign about them along with the uniquely Australian wildlife inside this book would make an ideal gift or purchase for any Australian now living overseas to read to their kids and teach them a bit about their heritage. For anyone whose not Australian it is a great opportunity to learn something about Australian culture.

The basic tale of this book revolves around a little girl possum called Hush whose grandma (named Grandma Poss) who was an expert in bush magic turned Hush invisible to prevent her being eaten by snakes (now of course in reality snakes don't use sight like we do to find their prey but see the heat from the body like someone wearing night vision goggles does so being invisible wouldn't have actually helped Hush but anyway this is a fiction book and that's a discussion/lesson probably left for an age group older than this book's target market). Although Hush gets into a few dilemmas as the result of being invisible such as being sat on by a koala she still gets up to lots of fun like riding down the back of kangaroos like a slippery dip. Hush however wants to know what she looks like so asks Grandma Poss to make her visible again which Grandma Poss has of course forgotten, although she remembers it has something to do with human food. This is the tale of finding the cure and travelling across (with a bit of poetic licence by riding a bike and in a floating umbrella the vast distances of) Australia to find it.

Other good children's books about invisibility if that's what you were after include My Best Friend Is Invisible (Goosebumps) by R. L. Stine, You Are Invisible: CYOA #48 by Susan Saunders, The Invisible Day by Marthe Jocelyn, Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex, you can even get an illustrated version of H.G. Wells 1897 classic The Invisible Man (Great Illustrated Classics).

I was very taken with the prose style. Every time I felt confused or curious (who is that? what just happened?) I was given an explanation in a beautifully subtle way that didn't drag down the narrative. It was a pleasure to read.
I purposely didn't read the synopsis or any reviews before I read the excerpt, and I must say I had no idea when or where the story was taking place. A place and date would be nice.
Like some other reviewers I too wondered about the modern language elements. In the end I decided it was for the better. The story is written in modern English after all, and making it sound formal or antiquated would not have expressed how ordinary people have always spoken to one another. The greater pitfall will be if modern culture and values are transported to ancient times. (e.g. Were girls allowed to participate in competitive sports?).
Very well done, Mr. Gage!

An engaging story with pertinent details and an interesting setting. Believable, likable characters. Opening somewhat confusing. Most of the writing was strong and in active voice. Some spots could be smoother, such as the transition about serious choices. Ending of chap. one too quick - should be milked a little. I had some confusion about the time period due to the odd names of the characters and names of towns combined with dialog that is contemporary, "Get off me already." The writing was appropriate for a young adult novel. Good job, Atthys.

The Quickening Wind is captivating from the first paragraph. The pacing of the story is good so far --not too much too soon, but enough to grab and hold the reader. The author helped me to clearly visualize the story, down to small details like Tak's fingers walking along the tree limb. I think the book would benefit from even a bit more description of the setting. Please publish this so I can find out what happens to Tak!

I am struck by how few words this author uses to convey whole characters or settings. The names alone establish the setting, ie, Tak, Thetis, Leannas, Sentry Rock. This makes for a fast-paced adventure story that takes place a very long time ago in the Mediterranean. I like how the author plunks us down from the very beginning in the middle of an exciting story with a 50 headed monster and a heroine who strikes him down. It's definitely a beginning that makes me want to read more. There is just the right mix of dialogue, action, and exposition. The relationship between Tak and Lyssa is so refreshing with their easy friendship that allows them to be angry with one another one minute and laughing the next. The author perfectly captures the child-like play where kids move effortlessly from one game to the next. This is an exciting story that weaves an ancient setting and time with strong characters.

Like several other reviewers, I'm not a reader of young adult fiction but from the opening paragraph this story captured my imagination and attention.

I can see how the pace of the story will appeal to younger readers, but Gage uses more than "scene changes" to keep you connected to the characters. Gage's use of dialog, role playing, history and imagery made this a delight to read and it ended too soon for me.

The tag associated with Quikening Wind seems very appropriate to me..."living myth". The author blends old and new together with vivid symbolism that brings ancient Greece into the hands of the reader.