G Books

What a wonderful book of unique poetry!!!!! I work with troubled youth in Detroit and have shared this book with them. They find it inspirational and it has given them hope for their future, when they feel they have none. I am excited to see what this author writes in the future.

It is so refreshing to have an african american male write in a positive venue, in that, revealing self. So many are taught to keep their feelings in because they are males, but this writing exemplifies that it is okay. I look forward to reading more of the author's work.

This is a great peace of work of words stirred from the heart. It is an inspiration of a mind-state that evovled into a great spirit. A great book of poems that envokes hope, wisdom, love, and respect for life. A great gift for troubled teens or just for a poetry lover. I look forward to reading more from this writer. This is a great buy for a nice price. I love it.

An O.G. Like Me, captures the thoughts and feelings through poetry of a man who overcame hurdles in life to become a mentor and inspiration to the youth of our country and inner cities. Inner thoughts from an urban mind is highly recommended for anyone working with at risk youth or for your own reading pleasure. The writing is sincere and from the heart of a man who has grown into a deep, thoughtful and empathetic soul. A true work of art! Bravo! can't wait to read more from this new and upcoming author!

Fernandez

I found "An O.G. Like Me" to be extremely powerful. I really appreciated the clarity and the intensity of the poems. One of my favorite poems is "Hater Free" which looks at the larger societal issues that need to be addressed, while another favorite, "My Pops", focuses on individual feelings of love towards family and those close at heart. Alexander Lucas has suceeded in publishing a heartfelt first book. I look forward to purchasing subsequent books by this author.

I knew of the Delany sisters from a 60 minutes segment after the first book. In 1998, while starting through the divorce process that seemed so daunting after a quarter century of marriage, I found Sadie's book. I read and reread this book and was always helped with the grief and feelings of being overwhelmed by having to create a life on my own. I figured if Sadie could do it at 107, I could do it at 50. The thought of her having to learn to fix her own hair by herself at that age was such a specific challenge that helped me put my own challenges in perspective. As I read her progress through the grieving process, I made my own progress as well. As I look back on those times 10 yrs. later, I can see this book was one of the most valuable tools I used to not only survive, but to thrive and grow in so many ways.On My Own at 107: Reflections on Life Without Bessie

Sadie and Bessie Delany lived together for over 100 years before Bessie died at the age of 104 in the home that the two sisters shared. They were well-educated African-American women in an era when few blacks or women attended college. Sadie was a teacher and Bessie worked as a dentist. The sisters were devoted to each other and Bessie's death was a severe blow to her older sister.

The original story about the sisters is told in "Having Our Say". This book by Sadie chronicles her experiences in learning to live without her sister in the difficult first year after Bessie's death. Sadie's faith, common sense, love, and wisdom come shining through in this little book.

Grief is pictured beautifully here as "Sadie" describes her first year after the death of her beloved sister with reference to the beautiful flowers Bessie always raised. The fall and winter of dormancy and renewal in her grief gradually gives way to the vibrancy of spring blooms and summer sun.

When Sadie sees the first spring flowers peeking through the snow, she realizes for the first time that she will grow through her grief. This is a stirring portryal of the experience we all face.

"On My Own at 107: Reflections on Life without Bessie" is by Sarah L. Delany with Amy Hill Hearth. Their text is accompanied by illustrations by Brian M. Kotzky. This book contains the reflections of 107-year old Sarah "Sadie" Delany after the death of her sister and lifetime companion Bessie at the age of 104.

A foreword by coauthor Hearth discusses the lives of these two extraordinary African-American women and the success of their book "Having Our Say," published in 1993 and adapted as a Broadway play. Bessie was a pioneering dentist, and Sadie a teacher; remaining unmarried, the two enjoyed a lifetime partnership that lasted over a century.

The main body of the text is divided into four parts, each with an introductory section by a 3rd person narrator. But the bulk of the text consists of Sadie's first-person reflections. Interspersed throughout the text are Kotzky's beautiful full color illustrations of the many flowers that longtime gardener Bessie loved: crocuses, tulips, rhododendrons, coral bells, etc.

This is a wonderful book about family, faith, growing old with grace, and surviving the death of one's life partner. Sadie's voice is wonderfully moving and sometimes funny. Ultimately the book celebrates the cycles of life.

This book is a touching tribute to Bessie Delany and a celebration of the enduring partnership she shared with her sister. Early in the book Sadie declares, "Why, I have been so blessed in my life!" Likewise are we readers blessed with this beautiful book. Recommended especially for those with an interest in women's studies, African-American studies, flower gardening, and issues related to the elderly.

I read the first two books about these two remarkable sisters ("Having Our Say," and "The Delaney Sisters' Book of Everyday Wisdom") and they also deserve five stars each, absolutely. In fact, the best book, in terms of literary merit, is the first one, and I loved looking at the photos in the book of the whole family, going back a few generations.

But this book here really helped me in the first year of my husband's death. I read it at least once a week, usually more. I found strength in the fact that if Sadie could make it on her own after being practically attached at the hip for over 100 years to Bessie, and loving each other so much and so well, then I would somehow find the strength to go on too.

Sometimes I was so cried out, but I was still so sad and wanted to cry more, but the tears wouldn't come. The way the "as-told-to" author Hearth expressed Sadie's feelings always helped bring back those cathartic tears.

I read many books of comfort for the grieving widow, but for some reason, this little book near saved my life.

This book has a comforting message about letting go of special friends and holding on to memories after they're gone. A great read for young and older kids.

Enchanting, charming, and SWEET! We have an equally wonderful tree in our front yard, which has held a swing, provided shade, as well as a home to a family of squirrels that have been with us for years (much to our dog's amusement). Although we have never thought about naming our tree we have, after reading this heartwarming book, decided to name our tree. Announcing for the first time ever in print, our big old maple tree, MAY!

My first graders loved this book and they noticed some characters from other book that Catrow illustrated show up in this story. It made them sad at the end.
For adults, it makes you think about childhood memories,

My 8 year old checked this book out at the school library and had to have it. She read it over and over! Good book for any family that may be dealing with the loss of something or someone special.

In a perfect world children would never have to experience the pain of loss. But, of course, this is not a perfect world, and just like their adult counterparts, youngsters need help coping when they lose someone they love. Be it that pet hamster who meets with an untimely (and usually slightly suspicious) end, a beloved grandparent who passes away, or the giant tree in the family's backyard that is cut down after providing so many years of comfort to those who hung from its limbs and took shelter under its shade- we all need help getting our children through such rough times. "Our Tree Named Steve" is the perfect book for such times.

Written in the form of a tender letter from a father to his three children this book teaches children about the importance of loving, to their fullest capacity, those who impact their lives; and then, when that most precious person is gone physically, embracing that same love, and, most importantly, feeling empowered by that love- perpetuating it so to speak. This book reminds its readers, both young and not-so young, that once someone has taken up residence in our hearts, they exist there eternally. Perhaps, in a different, less tangible form as the end of the book suggests- but they reside there nonetheless.

An obvious departure from the more adult-oriented comedy writing for which he is most recognized, Alan Zweibel has written a children's book that is entertaining, thought-provoking, and even a bit spiritual in its universal theme. But despite the heavy subject matter, the book is written with a softness and gentility that is soothing to children. It's also quite funny- the line "... and whenever our dryer broke down, he (Steve, the tree) held our underwear with pride" will undoubtedly make every child giggle because `underwear' is always funny! The illustrations that accompany Mr. Zweibel's thoughtful text are both beautiful and comical, and I simply love the colors David Catrow used. They jump off the page.

I highly recommend this book- it is one that should be accessible on the family bookshelf at all times for those days when your child needs some comforting... heck, it'll probably provide some solace to a few grown-ups, too.

This series by Gordon Korman worked wonders for several reluctant readers in my class. These are good fast moving books that really move you on to the next in the series.

Great but before I say anything, NOTE this is a six part writing, the reader must read them in order to make sense.

This is the best series I have ever read! I couldn't stop reading them!The series is about 2 kids, Aiden and Meg Falconer trying to prove their parents innocence.They find out along the way it isn't so easy. Their parents are convicted of helping out terirists and were put in jail for life. They are wanted by a killer,known as Hairless Joe, the F.B.I., and the police. They never get boring. I recommend this series if you like books that never have a dull spot in them!

I really liked this book because it never was boring. Every page has something interesting on it. Once I read the first book in the series I could ot stop. They have lots of action in it, like when hairless Joe chased them in a gold corvette! It was a very good book I really enjoyed it. I hope you will too!




By Surfergirl

The book, On the Run, by Gordon Korman had many exciting events. Here are the things that I liked about the story. There were two teenagers who were on the run. But their parents were in jail. So, they needed to figure out how they could get their parents out. Then the teenagers stole bikes and cars. The cops tried to catch them. They chased the sister and she was finally caught.
I liked the book because the parents are in jail. The part I didn't like was when her sister got caught by the police and their house got burned down. So the two teenagers running from the police. Eventually they figure out how to get their parents out of jail.
I think most kids would like this book.

For a pastor, or someone who does Christian counseling, this book is a good resource.

This is an excellent resource for everyday life issues. Highly recommended for anyone who counsels others and for those who just want to be able to find scriptures quickly by subject. I absolutely love this book and have purchased it for others.

This quick reference book is a great way to help others when they come to you with questions or even for those who have questions themselves. It has helped me tremendously to find the answers in the bible to the concerns that I have and also a way to further my prayer life.

I like the fact that this book uses scriipture references. The mental health workers in this world all need one of these. It's handy, too. It will be helpful in my bible studies.

In a sea of raging opinions, in the Christian helpers ranks, comes a perfect little tool. Whether you are a Christian Psychologist, Senior Pastor of a large church or a lay-volunteer in a tiny assembly, this IS THE must have!!

This book and CD are a wealth of knowledge. As a person of African descent, hearing how these persons were treated in a county supposedly for freedom and equality, not only was a horrified but very angry.
I will NEVER forgive this coutry for the ill treatment and hardship that racism and bigotry ahs and still is causing.

I am currently a high school student that read part of this for a Civil War class and let me say this is one powerful book. With people who were the slaves themselves tell you their stories, you learn alot about the antebellum period. I would recommend this book for any mature person due to the fact that some of these stories show the true horror of slavery.

This is a must have, must read, must hear book. With the sixty-nine minute recording of the actual slave interviews from the 1930s, we have the only known recording of the actual voices of actual slaves telling their story. Hearing their voices is like being tele-ported back in time. The book itself also examines those same interviews, primarily through "Weevils in the Wheat: Interviews with Virginia Ex-Slaves."

Teachers and speakers will want their students and audiences to hear these voices. They give voice to the voiceless and bring alive these heroic survivors.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends, and Soul Physicians.

For several years I've been reading powerful thought-provoking slave narratives. This is probably the most moving due to accompanying tapes of slaves discussing their thoughts and conditions when they were slaves. This book and tapes should be used in every high school American and World history classes. I recommend this book to everyone above the age of twelve. If you want to begin educating your children earlier about American history, specifically slavery have them read K.J. McWilliams books; The Journal of Darien Duff, an Emancipated Slave, The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo, and The Journal of Leroy Jones, a Fugitive Slave. They are based on slave narratives such as this one and include many interesting photos as well as additional information.

this is a Must for all to have.The Books&tapes show the RawNess and Emotions of Americas Worst NightMare that still Haunts Her.the Voices run Deep down your skin.until SLavery is Properly Discussed and Dealt with America will continue to be a Land of The Unknown.a Must Have Book.

The Ring Bear: A Rascally Wedding Adventure is a children's picturebook that deals with a serious theme. A young boy is used to living with just his mother; he doesn't want a stepfather, yet she is getting married and anxious to show him that he will always be a beloved member of the new blended family. He is to be the ring bearer, but he hears it as "ring bear" and decides to dress up as a bear to scare everyone away! The captivating illustrations by S. G. Brooks tell of the struggle to bridge rifts of fear and mistrust with enduring love, in this original, warmhearted, and highly recommended story by David Michael Slater.

When I came across Cheese Louise, I was amazed it hadn't been a huge hit. My son, Sam, loves it, and so does every other kid I know who has seen it. Then I found out that the publisher failed to get it reviewed almost anywhere. If this new book doesn't bring both to national attention, I'll be flabbergasted. The Ring Bear is going to be one of those books they (admittedly somewhat annoyingly) call "an instant classic."

David Michael Slater is a Language Arts teacher who has a unique way of expressing magical realism from a child's perspective. It goes a little beyond imagination and the characters play out fantasy situations and become pirates.

Westley is a young child struggling with the idea of his mother remarrying and when she asks him to be the ring bearer, he thinks she wants him to be a "Ring Bear." He is very upset and decides to ruin her plans. He doesn't like Stan because he seems to lack the playful imagination Westley thrives on.

As he acts out his frustration, he becomes a bear or a pirate and through his imaginary world he undergoes a psychological metamorphosis. You can really feel his initial anger and jealousy.

The last few pages are heartwarming and as Stan realizes he has to play Westley's creative game he calls out:

"Captain, there's a bear stowed away on our ship!"

Westley looks up and as he runs down the isle, he transforms from a bear into a loveable and dutiful son.

If you enjoy this book, look for:

The Only One Club
Carla's Sandwich
Holly Bloom's Garden

~The Rebecca Review

In this warm and beautifully illustrated book, children get a realistic look at how it feels to have a parent re-marry. The main character, Westley, knows his mom loves him; but what about Stan, her fiancé? The author shows how confused a child can be when a new stepparent enters his life. The author does this in a way that is engaging for both adults and children. In the end, "The Ring Bear" provides children with hope about the potential for feeling loved and accepted by a new stepparent.

This highly original book by author David Michael Slater is a fascinating picture book that enthralled me from cover to cover, even as it captivated children all around the world. Published by Flashlight Press, one of my favorite children's publishing houses, the book is geared for children ages 4-8, a category I love to read.

The Ring Bear has a little bit of everything: love, joy, anger, fear, family unity, humor, adventure and much more. It deals with the serious subject of parental remarriage. The main character is a young boy named Westley who is used to his mother being a single parent and has adjusted to life without a father. His world is turned upside down when she decides to remarry.

In order to help her son with his objection to the marriage and assuage his anger and fear, his mother tells him he's going to be the ring bearer at the wedding--hoping this will make him feel more secure. Westley thinks she said "ring bear," so he comes to the wedding dressed as a bear and tries to scare everyone away.

That's when the problems--and the fun--begin. What happens then? How do the wedding guests react? How do his mother and Stan, his future stepfather, take it? Is there a happy solution to this problem, a situation that sadly happens more and more often in today's world? If so, how does it happen? Will the troubled boy finally come to realize how much his mother loves him and learn to trust her? And what does Stan do to break the ice with Westley?

Obviously, I can't tell you any more without spoiling the plot, but I can tell you that despite the serious theme, this is a book that has many giggles for you and your little ones. It's a warm-hearted book that will tug at your heart-strings ... as you cry one minute, laugh the next.

Slater makes his characters so believable you will feel like you are there with them, and no one will be able to forget the mischievous, yet endearing Westley. The colorful, charming illustrations by talented artist S. G. Brooks enhance the story-line, helping bring it even more alive.

This unusual wedding adventure is a touching book which will be helpful for children whose parents are remarrying. I recommend it highly. If you feel the same, look for Grandfather's Wrinkles, Grandpa for Sale, and Carla's Sandwich ... other releases by this same popular publisher whose editor has the uncanny ability to know what children enjoy reading.

Review by: Betty Dravis, 2008
author of The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley

I just finished the Poldark Saga (all 12 books) and can't recommend them enough!! I was able to secure 10 of the 12 from our local library system but had to buy the other two due to unavailability, and they are well worth their purchase price. I'm a lover of Brit lit and this series takes you to the Cornish coast and proceeds to envelop you into the lives of an engaging family and their friends and foes. Great descriptions of the coast and the weather, both of which figure greatly into the story lines, and the characters are indeed people you would enjoy knowing.

The quest for the 12 books was well worth the effort. Go forth and enjoy!!

These books have no equal in historical fiction. I have read them several times and am starting over again. The writing and character development are the best I've ever read. Start at the beginning and end with #12 - Bella Poldark - which was written a year or two before the author passed away. This series could provide a book group with material for an entire year!

I have recently been introduced to this series and started reading books which were originals from the 40's. It is a wonderful series and I have now read 10 of the novels and wish it would never end. Great piece of history and family. It is so nice to be able to read "new" books, even though I enjoyed the yellowed pages of the old ones I have. Don't miss it! Also have the BBC Video set which is in black in white, but interesting, none-the-less.

In 1783, Ross Poldark, the title character to the opening volume (published in 1945) of the magnificent Poldark series, the great undertaking of Cornish writer Winston Graham's ninety-three-year life, is first introduced to us as a young man in his early twenties, a de-commissioned infantry officer, recently returned from the brutality of the War of Rebellion in Colonial America. Given up for dead and in fact wounded almost to the point of death, Poldark returns to his native Cornwall, a scarred, limping figure, still spirited but aged and hardened by the horrors of war. Grimly, the adventurous risk-taker Poldark discovers his father, the local squire and something of a lothario, is dead, his fiancée, Elizabeth, believing Ross killed in combat, is now engaged to wed Ross' cousin, Francis, and that an ambitious family of rising commercial entrepreneurs, the Warleggans, are in the process of trying to persuade Ross's uncle to sell them the mines that would have been Ross's has his father's will been penned without the apparent tragedy of his son's death foremost in his mind. The story spreads like the branches of a massive tree and before the conclusion of this, volume one, we come to meet the sort of characters that will never be forgotten, and find ourselves witness to scenes and situations that stir the imagination.

What separates the dozen Poldark novels from so many other historical works is firstly the intricate, good-natured, involving plotline Graham sustained throughout the sixty years he was writing about these characters, but above that, there is within each Poldark work a sense that one is entering a past time, not merely reading of it. Life as Graham writes in any of these books is a near three-dimensional voyage two hundred years backward, and he leaves few stones unturned. When one reads these novels one learns about the mining industry of the era, the banking industry, social customs, warfare, and contemporary attitudes on an encyclopedic range of subjects. One witnesses the rise of Methodism, and grasps its role as an outlet to quell ill-will among the English lower classes, as nothing did among the violent-minded masses of 1780's France. Graham tells us what people in those times wore, ate, drank, what they would have felt, witnessed, heard, smelled, thought, and feared. He takes a modern person into what might very well be described as a psychological/sociological time machine. These books boil with the gamut of human emotion and passion, from hate to lust, to love, to desire for all manner of possessions.

Ross Poldark and the eleven other novels that follow it are storytelling at its old-fashioned greatest, and this book launches what I truly feel is the greatest historical saga in the English language.

This is the first Poldark novel introducing Ross Poldark, Cornwall mining owner/farmer/squire and his extended family.

I especially enjoyed listening to the audiotapes narrated by
Tony Britton; his chararcters' accents are humorous and entertaining. I love the Poldark series and after I read or
listen to all the novels I'd like to see the videos.

Wonderful stories and characters, highly enjoyable. Hard to
put down.

I got this book after the First Gulf War. Rhonda Cornum's courage as a POW is inspirational, especially under the circumstances in shich she found herself. It is well-known how the Ba'athists rotinely employed torture (real torture, not redefined torture) in order to get airmen to make statements critical of the Coalition war effort. In fact, the enemy we were fighting against at the time were barbarians who had no scruples when it came to the men and women who fell into their hands.

An awesome book about an awesome Soldier.

I thought I'd let readers know that now Col. Rhonda Cornum was nominated for promotion to Brigadier General today.

I express my deep respect, admiration and gratitude for Colonel Rhonda Cornum's service to our country and the medical profession. She is a soldier's soldier. Her book is as entertaining and as inspirational as her career. Read it and it will change your life forever.

I'd heard that there was a female soldier captured during the first Gulf War, but I didn't know anything about her until I read this book. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Rhonda Cornum's strong personality comes through the pages of this book. Just her description of how she coped with her untreated injuries is impressive, and I second the person who admired how she kept her spirits up by singing in her prison cell. I hope if I ever found myself in as adverse a situation as she did, that I would be able to remain as courageous and confident throughout. Her description of the struggles she faced as a woman in the military is blunt without sinking into self-pity. An interesting and impressive slice of the first Gulf War, and a courageous role model and heroine.

I pinched COL Cornum's book from my boyfriend, curious to find out more about his boss. She jogs by my workplace almost daily, she seems frail and full of girlish energy. Recently,I met her at a LRMC function and she IS full of girlish energy. As she's a former POW, I was unsure what to expect. Since then, I've been even more curious about the woman my old mentor COL Ron Blanck described as "a woman to watch". That was back in '91 - we'd been following her release on AFN-TV from FARMC HQs during Morning Report. I was hungover but jolted out of my stupor by the respect in his voice. He later made it 4-star and respect was never something he's doled out like party favors.
I've just finished her book (coincidently on the anniversary of her release thirteen years ago). It was staunchly pro-military and pro-American without resorting to gush-mode. It made me laugh unexpectedly, it made me run to my PC and download Lee Greenwood, it made me understand my former mentor. I took it to bed, I took it to breakfast and finally, I took it in the tub with me where I cried so hard at the reunion passage that I dropped it in the water. It was the autographed copy which she'd recently presented to my boyfriend on his birthday. I hope her sense of humour has rubbed off on him. If not, I'm in big trouble. Buy this book. Buy your own copy and buy some for your family. Then buy some for your neighbors. I need the karma points.

...we live in real life. I think there is too much thinking in this book, wes hould be too perfect to have a social life or to get married. Not settling is ok...but geesh according to this book you should NEVER accept a person!
If you are picky, this book will boost your pickiness!

A wonderful guidebook to finding yourself, deciding what you would like/need in a partner, finding that person, and deciding if he/she is the one.

This is a wonderfully written book outlining a self-discovery process that will definitely enhance your life, present and future. It deals with the individual person and the changes you can make in your life for your life. It helps you to dive into your inner-self and make some beautiful discoveries about the you that you have always wanted to be.

originally saw gail on TV, bought the book and have followed with attendance at a recent workshop. in combination a real eye opener and pathfinder for assessing, who and what is to be important! busy professional schedule with travel mixed in limits many local quality opportunities, a great guide to getting one's own act into focus. it is a relationship builder!

There are so many relationship books available and so many focus on the 'other' person. Gail and Basha have done us all a huge favor. They've introduced totally new concepts to finding lasting love...it starts from within. You can't find a soul mate if you're own soul is lost and with the 'self-work' they do, you will find your soul or spirit. If I had to pick the BEST concept in this book, it would be the one which talks about discovering your "Non-Negotiables" What an amazing break through. You date some one who does or behaves in such a way you disagree, but you accept it thinking "he'll change" years later, a few kids, he still does those things. Is it his fault "NO"! It's yours for compromising on your non-negotiable. Read this book cover to cover, write notes and do what they say, your life and the way you approach relationships will change for the better and there is no turning back. Bravo Gail and Basha. Excellent!