Children's Books

This book should be read by anyone not just girls. It teaches
people that if they are molested or abused it is not their fault
especially if they are kids. They didn't do anything wrong. I would recommend this book to anyone who can read.

Jesus, Nina sure wen't through alot! My blood ran cold when her uncle said they were going to adopt a child! Luckily, Nina spoke up. i would have been afraid to tell. Let's hope what Christopher was doing didn't mean any thing. Anyway, it was great!

Nina won't tell is an excellent book from the series Making Out, all written by Katherine Applegate.

It deals with 2 separate topics that Nina won't talk about:

1.) Her crush on her sister's ex, Ben. He happens to also be her best friend's brother.
2.) Her uncle molesting her when she was much younger.

With the help of her friends, Nina is able to confront her past and come out ten million times stronger. By the end of this book, you will be so proud of Nina, even though she is a fiction character.

Nina Won't Tell is basically 2 stories about Nina.

One is that Nina loves Ben, Claire's old boyfriend. Nina has loved him for the longest time, but she hasn't got the guts to tell him. She's afraid that if she tells Ben, he won't love her back and she'll be embarrassed and alone.

The other is a deeper problem that Nina experienced while staying with her Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Mark in Minnesota after her mother died. The problem probably wouldn't have come to anyone's attention if her Aunt and Uncle wouldn't have come out to Maine to visit them. Nina lives in fear until the end of the book.

By the end of the book, you'll have laughed, cried, and mentally said, "You go, Nina!" millions of times!

Somebody should have told Christopher, if he is going to play the field. You do not do it on a small island wherer everything is accessible by foot. He should have kept that on the mainland. I was so glad when Nina blew the whistle on her slime ball Uncle, and when she finally told Ben how she really felt. I like Nina and Ben.

My child is 3 1/2 and loves this book, as do I. While she's not into the CD YET, she loves sitting w/me and exploring the poems which are neither too complex or too simple. There are classics and more modern works and they've done a wonderful job finding an assortment that represent various ways that poetry is used in other literary works (ex. excerpts from Macbeth and "Lord of the Rings"). I'm not a poetry expert, so I love that there are poets and writers of whom I recognize such as Robert Frost, Nikki Giovanni, Sylvia Plath, Edgar Allen Poe and that it introduces me and my child to others who I don't recognize. A great way to introduce poetry to your kids.

This book is fantastic. I've used it in the classroom with first, third, fourth and sixth graders -- because of the high quality of the poetry, it holds up to the scrutiny of middle schoolers and keeps the attention of six year olds. Hearing the poets read their own work gives the children an introduction to reading their own poetry out loud.
We use many of these poems as writing prompts for our own poetry in the classroom. The resulting poems are exiting, high-quality pieces the children and parents treasure. I would also recommend the Kenneth Koch-edited books "Rose, Where did you Get That Red? Teaching Great Poetry to Young Children" and "Talking to the Sun". The former gives lesson ideas, while the latter is a beautiful anthology of poetry paired with great works of art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

My 5-year old daughter LOVES this book. She listens to this CD over-and-over again. A lot of the poems are fun to read aloud, too. My daughter was a fan of Shel Silverstein -- but, this collection is a fun way to inspire an interest in a variety of poetry...I highly recommend this book.

Poetry speaks to children indeed. Although this book is actually meant for younger age lkie my 7-year old sister, my two older brothers (11 and 12) seem to also enjoy it, especially the CD recording. I highly recommend Poetry Speaks to all kids in the age group from five to ten. For slightly older kids I highly recommend Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2 - a collection of touching stories from the world of cats.

Poetry Speaks to Children includes poems from authors like J.R.R. Tolkien (author of Lord of The Rings), Robert Frost and many more. This book is fun and comes with a CD with poems read by the poets themselves. There are a few spots that may not be appropriate for your children (Tolkien refers to beer in his poem/song sung by one of the hobbits in LOTR), but overall the book is fun and can help your child find an appreciation for poetry.

The book Ramona and her mother is about a 7 year old little girl who is jealous of her big sister Beatrice and she wants to spend time with her mommy as mommy's little girl but Beezus has already taken on that role. In the end, Ramona Quimby gets her wish...To spend time with her mother. You'll need to read this book and find out how it all actually ends. Though this book does have some boring parts, I would recommend this book to any elementary or beginning middle school girl who loves Beverly Cleary books or any girl who might be experiencing what Ramona is going through. I myself can relate because I go through this almost on a daily basis. Sometimes I'm jealous of my baby cousin who gets most of all the attention but in the end (just like Ramona), I get my mommy all to myself.

G.B.M. Sanders - 6th grade - Hammond Middle
Alexandria, VA

Ramona is seven-and-a-half-years-old right now. She is going through a difficult time trying to figure out if she wants to be mommy's little girl or grow up. Ramona's mother invited Ramona's best friends family over for brunch. When Howie's little sister Willa Jean arrives Ramona can't stand to be jealous. Willa Jean is a little girl with curled hair and has pretty little dresses. When Ramona sees her bear, Roger she will do anything to get her hands on it . Ramona's mom puts her in charge of watching Willa Jean. While Beezus and the adults eat brunch the adults refer to her as mother's girl. Ramona is trying to figure out why she doesn't get in trouble for anything and gets away with everything. Ramona never gets away with anything and is always in trouble. When she squirts the whole tube of toothpaste in the sink, she gets yelled at and when she has a tantrum, she is told to stop right away. In Ramona's world nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work and she is forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother evryday after school. Ramona would rather stay at home sewing, cooking, reading, and watching T.V. with her mom, but things never seem to work out. All she wants to do is be mommy's little girl forever. Now time passes by and she realizes she will just have to grow up.

Ramona is seven-and-a-half-years-old right now. She is going through a difficult time trying to figure out if she wants to be mommy's little girl or grow up. Ramona's mother invited Ramona's best friends family over for brunch. When Howie's little sister Willa Jean arrives Ramona can't stand to be jealous. Willa Jean is a little girl with curled hair and has pretty little dresses. When Ramona sees her bear, Roger shes will do anything to get her hands on it . Ramona's mom puts her in charge of watching Willa Jean. While Beezus and the adults eat brunch and she keeps getting called mother's girl. Ramona is trying to figure out why she doesn't get in trouble for anything and gets away with everything. Ramona never gets away with anything and is always in trouble. When she squirts the whole tube of toothpaste in the sink, she gets yelled at and when she has a tantrum, she is told to stop right away. In Ramona's world nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work and she is forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother evryday after school. Ramona would rather stay at home sewing, cooking, reading, and watching T.V. with her mom, but things never seem to work out. All she wants to do is be mommy's little girl forever. Now time passes by and she relizes she will just have to grow up.

A rambunctious little girl all her life, seven-year-old Ramona is suddenly seized with jealousy, watching New Year's guests compliment her older sister Beezus and call her their mother's girl.

Too young to want all the things that the adolescent Beezus does - but too old to run through the house, flinging Kleenex like bratty four-year-old neighbor Willa Jean - Ramona is filled with strange longings, like squeezing all the toothpaste out of a brand-new tube for no apparent reason.

All Ramona wants - like any of us - is to find her place in the family, and to know that she's ultimately loved, no matter what she does...

Being seven-and-a-half-years-old (right now!) may seem like a simple task, but for second-grader, Ramona Quimby, it's proving to be a mix of difficulty and confusion. After all, she's between two strange ages - seven and eight - and can't figure out what she wants to do. Part of her is determined to stay her mother's little bunny, twitching her nose and being babied; while the other part wants to act like a grown-up, and do whatever she pleases. When Ramona's parents throw a New Year's brunch to celebrate her father finding a new job, she's thrilled to get the chance to eat a mix of breakfast and lunch. But when her best friend Howie's younger sister, Willa Jean arrives, Ramona can't help but feel jealous of the "little angel." For one, Willa Jean has ruffles sewed onto her underpants; and two, she's holding a stuffed bear - aptly named Woger - that Ramona would do anything to get her hands on. But, alas, even at her young age, Willa Jean is determined not to part with Woger. To make matters worse, Ramona's mother leaves her in charge of Willa Jean while Beezus and the rest of the adults get to fraternize with one another over hot muffins, coffee, sausage, and so much more. Ramona can't understand why her parents are treating her like a baby, while Beezus is constantly called her "mother's girl." Beezus doesn't even get in trouble for anything, because everyone says that she's at a "difficult" age. Ramona feels that she's at a difficult age, as well. But she never gets away with anything. When she squirts a whole tube of toothpaste into the bathroom sink, she gets yelled at; when she has a tantrum, she's told to "stop this instant," when she wants to stay up later than her bedtime, she's not allowed. In Ramona's eyes, nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work, and that she's forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother everyday after school, and the fact that Beezus gets to go to her friends houses only makes matters worse. Ramona would do anything to just spend everyday with her mother - sewing, cooking, reading, watching TV. But things never seem to work out the way Ramona wants them to. All she wants is to stay her mother's little girl forever, but the more time that passes the more Ramona begins to realize that, perhaps, her wish will never be granted, and she'll be forced to grow up.

I first discovered Ramona Quimby when I was about six-years-old, and instantly fell in love with her pesty antics, and penchant for throwing tantrums at the worst possible moments. Now, with the re-publication of the RAMONA series, however, I am beginning to realize that I missed out on quite a few of Ramona's tales, and have decided to re-immerse myself in the life of the Quimby family. Now, even though so many years have passed, I find that Beverly Cleary's tales about Ramona are still enjoyable, and quite irresistible. Ramona, as always, is the perfect example of a precocious child embarking on the trials and tribulations that accompany growing up. Her ability to act slightly mature at times, then revert back to full-blown childish behavior is spot-on with how growing children truly act; while her jealousy, and ability to find herself in countless bizarre situations only prove to make her even more hilarious. Cleary manages to balance humor with family problems by placing a slight emphasis on difficulties with money, a parent losing a job, and being bombarded with bills. While subjects such as money problems, and not wanting to grow-up are often sore spots, Cleary presents them in a neutral way that offers parents the opportunity to discuss such issues with their children in an effort to put their minds at ease. However, even by introducing these problems, Cleary never overshadows the humorous side of Ramona, and never talks down to the reader. In fact, Ramona remains as lovable as ever as she traverses the muddy waters of second grade, and works to accept the new teacher whom she's still unsure of; while, at the same time, working overtime to twitch her nose to remind her mother that she is, and always will be, her little bunny. The most obnoxious - yet entertaining - little sister in fiction!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Roses for Mama is my distinct favorite of Janette Oke's Women of the West books. Angela is so sweet she is just about perfect. Yet, there is enough story to move along. If you read nothing else by Janette Oke, choose this book. Enjoy!

Angela Peterson was only 14 years old and her older brother Thomas was only 16 when they were both left to care for their three younger siblings after their both parents died.
Angela's family moved to the west because their mother wasn't feeling very well and the doctor said that the cooler air might be better for her lungs. Their father sold their farm and they were searching for a new land to build another farm in a region with clear air that would improve their mother's health. Their mother felt better for a while, but when the winter cold made her feel sick again, she knew that she had only months to live. Nobody knew that their father will die even faster.
Now three years had passed. Angela is now seventeen and with the help of her nineteen year old brother Thomas, she worries that she won't be able to raise her siblings to be good people and struggles to teach them what they need to be taught, as her mother would have. Angela also worries that Thomas might soon get married and she'll be left on her own to take care of the children. Angela wishes her mother was still there to guide and help her, but she trusts God and relies on him.
Angela begins to think about her future too. Meanwhile her neighbor's son, a wealthy man from the city moves in and begins to court her. As she begins to know Carter Stratton more and more she realizes that he's not perfect for her, and marries Thane who has been Thomas's best friend ever since Thomas and Angela were little.
I think this book was very interesting and touching. It was also very easy to read. The author described beautifully every point in the story. It's a wonderful story of how God changed their plans, but at the end everything turned out to be even better for them.

This is the third Janette Oke novel I have read, and her books have been consistently good. I think I especially liked this particular novel because the romantic male leads were introduced early, and there were two of them vying for the heroine's attention, which made for a more exciting read. The story begins with Angela and her older brother Thomas running the farm, managing the household, and raising their younger brother and two sisters. Their parents have previously passed away. Enter romantic lead number one - Thane is a good friend of Thomas and the family who works at his father's store in town. It's obvious to the reader Thane is interested in Angela, but she just doesn't seem to see past the old friendship and familiarity to recognize it. Enter romantic lead number two - Carter is the very rich and sophisticated gentleman from back East who comes to town after his estranged father has suffered a stroke and is on his death bed. Angela is taken with Carter's fine appearance, and he makes it know that he is quite taken with her. Obviously, she ends up with one of them, but which one will it be? Finding out is a entertaining read.

My only real complaint about the novel is that it gets a little preachy at one point when Angela explains the salvation process to an elderly neighbor, Charlie. In my opinion, this interupts the flow of the rest of the story. I don't understand why Christian authors feel the need to preach in their novels. Isn't their primary audience already Christian? Wouldn't that audience already understand the basics of the salvation process? It makes me wonder to whom they think they are preaching. I wouldn't expect a casual reader to select a Christian romance novel. Perhaps I am mistaken, and I think this is probably my own little personal irritation anyway. Overall, Roses for Mama is an easy and entertaining read, and the quality is consistent with the other Janette Oke books I have read. I think most readers who enjoy Christian romance novels will enjoy this novel as well.

Janette Oke is a wonderful author and this is a well written series. The reading level is for ages 4-8. My concern is whether it is wise to introduce romance to girls at such a young age? I don't think so and hence my lower rating.
There are plenty other excellent historical fiction series and clsssics for that do not contain romance that I would rather see my daughter reading.

I first read "Roses For Mama" when I was 13 (many years ago), and was completely "hooked" on this story from the start. I have read it over and over and keep thinking about the characters and events even though it's been about a year since my last read. This is excellent fiction for readers of all ages - particularly for teenage girls, as it provides good moral lessons that are strongly needed today.
Though I do agree with some reviewers that Angela is a bit on the perfect side, you can't help but love her. The love that gradually develops between Angela and Thane is very sweet and memorable. One of my favorite scenes between them is after her birthday party, when Thane gives her the necklace (swoon!).
This book is really a page-turner. Thank you, Mrs. Oke, for this story...I wish there was a sequel!

This was the first book that I read out of many of Gerlad Morris' comical retellings of King Arthur. The information seems to be accurate and the book is just so funny. These books are classics that anyone of any age will enjoy!

I first read this book when I was in sixth (or fifth, or something -- I don't remember exactly when) grade. My church met in a school building, and toddler nursery was held in the library. I was bored one day, and I thought "The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf" looked interesting, so I started to read it. I was pleasantly delighted with my discovery. (My parents had to search the entire building for me -- that's how engrossed in the book I was.)

Unfortunately, we left that building, and my memory of the book's title left with it. It took me until last year to find it -- and I did that only by looking through all of the shelves in the children's section of the local library.

I was again pleasantly suprised by the book -- it's very well-written, immensely funny, and admirably suited to reading aloud (I had my mom read it out loud to me and my younger sister). At parts, it had me shivering with anticipation, and other times I was consumed entirely with helpless laughter.

I would highly reccomend this book to anyone. My dad, who doesn't particularly enjoy reading what he calls "girly books", thoroughly enjoyed this one. In fact, this book has inspired in us a delight of all books Gerald Morris -- and he's never disappointed us.

I love this book. Completely fabulous dry wit. Sassy girl protagonist, great dwarf character. Plot goes along at a good clip. I've been a long-standing fan of Gerald Morris, and this one is his best one, as far as I'm concerned. I've read and re-read it.

I absolutely loved this book! It is a retelling of the story of Beaumains (beautiful hands) the Kitchen Knight. Perhaps some of you are familiar with this story. The basic plot is that a young man comes to King Arthur's court to work in the kitchen. He has beautiful hands unused to hard work, hence the name. Anyway, one day a lady comes to Court to find a champion to rescue her sister who is besieged by the red knight. The kitchen boy is knighted and offers to go with her. She treats him badly throughout their journeys, though he often proves himself. At the end he frees and marries the sister and shows himself as Sir Gareth, younger brother to Sir Gawain.
Well, leave it to Morris to mix this story up! First of all, Lady Lynet is helped on her journey by a mysterious dwarf, Beaumains is a complete dolt, the sister, Lady Lyonesse is a disgraceful cold-hearted flirt, and far more is happening than appears to be! The ending is delightfully satisfying and romantic, and I cracked up hysterically several times during this book. I finished it in one sitting! Definitely a must-read for King Arthur fans!

Lynet ("The Savage Damsel"), younger sister to the beautiful Lyonesse, wants to deliver her family from the hands of the dreadful Knight of the Red Lands, so one night Lynet leaves the Castle Perle and makes her way to Camelot. She hopes to find a great knight who can deliver her family from the Red Knight. Instead she finds no help from a great knight, but instead a dwarf, named Roger, and an interesting kitchen knave, named Beaumains. Many adventures befall the three unlikely companions as they travel from Camelot back to the Castle Perle. Lynet falls in love with Beaumains as the journey continues. Near the end of the book, Lynet finds out that 'Beaumains' is actually Sir Gareth, brother to the greatest knight of Camelot, Sir Gawain.

Morris tries to make Lynet ("The Savage Damsel") independent and strong-willed with her cutting remarks and her rude behavior. But instead of being 'the savage damsel' that Morris tries to make her, Lynet still came off to me as ungrateful and whiney to all those around her.

And by the end of the book, I found her character, and all the rest of the characters as well, shallow and unreal. The end was more than unrealistic (despite the basic storyline being unrealistic, as well).

This subject of the Legends of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table is very interesting, but I would go elsewhere to learn and read about it.

~Atalanta

Excellent book~!! I enjoyed it from Page One until the very end. Well written, it will keep your attention until the story is over. You will miss the characters for days, after you have finished the book.

Highly recommended.

I swear, I had to check several times to make sure this book was fiction. It is so well written, it feels like an autobiography.

Jorie is little more than a toddler (and her two brothers not much older) when their mother dies of polio-related causes. This is the 1950's, and their father is a doctor (and by the looks of it a successful doctor) who stands by helplessly as the mother of his children dies.

This happens in the first few pages of the story, and life doesn't get much better for these kids through the story. There is financial stability in their lives, but that is all. Their father rears them intellectually, but he disdains any emotion. And they only know him through the few stories he chooses to tell.

The novel is spun in such a way that you can't help but zoom along through it, wondering what will become of these poor scraps. It is a glimpse of what growing up without affection could be like, but it is not hopeless. In fact, just the opposite, Jorie is always full of hope. You cheer for her and her brothers as they grow.

I really enjoyed this story, though I found it completely heartbreaking.


(*)>

A well written, fast paced and fascinating book. One of the best reads I've found in a long time. The writing style reminded me of Dani Shapiro's (especially Slow Motion): very descriptive, highly intense and totally unflinching.

I hope Anitra Sheen will write a sequel to this moving book. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

This was a book I finished in one day. Very Good! It is a coming of age sort of novel narrated by a young girl, Jorie. Jorie and her two brothers lost their mother when they were very young and raised by their father, a doctor. This was back in the 1950's when life was different, people saw things differently. The father neglected them terribly and they basically raised themselves.

These three children struggle with themselves and trying to understand their father. It is a sad story yet it is one of survival and how one can truly survive unthinkable things in their life.

This book is great for many reasons! 1st my boys love looking for little "i's" lost dot on every page. I like how when the red dot goes in the blue water it turns purple, because it opened up discussion on mixing & making colors. The page where each letter finds an item that starts with that letter is great. It really helps us talk about letters, sounds, and words. They love that little "i" is a trickster and how Capital I outsmarts him. I like how it references lower and upper case letters.
In the end the letters go to school with Charley and that helps us talk about how my older son will go to Kindergarten. Every night my boys each get to pick a story for me to read to them, and this is always a favorite!

My pre-k age son found this book at the library and loves it so much that he does not want to return it! The story is interesting, and the pictures are great. We are going to have to purchase one to have at home.

Illustrations in this book are bright and colorful, cute story, however, my children aren't that interested in it. Children ages 5, 4, 2 1/2, 16 months.

My son cannot get enough of this book! We first borrowed it from the library (three consecutive times) and then eventually had to purchase it because he wanted to read it all of the time (I thought other kids should have the opportunity to check it out of the library!). It has really taught him his ABCs in a fun way, and now he has the story practically memorized. Although I like the book I have to admit that I'm a bit burnt out on it because my son wants to read it at least once a day (it was four times a day when we first received it)!!

I borrowed this book from the public library and enjoyed it so much I had to buy it. It is great for working on the letters of the alphabet with younger children. They enjoy looking for the missing dot, which is hiding on every page. The illustrations are very vibrant. The children I read this story to enjoyed the mystery.

This boxed set contains the first four books in K.A. Applegate's bestselling young adult science fiction series ANIMORPHS. Follow the early adventures of Jake, Rachel, Marco, Cassie, and Tobias, five kids who were given the power to morph into any animal they touch by a dying alien prince so that they might prevent his species' enemies, the Yeerks, from colonizing on Earth. 151-184 pages each. Great for reluctant readers! Each may be read independantly of the others, but reading in chronological order is reccomended. See individual product pages for a more detailed summary of each book.

This books is great. I think it could have been better though. it's sick when Jake eats a bug.

My first thought was it would be a bad book. When I started reading it, the book was great. It's about 5 teenage kids who meet an alien called an Andalite. His ship crashed and he was wounded. Soon after he met the kids and told them about the yerks, their tiny creatures that go inside the head of their host (or human). Soon he gives them the power to turn into animals. Their warning was to return to human in two hours or they'd stay in animal form. The part I like in the book was when they changed into animals like cats, dogs, and hawks. I didn't like the ending . They could've made a war between them.

This book was incredably cool, when i started to read it, i thoght, wow! i must read #2. the book is like...i must read the continiue.....its great

Animorphs is one of the coolest series ever. The books are written very well, with an innovative plot. A bunch of five Normal kids stumble on to the secret invasion of the Yeerks on the human race. Something new and different, gripping till the last word, it leaves you longing for more and more. Applegate's tiger, elephant, wolf, horses, ants, dolphins, cockroaches, squids and so on will get you hooked. They make a Great read...so go ahead and buy it.

This book was more than what I expected...a very attractive appearance, without breaking the bank. It was purchased as a gift, and he is ecstatic about it!!

They don't make books like they used to - or, so i thought, until i bought this elegant edition of The Arabian nights. Beautifully bound, printed on high-quality paper, with an erudite introduction, and clear, but stylish font, I thought how appropriate for the publisher to release a classic such as The Arabian nights in such a 'classic' style, hearkening back to a time when great care was put into published books.
Congratulations on a great edition.

I have been reading this to my 8 yr old and changing or leaving out the inappropriate parts. She loves to hear it, and with the cliff hangers she is always asking for another chapter.

Excellent translation, from the oldest known manuscript of the tales. True to the original, it captures not just the letter, but the spirit of the text. Clearly, Haddawy is a talented writer on his own accord.

A very good place to discover Arab culture as well.

As I took a trip to Egypt over the new year, I thought it fitting that I should read books pertaining to the culture there. So I picked up this authoritative copy of Arabian Nights from the library and took it with me for some reading.

This edition is followed by a second edition that includes the better-known stories (including Aladdin and Sinbad). I didn't recognize any of the stories in this edition. Granted, I didn't read every story.

I think the trouble with getting together an "authoritative text" on the Arabian Nights is that the stories were never meant to be compiled into a book and read straight through. The stories were part of a rich oral culture that involved sitting around a fire with fine musical instruments, good food, great company and a storyteller who could draw in extra details and add in any embellishments that he thought the crowd would appreciate. Meaning- you never really heard the same story twice.

All of this is lost in a print copy. The stories begin to seem repetitive (which they wouldn't, if they were told over the course of a few years by a traveling storyteller) and the language becomes onerous- every section begins and ends with the same two phrases over and over, again and again.

However, the stories are a lot of fun :-) If you're interested in the Arabian Nights, I would certainly recommend this edition- Haddawy does well in his translation. But I'd also only read a story or two here and there, so that you don't become tired of the book. That way, the magic will still hit you. Or maybe, you can become the storyteller and read it aloud to someone else- it would probably be excellent in that form as well!

My grandfather sent this book to me and I confess that when I first saw it, I wasn't sure it was anything I wanted to read. Emotional healing? What could *I* possibly need to be healed from? Denial is an amazing thing. Thankfully, I had nothing else to read at the moment and picked up this book. From page 1, I was captured by Meyer's ability to share her story, make light of her struggle, and give examples of God's amazing power to heal us from our wounds, whether we recognize them or not. This book took me through the whole scope of emotions. I found myself laughing, and alternately, weeping as I recognized myself in the pages and yes, even found God speaking to me through Meyer's testimony. I simply could not put it down. If you are a survivor of any type of abuse, or even if you're just trying to work on building mature, Christ-centered relationships, consider this book. You won't be sorry you did.

This book has helped me tremendously. It was a real eye-opener into my personal life. Thanks Joyce for writing the things God gives you.

not only it help me understand why im going through what i gone through at that time. at first i did'nt know about healing process if there is such a thing but there is. thank God for this book. as God was doing His beautiful,healing yet painful work in me this book encourage me, help me. plus i love how joyce would include her experience, her story it's very helpful!plus she's so real, honest not faking it. Thank you Lord

I have read the book twice and found it very refreshing. I got a new copy for a friend that was sexually abused.

Having been a victim of abuse Joyce is able to speak to others who have been abused on their level, not just from observation or education. She doesn't just leave the reader in the place of accepting that they have things they need to work through, but she leads them through the same steps she took by God's hand to receive that healing. I have used this book to lead a women's study group and have been wonderfully blessed to witness the changes that have come out of their applying these truths to their lives.