Children's Series Books Books

I enjoyed The divorce Express very much. When Phoebe's parents got divorced, she was forced to ride a bus which was nick-named the Divorce Express because of all of the children riding to and from their seperated parent's homes. On the bus, Phoebe met a girl named Rosie Wison. The two girls became good friends not only on the Divorce Express, but in school also. After living with her mother, Phoebe moved in with her father, Jim. Jim lived in Woodstock and Phoebe didn't like the idea of moving in with him. Yet after a while of getting used to it, she didn't seem to mind it one bit. She participated when her school decided to take action when they could no longer stand the lunches they were being served in the cafeteria, she made a lot of frineds, and really began to fit in. Rosie helped a lot. Phoebe was also very fond of Rosie's mother Mindy. Jim and Mindy had met several times and also got along very well. Then, just when everything was in her life was going just right, Phoebe's mother announced thar she was going to get married to a man that Phoebe didn't like at all. I have to stop here and not give away the ending. The divorce Express was a very good book. It only took me a week to read it and i just couldn't put it down. I hope you will enjoy this book just as much as I did.

I thought this was a really great book. If you're parents are divorced this is a must read for you. It is also very comical and also very sad at times. Enjoy!!!

This title may seem a little weird for you but I'm going to explain why it's called Divorce-Express-Reading Marathon... Well, when I started reading this book I thought it would be kind of boring, but when I read about Phoebe's story I couldn't stop reading! Instead of taking a week to read this book I took 2 to 3 days, and I was traveling! Imagine if I wasn't... Well, there are a few reasons that made me love this book so much. First of all, I loved the story. It is about a girl named Phoebe that has divorced parents and lives with her father in Woodstock while her mother lives in New York. She makes lots of new friends in Woodstock, and together they organize a protest to improve the cafeteria food of their school. She also has to confront lots of problems during the story, including her mother getting married to another guy... Well, I think I already told too much of the story, and to know the rest you'll just have to read this awesome book!! Enjoy!

I read this book during the summer and it was one of my favorite books I read that summer. The sequel: It's an Aardvark Eat Turtle World is a great too

The book I read was called The Divorce Express. It's about a girl name Pheobe whose parents didn't start getting along until they got a divorce when she was thirteen. Now that she's fourteen she spends the weekend with her father in woodstock New York ,and commutes on the bus called the ''Divorce Express'' for weekends with her mother in New York city.

It seems to me that joint custody means alot to Phoebe, because her parents are not together. Phoebe hates the fact that she has to deal with all the crisesin both of her parents lives. Phoebe's life improves when she meet a girl name Rosie who becomes her friend. Phoebe meets Rosie in Woodstock where her dad lives. Also her life changes when a boy named Dave that she had a crush on for years while going to visit her dad ask to date her. Just when phoebe thinks she got everything under control ,her mother announces that she's getting married.

Yes, I would recommand this book to other readers, because it's helping others who want to learn about marriage in the future.

Divorced Dads: 101 Ways is an elegantly useful book to experience your children and have them remember you in the best of ways. This book offers practical support on how to parent as a divorced dad while encouraging you to live your life more fully with your children. There are practical, useful chapters on communication, parenting skills per se, and how to make learning fun with your children. This book is full of tips as well as encouragement for your sense of fathering in a very loving way. I recommend this book.

My parents divorced when I was very young, and my father did nothing to sustain a relationship with me. In my opinion, he was not a good parent. I was much too young to continue our relationship on my own. I needed my father, but he quickly faded from my life.

Children need their non-custodial parents as much as they do their main caregivers. There are many ways for separated and divorced parents to continue their relationship with their children. In the book, "Divorced Dads: 101 Ways to Stay Connected With Your Kids," those parents not living at home will learn many different ways to continue bonding with their children. Even though this book was written primarily for divorced dads, I believe all families can benefit from its contents! For example, parents who are away on business or other trips will find different ways to stay in touch while across the miles. This book contains many example family situations.

MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book -- from simple ideas such as using the telephone to stay connected, to more creative tips such as playing interactive Internet games, this book will provide great ways to stay in touch with your children. What you'll learn in this book, you'll treasure forever in your relationship with your children.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the title because I thought it was too limiting. This is an awesome book for anyone that wants to be closer connected with their kids or any other human being. Clever ideas and thought provoking suggestions. A wonderful book!

I am a practicing psychologist working with children and parents, and often working with divorce issues in the family. As such I was delighted to find this book and would like to share my enthusiasm about Divorced Dads: 101 Ways to Stay Connected with Your Kids by Dr. Nancy Wasson and Lee Hefner. Nancy is a therapist herself and both Nancy and Lee readily share their feelings about being divorced parents themselves. Their aim is to provide specific tips to non-custodial parents on how to achieve a meaningful connection with their children while living apart. They achieve their goals by presenting their ideas in a most easy-to-read, practical format packed with useful information, concrete suggestions and helpful stories on almost every page. Even folks who say they are "not much on reading" are likely to benefit from this clear, direct style with highlighted tips and short chapters. Therapists as well as non-custodial parents, or parents away from home much of the time will find helpful ideas in this book. Those who might benefit would include men who are fathers separated from their children by divorce, fathers concerned about their troubled relationship with their children, mothers who wish their divorced husbands stayed more connected to their children and women who are not the custodial parent.
Divorced Dads: 101 Ways to Stay Connected with Your Kids is not a book on general parenting. What it does and does well is to impart a positive and hopeful attitude about being a parent in spite of divorce that helps that parent refocus energy and emotion on the children rather than on the difficulties with the former spouse. Dads who I have recommended read this book have come back to say it was very useful and appreciated.

This timely book by Wasson and Hefner speaks a vital message to non-custodial fathers giving positive direction to them of how to nurture their relationships with their children. We know that children need a healthy forever relationship with BOTH parents.......an outcome that is not the norm in divorced families. The authors of this book empathize with the hardship of being the father, and step by step wisely pave his way to overcoming common obstacles to meeting his children's needs and receiving their love. As a therapist, and supervisor of therapists, who has worked with children and families for over 25 years (and as a divorced parent myself), I have experienced the overwhelming pain and sadness of children losing the active participation of a parent in their lives. This book clearly shows how to prevent this heartbreak from happening, as well as how to mend broken bridges. Who are the winners? The children of divorce, the non-custodial fathers, the mothers who have custody, the extended family, and the larger community. Read this book, and give it to those you love who need the guidance.

This entire series is vetted as for "young readers" and while it is not a complex, deep philosophical book it kept my interest through out and I am 54 so this is one I have shared with my thirteen year old and we have been equally satisfied with it.

Me because it was entertaining enough and not in anyway condenscending in tone and to my thirteen year old as the main character is fourteen. LOL.

I recommend the entire series.

The series comes to a close in this one with all the plot-lines coming together quite nicely, and a good ending.

Timothy Zahn has done a great job here in writing a story that is exciting and fun to read but also really completes the series in a believable way. This series is not perfect with perhaps the most glaring problem being the believability of two 14 year olds being able and allowed to have so much impact on the fates of several races and important individuals, but then again this is written for the young adult market. All of the questions raised before (i.e. Who really is Allison working for?, Why do the Valahgua really care about chasing the K'da clear across the galaxy?, Who really killed Jack's parents?, etc... ) are finally answered. I also liked the fact that the worldview of the story (as Draycos the K'da would say, that doing what is right is more important than doing what is easy), is a refreshingly positive. Most importantly, Zahn has written another book with characters we really care about and a story so exciting that I stayed up way too late reading because I could not put the book down (and my fourteen year old daughter did the same) !

This is the sixth book in this teen series, and I hope, not the last. It is a must read book for any fan of the series as most loose ends are tied up as the gooks move on to a new level. There are faults with Mr. Zahn's universe, for example, the type or style of government is never explained, but the constant action and the character development far outweigh any fault.
If you don't personally read this book, buy the whole series for any kid on your gift list younger than 97.

Dragon and liberator
The conclusion of any book series is to be celebrated. With Timothy Zahn, and the Dragonback saga, it is bittersweet. "Dragon and Liberator" not only concludes the saga satisfactorally, but also makes you realize how amazingly good an author he is.
"Dragon and Liberator" takes readers into the lives of Jack Morgan and his poet/warrior dragon, K'da directly into the cross hairs of Neverlin,the man who killed Jack's parents so many years before. Jack and Draycos weave and bob as their lives are endangered time and time again by a death weapon at the hands of a madman with a personal vendetta. Fans of the series previous 5 books, familiar with the plot lines, will experience `a ha' as threads are explained and concluded. The rapid pulse staccato style of Zahn keeps readers guessing and page turning right up to page 384.
If this is your first exposure to the Dragonback series, pick up the first 5, and sit by your favorite fireplace. Start at book one. By the time you reach "Dragon and Liberator", you will be appreciate an epic struggle for survival, revenge, and closure, and the work of a master author-craftsman.
[...]
Tim Lasiuta

Lee Hammond's books stand out above the rest and this one is no exception. I'm staring at my drawing of a tiger she presents in the book. It is so good that I can't believe I did it. If you want to learn to draw realistic animals get her book.

I read Lee Hammond's book, "Draw Real Animals" and I think it was really really worth my money. She discovered a blending technique that makes drawings look real. What's nice about this book is that she presents before and after drawings of kids (and they look real). When I first tried her technique, I got INSTANT RESULTS! Before when I used to look at a paper and try to draw, I thought, "no, this won't work" But now, every drawing I finish looks like a masterpiece! Buy this book, it will inspire you to draw more!

Oh My Gosh! This book is amazing! When I had tried to draw animals in the past, I always turned up with bunches of rough, uneven lines that had a sketchy appearence. After studying this book and practicing the techniques within it, I created this beautiful drawing of a horse which I have now framed. I always get lots of great comments about it and a lot of my friends ask who I bought it from, since they can't believe that I did it! I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to improve their drawing skills, or to anyone interested in bringing out their artisticside that want a place to start.

This book really lifted my animal-drawings several levels.
I think it has very well-explained step-by-step lessons. Both on seperate parts of animals leading to a whole animal-drawing. Lee Hammond has a certain way of leading you, so you feel comfortable and yet challenged all the way.

This book is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to learn to draw real looking animals. I have done so much with the techniques this book has taught me. I would recommend it to anyone.

I think every girl should read at least one book, because they are great life lessons. She teaches us so many different things and it is really fun to read them too. From LEAH.

I wasn't really into reading when I was younger, but when my sister introduced to the books about Elizabeth, I was hooked. I was 11 back then, now I'm 21, but I still remember how much I absolutely loved these books. I read them in Norwegian, and now wish I could have read them in English instead (I always like to read books in their original language), but oh well. These books still got me into reading, and I will always remember Elizabeth's story.

I think that this book is a great book. It shows that you shouldn't always jump to conclusions. Also that not everyone's perfect. In fact no one is! It tells me what it must be like to have a mother who doesn't take care of you. It shows that even the most godly people can get mad or jealous. I've always loved these series. Even if this review isn't much help, you should at least try it.

I have read several of Hilda Stahl's books. I bought them for my own girls when they were young; now I am buying them for my granddaughter. I cannot review this book without reviewing the series as a whole. Hilda's books are the most read books in our school library. Hilda Stahl was a gifted, talented woman whose writing has captivated thousands of children. I know this because Hilda and her family were good friends of ours when we lived in Michigan. We attended the same church, and our children attended school together. She will be missed. Diane Augustyniak, McHenry, Illinois.

I read the Elizabeth Gail books when I was 11 years old, and even though I'm 18, I still remember them fondly. They really opened up my eyes about what life could be like for a foster child. This book is good because it is realistic. It doesn't make anybody look like a saint and it shows that even Christians get mad at other people. I hope everyone enjoys the series as much as I did.

Reviewed by Sophia McElroy (age 5.5) for Reader Views (9/08)

This is a good book about Christmas. The drawings are really, really, really good! The saddest part of the book is also the funniest part of the book. Ernest goes to find his friend Chester in the snow and he ends up standing on top of him and Chester yells at him to get off of him. He was covered in snow, so Ernest couldn't see him. My favorite part of the story is when Ernest and all of the barnyard animals and the birds help get Chester out of the storm and back to the barn for Christmas. I really like this book, "Ernest's Special Christmas" by Laura T. Barnes.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Florrie Binford-Kichler, Founder of Patria Press, Inc.- an award-winning independent publisher and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Ernest, the miniature donkey, and his friend Chester, a retired draft horse, couldn't be more excited about Christmas. The sky is changing colors, there are wreaths hung around the barn. But when it starts snowing, Ernest and the other barnyard animals head inside, where they will be safe from the cold. However, once inside the barn, Ernest realizes that Chester is nowhere to be seen, and sets out looking for him. He soon finds him lying in the snow, unable to get up. It is now up to Ernest to get the other barnyard animals to help Chester up, so he can find shelter away from the cold. After all, the true meaning of Christmas is giving and helping others.

I have been a donkey and horse lover ever since a VERY young age, so I was ecstatic to find ERNEST'S SPECIAL CHRISTMAS, as it combined two of my favorite animals together with my absolute favorite holiday, and created a lovely new children's book that will warm everyone's heart around the holiday. Filled with an adorable adventure story, as well as magnificent illustrations depicting various barnyard animals in their everyday routines, ERNEST'S SPECIAL CHRISTMAS is sure to be a hit.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Slowly the skies began to turn gray and it started to snow. The animals looked up as small snowflakes fell from the sky. It looked magical. "It's going to be a beautiful, white Christmas," thought Ernest. ~Ernest's Special Christmas

Ernest is a lovable miniature donkey who has appeared in three previous stories. He is friends with a kind, white draft horse named Chester. They know Christmas is near when they see the red bows on the wreaths decorating the pasture gates. It is almost time to celebrate Christmas, but the barn seems rather lonely. Ernest realizes that Chester is not in the stall.

"I better go find him. After all it's Christmas Eve. We should all be together."

As snow blankets the farm, Ernest braves the snow to look for Chester. Since Chester is white and the snow is getting deeper, Ernest almost trips over Chester. Ernest is a thoughtful little donkey and he knows he has to get Chester back to the barn. So, he quickly rounds up all the other animals and even the birds and mice join in to help. Ernest shows love and determination and helps his friend so they can celebrate Christmas together.

The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and Carol A. Camburn has created the cutest miniature donkey who looks like a huggable cuddly stuffed toy. Chester and Ernest are real friends and you can see their "real" picture on the inside of the cover. Carol has a horse named Billy and also loves cats. Laura and her husband live on a farm in New Jersey. They have made a home for homeless horses and miniature donkeys who enjoy a quiet retirement. Her life on the farm is her inspiration for "The Ernest Series."

Ernest holiday greeting cards are also available in packs of 18 cards. The inside message reads: "True Friends are the best gift of all. Merry Christmas." The book cover is darker than shown here at Amazon. There is a powdery blue background with snowflakes that is quite pretty. I even found the tiny mouse on the cover. Children and "adults like me" will have fun finding the tiny mouse hidden on every page.

"Ernest's Special Christmas" is a charming Christmas Eve adventure that shows children how love, thoughtfulness, and kindness can make the holiday season a more heartwarming time of year.

Additional books in this series (age 4-8):

Ernest and the BIG Itch - A story about problem solving and you can search for the ladybug hidden in each illustration.

Twist and Ernest - Lessons about not judging others based on appearances and prejudice

Teeny Tiny Ernest - Ernest realizes that who you are really comes from the inside and then he is not so sad about being such a small donkey.

~The Rebecca Review

Ernest's Special Christmas by Laura T. Barnes is a heartwarming story of friendship between a little donkey and a hardworking draft horse. When snow falls thickly, the old horse finds himself unable to move, the little donkey must get help from his animal friends to ensure that everyone comes safely home. Enhanced with illustrations by Carol A. Camburn, Ernest's Special Christmas is an engaging tale of spirit and compassion, based on real-life events and animals at Barnesyard farm.

I love these books. It is really helping my toddler to understand what not to do.

My 28 month old loves the books in this series, and we have unfortunately needed them. He related to the pictures of the injured and offended, and it has really helped his behavior. This one focuses a lot more on what feet should do, more so than the Teeth Are Not For Biting does with the teeth, which is good and bad.

Great book if your toddler has been kicking lately. Teaches good behavior as well as phrases that you can use to stop bad behavior. Highly recommend this book.
Beth

Bought this for my one twin who likes to kick. I think he is getting the point :-)

We bought this book for our 19-month-old daughter when she hit and bit another child at school. At the time, she used to kick me when I changed her diaper, and her daycare had a copy of this book, so I bought it, along with "Hands Are Not For Hitting" and "Teeth are Not For Biting."

All three books are great. They are very simple, straightforward, with pictures and language toddlers can understand. The repetitive phrases like "Ouch, Kicking Hurts," and "Feet are not for kicking people," are phrases my daughter has remembered, and that we have adopted in our house in the event that she hits or kicks, as many kids this age tend to do from time-to-time.

Our daughter just turned two and still loves to read these books and has retained the lessons therein. It's a great series.

Side Note: The "Hands Are Not For Hitting" that we ordered here from Amazon is NOT a board book, and it's language is a little more advanced for a very young toddler, but you can "customize" the language and your little one will still love it!

Brian Knight delivers a fun, twisty novel that is bound to give you the creeps. The book itself is impressive, with the cover art imprinted on the covers, and as beautiful as some small-press collector first editions. I had a lot of fun with this one, and you will too.

FERAL grabs hold of you with spine-chilling terror, rips out your frayed nerves and stamps them beneath its heavy heel. It's a rare thing when an author rises from obscurity to cammand such masterful control of the powerful emotion of pure horror, leading the reader into the ferocious worlds of the imagination thought left behind in the darkened closet with childhood's nightmares. Knight's Bogey Man captures that savage gleam of fright like a tight fist around your neck and wrings it relentlessly. If you're looking for a warm story where good triumphs handily over evil, where the light shuns the darkness, this certainly isn't it... But if you want a taut, gut-wrenching, emotional beating that leaves you hesitant to turn off the TV at bedtime for fear of what might just be leering out at you from the crack in the closet door once again, then buy this book!

Remember the name Brian Knight... you'll be hearing it a lot in the near future.

After being pestered by close friends that I really needed to read this Feral, by Brian Knight, I finally relented and I am so glad that I did. This is a true page turner. I am not an avid reader and it has been years since I was able to complete a full novel. This one, I started reading at work and actually would be disappointed to get customers coming in because I had to put my book down.
The first scene in the book will really grab ahold of you and keep you breathless and turning pages til it is the last page and you are crying for more. I can't sing high enough praises on the descriptive writings of Mr.Knight.
Mr. Knight truely makes the boogie man and the people who are fighting against him come to life. You will feel like you have known these people all your life, not just a cheap trick this book is definately the real deal. WOW

Feral is a great thriller bound to give anyone a serious case of the creeps. I couldn't put it down. I even skipped a meal while reading it, and anyone that knows me would tell you that's saying something.

Feral is the story of a Bogey Man that takes children, and murders parents. A child named Charity was taken by the Bogey Man, but had a chance to escape. She runs to a place called Feral Park, a playground that is home to more than meets the eye...

Highly recommended for any fan of horror, or anyone that simply wants a good book to read. It just got added to my shelf of favorites.

He comes to you when you are sleeping and if you are lucky you'll wake up in your own home. Sometimes he kills their parents and disappears with the children. Charity has had disturbing dreams and night tremors of the Bogey Man before one night he killed her mother and took her. He kept her alive because she was special to him.

Gordon Chambers has searched for six long years for Charity and he thinks by following the trail of dead parents and missing children he will finally find her at the end of the current dead trail in a small town in Washington. Sharon sees Charity in a spooky playground where supernatural events happen and brings her home because she was wearing her dead daughter's clothes given to Charity by the Bogey Man. Charity knows the only place she'll be safe from the Bogey man is in the Feral Park playground where the abandoned and abused children hide in a dimensional nexus. When Charity disappears into the park, Sharon and Gordon vow to get her back alive and keep her safe from the Bogey Man.

Anyone who wants a decent night sleep should not read FERAL. It is a frightening horror novel that needs broad daylight to somewhat keep the nightmares away. Brian Knight will appeal to fans of Bentley Little and those who like being scared out of their wits. This tale will accomplish that.

Harriet Klausner

This book is about the events leading to the Battle of Gonzales, which was the first conflict in the Texas war of independence from Mexico (October 2, 1835).

I started reading this book to my daughters (ages 7 and 9) after dinner one evening, and we didn't put it down until bedtime more than 50 pages later. They didn't want me to stop reading, and I didn't want to stop either. The characters felt like real people, the story was involving, and just like the people of the times, we didn't know what would happen next.

Melinda Rice gives the reader a Texan's-eye-view of the looming war with Mexico by putting us in the perspective of an 11-year-old girl whose older brothers sympathize with different sides in the conflict. The characters and story have an authentic feel throughout -- I've been to the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum many times, and I found myself reading this book using the same breathy accent used by the historical speakers in their video exhibits. Rice did an excellent job of bringing the reader into history as it happens and making past events feel like they're unfolding around us.

At the end of the book there is a short historical section that gives additional information about the Battle of Gonzales.

The book should be a comfortable read for fourth graders, except for some place and people names.

The unique and historically accurate Lone Star Heroines trilogy by Melinda Rice brings real events in Texas history to life as it shows young readers how girls living at different eras experienced and contributed to dramatic events. In Messenger On The Battlefield (1556227884, ...) is set in 1835 when 11-year-old Isabelina Montoya is happy to hear that her older sister has accepted the marriage proposal of a handsome Mexican solder. But when Texas goes to war against Mexico, dividing Isabelina's family, a decision must be made as to whether they should remain true to their Mexican heritage or fight for their new Texas homeland! Fire On The Hillside (1556227892, ...) is set in the spring of 1847 and finds 13-year-old Katherine Haufmann arriving from Fredericksburg, Texas with her family as immigrants from Germany. As she struggles to get used to her new home, Katherine becomes intrigued by the mysterious fires that start appearing in the nearby hills. While the rest of the townsfolk focus on peace talks with the Comanche, Katherine decides to discover the cause of those mysterious fires. Secrets In The Sky (1556227876, ...) is set in 1943 as World War Two is raging overseas. 12-year-old Bethany Parker lives in Sweetwater, Texas, when the Women Air Force Service Pilots come to town. When one of the women dies during a training flight, Bethany is convinced the mysterious crash was the work of a Nazi spy -- and sets out to prove it! The Lone Star Heroines is an outstanding and very highly recommended series of historical novels for young readers that are each enhanced with a "Sources" bibliography for the further study and more detailed study of Texas history.

The unique and historically accurate Lone Star Heroines trilogy by Melinda Rice brings real events in Texas history to life as it shows young readers how girls living at different eras experienced and contributed to dramatic events. In Messenger On The Battlefield (1556227884, [price]) is set in 1835 when 11-year-old Isabelina Montoya is happy to hear that her older sister has accepted the marriage proposal of a handsome Mexican solder. But when Texas goes to war against Mexico, dividing Isabelina's family, a decision must be made as to whether they should remain true to their Mexican heritage or fight for their new Texas homeland! Fire On The Hillside (1556227892, [price]) is set in the spring of 1847 and finds 13-year-old Katherine Haufmann arriving from Fredericksburg, Texas with her family as immigrants from Germany. As she struggles to get used to her new home, Katherine becomes intrigued by the mysterious fires that start appearing in the nearby hills. While the rest of the townsfolk focus on peace talks with the Comanche, Katherine decides to discover the cause of those mysterious fires. Secrets In The Sky (1556227876, [price]) is set in 1943 as World War Two is raging overseas. 12-year-old Bethany Parker lives in Sweetwater, Texas, when the Women Air Force Service Pilots come to town. When one of the women dies during a training flight, Bethany is convinced the mysterious crash was the work of a Nazi spy -- and sets out to prove it! The Lone Star Heroines is an outstanding and very highly recommended series of historical novels for young readers that are each enhanced with a "Sources" bibliography for the further study and more detailed study of Texas history.

Eleven-year-old Isabel Montoya lives with her family on a ranch near Gonzales, Texas, in 1835. Isabel feels as if everything in her life is changing. Her older sister has left home after marrying a Mexican soldier, and the family is divided over the conflict between Texas and Mexico, with Isabel's two older brother on opposing sides while Isabel and her parents struggle to remain neutral. When her brothers run away from home - Joaquin to join the Texans, and Alonso to join the Mexicans - the family is devastated. And when Isabel's father is shot and may be dying, Isabel knows it is up to her to reunited her fragmented family - before it's too late. This was a wonderful novel about a young girl caught up in the beginnings of the Texas Revolution. I wish, however, that the book had been a little longer, and that the ending was less open.

The year is 1847, and thirteen-year-old Katherine Haufmann lives with her family in Fredricksburg, Texas. The Haufmanns and their neighbors are immigrants from Germany who founded the town the year before. Even though she has been in Texas a year, Katherine still thinks of Germany as her home, and longs to return. After her father joins a peacemaking expedition to the Comanche Indians, Katherine and the other residents of Fredricksburg notice strange fires on the hillside outside of town, that appear each evening at dark in the same exact two places and last until dawn. With fear rising of a possible attack, either by the Comanche or by bitter Americans who feel the Germans have stolen their land, Katherine takes it open herself to find the origin of the mysterious fires - and puts herself in far greater danger than she ever could have imagined. Based on real events in Fredricksburg, Texas, in the spring of 1847, this is the story of a spunky and courageous young girl who, in her quest for the truth, finds that her home is where she least imagined it being.

Much writing on higher education falls into predictable categories, such as moralistic (sometimes voyeuristic) screeds about debased student culture or high-minded praise of the transformative power of the liberal arts. Tim Clydesdale's "The First Year Out" is neither of these. Instead, it's a rigorous, engaging, beautifully written work of social science that tracks a representative sample of teens through the last year of high school and first year of college.

Clydesdale's empirically based analysis is unassailable, but no one is likely to be comfortable with all his conclusions. Contrary to the moralists, Clydesdale reports that most students are onlookers, not participants, in the hedonism sensationalized by novelist Tom Wolfe. Dashing the hopes of liberal arts idealists, he demonstrates that few students are willing to wrestle with fundamental questions about identity, belief or politics during their first year out. Clydesdale argues that we need to shed preconceptions, "lower our lofty ideals," and engage students as they are, not as we imagine or wish them to be. Everyone involved in higher education--professors, administrators, student affairs professionals--should read "The First Year Out."

A very enjoyable read that dispels many of our myths about what goes on during that first year of college. Dr. Clydesdale's book is both scholarly and fun, and we finished the book feeling like we had a much better understanding of the complexity of the lives of "real" teens. His central thesis, that teens' values are not so much undermined as they are underutilized, is very useful. Specifically, his research demonstrates an interesting pattern by which students come to college with a given religious identity and values, then store these in what he calls an "identity lockbox," where they remain for the duration of their college years both unchallenged and unaccessed. This is a remarkable and important insight, and provides readers with a powerful tool for understanding the lives of first year students. As Christian workers and non-specialists we found this book very accessible and would recommend it to anyone who works with teens.

Tim Clydesdale's book, The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens After High School (University of Chicago Press, 2007) demands the close attention of all who teach at the post-secondary level. The author, a sociologist, has interviewed in depth a large cohort of high school seniors and college freshmen. He seeks to understand how they see themselves--and how they see the role of course-related study in their lives.

Clydesdale has discovered many things that college and university faculty may find challenging and even upsetting. He finds most students "culturally inoculated against intellectual curiosity and creative engagement." They are preoccupied instead by the pursuit of "happiness and fulfillment" through "personal relationships and individual consumption."

While Clydesdale strips away illusions, he also provides a foundation from which to rethink the ways that faculty might better approach students. This book is academic social science at its best. Everyone who teaches at the college or university level should read The First Year Out.

I found this book incredibly interesting and I think it is useful for a wider audience than just fellow sociologists, a true work of "public sociology". From the vantage-point of a relatively recent alumni of a high school very similar to the pseudonymous "NJ High" and a current scholar/educator, I think it will be interesting, engaging, and useful for all scholars, educators, parents and teens (hopefully some will read this work it even if not required of them). I do think my somewhat insider-status gives me a bit of authority to say that Clydesdale's work was extremely insightful and his observations and perceptions were right on. I couldn't help but think of my own position while reading the book, not far removed from the teen years under discussion, but also finding myself in the early years of "intelligentsia" and scholarship as a current PhD candidate.

While reading, I caught myself looking back and trying to place myself into the framework set out by Clydesdale, and the roles of my own family, faith and community. The themes of students' love of learning being dulled by boredom, complacency, and being unchallenged in school were true not only of myself but large numbers of my fellow teenage students. I was not at the level of "future intelligentsia" of say a "Rob Robertson" while in high school or even my first year out, so I may be an example of Clydesdale's theory that the second and third years of college offer an opportunity to broaden perspectives and engage interests.

I was also able to read this work as someone who is just starting to work with teens from the other side of the discussion, teaching and engaging with primarily first and second year university students in and out of the classroom. Thus Clydesdale's comments on grade inflation and students "playing the game" through face-time and once-a-class surface level engagement rang particularly true (as did his discussion of out-of-touch professors and scholars for that matter). The discussion towards the end of the book about students building tents on tentative ground particularly worthy of note and of use in understanding students' world-views.

Tim Clydesdale gives us a forthright and candid description of college students today -- a dose of reality that I hope will help faculty members communicate more effectively with their students. Today's freshmen do not seek to understand Aeschylus or John Stuart Mill -- but they are savvy and practical. Faculty who can reach them "where they are" will be much better teachers and will help those students move toward maturity and even intellectual engagement. Clydesdale offers some advice on how to achieve that level of communication.