Short Stories Books

This was my favorite book as a little girl, and it is now my 4-year old son's favorite book. All of the stories are adorable, especially "The Journey".

ISBN 0064440133 - Based on the reading level, Mouse Tales is for 6-8 year olds, but I think younger children will enjoy it quite a bit, as well.

Papa tucks his seven boys into bed and promises them seven stories, so long as they promise to go right to sleep. Once they've promised, he starts with The Wishing Well... and tells the seven stories, ending with The Bath. His boys have all fallen asleep by then and Papa says good night.

The stories are all so short that just recapping them would be pretty much the same thing as retelling them! There are great possibilities within the very few pages of this book. With simple words and a fairly large font, the stories can be read by a child easily. He or she will find them fun and engaging. They can be read to a child by an adult, who might like to explain the deeper meanings of some of the stories (for instance why, once the mouse in The Wishing Well helped the well, all of her wishes came true). But, much to my surprise, there's a little Aesop's Fables feel to the stories, which might be one of the most unexpected ways to read this little book - as an adult! This isn't true for every story - if it is, I haven't found the message in the story of the mouse who wears out his feet and gets new ones. Still, all around a charming set of bedtime stories with nicely done illustrations that don't take up three-quarters of every page.

There are seven short tales, all involving mice, and bookended by a father mouse who is telling these stories to his children at bed time, one per child. The seven stories included are: The Wishing Well, Clouds, Very Tall Mouse and Very Short Mouse, The Mouse and the Winds, The Journey, The Old Mouse, and The Bath. Of the seven, my favorite is The Wishing Well as it takes an unusual and humorous approach to the usual wishing well story. The most disturbing of the stories is The Journey because it involves replacement feet. Knowing Sean, I think his favorite will be The Bath because of the absurd bath/flood the little mouse creates just to get clean.

This is a great book with seven short stories for kids. I have three kids and they love all of them.
I also bought this book because my grandmother used to have it and I loved to read it when I was a kid.

The cozy narrative of the mouse storyteller makes this great children's book shine. The seven stories are among Lobel's best, and this is the perfect fireside tale to tell to young mice who are not quite ready for bed.

J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore

...not a classic in the same sense as The Good Earth, but wonderful reading nonetheless. Pearl Buck had a way of telling stories and drawing characters like no one else. One is always sorry when the book comes to a close, and we wish we could be swept out of our chair and into wherever Mrs. Buck's stories take us. Tzu-Hsi was a fascinating woman that the reader can come very close to in this telling while also wondering what kind of human being she truly was. This book is well worth reading; in fact ANYTHING by Pearl Buck is rewarding and transporting.

Perhaps not one of Pearl Buck's best known novels, Imperial Woman is still fascinating. It gives the reader a glimpse of the Manchu period of Chinese history.

A novel about a very interesting transitory part of the Chinese history. A fascinating main character, a rich story with a lot of things going on throughout the book. Very absorbing, highly recommended.

This is the first book I read about Tzu Hsi, and I found it totally engrossing. After reading a number of other, more recent biographical works on her reign, it is sad to see how so many very false assumptions about her (upon which Pearl Buck bases many of the key assumptions of this novel) have created a very distorted view of her as an individual, a leader, and particulalry as a woman.

Pearl S. Buck writes in her Foreward "I have tried to portray Tzu Hsi as accurately as possible from available resources...." and this, unfortunately, is the book's biggest flaw. The scholarship was often totally false and grossly distorted, and so western writers perpetuated many false assumptions about her.

Read Sterling Seagrave's Dragon Lady if you want a more accurate portrayal of her.

Following the death of the consort of the Emperor of China, the young daughters of the minor aristocracy are sent to the palace to be chosen as concubines for him and are selected by the Empress Mother. He is a weak and dissolute young man, weakened by opium addiction and the sexual gratification of all of his senses since childhood. Sakota is chosen as his consort as the former consort was her elder sister and Tzu Hsi is chosen as second wife, but for a clever, ambitious woman such as she, this situation lasts for only a short time. After presenting him with a fine, healthy son, who was probably fathered by Tzu Hsi's former betrothed, Jung Lu, now Captain of the Guards in the Imperial City, Tzu Hsi gradually takes control of the country, determined that the new, western ways should never intrude, and rules China from the 1860's until her death in 1908. It's a marvellous read about a fascinating period of history.

This is a MUST read! I can not wait for another book by Shonda Cheekes! I read "Another man's wife a couple of years ago and I just finished "In the Midst of it All".... I am now going to read the first again. I can't get enough!

I think Shonda Cheekes is a superb author! I read "Another Man's Wife" first and loved it. I had to read the second part of the book. I would love to find out what happens next. Does she have an upcoming book on Alex and Yani? Asia finally got married; I was happy about that too.

In the Midst of it All is the portrayal of two sisters whose lives seem perfect but with each passing moment they become more complicated. Asia Fenton has found a new relationship with Detective Johnny Johnson after her ex-fiancé broke her heart. However, the love she has for Johnny is overshadowed by her attraction to her new neighbor, Ray, and the chemistry she still has with her ex. Yani, Asia's sister, and her husband, Alex, have been through the storm and rain and seemed to have made it. However, Yani's ex-husband has come to dally in her marriage once again, but this time from the grave through his children from his second marriage. And In the Midst of it All, September 11th changes everything.

I read this book in one sitting. I was pleasantly surprised. With this novel being a sequel, I did not have the benefit of having read the first book. However reading it was not necessary. Ms. Cheekes does a very good job of giving a reader enough of the previous information to keep them up to date with what was currently going on. This book definitely stands by itself. I also liked the characters who were complex and real. Although as a reader one may be drawn to a character for personal reasons, I enjoyed that there were no evil villains or hapless innocent victims. These were grown men and women making choices that sometimes work and sometimes do not. And ladies and gentlemen that is life. The input on the September 11th tragedies add another dimension to the story especially with it being in recent history. In some ways it eclipsed that which came before in the story causing this reader to leave the plot and ponder on the events of that day. Nevertheless, Ms. Cheekes uses this tragic day in history to turn her story in some predictable ways and yet revealing some unpredictable circumstances. Ultimately reminding us that life is not always fair; we just need to thank God for letting us in the game.

I really enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to more.

Kotanya
APOOO BookClub

This was an excellent read. Superb writing skills and a story line which kept your interest. This is the sequel to "Another Man's Wife" which was outstanding also. I have recommended both books to my friends for a group therapy discussion. In life we never know what lies ahead however if we can continue to keep our heads up to the sky "In the Midst of it all" that itself is a blessing....Can't wait for her next book.

The second part is way better than Another Man's wife. Even though it still left alot of stones unturned, I enjoyed it. You really don't need to read the first book to catch up with the second. I say save your money and just buy In the Midst of it all.

Back when I was in high school, my bookshelves were filled with the Gothic romances of Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney. In my mind's eye (especially on a dark and stormy night!), I liked to cast myself as one of the the intrepid governesses who finds employment at the manor house of a devastatingly handsome but brooding lord with a plethora of mysterious, murderous relatives and eavesdropping servants. While I always questioned why these young women used to traipse out at midnight into the fog-shrouded moors - wearing only a diaphanous nightgown - to investgate a spooky noise, I was nonetheless captivated by the way all three of these authors could spin such breathtaking ambiance and make a reader feel as if they were right in the scene. I was, thus, delighted when an associate sent me a paperback copy of the newly re-released "The Ivy Tree" by Mary Stewart. Her heroine is a plucky lady of mystery who or may not be who she really says she is, and the scintillating underscore of sexual tension throughout the chapters makes this the kind of read that should be enjoyed with a pot of herbal tea, a fire in the fireplace, a cozy comforter, and a storm outside one's windows. Even with the passage of 40 years since I originally read this title, it's a cleverly orchestrated mystery that still feels timeless.

Christina Hamlett
Author of "Movie Girl" and "Screenwriting for Teens"

First Sentence: I might have been alone in a painted landscape.

Annabel Winslow has been dead for four years. Mary Grey, over from Canada, looks enough like Annabel to be her twin. When Conner, foreman at Whitescar, stumbles upon her, it takes a bit of convincing that she is Mary. Con, and his half-sister, Lisa, work up a plan for Mary to pretend to be the missing Annabel long enough to ensure her grandfather passes the ownership of Whitescar to Con in his will. Annabel Winslow has been dead for four years. Or has she?

This is Mary Stewart at her very best. With lovely nods to Josephine Tey's "Brat Farrar," which I also loved, "The Ivy Tree" is a more complex, layered book, although the clues are there for us to find. Stewart's characters come alive and even have reader questioning just who is Mary? There is that constant threat of danger. Her descriptions and use of imagery make me go back and re-read passages for the pure pleasure of her words. It is a story of love, loss, and hope is wonderfully timeless. Stewart is always such a pleasure to read and this is one of, if not the, best of her works.

As the story opens Mary Grey is enjoying her day off taking in the local tourist sights near her new home. She has recently left her native Canada to return to Northumberland where her greatgrand parents had been born. Suddenly a young man confronts her, calling her Annabel and insisting that she is his cousin who disappeared eight years earlier. Mary manages to convince him of her identity but soon finds herself embroiled in a plot to impersonate the missing Annabel in her family home, Whitescar.

Gradually it becomes apparent that all is not quite as it seems, everyone there seems to have a secret, her Grandfather has not disclosed who will inherit the family farm, 'cousin' Con has not revealed the depths of his ambition, the missing Annabel left behind secrets when she fled, even the estate itself has been keeping things hidden. Eventually all is revealed with the usual Stewart flair for drama and romance.

This 40+ year old book has aged well. There are some references that place it firmly in the early '60's, for example, a cell phone would have eliminated much of the tension, it is still a thoroughly enjoyable story, very reminiscent of BRAT FARAR. As usual with Stewart's work the setting and characters all come to life. The plot is cleverly handled, the clues to the mysteries are all there for the reader to follow but so subtly done that it will be a very rare reader who does not get at least a few surprises along the way including true identities of more than one character.

This book is wordy and descriptive--half of our book club really appreciated her use of words, and half found it tedious. The beginning is a little slow and hard to engage in, but stick with it because the plot thickens enormously in the middle and the twist is so much fun! It has a dramatic conclusion that made for some fun conversation at book club.

All of Mary Stewart's works are good. This is one of her best mysteries.

Friends gave us this one for a birthday present for our six year old. Have since ordered the whole series!
Nice to have children friendly, wholesome story...our children can't hear it enough!

I loved these stories when I was a little girl and its been a joy to pass them along to my own daughters. I love how Jenny realizes her own worth even though she feels so small and shy sometimes. Friends, loyalty, and fun adventures makes these stories timeless

I love Jenny Linsky. I love her gentle nature, her kindness, her shyness. I loved her from the moment I opened the book and read the first paragraphs to my (then) 5 year old daughter. I loved her as I made red pom-poms to tie onto a red scarf so my daughter could dress up as Jenny for Halloween. But five years later, she's my second favorite Linsky. My most favorite is my three year old daughter, Zoe Linsky, whom her big sister lovingly named after the nicest person she could think of, a little black cat named Jenny.

I am so glad they re-released this book--my mother was thrilled to receieve it. Seller sent the book in great condition and it arrived very quickly.

I had never heard of these stories about a cat named Jenny Linski. My children (and myself as a child) though have another story by the same author that they enjoy and so I decided to give this chapter book a try. What a hit! Both my children ( 5 and 8) greatly enjoyed the story and were happy to discover it is one of a series.

Youngsters eight and younger will love this spooky children's tale about a little old lady who refuses to be afraid of "things" following her through the woods on her way home. "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything" is simple, fun, and excellent for kindergarten and first grade kids to practice their reading skills on. It works even better as a tale read to a child. My daughter loves it when I read this story to her and put emphasis on the noises that each of the old ladies' followers makes. From "Clomp, Clomp" to "Boo, Boo," my daughter giggled her way through this story. There's just enough spookiness to the story to keep kids a tad antsy, but the resolution eventually makes everything okay.

I highly recommend this tale to anybody who has a child eight years of age or younger and stress that this story works best if it's read to the children instead of having them read it. Author Linda Williams has done a nice job of making a lightly spooky tale for youngsters and Megan Lloyd's dark and moody (though somehow amazingly fun) illustrations only add to the tale's atmosphere. It's a fun Halloween tale that works on any night of the year.

We pull this one out in the fall. The story is great for standing up and moving around -- clomp, clomp - wiggle,wiggle - shake, shake - clap, clap - nod, nod... plus, there's a great surprise (which we shout out VIGOROUSLY!) and a happy ending. It's one of our best fall books.

This is one of my all-time favorite children's books. It is an interactive book and I suggest everyone who reads it to a child or group of children get them on their feet and acting it out. Much fun and laughter!

This book is great for the fall season. The writer gives suspence with bravery.

Teacher at day school introduced us to this imaginative book. Both of our children absolutely adore it.

Wolff is an amazing writer. He says more in these short stories than other writers say in entire books. I heard Bullet in the Brain on This American Life and I had to buy the book. I am so glad that I did. Kids will be studying these someday in school.

Tobias Wolff's 14 stories in this collection is quiet, spare, measured - and absolutely stellar. Wolff can take a mundane, everyday experience and thru his meticulous craftsmanship dig into the depths to mine it for every nuance of emotional significance. Nothing is present in any of his stories that doesn't serve a purpose: not a dog, a twig, a sweater, or a smile. Everything moves the stories forward and shows us more about each character and his/her relationship to others. "Firelight," a story I've now read several times, is my favorite: a boy and his single mom, stranded in a university town, spend their weekends looking at houses and apartments for rent, knowing they can't afford any of them. At the end of the long day, they're invited inside the last house, one where a university professor lives with his wife and daughter. The story, told from the boy's POV, is bittersweet and focuses on a sense of being an outsider to the comforts of home, the warmth of the fireside - but he realizes that all is not as it appears within this family that he still envies.
Absolutely wonderful collection.

Before I picked up this book I was only vaguely aware of Tobias Wolff, never having, as far as I can recall, read anything of his. I did remember that he had written a memoir of his peripatetic childhood that was praised probably fifteen years ago. I was unprepared for the power and grace of this collection of short stories published in 1996. A little research on the Internet tells me that Wolff is primarily a short story writer -- he has certainly found his niche in that, although I gather he has recently written a novel -- and is a professor at Stanford. But, most of all, he is a born story-teller. This is not to say that one is not also aware of the lapidary quality of his writing. My point is that even absent his writing skill he would still be someone you'd want to engage in conversation, or rather someone you'd like to sit and listen to as he spins yarns about the mundane. The mundane is his subject, but like all good writers, he puts it in such a perspective as to make it new and insightful.

Others before me, here at Amazon, have written about certain of the short stories here. The stories' subject matter is, generally, that of youth and young adulthood, and most importantly, about observation. His protagonists seem to have a preternatural writer's eye, which is part of what I look for in fiction. That's one of the great things about a great writer -- that ability to see things in ways most of us don't.

My favorite story? Probably 'Firelight,' about a boy and his hapless but courageous mother who go to look at apartments. Simple plot, but with deep implications about belonging, what home and family is, and about hope. The coda of this story, with the little boy all grown up and with a family of his own, tells us, as so often in Wolff's stories, how childhood experience colors our adult lives. Beautiful. I suppose now I'll have to go and read everything Wolff has written. Nice to contemplate.

Scott Morrison

I liked this collection but, don't kill me, I thought In The Garden of the North American Martyrs was better. Maybe it's my imagination or something about the timing of my reading each, but with The Night in Question I thought that at times Wolff was packing too much into his sentences, too much insight. It was all trenchant observation and inspiration, but those pockets of narrative threw the rest of the story off kilter for me and detracted from what I liked so much about In the Garden: that the stories are so simple and -- within that -- so elegantly complex. This could be my imagination; I'm not sure.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. But I second everybody who said Wolff takes ordinary occurrences and portrays them beautifully and, as the pieces come together, with so much significance. Thanks also to the person who mentioned Carver. I agree, it would have been nice to see his writing mature.

If you haven't read any of Wolff's books or are thinking of getting this book, definitely do. Buy In the Garden too.

Tobias Wolff has written yet another fantastic collection of short stories with The Night in Question. Wolff has yet to disappointment me with any of his writings thus far, and since I believe I've read all of his works but for one or two, it does not seem as though that may be a possibility. The Night in Question is a collection dealing with all too human aspects in a series of stories that are unlikely, but certainly not beyond the realm of possibility. The peculiarity is not the focus in Wolff's stories; rather, it's the human reaction to the peculiarities that make his writing rich and enlightening.

Once again, I recommend virtually any of Wolff's work with supreme confidence, and The Night in Question is no exception. My particular favorites in this work were "Flyboys," "The Life of the Body," and one that was very unusual for Wolff, "Bullet in the Brain."

~Scott William Foley, author of The Imagination's Provocation: Volume I: A Collection of Short Stories

Camy Tang has another winner with Only Uni. As with the first book, my 13 year old daughter finished it before me (and she never reads). I loved Trish and enjoyed her many disastrous church volunteer endeavors. What a twist at the senior home (I won't give it away)! Can't wait for Single Sashimi to come out.

I would see advertisements for Sushi for One and its sequel, Only Uni in a mail order catalog I get regularly. I kept thinking they looked interesting, but never picked them up. About a month ago I finally read Sushi for One, which was good. I liked the characters, but it made it so that I couldn't wait to read Only Uni. I was surprised to find that I liked Only Uni much better than Sushi. I was able to relate to Trish more than sports-crazed Lex. The writing flowed better, and of course I still wanted to whack Grandma Sakai in the head. I can't wait to read Venus' story in Single Sashimi. These next 4 months will be torture.

Trish Sakai has upset Grandma. Not a bad thing for the average person, but in the Sakai family, no one upsets Grandma. Trish had all the right reasons for putting her life on the so-called line--she's just not ready to marry yet. Or is she?

Having kissed dating good-bye and asking the Lord's guidance in leading her to the chosen man, Trish finds herself in humorous peril more often than not. Stalked by a gorgeous ex-boyfriend, supported by loving cousins who complain they're always there to pick up the pieces of Trish's life only to have her mess it all up again, and ramrod-ed by a Grandma who has sleuthy ways to persuade her granddaughter to see things in proper fashion, this book is a laugh from page one. To top it all off, her partner on a project at work is a man too good-looking for his own good, yet she must resist this temptation, she promised the Lord.

Ahh, what's a flirtatious, senior biologist, California girl to do? Pray hard and meet the world head-on!!

As the second book in the Sushi Series, Only Uni is a wonderful, fast paced book that will make you laugh time and again. Life in the single lane as a Christian lady ain't easy to begin with; Trish Sakai demonstrates how to overcome expectations with style! I can't wait for the third book to come out!!

Tang once again delivers an incredibly busy novel. Not a dull moment in this book, I promise. Trish is a lovable character that I empathized with, even though she often put her foot in her mouth. I truly felt for her situation and I loved her sincerity, misguided though she was at times. I also related to the way she felt pulled in by her ex-boyfriend. Some women are just not strong that way, and Trish was a very believable character in that regard.

Tang really comes up with some interesting ways to describe things and on occasion the metaphors and similes seemed a bit over the top, but that didn't take away from the story much. Only Uni is hard to put down because it's so interesting, and at times very insightful and touching, while at other times quite amusing. I enjoyed Only Uni even more than Sushi for One? Tang has a unique writing style that is engaging and fresh, even if a bit overly done at times. I am REALLY looking forward to reading Single Sashimi.

I thoroughly enjoyed Camy's first book, Sushi for One? but the character of Trish annoyed me. I found her flaky and shallow. So I wasn't sure if I'd like an entire book about her. Camy, why did I ever doubt you?

In Only Uni we get to meet the real Trish Sakai in all her wonderful, flawed glory. What I love about this book is how real Trish is. She's made mistakes - lots of them - but she longs to live the way God wants her to. We go along for the ride as she struggles to work her way into God's good graces, until she finally realizes that His grace was there for her all along.

There's a lot of stuff going on in Only Uni, but Camy keeps the pace moving with loads of humor and some real heart-tuggers. Toward the last third of the book, she turned down a road I wasn't expecting, then she did it again before the end. It's part of what makes Only Uni such wonderful, authentic read.

Since this is the second book in the series, the obvious question is: Do I have to read Sushi for One? first? No, but it will be a lot more fun for you if you do!

Tyler is incredibly focused. He is determined to make baseball his life. Even though he is only thirteen, he already has a plan to get noticed at home in his California high school during the school year, but then to also make a name for himself during the summers playing in a New York City league with his cousin. He is certain this summer he will make the New York all-star team and begin getting noticed.

Right away, though, there is a problem. Tyler has a terrible temper that causes him to get into fights with other players, on the other teams as well as his own. When something gets to him or he feels he's been treated unfairly, he simply explodes. He thought his abilities on the field would get him onto the all-star team, but the coach almost immediately pulls him aside and tells him that unless he can show a little maturity, he has no chance.

At first Tyler is even more furious at the coach for telling him he's not in control. But then he decides to do something to change the coach's opinion of him. It's not easy to reign in his temper, and a lot of the time he's just acting relaxed instead of really feeling it. But then he begins to reflect more on his life and the lives of his family members and their connections to violence and war. Eventually he begins to view himself and those around him in entirely new ways.

I liked the connection to the Vietnam War, although at times I thought the book lost its focus and the author couldn't decide between a story about baseball and a story about the effects of the war.

Unfortunately, I really didn't like the character of Tyler. I found him irritating and wasn't really rooting for him to be successful.

I started reading "Over the Wall" on a Saturday, and could hardly put it down until I finished it on Monday.

Like John Ritter's other books, "Choosing up Sides" and "The Boy Who Saved Baseball," this is a well written and very entertaining story. I especially identify with Tyler's struggle to replace anger with empathy, despite what other people might think about him. I tend to react with anger, at least at first. Anger is the "easiest way out." Identifying with people and understanding their side is much more difficult

Tyler strives to become a better baseball player to compensate for his parents' mental absence and to rekindle their interest in his life. Tyler's strenuous quest is expressed with foreshadowing. This occurs early on when he disputes the umpire's bad call when he knows he was safe.

All of these writer's craft techniques: foreshadowing, comparing and contrasting between characters, and having the minor characters take control of the greatest part of the plot, are brilliantly expressed. "Over the Wall" by John H. Ritter was one of the greatest books I have ever read. Now I can't wait to read "Under the Baseball Moon" next.

Tyler is a great shortstop and a terrific all around baseball player. He only has one flaw, he has anger issues. After every bad call he gets angry and is involved in a fight. Sometimes he gets in fights because people make fun of his bright orange hair. Tyler's coach, Coach Trioli, tries to help him by showing what happened in the Vietnam war. Now Tyler knows his coaches secret past and why he is so nice, but will Tyler get over his anger problems or will he be kicked of the and kicked off the league forever.

Hi, my name is A.C. Murphy and I thought that "Over The Wall" by John H. Ritter was a good book. My Favorite character would have to be Tyler's cousin Louis. Louis is my favorite character beacuse he plays 2nd base just like I do. In the beginning of the book, Tyler comes from San Diego and goes all the way to New York City. While Tyler is in New York City, his cousin asks him if he wants to play on his baseball team. So Tyler decides to play. They have a really good team. But in one game, Tyler gets in a fight and is kicked off of the team and reuins his chance on making the all star team. Towards the end of the book, Tyler apologizes to his coach and his coach gives him a spot on the all star team. If I were to rate this book on a scale from 1-10, I'd rate it a 10 because baseball is my favorite sport, and I've playing since I was three years old.

I think that John H. Ritter is one of the best authors and I really liked Over The Wall. The reason why I liked the book was because it's about baseball, and it's my favorite sport to play. I think that my favorite character would have to be Tyler's cousin Louis because he was tough and he played 2nd base. I play 2nd base also. If I were to rate this book from a scale of 1-10, I'd rate it a 10 because it was a really good book.

I thought that this book was interesting, sad, and happy altogether. This book is around Christmas time, it has to do with babies and people dieing. It sounds like you wouldn't want to read it, but it really isn't that sad. Thats I recamend you to read this book.

Starry Starry Night is about a girl's mom who's pregnant. Her daughter and husband are really exited and ready for the baby to come, but when its time for her to have the baby, they find out that the baby won't live too long because only half of her brain developed. They try to donate her organs to other babies who needed it, but, once they all decided that it was right they found out they couldn't do it because once the baby had died her organs would be useless.
My favorite part of the story is when they are waiting at the hospital because all of her friends were there to support her. You should not read this book if you don't like sad endings, because the ending is sad.

i read this book, and i thought that it was good! at the sad parts in the book, i cried, because they were very heartbreaking! if u don't have this book, i recommend getting it!
P.S. read all of the other books by Lurlene McDaniel. they r very good!

In "Starry, Starry Night," Lurlene McDaniel has written three more wonderful stories that will without a doubt make you cry.

The first story "Christmas Child," is about a fifteen year old girl named Melanie, and her mother is pregnant. Melanie is extremely excited to be an older sister, and has already finished painting the nursery and buying Christmas presents for the baby. Five days before Christmas, her mom goes into labor - and Jessica is born. But there's one problem, Jessica has a terminal illness that can't be fixed...she will die within a few days. Even though Jessica is only in the family's lives for a few days, she changes each of them forever.
This story made me cry, it's a great one!

"Last Dance" is my favorite of the 3 stories. Brenda gets a phone call from a Mrs. Drake, and she's asking her to go out with her son, Doug. Doug has cancer, and his wish is to go out with Brenda, because, according to him "She's the most beautiful girl in the world." Brenda really begins to fall for Doug, but, will it all work out in the end?

"Kathy's Life" is the last story in the book, and my least favorite. Ellie has it all: the boyfriend, the popularity, and...oh yeah, the divorced parents. But when Ellie and Kathy are assigned to do an English project together, they both change, for better. Kathy is the live in nanny for a young couple's son, Christian. When Ellie and Kathy begin to talk, Ellie finds out a big secret, about why Kathy is the way she is.

All the stories in this book are good, but Ellie's (Kathy's Life) story is pretty racy at first...it's pretty different than any other Lurlene McDaniel book in that sense.

Overall grade: A-

This book is awesome. I sat down almost a whole day and just read this book. I love how it had three different stories in it. I loved all of them i really liked the baby one and i wish tha she would like write like what happens afterwards and so on. She is such a good author i wonder how she gets all these inspiration.