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This is one of the better Love Stories books. The characters are well-developed, including the minor characters. There is a wonderful little subplot going on with Grizzly and Stacy. The first time I read this, I thought the characters were in college, not in high school. So if you're a little older and want something that isn't quite so corny, this is a good pick.

When I received this book in the mail, I was so excited to read it because of all the reviews and all, but when I started to read the book, I was kind bored in the beginning until I got to almost the middle..I Do wasn't exactly what I expected..It wasn't really about their love or relationship, but more of her being a journalist and reporting about the guy's lacrosse team which of course Adam is on..I expected more from Jane and Adam, but there weren't really anything between them..I mean there was a bond, but it wasn't something I thought was romantic..not until the end at least..So I give this book 3 stars..it's not GREAT, but it's a good read=]

This is a wonderful book from beginning to end. The dialogue and humor was great as well as the romantic situations. Don't miss this book!

i love this book so much. i like the friction between adam and jane.man i wish guys were more like him. i strongly urge you to read it!

This book is one of my favourites too... I bought it in 2000 and I still pick it up every now and again, it makes me laugh, smile and dream every time. It's so good even after all these years the story between Jane and Adam still captivates me. Elizabeth Chandler created two characters that make you wanna feel that click beteen hate and love that just makes your toes curl. :)

A must read for all those who are compelled to understand the insanity of Nazi Germany. The evil is in the details as these journals so devastatingly reveal. Sometimes necessary to read only a few pages at a time as the devastation and slowly increasing helplessness of this man's life is revealed. A critical historical document.

As an educated Professor of Philology, Victor Klemperer documents life as a Jew in Nazi Germany. The very act of keeping this diary was grounds for his demise.
The essence of these incredible documents, is that it records the tightening of control of the Jewish people under Nazism. The progressive pogroms took away simple things such as going to a movie or taking a ride on a tram. The taking of one's own home and living in a communal Jewish home further degraded the Jewish people. The simple fact that each had to wear the yellow star which indeed put all Jews into harms way.
Mr Klemperer was forced out of his professorship because he was a Jew. Even though he was an honorable World War I Veteran, he was forced to live on a half pension.
The only thing that saved Victor Klemperer was his Aryan wife Eva. She never abandoned Victor as I'm sure other wives in similar circumstances did. Looking at this, I think is an incredible act of love by Eva. Her subjucation to Nazi Life living with a Jew for 12 years was indeed a severe prison term.
The diaries are edited to delete repetition. However several things are constantly repeated. Victor was always at death's door with an ailing heart. The other repetition was he and his wife's constant physical hunger.
This set of diaries should be required reading for anyone who is a serious student of 20th century history.

When my son told me a student said the Holocaust was much less gruesome than reported and was exagerated by people over the years, we started to read this together... Not that he needed to be reminded, but how incredible that even today some are still floating this insane rumor!

This is a great memoir that any history buff or historian or anyone should read. It ranks right up there with Anne Frank's diary. It offers a unique view since Mr. Klemperer was married to a German woman during the Holocaust. It is this unique view on the Holocaust that makes this memoir so good.

Victor Klemperer's diary of pre war Germany provides fascinating insight into what life was like for ordinary citizens in Germany. Interspersed with the mundane aspects of life, e.g., shopping, driving, going to the dentist, etc. are ever increasing examples of the insanity that was Nazi Germany. It was a little difficult to get into, but it soon became a page tuner. The later years are particularly interesting. I couldn't put it down.

I have read most of the series and I think it was the most flawless. The story kept me more interested than most of the other books. Jude never ceases to amaze me. All her plots are different and they all get me pumped up and make the Star Wars soundtrack play in my head. This book is fast, action filled and very, very interested.

Lovely read. This book continues where THE HIDDEN PAST left off. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan arrive at Gala, eventualy,and they discover that there is a plot to kill the Queen and also sabotage the up-coming elections.
No sploilers from me, you'll have to read the book to find out what happens. You won't be dissapointed!

The Mark of the Crown was really an extrordinary book in the Jedi Apprentice series. The same great characters are back and are on another adventure. The plot kept my attention through the entire book. For all who like the series or are new to it, this is definitely one you'll like!

Star War Jedi Apprentice: Mark of the Crown

The main characters in this book are Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi-they are Jedi Knights. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent to the city of Gulu on the planet of Gala to keep the peace. They
are having elections for a governor. On Gulu, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are caught between two mobs of angry citizens and must escape. This is just one of their many adventures on gala.

Qui- Gon is my favorite character because he is a master of the Force and overcomes many challenges in the book. He is always serious and doesn't give up easily. The Queen of Gala trusts him. He takes the most serious missions while Obi-Wan stays behind and keeps an eye on the Queen, who may have been poisoned. Mali, a chemist, analyses tea that has been given to the Queen and tell Obi-Wan: "Whatever it is, it doesn't belong in tea." The problem in this book is for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to protect the Queen.

I recommend this book for anyone who likes Star Wars or adventure books. When you read this book you will want to know what happens next all the time, such as when Obi-Wan was stuck in a giant refrigerator. You will feel a sense of adventure and will want to know how the book ends-does the Queen live or die?

Jude Watson continues to write intereszing stories about the adventures of Qui-Gon Jinn and his young Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. He also writes about their developing relationship, with both men longing for connection and not realizing that they are coser than they think!

In this instalment the two Jedi are sent to Gala, where the dying queen is bringing democratic elections to her planet, and her son is not at all happy about it.

This is a well-written and interesting story in this continuing series.

Ok, here's the thing. After reading all these reviews, i thought that for once, a book could make me cry. All you Amazon reviewers said that this was the saddest book, that it made you sob. Well, this book didn't make me cry, even one tear, didn't make me even SAD, which i thought was absurd, because the concept of a mother dying IS sad, but this book didn't make me FEEL it. What a huge disappointment. I was interested in the book, sure, i gave it a shot, i reread it, but it DIDN'T MAKE ME FEEL SAD NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I READ IT!!! It was frustrating because MsMartin is usually a very good writer who makes you feel the character's pain or anger or sadness or whatever, but this book didn't cut it.
Sunny is a good character. It's a shame that the author couldn't make her into a GREAT character in this book.
This book gained 2 stars because I WANTED to read it again, plus its cover was good, and it tied up the fight with Ducky. That was decent.
Anyway, if you enjoy sad books with FEELING, this book IS NOT FOR YOU. If you enjoy reading books that have absolutely zero impact on you whatsoever, BUY THIS BOOK.
gotsa go,
but one thing 2 say,
this book DID NOT CUT IT
luvyasall & toodles
Mel-jane

Ok...well at first i thought the book was gonna [be bad] because it was assigned in school but, once i picked it up i could not put it down. Ann Martin makes you be part of Sunny. You feel what she feels and want what she wants. Its fantastic. The book made me cry and I've never cried in one single movie! I recomend this books to teens everywhere! This book has also influenced me to read many other of the California Diaries.
-Rebecca

Sunny is a teenager who is going through a tradgety. She is loosing her mom to canser. Sunny used to cope with this by skipping school, not studying, and even running away. Iused to think that sunny was a selfish character, because she didnt even visit her mother in the hospital. In this book, she stopped running from her problems. She handled her mothers death with a lot of maturity. I think Sunny is very brave. Even though she is a character from a book, i respect her.

This book opened up my heart into a new perspective. I couldn't imagin loosing my mother but this book opened up my eyes and made me see more of what a tragedy loosing your mother is. After all the [stuff] she gave to all her freinds they all realized that it was a time of need for her. With her freinds coping her every step of the way she managed to survive the tragedy of her loss. If you are a fanatic as I am READ THIS BOOK and have a box of tissues reading it you'll need it.

im a great fan of ann martin. SUNNY DIARY#3 was EXTRAORDINARY. it is SOOOOOOOO touching. i think it is the best in the seires. SUNNY is a WONDERFUL. SHE IS A VERY rich charachter. she is ,in her third diary,facing her problems at last. she is so hurt and the reader feels it,it is so HARD to say goodbye or farwell to a person especially if it is your mom. ann has succeeded in going deep through her.the readers tears is a great evidence. im 16 and i see the book is suitable for all ages. anns aim isnt describing sunny s suffering only but i think she wants to tell us how LUCKYwe are. we should VALUE our parents more and stop complaing about our lives. all over the world many people are suffering even more than sunny .the diaries give us HOPE. .even sunny HAS a bright side to look at. She still has her friends . so she will be healed soon. in fact ANN shows sunny that her mom ISNT DEAD. she WILL be always be with her.in her mind. in her heart ,in Sunny herself.i think ann deserves the nobel prize,doesent she?so ahead and read CD#12.

I am glad I am not the only one who has read and reread With Love Form Karen so many times. I have probably read this book more times than I have read any other book in my life. This story inspired me because like Karen I was born with a birth defect. I am not disabled but Karen's story gave me the courage to face the obstacles in my own life (they paled in comparison to what Karen faced). Marie does focus a lot on Gloria and I feel this as well as the tragic fire that killed three of Little Marie and Gloria's children lead to estraingment later on. The family is old world and very private and will not make their individual stories public. Today they would be on the talk show circuit and making a movie deal. I respect that but it would be nice to know what has happened to them. I always felt there should be a movie but that wont happen because none of the family members will take part in it.

I wrote a review of "Karen" and won't repeat myself here, except to say I love this book--I read it when I was in about fifth grade. I had always wanted to live in a family like this.

The reason I'm writing this is because of a review where someone criticized Marie Killilea for allowing Karen to practice walking (in her leg braces) by mowing the lawn, saying it was dangerous. Once again, you have to keep in mind the HISTORICAL CONTEXT of these books. I doubt very much that they had a gasoline-powered lawn mower back then. She was probably pushing a hand mower, a big heavy non-motorized thing which actually would provide stability for someone who had trouble walking, much like the walker on wheels that my grandmother uses.

"With Love From Karen" continues the true story of a girl, born in 1940 with cerebral palsy, and her family. This follow-up to the 1952 book "Karen" picks up five years after the end of the first book. Karen is now 12; the family has found a suitable house for their unique needs; and Gloria has officially joined the Killilea clan.

As with "Karen," I have read "With Love From Karen" many times since my teen years. Although I enjoy reading it as a continuation of Karen's story, I have never found it as compelling as the first book. Perhaps it is because the breakthroughs are different, or perhaps the writing is simply not as strong.

For those whose interest was piqued by the first book, I heartily recommend reading the rest of the story. If you have not been introduced to the Killilea's by reading "Karen," then you should start there.

The tone of this book is matter-of-fact tending toward upbeat. There are many anecdotes and stories that illustrate the Killilea family's interesting life. Some will make you laugh, others will make you roll your eyes; many will make you think.

A few important things to consider: The Killilea's were devoutly Catholic, and their attitudes and decisions reflect this as well as the era (1950's). The book was written long enough ago that the language and situations, particularly with regard to matters of educating the handicapped, may seem outdated and "wrong." Welcome to the world before the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act!

Readers should also note that the "C.P. work" in the book refers to Marie Killilea's work with United Cerebral Palsy, which she helped to found. She remained active with the organization for many years; read the book to learn more.

I am glad that I own this book, as well as the original "Karen." I am glad to have it on my bookshelf, where I can periodically pull it down, read it, and be reminded how lucky I am to be healthy and have a healthy family, as well as of how much (and how little) people have changed in the last 40 years.

Marie Killilea (1913-1991) wrote WITH LOVE FROM KAREN (a sequel to her first book, KAREN) about her daughter, born with cerebral palsy at a time when little was known about the condition and when many were puzzled over or even afraid of persons with disabilities. The Killilea family's endeavors to ensure Karen a healthy, productive life are great reading, even almost a half-century later. This book relates the adventures of Karen and her lively family from approximately age twelve through her entrance into adulthood. Keep Kleenex handy, because you're going to weep for sympathy and then you're going to howl with laughter. Mrs. Killilea writes with resolute faith, tenderness, and great humor. Although developments in treating disabilities (and people with disabilities) have greatly changed, you'll love the courage and warmth of this book and you may wish that children who happen to be born with disabilities could all have families like the Killileas.

Both books are highly inspirational and leave one with the feeling of being "one of the family." The fight of the Killileas to give their daughter and sister the most "normal" life possible is awesome. When I first read the books as a child, I simply accept this wonderful family into my world without question. As an adult, I would suggest they could not be quite as saintlike at they seem to be depicted at times. Again, from an adult perspective, I know there must have been disagreements and quarrels from time to time. That would just be normal!
I would recommend these books to anyone facing challenges of his/her own. You will be inspired beyond a doubt.
I didn't know about the fire tragedy which took the lives of Russ and Gloria's two daughters and Marie and Ronald's daughter until a few years ago. I can't even begin to imagine the impact this tragedy must have had on the family. Amy@parsley has copies of newspaper articles about this as well as other pictures of Killilea family members.
The best praise I can give these books is that I wish more had been written, following all the family members, because they truly did seem to become "family" to readers. To this reader, anyway!!
To the Killilea children and their families - thank you for sharing such a large part of your lives with us. I hope you have never had cause to regret it. I suspect your stories have inspired more people in more ways than you will ever know.

Just great all around!!! This was one of my favorite childhood books. I will now give this one to my goddaughter to enjoy.

I am currently running a girls book club for 4th grade girls and I decided to use this book because of the positive attitude of the children in the book. I am trying to teach the girls in the book club how to analyze a book, discuss a book and to learn from a book. This book had everything I was looking for. The analysis leads to talking about attitude, taking responsibility and using your creativity!

This book is so good. It is where 12 year-old Mary, and her 10-year old sister, Jean are on a ship, and one day the ship starts to sink, and as quick as they can, the take all the babies that they had babysat while on the ship, and get into a lifeboat, but then, right before the boat sinks, their lifeboat gets accidentally thrown into the water, it is just them and 4 babies, all alone in a lifeboat with only a few odds and ends, like a tarp, jerky, canned milk, a jug of water, and some sfety pins. After 5 days of sailing in their little lifeboat, theese corageous little girls land on an island. They make shelter and look all over for food. There are ALOT more twists in the book............ but I don't want to spoil the surprises for you. you wil just have to buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did a book report on this book as a kid and really enjoyed the story. This will delight young babysitters and little girls with younger siblings! I have a sis five years younger and could relate to the hardships of these two girls who get stranded on an island with four babies. This book has a good balance of good and bad events and a great ending. The characters seem very realistic but parts of the plot are a little far-fetched and seem fictional. Either way, it's a very fun story with nothing too gross or scary. It also has a fair amount of cute, clean humor. I would say this is a good story for younger readers and those who like a lighthearted story.

Great fun!

As a young girl, I read this book over and over. Loved it! Magical. Shipwrecked on an Island with babies in their care - the girls in this story have an adventure. I was so jealous! I loved babies, still do! This book was dreamy fun.

The author, Carol R. Brink, also wrote "The Pink Motel," my other fav in the 5th grade. Have them both, and will treasure them forever. All my daughters read this, and liked it, as every little girl would.

Delightful! Buy it! thanks, Gramma Sally

"Beautiful Joe" is a wonderful story. It was given to me in the late 50's when I was about 10 years old, and I think I read it three times. It's always amazed me that so few others know of it. But it is a beautiful and enriching story especially suitable for a 9-12 year old child who loves dogs. It is very sad (and distrubing) in the beginning, however, so I would never recommend it for a young child.

I read this book countless times when I was a child in the 1950s; I was delighted to find it still in print and even more delighted to find that it is as moving and meaningful as ever. Today's children may find the language somewhat formal and will need to broaden their vocabularies, but they and their parents will find the small effort well worth it.

I love this book. Everyone should read it young or old. Beautiful Joe and the rest of the animals will touch your heart. I have never read this book without crying at the end.

I am not reviewing the edition but rather the book...and it is...of utmost excellence. Although written for its time period, it is something one can read now and enjoy...Beautiful Joe captures your heart, makes you share his opinions, memories and feelings...then leaves you wanting more.

Just thought I should say something. =)

I first read this story as a Whitman abridged edition when I was about eight years old. It was hard for me to believe that some people were so cruel to animals, but I loved the book's old-fashioned narration and of the adventures of and lessons learned by Miss Laura and her family in raising Joe. The moment I learned what the word "abridged" meant, I went looking for the complete story; it took me a long time to find this Applewood Books edition that included three of the farm chapters that were missing from the supposedly complete version I later purchased, and oddly, the Applewood edition is missing the chapter about the crow that is in some other editions. (I believe this is because the Applewood volume is a reprint of the original story and the chapter about the crow was added in a revised edition.) The story is full of memorable characters, both animal--Joe, Jim the spaniel, Billy the fox-terrier, Bella the parrot--and human--Miss Laura, Ned, Willie, Jack, and Cousin Harry. If you are tender of heart, you may find many scenes heart-rending, but it reminds us too that we have much to still work on in the area of animal cruelty.

I have two little boys, 3.5 and 1.5, and they both LOVE this book. I have read it so much that my older has it memorized and reads it to the younger one.

i bought this book for my just turned 3 year old son, because of his latest fascination with dinosaurs. he had the book memorized the day after he got it. he loves all the different dinosaurs, the colors and pictures are wonderful. he loves the rhyming and the opposites. his favorite is dinosaur fierce which he says so fiercely himself!

Vivid illustrations. Short and sweet. Hard, sturdy book. Bought it for 2 year old twin boys and they have fun telling us whether the dino is a meat eater or plant eater by looking at their teeth. If your kid loves dinosaurs I would recommend this book.

My two-year-old son likes dinosaurs, and this one is a favorite of his. The book is filled with rhyming opposites that lend themselves to a dramatic reading. (My son loves to 'roar' when the dinosaur 'roars.') I would recommend it for one- and two-year-olds.

Though it has lots of pictures of dinosaurs, the pictures are not individually labelled. (I am not sure if the dinosaurs in the book are even modelled on real dinosaurs.) Therefore, the child is not going to learn any facts about dinosaurs, other than they varied greatly.

My 22 month old doesn't sit sit for long. He's just always running to the next object for exploration. So, getting him to sit still for reading is a challenge. BUT, he LOVES Dinosaur Roar. The colorful illustations, the beauty of the painted images, the catchy lyrics (emphasized when reading, of course) all hold his attention--so that we can Almost finish the book before he runs off. The juxtaposition of opposites (small and huge, for example) help us teach him concepts. GREAT book!

The history, meaning and importance of our American flag is presented for young readers in rhyme with magnificent illustrations that will be sure to inspire. At the bottom of every page is more historical data, such as the planting of a flag on the moon six times for each Apollo mission, the meaning of our colors, and the myths surrounding the making of our first flag.

How nice to see a patriotic message that entertains and inspires.

This book is a great way to teach children about the Amnerican flag through rhyme and pictures. You can focus primarily on the rhymes for younger children and then focus on the factual information given as a sidebar on each page for older children. Wonderful resource!

The Flag We Love is about the American flag and people willing to die for their country. My favorite picture is when it shows the Viet Nam wall.It is so patriotic. The illustration is so detailed and realistic. I just enjoyed the book very much.

This beautiful book opens with Muñoz's first inspiring verse:

Our flag is our country's symbol
Of ideals that are meant to last
It's a promise for our future
A reminder of our past....

The accompanying illustration by Ralph Masiello shows a freshly whitewashed barn with an American flag gracing one side. A farmer's furrowed field, a vast blue sky and bucolic setting complete the scene. Each page that follows presents another verse, accompanying illustration, and a text box that imparts a piece of our flag's history to the reader. The book is stunning to look at, informative and heartwarming to read. It is a good introduction to youngsters about how our flag came to be, how it's changed over the years, and its meaning to us as citizens.

Carolyn Rowe Hill

I think The Flag We Love by Pam Munoz Ryan is a special book in its own honorable,patriotic,and unique way.It tells about
the flags at the Viet Nam Wall and who died. That's why I think it's Special.

read this when I was preteen, it's great and it bears re-reading as an adult. Scary, psychological drama. Lots of stuff for adults to chew on as well as kids, because of the dual (even triple) heroine structure: a child, a young woman, and a mature woman. Each character is fascinating, and so is the situation, the setting, the writing... what a great book. Now I want to read everything by Patricia Clapp.

I read this book as a child back in the 70's, and it's still one of my all-time favorites. The writing is mature enough to appeal to adults, but still on a level that an older child can easily follow.

Creepy without the gore, the slow build up of tension until the climactic ending is deftly handled and leaves you wishing you could read faster to reach the resolution.

My old copy of this book has been taped together numerous times, so I'm pleased that it has now been reissued. I plan to pass it along to my own daughter in a few years' time.

I first remember reading this book when I was eleven or twelve. I was so excited to see that it was reissued. I devoured this slim little book in an hour and it was an hour well spent, reliving the chills and thrills of this book. Patricia Clapp has a great ability to create a fabulous atmosphere that makes it easy for the visualize the story. What a wonderful book!

This book was a good as I remember! Plus, Witches Children was gripping. Also, there is a nice trubute written by Ms. Clapp's children about her. AND insight from Ms. Clapp herself of her inspirations for both of these stories and others.

I have loved this book ever since I first read it as a child. I am so happy to see it available again after so many years! I wanted it several years ago, and had to buy a used copy on eBay to get it. But now I want to buy this re-issue so I can also read Witches' Children! Since Jane-Emily is so good, anything else she wrote must also be great! I've been waiting since my childhood to see a studio make a movie-version of this story, and I can't believe that no one's ever thought of it! I'd love to see it done!