States Books

So... was glad to be able to order the one Betsy book I had never read. It's lovely - all MH Lovelace's Betsy books are. And FINALLY, finally, you get to find out what happened to Larry and where Sam came from. When I first got on the 'net last year, I was so glad to be able to order books I could never quite find, and also to find there were (adult) Betsy fans everywhere - what a pleasant surprise. But if you've never been to Mankato, you want to know about the house (it was a "side trip" when visiting Mall of America). Well, Betsy's high school house is gone, but I was only disappointed briefly, because you can see Tacy's house (being restored), and Tib's house and the big hill (the hill is somewhat different than the image the books present) - but Carney's house looks just as described in the book. I wondered exactly what that add-on structure in back was - well "Carney's House Party" explained that. Bonnie's house, which I would like to have seen, across the street from Carney's, is gone also. One nice surprise - on Front Street there is a charming 2nd-hand bookstore, which my sister loved, probably about the size Mr. Ray's shoe store was. The proprietor there directed us to the library where you can purchase some Betsy items, the main one being a booklet with very nice pictures of most of the crowd when they were in high school, so at long last I also got to see what they all looked like, including Carney. I think part of the enduring attraction of this series is that it is autobiographical and therefore also historical. As a history buff, that's why I have stayed a fan of a book series discovered as a young person.

I loved the book for the same reasons everyone else does -- it's a fresh perspective on the Deep Valley Crowd AND it solves the mystery of what happened to Carney's high school ideal Larry.

I have only two quibbles:

1) The illustrations look somewhat recycled from other Betsy-Tacy books.
2) Carney mysteriously loses her eyeglasses. I noticed this in the illustrations and also wondered what happened while she's hanging on to the bumper of Sam's car in the rain: wouldn't they have fogged up? :) It's a small thing, but one of the reasons Carney was always my favorite is that she wore glasses and so do I.

A great book overall to add to our collections!

I vaguely remembered reading Carney's House Party over 35 years ago in my public library but the details certainly faded with the years. Now that I replenished my Betsy-Tacy library, thanks to Amazon, I decided to get Carney's House Party as well. What an interesting view it is of Deep Valley and the Crowd, as it is from Carney's perspective. As Carney's personality is markedly different from Betsy's, her opinions of events differ from those we'd expect from our beloved, but admittedly more dramatic, Betsy. I also found the description of college life at Vassar to be interesting and so different from my own at a women's college in the early 70's. Finally, Carney's romance is both surprising to those of us who followed the series and ultimately right for her.

I was thrilled to see that Carney's House Party is back! I grew up on a farm near Mankato, MN (Deep Valley) which was featured in Betsy and Joe. I loved these books as a child and now am so happy to be able to share them with my own daughters. Carney was always one of my favorite characters beause of her calm good sense combined with a love of fun. Her loyalty to her friends and respect and love for her family are powerful messages for today's young women. I only wish I could find comparable literature for my son.

I have 5 sisters and each and every one of us read all the Betsy Tacy books when we were girls. I read the ones of their childhood when I was little and then "graduated" to the High School and past, series as I grew older. Oh, so many fun hours reading them, trying to copy the wonderful Vera Neville illustrations, wishing I could live in Deep Valley just for awhile. Several years ago I startled the customers near me when I whooped with pleasure at finding these books in a bookstore -- just like I did a few minutes ago when I saw here on Amazon recommendations "Carney's House Party"! THANK'S Amazon!! I didn't know that that one, and "Emily of Deep Valley", had been re-published. I've just ordered both, (for me!) as well as two complete sets of the younger-age books for my two eldest granddaughters. This tradition is one I am happy to pass on -- I can't wait to give them this treat. By the way -- I don't agree with the 9-12 age rating for the books that are set in high school and beyond: they are really for a bit older, although there is certainly nothing harmful in them for little girls: on the contrary. But they are intended for a bit older -- say 12 and up.

Pete Sampras was not only a great and exceptional tennis player, but also a great athlete and competitor in Sports History.
In this book he gives a very great insight of his life in the top, the struggle that every champion has to carry on. It is great how he handled the losses. A big Champion like him can teach that even for him life was not always ALL about winning, but also dealing with losses.
Another very important concept that Pete Sampras remarks, are his core values, learned from his family. This is a key concept that many people omit and just focus on the results, not the things that took Pete Sampras to be the best Tennis player ever.

It was interesting reading about Pete Sampras' different tennis matches, but I was hoping for more about Pete's family and stuff about his life other than tennis.

I am Pete Sampras` fan and of course I enjoyed this book a lot!
I knew about most of the matches and important events, so it was really interesting to read Pete`s view of things.
And at the end I had a feeling, that the book was too thin:)

Pete Sampras is my all time favorite tennis player and this book was a unique opportunity to gain insight into the personality and make up of one of the greatest champions of all time. It is hard to put the book down, once you start reading it. I would definitely recommend it to tennis players and non-tennis players alike.

What a wonderful book. I could read a section about a match and want to pull out a tape and watch the match over because the book explained what Pete was feeling as he went through the match. Also, it was so interesting to read about how he was feeling during the many emotional times times in his life. The book shows us a Sampras that we rarely saw on the court.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to everyone, not just tennis fans.

This book introduces jazz to a young audience. It explores the sounds, rhythms, and emotions of the genre through colorful pictures and rhythmic words similar to the beat of "scat" singing.
Lots of the words are there just for the sound of them. By focusing on the sound words, students could develop spelling strategies that help them move from phonemes, the sounds they make, to graphemes, the written representations of those sounds.

This book is excellent. The illustrations and musical text allow for early readers to really enjoy and learn from this book. Perfect for preschool and kdg age. I used this book as the basis of a jazz unit, it worked wonderfully.

"Charlie Parker Played Be Bop" was my son's favorite book when he was two and nine years later we still have fun reading it. I now purchase a copy for new parents to read to thier babies. As a speech language pathologist, I want to share to magic of words and the music they can make! This book is an absolute MUST read for all children.

I wasn't sure how my little one would respond to this book even though I love it. If I ask, "Do you want to read about Charlie Parker?," she lights up and starts literally starts to bop. The baby digs it. Just more evidence that the jazz is a universal language. I like the introduction to poetry, rhythm and randomness ("Never leave your cat alone"). I bought two other copies and gave them to my friends for their babies.

I am an elementary school music teacher with students ranging from pre-K to 5th grade. I read this book to all of my pre-K and kindergarten through second grade classes and sometimes the mood strikes me to read it to older students. There is something in here for most every age. Everyone loves it.

So why does Raschka draw chicken feet in such odd places, e.g., on overshoes, alphabet letters, pancake flippers?

Well, rumor has it that one day Charlie Parker was driving back to his boarding house and, as luck would have it, he hit and killed a chicken that had run out into the street from someone's front yard. Such chickens are called "yardbirds". The alleged events include Parker doing the unthinkable, namely, backing up his car, picking up the dead chicken (aka "roadkill"), taking it to his landlady (hey, it was fresh!), her cooking it, and him eating it. When friends heard this story, Parker was known forever after as "Yardbird", which was eventually shortened to just "Bird".

If you didn't catch the part about the chicken feet on your own, don't feel badly. Insiders like Rachka and myself know it and now you do too. Rachka has done a terrific job in providing a lot of feeling about some very notable personalities. Plus he does it with humor, some of which is very subtle.

My students probably have as much fun going through Parker's history as with the book itself. But all of that is just the preliminaries: I then have to read it several more times with the students reading and acting out the story. We have a rockin' good time.

Lets imagine that a Jewish author writes a book that features all the well known evil racist stereotypes of Afro-Americans. Everyone would be up in arms (justifiably) and condemn the book. Here we have a book penned by an Afro-American that contains many anti-Semitic stereotypes supposedly related to the author by his mother who pathologically rejected her Jewish roots, and everyone praises the book. I am both puzzled and offended. In addition if his mother had used the same child rearing practices 20 years later her children would have been sent to foster homes.

I think this story trancends race. It's really just a story of a mother who made choices and gave her all in an extremely trying environement. I was moved. I read this after reading Miracle at St. Anna which was great!

I enjoyed the insight into the authors life and experiences. I was a little confused as he went back and forth between characters at first, but figured it out quick enough. I thought it was a good read overall and was fascinated by the devotion of his mother to her children and Christianity. The successful lives of all of the children is a testament to the strength of his mother.

Excellent book which talks about transracial issues....excellent also for people considering adoption of trans racial children....very informative.....

loved this book. my son is also bi-racial. i was born in 1956 and could really relate and re-read the book with my son. he never experienced most of the things in the book so it was an incredible sharing and bonding experience for us and it opened a whole new dialogue with his dad who's family originated in north carolina. great read for all parents and children. truly enlightening

The Dixie Association is a perfect book. It is hilarious, wise, profound, and unbelievably beautifully written. It should not be subtitled "Voices of the South". It is THE voice of the South, perfectly captured on paper. Donald Hays has perfect pitch for Southern language, on the street and in the locker room. The basdeball portions are true, interesting and exciting. The picture of the last game remains one of the great descriptions of an epic encounter in sports. There are more great characters than you can count. I read it in the 80s when it was published and probably bought a dozen copies before I was through giving it to people who I thought needed it. And finally, I simply loved the book so much that I tracked down the author and called him to tell him directly how much I was moved, and touched, and thrilled by it. I am about to launch into another buying and giving spree with this new edition.

The Dixie Association was a well written and thought out novel, written by an author who knew how to grab his audiences attention. A baseball team full of rejects that noone wanted around and did not have any respect for, but they knew the game of baseball and that is what they all loved and it is all that mattered to them. Donald Hays writes the book through an ex-convicts eyes. With the rudeness, foul language, and racists remarks the author offends everyone. In all I really liked the novel and give it a thumbs up, cause I could actually read the book without dreaading it.

I thought the book was very well written. The author showed a great deal of knowledge in the sport of baseball. The characters were interesting and fun to read about. I enjoyed reading about the games and the way it was portrayed through the eyes of an actual ballplayer.This book is defenitly one of the best baseball books ever written, not only because of its portral of the game, but because of the conflicts its characters deal with off the field as well.

The Dixie Association which is about a team of outsiders who come together and create a chemistry that is unforgettable. The book details a season throught the eyes of Hog Durham, a ex-convict. His blunt, yet persuasive analysis of baseball is intriging and also repulsive by way of his language. Though repulsive, the language is manageable by way of being able to identify with Hog Durham and the times in which the story takes place.
The manager named Lefty Marks is the one who provides the best of the book. His unconvential wisdom of life and baseball are a view in which is not used enough because it is seen as American political taboo. He provides a refreshing and heartful determination to do the things in which make him feel successful, without money standing in the way. Some may view him as throwing away his life while most who understand his points will respect and appreciate his unconventional wisdom.
The Dixie Association while harsh on racial sensitivity is a joyous read that almost anyone can read. The story is simple but the characters are full of explosive personalities that protect a weak story. This is by far the most entertaining baseball book ever written.

This was one of the most entertaining books I have ever read. Although the story is played out in a baseball environment, you really don't have to be a baseball fanatic or even a sports fan to get caught up in the drama and exicetment of this novel. The main characters are all well depicted and they each have conflicts they must resolve both on the baseball field and in society. There is a quagmire of underlying themes, and you can't help but become intrigued with at least one aspect of this story.

I like the book's quality and am enjoying reading it. It came within a week or two of ordering, as well:).

For those looking for ways their church can serve their community, this book is it. Through scripture and examples the authors challenge you to look outside the walls of the church to serve the community. Must reading for anyone being lead to follow our Lord's command to serve.

I am so glad I read The Externally Focused Church. It is so insightful and eye opening to what the New Testament church was and should be today. I appreciate that it is not just opinions but that they are backed up with scripture. I am currently reading it through with a couple of men from our church.

this book does a good job of helping Christian see the potential for getting involved in their community. Rusaw does a good job of not only telling the pluses but he also shares some of the challenges as well.

This insightful book will inspire followers of Christ to impact their communities through the power of authentic relationships. The authors present thought-provoking strategies designed to equip churches to play a significant role in community transformation. Concrete examples back up every strategy, and the pages at the end of each chapter are very practical for implementation. Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson are on the leading edge of this important movement in the church, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a difference in the world.

This book on foreclosure is an excellent introduction for individuals facing foreclosure or for those who simply wish to learn a little more about foreclosure. This is not a book for experts, attorneys, mortgage brokers, etc. This provides very helpful information throughout. In the end, it provides information specific to laws and statutes from each state. It really seemed to encourage the reader to first work with lenders, empowering readers to try and be responsible and deal early with potential problems head on rather than waiting until its too late. However, it provides useful information on the foreclosure process as well. Overall, if you are facing foreclosure or you're a novice wanting to learn more, this is a fine introduction. It's a quick read! I didn't find that it included difficult material, as it well could have. A fine book. B+!!!

Nolo Press has been printing books on law and legal issues for laypeople for almost 40 years, and as someone with a legal background, I have always been impressed with their products. The Foreclosure Survival Guide is no exception. As I write this review, the US economy is undergoing an unprecedented period of turmoil as the result of irresponsible lending practices in the mortgage market. It is quite possible that some of the people reading this review are undergoing or will be undergoing the horrific process of home foreclosure. If so, my heart goes out to you. I suggest you get this book and read it carefully. It outlines the process of foreclosure (and includes a glossary for those unfamiliar with legal mumbo-jumbo), what your rights are, what the mortgage-holder's rights are, and what options you may have to prevent, forestall, or help you just survive what lies ahead. Knowledge in these circumstances may not be power, but it will tell you what to expect, which is more comforting than going through foreclosure blind. There is also a section that briefly describes each state's foreclosure rules. This book was obviously written with great compassion for people going through foreclosure, but it also offers clear-eyed advice regarding the homeowner's options. This book may give you some ideas, or inform you of rights you may not have known you had. I highly recommend it.

I'm an attorney and ordered this book for two reasons: (1) I'm getting more and more questions from those who are having financial difficulties and (2) opposition research. I do not represent debtors but all lawyers get hit up for advice in areas where they do not regularly practice (relatives, friends, etc.). I wanted something handy and concise that summarized the major points. This book does a good job in that respect. Also, while I don't regularly represent creditors, I frequently encounter situations where it is good for me to see how debtors think and anticipate what kinds of actions their advisors may tell them to take. This book was also good in that respect.

Overall, the book is simple and intuitive and contains good advice. I thought the advice to debtors about how to avoid scams was particularly insightful. I would only stress that people who are concerned about losing their home would be best to buy the book BEFORE they get a foreclosure notice. The earlier you get started on taking defensive measures, the better.

The The Foreclosure Survival Guide: Keep Your House or Walk Away With Money in Your Pocket is a great volume on a timely topic that succeeds in two opposing areas: it covers a lot of ground yet it does not wander. NOLO press is a resource I have used in the past for a variety of legal topics. I am very picky with books in general and I make no bones about that. In the case of NOLO books, they are generally good but this text is particularly good.

Stephen Elias lists his extensive credentials, including many contributions to NOLO press and a successful bankruptcy law practice. His straightforward writing style makes this volume very readable. And the clear organization of the book also makes it useful as a reference. A very nice section goes state by state and lists some basics about the different real estate laws applicable in each one.

The book's focus goes way beyond the foreclosure process alone. It offers concrete information in several real estate and legal areas such as bankruptcy and it's relevance to real estate ownership. Clearly the focus on foreclosure will find a captive audience in the current economic climate. Still, one needn't be at risk of foreclosure in order to get something of value out of this book.

The book covers common legal practices relevant for foreclosure. The relevance of whether or not a state follows a judicial process for foreclosures is explained. The outlined worksheet makes it easier to quantify the pros and cons of keeping your property versus keeping as much money as possible in the cases where it's in your best interest to give up on the property. The author covers all the bases, including negotiating with lenders, selling your property, contemplating bankruptcy, and disputing the foreclosure.

Bankruptcy is covered in depth, which is not surprising given the author's practice as a bankruptcy attorney. The differences between chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy are explored with the costs and benefits relative to foreclosure.

A basic treatment of forthcoming legislation provides a good primer on other options. He also covers scams to avoid, including companies who offer assistance that is not always above board. Some of those *dos and don'ts* might be obvious to some but most of us will be glad to have them.

All legal areas have complexities that cannot be covered by any single text. Many references are given, and this is a great primer. But this does not cover every possible scenario. Ultimately, if you have to go to court you will need an experienced attorney for guidance and representation.

Pros
+ Straightforward writing simplifies complex subject
+ Very well organized chapters
+ A nice state by state reference section
+ Great primer for real estate professionals
+ Good references on how to get additional information

Cons
- Won't prepare you to argue your case in court
- Can't cover every case due to complex subject

Conclusion

This book has been put together in a clean and concise way. For individuals who work in related fields, such as real estate agents or credit counselors, this is a great primer on the subject. For people facing foreclosure or interested in learning more, this book provides a nice blueprint on the key considerations. Just keep in mind that this is only a beginning and you will have a great start.

Definitely one of the better reads I've had in a while. Considering this is a reference text, that's really saying quite a lot.

Enjoy!

This is a really good book. It gives practical and sensible advice about foreclosing. It is easy to read and understand. It was written for everyday people to learn and know and understand. This is probably the best book ever that was written on this subject. Buying a house and foreclosing are serious matters. Therefore, this book is a necessity for anybody who has ever bought a house or who might ever buy one in the future.

Since I know nothing of the prison system, wanting to broaden my education, I choose this. An exceptional book, not only for one wanting an education, yet to know the system. VERY well written. A MUST read for anyone wanting to know more that the basic of the gossip mill. Thank YOU for taking the time to write.

There have been books describing the subculture of prison life and those withiin it (Hot House, New Jack, etc) but this is the first one that is told through using a combination of narrative, and stores written by the prisoners themselves in a creative writing class. This book is informative, honest, and will do nothing to make you feel better about the system. However, it is an interesting read, the stories and backgrounds of the criminals makes you realize that most of them could not, and should not be released to society. But, after hearing their stories, you do think about the 'nurture vs nature' arguement. Well written book.

This book allows the reader to enter the worlds found in prisons in ways not encountered in other books on the topic. It is truly extraordinary to have the voices of this diverse group all somehow merge together to reflect aspects of our common humanity. I believe this quality in the writing by the prisoners could only happen with the wise guidance of an immensely skilled teacher and understanding person. Robert Gordon must be someone who sees and cares about the lives of others yet does not fall into the trap of becoming overly sentimental about the ironies and cruelties encountered in learning about and working with this group. Gordon manages
to lead the readers on a compelling journey that will expand their knowledge and continue to influence their thinking.

As a correctional officer, I found this book very helpful in understanding the social structure within the walls of a prison. Having seen alot of the things that this book has, makes you look at their life in a slightly different light. I enjoyed the book very much, and have loaned it to many of my fellow officers.

I started reading The Funhouse Mirror up while I was waiting for a connection in an airport. I got so absorbed in it that I almost missed my plane. It is a collection of stories by prisoners in Washington State. Their pieces are remarkable, but what really makes the book are the interspersed commentaries and stories by the editor, Robert Ellis Gordon. Gordon spent several years working in the prison system as a writing teacher, and the prisoners who wrote these stories were his students. While the prisoners' stories are good, Gordon himself is a far more accomplished and vivid writer. Reading Gordon's own pieces really brought home to me the hell that is our prison system, and the difficult moral and emotional problems that it poses. This is a wonderful, gripping, depressing book that I recommend to anyone who wants to learn about what our prisons are really like.

I just finished reading this book and loved it.The stories are warm and insightful to life growing up in the South and how food was the glue that held families and friends together. As someone who lives in the South, the recipes are true to the "old" South.

I grew up in Southern Virginia and while I come from a white middle class background, we still enjoyed many of the dishes, Miss Edna writes about in this book with Scott. Unfortunately I didn't appreciate the importance of my 'food' heritage until it was too late - both grandmothers were gone and all their recipes and tips with them. While this book is a delightful read on its own and provoked many a trip down 'Memory Lane' I am enjoying the challenge of recreating my childhood memories with Miss Edna and Scott's well-written recipes. If you are a Virginian and over 50, this book should hold pride & place on your shelf - but I'll wager it spends more time open than many of your fancy new cookbooks!

The Gift of Southern Cooking is one of the best collections of pure southern cooking to be found, from a grand dame of the South. These recipes preserve much of the history of southern food, handed down from generation-to-generation, and brought to life in the inspired talent of Scott Peacock.

I have all of the late Edna Lewis's cookbooks. She wrote so beautifully and her recipes never fail. This is one of her best. I highly recommend it.

A wonderful book, full of insight, basic instruction, social and historical instruction. I bought this book after finding one recipe from it online for Fried Chicken. What I found was book full of my childhood memories. The authors have managed to fill me in on why I do certain things in the kitchen that were done only because I seem to remember my grandmother doing them or an aunt saying it should be done that way. This book inspired me to make my first batch of sweet southern pickles and they came out just as I remember available at every home we visited during my youth. They came out so delicious that I immediately made a second batch to give as Christmas presents.
For anyone interested in southern cooking and the reasons for things being done in a certain way, this is the book for you.

I have so enjoyed the book "Gift of the White Light" by James N. Frey. This biography was about the life and journey of Annette Martin, who was the first psychic sworn in as an expert witness in a court of law for a murder case. I loved reading about her life's journey and how she made a concious choice and decision to help people with her extrodinary gift. She showed courage and kindness to people in need during a time in our history when psycic abilities were not as respected as they are today. I appreciate her story and encourage everyone to read her book! It was truly wonderful!
Diane Wesson

This story about the life and experiences of Annette Martin is a must read for anyone interested in the paranormal. Although blessed with this gift of psychic vision, Annette is also a very normal woman that we can all relate to. This is a marvelous tale of coming to terms with the challenges and responsibilities of this special calling. While having many other interests and talents, Annette has chosen to also find time to be of service to humanity by using her psychic vision and light to heal and guide individuals. She has also helped police departments solve crime mysteries. This wonderful book is full of stories that illustrate how she has used her amazing gift.

This is a wonderful and inspiring book. Having just met Annette in person, she is just as delightful and authentic as her biography suggests. What an amazingly talented and compassionate soul. I highly recommend this book to all readers, it's for everyone!

It's unusual to find a book written in a straightforward, clear, matter-of-fact way on this subject which is so often cloaked in foggy New-Age mysticism. But James Frey's engaging biography of Annette Martin is just that. And the book's style reflects the style of its subject, who is a delightful, sunny, very down-to-earth person. Annette was recently a guest on my radio show, American Variety, heard on NPR-affiliate stations in Central and South Florida, and we had a great time talking about the adventures on which her special gift has led her. She's the real deal, and I'd recommend this book to anyone.

"Gift Of The White Light" is a great journey through Annette Martin's adventures as a psychic detective. It is an excellent read for both lovers of crime stories and psychic mediums alike. Annette is a wonderful person with lots of fascinating stories to tell from her decades of work. James N. Frey captures the essence of each story vividly. I highly look forward to a second book!