Children Books

This is an excellent guide to raising a new baby. I love it becuase it's all based on sound research and the advice in this book has been right on with our daughter. This is a MUST have if you are raising a new baby.

When I was pregnant with my daughter - there was a lot of worry since this was my first child. Obviously, children do not come with a manual! I bought and read this book and used it constantly as a referral. Our daughter is happy, polite, shares, intelligent, kind, etc. She is constantly invited to parties and restaraunts that other childdren are not invited to. After meals at restaraunts, the managers/owners come and comment on what a well-behaved child she is. She does have many friends and can get along with varied personalities. We purchase this book for all new parents - and they read it stating they would like a child that is as polite and respectful (of others and their properties) as our daughter is. You really cannot go wrong in purchasing this book!!

From describing each developmental phase to suggesting toys, this book provides invaluable information that can help parents navigate the early years. Great shower gift for first time parents!

This is a great book for anyone interested in developmentally appropriate activities, toys, etc. for their growing baby/child. It gives excellent descriptions of what is going on in baby's development to help understand how to handle challenges and opportunities in rearing a self-confident, intelligent, happy child. Much of the activities are simple things you can do with little or no money, which is great. The national foundation based on this book is fantastic and I tell everyone about it: [...]

a must-have!

This is a great book based mainly around real life observation of real kids and families. There's no parenting program that's being forced down your throat and White allows for many different parenting styles. Baby's life is broken down in stages and the chapters about those stages are superbly organized beginning with a description of the developments baby will experience, a description of what activities you can engage in to encourage healthy development, and suggestions of toys and other items that will stimulate baby. The best thing about the book is that it gives you so many options, and doesn't make you feel like a complete failure for not playing 24-7 Mozart while carrying your baby around in a sling and tending that organic garden full of healthy veggies.

A good mixture of the practical and the inspirational. Excellent exercises for you to do on your own.

The subtitle says that this is a Guide for Busy Women--true enough, but it works for men too, and
just as well.

Highly recommended.

I could very easily dub this book, the best, however that is to be determined in the eye of the beholder. I can say with much conviction, that it is the book I turn to the most often for advice, straight forward answers and direction as well as a nice glimpse at a reality check.

Any writer will tell you that you don't write a best seller overnight, and this book will tell you that too. Unlike many other writing books available the pages don't contain advice at how to leave your 9 to 5 job and write the world's best novel. Instead the book is filled with useful, real advice for determined writer's to utilize and honestly get their pens on fire.

There are dozens of exercises to get you thinking and writing, with originality and flair. The book is well written and is a very easy book to devour in a short period of time. Except that you will more than likely find yourself reaching for it again and again to participate in the exercises and get you thinking on a more creative level.

A must have book for any would-be writer's bookshelf.

I had originally checked this out from my public library but found the information so useful that I bought a copy for my own personal library. Very good and practical information to inspire and motivate you to write!

I bought this book when it came out, read it, marked the heck out of it, and used its ideas a few times.

I plan to now read it again, and use it again, 3 years later.

The Power, Challenge, and Talent to Write, And Developing it, is important.

I like to write.

Always have, I guess, ever since I was in Elementary School ( early 70's ), then Junior High and High School ( mid/late 70's ), writng book reports, and then letters to the editor of the local paper.

For various reasons none of that ever translated into a career path.

I read somewhere that we are always afraid to start something that we want to make very good, true, and serious.

Rita Mae Brown once wrote: "Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts."

This book influenced the last 3 years of my blogging, on 2 blogs, and will help anyone who reads it.

This book will help you find the writer within, and find the time to write more as well.

This book offers run-of-the-mill exercises that fail to inspire one to write. If you struggle with the act of sitting down and putting pen to paper, this book will not change that. I would love to see a book out there that offers innovative exercises that not only inspire one to write, but also improves writing along the way. If anyone can recommend such a book, please message me.

Positive Pushing speaks to our times and the difficulties parents face when determining how much or how little to push their children to achieve success in life. We all want to motivate our kids to succeed in life, but how much is too much? When do we push and when do we back off? Dr. Taylor, through examples, research, and his own personal wisdom, walks this delicate line, showing the pitfalls and dangers of both sides, and leads us to creating a healthy, balanced and purposeful life for our young ones. In the highly competitive world we live in today, no home with children should be without this important work on their bookshelf.

If you're living vicariously through the life of your child- step out of the way. In his book Positive Pushing, Dr. Jim Taylor teaches parents to step back and examine the root of their attitudes towards their child's successes and failures and provides a win-win model for positive encouragement. He teaches parents to equip their children with an internal compass to which they can gauge their own successes and failures, while always keeping focused on giving their personal best.

When it comes to literature on young achievers, Dr. Taylor's book stands out from the pack. Positive Pushing brings to light the oftentimes overlooked and misunderstood world of emotions, family dynamics, and external & internal expectations that young achievers face during their school years and beyond.

Taylor cuts to the chase when it comes to examining achievement and happiness, making the necessary distinction between external achievement and achievement that includes the internal experience of joy in the process. In so doing, Taylor details the type of guidance and support he encourages parents to provide in order to ensure their children experience success and happiness simultaneously.

Taylor pulls no punches as he cautions parents to examine their own motives, desires, and expectations. At the same time, he skillfully guides parents on how to navigate the terrain of ensuring their children grow into happy, resilient, confident, and successful adults. Taylor draws from his extensive professional experience as well as from current research in the fields of child development, sports psychology, and other disciplines. He provides examples in the areas of academics, sports, and the arts that every parent will quickly recognize as true-to-life. He even details red flags, along with accompanying advice on ways to respond to them.

Positive Pushing is a resource as practical as it is thought-provoking. It is a must-read for all interested in ensuring that our children are truly happy in their success.

Dr. Jim Taylor does a fabulous job clarifying a parent's role in his book, "Positive Pushing". He gives you a framework to guide decisions about children's activities, schedules and responsiblities. I don't feel the panic to join everything or the guilt about not letting them quit piano lessons. He taught me what is negotiable with my three boys and what isn't. I am more of an in-charge parent. We have a new house rule: "one sport, one music...no more, no less". It has worked beautifully for 3 years now. Everyone is trying new things but they are not overwhelmed because they are trying too many new things and they are not bored because they aren't trying anything new.

Dr. Taylor taught me to own my part of parenting and to let my boys own their part. They are proud of the "excellence" they achieve by always working as hard as they can. The word "perfect" has been removed from our vocabulary. Once you open your eyes to how imperfect everything is...you'll never put that pressure on yourself or children again. Dr. Taylor brought joy back to my parenting and, I hope, to my children's childhood again.

Every parent owes it to themselves to read this book! Thanks Dr. Taylor!

Jim Taylor is pushing too hard in trying to resolve various parenting and parenting/adult issues in one book. He probable knows a lot about achievement but he couldn't convince me about how positive pushing/control can be with kids--he starts with a promising argument but feters out in his style of discussion. He cites good research but his own ideas/interpretations are unoriginal and unconvincing. He is also inconsistent in his opinions (i.e., unconditional love does not exist then in next sentence he says that parents are to love their kids without condition). He also talks about achieving "balance" without real-life solutions. He does have lists of behavioral solutions in the end of the chapters but they seem disjointed and almost exhaustive, making me feel more like my kids and I would be more exhausted than "balanced". The tone of his book was bland and too distancing--I found myself skimming his chapter intros. He sounds more like a motivational speaker or academician than an experienced parent (he cites kids/families he's worked with but no personal stories about his own family). For a more "balanced" approach in parenting and easier read, I recommend "Hold on to Your Kids" by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate.

What a great book! I don't think it could have been written any better! I wish Pride's career didn't have to end, but it all worked out. I almost cried at the end, thinking that there was no more racing Pride to look foreward to. Pride did have an amazing career, and it came together in one amazing book!

Pride runs in the Breeder's Cup Classic and beats Lord Ainsley, Brad Townsend's horse. Just about to begin his racing season as a 5-year old, Pride almost dies because of complications from colic and is retired.

Will Pride have another great year? Wonders Pride has had the greatest year of his life. He has been winning big steak races all over the country. But deadly illiness are wating. First, Ashleigh Griffen and Mike Reesse, owner of Whitebrook Farm get married but not everything turns out right. Wonder has had her second foal, Townsend Princess. But on Ashleigh and Mikes wedding party, Charlie Burke, head trainer at Whitebrook Farm, who has helped Ashleigh and Samantha Mclean train Ashleighs Wonder, one of Townsend Acres best horses in her racing days and now a great broodmare. Wonders Pride, Wonders first foal. Pride has had a great racing career soo far, but can he keep it up?, Fleet Goddess, Ashleighs special mare. Won many stake races in her racing days. Everyone is devistated about Charlie's chances. If it wasnt for him, Ashleigh would have never been a great jockey and the first female to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. But Charlies death leads to more terrible things. Second Mr.Townsend wants Pride to be put as a stallion, but Ashleigh and Samantha convince him not to but Pride comes down with colic. A terrible disease that kills more horses than any other disease. Pride is rushed to the clinic where the doctor say Pride might not last the night. But Samantha wants Pride to live more than anything. So Samantha sleeps in Prides stall all night to keep him company and help him if he needs it. But when samantha wakes she scared, she wasnt with Pride. Read this book to find out if Pride made it or not. U can find me at Blades60@aol.com

Im soo happy Pride didnt die and Im also glad he wont be over raced no more and lives at Whitebrook. Pride is a great horse. How he wins and tries his hardest in his races and fights through the colic. He is one of Wonders best offsprings I know. He really has Wonders heart to win and please the ones he loves. I kinda wish he would still race but this will be best 4 him after he had a great racing career.[...]

This is a truly rare book in children's fiction; a well-written equestrian adventure that takes you into the fast-paced world of horse racing. There are parts of this book that will move you to tears, others will have you cheering on the edge your seat - even if that seat is an armchair. Unfortunately, Harper Collins has decided to end the series abruptly after #72. With such a dedicated following and online fan base with members from all over the world, this is a classic and beloved series that has inspired many people and provided horse fans with vicarious thrills and adventure. Ashleigh saved Wonder, now it's up to you to help save Thoroughbred. Go to www.whitebrookfarm.com and join the effort.

Again a great book for gardening with kids. For example a sunflower house, pizza garden, a garden of giants, and a water garden. The neat thing is that you spend time gardening with your children and the kids get to enjoy playing in what they have grown.

This is an excellent book for 3-10 year old children who show an interesting in gardening. It will motivate them to explore gardening and to enjoy it!

All I wanted to say has already been said. I just wanted to add my 5 stars. I got a copy of this book last Spring, and it has been well loved. I was very excited that we were able to dig it out again for this year. To much cool stuff!

I bought both books. Roots,Shoots,Buckets & Boots, and Sunflower Houses. They are not the same! There are a couple of similar items, but both worth having and different. Sunflower houses shows how to make leaf hats and flower crowns, screechers, boats, pansy dolls, and much much more. The first book (roots, shoots,..) shows more creative gardening and hideouts and things like pizza patches sunflower hideouts and flower mazes. They both teach how to make hollyhock dolls. I recommend both. But if you only want one, get the roots, shoots, buckets and boots. However dont pass up the chance later on to get Sunflower Houses. Enjoy!!!

With lyrical watercolors this lively text explains how to create 12 child-friendly theme gardens, including both a moon garden and a pizza garden. I simply had to buy this book, because even though I'm not gardening with children, I enjoy dreaming up and planting fun theme gardens.
I included this book in my article "25 Best Books For Hobby Farmers", in the November/December 2006 issue of Hobby Farms magazine.

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright was first published in 1941, and though it was written many years ago, is as delightful now as it was then. It's a story about a family who loves each other, works hard and strives to do the right thing. How refreshing!

Mona (13), Rush (12), Miranda (10 ½), who is known as Randy, and Oliver (6) live in New Your City in a brownstone that is rather shabby, but has many floors and fits their lifestyle perfectly. The Melendy children's mother died, but their father and Cuffy, the beloved housekeeper, provide the love, attention and care the children need.

Each of the children has dreams and desires for their futures. Their interests are varied and they each are independent and inquisitive about life and their surroundings.

But while the Melendy children find life generally interesting, Saturdays can sometimes be just plain boring. The children form a club they call the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). All of the children agree to pool their allowances and each child takes a Saturday with all the money to do something by themselves that they really want to do.

The Saturdays are exciting, not just because of the activities they choose, but because of the people they meet and the stories they hear. Well, Oliver does make one Saturday particularly memorable, but you'll have to read the book to learn about his adventure.

In the day of the novels that glamorize the worst society has to offer, The Saturdays is delightfully refreshing.

Armchair Interviews says: Read the series and enjoy!

This book is different in a good way. It is about 4 children who decide to put there allowences to a good use. Every Saturday the add up there allowence and one of the children gets to do any thing that they will always remember.
By,
Girl With A Plan

I had doubts for this book because it didn't sound very interesting but my Mom wanted me to read it so I did-I loved it. It's original and imaginative and above all easy to read for hours without getting bored. It's original and fun like the story of Mrs. Olifount being kidnapped by jypsies, or Isaac the dog saving the family from suffocating. It's a wonderful book I can't wait to read the sequils.

When I was nine years old I picked up a copy of Elizabeth Enright's "The Melendy Family" on sale for 25 cents at my school Christmas fair, donated by some eighth-grader who evidently felt she had "outgrown" it. I wonder, does anybody ever outgrow the Melendys? "The Melendy Family" was a three-in-one volume comprising "The Saturdays", "The Four Story Mistake", and "Then There were Five". Alas, "The Melendy Family" is no longer in print, but fifty years later, I still have my copy, read to shreds, patched and repatched with scotch tape, a book to be treasured forever and never thrown away. Fortunately, the books making up "The Melendy Family" have been reissued as individual volumes available to enchant yet another generation of young readers.

"The Saturdays", the first volume in the series, introduces us to the four Melendy children: Mona, age 13, Rush, age 12, Randy, who is ten-and-a-half, and Oliver, age 6. Each is given a distinct personality and Enright modeled them on children she had known in her own life, her own children or childhood friends. The result is four fictional characters so totally believable that for years after the books were published, Enright continued to get letters from readers wondering if the Melendys were "real".

The Melendy children's mother is deceased, but they are raised by a devoted, caring father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, who stands in as nurse, cook, substitute mother, grandmother, and aunt, and generally rules the roost. The children are funny, refreshing and unspoiled. Mona has aspirations of being a famous actress and already at thirteen can recite "yards and yards of Shakespeare at the drop of a hat." Rush is the next to the oldest, a musical prodigy with a penchant for getting into and out of trouble. Randy at ten-and-a-half (the half is very important at that age) is an endearing mixture of grace and klutziness, a talented dancer and artist who keeps falling over her own feet when it comes to manual labor. And six-year-old Oliver is the baby of the family, placid and calm, very much his own person, as his story shows.

The story opens on a rainy Saturday which finds Randy and Rush monumentally bored with nothing to do. Randy wants to see a some French paintings. Rush wants to go to the opera. Mona wants to see a play. But in the early 1940s (the approximate time in which the story is set is revealed in the opening pages when Enright tells us that the long scars on the linoleum floor were made by Rush trying out a pair of ice skates on Christmas afternoon, 1939), fifty cents a week allowance was standard, and there wasn't a whole lot you could do with that. Randy has a brainstorm. Let's start a club, she says, and pool our allowances together each week so one of us can spend them on something we've always wanted to do. This idea is adopted enthusiastically by all the children (Oliver wants to contribute his ten cents, too), and thus the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (ISAAC) is born.

Each following chapter describes an adventure that takes place on each child's Saturday. Randy goes to see an exhibition of French paintings, runs into an old family acquaintance, Mrs. Oliphant, and is treated to tea at the Plaza while she hears a delightful story of the time Mrs. Oliphant was kidnapped by gypsies during her childhood.

Rush goes to the opera, walks home in a snowstorm, and finds a lost puppy that becomes the family's devoted friend and companion from that day on.

Mona, tired of her long braids, goes to a beauty parlor and treats herself to a haircut and a manicure. The resulting uproar by her father and Cuffy seems a trifle overdone, but as Father later admits, it's hard for parents to realize that their children are growing up.

And Oliver, keeping his own counsel, sneaks out of the house when his Saturday comes and goes to the circus all by himself. An even greater adventure occurs when he is given a ride back home by a mounted policeman on a horse, after he gets lost leaving Madison Square Garden.

After Oliver's adventure the kids decide to spend their Saturdays as a group, but that doesn't stop them from having mishaps such as Randy falling overboard from a boat in Central Park, the family almost suffocating from coal gas when Rush forgets to shut the furnace door, and the storeroom catching fire. It all comes to an exciting conclusion when Mrs. Oliphant invites the children to spend the summer in her lighthouse in Long Island.

"The Saturdays" takes us back to a simpler time and to adventures that probably couldn't happen today (no parent in his right mind would allow a ten year old to go to a museum alone in the New York City nowadays), but kids are still kids, and the Melendys seem so real they could be anyone we knew when we were children, or wish we had known. The time frame may help children understand what a dollar could purchase back then (a wash, set and manicure, or admission to a museum with change to spare). The whole series is a gem for every child and every generation. I still marvel at the priceless find I picked up off a bookshelf at random fifty years ago for only twenty-five cents. It's paid me back a zillion-fold ever since.

Judy Lind

I wanted to respond to the reviews below that thought it was either implausible or dated for children aged 10-13 to wander around New York by themselves. I grew up in New York (in Manhattan, across the park from the Melendys) in the late 1980s. I turned 13, just Mona's age, in 1990. I started walking home from school alone in fourth grade (when I was nine, a year younger than Randy). Like Mr. Melendy and Cuffy, my parents' major worry was that I was careful crossing the street. (Reasonably enough, they feared that drivers would not be able to see a small child.) Many of my friends from elementary school walked or took the bus to school alone at the same age. By twelve (Rush's age), I was allowed to take the subway to visit friends from junior high school, and they took the subway to visit me. By fourteen our teachers assumed that we were competent to find the Metropolitan Museum of Art on our own for projects. None of these people were neglectful, and none of them were "horrified" at the idea of pre-adolescents wandering around the city alone. This was in the supposed "bad old days" when crime was theoretically much higher than it is now, and none of us ever suffered any accident. (Although a group of friends and I got lost coming back from the theater in eighth grade, and were pretty embarrassed that we looked like tourists.)

Anyone familiar with the geography of New York City knows that the Melendy children stay within a fairly small geographic area in THE SATURDAYS, and that the areas where most of their adventures take place are some of the richest and safest in the city. Most sensible New York parents would allow their children to wander there on Saturday afternoons with no more concern than the appropriate ones that Mr. Melendy shows. (Be careful of traffic, don't talk to strangers, and don't get lost.)

Ironically, this ties in with the review that says that Enright did not take enough "risks" with the book, by having her characters get kidnapped by gypsies or run away from home. The fact is, she wrote a fairly realistic description of the childhood of the middle and upper-middle classes of New York City....kids who come into CONTACT with a relatively diverse group of people who have had a variety of experiences, but who actually live in a fairly safe, and sheltered world.

As a New York City kid, I was thrilled to read a book that reflected MY real life experience, as opposed to yet another story about kids who lived in houses with back yards and rode a school bus, and generally had no relationship to my real life. I still love THE SATURDAYS for its loving description of a New York that has in some ways remained startingly the same, even though parts of it have disappeared (no more two way traffic on Fifth Avenue, and no double decker buses!). As other reviews have said, The Saturdays is a charming, well-written book for kids, that can also be enjoyed by adults. It's also one of the few accurate and positive stories about growing up in a great city. I would recommend it for all ages.

My four year old got this out of my gift pile (to give to others), and had a great time doing the first half of the book. Needless to say, it works for almost any age! It gives you the beginning of a picture (usually) and gives you guidance on what to draw. Here's an umbrella, draw some rain. Fun and creative gift for any age!

I bought this book as something my 3 y/o and I could do together. We finally pulled it out tonight (I was saving it for some quality alone time) and I LOVE IT! This is just very basic generic coloring book and each page has a simple instruction to add to or finish the scribble on the page. You can interpret it however you want and do with it what you please. Follow the instructions literally, abstract something, create something completely different. This book definitely inspired creativity in both me and my son. My mom is pretty artsy and I am going to order one for her. I'd love to see what she'd do with it. Great choice if you're looking for something different and I totally agree it's good for any age.
As for the dead person...if your child can read, let them draw a dead person. It's about interpretation and creativity. They don't have to draw a corpse. Maybe they choose to draw Abraham Lincoln or Jesus. If they can't read, tell them to draw whatever you'd like to see.

I was really disappointed that I didn't receive this book from Amazon for my grandson's birthday. I guess it got lost in shipping. Ended up buying it at Barne's and Noble. My daughter said it was the best present her son received except for the sweater I knit him. I would highly recommend this book and hope you have better luck than I did receiving it.

Just as superior as Gomi's other books...even more pages to imagine and create! We have all of Gomi's books and one per kid. Makes a great gift, too!

I bought this for my 3 year old who loves coloring books, as long as they have dot to dots and "design the cookie" type pages. This is perfect for her. She loves it just as much as i thought she would. What I don't like is that some of the pages are landscape style. I mean, they go across the binding of the book which makes it difficult. I tried ripping the pages out, then glueing them to a bigger piece of construction paper. That can olny be done if you have already done the pages on the back sides (unless you want to waste pages out of a 20.00 book, i don't) it would be nice if the whole book were landscape, and the worst thing about this book is the page that says to "draw a dead person." What in the world? I ripped out that page, and good thing i saw it before she did. It has a box that resembles a coffin that you are supposed to draw the 'dead body' in. I would have considered returning the book for that reason alone had she not used over 1/2 the book already,a nd been in love with it. Seriously everyday since she got it, she has done 10-15 pages.

This is a great book for ages 8 through 14. The shrinky-dink projects range from easy to very hard and there is enough variety of pictures from which to choose. The book itself is very sturdy.

I remember doing shrinky dinks as a kid and decided to give them to all the children in our family who were gathering for the holidays. It was a huge hit! There were children ages 5-12 and this was something they all enjoyed. The 5 year old needed some help tracing the pictures, but was able to color them in with colored pencils and do some of the cutting out. I am really pleased with the book and the response that it received. It was a memorable holiday for all!

We had great fun with shrinky dinks when my children were little, so I purchased this book and material for my grandchildren. We had a blast making shrinky dinks and it brought back a lot of memories!

I bought this book/kit a few years ago, very excited to share with my daughters something that I played with as a kid. The book comes with about 8 sheets of special shrink plastic. You will need ordinary colored pencils and it would be great to have a Sharpie, preferably a fine point one, and a pair of small scissors, as well as an oven and cookie sheet. The book is full of small color images; the kids trace an image with a Sharpie or black colored pencil, color it in with colored pencils, cut it out carefully (parents might want to help ages 7 and under) and bake it. The plastic shrinks, which is great fun for the kids to watch through the oven door. The plastic curls up at first and you're SURE it won't work but it does! If you want a hole make sure you punch it with a hole punch BEFORE you bake; otherwise it's too late.

This one comes with, I think, 8 sheets of the plastic and all kinds of really cute pictures already done the right size to shrink to a perfect size....whatever you are going to make. :) The photos are colored to give you coloring ideas. Kids love doing shrinky dinks! I bought this to let the girls at my daughters 6th birthday make some keepsake creations. All kinds of ideas in this book too!

Author James Fargiano writes in a humble, down to earth, style. The simplicity of style does not take away from the profundity of the message. Although there are many messages, the common thread that runs through the book is that of optimism and positivity. We can change our own reality when negativity is dropped. If enough of us do this, we can change the world. So many prophetic books today are filled with harsh warnings, doom and gloom as well a fear of the future. This book however, inspires hope and trust. It is a soothing balm for the spirit.

The book is filled with beautiful and meaningful sayings which make quite an impression on the human psyche. The one I like best is, "Virtuous living is the indicator of a knowledgeable soul." Also, the book has a section of wonderful prayers. In this review I have only touched upon a few of the metaphysical goodies in this so simple, yet so profound a book.

This book is truly a gift from the other side. Many thanks to Jim Fargiano,a kind and humble soul, who has shared his ability to communicate with spirit with us. I, for one, am eternally grateful.

I have to say it was like almost obtaining a personal reading as I read The Spoken Words Of Spirit. There are some complicated issues going on in my life, and everyone has issues, however as I read through the pages it was as if I was getting answers. Life felt lighter after reading the book. I know this book will remain part of my life as I keep referring back to it. I can only hope that another book by Jim Fargiano is on its way. Thank you for writing such an inspiring book.

The world is regularly influenced by Spirits and the other side claims "The Spoken Words of Spirit: Lessons from the Other side". To improve one's life, says Author Jim Fargiano, one must learn to take cues from their influences and use them to move towards a healthier, more prosperous, and most importantly, true happiness. "The Spoken Words of Spirit: Lessons from the Other Side" is a deftly written book for those interested in the world of spirituality and community library collections dedicated to them.

the spoken words of spirit is a great quide for listening to your quides
in this life and the after life

I think this is the best book written on the topic of third culture kids. The book is insightful and answers questions that are just under the surface for both kids and those who love them.

This book discusses emotional and identity development of children growing up in foreign countries and re-entry issues. This is an excellent book for those who have lived abroad during the developmental years 0 - 18 and for parents. A must read!

This book was recommended to us and I would recommend it to anyone living outside their own culture with kids. The information is very valuable to helping children adjust and understanding how growing up outside their culture will affect them.

If you have lived in a country other than the country your parent(s) are from for a significant period of time as a child and then had to move back (or to another, very different place)...this book is for you. Like many other tck's, I have always felt out of place and just thought I was different or weird. I could never understand why my parents never had the same sentiments. Now I understand that the way I feel is a normal outcome of the way of life I had as a child. This book is also a great reference to those serving in the military with children, moving constantly both within the US and around the world. It puts the missing link in place and explains the complex emotions that child tck's experience as adults. It all makes sense now, and I can even understand why I married a Frenchman and why we're planning on moving back to Europe!

Being a child living in between a passport culture and another culture which one is daily relating to, needs not be a negative experience. There are certainly some unique issues for such cross cultural dwellers but with good preparation, communication, support systems, family functionality, the life of TCKs can be incredibly hopeful and beneficial.

Pollock and Van Reken have created a very readable and enjoyable account of the lives of a third culture kids. Clearly they have much knowledge and exposure to TCKs and have pulled together their many thoughts and reflections to give us the full picture of such an experience.
The book is both practical and insightful with many lists and suggestions for families. The personal vignettes and testimonies make the explanations more real. Though, it would have been more helpful to have more background information about the testimonies to place in proper context.
I appreciate the attitude of the book that there are challenges as well as great benefits and the choice lies with individuals to take responsibility for their own actions. Often reactions to life reside inside themselves rather than in outside events and situations. (p.181)
The book paints a nice picture of the TCK's family and experience but it gives very little guidance in actually helping and counseling such kids who may not have positive outcomes from their time abroad. It would be valuable to have a second volume of specific counseling techniques, interventions, and therapy guidelines to better serve TCKs and ATCKs who struggle from a less than ideal experience.