Nannies Books

Beyond Peanut Butter & Jelly is a unique cookbook that is a necessity for any caregiver's library. Complete with kids' favorite recipes, crafts, theme party ideas and childcare tips INA has produced an attractive, high quality book. Making meals fun, creating crafty artwork and nurturing nanny tips contribute to this one of a kind cookbook.

If you have children this cookbook is a must have. The book is filled with recipes from nannies, and who knows children better then them. Along with being an excellant cookbook it is also filled with tips and ideas parents and caregivers will find very usefull.

There is a birthday party chapter, a craft chapter and a section for educaters, agencies, and nannies. Even if you're not a cook this is a wonderful resource to have. Need to know how to remove gum from hair or ink from clothing - see page 50.

This wonderful book also helps to support the International Nanny Association (INA). INA is a non-profit educational association for nannies and those who educate, place, employ, and support professional in-home child care providers.

THIS IS AN EXCITING BOOK FOR CHILDREN, THEIR PARENTS, THEIR CAREGIVERS AND THE DIRECTORS AND TEACHERS AT CHILDCARE CENTERS OR PRESCHOOLS. THERE ARE MANY KID FRIENDLY RECIPES, CREATIVE CRAFT IDEAS AND SOME VERY ORIGINAL PARTY THEMES. I HAVE GIVEN THIS BOOK TO SEVERAL FRIENDS KNOWING THAT THEY AND THEIR CHILDREN WOULD HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH IT.

The recipes are great! My charges and I are having so much fun making the recipes!!! Today we made "Painted Cookies". Very creative!

Hodagneu-Sotelo's poignant look at the lives of Latina immigrants in Domestica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadows of Affluence, can be a source of enlightenment as well as a sort of "how-to" manual for any employer or employee in the nanny/housekeeper and house cleaning fields. The author argues that the women in these types of work continually battle for basic employee rights: adequate pay and set hours free from discrimination, harassment, and substandard working conditions. She addresses issues of long hours, unreasonable demands, alienation, and the reasons that the workers stay in these situations; fear of retaliation from employers and deportation.
Although a bit verbose, this book is packed with valuable information and resources that the reader is sure to use or be able to pass along to someone else. It is a meritable attempt at expressing the angst felt by Latina immigrants and the unresponsive attitude of the employer. It does tend to come across as a bit one-sided, due partly because not many employers or employees were willing to participate in her research efforts, but is still a great and easy read.

In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo's Doméstica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadow of Affluence, readers explore, along with the researcher, an oft overlooked element of domestic labour in America. In examining this particular manifestation between the haves and have little, Hondagneu-Sotelo has provided a "scholarly" treatment where Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed fell short. This is by no means an indictment of Ehrenreich's work, quite the contrary. Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed is approachable by the many levels of readers that seek to understand the phenomenon of the working poor and their interaction with affluent Americans (here, I speak specifically of Ehrenreich's chapter two titled "Scrubbing in Maine"). However, in Doméstica, Hondagneu-Sotelo has opted to focus her research on immigrant domestic workers, specifically Mexican and Central American women in Los Angeles. In so doing, her research provides insight into the minds and worlds of both parties who engage in what can easily be termed a "love hate" relationship; one where, out of necessity, both the employer and employees are in need of one another. In addition, Doméstica serves to highlight some of the struggles of members of America's largest "minority" population (be they documented or otherwise). While Hondagneu-Sotelo relegates her analysis and interviews to women in the Los Angeles area, this reviewer is of the opinion that her research may well be duplicated in other cities with similar populations and yield like outcomes.

Reading this work, I began pondering the future of work and workers and four questions came to mind: (1) As America becomes more diverse, will the question of immigrants holding less than desirable positions along the socio-economic margins become of increasing interest to researchers and politicians such that worker-friendly policies emerge? (2) If so, what forms will later policy manifestations assume? (3) What will such a shift mean for the future of economic relations between these two disparate groups? (4) Also, will America continue to marginalize employees that hold the critical job of caring for our young such that we ensure a future of troubled youth due to attachments to caregivers and the familial realities of economic and social stratification? History has shown if we ignore questions not unlike these, problems are sure to result.

Historically, "love labor" had been performed, initially, by captive African American women and later those under strict laws (Jim Crow) of mobility, both physical and social. With the relative ascension of African Americans into the socio-economic sphere of marginal acceptance in America, certain forms of work are left to the cheaper, and sometimes unpaid, labor force of immigrant women. Increasingly, such workers are admitted into affluent homes in America through informal networks. For this brief iteration, we consider Hondagneu-Sotelo's Part Two titled "Finding Hard Work Isn't Easy." Here, Hondagneu-Sotelo discusses the other worldly process where women in need of domestic workers and the women in need of domestic work come in contact with one another.

This "whole other world" is highlighted when Hondagneu-Sotelo writes, "most prospective employers looking for paid domestic workers in Los Angeles bypass employment agencies, newspaper ads, or other formal job announcements, which they find expensive, slow, and unreliable. Instead the majority rely on their co-workers, neighbors, friends, and relatives when they seek domestic help" (63). This in itself is telling in that it pulls from Granovetter's theory of the strength of weak ties as mentioned in Deirdre Royster's Race and the Invisible Hand. Applied to Hondagneu-Sotelo's work, there exist, in the domestic worker community, ties that allow for a potential employer in need of workers to gain access to a network of domestic workers with the ability to refer friends and/or family members to employers in need of domestic assistance. Additionally, such a process not only allows for a socially and economically unequal relationship to ensue and continue for years in some cases, it also provides the foundation for further entrenchment of unequal employee and employer relations rooted in economic exploitation.

Whereas many of these workers are not earning a living wage, some employers exercise great pains not to flaunt their affluence. In one telling moment, Hondagneu-Sotelo writes, "some employers try to snip off the price tags on new clothing and home furnishings before the Latina domestic workers read them because they fear the women will compare the prices of those items with their wages - which they invariably do. While some employers often feel guilty about 'having so much' around someone who 'has so little,' the women who do the work resent not their affluence but the job arrangements, which generally afford the workers little in the way of respect and living wages" (xi-xii). In this instance, we witness the uneasy but, to the employer, necessary relationship between the affluent employer and the unaffluent worker. Additionally, we note how workers, through Hondagneu-Sotelo's in-depth interviews, indicate that they would rather that requests come not "as a symbol of servitude and a humiliating affront" to one's dignity, but that their work is seen for what it is, essential to the functioning of the household in which they are employed (145).

In producing a work with statistical data on domestic labor in Los Angeles, coupled with the voices of women on both sides of the issue, Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo has done an admirable job of broaching the subject of the uneasy relationship between affluent women who require domestic assistance and unaffluent immigrant employees that work and, in some cases, live among them. Of the many good points in this work, her in-depth interviews with employees and employers are most revealing. Not unlike the work of Ehrenreich in Nickel and Dimed and Katherine S. Newman in No Shame in My Game, Hondagneu-Sotelo allows readers to, as Newman suggested, gain a clearer understanding of the interconnections between people and networks that a purely quantitative work would not permit. That being said, this reviewer applauds Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo and her effort to provide a clearer understanding of the women we see on train platforms and in bus terminals that dot American cities and suburbs of affluence.

First let me begin by saying that this is an interesting read. You basically learn about domestic workers (live in nannies, home cleaners). The author gives you alot of information, in fact I would say that she gives you a plethora of information. As such it took me over a month to finish this book, and the fact.

Basically, the two problems I have with this book are 1. The author's monolithically leftist viewpoint (which seems to be common in books like this), 2. The hard time she has getting to the point. In particular comments like "Some feminist theorists, especially those influenced by Marxist thought, have used the term "social reproduction" or "reproductive labor"..." (Page 23) or "The United States has a long history of incorporating people of color through coercive systems of labor...slavery and contract labor systems...today, international labor migration and the job characteristics of paid domestic work" (Page 51)

Again the biggest problem I have with this book/writer is the use of a marxist/conflict theory filter in regards to analyzing domestic worker (as in us [domestic workers and their allies] vs them [middle class homeowners who employ domestic workers]). When if you actually take a moment, breath and impartially assess the facts the relationship is more of a symbiotic/functionalist/"we need each other" type deal in which two autonomous human beings are simply trying to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Now what I do like... There is some great information presented in this book. 1. Domestic workers are entitled to minimum wage like normal employees and can sue for backwages. 2 Live-in housekeeper is a common first job of immigrants to the United States and as such is very important to economic integration of immigrants (legal and illegal alike).

Basically, you learn all about domestic work in all it's most interesting facets. An example being spoiled children who are hell for their domestic workers, and the situation is compounded because consciquences for bad behavior are underminded by the parents. Or usage of prozac and ritalin by parents for behavior modification of children and the avoidance of direct confrontation between domestic workers and their employees and many other interesting facts concerning the profession.

Because of how interesting this book is I'm giving it 4/5 stars (although I'm tempted to give it 3/5 because of the marxist rhetoric).

Dr. Hondagneu-Sotelo's beautifully written work takes the reader into the world of Latina nannies and housekeepers, showcasing the women's own voices and perspectives while maintaining an academic's sharp-eyed analysis. She chronicles the difficulties of domestic workers while still acknowledging their ability to impact their own work environments. One of the strengths of Hondagneu-Sotelo's book is the analysis of class inequality, particularly the ways that employers awkwardly handle their own discomfort with their priviledge. Her conclusions, rather than knee-jerk dismissals of domestic labor, suggest ways that domestic employment can be viewed as the job it is. The author's thoughts on her own position to her research subject in the preface is worth the price of the book. This book recently won five awards from different sociological organizations, and deservedly so.

I highly reccomend reading the Granny Nanny, for grandparents taking care of children, individuals who use their parents for taking care of their children, anyone who has children that are cared for by others, and anyone who cares for young children. This down-to-earth, easy to read book is full of tips and pointers for anyone caring for children. It is well-researched and full of great advice that can make child care a safer, easier task for all involved.

The Granny-Nanny: A Guide For Parents & Grandparents Who Share Child Care by Lee Edwards Benning (himself a real life granny-nanny) is a wonderfully informative, thoroughly "user friendly", 223-page manual specifically written for parents and grandparents who share child care responsibilities. This is a parenting phenomena which has become more common in the past 15 years, according to documentation by the Cleveland Clinic Press, as at least 79% of today's grandparents will engage in the tribulations and satisfaction of daily child care due to the children's parents having to both work outside of the home. Individual chapters deal with a variety of germane issues such as child safety, communication, controversy (including discipline), abuse, the generation gap, whose home is to be used, and even a quiz which is both humorous and descriptive. There is an especially valuable chapter offering suggestions about dealing with common issues and problems called 'Making the Best of It' which covers divorce, special needs, and ending the relationship (which really is about deciding when child care needs to be provided by someone other than the granny), for a vast variety of reasons. Grandparents' rights are discussed, as are financial arrangements and pertinent legal questions. Finally, a series of very helpful appendices provide resource suggestions including activities, age-appropriate books and toys, child care accreditation services, and a granny-nanny refresher course. Filly a genuine and pressing need, The Granny-Nanny is a very highly recommended and practical guide for parents and grandparents who are about to embark upon a great co-parenting adventure together.

This book was a godsend for when my mother said she would watch my children while I worked. We were able to both read through the book and learn what we need to have available for her to watch, what issues to look out for and how to make a very smooth transition. I would urge anyone who is a Granny Nanny to read this book!

Excellent book. Very helpful because it covers all the bases. Also enjoyed the 'flow' of the book.

I've enjoyed Ms. McLean's books in the past, but this was the best one yet. I felt all the emotions that the characters were feeling throughout the entire book. I hated that the book had to end so soon. I can hardly wait for her next book to come out!

Like other reviewers, I have enjoyed Ms. McLean's previous books but found "The Nanny's Secret" to be her best written and most entertaining work so far. The story concerns a young woman who wanders onto a ranch after having an auto accident. She has no memory of who she is or why she's there except that she must find "the baby."

Brooks Hart and his two brothers (Mitch and Dean) own and manage the ranch in question, and have recently taken in their nephew Timmy who is the four-month old son of their recently deceased brother, Luke. When Brooks arrives home one afternoon, he finds a young woman asleep on the sofa and assumes that she is the newly hired nanny, Amelia Rigsby. The woman has no memory of who she is and assumes that because of her strong feelings that she is there to find "the baby," she must be the new nanny, Amelia. So, the story proceeds with "Amelia" settling in as the nanny, taking wonderful care of Timmy, and falling in love with Brooks. The outcome of the story including solving the mystery of "Amelia" is written in a touchingly beautiful and seamless fashion.

I found this book at a tag sale and am so glad that I picked it up. From the exceptional writing in the very first few pages, I knew that it would be a terrific book - and it is!!! The characters are interesting, endearing and clearly drawn. I particularly like the fact that the pace of the writing is steady with no unnecessary repetition of the plot (which I find annoying and usually skip over). For an entertaining, heartwarming read, I recommend this book very highly!

Amelia Rigsby has suffered a terrible accident. One she can't even remember! She awakes to find herself in the ranch home of Brooks Hart, a huge bump on her head and absolute no memory of who she is or how she got there.

Amelia stays on at the Hart ranch taking the position of nanny to Brook's baby nephew all the while awaiting for the return of her memory. Little things freak her out, sending her into shuddering pieces. Something has happened to her in the past, something horrible, only she can't remember what it was.

Brooks Hart has his own troubled past in a family of abuse and abandonment. He's sworn to live his life without the companionship of a woman, sure that it will prevent him from making the same horrible mistakes as his father. But this woman, Amelia Rigsby, has touched his soul in places no woman has ever reached.

Fantastically written, Monica McLean has created a gripping story of abuse, amnesia and love. The characters are real, believable and take hold of your heart from the very first page. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh so hard you cry. Definitely recommended!

After two weeks of sympathizers parading through Brooks Hart's Triple H Ranch in Wister, Wyoming, the sympathy has begun to feel like salt rubbed in an old wound. His elder brother had absented himself from the family for eighteen years, suddenly appearing on the doorstep with an eight-month-old baby named Timmy and ill tales regarding his ex-wife, nicknamed the Blond Widow. It seems that his prodigal brother had become a lawman in Vegas where he met a gorgeous cocktail waitress, but their tragic marriage only resulted in one bright spot-a beautiful baby that was subsequently abandoned by his mother. Two weeks ago his brother committed suicide, leaving his son with his brothers on the Triple H Ranch.

When Brooks arrives home to an open door, he finds a woman sleeping in his great room. Assuming she's the promised nanny the Hart brothers have been waiting for, Brooks calls her Amelia Rigsby. Amelia's obviously been in accident and received a blow to the head. She has a huge bump on her forehead and seems to be suffering from amnesia. She also has an instant affinity for Timmy, and her help is welcome since he's turned their lives upside down in only four short weeks. Soon Brooks finds Amelia turns his life upside down as well with her gentle understanding, resilience in coping with amnesia, and fierce determination to help around the ranch.

Author Monica McLean pens a wonderful romance with THE NANNY'S SECRET. Unlike many romances that use amnesia as an excuse for needy dependence, THE NANNY'S SECRET uses amnesia as an impetus for self-exploration and healing. Brooks is an interesting character with his determination to repeat his father's mistakes, and his gentle handling of the heroine during the concluding chapters is remarkable. Where many authors would have resorted to recriminations and doubts when Amelia's identity is revealed, McLean again transforms the situation into an opportunity for healing and growth. A remarkable tale beautifully told, THE NANNY'S SECRET comes very highly recommended.

I read this book when it first came out, before I knew Betsy. I loved the humor and the Genealogy slant with the cantankerous elderly ladies of Haggarty. I liked having the whole town of quirky, but down-to-earth townsfolk helping with the case. I liked having Mark and Kate Iverson in this one as well. I highly recommend this and all Betsy's Haggarty books. You're in for a HUGE treat!!!

This was a great suspense book and romance as well. If you like Betsy Brannon Green, you will love this one too!

Once again Betsy has writen a book I hated to put down. This story is about Beth Middeleton who is given a job by her boss. The courts want her to observe the relationship between Jack Gamble (a lawyer that no one seems to like) and his daughter Cloe. Jack is involved in the biggest murder trial. Beth offers to help with paperwork and becomes involved more and more in the case. Meanwhile she is beginning to understand Jack and his relationship with his daughter. As the trial gets underway, people start to disapear and Beth finds herself right in the middle of danger. You will LOVE this book. It takes place in Haggerdy GA and even has Kate and Mark Iverson from Hearts in Hiding in it.

This is Betsy Brannon Green's greatest book yet. I enjoyed every momeny of it and couldn't stop turning the pages. It had great suspense, a sweet romance, and interesting characters. Beth Middeleton tries to leave reality after her fiance' dies in a car accident the day of their wedding. As months pass slowly, however, she again is forced to come back to normal life, but finds it very difficult. When she accepts a job to be the evaluator of a big name attorney, Jack Gamble and his five-year-old daughter, Chloe, she becomes involved in the biggest case her boss has ever encountered. As the evidence mounts against Jack's client and important people in the case begin to dissapear, she and Jack work to find out what really happened and come closer together than she ever thought possible. This book lived up to my expectations and more. I hope Betsy Green continues to turn out the great books.

Becoming a Nanny is an informative read about live-in childcare. I especially liked the work sheets and the listing of web resources at the back of the book.

Ms. Bloodgood's book is very helpful for anyone considering a job as a nanny. This book answered lots of questions for me and I found the resource section very helpful because it gave me loads of new ideas! I found the book personable and informative, makes for a nice read.

For those exploring the field of caregiving (or those currently in it looking for some tips!), this is an outstanding exploratory work. Ms. Bloodgood not only explores the basics (how to find a position, how to find the right "fit", going through interviews, etc.), but she digs deeper by sharing her personal experiences throughout the process. There is some outstanding information here including finding activities for the little ones and how to resolve conflict in a *positive* manner with the parents. The appendices are fantastic, including resources for insurance, job hunting, and online children's activities. Very, very well done!

Carmine Ganucci was a retired soft drinks magnate with a nice estate in Larchmont and influence in, well, certain circles. Which was precisely why Nanny Poole, the English governess he had hired to look after his 10 year old son, had no desire to let him know that little Lewis had been kidnapped. Since he was vacationing in Capri at the time, it wouldn't be too hard to keep him in the dark. Provided, of course, the kid returned, safe and sound, before his parents did. So she asked Benny Napkins, who used to be very big in linens and garbage, to help raise the $50,000 ransom...a search that sets off the funniest and most unlikely chain of events since the mob went "respectable". Evan Hunter conducts a merry romp through the labyrinth of disorganized crime with some of the funniest characters you can ever imagine. The black and white pictures in book are as funny looking as the story!

I read this book many years ago and just recently ran across it on a bookshelf covered up by years and years of other books. I wondered if it would be as funny to me this time as I remembered it being before. The short answer is, yes!

Evan Hunter (who has such blockbuster hits to his credit as The Blackboard Jungle and Strangers When We Meet)has written a funny, funny book about crime and a whacky world of minor thugs who get into trouble just by being alive. Nanny Poole has been left in charge of 10 year old Lewis Ganucci while his mother and father (Carmine and Stella) go on a vacation to Italy. And where else would someone in Carmine's line of business want to go for relaxation? He made his millions as a soft drinks manufacturer (wink, wink) and he controls lots of "business" in New York City. When Nanny discoveres that Lewis is missing she calls Benny Napkins to help her locate the child, fearing he may have been kidnapped. Why did she call on Benny? Because she didn't want Mr. Ganucci to find out his son had disappeared so she couldn't call on anyone important. Benny was the smallest potatoes she could think of to help her out. What follows is a series of mistakes, close calls and misadventures by some of the worst crooks you have ever come across. And by worst I mean bad at their chosen professions. Some of my favorite characters are Vinny and Alfred, the Corsican Brothers, who are not identical twins since they were born fourteen hours apart (right, from the same mother but fourteen hours apart so they are the Corsican Brothers, not the Corsican Twins - surely you get the distinction here!). Another favorite is Snitch Delatore who became a snitch when he snitched but he got the information wrong so now nobody will tell him anything to snitch about because they know he is a snitch. And then there is Bloomingdales (no first name given and not to be confused with the department store because he has no apostrophe), a fence whose apartment was the busiest little bargain walk-up in Harlem.

Each chapter introduces another crook and Mr Hunter uses a black and white picture to give you a visual of what this crook might look like. This was wonderful! Especially when I discovered in the back of the book he listed all the people pictured and their true occupations. Also included are reproductions of picture postcards from Italy (still in black and white), telegrams and letters, and a picture of Lewis' wrist watch along with the inscription on the back. All of this adds interest to the story, at least it did for me. The kidnapper is the only non professional criminal in the story and his conversations with the two men he admires most in the whole world are strange to say the least. Especially since the two men are never present and he doesn't even know them personally. A really weird character.

This book is my idea of a spoof. It does have one surprise element revealed at the ending but otherwise it is just purely fun watching the small time crooks try to get little Lewis back home before his parents get back. At one point someone points out that it is nice weather for swimming but not if you are wearing cement boots. Nobody dies, there is no blood and guts, there is no mystery to try to figure out. Read it for the humor and the pure enjoyment of knowing that Evan Hunter had FUN writing this book. Oh, and don't go getting all teary-eyed for poor little Lewis, he suffered not one whit. I do wish Mr. Hunter had told us what happened to the wrist watch though, it is a novelty item and that thing is worth a lot of money now!

This book (as well as the author) are lifesavers.

The author guides the new parent through the mysterious and often turbulent waters of the nanny world.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!

This book is a simple straightforward guide to all those who find themselves in the midst of a search for a nanny and ponder as to how to go about this extremely important task. After all, it is our precious children we are talking about here. Ms. Desrosier's no nonsense approach and easy to read, logical style and book construction, make for a very smooth and easy reading. While the title may lead one to believe that the books relevancy is limited to a certain geographic area, 90% of the contents have universal value to parents all over the United states as it deals with issues related to making generic choices as to the style of parenting one wishes to persue, establishing the guidelines to the future caregiver and dealing with legal and safety issues. I would urge the author and the publisher to try and expand the scope of this excellent book beyond the San Francisco Bay area, as it could be very meaningful to couples all over the nation

This book highlights what Goals 2000 is and what it is doing to our schools. Duffy is informative and shows that homeschooling is the way to succefully educating our kids and the reasons why. I highly reccomend this to anyone who is or is thinking about homec\schooling their children.

If this book doesn't make you angry at the state of our school system, and even our government as a whole, then you must be communist!!! This book gives alot of insight into the evolution of our "modern" school system... where it came from, to what it has become. Its not just a book about theories, or ideas, it offers proof of many of its allogations. If you were a public school system POW like me, then it especially hits home to see what was done to us, how we were ripped off, and how we continue to be ripped off. This book will make you seriously think about home schooling your child. A great book for parents thinking about home school, or anyone interested in how the government is trying to control us.

January!With Mrs.Engle going back to work,the 2 Brewer kids need a Nanny.On 1,Karen disagrees.On 2,Andrew disagrees.Will
the 3rd be perfect?
Read it!

Karen's life is changing way too fast. The little house moved to Chicago, and came back. The big house got a new kitten, but Boo-boo (their old cat) died. Now Karen's mom is going to work. Which means that Karen and her little brother are getting a nanny. Karen doesn't want a nanny. She is tired of all of these changes. So Karen decides that her New Year's resolution will be not to change. She even makes a schedule! Karen can only have smooth peanut butter on whole wheat bread for an after school snack. She can only do homework between 4 to 5. She has to raise her hand in school every other question. Even if Karen doesn't know the answer! This schedule is making everyone go crazy! Especially Karen! What is she going to do? Break her resolution, or keep it? Either way, her life will be miserable! Meanwhile, Karen's mother is interviewing three nannies for Karen and Andrew. Andrew liked the first one, but hated the second. Karen didn't like the first one, but thought the second was okay. Will the third nanny be okay with both Karen and Andrew? Karen's Nanny got five stars from me. It was great. The only thing wrong with it was, the book was mainly about Karen's NOT CHANGING resolution. Only a few chapters were about a nanny. But the book was still great. Especially Karen and Addie's Project Jupiter assignment. Read it!