Family Books

I have two children who have been 'diagnosed' with ADHD. The school also suspected that my son has Asperger's Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. I was desperate to avoid drugging my kids. Dr. Bock explained, in words that a parent could understand, what could be the cause and how I could help. I tried taking my kids off of milk products (not even a casein free diet)and what a difference! My son stayed focused enough to help clean out a garage for THREE hours without any prompting from either of us. My daughter didn't show as dramatic a change, although I can say that her flare-ups of temper and stubborness have decreased. I am sold. His book gives real case studies of children he's helped (and even if he exaggerated or outright lied, it did work for my son), resources for parents looking into helping their children, and other important information. This book sits on my desk, next to the dictionary and the PDR for meds. I would recommend this book WITHOUT hestitation to any parent who needed more information on allergies, asthma, ADHD, and autism. Caution: he doesn't promise a cure, and in fact, clearly states that even with diet modifications, de-toxifying the body and nutritional supplements, some children still require medications. But, if my choices are a casein-free diet and an ADHD med versus anti-anxiety/psychotic meds & ADHD meds, well, that's a no-brainer.

I highly recommend this book for parents of autistic children looking for treatment options. It is very well written and well organized.

I have purchased a copy of the book "Healing the New Childhool Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies", for each of our four adult children and their families...We have grandchildren with all of the above issues, and find this book to be extremely comprehensive, common sense, and helpful. I highly recommend it.

I saw Dr. Bock speak at the 2008 Autism One conference in Chicago, and literally ran to the book store to get the book. I ended up having to order it online, and it was so worth the wait. This book will make you laugh, and it will make you cry, and more importantly, it will provide hope and tools to parents and health care providers who want to fight the new childhood epidemics. Amazingly well written. Thank you so much Dr. Bock - a true inspiration!

Dr. Bock presents a very interesting theory regarding why we see so much autism, ADHD, and allergies these days. The information presented is vastly different than that presented in my training and my interest in this area has been perked. I plan to set forth to master this knowledge base and see what I think as time passes. In the meantime, I will recommend this book to all my parents. Interestingly enough, I had a parent group of children with dual exceptionalities. This group is now together getting tested and carrying out the recommended steps in the book. Several parents are very impressed with the changes in their children. This is quite promising. I hope others in my field read this book as well. We can then have a healthy and enlightening discussion.

Steven Curtis, Ph.D.
Child Clinical Psychologist
Author, Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges

I was drawn right in to this book. Growing up in a large Catholic family with the last name of Bauer, I was able to immediately relate to the story. I can't wait to read more!

The opening of Paula Younger's novel is deceptive--the family gathers for a wedding, and as they gather it's apparent they have their fond rituals, and they're a close-knit family bound by faith and a tradition of sturdy togetherness. But things aren't what they seem. Even when the narrative is funny, it's clear that soon this family will come apart at the seams. I look forward to what's to come, even while I'm not at all sure where I'm headed. Younger pulls this off brilliantly.

The writing here is detailed and delicate, with wonderful descriptions of flowers, family memories, and the setting. The dialogue is realistic and effective in characterizing Celia and other family members.

A good balance of present tense and flashback to fill in backstory is difficult to achieve, but Ms. Younger accomplishes that well in this excerpt. Convincing, deep, moving, sympathetic. Look forward to seeing more!

Most novels tend to introduce real tension much later on than by the first chapter but here, we get a strong sense that trouble is brewing: a Roman Catholic family is preparing for a wedding, which is to take place in Missouri, and clearly not everyone is pleased. We learn this by listening to Celia, a young girl, who helps her grandmother with preparations in the opening scene. The dialogue scenes between the two, and our narrator's thoughts over what she learns (or tries to discover) are tightly-written and very believable. The overall result is a narrative that moves forward at a lively pace and a prose ladden with mystery, especially when we get to meet the grandfather and Celia's mother. Obviously, disturbing secrets are being kept; I want to know about those of course, but I'm even more curious about when they'll be revealed. For me, there's no doubt that the world is this story is very much alive.

Celia Marie Cooper's twelve at the beginning of this excerpt. She's visiting her grandparents so she and her Mom can take part in her Aunt Joan's wedding.

At the beginning of the excerpt, Celia's helping her grandma trim the roses in her garden. It's an orderly and beautiful place with only the privileged climbing roses allowed to be errant. Celia's 'adventuring' among the climbers reminds me of my own childhood in my Great-Grandma's garden:

"I liked to step among the climbers and disappear between their thickets."

There's enough good lines here to make up a couple of 'bouquets', though. Here's some elegant foreshadowing here where Celia talks of her illusions of her grandmother:

"Seven years later, when tending to Grandma on her deathbed, she would tell me her secret and the truth about herself, more than I would ever want to know. But of course I didn't know this then."

Turns out, on this trip, Celia learns a secret. Grandma isn't her natural grandmother. Her biological grandma is named Grandma Lucy, but Grandpa doesn't talk much about her because it hurts Grandma's feelings. Celia has her Grandma Lucy's green eyes--that you cannot lie to.

Lovely lines, elegant foreshadowing, and and finely painted detail with both color and scent. This excerpt is flawless--or if there are any, I cannot find them.

Who'd have thought I'd like women's fiction? If Gae Polisner hadn't sealed the deal, Paula Younger would have. Congratulations, Paula, and thank you for inviting me to read this lovely excerpt. I'd continue on with this story for sure.

It has been a very long time since I cried all the way through a book. With pleasure. I read half of it in one sitting, unwilling to break the spell of the stories and emotions it contains. For the horses and the children portrayed in the book this remarkable woman's life is a testimony to the value of faith and love. For the rest of us, we can take inspiration and do our best to do what we can to bring change and healing in our own spheres.
Hope Rising: Stories from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams

This book took me a little longer than normal to finish because I had to put down between stories as it kept tearing my heart out. The stories of healing and compassion are so very heartwarming but it was the author's own story of overcoming tragedy and how she managed to turn her life into one of servitude to broken souls is what truly captured my attention. Many people would have sunk into a deep depression and a life of "why me?" but she instead turned it around to help others and if she got a little preachy I was able to brush it off because it seemed like her faith was something that helped her get through the rough days. This was a very inspiring book and I hope she someday writes a book based on her life and her struggles to get where she is today.

To all of us men that grew up not knowing how to cry (and being ashamed if we did), it is probably best not to get this book. Otherwise, you will shed tears and it will touch your life.

If you can overcome that, make sure you get the next book that Kim Meeder wrote after this one.

Finally, if you are going to say how great these things that the Meeders' organization is doing, don't just spell it out here. Support what she is doing!

[...]

I loved this book and could not put it down. It tore at my heart strings and lifted my spirits. To the author, Kim ..Thank you for such an honest and incredible book. Even more importantly thank you so much for what you do at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. I have every intention of visiting and supporting your cause. I was so moved by the heartache and the triumphs of each story, each life and each journey. There was so much honesty and thoughtfulness in each recount of each chapter. To be able to capture the power of the human spirit (in even small packages) and the willingness to still be magnificent .. (in the "angels in horse hair") was such an amazing thing to witness. Thank you for noticing, thank you for sharing and thank you for sharing it with others.

The one story of the little boy and the horse that hugged him...well you're just going to have to read it. This book is filled with wonderful stories that is a must for every horse lover out there! (Christian or not)

A marriage counselor suggested I read this book. I had been married for 12 years at the time and we let things go. We needed some direction. We will be married 18 years this summer. It was wonderful. It gave me new hope and a new perspective. I have given several copies away to friends whose marriage was in trouble and a few as wedding gifts. It's great for the newly married couple to the oh boy our marriage is in serious trouble. I have re-read it a few times, and each time I pull something different from it. I highly recommend it!

I highly recommend this book. If it's not on the rocks, then I still recommend it, as it shows you specific biblical references to marriage and how to treat your partner.

I recommend it for those contemplating marriage and who are already married. Dr Wheat's books can transform any marriage into one made in Heaven.

For a christian, it is literally amazing how very far I was from the biblical principles for marriage. This book showed me how to act in accordance with these principles and I found nothing vague about it! It clearly outlined the appropriate behavior for a married christian and I go back to it again and again to remind myself of the good that god has in store for me as a partner in a christian marriage. I continue to buy this book in volume and share it with everyone I know, as my marriage was so close to the edge that I am still in awe of the blessing I've received from this book. Putting biblical principles to practice in your marriage can produce amazing results! May you be as blessed by the biblical wisdom explained in this book as I have been.

If you are looking for "secular" advice on marriage this book is not for you. However, if you are ready to have the marriage that Jesus Christ planned for you to have this book will help you start living the love-life you deserve and are biblically commanded to have. Every ounce of Dr. Wheat's advice is based on His Word, yet it is written in an easy to read format including examples of couples that Dr. Wheat has counseled. A strong and Holy marriage is hard work and even harder in the world we live in today, but it is possible with help from God and a commitment to walk in His ways. I also HIGHLY recommend Sacred Marriage by Gary L. Thomas.Sacred Marriage

What praise can I give this book that has not already been said.

Jennifer is a brilliant investigative journalist. Everyone who thinks needs to read this book.

As a doula, CBE and LC I've read a lot of textbooks and advocacy about birth and breastfeeding. What I really enjoyed is this book reads like a novel or mystery. I loved the the familiar tone, and style of Jennifer's writing.

I'm a mother of a toddler and expecting my second baby at Christmastime. I was blessed with a beautiful (for a hospital) birth with my son and hope that I'll have the same experience with this baby -- but I know from experience that I may have to fight for it. I may have to argue with the nurse who wants me to lie on my back, I may have to tell the doctor that I do NOT want an episiotomy, and I may have to kick out the residents buzzing around.

Why do women who want a natural, hands-off birth (without induction, without epidurals, without C-sections) have to fight so hard for one in a hospital setting?

"Pushed" is a very well-researched, readable look at how we got to this point. Block talks to mothers, midwives, doulas and doctors and, I think, really presents all sides of this issue.

I particularly appreciated her interviews with doctors who were sympathetic to moms who want VBACs or vaginal breech deliveries but unable to offer them because of insurance liability reasons. (If I were a doctor, I wouldn't want to risk losing my home or my kids' college fund so that someone else could have a VBAC, honestly.) This is an issue that I think gets the short shrift in many books and articles on modern birth -- it's not that doctors are necessarily trying to manage birth so that they can get to the tee times or make a few extra bucks from a C-section. Many of them want to help mothers have their ideal births but just can't take the risk, from a legal standpoint.

I do wish that Block had presented more solutions -- ideas for solving the current problem weren't really addressed -- and had also taken more of a look at why the insurance industry seems so reluctant to cover doulas, midwives and birth centers, when they usually result in a substantial savings. (My first birth was in a hospital, and my second will be as well, because we don't have the almost $4,000 to pay out of pocket for the local birth center.) She does mention that some moms have hospital births because they can't afford the out-of-pocket expenses of a homebirth or birth center birth, so it seems like it would have been a small jump to investigate why that is.

Now, here's my one complaint: In the final chapter, "Rights," Block took a very obvious pro-abortion-rights stance that I thought was out of place in the book and could likely offend a good number of her readers. (Many of the "crunchy" moms I know are pro-life.) Not to get into an abortion debate here, but I don't know why we can't assert that a fetus (particularly a full term one) has rights, as well as a mother -- especially in light of all the evidence Block presents that VBACs, vaginal breech births, etc. AREN'T dangerous to the baby; it doesn't seem like an either-or argument to me. At any rate, the "fetal rights" cases that Block addresses feel crammed in and not at all relevant to the rest of the book, from my perspective. Not to mention, ending the book discussing abortion, after spending the entire thing talking about what's best for mothers and best for babies, was extremely jarring.

Overall, though, this was a great read and definitely a must for any pregnant woman or anyone at all who's interested in why American women are giving birth the way they are right now.

This book is so needed. Women need to know what is happening in hospitals concerning births. Knowledge is the key. I got involved in the natural childbirth movement a couple of years ago. I overheard two businessmen calmly discussing a scheduled c-section. It went like this, "no problems with the meeting. My wife has scheduled the c-section for 3 pm on Thursday." They might as well have been discussing a golf game. Something inside me snapped. This was so wrong on such a fundamental level. I was not a mother and not even married at the time, but I set out to find out as much as I could about this epidempic and it is an epidempic. We fight for so many rights, why not the right to give birth? This book is enlightening, informative, and much needed.

Pushed was very informative and gave you SO much information about maternity care then and now. It also gave insight as to how to prep myself and how to be an informed consumer as to the type of maternity care that I would like to have. This book encourages women to take back birth and be informed instead of blindly trusting it to "the experts". I would HIGHLY recommend anyone who is considering going into the OB/GYN field and to any women who can get pregnant. This is fantastic! Once I started I couldn't put it down!

I had a completely complication-free pregnancy and planned on a natural birth. Like so many of the women detailed in this book, I ended up with a c-section because of fears of macrosomia (big baby). At my 40 week appointment, when I had not yet started dilating, the OB decided the baby was getting too big and I needed a c-section. When I protested, be brought in two colleagues and the three of them went through every possible complication for vaginal delivery of a large baby: shoulder dystosia, cerebral palsy, even stillbirth (yes, they sat there and told me if I didn't get a c-section it wouldn't be there fault if I had a stillbirth). I felt completely bullied and powerless and had the c-section. My daughter was a health 9 lb 12 oz, but I had terrible problems recovery from surgery, awful breastfeeding problems (my milk took over a week to come in), and postpartum depression that made bonding with my baby and, well, everything in life, difficulty. I still believe I could have had a vaginal birth. And now I'll likely never be able to have a VBAC, since so few hospitals and doctors allow them, unless I go the home birth route. This book showed me I was not alone. And while I don't have conclusive statistics, I can say that among my two sisters-in-law and three friends who were pregnant when I was, all six of us -- yes, all six -- had c-sections either for macrosomia or "failure to progress." And these were all healthy, normal pregnancies. Truly scary.

I had the 2nd edition of this book. This was my bible for the few months before and after my daughter was born. It's funny, esay to read, and made me feel prepared (well as much as you can feel prepared for a newborn baby.)

I was given this by a friend when I was pregnant with my first child and I referred to it countless times during the first year of my baby's life. Now I give it to all my expecting friends. It's the go-to reference whenever you're not quite sure about something ...sleep habits, illness, food, development, etc. A must have for new parents.

A great resource - written with a sense of humor that is grounded in reality, "Baby 411" gives parents the information they need in a straight-forward and scientific manner. Easy to understand and easy to use.

This book is full of great information. It covers everything, from eating and sleeping to rashes and sniffles. It has been the go-to resource whenever I have had a question about anything with both of my kids. I can always find the answer I need. If you are expecting or have a baby, buy this book!

My wife and I recently had twins and these were our first children. There were some complications as well and the whole experience was very overwhelming. We read probably 10 or more books and nothing can compare to this book. It has the answer or explanation for every question we had. They should give this book away to all new parents at the hospital. Buy it now!

This a a very interesting book. If you like stories about girls who have powers. Then this a a good book for you to read. IN this book it is about a girl name Catty. In this book she is trying to find her real mom. While she tries to find her mom she bumps into something strange. A guy is trying give her this little message thing to help her. BUt she still doesn't know that who it is though. So anyways she finds out a little thing about the passage. In the middle of the story she finds out who her mother and all that good stuff.

What would you do if you had dreamable powers? Clean your room, get rid of your annoying younger sibling, who knows maybe even same the world? An amazing book named The Secret Scroll is about four girls that have unbelievable powers. The Secret Scroll is part of a series called Daughters of the Moon. In this book one of the characters is named Catty. Catty has never met her birth mother. So, Catty travels back in time (which is her power) to meet her mother. Her mother gives her a necklace that could destroy the evil Atrox. The only trick is she has many people that are working for the Atrox, trying to find her.
I think the book was incredible. A lot of stuff comes up that you wouldn't suspect. I definitely recommend this book.

This is a series of books that are about 4 girls that have special powers. This one is better than the 3rd one for me. each book is about a different girl of the 4 girls and it tells their points of views. i thought this book was a lot more exciting. my favorite one was the 1st one. when the chapters end they just leave you hanging and it makes you just want to keep reading it. you never know whats going to happen next and it makes you really think about it. when you predict something will happen your usually wrong because its hard to guess what will happen next. it was just a really good book to read!

This is the best in the series so far. (I am currently reading the 5th book) Ewing's portrayl of Catty is the most realistic and fully realised. She even comes across well in the other books, her character is always well defined and unconfused. This book also focuses a little more on the technicalities of being a moon goddess than any of the others and sounds far less hokey in doing so. Stanton has a nice featuring role, which is good, because he is the strongest character in the whole series (the most interesting too, that bad boy that needs to be redeemed is always appealing). It is also nice to see a glimpse of another generation of Moon Goddesses and how someone else could be as frustrated with Maggie as I am. I hope this is a sign the rest of the series is picking up in quality.

I read this book over the week-end and loved it. stanton played a great role in this one by the way he went out and helped Catty. The story also introduced a new character but Stanton is still my favorite. The scene at the park was the best with the merry-go-round.

My father, a well-intentioned school teacher who never met any situation that couldn't be turned into an object lesson, gave me this book to read when I was 14. There was no preamble, just, "Here." To this day I remember several passages in horrific detail, so I can safely say that the writing was clear, effective, and moving.

I somehow doubt my Dad thought I was going to become a child abuser someday, but this book certainly fixed in my mind the horror that a child can endure at the hands of adults and I believe in my heart that I would never do anything like this to a child. I don't know if it could have that effect on everyone, but perhaps it should be assigned reading--it certainly couldn't hurt to try.

I'm in the Navy. I'm 32 years old with a 3-year-old girl. I think I read this book about a year ago and it touches me every day. I think about it all the time. I picture Ursula, I pray for her, I pray to God she's with him. I look at my little girl with her long, blond locks and think that in around two years she will be Ursula's age. It breaks my heart to know she is learning the alphabet as Ursula did. It causes me to cringe deep down to imagine such an innocent, lovely creature such as a small child would endure torture at the hands of those she was supposed to be loved by and who should have cared for her. The truth is that I finished it in spurts, crying and yelling at the bathroom ceiling when my husband was at work and my daughter at preschool, the only time I could find to devote to little Ursula's story. I see her picture in my mind's eye. I have a BS in Business Admin, and not in Social Work, but I hope to retire from the military someday and find my place in the world helping children instead of residing in the business world, as I had previously planned. I owe it to Ursula, and I owe it to my little girl so I can help her see that people should care for each other and try to make a difference.

How can you read this book and NOT feel compelled to help a child who is suffering...? Children can't protect themselves. Even as strict as our laws are, we need them to address, above all, crimes against children as the most heinous of our society. Protection of all children should be our #1 priority. It's the only way to make our future bright.

I read this book and it took me about a week!! Why??? Because everytime I started to read it the tears just started flowing! It is unthinkable what this poor child went through. I cannot even imagine what the mother was thinking or should I say "monster" because she is by NO means a mother! I can just feel for this little girl, she was so wanting to please her monster to no avail. Right up to the end thats all she wanted to do. HOW can people do THIS??? There is barely a day when I don't think about Ursula and wish SOMEONE had done SOMETHING to stop this! To me it's ridiculous how people can just ignore it or not see it. This world just gets worse day by day. For you URSULA I say the world is cruel. I love you!

I grew up and still live in Central Florida and when this book came out, it was required reading in high school. I will never forget how the book made me feel. It's a very hard book to read and has many emotions all wrapped up into such a small package. I highly recommend this book. It's basically the authors recreating the last days of this little girls life.

This book is the true story of a woman who allowed a live in boyfriend to abuse her child - to death. It shows also how many people the child tried to reach out to (next door neighbors) and how many people witnessed her suffering (doctors, teachers) and did not do anything. It is a horrifying account of a man's desire to control a child's behavior through evil and dehumanizing tactics. Children need to be understood. It is wrong to expect behaviors from children beyond their years, comprehension, abilities. This little girl was a normal child with normal behaviors, and unfortunately her mom chose someone to be with that was unable and unwilling to cope with having a little girl around. It is tragic. Please read it.

Clarke-Stewart and Brentano deliver powerful insights and advice for anyone considering marriage or divorce. They provide statistical evidence for the various causes and consequences that are associated with marriage and divorce in a manner untypical of most textbooks. This book reads more like a novel, as much of a page-turner as one would expect from any novel. However, the lessons learned are extremely valuable to adults of all ages. For those suffering through a divorce, this book can serve as solace or a guideline of what to and not to do. For those contemplating marriage, this book provides grounds for the pitfalls of marriage. Even to older adolescents, the lessons learned are applicable to people of all ages.

As a young woman who never experienced a divorce, whether it be my own or my parents, I found the information in this book to be extremely helpful in choosing the right mate. Everyone knows of the possible consequences one may experience while going through a divorce, but the extent of what divorce can do to someone on the long-term scale can be astronomical if not handled correctly. Clarke-Stewart and Brentano not only provide information and statistics about the current state of divorce, but also deliver valuable advice for those seeking marriage or divorce. The adverse affects of divorce on yourself or your children can be avoided if you are aware of the numerous consequences involved. Overall, this book is a must read for anyone experiencing divorce, anyone contemplating marriage, and anyone looking to offer advice to a distressed friend.

Divorce,Causes and Consequences is a very indepth resource. I gained an immence amount of knowledge while reading this text. The book was very easy to understand and follow. The material in the text covered a wide variety of topics that many individuals deal with on a day to day basis. It states many statistical facts and allows a reader to analyze information which is pertinant to life and divorce. I highly recommend any one who may be interested in the causes of divorce and its consequences to use this book as a self guide to avoid such situations. However there were some facts that will allow some readers to feel as though many processes are common sence. Overall I urge many to purchase this book and gain knowledge on divorce and its consequences.

While this book is packed with information, statistics, and research, it is easy to read and understand, and in no way reads like a textbook. The information that it included was not only interesting, but is valuable information that everyone can take with them, whether looking to get married or not. I normally dread reading books for class, but I found this book extremely interesting, and it contained a lot of information that we could apply to our everyday lives. It gave an in-depth look at not only divorce, but the psychology of it, and how it impacts the world and our society. This book gave an awareness of the world we live in, and just how much marriage and divorce are central issues that need to be taught. After reading it, I am much less ignorant about marriage and divorce.
Everyone can learn something from this book!

How many people thought about they will get divorce before or during their marriages? These days significant amount of people ended up in divorce and even some people divorce more than twice. This book teaches why people divorce and results of divorce by using statistics, references, and personal stories from divorced families. This book totally changed my perspective toward divorce in many manners. It tells you before-during-after divorce period with comparison of short-term and long-term. At the end, I was surprised from what I have learned and gained much more confident of marriage and divorce.

Divorce causes and consequences is a very comprehensive book that not only considers the different aspects of divorce and the short and long term effects on everyone involved, it also gives the reader important information to consider before getting married. It includes the pyschological aspects of divorce and the risks that can lead to it combined with extensive research on the subject. Furthemore, the book has been organized so that as you go from one chapter to the next, you can follow the natural progression of divorce. "Divorce causes and Consequences" is also an important resource for professionals involved in the divorce process since it includes research relevant to law, pychology, and sociology.

I thought this book was so sad. Mary Anne loses everything- only a few things survied. Mary Anne is woke up in the middle of the night by her cat Tigger. She didn't even cry about it. Finally at the very end, she decides to cry. I would have to say, if you are like Mary Anne, and you cry allot. Don't read this book.

I cannot believe Mary Anne's house burned down! She and Dawn were VERY upset. But I can't figure out why Mary Anne could not cry. She normally cries right when she SEES something sad or cute. Or even HEARS about it. Finally one night she is able to cry. Dawn cried when she got one look at the house. I was glad they got to save A FEW things even if they weren't worth very much. I an VERY glad Tigger woke Mary Anne up. She might not have gotten out in time if he hadn't. I loved the book.

I know just how Mary-Anne feels. Our house burned down a year ago. I lost everything-including old letters (I'm like Mary-Anne and, the worst, pictures and things of my older brother, whom died when I was 7. So I know it was really hard for Mary-Anne. I cry when I read this book and I feel like Mary-Anne and I are crying together.But life goes on and changes happen-to Mary-Anne and the whole BSC (And We Love Kids Club too!)

In this book, Mary Anne's house burned down due to faulty kitchen wiring. She's very upset and in total shock. She loved the colonial farmhouse she moved to with her father after his marriage to Dawn's mother. Mary Anne loses almost everything during the fire. Her clothes, books, diaries, letters, pictures, etc. are gone, but she found some jewelry, her mom's picture, and her recent diary. Even though I've never liked Dawn, I'm glad she came to CT to comfort her family. Dawn was pretty upset about the fire. Even though she mostly hated CT, she loved the old farmhouse, the barn, and the secret passage. (the barn didn't burn down, but the secret passage from her room is gone!) I'm glad that Mary Anne finally cried about the fire, after her long shellshocked spell and she's hoping for some positive changes in her future. She doesn't want to move to Philidelpia, where her dad was offered a new job there. It's great that Kristy and her family took in Mary Anne and her parents and that the club and other neighbors comforted and donated lost items from the fire. It was a great book, but I cried my eyes out when Mary Anne lost her house and felt lost. I think she's a strong, brave girl who dealt with a lot of tough events in her life. I'm glad that Mary Anne, her dad, her stepmom, and her cat Tigger got out of the house safely. During a house fire, the number one thing is to get people out of the house and not try to save possessions. I give this book a 10.

Mary Anne's house burned bacause of wiring. Mary Anne almost loses everything like clothes, books.... Dawn was pretty upset when she heard that Mary Anne's house burned. Where Will Mary Anne live?. Will the Baby Sitters help her?