Sheep Books

The only thing Kendra Bishop wanted from her parents was for them to accept her the way she is. Kendra is just not the workaholic, marathon-obsessed, art freak like her parents. She wanted them to notice her a little. But who knew that her wish would sort of come true, when a TV crew shows up on her doorstep, congratulating her for being picked for the new reality show Black Sheep, which takes two unhappy teens and then makes them live with the others' family. So now instead of just her parents noticing her, the entire world will.

But Kendra doesn't even know how she got selected. Okay, maybe she does, but it was only a mistake. She didn't mean to write a long letter about her horrible life and the bad way her parents treat her. She didn't mean to make them sound like they were crazy and then send it in to the show. She didn't mean to make her letter sound so dramatic, but that's the only thing reality shows thrive on--DRAMA. Of course her parents wouldn't go for it, right?

Kendra should already know to expect the unexpected, because now Kendra is on her way to Monterey, California, to switch lives with Maya Mulligan, who is tired of her spirit-loving, animal-saving, hippie parents. Now Kendra's new world is just too much to handle, living with Max and Mona, her new parents, a stealing ferret, and five kids. It's not exactly what she's used to.

To make matters worse, she meets Mitch Mulligan, the oldest son in the Mulligan family. The very hot guy that Kendra now has to live with, the guy that wants nothing to do with the show, since he thinks it is ridiculous, which also drags Kendra along with it. It's bad enough that Judy Greenberg, the crazy producer that talks in third person, is always tailing Kendra, making sure she gets all the problems that Kendra has to face on camera, and sometimes even making problems when there aren't any.

But there is one good thing that comes out of this reality show. His name is Maurice and he is an otter. He's not just any ordinary otter, either--he is the only thing that actually keeps Kendra sane and maybe even changes her life.

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout, best known for their VIVIEN LEIGH REID series, takes us into the world of celebrities, the one where it's all reality and not just some script. THE BLACK SHEEP is not only funny but also heartwarming. The characters are as charming as the ones you see on actual reality shows, and Kendra Bishop is that one person that everyone loves, roots for, and hopes to see succeed. After reading THE BLACK SHEEP, it just makes me wonder if reality TV is really that spontaneous and if the cameras are actually that annoying.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Got out that box of tissue.
Clay Cantrell blaims Willa Ross for causing his sister's death.
Willa was living with her aunt and uncle at the time,her cousin Paige was the person driving the truck at the time of the accident.
Paige was her parents heart, and so natural Willa's uncle believes his own child and throws Willa out of his house.
When Willa's uncle died, Willa went to the funeral, and her aunt Tess sees her and hurrys to talk to Willa and Tess has a heart attack.
Paige accuses Willa of causing her mother's heart attack.
Tess has a fit in the hospital and the police stop Willa and escort her back to the hospital.
Clay is waiting. He gives Willa a choice, get Tess's ranch back in order and leave or answer to him.
Paige confesses her horror of being blaimed for the accident, and almost tearfully wishes Willa's friends had stuck by her.
But Paige doctors the books and makes it look like Willa has been robbing them.
Now Clay sees the way the tide is flowing and he sides with Willa and Tess.

But Willa never tells Tess her daughter killed Clay's sister and put the blaime on Willa, against Paige.
And Clay finally admits what he heart already knew, he loves Willa and he asks for forgivness.

I found this book to be most interesting because it made me think about my own family stories in an entirely new way. Why do we care about certain traits, how we define ourselves, what measures success - the answers are buried in those family stories - the ones we choose to retell, that is. I have used this book in classes, as well as in rethinking my own family. Fun, and thought provoking.

Enchanting regency with the action centering on, as the title suggests, daughter of the black sheep of the family.

She returns to England looking to make a marriage but has a great deal of past which needs to be swept under the carpet.

It's been a LOOOONG time since I read this book, but as I remember, her mother was an opera singer (?) and notorious.

What I DO remember is that it is written with a great deal of verve and wit, making it an enjoyable jewel of a book.

Highly recommended.

We are big fans of Olof Landstrom and Boo and Baa so this book did not disappoint. Boo and Baa are two cute little sheep who seem to fall into one escapade after another and, true to form, they have another adventure in this book. There is fun and games, a thunderstorm, and possibly ghosts! What more you could you ask for in a story?

My three year old just loves the Boo and Baa stories and will actually sit still to lisen to them (quite a miracle, I assure you) so I highly recommend this book for those with energetic toddlers if you are trying to teach them to appreciate a good story.

The Conspiracy: The Black Sheep Squadron Strikes Back, by R & B Pratcher takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride of surprises and ultimate fear. Kevin Callenbow and his wife Sandy, along with their son Timmy, are plunged into mortal danger the reader soon learns. The abduction of Sandy in the beginning of the novel (which has been rumored to actually be a true story) starts things off. As Sandy is being thwarted in her escape attempts, Kevin is frantic with dread as he tries to get someone to help find her.
As Kevin and a few of his friends and co-workers, plus the police, attempt to piece together the mystery of why Sandy has been kidnapped, and where she may be, there are sinister goings on behind the scenes. Things are not as they seem and, although the good guys eventually do win the battle, it is not without a price, and that price is piece of mind, never mind murder and attempted murder. The Conspiracy: The Black Sheep Squadron Strikes is an electrifying read and one that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Just watched this play at the State Academic Childrens Theatre, now called the Globus, in Novosibirsk, Russia. Can't wait to read it again (this time in English...)

P.S. Somebody needs to fix the Author's Name

Surname: Ostrovskii

Given name: Aleksandr

Patronymic: Nikolaevich

We checked this out from the library because my daughter's name is Emma. She and her sister loved to have this book read to them twice a day! It's simple, it's sweet and it has a happy ending. It also features an animal, which my daughter's love! Great book!

What poets want is for the reader to see through their words the visions and emotions that compell them to write. However, at its best poetry can be a terrible mess of private metaphor and internal struggle. After all, poetry is essentially compressing a snapshot of one's mental state into a few words; and I consider that lossy compression, indeed. True artfulness is uncovered when the poet's mind state and personality can be decoded effectively by a reader through only the words available...and I feel Shinder does this better than most of the poets I've read.

I had the great luck to experience an introductory poetry class taught by Mr. Shinder, and as such got to know him fairly well. He was terribly anxious a lot of the time, as if he was sure what was happening around him wasn't quite perfect but he was going to let it happen anyway. He has a great perspective on his art, and has great friends in the world of poetry...and had the decency to drop Ginsberg's name only once every few hours (joke). But paramount to Shinder's personality was the great wisdom that eminated from him. Discussions with him were great fun because they seemed to go beyond standard discourse. Nothing was hidden, and his speech (while never curt) was always honest and directed at details intrinsic to the text.

This book captures his dialectic nature, his openness and his anxiousness in a way which is masterful and yet easy to grasp and love. My fiance, a rough and tumble geologist who cares more for microbrews than micropoets, read every line of this book and nearly cried at some of the more vulnerable parts dealing with the anxiety of uncertain love (a dominant theme). If you enjoy poetry which is well crafted, well developed and quite meaningful (as well as delightful when read aloud), you must read this book. ...the price of a meal at a good italian restaurant, but much more fulfilling.

I read the Shetland Sheep Dogs. It was a pretty good book. Anyone who likes dogs should read it , even if this isn't your favorite dog. I thought that the information they gave was very detailed it had information like what they were named after and what there fur was like. To be honest I think that it had to much information on there fur. But it had more information on them then just fur. A lot of fact. If you like reading facts then I suggest you read it.

DO YOU THINK EVERYONE ELSE WILL LIKE IT
I think that anyone that is a dog lover will like this book. I thought that the pictures were cute. Sometimes the pictures are just what you want and not the facts.
I read the Shetland Sheep Dogs. It was a pretty good book. Anyone who likes dogs should read it , even if this isn't your favorite dog. I thought that the information they gave was very detailed it had information like what they were named after and what there fur was like. To be honest I think that it had to much information on there fur. But it had more information on them then just fur. A lot of fact. If you like reading facts then I suggest you read it.
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