Seasons Books

I Don't know anything about this book really. But the author of this book is a Wonderful!! Teacher!

Paige
Kirsten
Nikki
Britney

My friend and I love this book. It is not only for girls it is for boys too. And my friend and I's names are Katie and Alex,just like the book!! It was especially helpful to me because it seems to show the bright side of everything. I can also really relate to the main character. It is not an "obvious ending book", you know like parent trap. YEEESH! It is full of adventures and a little romance. I love this book because when
katie thinks things are taking a turn for the worse, she finds an unexpected understanding of the situation and decides, maybe eveything will be okay. This is the story of Katie Newman and how much she grew over the summer of her life.

From the cover, this book looks as though it's just for girls, but there's a teenage boy in it, too (actually, there are two). These kids get in all kinds of trouble over a summer where they're in situations they don't like. I think this book shows readers that kids have more power and control over their lives than they think they do--and they can make a difference in the world, or at least their part of it. Great flying scenes, caving scenes, and other adventures keep readers turning pages.

HEALING LITURGIES FOR THE SEASONS OF LIFE, by Abigail Rian Evans embodies the scholarly passion for healing and wholeness in the church presented so well in Professor Evans' classic THE HEALING CHURCH (1999). It not only demonstrates the church's long history of concern for human suffering, it provides a thoroughgoing compendium of resources for the practice and celebration of healing and wholeness. Sound theology, pertinent definitions, and discussion of controversial issues, confirm and affirm the church's highest liturgical healing practices. A major portion of the book offers a wide variety of liturgical materials for life's maladies and seasons. Further, it enlarges the common understanding of healing by providing liturgies for social justice, human relationships and environmental needs as a natural extension of concern for wholeness in all of God's creation.
Professor Evans states her thesis early as "God's gift of healing is available during all seasons of a persons life and that the power of hope and healing may be affirmed and redirected through liturgical services, sacraments and rites. It is important, not only psychologically but also spiritually, to mark the passages of life and times of crisis" (p xiii).
This book completes a trilogy of works introduced by her REDEEMING MARKETPLACE MEDICINE (1999). Together these books are a bold, prophetic challenge for religion to take its appropriate place in helping lead the emerging crusade for health in the USA.

This book embodies the scholarly passion for healing and wholeness in the church presented so well in Professor Evans' classic The Healing Church (1999). It not only demonstrates the church's long history of concern for human suffering, it provides a thoroughgoing compendium of resources for the practice and celebration of healing and wholeness. Sound theology, pertinent definitions, and discussion of controversial issues, affirm confirm the church's highest liturgical healing practices. A major portion of the book offers a wide variety of liturgical materials for life's maladies and seasons. Further, it enlarges the common understanding of healing by providing liturgies for social justice, human relationships and environmental needs as a natural extension of concern for wholeness in all of God's creation.
Professor Evans states her thesis early as "God's gift of healing is available during all seasons of a person's life and that the power of hope and healing may be affirmed and redirected through liturgical services, sacraments and rites. It is important, not only psychologically but also spiritually, to mark the passages of life and times of crisis." (p xiii). Though she pointedly affirms appropriate adaptations and freeform ministrations for healing, her thesis situates her work in traditional worship and pastoral settings.
According to the author, this book completes a trilogy of works introduced by her Redeeming Marketplace Medicine (1999). Together these works are a bold, prophetic critique of current medical and theological premises and practices regarding health, sickness and healing. Her trilogy reproves the church for relinquishing its natural authority and responsibility in defining and ministering to illness, impairment, and brokenness to the medical and mental health professions. She traces the biblical and continuing church's primary roles in wholistic health, and insists that healing and health must be inclusive of body, mind and spirit. This stance offers a necessary collaboration between medical, mental health and religious professional. Yet she is more intent on demonstrating the spiritual roles and forms that must be recovered if the church is to have competent clergy and lay leaders for effective healing ministries. This third book of the trilogy demonstrates the profound range of liturgical-sacramental resources available. And by so doing exposes the inadequate training and practice in their use that is apparent to contemporary observers of the church.
The enormous virtues of this large (486 pages) book begin with its function as the library of the trilogy. Yet other qualities add to its value. Its format provides clear designations of the seasons of human life, as taught by Erik Erikson. And it offers introductory explanations of the resources appropriate to each of these seasons. Professor Evans moves beyond these stages easily to explore the factors and issues that disrupt and distort the living of the seasons of life. Her treatment of major illness themes moves beyond medical definitions to include brokenness, abuse, consequences, punishment and disabilities. The discussion of sickness as God's punishment versus its being a consequence of human behavior is particularly valuable (p. 149f). The discussion of death, dying and bereavement is remarkable in its concise designations of these experiences, with enlightening liturgies and rites from a wide variety of religious traditions.
Social injustice, racism, imprisonment, exploitation of the environment, diversity, and even "deliverance" (exorcism), extend healing to its broadest meanings in this book. They are the author's opportunity for adding perspectives and resources so necessary and yet complicated for traditionally trained clergy and laity. Including such dynamic issues demonstrates the necessity for the church to be involved in all the contemporary forms of sickness and brokenness. And in Appendix A she adds a valuable listing of religious organizations already providing the healing ministries she recommends.
Professor Evans' Healing Liturgies for the Seasons of Life lays before us the finest examples of the church's traditional and contemporary resources for healing. Along with the other two books, it challenges us to participate wholeheartedly in the emerging healing and health movement in the USA.

G. Lloyd Rediger
New Mexico Conference of Churches
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Healing Liturgies is a novel and extraordinary contribution to protestant worship in an area that has long been overlooked. It would be well if this book found its way into the pews of all of our churches as a way of centering the full spectrum of experiences and emotions that we experience as we traverse the seasons of our lives.

Dr. Evans has done an exceptional job in researching, editing, amending and adapting source material from traditional as well as original sources and melding these into a schema that brings a unity and vibrancy to the whole. Its major contribution, however, is in enabling the whole of our congregations to reach into the souls of its individual members, share the joy of joyful moments and share equally the terrible sorrow that attends the tragedies that are a part of all of our lives.

In assembling these many liturgies, Dr. Evans provides a wholeness that gives balance to lives highs and lows of life and gives meaning to both. This, it seems, is the missing ingredient in much of our contemporary worship.

She provides us sections on childhood, early to middle adulthood, late adulthood and the older adult in which poignant events are highlighted in each section, with commentary, reflection and liturgies that can be used in worship or as springboards for communal discussion.

Healing liturgies provides new perspectives on issues such as life altering illnesses, disabilities, mental illness, addiction, domestic violence and sexual abuse. It offers resources for use during hospitalization, general healing services and a multitude of specific conditions or diseases. It also addresses the "broken world" focusing on community needs, prejudice, criminal justice and the need for communal reconciliation.

This wonderful resource is highly recommended for pastors and for congregations.

What a gem, this short book contains the author's musings through a season on the family farm. The author struggles with aging parents and family conflicts while appreciating the land and it's history. The writing is just beautiful--leaves you wanting more. I highly recommend this one.

I am a city person, and the closest I have been to a small farm is buying apples in the autumn at a roadside stand. I have no idea how I chose to buy this book and Jane's two other ones, but I did buy it and fell in love with it. The poetry is deep; she tells the story of her aging father who in his eighties tries to keep his beloved farm going, her brother who has stayed to help but is angry and sometimes dysfunctional, her mother, and her own return after many years. These are wound around and blended with tales of seasons of growth -- of apples, berries, all sorts of corn and the customers who show up decade after decade to buy what they loved last year. It is truly a spiritual book, and gives this city girl a sense of the enduring earth and its gifts and the people who are closest to it.

Here and Nowhere Else captures with its perfect language the timeless undulations of rural living. It is not so much like reading a book as it is like walking the land with someone who respects both the comfort and the pain it can give. A truthful recording of enormous loss and a lyric epitaph for a family farm.

I ordered this book about a month ago as a present for my husband. After reading the stories (which are practically like reliving the experiences for any hockey parent), I enjoyed the book so much that I ordered several additional copies that we intend to give out to other 'hockey dads' that are friends of ours.

Even tho I'm not a parent of a kid on any type of travel team, every inch of this book was relatable. A fun, and very funny venture through the life of an everyday dad as he supports his son's sporting desires. Every page offered a laugh, and leaves you desperate to see what the next page holds. Very well written.

Being the father of a former youth hockey player, I REALLY enjoyed this book. I am an avid reader, but this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review. So many of the antcdotes in this book stuck home...the endless road trip, the thought of my son as a future NHLer, the incredible cost...all true. And it's all presented in a very readable, and funny, way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone with a child that plays, or wants to play, hockey.

Martin Brennan' charming picturebook, I Saw It In The Garden, is enhanced with equally charming illustrations by Michael Glenn Monroe. A creative and entertaining tale of a girl and her grandfather's garden, I Saw It In The Garden informatively carrying its young readers through "changing of the seasons" driven changes in the garden. I Saw It In The Garden offers a lyrical context for the emergence and growth of life with so very many plants and critters to be found in the garden. A helpful and encouraging guide with a fun and interesting story throughout, I Saw It In The Garden is very highly recommended reading, especially for those young readers hoping to care for a garden of their own someday with the packet of seeds that is included with this wonderful picturebook.

This is a WONDERFUL book with WONDERFUL illustrations! A great way to introduce young children to the concepts of GROWING and NUTURING via the garden! Sweet and Entertaining...Buy it, you'll be pleased :)

Spring has returned to Minnesota and the trees are budding and the flowers are beginning to peek through the soil. Everything looks new, fresh and oh so wonderful! I'm always in awe of the rebirth.

Martin Brennan, author of I Saw It in the Garden, shares the wonder of a springtime garden as it comes to life with plants and is visited by other interesting creatures. Grandpa shares the magic of a garden with his granddaughter. His wise words, "there are wondrous things to see if only you look!" is so true.

I Saw It in the Garden is a delightful story of two generations sharing the spring, summer and fall in the garden. It's also fun and educational and the illustrations are luscious; the colors are stunning and the pictures are some of the most beautiful and inviting that I've seen in a children's book in the past several years.

Armchair Interviews says: The story is fun and interesting but the vivid illustrations are so inviting, you'd like to frame them.

A simple story about the cycle of life and having a purpose. Subtle in making its point. Illustration is colorful and fun. Parent and child will enjoy reading again and again. Colorado author.

Deftly written by Elaine Pease and memorably illustrated by Kerry Lee MacLean, I'll Never Leave is a splendidly delightful picturebook story of a little leaf and its desire to stay with the tree it considers home. A charming and original story, filled with colorful illustrations and hidden ladybugs children can count, I'll Never Leave also features a section at the end of leaf facts and simple leaf activities, such as making leaf prints, leaf rubbings, or capturing a leaf's water vapor. I'll Never Leave is a simply wonderful picturebook that is as educational as it is entertaining.

Beautiful, vivid collage illustrations and an adorable character "Little Leaf" create a charming story about a new leaf who refuses to leave the tree in fall because she feels so important and loves her work. She comes to learn she's an important part of nature. Kids count ladybugs then check their answer, search for "Little Leaf and her friends on some of the pages. Facts on leaves in the back are very educational, some surprising! Good leaf activities for teachers as well as parents. We loved it.

My three year old loved the story and the pictures, my 1 year old son spends quite a bit of time looking through the book. We spend a lot of time looking for and discussing fairies since ordering this book.

This is worth buying if only for the artwork! It was first published in German, titled Komm mit ins Elfenland. This little book briefly follows the fairies through the seasons with beautiful art and flowing rhymes. The perfect gift for any child with a love for fairies!

The art work in this book is stunning. The story is simple. Which is great for reading to little ones. Follows the fairy world thru thr seasons. We really love it.

Heather mama of 5

I rate Inside the Cage a triple E: it's entertaining, educational, edifying. I'm not much of a basketball fan, but I enjoyed Martindale's blow by blow accounts of the tournament games. I particlarly admired his sparse but vivid writing style, which contrasts with today's media's overcharged, over-hyped sports reporting. Martindale obviously knows what made Hemmingway great. But Martindale's perspective extends beyond the games and into the personalities of the people in the background. As a white man talking about mostly black guys, Martindale is honest and avoids the patronizing tone that characterizes so much of the literature written by white people about African-Americans. His portrait of Kenny Graham, the main man behind the tournament, is true and will linger in my mind long after I have put this book down. And what makes Inside the Cage great is that it extends the perspective even further, looking past the games, the memorable characters in and around it, and places the West 4th Street Tournament within a cultural and social context. Martindale's inquiry as to whether basketball is good for the inner-city was one of the most incisive, thoughtful, provocative pieces of sports journalism that I have ever read.

Having spent many summers watching games at W. 4th st., I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding New York City basketball. In the course of describing one season at the Cage, the book skillfully portrays the colorful characters that make the Cage what it is. The book documents a community of basketball enthusiasts and players who have made this small court in Greenwhich Village their home for over 25 summers. Martindale's portrayal of the lives of these people off the court is just as fascinating as the game time action. The essays on play and city basketball towards the end of the book show just how important the culture of the Cage is. W. 4th st is a NYC summer institution and Inside the Cage is a must read for anyone who really wants to know about it.

Anyone who has watched games at the cage on west fourth street can attest to Martindale's vivid descriptions of the basketball talent and intense competition on display on any summer day.

Behind the scenes is an even more compelling story, unknown to casual fans but brought to life through an insider's view of the legendary tournament. The story of the cage is strengthened by the author's meticulous research, historical perspective and lucid style.

Martindale writes with a keen insight into not just the power and athleticism of the game of street ball, but with an equal focus on the men who make inner city leagues succeed despite improbable odds. Inside The Cage brings city basketball to life and honors those dedicated to making it work. It is a great, fast, informative read.

The pictures in this book are beautiful. It was a great way to introduce the concept of fall to my preschool class. It tells about all aspects of fall and is great for any age.

We like to read seasonal books with our children and this one is fun! It really captures the spirit of Autum and the classic activities that we all attribute to the season. Beautiful illustrations---love the book.

I really liked the illustrations, because they went so well with the words. It is written just the way I remembered Fall when I was younger. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys nature and ever jumped into a pile of leaves.

I bought this book for my daughter when she was 2 and we read it over and over again to learn about season of fall. She & I both love it! The illustrations are the best and the rhyming makes it so much fun to read and to listen to. I love this book! It is also a great educational tool for children to teach them about the changing of seasons and the fun things you can look forward to with each season.

THis book is so wonderful. It really captures that great feeling you have as a kid playing around in the fall. It's got something for kids who are still playing in the fall and for adults who remember jumping in leaves and watching fall happen around you.
My niece and several friend's kids love the book.
I recommend this for all ages. There is something for everyone!

Jimmy Pickering's "It's Fall" is a wonderfully fun book that both adults and children will find entertaining and a joy to read. Adults (with or without kids) will love the richly textured playful illustrations and kids will love the chance to enjoy a cute turn of phrase and the oft-silly art.

Pickering has a way with the whimsical -- must be his experience in creating greeting cards at Hallmark or theme park attractions at Disney and Universal.

The story in "It's Fall" centers around two characters -- Sally and Sam. Sally the little girl and Sam her faithful dog are adorable and incredibly accessible. They journey through the autumn season, reveling in all the joys and delights to be found in that time of year -- jumping in leaves, eating pumpkin pie, going for a hay ride...

Not enough can be said about the quality of the illustrations. There's something both fresh and retro about the art. It harkens back to styles found in the 40s and 50s illustration while also having the unsettling ability to look extremely 3D.

Pickering's first book, "Somethin' Pumpkin," is a wonderful Halloweeny tour through Things You Can Do With A Pumpkin, but with this line of seasons books, Jimmy delivers an even more accessible series of fun illustrations and quaint story that appeals to small children.

Sam and Sally are ready-made animated characters, as are their environments. One can only assume "It's Summer" and "It's Spring" can't be far behind and it doesn't take a genius to imagine a Peanuts-style line of animated TV specials featuring Sally and Sam. I for one can hardly wait...