Brown Books

Self Coached Runner by Allan Lawrence, Mark Scheid. Excellent book. Purchased orginally in the 80's and loaned it out. Glad I could find again on Amazon.com

After trying several books on training, I always come back to this one. Not at all dated but I just wish Al could bring it back into print. This book took me to a 3:18 first marathon and a 29 minute PR a year later. The author is now one of the top prep coaches in Houston.

This is a book with a series of planned distance runner workouts
to get you in shape for the time you want to run. If you want to run a 40 minute 10K or a 34 minute 10K, the author has got the workouts for 7 days a week that run for months until you are ready to peak. Lots of track workouts, tempo and distance runs. I got in great shape following the workouts for my goal; however, the workouts are tough. I used to do the workouts for a goal a minute slower than my true goal because the workouts were a little too tough. I think the workouts set for specific times were really keyed to make you faster than the time you were training for. If you want to have a planed training program and run your optimum, this is it.

I have used this book to enhance my training for 5k to the Marathon. It is easy to use and makes a lot of sense. I have also had the pleasure of getting additional help from Al in person. He is my idea of what a coach should be.

No matter how much experience you have as a runner, this guide can help you achieve any goal. It is too bad it is out of print; my copy has swelled with rain water from sitting at trackside, been stepped on coming back from workouts, and generally seen more mileage than any of my shoes. Now, if only it would come back into print, I could replace it. The book outlines workout schedules, means to recover from injury, and nearly any other information you might need.

This book gives the reader a great insight into life in the Israeli army from the inside. Johnathon Netanyahu is a real hero, not a plastic hollywood screen actor. A man of great intelligence (top 1% at Harvard), Johnathon faces not only life and death through his exploits in the Israeli army, but also life's day to day problems we all face.

A man cut down in his prime doing what he kows best, saving others was his mission in life. He questioned what he was doing, what Israel was doing, and what the future would bring.

Johnathon unwittingly wrote this book - not knowing that his personal letters would become the basis for this book.

I read this book over 5 years ago, and it is testament to the power Johnathon held that I can still recall these things from memory.

Top notch. Get it and you won't be able to put it down.

"...I don't think he wore his rank insignia...word spread our commanding officer had arrived...I don't remember what he said, but I remember the spirit...He was not merely a commanding officer but an educator-a great educator I believe".

My favorite accounts of his bravery under fire are the ones listed in the last chapter "From the Yom Kippur War to operation Jonathan (1973-1976)".

Another soldier recalled the first contact with the enemy on the Golan Heights in October 1973 on Yom Kippur:

"We were standing on the road looking for the enemy when suddenly heavy fire was opened on us, killing one of our officers...I was very frightened. What I saw then was a picture I'll remember all my life: suddenly I saw Yoni stand up quite calmly, as if nothing had happened...he signaled to the men to get up...he began to go forward as if it were a firing exercise...he walked upright giving orders...I remember my thoughts then as his soldier: Hell, if he can do it, so can I!"

I love this account given by his second-in-command in 1973 and his deputy at Entebbe airport in Uganda:

"Yoni conducted a battle the likes of which I've not come across even in the books...the Syrians were firing at us...I shouted to Yoni to cover us...but before I could move, Yoni had taken his men and in a matter of seconds stormed the place...And the picture I always remember is that of Yoni running ahead of 8 men and destroying the enemy force...This was a classic example of leadership under fire with relatively small losses."

Reading this for me was a real treat, stumbled upon this reading an Amazon friend's review. Would like for my nephews to read this. His life and attitude are truly inspirational, a great role model for youth. Hard to imagine in America the kinds of hardships and true tests of courage that daily meet these young men in Israel.

Not all of his letters are about fighting. The letters reveal the life and thoughts of an outstanding Israeli boy from his teen years up to the last few days of his life 30 years ago (+7 days to be exact).

I was laughing out loud in the car with family when I read what he wrote to his fiancee before the outbreak of the 6 day war in 1967. Israeli soldiers it seems like to tell jokes before the campfire to calm nerves. The joke goes like this:

"An Englishman, an American and an Israeli were caught by a tribe of cannibals in Africa. When they were already in the pot, each of them was allowed a last wish. The Englishman asked for a whiskey and pipe and got it. The American, for a steak, and got it. The Israeli asked the chief for a good kick in the backside. At first the chief refused, but...finally did it. At once the Israeli pulled out a gun and shot all the cannibals...(they) asked him..."why didn't you kill them sooner?" "Are you crazy," answered the Israeli, "and have the U.N. call me an aggressor?"!

He evidently wrote very little about his military activities as I've heard the wisest soldiers do. You simply don't say a word. And under such intense pressure day by day, an intense faith is surely required.

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion...He shall set me upon a rock. Psalm of David 27:5

I first read this collection of letters when I was 18 years old and was totally entranced by Yoni's style, the imagery he evoked, and his sense of connection with the vast memory of the Jewish people--all in translation from Hebrew to English, with little or none of the literary impact lost. He wrote of the beauty and wonder of Israel, of the day-to-day struggle to defend his country, and of his own hopes and doubts and dreams, and he did so in a way that binds you to him. He loves Israel intensely, believes passionately in the idea of Israel, yet he is also keenly aware of Israel's challenges, not only from outside but from within. Yoni befriends you and becomes part of you in these letters. In the past several years, I finally made it to Israel and volunteered with the Israel Defense Force and brought "Self-Portrait" with me, walking the same streets, climbing the same hills, even helping out at one of the bases where Yoni was stationed. From experience, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to you, for it is real and it is moving and it will help you to comprehend the wonder of Israel.

One plausible reason for the serious level of Jew-hatred in anti-
Israel Arab countries(see for example,Palestinianmediawatch.com),is because if some of their
troops were aware of who they were messing with,they would think at least twice about fighting the Jewish army and there can be no more powerful document of the Israeli army they are fighting-rather than the Israeli army,they've demonized than 'Self-Portrait'. Yoni's letters to his family-from 1963-1976-he wrote his last one in the book to his girlfriend on June 29,five days before the July Fourth Entebbe raid which he led -and for which he died at 30- the only Israeli military victim.General Shlomo Gazit had this to say following the Entebbe operation(p.297-298)"...The IDF operation at Entebbe was a brilliant military victory,reflecting imagination,daring,courage and professional skill of the highest quality anywhere in the world.The success of the main objective-storming the terminal building,wiping out the captors and guards and speedily liberating the hostages so that nearly all of them remained unharmed-this success must be credited in decisive measure to the commander of the force who planned,prepared and rehearsed the breakthrough-that is ,to the credit of Yoni.Perhaps it may be said paradoxically that precisely the success of the operation after Yoni was hit and did not live to see its extraordinary conclusion testifies,more than anything else,to the extent to which he prepared the force for its mission,to its precise and meticulous execution,so that it could be completed flawlessly even without its commander..It is of course, difficult to know how Yoni would have continued and what height he would have reached in whatever course he would have followed-military or academic.But whatever that course might have been,we have all lost one of the most wonderful,promising and outstanding young men of Israel."

having read this book many times over and will continue to read it again and again and discovering more & more about a national hero

Farley Mowat ,The Dean of the Canadian outdoor Writers, at the top of his form. If you've ever wondered what it was like to work on an Ocean going Tug Boat this is the book for you. Mr. Mowat uses his wartime experience and makes the men and vessels seem to have a life of their own. It's all done in a style that make putting this book down next to impossible. Be sure to have a turtleneck sweater and a steaming mug of Grog available because as you read this account of Maritime Tug's out of Canada you'll be chilled to the bone but kept warm by rapidly turning pages.

Farley Mowat had already written a book titled "The Boat Who Wouldn't Float," so he could very easily have called this volume, "The Ship Who Wouldn't Sink."

"The Serpent's Coil" is a companion book to "Grey Seas Under" and continues the story of ocean-going salvage tug operations in the Atlantic. "Grey Seas Under" chronicled the adventures of the tugboat `Foundation Franklin' before and during World War II. "The Serpent's Coil" takes place after the war and tells the tale of ships battered by the consuming fury of not one but three hurricanes (the "serpent's coil" of the title) in the autumn of 1948.

The author blends mystery, life-and-death adventure, and humor in his tale of rescue and salvage operations on `the Great Western Ocean.' The mystery centers around the disappearance of so many ex-wartime Liberty freighters in mid-ocean. Most of them were in ballast when they vanished, and it was assumed but never proven that shifting ballast caused the freighters to turn turtle and sink so rapidly that no message could be transmitted on the `how' or `why' of their plight.

`Leicester' was an ex-Liberty freighter fitted out in peace-time rig, newly under the command of Captain Hamish Lawson. He met his ship for the first time while she was taking ballast---"a sludge of sand and gravel dredged from the bottom of the [Thames]"---in preparation for a voyage to New York. Lawson had originally been scheduled to take command of another ex-Liberty freighter (called Sam-ships by the sailors, because they were built for the wartime Lend Lease program by `Uncle Sam'), but the `Samkey' had disappeared on route to Cuba. "'Leicester' was the twin sister to `Samkey'; built in the same yards, to the identical design. The only difference was that she was younger by a year..."

Captain Lawson's freighter was halfway between Ireland and Nova Scotia on the Great Circle route to New York when the first storm struck. `Leicester' rolled more than her Master liked, but she weathered the gale easily enough. His main worry was the ship's malfunctioning radio, without which he couldn't receive weather reports or transmit his own position. The Atlantic was not a good place to be in the middle of the hurricane season, without a radio.

Sure enough on the morning of September 14th, the crew of the `Leicester' found themselves sailing under another threatening sky:

"Lawson watched the ominous black arch [of the hurricane bar] for a quarter of an hour, and even during this short interval it seemed to grow, humping up from the horizon, spreading east and west. Above it, and around the hemisphere of sky, the high clouds were thickening, growing more opaque. A light, aimless breeze that seemed to come erratically from every point of the compass had begun to play about the ship. Lawson noticed that there were no gulls or other seabirds anywhere in sight."

The Sam-ship tried to dodge the hurricane, but it was much too late for such maneuvers. Within the hour, `Leicester' found herself enmeshed in the roaring hell of "The Serpent's Coil."

Mowat certainly knows how to tell a suspenseful sea story! The rest of his book describes the travails of `Leicester' as she founders but does not sink amidst the coils of the first hurricane. Her adventures afterward are entwined with those of the salvage and rescue tugs, `Foundation Lillian' and `Foundation Josephine,' plus another, even more savage hurricane that struck while the Sam-ship lay helplessly at what was supposed to be a safe mooring.

"The Serpent's Coil" and its even more exciting companion, "Grey Seas Under" are gripping testaments to the daring and skill of Canada's master seamen. Even the sections of these books that were strictly concerned with salvage operations kept me reading ahead at full steam.

i was given this book in 1964 and started reading it at about 9pm and didn`t finish until 5am. i`ve never forgotten it and thought i would see if it was still in print and wow! they are still printing it. (in 2001) i reread it and it is still one of the most exciting books and timeless..both men and women will like it. read it and enjoy, marti

What a story! The ads on the back state this to be the predecessor of the Perfect Storm. I don't think that is the case but the story is great. The Leicester leaves London, and rides out two hurricanes. At the end of the second hurricane-the ballast shifts and the ship takes on a terrible list. The crew rides out the hurricane on her, and then hails two other freighters and abandons ship. The ship then travels on a southerly direction until spotted by a salvage tug. This and another salvage tug take Leicester to Bermuda where she endures another hurricane and is beached with the salvage tug. The last chapter details the salvage of both the ship and tug. This was indeed the ship that wouldn't sink.
This is a nice little story that will keep the reader's interest.
A Perfect Storm is so much more dramatic that I wouldn't rate this book as highly as that. It is an interesting read.

True account of North Atlantic deep sea salvage.Men and equipment routinely battle impossible odds and harrowing conditions to save stricken ships. Reads like fiction.

Ever since I first heard re-runs of The Shadow on a local radio station, I've been hooked. Actually getting to read the adventures just pushes it one step higher. 'Crime Insured' dragged me right in, with 'The Golden Vulture' keeping me riveted.

This is the first in the latest re-releases, and it is definitely worth it. But a warning may need to be put on the cover. I got so wrapped up in reading that I stayed up much later than I should have.

It's absolutely fantastic that The Shadow has returned! What really makes these reprints worth getting (aside from the terrific action and adventure of course!) is the fact that they capture not only the original stories but the art that accompanied them as well. The tales are still very enaging some 60 years later.

The only bad things I have to say about the series is that I wish they had started reprinting the stories in the order the were originally released and that I think I'm going to need a new bookshelf for this series!

This new series of reprints are an excellent introduction to the pulp novels of the Master of Darkness. With two novels each and extra historical material they can't be beat. The Golden Vulture is a personal favorite because of the blending of two fo the best ever hero pulp authors, Lester Dent and Walter B. Gibson. Crime, Insured, is a fast-paced yarn considered to be one of the best Shadow novels.

The Shadow is back after a long absence from book shelves, movies and television. The Shadow has been out of print since the early 1970's, when Pyramid books published 23 paperback reprints of the classic pulps, with beautiful Jim Steranko covers.
Now we have a fine series of reprints, with two novels for the price of one, reprinted with the original covers and interior illustrations. If you have never read a novel of the Shadow, then "Crime, Insured!" is a great introduction to the series. It is among the most fast paced and well written of the series which consisted of about 325 novels, mostly written by Walter Gibson, under the pen name Maxwell Grant.
For those who only know the Shadow from the old radio series, or the mediocre 1994 Alec Baldwin film, then prepare to meet the true Shadow. No mental powers which "cloud mens minds" here, just detective skills, muscle, and twin automatics. You'll also be intoduced to one of the most mysterious characters in popular fiction bar none.
Pulp fiction at its best. Buy it and read it. You won't regret it!

Make sure you have time because when you start this book you will not stop until finished. The plots are viable today. I love the informative features regarding the writers.

Many young adult books cannot be compared to the technique and writing style of Lori Aurelia Williams. In her sequel, Shayla's Double Brown Baby Blues, Williams gives her characters conflicts in which many readers are able to relate to, or can understand based on human emotions. Williams heroine, Shayla, is a bright beautiful young lady who has a strong sense of self and faces many problems to determine her self worth. I would recommend this book to any and everyone, espcially young adults, because its a comming of age book and many young people can relate to Shayla's problems.

In this sequel to When Kambia Elaine Flew in from Neptune, Shayla's father has a baby daughter with his new wife. The baby is born on Shayla's birthday and has Shayla's eyes. As Shayla is learning to accept the new baby, Gift, she is also dealing with Kambia, who is getting threatening messages from someone while she is trying to recover from what happened before. Also in the midst of everything, Shayla meets a boy named Lemm. Lemm is a gentlemen who does a lot of sweet talking, and really likes Shayla, but he has real problems too. This is a great book, and anyone who liked the first book will really like this one too.

this was a great book, just as good as Lori Aurelia Williams's first book. it focuses on friendship and growing up. shayla must deal with some really difficult issues. her father has a new baby that she fears will take her place and someone begins sending Kambia packages that remind her of her childhood, sending her into her own little world for hours at a time. i can't wait to see what else williams writes.

Shayla Fox's life seems to take turn after turn for the worse. First, her estranged father left her mother for good. Then he remarried a woman Shayla does not like in the least. But worst of all, he has a new daughter named Gift --- a daughter born on Shayla's birthday! Shayla feels as if she has nothing of her own any more, not even a special day. Her grandmother, her sister, and her mother all try to help Shayla. Grandma Augustine is a wisecracking wise woman. Although Shayla feels like her drama is unbearable, Grandma Augustine constantly reminds her to be thankful that she is alive and whole and smart. Grandma Augustine knows that Shayla can be melodramatic and so she gently tells her grandchild that her life, like most people's, will be filled with a little rain, but it's up to Shayla to make sure her sorrows don't turn into a big, overwhelming storm.

A girl who does have a stormy life is Shayla's best friend Kambia. (Their friendship was detailed in author Williams's first book, WHEN KAMBIA ELAINE FLEW IN FROM NEPTUNE by Lori Williams.) As this second novel opens, Kambia's life has only gotten more complicated. A year prior, Kambia was found wandering, alone and amnesiac. Adopted by the Dreyfuses, Kambia is caught in a search for her identity as well as having to find a place for herself in the world. Shayla must help Kambia heal, even as anonymous notes and packages start to plague her friend and bring her to the edge of sanity.

In another subplot, Shayla befriends Lemm, the new boy at school who's lost most of his family in a tragic accident. Lemm struggles, feeling as alone and hopeless as Kambia and Shayla. Lemm also has severe problems with substance abuse, and even as Shayla tries to gain some control in her life, she finds she wants to help Lemm with his issues. Most of the time Shayla feels as if she's caught up in a world full of problems whirling about her, just waiting to reach out and snatch her.

SHAYLA'S DOUBLE BROWN BABY BLUES presents a harsh picture of contemporary life in the African American community. The families are strained nearly to the breaking point but held together by a web of women. These woman show their strengths and vulnerabilities while keeping life going, despite upheavals, dangerous events, and secrets from the past. Women like Grandma Augustine carry with them the promise of a brighter future, even when that promise seems to be withheld by violence and uncertainty; they never allow hope to become totally eaten away. By sharing her enduring strength with her granddaughter, Augustine demonstrates that it is possible to bear the shocks of life and, in time, overcome them.

This isn't the kind of book you can say you enjoyed; "enjoy" simply isn't the right word. But it does tell a powerful story in tight well-crafted prose that lingers in the mind and in the soul long after the story has ended. Lori Aurelia Williams's characters are so solid, they seem as if they've been hewn out of rock instead of the airy stuff of imagination. It's the kind of book that makes you want to hold your own family just a little nearer, just a little dearer. See for yourself.

--- Reviewed by Cassia Van Arsdale

Shayla is young, black, and feels that now that her father's new wife has given birth to a baby (born on Shayla's own birthday!) that she has been replaced in her father's affections. Shayla can't even confide in her best friend, Kambia Elaine, because of not wanting to diminish Kambia's own happiness at finally being part of a loving family in her own right. Nor can Shayla confide in a new friend, Lemm, when she discovers that he has his own troubles and tragedies that he is trying to keep secret. Lori Williams' Shayla's Double is a superbly written, emotionally articulate novel of unconditional love, human heartbreak, and family relationships. Highly recommended for young listeners 10 through 18, this 10 hour, 30 minute Listening Library unabridged production is flawlessly produced and aptly narrated by heather Alicia Simms.

We live in bitter times. Times full of doubt and mistrust within both each other and ourselves. In this island of uncertainty, it is refreshing to share Tom Brown's story of hope, assurance, and a happy ending. Having read his first book, "Men Bleed Too," Tom snakes us through a dense forest of uncontrollable uncertainty, utter disappointment and the five stages of grief in a very personal way. Raising from the ashes of such devastation, Tom takes of through a renewed journey of hope, laughter, and shared recovery. Emerging from such devastation of both Tom and Connie's life, this journey assures the reader that there is "life after death," and that by never surrendering to defeatism, you too, can turn your circumstances around and make what's left of your life work for you. It's a journey of discovery from personal disaster to the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. If you've ever wondered why bad things happen to good people--and yet they somehow recover, this book is for you ! It is a magnificent journey well worth sharing with them !!

I begin reading and read it thru in one evening, very honest and well written.
This is a book I can give to friends who are going thru the same grief and I don't know how to help them or what to say.

So happy for Tom and Connie, and their new life, God is Good!

I finished reading She Taught Me To Laugh Again, and I must say that it was a an excellent book to read. I am so happy for Tom and Connie!

My wife was a 16 year breast cancer survivor and was recently diagnosed with a new primary breast cancer, so I read the book from a very real perspective. My wife was having a tough night after one of her chemotherapy treatments, so I was up most of that night and read this book in its entirety. I think the tears I had while reading it were from being both scared and happy at the same time.

Tom is truly blessed to have found someone, both to love and to help him grieve, and the book skillfully relays that message to the reader. The grieving process for a wife must be so difficult, and being a Army Colonel takes a strong personality, so to read how grieving can be so hard for a strong willed individual tells it all. It is a great story of two people who dealt with grief and are now happy together.

Congratulations Tom and Connie for being married for over 11 years. Looks like the two of you made the right decision, and thanks for sharing your story!!

At some time in our life, all of us will experience the loss of at least one loved one. In this book, Thomas Brown (and his wife, Connie) share their experiences in not only getting through (as far as one can) the grieving process of losing a loved one, but also in building the foundation to learn to love, to be loved and to laugh again.
As the book shows, there is no magic formula for how to deal with this intense type of loss, but Tom and Connie provide excellent insight into their real life experiences and how they worked through it. Oftentimes, the paths that they went down needed adjustments, and they are willing to open themselves up in a way that the readers can see that their approach of honesty between themselves and to their pain, provided a foundation for their recovery.
This book also shows the courage that it takes to be willing to accept help and support from another. It tells us a beautiful story of two people who were not only willing to deal up front with their grief, but were also brave enough to risk opening their hearts to love from another.
Tom does not present this as a "fairy tale" story, but rather as his and Connie's real life stories, sharing their successes and their setbacks. Everyone reading this book will find different parts of the book to draw from. Tom tells their stories in a way that is easy to read, while still expressing the emotions that they experienced.

She Made Me Laugh Again is a real story about real people and their struggles and challenges in sifting through the loss and guilt associated with the demise of a spouse. The book shows the unspeakable value in communicating through empathy and sympathy to build a bridge of love and trust. Ultimately they are healed and allow themselves to be happy again in a new way in a new relationship.

Just finished reading this book for the first time. It was great, especially since I grew up in the area it was written and watched that crowd ride. The story line tells it like it was back then... The charactors are believable, and the ending made you want more.... could not put it down. If you enjoy this book, pick up a copy of In & Out by Barbara Moss. My favorite three books are now, In & Out, Riders, and now Show Gypsies...

I found this book in the library and have read it probably once a year ever since. I'd LOVE to own a copy, but not for $190!

The story is realistic, and characters are a bit stereotypical, and the action is spot-on. I've never been on the "A" circuit, but have spent most of my adult life on one show circuit or another, and this is pretty much the way it is. If I never see another Motel 6, I will die happy.

If you love show jumping then this book is a must. The details and the excitement draws you in and makes you put off making dinner just to get to the end. There is a love story included, but it doesn't make the book mushy, just that much more intriguing. It is an old story but still is timeless. Every horse lover will love this book.

Absolutely the best novel ever written about life on the American "A" horse show circuit in the 1970s. Every detail is 100% accurate. If you were around then, you will recognize the roman-a-clef elements and will be able to name the real horses and riders on whom the characters were based.

As everyone else has stated, this is a MUST read!!

...And surely worth a reprint...

I've checked this book out from the library at least once a year since it first came out and I'm sure that's why the library still has it! The accuracy and reality of the horsemanship and the charm of the characters-- both human and equine-- make it quite unique. Why didn't she ever write a sequel??? Now I've moved across country and really need to find my own copy. I miss it.

My son loves this book. he watches Signing Times and then when this book came, he hugged it. He knows Rachael, Alex and Leah from the tv show. It is a board book and so he is not able to tear the pages off. Sometimes I catch him (16 months old) reading the book himself and doing the signs. The pictures and words are colorful and big. I can see him using this book for a long time.

These sign time books are just what I was looking for to introduce sign language to my preschoolers. I like that they are board books so I can leave them out for the children to look at on their own after seeing them during circle time.

These books are the perfect companion for the Signing Time DVDs. My 2-year-old twins love to pick up and read these books. My 2 and 3-year-old nephews also love to read these books. There is the picture, the sign, and the word for the concepts on the DVDs. I have no doubt that these books will help my children as they learn to read words without pictures by them.

I purchased this book along with "My First Signs" and think both books are great. "Everyday Signs" contains the signs for 29 words (including hungry, apple, banana, cookie, like, don't like, etc.) I got these books so I could learn the signs and teach them to my six month old twins. This book is so colorful and user-friendly that my three year old throroughly enjoys looking at the pages and is now helping to teach the babies some of his favorite signs. These books have definitely been fun for my entire family and I will be giving them as baby shower gifts in the future!

We absolutely loved the "Signing Time" DVDs, so this seemed like a really good reinforcement for our toddler. The one draw-back to the DVDs was the "cartoony" backgrounds they put the actual children that are signing into. It, to me, is similar to having your child's picture taken at a professional studio with a cartoon or an illustrated holiday background.

With the board book, we found this to be the case as well. The pictures of the children signing were pretty good--considering that you saw a still pose of the sign. But the cartoon frog "Hopkins" and other "cutesy" pictures distracts from the book a bit.

Having said that, the signs are really good, and they are relevant things to a child's life--so the signs are some that you will be able to use immediately. Some people could possibly find it difficult to learn the signs without the DVDs, but that would be the case with ANY board book, or any book in general, really. I would say that, minus the cutesy little illustrations, this would be a better choice than some of the board books with only illustrations, since in the past with all five of our children, they have always been drawn to real life pictures as opposed to illustrations. Something similar on this vein would be "First Signs (Early Sign Language)" by Stanley Collins, and others, that show real photos that children can identify with.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books, Florrie Binford-Kichler
Founder of Patria Press, Inc. - an award-winning independent publisher, President of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book is an honored recipient of this distinguished award.

As autumn is quickly turning to winter, a leaf reflects on his life as a vibrant green leaf. To his surprise, he discovers that he has worth in his "later days," too. This is an allegory about living life to its fullest ... and accepting the surprises along the way. This is a fun read, but will be particularly great come fall, when it will be easy to bring the book to life. It is a nice reminder that we are only limited by the perceptions we create for ourselves. The book offers several layers of learning, depending on the child's age: what happens in the fall, how life changes, and self-esteem. It wouldn't take much to draw lessons about aging parents/grandparents from the story, too.

What could well become a classic children's picturebook for young readers ages 4 to 8, A Simple Brown Leaf is the collaborative effort of author L. J. Davis and illustrator Lisa Victoria. This is the story of an old autumn leaf caught by a squirrel preparing for winter's onslaught. The leaf's journey reveals that its life has more than one purpose. When it was young and green, it was part of the tree; when it turned brown and fell, the squirrel needed it to survive the bitter cold of winter. A moving story about discovery and finding meaning. "You are meant to do something wonderful! Someone loves you! Someone needs you... just like the squirrel needed the simple brown leaf."

A Simple Brown Leaf is a fantastic piece of work that promotes character development in an artistic and poignant way. Ms. Davis clearly understands the need of today's youth for self-confidence and a sense of self-purpose. As a school teacher I see children each day struggle with insecurities and apathy as they fight to find their place in society. I highly recommend this book to parents and school teachers as a platform for encouraging and strengthening our young people.

I agree that this book could become a classic. Its simple storyline will attract the young and its eternal truth--that every age has a purpose--will appeal to people of all ages. It is exquisitely crafted and the illustrations reflect the mood superbly. I read it to my two grandchildren ages 7 and 9 and they asked me to read it again. Than they took it off to their room to read again on their own. Highly Recommended!

In my humble opinion, the history delineated in this writing should be taught in classrooms across America and beyond! I learned so much about the evolution of citizenship, religion in the USA, and music of all genres from this book. I was left feeling that I owe such a great debt to so many who suffered and sacrificed so much that I can enjoy life in this country. The privileges and the luxuries we bask in have deep roots enlivened by much blood, sweat and tears. So much was made clear, especially where it pertains to different music artists, their styles of delivery and their associations with other genres of artists.

I grew up loving both Rev. C. L. Franklin and Clara Ward. I was glad to learn that they loved each other, as Aretha Franklin also attests.

"Singing in a Strange Land" is very valuable as a sketch of this highly successful, complex legend. It was a compelling read that prompted me to read biographies of two of the most famous supporting characters, Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward. For chronicles of these I read, and highly recommend, "Got to Tell It", Jules Schwerin's unsparing bio of Mahalia and "How I Got Over", Willa Ward-Royster's portrait of her gifted sister Clara Ward. Besides the priceless info about Mahalia and Clara, these biographies provide further details about C. L. Indeed, one of the vignettes in "Got to Tell It" (a conversation between Mahalia and Aretha about C. L.'s alleged drug use) paints a portrait of C. L. that leads me to suspect that daughter Erma Franklin's cooperation with "Singing in a Strange Land" was possibly conditioned on Salvatore's silence on some matters. Notwithstanding details of C. L.'s life unavailable elsewhere, and whatever self-exposure a preacher betrays in his sermons, "Singing in a Strange Land"'s shortcoming is the reader is left in the dark about C. L.'s thoughts and feelings. This is not the author's fault as Salvatore repeatedly refers to C. L.'s reticence to speak about personal feelings -- particularly about his early life in the Jim Crow South. Accordingly the reader is forced to draw inferences about the man, many of which may be unflattering due to the minister's impious personal life (e.g., his wife's decision to leave the philanderer though it meant painful separation from four of her young children).

I enjoyed reading the book not only to hear about black history but to read about my daughter's history. Alyssa Ellan Smith who will be turning one on 1/4/05 will always have her history of her family in a book. Her grandmother Carl Ellan Kelley a remarkable woman who overcame many roadblocks in her life looks into Alyssa's eyes. Alyssa is a blessing to us but in an eerie feeling to look at Alyssa is to look at C.L. Franklin. From her eyes to her chin to the smile on her face she is an identical to her great-grandfather. We hold up pictures of the two and put them down in amazement. The book finally told the truth of Carl Ellan Kelley she was only a child who because of shame was raised by her grandparents who raised her to be a wonderful person. Thank you C.L. Franklin for giving us the gift of life our Grandmother and mother a woman who inspires me.

If you live in America, particularly its big cities, you need it. If you lived through any part of the 20th century, you need it. "Singing in a Strange Land..." is a timely witness of the life of Rev. C.L. Franklin as an intersection of many apparently unrelated roads. Most interestingly, it gives insight to a time before Rev. Franklin was thought of as "Aretha's daddy". It chronicles the era when she was "the Rev.'s singing little girl".

Aside from the strictly biographical aspects of this volume, there is much to reward those interested in subjects as diverse as the show business of gospel music, Detroit municipal politics, the civil-rights movement and even the growth of the Black community in Buffalo, NY! But, it it is a true pageturner, because Mr. Salvatore's writing never bores.

Now dear reader, I am no expert on literature or scholastic research, but like the man in the museum looking at a Picasso, " I know what I like". I like this effort by Mr. Salvatore, and I believe you will, too. Don't miss it!

Readers interested in both black church music and black history will relish Singing In A Strange Land: C.L. Franklin, The Black Church, And The Transformation Of America. More than just a biography of C.L. Franklin, Singing In A Strange Land uses Franklin's background to explore both African American religion and musical development in America. Salvatore spent eight years extensively researching, including interviewing Franklin's associates, to develop a winning biography which includes so much more than civil rights history alone.